Last week our homeschool group took a field trip to a corn maze.  Being my first time through a corn maze I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.  It was a learning experience.

Before we entered we were given a punch card and instructions.  The goal was to find the 12 stations and punch your card.  Each station had a map of the maze.  Each corn maze is in a shape; this particular one was a reindeer.  Each path was between 1 to 2 miles long but take into consideration that you might circle around quite a bit and back track some, it could be much longer.  If you’ve never been through one let me explain what it’s like.  First of all, there are acres and acres of corn.  I realize that’s probably not very surprising.  But what surprised me is that when you get into the field you cannot see anything but corn.  As you walk down the path there is corn to the right of you and corn to the left.  You can’t see over it or through it.  As you walk you have choices of different paths to take.  So you walk, make choices; walk some more, make more choices over and over again.  After sometime all the paths start looking the same.  After walking for what seemed like forever we finally found our first station…..it was number 6.  How we missed 1 through 5 I’ll never know.  We circled around, walked some more, went down different paths and found our second station…..number 8.  By this time I had decided that the parents who stayed back at the picnic tables must had come before and knew exactly what they were doing.  At one point we walked right up to a stairway and little bridge.  You could climb it and look out over the maze.  You couldn’t see it until you were right up on it.  By the next station (number 7) I had determined that the easiest way to get out of this maze was to try and back track the way I had came.  This helped and somehow we manged to make it out hot, tired and frustrated.

So….the lesson learned about corn mazes (other than they are not fun) came from my son.  He was running around the maze having a great time with all his friends. He was enjoying the journey and experiencing new things with each turn.  When he came out of the maze I noticed that most of his card was punched.  I asked him his secret.  He said, “Mom, when we came up to the first map we just took a picture of it with our cell phones and followed the map.”  Simple enough, why didn’t I think of that? 

You see, life can be just like that corn maze.  God has designed a picture.  He created it and he has placed each of us in the field.  We can’t see the whole picture but we know that it’s there.  One day, we’ll look down from the sky and say, “Oh, now I see it, it’s a reindeer.”  But now, here in the middle of the field we wander around making choices.  We go left, then we turn right, then we decide to back track.  All we can see is the corn.  We have access to the map.  It has everything laid out for our journey through life in it.  It has God’s perfect plan for our life and even has the outcome of it.  But, many times we ignore the map.  It takes too much time to memorize it or study it and it’s way too much trouble to carry it around, so we go on making our own decisions.  Occassionaly, we will stumble upon a stairway and little bridge.  There might even be someone up on it saying, “I can see the way, you need to go this way.”  Again, another choice we have to make.  Sometimes we listen; sometimes we don’t. 

There are times, as I’m traveling through the corn maze of life, that can be very frustrating.  I’ve come to a path…..I need to make a decision…..I wish I could see the outcome…..how do I move forward?…..what’s next?…..But I must remember, God knows.  He not only knows, but He has given me His map; His Holy Word.  He has not only given me His map, but He also wants to lead me down the path.  And not only does He want to lead me down the path but He wants to lead me down the path that takes me right to Him.  So, I walk, with my eyes on Him and getting closer and closer with each step ….. hoping …… obeying …… trusting.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.  (Pro 4:25-26)

Four years ago I read a beautiful story about a young girl’s journey through life.  It was written by Elizabeth Prentiss in 1869.  Her book, Stepping Heavenward, touched my heart in a very special way.  The book is in the form of a girl named Katherine’s diary, first written in on her 16^th birthday.  As you read, her life unfolds in front of you and you watch as she draws closer to Christ with each step.   You see her joys and her pains; her victories and her struggles.  One particular story that I remember so vividly is when her father-in-law moves in.  Katherine is a dear daughter who serves and waits on him with tender love and patience.  But her patience is tried and her love is tested for this man is cold to her.  To make matters worse, for some reason every special occasion, like the anniversary of her and her husband’s marriage or their children’s birthdays, he will shut himself up in his dark room for the entire day.  This goes on for many years and although she hides it, her heart grows bitter towards him. After all she has opened up her home to him and cared for him and he ruins every special day.  Most people would certainly sympathize with Katherine as she writes in her diary.  I know I did while reading it.   But, the lesson that Katherine learned next taught me one that I will never forget.  After the passing of her father-in-law Katherine was cleaning out his room.  It was then that she discovered his own journal.  Picking up to read it Katherine’s eyes were opened up to the reason that he would lock himself in the room on each special occasion.  Out of love for the family, this man would devote the entire day to prayer and fasting.  If it was her anniversary, he would pray and fast for their protection and blessings in their marriage.  Whichever child’s birthday it was he would pray and fast all day long for this child.  He would sacrifice the joy of the day and go to God on behalf of the ones he loved so much.  His journal revealed his heart.

