Day 19, Chapter 19: The Listener I grew up believing I was ugly. With my movie-star good looks, I know this seems unbelievable, But all joking aside, it's true. Because of this, meeting and conversing with people was difficult for me; I became introverted, insecure, and shy. This intensified when I was 10 years old. My Sunday school class had a scripture memorization program, and at the end of it we were scheduled to quote our verses in front of the congregation on a Sunday morning. When my turn came, I couldn't remember my verse. Panic sat in, which only made it worse, and my mind went completely blank. I doubt if I could have spelled my name. No one prompted me, aiding my memory. The Pastor was sitting on the front row, and he lost patience with me. This, of course, made my memory loss worse. In complete embarrassment and humiliation, I began to cry. This angered him and with disgust, loud enough for all to hear, he told me to go sit down. That Pastor was my dad. Dad had insecurity issues of his own, and I have always assumed that my failure embarrassed him. Then my weakness (crying) angered him. I don't mean to dishonor his memory. He tried his best to be a good father, and I know he loved me. In spite of his failures and weaknesses, I loved him, as well. Nevertheless, this experience scarred an already insecure kid in a horrible way. From that moment forward I couldn't speak in front of people. One-on-one I could function, but anytime I was in front of a group - whether it was a class at school, a youth group, or a room filled with people - my mind would go blank and I was finished. Eventually, I stopped even trying. I preferred receiving an F on an oral book report than trying to give it. It was a paralyzing fear. Fear - whether of the dark, of failing, or of rejection - is a tormenting and debilitating thing. Thankfully, I have been freed from my fear of public speaking. But for years, having experienced such fear, I had difficulty embracing scriptures that spoke positively of "the fear of the Lord." Why would anyone want a relationship with someone they had to be afraid of? I wondered. It certainly is not possible to enjoy God if you're afraid of Him. I do not ever remember enjoying the pleasure of His company for the first 19 years of my life, even though I was definitely born again. My relationship with Him can be described by the boyhood experience of T.H. White: “My father made me a wooden Castle big enough to get into, and he fixed real pistol barrels beneath its battlements to fire a salute on my birthday. He made me sit in front of it.... to receive the salute, and I, believing I was to be shot, cried”.1 That pretty much sums up my early concept of God. He was looking for any reason to shoot me. As far as I was concerned, He was makin' a list, checkin' it twice, to see if I'd been naughty or nice. And if I was less than perfect, there would be hell to pay - literally. The fear of the Lord was anything but appealing to me. In fact, like most people I believed the devil wanted me to have fun; God, the serious and stern Judge that He was, wanted me to be sober-minded and live a boring life. How horribly inaccurate. Thankfully, my perception of Him has changed and I now believe wholeheartedly in His goodness. I have since discovered that my concept of "the fear of the Lord" was distorted. Several different Hebrew and Greek words in Scripture are translated as "fear." Phobos, for example, is a dread or terror. Our English word phobia originates from this word. Scripture makes it clear that God doesn't want us to experience this type of fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love" (1 John 4:18). All four of these words for fear are phobos. There is also the word deilia, which is a timidity, insecurity, or cowardice type of fear. As a young boy I had become deilia through my insecurities. But God says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (deilia), but of power and love and discipline." Our heavenly Father doesn't want us to be timid or insecure. What type of fear, then, are we to have toward the Lord? The Greek word is eulabeia, which is a reverence or piety; it is an awe, and overwhelming feeling of wonder, admiration, or respect. Jesus actually possessed this type of fear toward God, our Father, though He certainly was never afraid of Him: “In the days of his flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the one able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety (eulabeia) (Hebrews 5:7). Possessing a respect and awe of God brings great reward to us. It is spoken of as the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). It is also used to describe the respect Abraham had for God, which enabled him to trust the Lord even with his son Isaac's life (Genesis 22:12). It is somewhat ironic that a word sometimes translated as "fear" engendered faith, but it did. Abraham's respect of God caused him to believe fully in His goodness, and that He was trustworthy. This is also the type of respect we are instructed to have for our parents, which carries with it the promise of a long life (see Leviticus 19:3). There's a revealing description in the book of Malachi of how this type of honor blesses the Lord. The context of this biblical book is the unfaithfulness of Israel, a people God loved very much and who were supposed to be walking in covenant with Him. They had turned away from Him, however, and instead were worshiping idols. God's desire was for them to return to Him, and He was using Malachi to challenge them accordingly. In the midst of this season in which God was experiencing such painful rejection, several individuals who still honored and respected Him were conversing. Based on the passage, their conversation was obviously honoring toward Him. As they were speaking to one another, the Lord heard it and was deeply moved. Then those who fear the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and HEARD it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. "And they will be mine," says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." (Malachi 3:16-18; emphasis mine) This passage says the Lord "heard" these individuals. Among other definitions, this Hebrew word also means "to eavesdrop." God began eavesdropping on their conversation, not to catch them doing something wrong but because their conversation was blessing Him! God's heart is so incredibly misunderstood. Jesus, who came to show us the true nature of God, was so kind He was loved by young and old, including sinners. Only self-righteous, religious legalists and the truly evil didn't like Him. He was interesting, compassionate, and kind. In Malachi's day, God's heart was so moved by these people who loved and honored Him that He instructed angels to create "a book of remembrance" and record their names in it. He would honor them later. He called them "mine" and His "possession" (segullah). Segullah was the word for a treasure or jewel. The Lord was so deeply moved by what He was hearing, He referred to these friends as a treasure to His heart. Amazing. You, too, can be a treasure to Him. It won't be because you perform well enough, but because you love, respect, and honor Him. He is listening, not to catch you in a failure so He can humiliate and punish you, but to enjoy your company. In the midst of all the rebellion and idolatry on the planet, give Him some love. Talk to Him. Today. Pray with me: Father, we are so grateful for Your Son, Jesus. Jesus, You are perfect love personified. You drive away all our fears, You complete us and redefine our worldview. Knowing You, we can wholeheartedly believe in the Father's goodness and draw near in reverent awe. May we walk in the awe and respect of You that results in the highest honor and admiration. Let us reap the rewards of walking in the appropriate fear of the Lord: wisdom and revelation, knowledge and faith, and a trust in You that is constant and strong. We pray that Your listening ears, today, God, would be drawn to the sounds of endearment toward You from our hearts. Let it be such that the angels record our names as Your treasured friends, just as they did in Malachi’s day. In Your Christ’s name we pray…Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 155-163 1 T.H. White, The Book of Merlyn (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1977), pp ix-x. Watch the video here:

Day 18, Chapter 18: The Courtship I remember when Ceci and I were "courting." I was fairly indifferent toward her at first - she had to do the pursuing. NOT. I proposed to her after only a week of dating. I think it would be fair to say I was smitten. Her big brown eyes, long dark hair, and overall beauty knocked me off my feet. Though it only took me a week to propose to her, we did wait nine months before tying the knot. Those were the longest nine months of my life. I wanted to be with her all the time. Both of us were Bible school students, and over the summer I went back to Ohio while she went on tour with the school's choir. That three-month separation felt like ten years! It's fair to say that during our courtship nothing mattered more to me than spending time with Ceci. It seemed that every time we were together I learned something new about her and grew to love her more. I wanted more than anything to please her and make her happy. Our courtship was wonderful - even our time apart strengthened our love. As foreign as the concept may seem, the scriptures speak of us "courting" God. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, "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." In this familiar passage, "ways" is from the Hebrew word derek, which refers to a journey, a course of life, or a mode of action. It is used in various contexts, including courting. Imagine that; we can court God. On life's journey, we will "court" many things: success, advancements, fame, other people, money, favor, and a myriad of other things. Seeking and loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength is often lost in the melee. Gordon Dahl aptly said, "Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship."1 How true, and nothing is more lethal to our spiritual life. We need to court God everyday. Sometimes I feel like the small child in the Family Circus cartoon who ran up to his mother exclaiming, "I need a hug, Mommy. I used up the last one."2 It doesn't take long to use up our spiritual hugs. In the same passage, "acknowledge" is from the Hebrew word yada, which means "to know someone intimately." It is actually used of a man and woman knowing one another sexually. Courting God in all of our ways (derek) leads to intimacy (yada), which leads to spiritual conception. Just as Adam "knew" Eve physically and she conceived, we can know God spiritually in ways that allow Him to speak to us. When He speaks, His word becomes a seed in our hearts (see 1 Peter 1:23; Mark 4:14), and that which is born from our lives is now of Him, not just from our own mind. Our visions, plans, methods, ministries, relationships - all of these can then be the offspring of the Holy Spirit, not just of ourselves. God isn't into surrogate parenting - someone else carrying His seed of Revelation for us. He wants to sow it into us personally, breathing His word into our hearts. Insights we receive from others through sermons and books are good and valid, but if that is the only way we receive spiritual insight, we're living far below our privileges. God is not into artificial insemination, either - placing His seed in us without an intimate relationship. CDs, seminars, and books are all good, but they must not take the place of hearing from Him personally and directly. Conferences where the word of God is delivered strongly can become nothing more than a sterile laboratory of information if we're not careful. Frankly, I believe many Sunday morning services also fit this description. Teaching from others is important - reinventing the wheel isn't wise - but that doesn't negate our need for receiving fresh revelation personally. We must not be satisfied with only what we receive from others. The problem, of course, is not in receiving teaching through someone else; this is obviously one of the ways God speaks to us. Our problem is when this becomes the primary source of our information. We cannot live only on another person's revelation. We must hear from God ourselves. And when He does speak to us through someone else, we should still pray and meditate over the information (courting God), which moves it from the mind to the heart and makes it now a personal word of Revelation to us. The apostle Paul understood the need for this personal and intimate walk with God. He was still "courting" God at the end of His life and ministry. