Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson

something to help you laugh and think about life with Christ

Tag: god

the gift that stays given — June 17, 2026

the gift that stays given

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They say that money speaks.  It does.  Mine often says goodbye!  

But there is more than one way we can lose what we have.  There is always the Indian Giver.

It was not uncommon in colonial America for a native American to offer a gift to a colonist.  If the gift was not regularly used, the giver might expect their gift to be returned.  It was a cultural practice that was misunderstood by European settlers.  

Which is why, a colonist who welched on their gift giving came to be known as an Indian giver. 

The term is obviously offensive to native Americans partly because of things like the Indian Removal Act of 1830.  Ironically, this law stripped tribal peoples of land that had been previously given to them and forced them to relocate out west.  The journey was called the Trail of Tears. 

Scripture says, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23   Though eternal life is God’s gift, is it a gift that He might potentially recall.  Would He take it back if it goes unused?   Might we forfeit it by some misbehavior?  Could there be a Trail of Tears in our future?  Not according to the Scripture…

– Jesus promised to keep us secure. 

He spoke of those who believed saying, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand” – John 10:27-29.  

– We were sinners before He saved us, and remain sinners after He saved us

John wrote, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” – (I Jn 1:7-8)

 Sin does not condemn the believer to hell, but it sours our relationship with Jesus.  We certainly want to remove that barrier as soon as we can, which we can do through confession (1 John 1:9).

– We have been born into His family.

 Jesus told Nicodemus to be “born again.” (John 3:1-3).  John wrote “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children” – John 1:12.  The Christian has been born into the family of God.  So, “What can we do to be unborn? 

Suppose there was a rebellious son, who got into lots of trouble and did everything he could to dissociate himself from his dad.  And one day

he said to his father, “I hate you and I wish I were never born into this family.” 

The father could possibly say, “Well, I’m sad that you feel this way, but I have a friend at the courthouse who can fix this.  You can change your last name, and the record can be altered so that you will never be connected to our family again.” 

It may be possible to alter the record, but does it really matter?  A child just can’t be unborn!  The verbiage can be changed, but not the fact that a birth occurred. 

Even so, if we were that rebellious son, we could never be unborn from God’s family but there would be consequences for our rebellion at the judgment seat of Christ for sure. (2 Corinthians 5:9-10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 John 2:28)

God loved us into His family, and He loves us while we are in His family.  The apostle Paul told us that there isn’t anything that is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord – (Romans 8:39).

The only trail we will eventually travel will take us to heaven.

A PRAYER: Lord we are grateful for such security.  Help us to live worthy of it

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture is quoted from the NETBible ®

overwait — June 10, 2026

overwait

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Some of us are overwait! – W.A.I.T.   OK, maybe I should explain. 

One of my joys these days is singing about Jesus with my wife and a dear friend.  Not long ago we did a program for some senior adults.  Present was a woman of Japanese descent. We were told that she was 94 years old.  

She approached us after the concert.  It was clear that she had been moved by our ministry of song.  In fact, with tears of appreciation she said to us, “I have waited 92 years for this!” 

Wow! I am not so great with math, but it appears that she had been waiting to hear us sing since she was 2 years old.  I felt like we should apologize for having taken so long. 

Waiting is the worst – isn’t it?  At the Tex Mex place we fill up on tortilla chips while waiting for our fajitas to be served.  We go to the doctor’s office about an infection, but risk dying of old age as we wait to be seen. 

And of course, it seems that we are often waiting on God.  We hope and pray for change, but the boss is still unreasonable, and the kid is still incorrigible, and the paycheck is still laughable.

And yet waiting seems to be a purposeful part of God’s plan for us.  There are multiple times in the Scripture where we are urged to wait on the Lord.  For instance, David wrote in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – NIV

But why must we wait?   Why does God, who is clearly Lord over time, make us wait? 

Well suppose that every time that we pray, God immediately responds.  I mean immediately – like a vending machine.  Push a button and He drops down exactly what we order.  If this were so, how might that affect us? 

– We would become His Lord and He would become our slave.  I’m not sure I could worship a God like that. 

– It would also feed our tendency to be self-centered which would spill over into our relationships with others.  Selfishness is a cancer that grows.   

