Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: dog

presence — July 31, 2024

presence

/pickleheavenpress

A storm was brewing, but the grass needed mowing.  Amid thunderous, flashing skies, I pushed the equivalent of a metal lightning rod through the grass. 

It started to rain but I persevered.  Like captain Ahab at the prow of a mighty whaling ship with the wind-driven spray of the sea lashing my face – I courageously (or maybe foolishly) pressed on. 

But then I was joined by a big old mangy dog that was obviously terrified by what he did not understand.  He jumped with every clap of thunder, and he followed me – stuck to me like glue with every turn.

He was more afraid of the thunder and lightning than the noise of my Briggs and Stratton.  Being near me seem to bring him a measure of comfort and a sense of security.  

So, for a half an hour we plowed through the lawn together and as we did, I began to reflect on what I had just read the night before in my Bible. 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Ps 46:1.  These words sound as if they were written by someone who had experienced them.

Actually, scholars suspect that King Hezekiah of Judah was the author.  He had prayed for deliverance from his enemy and God answered by sending His angel to slay the 185,000 Assyrian troops that were there to topple the capital city. 

God proved to be a stone-walled refuge and the strength of His people.  The King was full of gratitude and a Psalm. 

The latter part of the verse fascinates me.  He referred to God as a “very present help in trouble.”

When we are in trouble, we typically need help.  It might come from afar such as from your dad who Venmo’s some money to help you get your car fixed.  In the same way, a person can rely on God to dispatch help from heaven when it is needed.

But the Psalmist said that God was a “present help.”  This would be like dad driving several hours and taking his weekend to work on your car himself.  The Psalmist said God is like that.  He shows up when you need him.   Or as they say in Texas, “He shows up and shows out.” 

But the Psalmist adds that little qualifying word, “very.”   God is a “very present help.”

Not only is He present, He is very present.  Sometimes a person can be present without being present.  You see, dad might make the drive and show up, but maybe he is not hugely concerned about your problem.  Maybe he doesn’t listen to you when you describe the noise your car is making.  His kind of help is not very helpful. 

Not true of God.  His presence means that He stops what He is doing to give us His full attention.  He is engaged and aware and listening and incredibly able and willing to do what needs to be done. 

Because this is true, the Psalmist continued in verse 2 by saying, “Therefore we will not fear.”   How can a person possibly be afraid when our God is very present and inclined to help? 

His presence makes all the difference. 

So how does He make His presence known in troublesome times?  We might see Him in the specific answers to our prayers.  Some say they’ve heard Him speak words of comfort as He has directed them to specific Scripture.  Some say He has filled them with peace when He is near while others say they have actually heard his voice. 

One of the most common ways we experience His presence is through the presence of His servants.  That person who sits with us through our sickness, or the loss of a parent – that person becomes like the moon and reflects the rays of the sun.  

My presence made a small difference for that sad doggie, but God’s presence makes all the difference for us.

A PRAYER: Be with us Lord.  Your presence makes a difference.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

the day God came to be — March 6, 2019

the day God came to be

/pickleheavenpress

I remember the day that God was born – in my experience that is.  He had always been more of a dusty theoretical concept to me until He opened my eyes to His hidden, spiritual, eternal reality.

I remember being stunned to find that God was truly alive and that He interacted with me, on my turf, on a minute-to-minute basis.  He answered my super specific prayers and spoke to me by directing me to a perfectly appropriate passage of Scripture.  I was mystified by the way He loved me by providing just the right car at just the right price.

I found significance in the details of life because the God I came to know was all powerful and all knowing – everywhere all at the same time.  I wondered at the way He ordered every aspect of life according to His gracious and sovereign plan and I was grateful to be a part of it.

I will admit, though, I sometimes took it too far.  I remember closing my eyes and running my finger over the pages of my Bible.  When I stopped roving and opened my eyes, I expected God to give me a personalized message.  Today I wonder what would have happened if my finger had landed on Job 19:17, “My breath is repulsive to my wife” -NET Bible®

When I dressed for the day, I would sometimes ask God to help me pick out a shirt.  Now I just ask my wife (although God was nicer about it.)

Yes, sometimes my wide-eyed wonder was a little excessive.  The dog was exhibit A. I shared a home back then with 2 others who were also new to and awed by God.   A dog had been given to us.  He was a big mangy dirty-white cur, but we knew that God was in the details and that He must have wanted us to have the beast.

The dog was nameless so one of us suggested that we ask God to show us the name He had in mind for the dog.  We circled up and prayed a prayer that ended in this way, “and Lord we thank you for the dog – Amen.”    We opened our eyes and dropped our jaws because we knew that God had just answered our prayer.  “Amen.”  The dog’s name was to be Amen! 

Contrary to his name, he turned out to be the dog from hell.    The word Amen is used in the Bible as an affirmation of what had just been said.  It means “So be it.”  At our house it meant, “So eat it.”   The dog was a bottomless pit.  And when he had finished his dog chow, he would chow down on our shoes.   

Eventually we had to go our separate ways and none of us could take the dog with us (at least that’s what we said.)  So, we gave him to a priest who seemed to be thankful to have a dog with a sanctified name (although I hope he sprinkled him with some holy water too!)  

He later told us that the dog had escaped from the rectory.  The priest canvased the neighborhood looking for him crying, “Amen!  Amen!”  He nearly started a revival.  An African American woman opened her front door and shouted, “Praise the Lord.”  (Hey, I am not making this up!)

Well, I am a lot older now and unfortunately that sense of awe I had for God has become as dulled as my other five senses.   I wonder what happened? 

What I initially believed about God has not been undermined or contradicted by anything that I have experienced with God since.  He has been the same yesterday, today and forever – the same, ever, awesome God. 

So, what can I do to recapture that wonder?  When I take time to marinate my mind with a passage of Scripture, I do hear His voice – and it stirs me.  When I review my prayer journal and I see the multitude of specific answers to my prayers, I am moved.  God shows up in new and fresh ways whenever I step out in faith and do a mission trip – and that is awesome.  Or maybe I need to write about Him – like in a blog.  Yep even as I think about and type these God thoughts, my heart is moved to worship.

Go and do likewise and may the Lord be with you, Amen.  (not the dog)

_________________________________________________________________________

I recently watched this clip and the Lord stirred me.  One of my most favorites songs of worship: Knowing You.  Watch it without tearing up.  Can’t be done!