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ... That I may KNOW Him and the power of His resurrection.” (Philippians 3:7-8,10; emphasis mine) The word Paul used for "knowing" God, ginosko, is similar to yada. It, too, is a relational knowledge. Like yada, it is used in reference to a man and woman knowing one another physically. Mary asked the angel Gabriel how she could have a child since she never had "known" (ginosko) a man (Luke 1:34). Paul was saying he had forsaken all other "lovers" in his courting of God. He wanted to know Him intimately. Ginosko also carries the meaning of a progressive or growing knowledge. In the same way a husband and wife's knowledge of one another should increase over time, enhancing their relationship, Paul was stating that he wanted to know Christ even more intimately. By this time in Paul's life, he had been taken to heaven, where he was given sufficient revelation to write much of the New Testament. He actually saw God, in person! Yet, incredibly, he was still saying he wanted to know Him more. You'll never exhaust the depths of God. The pleasure of His company makes you want the pleasure of His company! Finally, not only is ginosko relational and progressive, it is an effectional knowledge, having an effect on the knower. The more we see God, the more we become like Him. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." God's personhood is so powerful that as we gaze upon Him, His very image and likeness - that which we lost at Adams fall - is burned into us like light on a negative. In his book Good Morning Merry Sunshine, Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene chronicles his infant daughter’s first year of life. When little Amanda began crawling, he records: “This is something I’m having trouble getting used to. I will be in bed reading a book or watching TV. And I will look down at the foot of the bed and there will be Amanda’s head staring back at me. “Apparently I’ve become one of the objects that fascinate her...It’s so strange. After months of having to go to her, now she is choosing to come to me. I don’t know quite how to react. All I can figure is that she likes the idea of coming in and looking at me. She doesn’t expect anything in return. I’ll return her gaze and in a few minutes she’ll decide she wants to be back in the living room and off she’ll crawl again.”3 Take some time to stare at Papa God. I promise you He'll gaze back, straight in the eye. Words aren't always needed. I've spent hours conversing with God without saying a word. Hearts don't always need words to communicate; they just need to be together. Go get another hug. Pray with me: God, You court us with kindness and love, then patiently await our responses. We in turn, can court You. Jesus, we want our knowledge of You to be progressive, knowing Your heart more and more - intimately acquainted with Your dreams and desires, letting them become ours. Impregnate us with Your seeds of revelation concerning Your purpose and plans, Your will and ways. Let us give birth to Your dreams breathed upon our hearts. May we never be satisfied with accessing through another what is readily available to us personally. May our hearts ever echo Paul's cry: all things pale in comparison to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord - both Your power and Your suffering, the resurrection and the cross. We want to see and reflect Your glory. We will forsake other lovers in order to gaze into Your eyes and experience the great pleasure of Your company. In Christ’s name we pray...Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 147-154. 1. Gordon Dahl, Work, Play and Worship in a Leisure-Oriented Society (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1972), p 12. 2. Bil Kean, The Family Circus, King Features Syndicate comic strip, November 22, 1991. 3. Bob Green, Good Morning, Merry Sunshine (New York: Penguin, 1985), p 251. Watch the video here:

Day 17, Chapter 17: The Undistracted Several years ago when my daughter, Hannah, was only three or four, I was enjoying a great Broncos playoff game. Did you catch that? Not just a game - a Broncos playoff game. I had a great fire in the fireplace, had kicked back in my football recliner, and was into the game. Hannah had no understanding of football and couldn’t have cared less about the game. She plopped down in my lap and, as girls do, began jabbering about something. She wasn’t talking about anything terribly important - at least I didn't think it was all that important. But I was listening. Well, sort of. I was actually dividing my attention between her commentary and the exploits of John Elway. This is real devotion to my daughter, I thought. Sharing my football time with her childish jabbering. A Broncos playoff football, at that. What a great dad I am. I was doing the typical distracted listening routine, an “uh-huh” here, an “ohhh” there, with a smile or two and a head nod thrown in for added effect. Sure, I was missing a play here or there, but, hey, that’s just the price of devotion. Hannah has always been very perceptive. And, of course, she has the distinctive female trait of wanting men in her life to really listen. I don’t know when that particular gene kicks in for women, but it obviously comes at an earlier age than I thought. After a few minutes of my divided attention, Hannah had finally had enough. “Dad,” she said rather sternly, as she placed one index finger on each cheek and turned my face directly toward her. “Look me in the eye and listen.” Women manifest these things at a young age! I looked her in the eye and listened. That, my friend, is undistracted devotion. Paul uses these two words, “undistracted devotion,” in 1 Corinthians 7:35, speaking of our commitment to the Lord. The phrase actually comes from one Greek word, euprosedros. Prosedros, by itself, means “to sit forward or toward” someone or something. Imagine a person sitting in the presence of someone they are completely enamored with, leaning toward them in order to hear every word. The prefix eu means “well,” intensifying the concept to mean “sitting well toward”; thus, the translation “undistracted devotion.” In our culture today we sometimes use a similar phrase, “sitting on the edge of my seat.” Obviously, we mean by this that we are fully captivated by someone or something. Hannah wanted me to “sit well toward” her, giving her some face time. She wanted to know that she, not the Broncos, was number one. And she was. At that moment my favorite color wasn’t orange; it was brown, the color of her eyes. God would like some face time with you. He knows you’re busy and can’t live like a monk, giving yourself to non-stop worship and meditation. He’s aware that you have responsibilities: work, school, family and more. He doesn’t want all of your time; He does, however, wants some undistracted time. It’s a matter of having the right priorities. I have found that priorities are heart related. What means the most to me is what I prioritize. If we find ourselves uninterested in the pleasure of God’s company, the place to start is with repentance. We should ask God to forgive us of indifference toward Him, and to awaken passion in us. Then begin spending quality time with Him. As we do, hunger for His presence will increase and we will look forward to those times. As King Solomon was about to begin his reign over Israel, he prayed a prayer God couldn’t resist. “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge these great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:9). The phrase “an understanding heart” should actually be translated “a hearing heart.” The translators struggle with the concept of a “hearing” heart, so they don’t word it this way. But the Hebrew word is shama, and it does mean “to hear.” Solomon asked for a hearing heart. Hearts can hear, but only when they’re undistracted. In times past, before we had refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve food. These buildings had thick walls and were well insulated. In winter, large chunks of ice were taken from the lakes, ponds, or streams and laid on the floor, then covered with a thick layer of sawdust to insulate it. This made a great “refrigerator.” One day a gentleman lost an expensive watch in the icehouse. Due to the thickness of the sawdust, all efforts to find it failed. Others looked, also in vain. Finally, a small boy slipped into the icehouse when no one was around and promptly found the valuable watch. Surprised, the man asked the boy how he had so easily and quickly found the valuable timepiece. “I closed the door, lay down on the floor, and was very quiet,” replied the lad. “Pretty soon I heard it ticking.”1 The problem isn’t God’s refusal to speak but our inability - or refusal - to get quiet enough to hear. Silencing the soul is a learned art. The psalmist David spoke of this. “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother” (Psalm 131:2). When we quiet the soul, we can hear His voice in our hearts. Several years ago I was preparing to speak at a conference in Canada. As I spoke with the Lord about the service, I heard Him speak. It wasn’t loud, and it certainly wasn’t audible. It was a gentle voice in my heart, almost like the ticking of a watch: “Japan is heavy on My heart today.” I was surprised. I knew it was God – I certainly wasn’t thinking about Japan – and the way He said it surprised me. It had never occurred to me that a particular place might be on God’s heart more than others at any given time. I suppose I just assumed every place was equally on God’s heart all the time. “I must have a breakthrough there,” He continued. “Rather than speak in your session today, would you give the time to prayer for a breakthrough in Japan?” I was stunned. God didn’t demand that I do this; He asked if I would! It was almost as if I was hearing the longing of His heart, not words from His mouth. I was deeply moved that He would allow me into His thoughts. “Of course I will, Lord,” was my quick and heartfelt response. As I shared with the gathering what I had heard, several dozen people in the audience began speaking. They shouted from their seats that they were from Japan! We invited them to the ministry area up front and prayed for them and their nation. It was a very special time. The conference attendees were still praying for them an hour later when I left for the airport. A few weeks after this I received an email from someone in Japan thanking me for this time of intercession. Someone had taken a recording of the session to Japan, and it was circulated throughout many Japanese churches. The email spoke of the great encouragement the prayers provided and testified to breakthroughs they had received since then. God is amazing. And He still speaks to those who will listen. Slow down a little and let God into your world. If you do, He’ll allow you into His. He will find the pleasure of your undistracted devotion, and you will experience the pleasure of hearing His heart. Look Him in the eyes and listen. Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your undivided attentiveness toward us. Pleasures are provoked within Your heart when we choose not just to glance back, but to gaze? In repentance we come before You today, for letting ourselves lose interest in the pleasure of Your company. Forgive us for our indifference. Awaken passion for Your presence, and guide us in resetting our priorities. Holy Spirit, teach us the art of waiting with undivided hearts. You are worthy of our undistracted devotion, where we sit on the edge of our seats, listening intently for every word, every intonation of Your voice. Like Solomon, we ask for hearing hearts, hearts that can hear Yours. What could possibly be more important? We commit ourselves to slowing down, looking into Your eyes and listening. We want…the pleasure of Your company. In Christ’s name we pray...Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 139-146. 1. Edward K. Rowell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), p 93. Watch the video here:

Day 16, Chapter 16: The Stretch I love nature and the outdoors. Sunrise, sunset, mountains, oceans, rivers, streams, trees – I just find God to be a pretty good artist. I also love to check out the animals. I’ve watched squirrels gather nuts, rabbits nibble leaves and veggies, and woodpeckers bang away at trees – how do they do that without rattling their brains out? Have you ever watched a hummingbird up close - their wings go a gazillion times per second - or observed the unmoving wings of an eagle as it soars. How did God think up all this stuff? I love observing elk, and listening to them. The sounds they make are fascinating. You’ve never heard all of nature’s wonders until you’ve heard a bull elk bugle. When you hear this up close, it’s one of the greatest rushes you could ever imagine. In mating season, you can actually call in a bull elk using calls that mimic the sounds of a cow elk in heat. Attracted like moths to a flame, they come running. When they approach, it is with tenacious and fierce determination. They grunt, bugle, and snort, both to alert the cow that they are coming and to warn any other bulls in the area that this is their date - back off. The bugling begins from hundreds of yards away and continues off and on as they approach. The first time I heard this, I became more “wired“ with adrenaline with every bugle. I was convinced that the arch-angel Gabriel was coming through the woods with his trumpet. We were hiding in some brush and the expert caller was luring him in, ever closer. Finally, Mr. Elk was no more than ten yards away. Still unable to see us but believing his “date” was close, he grunted, let out an ear-piercing bugle, slung some slobber (evidently, this is a turn-on for cow elk!) pawed the ground… and I made my peace with God! Talk about scary. If you’ve never heard the bugle of a bull elk, put it on your bucket list. Contrary to what you might think, an elk’s eyesight is not that great. They rely mostly on their senses of smell and hearing. I was observing a small herd of these majestic creatures one evening just before dark. One of the things that intrigued me most was the twitching of their ears. Ever vigilant, each time they heard a sound, their ears would prick up in order to hear it even better. Whether eating, drinking, or taking a step, they were always diligent to listen for a potential threat - their lives depended on it. As I watched them, the pricking up of their ears reminded me of the literal meaning of the Hebrew word for listening (qashab). This word literally means “to prick up the ears like an animal coming to alertness.” This live picture painted by the elk, was indeed worth a thousand words. One of the places qashab is used is Proverbs 4:20-22, a fairly well-known passage of scripture: “My son, GIVE ATTENTION to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to their whole body” (emphasis mine). My understanding of “giving attention to” God’s words went to a whole new level as I watched the ever vigilant ears of the elk. Always listen diligently for His voice, as though your life depends on it, I thought. Regardless of what else you happen to be doing, remain tuned in to Him. Spending time with God through prayer, worship, and quiet meditation tunes in the soul and awakens the heart, enabling us to hear Him. Life is loud - make it quiet down once in a while. Everything else will scream for your attention, but not the Lord. Holy Spirit refuses to shout above the clamor and dissonance created by other voices and activities. For those who have grown to love the pleasure of His company enough to make time for Him, however, the still small voice of Holy Spirit becomes easily discernible. Life gets fast. Too fast. The Economist contributor Dan Montano rights, “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”1 This is true on the African plains, and it certainly is true in the business world, as well. Just don’t let it describe your devotional life. Speed has its place, and at times is necessary. But when listening for the Holy Spirit, listen slowly. He is patient but won’t be trivialized by casual glances and cursory conversation. Like any lover, He wants to be valued. Turn aside and listen for His voice. This is one of the meanings of the word “incline” (natah) in proverbs 4:20. Moses saw a bush on fire while not being consumed, and decided to “turn aside” and see it (Exodus 3:3). When he did, the Lord spoke to him. If we’ll turn aside, He will speak to us, as well. But He won’t speak until we are captivated enough to turn aside. The word natah also means “to stretch toward, as in craning the neck in order to see or hear better.” The long-necked bird we call a crane provides the genesis for this colloquialism. “Stretch” your neck toward God in order to easily and clearly hear His sayings. Show Him worth; assign Him value; demonstrate interest in His words. If you do so, He will speak. Interestingly, however, these same two words, qashab and natah, describe not only listening to God but also His listening to us. He, too, pricks His ears and cranes His neck, listening for the voices of His kids. Like the attentive ears of a doting mother with her newborn baby, God is listening for the sounds and stirrings of His little ones. Malachi 3:16 tells us, Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord GAVE ATTENTION and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name (emphasis mine). “Gave attention” is qashab. The timing of this passage was one of the seasons when many in Israel had turned away from Yahweh. His Father heart was hurting. God’s attentive ears pricked up, however, when a few of His kids began talking about Him, and He was blessed by it. “Make a note of this,“ He told one of His assistants. Religion or misinformed people may have sold you a bill of goods about God being distant, but don’t believe it. Not only is He everlasting, He is also ever-listening. In Psalm 40:1, David says of the Lord, “I waited patiently for the Lord; And He INCLINED (natah) to me and heard my cry” (emphasis mine). David said Yahweh responded by craning His neck, stretching it toward his cry and lifted him out of the “pit of destruction... the miry clay” (verse 2). David was deeply moved by God’s heart toward him, and spoke of Abba’s strong love: How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts towards us; there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. (Psalm 40:4-5) “Too numerous to count” is the phrase David used to describe Abba’s thoughts toward us. He loves us, and as we turn aside to Him, He turns aside to us. The resulting face-to-face encounter is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Don’t allow a feverish pace and the clamorous noise of life to rob you. Slow down and listen to Abba. Then, talk to Him. He’s listening to you, as well. Pray with me: Thank you, Father, for ever-listening to every utterance from the hearts of Your kids. From Your throne of glory, You incline Your ears to hear our voices and give attention to our prayers. How amazing this is! Let the sounds You hear from us bring You pleasure. And Father, we want to hear Your voice speaking to us. We stretch our hearts toward You - listening - giving attention to Your every word. Draw us to the hidden treasures found in the pages of Your Book - wisdom, knowledge, life, and health. Your word is our daily bread. We don’t want to be casual listeners, but those who still our hearts to hear, giving our attention to and ascribing worth to Your words. May we pause frequently, as sheep who faithfully listen for the sound of their Shepherd’s voice, following Him always. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 131-138. 1. African folklore, as told by Don Montano, “Lions or Gazelles?,” The Economist, July 6, 1985, p 37. Watch the video here:

Day 15, Chapter 15: The Friendship I called myself a Christian for seventeen years before I discovered I could have a truly personal relationship with God. Prior to this, I certainly knew Him as God and I definitely knew Him as my Savior. I didn’t, however, really know Him as my Father, and walking with Him as a friend wasn’t even in the field of view. Satan and his team, with lots of help from religion, have painted God as a very distant, non-relational being. If thought of at all, our Creator is primarily considered the Judge or, in times of crisis, a possible but unlikely means of help. Our adversary is nothing if not a very skilled deceiver. The thought of friendship with God is more than simply intriguing to me. It messes with me! It tugs at my heart and calls out to me. Like the natal homing of a sea turtle experiencing the invisible but irresistible pull to the place of its birth, it woos me. Somehow I know in the deepest part of my nature that it is my destination, my home. His desire for friendship was the place in His heart where we were conceived. Our quest and destiny should be to find it again. A few years ago I was elk hunting in the mountains of Colorado when I saw a monument to friendship. High on a mountain, near the edge, where one of the most majestic views imaginable could be seen, was a plaque attached to a rock. Tears came to my eyes as I read the words carved into the plaque. In memory of my friend and hunting partner, [name], with whom I roamed these mountains from 1963-2003. He loved these mountains, streams, snow-packed peaks and beautiful valleys. I miss him. [Name] 1930-2003 It may sound overly dramatic, but I removed my hat and stood in silence, saluting the friendship enjoyed by these men. I tried to imagine the joys and memories created, as well as the pain of the loss he must have felt as the old, surviving warrior climbed this hill, memorial in hand, to honor the memory of a true friend. One can only imagine the hours they shared together. The only way to truly understand the camaraderie that develops when friends share the wonder and awe of creation together is to experience it. I thought of this as I stood looking over the vastness of the Rocky Mountains. Then I thought how much greater is the awesomeness of sharing moments such as these with the Creator Himself. A friendship implies closeness and takes time to develop. It is comprised of trust, compatibility, affection, and, of course, a high level of interpersonal knowledge. I have many acquaintances but very few people I call my friends. The few I classify as such are those I enjoy spending time with, sharing life’s experiences together. We’re vulnerable with one another, freely communicating our hopes and dreams. I celebrate my victories with them and am comforted by them when I’m hurting, and vice versa. We keep it real. My walls are down when we’re together; I am unguarded and transparent, unafraid to let them see the real me – the unpolished version. I know they will always “be there” for me and I for them. Many more defining characteristics of friendship could be stated, but this much is clear: Friendship defines the highest level of relationship. Even higher than family. I’m sometimes amused when I hear the average