– We might get what we ask for but not what we need.  I once pleaded with God for a new job.  He provided one but I earned less than what I was making before.  I got what I wanted but not what I needed.   As we wait, we have time to consider what we seek and why we want it and adjust our prayers accordingly.

– Also our faith in God would be weak and undeveloped.  That would be tragic in that He once said to us, without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  By waiting for God, we affirm and grow our faith – believing He is in sovereign control, and that He will eventually demonstrate His love for us.

Are you waiting on God these days? Take some encouragement from the words of Isaiah who wrote, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an eternal God, the Creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.  Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble.  But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired” – Isaiah 40:28-31. 

Isaiah wants us to know that, despite the wait, God is still on the throne and in complete control.  And as we wait, He will supply the wisdom and strength and the energy we need.    

It’s kinda like He is the waiter that resupplies the chips while we wait for the fajitas.

A PRAYER: Lord sustain us while we patiently wait on You

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always

Scripture references are from the NETBible® unless otherwise noted.

uncommon sense — May 27, 2026

uncommon sense

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It is uncommon to have common sense.

There was a goodhearted guy who volunteered to serve in the church bus ministry.   He was out solo, learning to drive when the bus stalled in the middle of an intersection.  I pulled over to help. 

It rested on a level spot in the middle of a hill.  I suggested that we push it off center and get it rolling down the hill.  He pointed up the hill and said, “But I want to go there!”  I said to myself, “In your dreams!”

I offered to push from the back while he pushed on the passenger side next to the door of the bus.  If we could get it rolling, he could then jump in and take the wheel and steer it. He agreed.

I pushed and the bus began to rock, when suddenly he joined me on the driver’s side.  I said, “Hey if this thing starts rolling, whose gonna guide it? 

A guy pulled up in a pickup and offered to tow it.  He told the bus driver to put it in neutral and then steer it as it was pulled.  The bus driver got behind the wheel and gave the thumbs up sign. 

The pickup driver gave it the gas and his tires spun furiously in place.  The bus was still in gear, so I slipped away at that point, very much afraid for my life.

The bus driver was a common-sense casualty!     

Can a person address common sense deficiencies?  Sure!  We can learn from parents, or “how to” books, youtube videos and life experiences.  They all have much to teach.

But the best, most comprehensive resource is the book of Proverbs.   The book was written by Solomon in order to teach his son how to live wisely.   Here is a sampling of his sage advice. 

– DEBT: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (22:7).  Solomon tells us that the debt we incur steals our freedom and makes us slaves to those we owe.

– CONFLICT: “Starting a quarrel is like letting out water; abandon strife before it breaks out!” (17:14).  Resolving a conflict is harder than gathering up spilled water.  Best to manage it beforehand.  

– SPEECH: “A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath” (15:1).  Careful, gentle words are always the best especially in a time of conflict. 

– WORK: “In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings poverty”  (14:23). Proverbs has much to say about how we work, and the benefits that come from it.

– DISHONEST GAIN: “Stolen waters are sweet, and food obtained in secret is pleasant!”  But they do not realize that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave” (9:17-18).  Solomon honestly discloses the temporary benefits of dishonest gain, but also the enduring consequences. 

– TEMPER: “Like a city that is broken down and without a wall, so is a person who cannot control his temper” (25:28). Solomon should have posted my picture next to this one.  This was once a big problem for me, fortunately much better now because I have digested such Proverbs.

– SAVINGS: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe her ways and be wise!  It has no commander, overseer, or ruler, yet it would prepare its food in the summer; it gathered at the harvest what it will eat” (6:6-8).  Saving for the future is always wise.

– FRIENDS: ”There are companions who harm one another, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (18:24).  Loyalty is a hallmark of friendship

Proverbs is bursting with everyday practical wisdom.  Read one of the 31 chapters each day for a good infusion of common sense. 

Is there an appropriate Proverb for my bus driver buddy?  How about this.  “It is dangerous to have zeal without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily makes poor choices.” (19:2) Amen!