When we lived in Fayetteville, Ark we lived on a mountain behind Wal-mart.  It was a dead in road so every day we would have to pass Wal-mart coming and going.  Often we would see one of our neighbors, an elderly lady, walking to and from Wal-mart.  Without fail, every time we would slow down and smile and wave at this lady.  And without fail, every time she would frown back.  Not once did she even wave to us as we passed.  I remember thinking how rude she was.   I even commented to my husband that I didn’t think she was very friendly.  But one day coming home from town it was lightly raining and this lady was walking home with several sacks of groceries.  I stopped and asked her if she would like a ride home.  She was so thankful.  We had a pleasant visit and I dropped her off at the house.  After that I expected her to wave back to me but she never did.   But on the days I would stop and offer her a ride she would gladly accept.  And on the days we would go and visit her home she would welcome us in with a hug and smiles.  It was then that I realized that I had misjudged her reaction on the road.  Just because she did not wave and smile at us as we drove past I had written her down as a cross old lady.  Could it of been that she simply had bad eyes and didn’t see us wave or maybe because of her age walking was strenuous on her body and this explained the frown.  Either way, I had the wrong impression of her.  Another lesson learned.

This reminds me of another story.  There is a man who everyday weeps and prays for the souls of many.  Upon his knees he will petition Almighty God on behalf of those he loves.  Sleepless nights are spent in prayer.  He too is misjudged.

Thirty years ago when asked to quote a Bible verse the most common one was John 3:16.  But now studies show that when asked to quote a Bible verse the most common one mentioned is Matthew 7:1, Judge not, that ye be not judged.  This does not surprise me.  For our society as a whole is rebellious and does not want anyone looking at their lives.  But scripture is very clear.  There are certain things we can and should judge and certain things we cannot.

We absolutely cannot judge the heart or inner motives of others.  Only God knows the heart (I Samuel 16:7).  We also are not allowed to judge a ministers service to God (I Cor. 4:1-5) and we are not to judge the appearance of others (John 7:24).  These are a few things that are clear in scripture on judgment.

This does not mean however that we are to be undiscerning Christians; for we are commanded to make judgments between good and bad.

Examples:

-when disputes arise between believers it should be settled between the church                 (I Cor. 6:1-8)  This means that a judgment has to be made.

-the church is to judge serious sins of its members and take action                                    (Mat. 18:17 & I Cor. 5:9-13)  Again, another judgment.

-believers are to judge the teachings of preachers and teachers by the Word of God      (Mat. 7:15-20 and 1 John 4:1)  We have to judge heretical preaching.

-Christians have to discern if others are believers in order to obey God’s command in 2 Cor 6:14.  This means in order to obey God’s command we have to judge a person’s salvation.

-those in church must judge which men have qualifications necessary for elders and deacons (1 Tim 3:1-13)

-we have to discern or judge which people are unruly, fainthearted, weak, etc (1Thes. 5:14)

If we are to never look at a person’s life and judge their fruits then someone forgot to get that memo to King David.  The Psalms are filled with judgments.   Matthew 7:1-5 doesn’t teach to never try and remove the mote from a brother’s eye only to first examine your own eye so that you might see clearly.  And David, when confessing his own sin before the Lord in Psalm 51 says that after he is restored he will then teach transgressors their ways and sinners will be converted (vs 13).

Once again, I needed to be reminded of this.  I believe that there is a fine line threaded through the heart of true believers.  I will not let the enemy tell me that I cannot discern between good and evil in the lives of others.   And likewise, I will not let the enemy tell me that I have the right to judge people’s hearts. 

I read an interesting quote the other day by William Gurnall, 17^th century pastor and author.  He said, “It is worse to live like a beast than to be a beast.”  Interesting enough, a blind person who walks in darkness and has never seen light cannot fully understand what they have not experienced.  A deaf person who has never heard one single sound cannot know the extent of what they miss when a melody is played.  A person whose taste buds have never tasted honey cannot fully appreciate the savor of the sweetness.   And a person who has never loved or been loved cannot fully cherish what love entails.  Yet, take a person who has seen a glimpse of the light and cast them into darkness, or a person who has experienced the beauty of the sound of music and close up their ears, or a person who has once tasted sweetness only to never again, or a person who has loved to be filled with hatred and bitterness.  What kind of person would this be?  I would venture to say a most miserable person.

I truly believe that the most miserable person in the world is a child of God who is living in sin. 

For a child of God the darkness is past and the true light now shineth. (I Jn 2:8)  A child of God has been called out of darkness into His marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9) We were once blind, but now we see.  But, add sin to the equation and now the light is hid.  Sin causes doubt.  Sin robs joy and contentment.  Sin darkens the path. 

A child of God has heard the gospel and believed (Acts 15:7).  The true shepherd calls and the sheep hear His voice (Jn 10:3).  But add sin to the equation and the voice of the Shepherd becomes muffled.  Sin clouds the ears.  Sin causes ears to be dull of hearing.  Sin makes a man deaf to the Words of God.