Christian reference God as his or her “friend.” There was a popular chorus a few years back about being God's friend. I liked the song, but as I listened to crowds singing it, I couldn’t help but think how untrue it was for most of them. I suppose it’s good to sing it as a reminder of God‘s offer to us, just as my parents used to sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” These songs may be reality for those who wrote them, but for the average person singing them, they simply aren’t true. Most Christians have no true intimacy with God, spend very little time with Him, and have a very limited knowledge of His heart and ways. “A casual acquaintance” would best define their relationship with Him. We mustn’t cheapen friendship by lowering the standard. I want to quickly point out, however, that friendship with God is possible for every believer and is His desire for us. Abraham’s walk with God was an example of this level of relationship. Three times in Scripture God called him His friend – and it’s what He desires with each one of us. This is not only a part of our destiny, it’s part of God’s dream. In exposing our shallow understanding of friendship with God and the fact that so few experience it, I don’t mean to impugn our intentions and motives. The fact is, we are much like Abraham at the beginning of his journey with the Lord. Most of us begin our walk with God just as he did - wanting the benefits He offers. We aren’t terribly interested in His dreams; we probably aren’t even consciously aware He has any. But we are aware that He can help us with our dreams, so we cut deals with Him, talk to Him primarily on the basis of our needs, and remind Him that He is our Father, meaning our source of provision.1 In a sermon called “The Disciple’s Prayer,“ Haddon Robinson tells the following story, which pictures the unenlightening and inappropriate beginning of our relationship with God. When our children were small, we played a game. I’d take some coins in my fist. They’d sit on my lap and work to get my fingers open. According to the international rules of finger opening, once the finger was open it couldn’t be closed again. They would work at it, until they got to the pennies in my hand. They would jump down and run away, filled with glee and delight. Just kids. Just a game. Sometimes when we come to God, we come for the pennies in His hand. “Lord, I need a passing grade. Help me remember this material.” “Lord, I need a job.” “Lord, I need a car.” We reach for the pennies. Then we walk away.2 Sadly, we’re all so human. We see God primarily as our Provider. Do we really know Him as a friend? No, not at the beginning of our journey. God understands this, however, and in His love and humility is willing to meet us where we are. “He first loved us,” the Scripture tells us (1 John 4:19), not the other way around. His love embraces us and makes us His child. And just as a natural child doesn’t begin its relationship on a friendship level with Mom and Dad, our heavenly Father knows we won’t with Him, either. It’s all about us. Most of us, when younger and in our parents’ home, trusted them to provide for us. Appropriately so. But for most of us the day arrived when we wanted to be more than just well-cared-for children. I know I did – I wanted to be my parents’ friend. At that point I cared more about their happiness, well-being, and dreams than I did their money. I wanted to give them more than I wanted to take from them. We no longer talked only about my happiness; we discussed things that interested them, as well. Over the years their faith had been transferred to me, and we dreamed together about making a difference for God. Our relationship had matured into a friendship. The same is true of Abraham. He started his journey with God looking for lands, blessings, and greatness. He embraced the promise of a biological son through whom he would produce a great nation. But thankfully, the relationship grew. There were even some rough spots along the way. When God didn’t provide the son He promised Abraham and Sarah in the way they expected, they demonstrated their lack of trust by choosing to have a son through Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Still, though Abraham demonstrated humanness, in the end he proved his trust in God had grown to a level few people ever attain. He was even willing to sacrifice Isaac, his long-awaited son, believing if he did so, God would raise Isaac from the dead. What a trust! Yahweh so cherished his friendship with Abraham that, when Abraham died, He saw to it Abraham was buried at Hebron, which actually means “friendship.” I can’t help but believe that, like the hunting friends mountain top plaque, this was God’s tribute to their friendship. Upon Abraham’s arrival in heaven, I like to think Yehweh stood, got everyone’s attention, and honored the old patriarch: “This is Abraham, my friend. We dreamed together, and enjoyed the pleasure of one another’s company.” When God is looking for someone He can be vulnerable with, a friend with whom He can share His hopes, dreams, and, yes, even His disappointments, I hope He feels He can look to me. And when my earthly life is over and my body laid to rest, if it can be said that He and I were friends, I will have been a success. Pray with me: We are grateful, Father, that friendship with You is Your desire for us. Thank You, Jesus, for restoring the potential for friendship with God to every believer; fulfilling our destiny and the dream of God’s heart. Thank You for lovingly receiving our child-like interactions as genuine offerings, though they come at times from immature hearts. Your love is so great that You meet us there and woo us tenderly toward the place of deep intimacy and trust. May the quest of our lives be to find this place of true friendship and walk with You. God, when You are looking for someone in Your family You can be vulnerable with, a friend with whom You can share Your hopes, dreams, and, yes, even Your disappointments, we want You to feel You can look to us. We want to enjoy the pleasure of Your company, and we want You to enjoy the pleasure of our company. In Your name we pray, Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 123-130. 1. Adapted from Dutch Sheets, Dream (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2012), pp 101-106. 2. Haddon Robinson, “The Disciple’s Prayer,” Preaching Today no. 117, quoted in Greg Herrick, “Knowing God and Prayer,” https://bible.org/book/export/html/6336 Watch the video here:

Day 14, Chapter 14: The Offering Like most of you, I’ve had my share of awkward moments, like forgetting names, clothing malfunctions, and worse, which shall remain unrevealed. Jesus, too, had some awkward moments - at least the situations would have created awkwardness for most of us. In His inimitable style, He didn’t seem to be bothered by them. One of the worst had to be the uninvited attention He received from a prostitute. Jesus had been invited to dinner at the house of a Pharisee (Luke 7:37–50). As the religious elites of their day, the Pharisees were proud, legalistic, and condescending to the common man. Christ, always willing to point out their hypocrisy, had more than one run-in with members of their sect. It was this group, in fact, that led the movement to crucify him. This Pharisee was obviously not a believer in Christ’s messiahship, but merely a curious skeptic trying to disprove the Lord’s credentials. With their critical spirit and skeptical mindset, the Pharisees were notorious for this. As they were eating, a woman described simply as a “sinner” showed up unannounced and uninvited. The margin note in my Bible calls her “an immoral woman,” and most scholars believe she was actually a prostitute. You can imagine the shock and indignation of this self-righteous Pharisee when a “hooker” walked into his home – the text makes it clear he knew her lifestyle. But his indignation went to another level when she proceeded with her intentions. And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. (Luke 7: 37-38) Awkward! I’m not sure how embarrassed I would be if a known prostitute showed up at dinner and, in front of a roomful of people, began bathing and kissing my feet, then drying them with her hair. I’m sure I would stop her very quickly and assure everyone that I had never met this person. Concern for my reputation would outweigh my compassion. Jesus, however, didn’t seem to mind. He was not embarrassed by this extravagant display of affection from a desperate woman of the streets. It seems, in fact, that He welcomed and was moved by her actions, seeing them as repentance and a cry for help - not an inappropriate proposition. And He was alway moved by a sincere, hungry heart. After a short dialogue with the pious Pharisee, Jesus pronounced him rude and the prostitute forgiven; her pure, him defiled. That would infuriate the average pharisaical heart, wouldn’t it? The Lord didn’t care. The worship of a penitent prostitute was far more fulfilling to Him than a meal with a patronizing Pharisee. The perfume used by this woman was myrrh, a very aromatic and costly oil used for important occasions. Jesus, for example, was given myrrh by the magi, sometimes called wise men, at His birth. The aroma of myrrh was strong enough that Christ would have carried the fragrance of the woman’s act of worship with Him as He went on His way. I’m sure it brought the Savior great pleasure. Every time He caught the scent He smelled a changed life, a restored purpose, and a new member of His heavenly family. Perhaps Christ thought of Psalm 45, which foretells His marriage to the church, His bride. He certainly would have been familiar with it. Verse 8 of this psalm says His wedding garments will carry the fragrance of myrrh. The Song of Solomon, which most Christian scholars agree is an allegory picturing Christ and His bride, also speaks much of the fragrance of myrrh in the bedchamber (see Song of Solomon 5:1, 5, 13). Could it be that this prostitute, who probably used myrrh in her “trade,” was acquainted with these popular portions of Scripture? Were her penitent tears, mixed with the fragrant myrrh, the passionate cry of a shame-filled sinner wondering if she could ever be accepted as part of His eternal bride? I like to think so. And the response of the Bridegroom? “I still want you. Your defilement is gone, your sins forgiven, and your shame removed. You are beautiful to me.” The former harlot left the house betrothed to the Savior, while the satisfied Pharisee left the occasion still playing the harlot with the religious system he was in bed with. Jesus responds to love, not religion; to hunger, not curiosity. He is looking for those who want the pleasure of His company, not the entertainment of His company. His heart was moved, not by a sumptuous meal with a curious stranger but by the hungry heart of a common sinner. The curious may sow a meal, but the desperate will sow their hearts… and, of course, costly perfume. Toward the end of Christ’s ministry, another worshipper poured costly perfume on the head and feet of Jesus (John 12:1-8). It was very expensive, worth a year’s wages based on the average income of the day. This was done by the same Mary who sat at His feet, mesmerized by His words, in Luke 10:38-42. She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. The timing of Mary’s offering was just days before His death, and Jesus said she was anointing Him for His burial. Whether Mary had grasped the reality of His words about His imminent death and resurrection, or whether Jesus was simply accepting the offering in that light is unclear. Two things we do know: It was a very costly offering from Mary – and it was precious to the Lord. “Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her,” He stated (Matthew 26:13). Did the fragrance lingering in His hair help sustain Him as He agonized in Gethsemane. Perhaps the sweet aroma comforted Him