A PRAYER: Oh God, help me in my foolishess.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible®

the preemergent — May 20, 2026

the preemergent

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I would occasionally tease my wife and tell her that our house was a hospice for plants – it’s where they come to die.  But we have vastly improved our gardening skills over time, at least until last year when a noxious weed invaded our flower beds. 

I took the offender to my local plant care expert, and he told me that the weed was a Chamberbitter (and bitter it was to deal with).  I asked what I could do, and he said “Nothing – once it has taken root, it just spreads like wildfire.” 

But he gave me hope.  He explained that the plant goes to seed each fall and then completely dies out.  In the spring the seeds emerge and start the process all over again. 

He told me I needed to use a preemergent the next spring.  A preemergent creates a chemical barrier in the topsoil which kills the weed seedlings as they germinate.  “Weed seedling!”  Try saying that five times fast.

So the next spring, I got out the spreader and did what I was told to do – and it worked really well.

This prompted me to think of the many spiritual weeds that can infest a soul.   

Sin often has its temporary reward.  It meets some superficial emotional, psychological or even physical need.  But once it takes root, it is notoriously difficult to eliminate. 

So wouldn’t it be great if there was a spiritual preemergent – something that would attack the temptation and keep it from germinating into full-fledged sin. 

Martin Luther was known to speak of temptation and say, “You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop it from building a nest there.

I am happy to report that God gave us such a preemergent.  This is how it works!

Breathe:  As you start each day, exhale – confess any sin from the day before that you might have ignored.  Then inhale!  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again and guide you throughout the day (Colossians 1:9).

Browse the Word:  The Psalmist wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” – Ps 119:11.  A daily intake of the Scripture is super important.  Scripture defines sin but it also empowers us to resist it.  It is a living sword according to Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Bridge with others: Our journey was designed to be traveled with fellow believers.   Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” We need to be in church, and part of a small group, and it would be extra wise to have an accountability partner.  It seems that pastors today are falling into sin at warp speed.  I am certain that few of them have any accountability to another.  

Beseech the Lord:  Jesus told His disciples, “Pray that you enter not into temptation” Luke 22:40.  I don’t think the Lord could be any more explicit.  And finally… 

Build Walls: We need to create barriers between us and the sin opportunities that pull at us.  Paul advised us to “Flee immorality” – 1 Corinthians 6:18. For instance – avoid the flirt at work and make sure someone else is in the room when you are using the computer.

Take your spiritual lawn spreader and sprinkle these things on your soul for nearly a weed free result.  

A Prayer: Lord, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” – Ps 19:14.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

black or blue — May 13, 2026

black or blue

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My wife told me I needed to change out of my faded blue jeans for black ones.  We were going to a funeral after all.   I obeyed (as per my wedding vows). But then she looked at me and barked, “I said black!” Evidently, I chose a darker blue pair.

She made me try again.  Strike two! Somehow, I ended up with a different pair of dark blue pants.  She asked me to change again – which made me bluer than my pants.

So, what is my problem?  Well, my color discernment is impaired. My name is Jim and I am color blind. 

As I lamented my malady, I started thinking that there are folks today who lack discernment when it comes to Scripture. They read it but somehow end up with conclusions that don’t seem to match the words that they read.  They look at blue but see black. 

For instance. Jesus said, “If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” – Mark 9:47-48.

Christians from the first century until today have understood Jesus to teach that there is a place called hell, reserved for the unrighteous – a place of eternal torment and unquenchable fire. 

And yet there is an entertainment celebrity today who is well known for his sincere devotion to Christ.  And yet, this man read this passage and yet somehow concluded that the unrighteous simply cease to exist once they die. 

Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:15, spoke of “rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (KJV) In other words, a person needs to be discerning and accurate when it comes to the Word of God.  We need to be able to distinguish the black from the blue.  So how do we do this? 

– We can start by laying aside any personal agenda. Let the Scripture freely speak without any preconceived notions.  There was a guy whose mother died but he wasn’t sure if she ended up in heaven.  He eventually discarded his former conviction and came to believe that the unrighteous cease to exist when they die.  His personal preference directed his interpretation of Scripture. 

– We should ask the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our study. He was given to us to do this very thing (John 16:13).