 A child of God has tasted and seen that the Lord is good.  (Ps 34:8)  God Words are as sweet to the mouth, yea sweeter than honey (Ps 119:103) But, add sin to the equation and now the taste buds are dull and dry.  Sin is bitter.  Sin causes hunger.  Sin is the leaven in bread.  Sin causes the mouth to be filled with gravel. 

A child of God has experienced His love.  (I Jn 4:16)  He has commended His love toward us (Rom. 5:8) But add sin to the equation and while it will never change His love for us it most certainly changes our love for him.  If we love Him we will keep His commandments.  Sin causes disobedience.  Sin separates.  Sin reveals evil in the heart.

Take an unsaved person and while their life is empty and full of strive they truly don’t know any difference.  They are as the blind man who has never experience light, for the god of this world has blinded their minds. They are truly as a beast.   But take a saved individual who is deep in sin.  This person has touched, tasted, breathed, lived and experienced all the joys of salvation but sin has stripped away their joy and until repentance is wrought there will only be misery in the life of this person.  This person is a prince living as a pauper, a rich man living in poverty, a child of God living as a beast.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psa 139:23-24)

 

Years ago I prayed that the Lord would give me a burden for the lost of this world.  I must say that this is one prayer that He has fervently answered.  Strangely enough my burden isn’t necessary for all those around the world as much as it for those people right in front of me.  While I strongly believe in world-wide missionaries and thank God for them, I also believe that one of the greatest missionary fields in right here in our own backyard.   Here in America our churches are dying.  There is very little difference between most “Christians” in the churches and the average unsaved person in the community.  The sin of worldliness abounds in the midst of the congregations.  The god of this world has blinded the eyes of those professing Christians who show no fruit of salvation to believe in a false sense of security.  We’re living in perilous times.  I thank God for men like my husband who has this same burden and live their lives proclaiming the coming judgment.  This is true love for mankind.  For true love warns, true love cares, true love proclaims Truth no matter what the cost.

               

“Excuse me, Mrs. Denial, but your little baby is playing out in the street.”

 

“Oh thank you, Miss Burdened, for telling me but I really don’t see any harm in her playing there.”

 

“There’s plenty of harm, look at her.  She’s in the middle of a 4-lane highway!”

 

“Please, Miss Burdened.  I love my child.  Look at how well she’s dressed.  And, take a look at those new shoes; she just learned to walk this past week.”

 

“Mrs. Denial, won’t you please go and get her!”

 

“Why would I do that?  All of her little friends are playing there with her; no one but you seems worried.”

 

“But Mrs. Denial, every day dozens of cars and trucks whiz through this street.  In fact, at 4 p.m. the UPS driver will come down this road and it’s now 3:45!”

 

“Miss Burdened, I appreciate the fact that you seem to care about my child but I must tell you, she’ll be just fine.  Besides that, every week we take our baby to preschool and if there are any real dangers in the street they will teach her about them.  Isn’t that enough?”

 

“Can’t you see the danger?  Mrs. Denial, It’s now 5 minutes until 4!  Please, please try to get her attention!”

 

“Oh, she would never hear me.”

 

“Then run towards her, scream at her, DO SOMETHING!  I see the truck coming!”

 

“I couldn’t do that, what if I scared her away?”

 

“If you don’t do something she will die!  There’s the truck, here it is…DEAR GOD….”

 

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”

Hebrews 9:27

 

“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”   Eze 3:17-19

Do you want to give up?  Everywhere you turn you see people giving up;  giving up on their marriage, giving up on their family, and even giving up on God.  Some just give up on life all together.

 

Today in history I taught the children about the London Blitz during World War II.  This was an incredibly dark and desperate time for Britain.  Waves of German planes launched day and night raids from September 1940 to May 1941.  Thousands were killed and the spirit of millions was crushed.  But during that time it was the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill that inspired Britain and became one of the greatest Englishman of our time.  It was his determination to never give up and his resolute speeches that would motivate the world.  In one speech Churchill thundered, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”  Again speaking to the House of Commons he said, “You ask, what is our aim?  I can answer in one word:  It is Victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival!”

 

 Couldn’t we all learn a lesson from this man?  Maybe you are in a difficult marriage and you’re tired of the heartache and you want to give up.  Maybe you are a student and the pressures of academics make you want to quit.  Maybe you are a homeschooling mother and the responsibility is overwhelming.  Maybe you’ve reached out time and time again to a friend to no avail and you want to stop trying.  Maybe you’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and all you get is silence.  Maybe your body aches with cancer and the thought of one more day is unbearable.   Maybe you’ve been fighting a spiritual battle and you can’t see victory.  Should we just quit?  I don’t think so for the stakes are too high.  Listen to what Paul tells the Corinthians.  “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  (2Co 4:15-18) 

 

Dear friend, in the midst of the battle we must keep our eyes on the eternal.  There is more to life than the immediate.  And in the words of Winston Churchill we must remember to “never, never, never give up!”