through the tortuous six hours on the Cross. Never underestimate the fragrance of worship. Others in the room thought Mary’s offering was a waste. Some scolded her. I know the feeling. When I canceled all other activities for three months in our church in Colorado Springs, lavishing ninety days of 24/7 worship on the Lord, I, too, was criticized. One well-known Christian leader scolded and rebuked me severely, calling the ninety days of worship “a complete waste of time.” It’s fascinating how different perspectives can be. For me, those three months remain the best three months of my life. They were my alabaster box of costly perfume, the greatest offering I’ve had the pleasure of giving Christ. For the man who rebuked me, it was a complete waste of time. Never let the lack of revelation in others cheapen your offering. Don’t water down your perfume, either, just to save a little money, or substitute your best “myrrh” with some cheap off-brand. Give Him your best. Others may mock your sacrifice of time, but go ahead and “waste” it on Him. Some will scold you, calling your passionate praise radical, but pour out your offering in spite of their ridicule. Still others will label your extravagant worship as excessive religious zeal. Don’t let their misguided criticism deter you - pour out your costly perfume! The list of Christ’s followers in the room that day as Mary anointed Him is almost mind-boggling. The twelve disciples were there. You’d think they would have understood the offering, but they were too practical: “It should have been given to the poor,” was their protest. Christ’s thoughts? “Go ahead and anoint Me; I’ll be the offering for the poor.” Simon the leper (or should we say, “former leper”?) was present. They were actually in his home. You might think his new skin, replaced appendages, and restored life would merit the “wasting” of some costly perfume on Jesus. Evidently not. At least he didn’t come to Mary’s defense. And then there was Lazarus, Mary’s brother, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Surely he would see the validity of his sister’s sacrifice. But no, he didn’t come to her defense, either. Could it be that the others’ familiarity with Christ had lessened His worth? We don’t know. We do know that only one worshiper that day had the fullness of revelation necessary to anoint the Savior. How sadly typical. Most miss the opportunity. It is not uncommon for me to see worshipers waste opportunities to break their alabaster box of love and pour it onto the Master. They’ve been around Him so much, sang so many songs, and prayed so many prayers that the experience isn’t worth quite what it used to be. So they give Him token praise and watered-down worship. Cheap perfume. I doubt if the fragrance makes it past Sunday lunch. So while the others that day wasted an opportunity to comfort God, Mary “wasted” her perfume. Its fragrance sustained Him through the beatings, mocking, spittle, spikes, and thorns. Don’t allow another day to go by without becoming one of the “fragrance creators.” Let nothing deter you. Your alabaster box is your heart, your love and worship is the perfume. Break it open and pour it out. At the scent of your offering, He’ll come. And He’ll cherish yours, just as He did Mary’s. Pray with me: Thank You, Jesus, for receiving and cherishing our time, talents, devotion and hearts as our alabaster jar of perfume. May we pour out every ounce of our lives as a lavish display of adoration, an aroma that’s pleasing to You. We refuse to allow others’ lack of revelation cheapen our offerings. You are worthy of the best. We break open our hearts of passionate worship; refusing to offer You watered-down substitutes. At the end of our days may it be said of our generation: “When it looked like America was lost and the world was without hope, a radical generation of God-lovers poured themselves out at His feet, and the stench of death was finally overcome.” We love You, Jesus. Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 115-122. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/9NaQQTj_K80

Day 13, Chapter 13: The Walk I love to walk. I also like to explore. When I hunt, which I also like to do, I mostly walk around and check out the sights. This diminishes my effectiveness, since the animals are so adept at seeing movement and hearing noises. I don’t mind, however, for me, the thrill is in the hunt itself - the search, the exploration - not in the harvesting of an animal. The farthest I’ve walked in one day while hunting, at least that I know of, is just over twenty miles. I know this because my nephew measured it using his GPS. On this particular day, such a long walk wasn’t planned. My brother Tim, his son, another friend and I were scouting the area, looking for the best way in and out of a specific location. We were confident there was a dirt road at the base of the mountain we were standing on - we could see portions of it - but the woods were too thick to see where it led. We debated for a few minutes whether to carefully make the steep descent, which was a LONG way down. If we were wrong about where the road led, the climb all the way back up the steep mountain would be grueling and dangerous. But since we really wanted to check out the road, and confident it would lead us out, we decided to take the risk. We were wrong. Way wrong. I can’t begin to tell you just how wrong we were. The road was actually across a large stream. No way across. And besides, the road was on private land. It was a gorgeous area, with lush meadows, bordering aspen trees, and the beautiful mountain stream. But no access to the road. Thinking perhaps we would find another road if we followed the stream, we walked a mile or so. Eventually, we happened upon another hunter on the edge of the stream. Relieved, we conversed for a while, then asked him where the road was. “What road?” he responded. “The road out of here.” “There is no road out of here,” he answered. “There has to be,” we insisted, our concern mounting. “My dad and I have been hunting here for twenty-five years,” he said, “and I guarantee you there is no public road into here. The dirt road across the stream is private, and the owner lets NO ONE use it. You can’t get over there anyway. “How did you get here?” we asked, still unwilling to believe him. “Horseback. We pack in and camp for the week.” We told him where we had parked, at the top of the mountain, and asked him how to get to it. With a slight grin and a confident demeanor, he pointed to a trail that we could see meandering several thousand yards up the mountain. “Up that trail, boys,” he said. “That’s the only way out of here. That’s why they call it Hell Hole.” Shocked and a little panicky, we said, “We have to be out by dark!” It was around noon at the time. He gave us a warning smile and a piece of advice: “Then you’d better get going.” We made it just before dark - with sore feet, tired legs, and bragging rights: We’d been to “hell” and back. Actually, it wasn’t that bad for a walker. And it was so gorgeous down there I’ve always wanted to go back. Hey, if you wanna make the memory, you gotta take the walk! If a person planned ahead, packed a lunch and plenty of water, it wouldn’t be all that bad. And the peaceful meadow nestled up against the beautiful mountain stream - well, it was without doubt one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen. The higher we climbed on our way out, the more beautiful the view of the stream and meadows became. To me, Hell Hole had become Heavenly Hole, a view I’ll never forget. Perspective is everything. Enoch was a walker. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. He was the guy who brought Yahweh such pleasure that the Lord decided to go ahead and translate him to heaven: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him,” (Genesis 5:24). One day he was there, the next day he wasn’t. I wonder if anyone saw him vanish, or get in the fiery chariot, if the Lord took him in the manner he took Elijah. How would you like to try explaining it to your friends? I don’t think so. The concept of Enoch “walking” with God is a fascinating one. The word used can mean several things. It describes the flowing of a river, the descending of a flood, the blowing of the wind, the tossing of the sea and, of course, walking. The basic idea is movement. It is used metaphorically to speak of the pathways of one’s life. For example, a son can “walk in” or “follow after” the ways of a father. Enoch followed after God and His ways, walking with Him on the pathway of his life. The meaning is quite simple: He lived life with God. Not satisfied with the mundane existence of life without God, Enoch decided to prioritize and enjoy the pleasure of His company. Somehow he knew walking with God was a decision he had to make - not God. The Scriptures do not say “God walked with Enoch,” although that obviously occurred as they spent time together. No, the wording is important and the point is clear: “Enoch walked with God.” The Scriptures do tell us how the Lord felt about this relationship, however. The New Testament says of Enoch: “He obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God” (Hebrews 11:5). “Pleasing” is from the Greek word euarestos. “Well-pleasing” would be a more accurate translation; the prefix eu means “well” or “good,” and arestos means “to please.” Seeing other people gloat over their grandkids has always been pleasing (arestos) to me. Now, having my own grandkids is well-pleasing (euarestos). Enoch was more than pleasing to God, he was well-pleasing. This hyphenated word isn’t used much nowadays. A more contemporary way of describing Enoch’s relationship to God would simply be that he brought Him great pleasure. Fascinating, isn’t it? What is for us “the pleasure of His company,“ can become for God “the pleasure of our company. “For most, this is an unheard of concept. It’s one thing to believe God can use us. And believing that our obedience to His laws pleases Him? No problem. But I can’t help but wonder how many people realize their presence can bring pleasure to the Lord. Don’t be deceived into thinking that only a few spiritual elites like Enoch could possibly have such a relationship with the Lord. Paul said to the Corinthians, “We also have as our ambition… to be euarestos to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). A literal rendering of the latter part of Hebrews 12:28 would read, “Let us have gratitude, by which we can offer to God euarestos worship with reverence and awe.” It absolutely is possible to become a pleasure to Father God. When this is understood, it becomes transforming. We begin the walk, a love affair with the One who made us in His own image and likeness. God created us as His family, with the capability of truly knowing and understanding Him. When this is known and embraced, life becomes an exciting and glorious journey upward, not a hellish hole to descend into. We’ve been given a destiny to fulfill, not an existence to waste. Whatever else you do today, whether that be making money, enjoying someone else’s company, or simply having a little fun, be sure to also spend some quality time with Abba. You were made for His pleasure. Take the walk! Pray with me: Father, teach us to walk in rhythm with the beat of Your heart. We know it gives rise to great pleasure within You. We want to be found pleasing, delighting You. Help us to prioritize, reroute, and walk tirelessly, following the ways of Your heart. May the cry from within us be as Moses’: “I’ll only move forward if You do.” We choose to be led along on the pathway that brings honor and glory to You. May pleasing You, Father, be our greatest ambition, such that when our lives on this side of eternity end, it will be said of us that we walked faithfully with You, choosing to offer You the pleasure of our company. In Your Son’s name we pray, Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 107-114.