– Consider the literary context of the passage. Read what precedes and follows it, to get the fullness of it.  Look at the whole of Scripture to see what it teaches on the subject.  If our friend had done this.  He would find much evidence that hell is painful and unending (Matthew 25:30; 41; 46; Luke 16:22-24; Revelation 14:9-11)

– Consider the genre of a passage.  Is it poetry like the Psalms, or prophecy like Daniel, or maybe history like Acts. The genre affects how we understand it.  Our Mark passage contains straightforward teaching from Christ. 

– Consider the cultural/historical context of a passage. The word for hell (Gehenna) was also the name of the local Jerusalem garbage dump, where a fire burned 24/7.  

– Prefer the most obvious understanding of the passage. Read the Scripture in its normal literal sense, unless it is obvious that figurative language is used.  Scripture was not written for the benefit of theologians but for all of us.  When an interpreter makes excuses in order to harmonize a passage with their interpretation – then it’s likely that they have erred.

– Give weight to every word. Jesus spoke of a fire that is never extinguished.  It burns for eternity meaning that it will be fueled for all eternity.

I want to know what God wants me to know – no matter what.  I cannot increase my ability to discern color, but you and I can do lots to sharpen our minds as we explore the Word of God. 

A Prayer: Open our eyes Lord, that we may see.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickelheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scripture passages are from the NETBible.com

she turned the Lord’s NO into a YES! — May 6, 2026

she turned the Lord’s NO into a YES!

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Do you have an unanswered prayer?  I know of a woman who can help with that – and no, it is not Mary!

Jesus had been sparring with the spiritual leaders of Israel.  He wanted to rest, so He went where they wouldn’t – into Gentile territory.

Here’s what happened.  “Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.  In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter” – Mark 7:24-26.

His fame followed Him.  There came a woman who pestered Him to set her sweet daughter free from the demons that distressed her.

He responded by saying, “First let the children eat all they want…for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” -7:27.

Ouch!  Jesus’ priority was to reach the Jews, but she was a gentile –a people the Jews scornfully called dogs.  However, the Greek word that Jesus used for dog, was not of the mangy cur variety, but of a cute little lap dog – a puppy that was cherished by the household. 

It was an expression of affection and yet His answer still disappointed her. To paraphrase, He said, “Sure the puppies will eat, but the first priority at dinnertime is to feed the kids. You will be taken care of someday, but not today. 

And in fact, He performed miracles on behalf of several other gentiles during His ministry years.  Her situation was simply a matter of timing. 

She responded to Him saying, “Yes, Lord…but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” – 7:28.  She politely challenged His decision, reminding Him that people tend to spoil their puppies by feeding them table scraps even during dinner.   

“Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” – 7:29.  So…Jesus reversed His initial “no” decision and said yes to her request because of the particular manner by which she replied to Him.

So, what was it in the way she replied that it affected the Lord?  There was…

– Her Humility: She was not one of God’s Covenant people. She knew that she was not entitled, nor did she make demands on Jesus.  She humbly pleaded for the crumbs from His table. 

– Her Certainty:  It was clear that she already believed in Him.  She addressed Him as Lord and believed that He had divine power to help her child.  But the certainty of her faith was highlighted by her reply.  Just crumbs from Jesus would be enough to save her daughter. As to the timing, even puppies are fed when the children are fed. 

– Her Perceptivity: Jesus often complained about those who had ears but could not hear.  Not true of this woman.  He spoke to her using a figure of speech.  She listened and fully understood and then replied by using the same figure of speech.  I bet Jesus smiled when she did.

– Her Persistency: Matthew tells us that she asked continuously (15:21-23) This kind of persistency in prayer is clearly a virtue that Jesus prized.  Luke 18:1 says, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Someone said, “People ought to be like postage stamps:  They need to stick to one thing until they get where they’re going.”   

By her reply that woman turned the Lord’s NO into a YES!   I’m not sure how all this works with the sovereignty of God – but I do know that this passage teaches us that the manner in which we pray, affects the way that the Lord answers. 

A Prayer: Lord teach us to pray.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NIV.

5 threats to the frets — March 25, 2026

5 threats to the frets

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My wife is not a fan of my driving.  I was behind the wheel one day with her in the passenger seat.  She did a remarkable job of restraining herself.  She didn’t stomp on an imaginary brake or close her eyes when I passed another car. 