Day 12, Chapter 12: The Place I love the mountains. Doesn't matter if it’s to hunt, fish, walk, or sit - I just love hanging out in mountainous terrain. I’ve spent hundreds of hours climbing hills, hiking majestic peaks, and sitting in lush valleys reflecting, relaxing, and rejuvenating my inner person. If you’ve never sat at the edge of a 13,000 feet mountain peak on a clear, sunny day, looking over forests, rivers, lakes, and valleys - well, let’s just say your bucket list is incomplete. I remember the day seven years ago while hunting elk in Colorado. Actually, I wasn’t elk hunting; I was “place hunting.” I had walked an hour or so from the truck when I rounded a turn, crested a hill, and...there it was. Several hundred yards below me was a gorgeous stream. Across the stream was a beautiful green meadow, covered with flowers, leading up into a golden aspen forest. Indescribable beauty! Almost surreal. Well, this is it, I thought. My hunt is over. I couldn’t find a better place to sit and talk to God. “How’s it going today, Abba?” I asked. “It sure is great to be together here in this amazing setting.” I sat there for a while thinking and conversing with Dad, just enjoying the pleasure of His company. After an hour or so, I heard the unmistakable screech of a Golden Eagle. Sure enough, there it was, soaring right in front of me - gliding, dipping, flying over the river then back above the trees - just showing off. “How do you like that, son?” Papa God asked after a while. “Awesome, Dad. Incredible performance,” I said, thanking Him. If any of you have biblical proof that God would not have caused this eagle airshow and then spoken to me in this way, please keep it to yourself. Leave me in my blissful ignorance. What a day! As much as I love mountains, I don’t like being alone on one in the dark. They get a little scary when the sun goes down. The absence of light awakens fright, and thrills give way to chills. There are wolves, grizzlies, black bears, and mountain lions behind every bush, just waiting to eat me. And one can get lost, really lost, on a mountain in the dark. So I make sure I’m back to the truck by nightfall. Having experienced the intimidation of a mountain alone at night causes me to be even more impressed with Joshua and his thirty-four days alone on Mount Sinai. Many people know Moses spent forty days and nights with God on this mountain, receiving the Ten Commandments and other laws, precepts, and religious rites God intended Israel to live by. Almost no one, however, thinks about Joshua. But he was there, also. God instructed Moses to join Him on this fiery mountain and to take Joshua, his servant, with him. Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction. So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up the mountain of God. But to the elders he said, ‘Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them’” (Exodus 24:12-14). Moses obeyed, and up they went. Then things get really puzzling. God actually made the two of them wait six full days before He said anything. “And on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud” (v. 16). Can you imagine? What would you do for six days sitting just outside of a cloud caused by the glory of God, with thunder crashing and lightning flashing inside of it? The mountain actually shook at times. I wonder if Joshua ever asked, “Hey, Moses, are you sure we’re supposed to be here?” We’re not told what they did for six days, or why God made them wait. Perhaps He was teaching them patience. Finally, however, He spoke from within the glory-cloud and invited Moses in. Notice, I said Moses was invited. The part of this story that intrigues me most is that on the seventh day when Moses disappeared into the glory cloud, Joshua was left alone for thirty-four more days! He wasn’t invited to the party. One can only imagine what it was like to be there alone for more than a month. Was he horrified when Moses walked into the cloud? It was more than just a cloud, after all; it was a fiery cloud: “To the eyes of the sons of Israel [from the base of the mountain] the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top” (v. 17). One has to wonder: Did Joshua question for thirty-four days if Moses survived? Could he hear God and Moses talking? Did he flinch every time the mountain shook? Could he hear the finger of God chipping the Ten Commandments into the tablets? Did he ever get hungry? If so, what did he eat? Was he tempted to leave? (We know he didn’t. Exodus 32:17 tells us they came down together.) Did Joshua sit for hours just staring at the glory? Did he have angelic visitations? While Yahweh was with Moses, was Jesus or Holy Spirit visiting Joshua? What did he think when Moses finally emerged with his face glowing from glory exposure? Although God didn’t tell us what transpired, He did give us a hint of the effect this season had on Joshua. In Exodus 32, Joshua and Moses came off the mountain. In chapter 33, Moses erected a tent, sometimes called the tabernacle of Moses, in which the ark of the covenant was to reside. It was also called the tent of meeting, for “everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting” (Exodus 33:7). When Moses would go into the tent, the people were so captivated and spellbound, they would stand and watch, for “the pillar of the cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent” (v. 9). This was so spellbinding and awe-inspiring that the people would “arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent” (v. 10). Everyone but Joshua, that is. It would seem that on these occasions, Joshua was allowed to go into the tent with Moses. What an honor. And when it was time for Moses to leave, an interesting and revealing development occurred. “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, WOULD NOT DEPART FROM THE TENT” (v. 11, emphasis mine). There you go. Joshua had been infected by an insatiable attraction to the God of glory. Forever ruined on the mountain he became addicted to the presence of God, hopelessly enamored with the pleasure of His company. One can almost hear him asking his mentor and boss, Moses, as the old leader was leaving, “Would it be alright if I stayed for a little while and hung out in the presence?” I can imagine the other “addict” answering with a knowing smile, “Sure, son, take your time.” Yep, it takes one to know one. Moses knew, and understood. This type of addiction to God’s presence doesn’t occur overnight. When we begin our journey with Yahweh, it takes a while to overcome the restlessness of our flesh and emotions as we wait on Him. The “unusualness” of relating to an invisible person must be dealt with. It’s almost as though our hearts have to learn to connect with His intangible presence and our minds learn to be quiet enough to hear. In a world filled with noise, people, and a myriad of activities, we must enter the school of Holy Spirit, where we are instructed in the art of waiting. Joshua received a crash course on the mountain. One of the things that will help in this process is to find or create a place where you meet with God regularly. Moses had one, as did Joshua. David erected a tent for the same purpose. Even Christ had one (see Luke 11:1; 22:39-40), the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Isn’t it revealing that when Jesus was about to face His greatest trial and the brutality of the cross, He retreated to His “place” of communion and prayer? Experiment with various translations of Scripture until you find the one you enjoy most. Buy a journal and, as you spend time with Him, write down your thoughts. He will speak to you in your heart and through your mind. Some people also like to create a personal list of their favorite worship songs to listen to as they spend time with God. Create the routine that works best for you and get started. If you choose to set aside these times visiting with Him and train your heart and mind to listen, you’ll begin to hear His voice. Then you’ll experience the reason you were created - to enjoy a true relationship with your heavenly Father. As happened with Joshua, an addiction will soon develop and your encounters with Him will become the highlight of every day. In fact, you’ll find them so fulfilling that, like him, you won’t want to leave. Did I just hear an eagle? Pray with me: Father, bring us into the school of Holy Spirit where we’ll learn to overcome the restlessness of the flesh, our minds quieted to listen and our hearts fully aware of and engaged with Your presence. Just as Jesus frequented a certain place to commune with You, Father, let us not rest until we find a special place to visit with You, face to face. And as we spend time with You, let us be infected with an insatiable attraction to Your presence. Let us become hopelessly enamored with the pleasure of Your company. And we pray for America, a “religionized” people, wandering in the wilderness of lost identity and misplaced affections. Looking for love in all the wrong places, burnt out on unsatisfying religious activity and sterile, Sunday social clubs, America is disoriented, dissatisfied, and confused. We ask You to rock the boat, buck the system, annihilate status quo! Show up, Jesus, and infect our nation once again with Your overwhelming presence. In Your name, Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 97-105.

Day 11, Chapter 11: The Spoiler One of the greatest offers in the history of the world was made centuries ago to a man named Obed-edom. At the instruction of David, king of Israel, he was asked if his living room could be the Holy of Holies for a while. And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. (2 Samuel 6:10-11) Can you imagine being asked, “Would you mind if we placed the ark of the covenant in your home for a few months?” If you were a lover of God, this honor would have been unimaginable. Remember, in Obed-edom’s day, it was over the ark that the very presence and glory of God hovered. How would you respond? “Uh, I don't know, King. I’ll have to think about whether or not I want the shekinah glory of God hovering in my living room for the next three months.” I don’t think I’d have had to pray about it. Obviously, Obed-edom didn’t. Can you imagine finding your wife and blurting out, “You’ll never guess what is in our living room!” And what about the conversation with your kids: “Now, guys, you can look but DON’T TOUCH!” And don’t you just imagine that his house became the first choice for the neighborhood home group! One can only guess what it was like at Obed-edom's home for the three months the ark was there. Did they sit for hours and stare at it? Did it ever get dark in the house? (Think about it). Was the whole house permeated by the presence of Yahweh? Was there a constant haze? Did people fall down when they walked by it? We don’t know the answers to these questions, but we do know “the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household” (v. 11) during this unprecedented season. We also know that when David finally moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, Obed-edom packed up and moved his entire household with it, becoming a gatekeeper in the tent that housed it [the tabernacle of David] (1 Chronicles 26:1-4). One can almost hear his conversation with David: “If you think, Your Highness, that after having the presence and glory of God in my living room for the last three months I’m going to live without it, you’re badly mistaken. You’re taking me with you!” It was David, a lover of God, who decided to go after the ark and bring it to Jerusalem. “Then David consulted with...every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel…’Let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul’” (1 Chronicles 13:1-3). What a sad epitaph for a leader: “The presence of God was not sought after during his reign.” And what sad days those must have been for the Lord. I’m certain He was pleased when David, a man after His heart, wanted Him and His presence to be the focal point of the nation once again. Yet the process turned out to be difficult. Due to the inappropriate way the ark was transported, a man felt compelled to touch it in an attempt to steady it, an act that should have been avoided. The consequences of doing so had been clearly explained by Yahweh. He was killed by the glory of the Lord, which resulted in great fear and a three-month delay. This is why it made its way to Obed-edom’s house. Finally, David discovered the correct way to transport the ark and it was relocated to Jerusalem. Obed-edom, however, was not about to buy into the separation. “Pack up, guys,” he told the family. “We’re moving.” I’ve done the Obed-edom thing - sort of. Obviously, it wasn’t exactly the same but was about as close as you could get to it nowadays. Thirteen years ago (in 2008) we had a special series of meetings in the church I pastored in Colorado Springs. On Sunday morning, a prophetic guest dropped the bombshell: “Put everything else on hold and for ninety days do nothing but 24/7 worship. Just as Obed-edom hosted the ark of His presence for three months, God is asking you to do the same,” he declared. My mind started racing: Was this really a word from Holy Spirit? Should we try it? Could we pull it off? What about our other programs? How would this affect the church? These and other questions flooded my mind. But… We did it! We did the Obed-edom thing. The next three months became the best of my life. Like Obed-edom, I was spoiled. The logistics were challenging, of course, but the worship never stopped. And the presence of God in our sanctuary for the next ninety days, well, it was thick and weighty. I cancelled all but a couple of my speaking engagements during the three months and spent several hours every day just hanging out with God. Not only did it change my life, it changed the lives of hundreds others. People took their vacation days and spent them with God. Occasionally, families brought sleeping bags and spent the night, “camping out” in His presence. Many came on their lunch breaks. A few people came and spent time with Him every day; one lady actually spent every night there. An Air Force colonel came every morning on his way to work and every night after work. At the end, all who participated were ruined. Normal, for us, had become radical. Thirty minutes, and few worship songs on Sunday morning would never again satisfy. The Obed-edom thing causes BIG problems. It’s now easy to see why Obed-edom didn’t even try to fight it. “I’m addicted,” he said with his actions. “Where the ark goes, I go.” David seemed to understand. “No sense in arguing with him; he’s ruined. He’ll never outgrow or outlive it. Make him a doorkeeper at the tent.” David, too, became “addicted.” I finally understood how he could say, “A day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside” (Psalm 84:10). David also said, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple” (Psalm 27:4). I get it. You, too, can do the Obed-edom thing. No, not 24/7, but nonetheless, the Lord wants to come to your house. His presence is no longer limited to an ark in a Holy of Holies. Pursue Him. If you do, like the bride looking for her groom in the Song of Solomon, He’ll let you find Him. Oh, how He wants to be found. Until you experience this pleasure, you’ll never really understand it. Once you have, you’ll never again be without it. Pray with me: Father, we’ve tasted of and seen Your goodness, and we hunger and thirst for more. We want to host You and Your presence and we want this for others. Let us encounter Your heart to such an extent that we are ruined for anything less. Come, show us Your glory, reveal Yourself to us. Thank You for letting Yourself be found by those who seek You wholeheartedly. One day with You, Jesus, is so much better than a thousand spent anywhere else. May dwelling in Your presence be our highest aspiration, our greatest fascination, and the deepest longing of our hearts. Let all things pale in comparison to time spent in the pleasure of Your company. Yahweh, humankind’s fallen nature, aided by satan and religion has distorted the perception of Your true nature. No longer seen as a loving Father, You are perceived as distant, uncaring, impossible to please, and as a harsh judge. May the coming “presence movement” shatter these misperceptions, just as surely as Christ did when He revealed Your nature 2000 years ago. And may Your Abba-heart be seen by a lost, hungry world. In Christ’s name we pray...Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 89-96.

Day 10, Chapter 10: The Union Unlike most of you impatient sinners, I love to wait. NOT! Ceci and my daughters have called me on the carpet for thirty years concerning my impatience. I, in turn, remind them of Scriptures on not being judgmental. Besides, I’m making progress - slowly. I mean, really, who enjoys waiting? There are several things I would fix immediately if I was put in charge of the world. Driving in the passing lane of a highway when not passing another vehicle would result in a $500 fine for first-time offenses, automatic loss of driver’s license the second time. Retaking driver’s education would be required in order to get it back. Actually, I might just make EVERYONE take (or retake or take for the first time) driver’s education, even without this offense, then they all would know how to use BLINKERS. Families or friends whose group stretches ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE TERMINAL CORRIDOR in airports, walking slowly, chit-chatting and blocking those of us who have places to go and things to do, would lose all flying privileges. (Unless they took an Airport Walker’s Education class.) Folks who stand in check-out lines digging for pennies in the bottom of their purses would be charged an additional $100 for the purchase. Cashiers who visit with them while this is happening, making it worse, would be fired. It’s easy to see that given the right opportunity, I could correct much of the injustice in the world and eliminate the stress caused by unnecessary waiting. These injustices aren’t actually a big deal to me, by the way. For the most part, I’m a pretty well-adjusted, mild-mannered, cool, calm, and collected guy. Okay, so I don’t like waiting. Most of us don’t. But there is one type of waiting I’ve learned to enjoy: waiting on God. Before you question my honesty, let me point out that I’m not talking about waiting for God to answer my prayers. Like you, I’m not into that. The waiting I enjoy is waiting in His presence. The biblical concept of waiting on the Lord is understood by few people these days. Like many other biblical words, much is lost in the translation and due to the cultural differences existing between nations and eras. Carefully defining three Old Testament words translated as “waiting” will give us much clearer insight. The first one is duwmiyah, which means “silently waiting with a quiet trust.” The throught conveyed is a strong, calm, quiet trust in the Lord. David said, “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2). The second word, chakah, means “adhere to” or “long for.” The psalmist said, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield” (Psalm 33:20). The writer was clinging to the Lord, knowing that He would come through as a help in time of trouble. When David said, “My soul thirsts for God” (Psalm 42:2; 63:1), he was chakah - longing for God’s company. The third word, qavah, has two important meanings. The first is to “wait for with eager expectation.” Notice the combination of excitement and faith in this definition. Those who qavah for the Lord are doing more than passively waiting; they’re anticipating and expecting. Psalm 27:14 tells us, “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Another powerful meaning of qavah exists, however: “to bind together by twisting,” as in a braid or a rope. As we spend time with the Lord, a joining of hearts occurs, creating oneness of desires, thinking and actions. Passions are shared, creating energy and action. Another result of braiding, however, is increased strength. Isaiah said, “Yet those who wait (qavah) for the Lord will renew their strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31). The renewing of strength this verse promises is the result of being braided together with God. When the strands of a rope are braided into one, the strength of each strand is synergistically transferred to the other. When we wait on God, His strength is transferred to us and vice versa. Guess who gets the better deal? It’s like the mouse and elephant who were best friends. They hung out together all the time, the mouse riding on the elephant’s back. One day they crossed a wooden bridge, causing it to bow, creak and sway under their combined weight. The mouse, impressed with their ability to make such an impact, said to the elephant, “We sure shook up that bridge, didn’t we?” In ours and God’s connection, guess who the mouse is? Let’s summarize these three meanings of biblical waiting, combining them into one complete definition of waiting on the Lord: Quietly waiting with a strong, calm trust; longing for His presence and eagerly expecting Him, for you know He’ll come; and knowing that as He does, you and He will experience an increased oneness, a braiding together, as your hearts and lives become more entwined. That’s what I’m talking about! If that doesn’t float your boat, you need a new boat. Practically speaking, what describes this type of activity? Do we sit quietly, trying to enter a trancelike state wherein we can more easily enter the spirit realm? No, we’re not Buddhists or transcendentalists. The meditation process taught in Scripture - which certainly is a form of waiting on God - is not an altered state of consciousness. It is simply musing on, thinking about, or reflecting on God or a passage of Scripture. Waiting can be done while sitting, kneeling, walking, lying down, driving - it isn’t the position of the body, but the posture of the heart. It may be done through prayer, worship, or contemplative thinking. There is nothing complicated about it. A quality “quiet time” is a means of waiting on the Lord. Make it enjoyable - sit with a cup of coffee and visit with Him. I’ve sat in front of a fire for hours enjoying the pleasure of His company. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that. Quality, however, is more important than quantity. I’ve received great revelation and insight from Holy Spirit from just a few minutes of visiting with Him. It is also important to wait with regularity. All of us should have regular quiet times of waiting on the Lord that are shorter, whether they be thirty minutes or an hour, and all of us should occasionally spend longer times with Him. Learn to wait. In this hectic world of microwaves, bullet trains, and air travel, there are some things that still take time. Slow down. If only for a few minutes a day - slow down and find Him. I promise you that if you will, you’ll live longer...and you’ll live better. Pray with me: Help us to become familiar with the art of silently waiting on You with strong, calm, quiet trust. Bind our hearts tenaciously to Yours, as we abide. We want to be one with You in thought and desire, reflecting the glory of Your Son. We choose to slow down and position our hearts to wait. Echoing the prayer of the psalmist, this one thing will I seek: to dwell in Your house all the days of my life, meditating, gazing, simply beholding every facet of Your beauty...enjoying the pleasure of Your company. We are also asking for a oneness with Your heart, a braiding together with You. May we think Your thoughts, desire Your desires, love what You love and hate what You hate. And we lay hold of Your promise that we will run with Your strength. May we move in Your gifts, release Your power and speak Your words. Fill us afresh and anew as we wait on You! In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 81-88.