When we arrived, she said, “Thank you!” and I said, “You’re welcome.”  She said, “I was talking to God!”  (Just kidding!) She may not appreciate my driving, but she is on my team. She loves me and I am grateful.  This has not been true of everyone in my life.  

There was the woman who questioned my integrity and the staff member who worked to undermine me.  And then there was that guy who pulled out a handgun and said with a threatening sneer, “This is for Jim Johnson.” 

I’ll be honest, those folks made me anxious and I don’t like anxiety.  It tends to emotionally paralyze me, physically afflict me, and spiritually neuter me.  I could not control them, but I wanted to manage the anxiety they produced in me.

Psalm 37 helped.  I found David’s advice to be like a weed killer that helped choke out anxiety and promote emotional stability.   There he gave 5 threats to the frets.  The wicked around David seemed to be prevailing, while he was not.  So, he began by saying… 

37:1-3 “Be not envious toward wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.   Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”

When people do evil things and yet prosper, we are inclined to follow their example – to compromise or to do to them what they do to us.  David, however, tells us to take our eyes off of them; to settle down and carry on with life; to be faithful with our responsibilities and do them with integrity no matter what the wicked do.  It takes trust in the Lord to do this.

37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart’

We are to take our eyes off what seems to be the success of the wicked and to make the Lord our focus and what He provides instead.  When we delight in Him, our motives and desires align with His – and we receive everything that we need.

37:5-6: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.”

When we commit our way to the Lord, we are choosing to live as He would have us live and then trust Him to produce the right results. 

37:7-8: ”Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.  Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”

We get so worked up when we are unjustly treated.  Blowing up with anger doesn’t help.  We are encouraged instead to rest – to leave the matter in the hands of God and just rest.   

37:9-11: “For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land.”

God will make sure that justice prevails. Over time, those who persecute us will fade from the picture.  God will mute their maliciousness.  We need to patiently wait in the meantime.

Today, I look back and realize that God took care of every single one of those troublesome situations just as David said He would – and I am good.  (But I do hope that the guy with the gun does not read this post).

A PRAYER: Lord God, so much to worry about – Help us rise above the frets.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord be with you

Scripture passages are from the NASU

pulling my leg — March 11, 2026

pulling my leg

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I have a friend who graduated to glory recently.  A story was told at her service that still has me laughing.   Cindy was relaxing at a friend’s Christmas party.  She was reclining on an upholstered chaise lounge chair

But she began to complain about pain in her leg.   A woman, who she did not know, happened to pass by, and Cindy asked if she would help her with her prosthetic leg.  She pleaded with urgency, “Would you please, please pull it off for me?”    

Touched with compassion, the lady grabbed her foot and began to gently pull.  It wasn’t coming, so she amped up her effort and furiously pulled– until Cindy began to giggle – because she did not have a prosthetic leg.      

The woman was quite upset with Cindy because – well – Cindy had pulled her leg. 

Have you ever felt that way when you read the Bible? – like God is just pulling your leg?   I know I have.

Consider John 1:12 which says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”  So, it would seem, that a person has the freedom to choose to be saved – NASU.

And yet Ephesians 1:5 says, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” – NASU. So here it appears that God sovereignly chooses who will be saved.

And I wonder, “Is God pulling my leg?”  Both passages can’t be true, and yet the Scripture, in many places, affirms both concepts as truth.

Theologians try to resolve this conflict by choosing one side and diminishing the other.  “Well, God chooses those who He knows will trust Him.”  That might make sense to us, but it ends up misrepresenting both sides of the issue.  To choose one side at the expense of the other is to violate the clear teaching of Scripture.

But the real problem here, however, is not the Scripture, but our natural inability to understand it.  

God is our Creator.  His divine intellect is unsurpassed.  But we are the work of His hands.  We have been created by the master Creator.  Our wisdom is therefore absurdly limited as compared to His.   

Things that make perfect sense to Him, we are not even permitted to understand.  Moses reminded us, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God.”- Deut. 29:29. 