Day 9, Chapter 9: The Choice “I’m gonna blow your doors off!” My frustration could no longer be contained on this particular morning’s commute to teach at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. I was running late that day, and as was often the case, my three-year-old daughter, Sarah, was with me so she could attend the preschool classes. When we pulled out of our subdivision, we ended up behind an elderly man driving an old pick up truck at about 20 mph. After following him for about five minutes on a country road that offered no opportunity to pass, we finally turned onto a four-lane highway. By this time I had totally lost my patience, and as I zoomed by his vehicle I mumbled, “Man, I’m gonna blow your doors off!” Sarah was quiet for the next two or three miles, which I thought was rather unusual. Then with great concern in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why are you going to blow that man’s doors off?” While watching Sesame Street, she had recently heard the story of The Three Little Pigs and the big bad wolf who blew their houses down. Now she was picturing me literally blowing the doors off this man’s truck! She had obviously been thinking about this nonstop since hearing my exclamation, and was rather alarmed and puzzled. Try explaining to a three year old why passing a person’s car is sometimes described as “blowing their doors off.“ Then, off course, she needed to know that I really didn’t dislike this elderly gentleman, just his driving. After this enlightening experience, I realized I would need to be more careful about what I said. My children were listening to me. Sometimes kids listen better than adults. We've been looking at Martha's failure to listen to Christ as He taught in her home. Let's take one more look at this powerful passage. There are still a couple more pearls hidden in it that are just too good to pass up. Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42). The Lord made an important statement to Martha, telling her that only a few things are really necessary in life. So far so good. Food, water, shelter from the elements, oxygen - the list of essentials really is short. Then He dropped the bombshell: "Really only one." He had me, then He lost me. I'm ready to admit that many of my "essentials" in life really are not. Most are for comfort, pleasure, or personal satisfaction. But the seemingly absurd claim that only one thing in life is really necessary is rather hard to swallow. But Jesus said it, and we have to deal with it. Connecting the statement to Mary's decision to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to His words makes His meaning rather obvious. Here's my opinion of what Jesus meant: "Martha, if you will truly connect with Me, everything else in life will fall into place. Order will be established; relationships will make sense; I'll guide your steps into purpose and destiny; I'll teach you to prosper - everything will work well if you'll simply listen to Me. All you really need to do in order to enjoy a successful and enjoyable life is listen to Me. The pleasure of My company will also be the source of your success, fulfillment, and well-being." Astounding, incredible, wonderful, generous...and simple. Yet life gets complicated. The pace quickens, the to-do list grows, and the Martha side of our nature kicks in. The voice of the Master is then drowned out by the pace of life. When this occurs, and it will, the solution is to return to the simple strategy of Mary: sit and listen. Let's look again at what the apostle Paul said of the Corinthian Church: "I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the SIMPLICITY and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3, emphasis mine) Life truly can be complicated, but relationship with Jesus isn't. The passage in Luke says that Mary "chose" the right activity. Most of us don't believe, or we don't take the time to consciously consider, that we always have the ability to choose the simple devotion demonstrated by Mary. But we do. After informing Martha that only one thing was really necessary, Jesus then referred to Mary's choice as "good." That seems rather lame until the Greek word used is really understood. There are two Greek words that He could have used, agathos and kalos. Kalos means something is made well and looks good. It is even used for "beauty" or "handsome;" in our day we use the term "good-looking." Kalos can even include inner beauty or virtue. The word stops short, however, of suggesting practical usefulness. A good example of kalos would be a beautiful picture - it looks good but has no practical use. When a word is needed, however, that adds the concept of usefulness or benefit, agathos is chosen. To fully convey this aspect, agathos is often translated "good works." Essentially, kalos is good looks, agathos is good works. Jesus said Mary chose agathos. The irony of this is astounding. The person doing nothing was credited with doing the "good works," not the person doing all the good works! That ain't right, as we say in Texas. But it was, and it is. Christ was saying, "You look good, Martha, but your busyness won't produce the good works you are looking for. Mary chose that which will enable her to truly do good works, and her fruit will remain." As one who gives his life to full-time ministry in the church, I am terrified by this passage. It shows me that I can be very busy in ministry without it producing genuine and lasting fruit. I can look good, without really doing good. We must always remember that it is Christ's life flowing through us that produces eternal fruit in others, not our abilities and self-chosen activities. I'm afraid all of us are seduced by this "good-looking" seductress of busyness once in a while. Jesus warned a group of believers in Scripture that this was happening to them. "You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead," He said to the church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1). In order for these folks to have maintained a reputation of being alive, they would have had to still look fruitful. To the casual observer, their works must have been impressive. But the Lord looks not at our outward appearance, but at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). He judges our works based on their eternal significance, not on how they look to other people. His message to the Sardis believers was, "You're kalos, not agathos. Stop with all the busyness and choose the good part - Me." Christ is the source of all that is good - destiny, fulfillment, well-being. He offers us access to an infinite fountain of blessing. But we must make choices each day that will steer us toward accomplishing the good works that, long before time, He prepared for us. Choose to rest in His abundance and drink from His living waters. May our hearts never be led astray from a simple, pure, and steadfast devotion to Christ. Now that I've written myself into a state of deep conviction, I think I'll put pen and paper away and go listen for a while. Perhaps if I do, I can work less and accomplish more...And maybe even enjoy the pleasure of His company a little more often. Pray with me: Father, we pray for Your American kids, so many of whom have become a kalos motivated portion of Your family. We’ve bought the lie that polish, size, buildings, and “a name that we were alive” defined success. That, along with speed and size. We became so “good” at it, we didn’t even need Holy Spirit. It hasn’t mattered to us that as our churches grew, no positive change occurred in the divorce rate, crime rate, deaths from drugs, homelessness, human trafficking, government and other concerns. In fact, we lost ground in all of these areas. We have epitomized kalos. But this is changing! A “sit at His feet” movement is coming; a “tired of religion” company of believers is emerging. We are hungry for You! And we will pass on our insatiable hunger to a dissatisfied generation, an “I’ve tried it all and nothing has satisfied” company, desperate for the real thing. They are ripe for agathos and You won’t disappoint them! Our decree: The great rescue is beginning! Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 73-80.

Day 8, Chapter 8: The Distractions Yesterday we began looking at the biblical account of Mary and Martha, two sisters who entertained Jesus in their home. While Martha was distracted as she prepared Him a meal, Mary was seated at the Lord's feet hearing and understanding His words. The passage is so pregnant with revelation it merits another look. Now as they were traveling along, [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42). I've already acknowledged my tendency toward Martha-ism. I am important, after all! Someone once gave me a double-billed cap - one pointing left, the other right - imprinted with the words, "I'm their leader. Which way did they go?" I still wear it proudly! How sadly appropriate is this cap. There was a time when I needed only two of me to accomplish all of the "urgent" and "important" things I'm "called" to do. Now, I need me in triplicate. And my Martha ministry is still growing - soon I'll need to be omnipresent! Jesus disagreed with this outlook on ministry. In a loving yet stern way, He told Martha she was "worried and bothered about so many things" (v. 41). Not good, especially when we take a deeper look. "Worried" is merimnao, which has in its root meaning the concept of dividing or separating something. It is revealing that worry is defined by a "divided" mind. When we're worried about something, no matter how hard we try to focus on other things, a piece of our mind keeps being drawn back to our concern. Our mind, therefore, is described as being "divided into parts," a phrase used to define merimnao. Martha, it seems, had so much going on in her life that her mind was divided between many concerns; "so many things" was the phrase Jesus used. And like all of us at times, her balancing act wasn't working as well as she thought. She was "worried and bothered". Martha was in all likelihood servant - motivated. She was probably one of those gifted people who can do several things at once, and was most likely a hard worker. In this instance, however, Mary had it right. Multitasking can be good, but not when Jesus is talking. The Lord appreciates hard work, and He knows that at times we are going to be very busy. But He also wants times when we're all His. Take the cap off and sit for a while. The word bothered is also painfully revealing. It is the Greek word turbazo, which is derived from the Latin word turba, meaning "a crowd". Webster says "disturb", "perturb", and "turbulent" are all derivatives of the same word.2 When life gets too crowded we get disturbed. Perturbed comes next, followed by turbulence. Like an airplane flying through a storm, our emotions bounce up and down, making us short-tempered and irritable. Our health suffers, as do our relationships. Martha was not only irritated at Mary, she was even a little miffed at Jesus. "Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me," she grumbled. Barking out orders to God in accusatory language probably created just a little bit of turbulence in this room full of people! Mary wasn't the problem, however, and Jesus certainly wasn't. Martha simply needed to take her cap off, slow down, and listen. Her crowded mind couldn't shut out all the noise. Many offices nowadays have ambient noise generators. They admit constant but quiet sound, low enough so as not to be disturbing, yet loud enough to drown out other noises. They're used in phone centers to drown out other voices, in counseling offices to provide privacy, and in various other businesses. Martha's ambient noise generator was her service for Christ. Amazing, but true. Believe me, I understand. Her generator was the rattling of dishes, the banging of cupboards, and the clanging of utensils; my generator is the internal noise caused by travel, preaching and teaching, writing, correspondence, meetings, Give Him 15s, and more. All good, but not when they muffle the voice of the Master. Your ambient noise generator may be running a business, driving nails, keeping books, raising kids, social media, or even a hobby. It doesn't matter what it is, just turn it off once in a while. Mary didn't have one of those contraptions. She was mesmerized by His words. Her attitude was, "If He wants something to eat, He'd better stop talking. Because until He does, I'm not leaving this spot." Why did Martha feel differently? Perhaps it was her personality, or could it be that Jesus had grown a little too familiar to her? Scholars agree that Jesus was very fond of Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, and stayed in their home when in the area. Had Martha heard Him enough that the excitement had worn off? Does this ever happen to us? In Christianity today, Philip Yancey writes: I remember my first visit to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Rings of Japanese and German tourists surrounded the geyser, their video cameras trained like weapons on the famous hole in the ground. A large, digital clock stood beside the spot, predicting 24 minutes until the next eruption. My wife and I passed the countdown in the dining room of Old Faithful Inn overlooking the geyser. When the digital clock reached 1 minute, we, along with every other diner, left our seats and rushed to the window to see the big, wet event. I noticed that immediately, as if on signal, a crew of busboys and waiters descended on the tables to refill water glasses and clear away dirty dishes. When the geyser went off, we tourists oohed and aahed and clicked our cameras; a few spontaneously applauded. But, glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that not a single waiter or busboy - not even those who had finished their chores - looked out the huge window. Old Faithful, grown entirely too familiar, had lost its power to impress them.3 I'm afraid this describes many Christians’ relationship with the one we call Faithful and True. We've known Him so long, become so accustomed to Him, well, you know... Don't ever stop being impressed with Jesus! It's interesting that those in this story who had lost their wonder over Old Faithful were "kitchen people'' - just like Martha. Get out of the kitchen once in a while. Slow down. STOP! Fight tenaciously for quality time at His feet and never lose your hunger for the pleasure of His company. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for never ceasing to communicate with us. But so often we let Your voice be drowned out by other noises. Help us always remember that which is most important. You are worthy of the highest affections of our hearts. The harsh yoke of busyness and heavy burden of over-activity, we take off now and lay at Your feet. Holy Spirit, help us to continually break away from the bustle and shut out all the noise. Today, we choose to cease from striving, so that with singleness of heart, we can rest at Christ’s feet, and be washed in Your words and love. May busyness never crowd out of our lives precious opportunities to enjoy the pleasure of Your company. And Father, we want those who are coming into the family to be Marys - from the start. Our prayer is that they are born into a “presence” movement, an “I’ve tasted and I’ve seen” movement. May they be “Presence Junkies!” Addicted! Give us this revival! Give us this revival!! We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: A church is coming forth that will listen first, then do exploits. Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 65-71. Jan Senn, “Carol Kent on Keeping Confident,” Today’s Christian Woman, January/February 1995, p 68. The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1954), s.vv. “disturb,” “perturb,” “turbulent.” Philip Yancy, “What Surprised Jesus,” Christianity Today, September 12, 1994, 88. Used by permission.