For 35 chapters in the book of Job, the suffering patriarch questioned the wisdom, and justice of God.  His friend Elihu finally asked “Who can understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?” – Job 36:29. The answer, of course, is no one but God understands such things.  So, should our faith suffer because we can’t explain every theological nuance? 

God remained silent in the book until chapter 38, where He said to Job, “Who is this who darkens counsel with words without knowledge?” – Job 38:2. In other words, “Job you have no idea what you are talking about.”

Then He proceeded by reminding Job of the myriad of things in the world that God had created, that Job just couldn’t explain.  God poured cold water on Job’s hot-headed arrogance and the man was humbled.

“Then Job answered the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted; you asked, ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’  But I have declared without understanding things too wonderful for me to know” – Job 42:2-3.

If we could understand everything about God and His ways, well, He wouldn’t be much of a god would He?  I would not want to worship a god that I could fully explain. 

So, I am content to live with what appears to me to be theological contradictions, because I am confident that such things are perfectly understood by our Almighty God – and I’m not pulling your leg. 

A PRAYER: Lord, I trust you what You say, even when I don’t understand it

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress,com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Passages are from the NETBible ® unless otherwise noted.

submarine races — February 25, 2026

submarine races

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It is very important to tell the truth, but is it ever better to wait to tell it? 

We were cruising in the moonlight along the Olentangy River Road.  Across the river was The Ohio State University.   As I gazed through the window, I noticed a very long line-up of cars that were parked along the river. 

I figured some big event was going on so I asked, “Daddy what’s everyone doing?”   He paused and said, “They are watching the submarine races.”   And I said, “Wow, dad, can we go?  Please?  I want to see the races too?”

If you don’t already know, “submarine race” is a euphemism – a figure of speech, from the 1950’s.  It was used to describe couples who were parked along the river for the purposes of making whoopee (which is another euphemism).

I wasn’t old enough then, to understand the attraction of the sexes, so dad ignored me and I stewed in disappointment over having missed the big event.

It certainly is important to tell the truth, but the situation and ability of a person to hear truth needs to be taken into account.  Consider Jesus.

He was gathered with His disciples for their last supper together.   The atmosphere was sober, even tense at times.  During the meal Jesus foretold of the things to come such as His betrayal (John 13:18-30); Peter’s denial (13:36-38); His departure from them (14:1-6) and their rejection by their world (15:18-21; 16:1-3). 

The guys must have been bewildered and disheartened to say the least, but then Jesus added these words, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” – John 16:12. 

Jesus still had more to say to them – more truth to impart, but He determined that they were just not able at that time to hear any more and to bear the weight of His words.

“But Jesus, didn’t they need the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”  Yes – they did – but it would be revealed later.  Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would pick up where He had left off.  The Spirit would soon come and guide them into all truth. (John 16:13)

I have often thought of these words as I have related to other people and have learned that there really are times that we should withhold the truth.  Not to lie, but to be wise about when we speak it.  

– For instance, we need to postpone truth telling when a person is physically not at their best.  If they are in pain, or physically worn out, it’s better to wait.

– We need to hesitate when the person is emotionally stressed.  If they have just lost a loved one they don’t need to hear, nor are they able to hear your well-intentioned advice. 

– When a person isn’t old enough or mature enough to understand the truth, we need to pause. A six-year old doesn’t need a rundown on the dire state of the family’s finances.

– Be considerate if a person is stretched for time.  It isn’t wise for her to talk to him about marriage concerns when he’s walking out the door to go to work.  

Is it important for a person to hear the truth?  It is!  Paul wrote, “each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” – Ephesians 4:25.   But he also told us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). 

I have found that it’s usually better to speak the truth sooner rather than later but speaking the truth in love requires us to be sensitive to timing and circumstances.

Yep, my dad was wise in withholding the truth about what they were doing down by the river.  He did, however, eventually educate me when he gave me the talk on the birds and the bees (which is another euphemism). 

A PRAYER: Lord help me speak the truth, at the proper time so that it gives grace to those who hear.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Scripture passages are from the NETBible ®

cul-de-sac — February 17, 2026

cul-de-sac

/pickleheavenpress

We live on a cul-de-sac – a French term which means, “place where vehicles turn around because the driver is too lazy to put his vehicle in reverse.”  Realtors tout them as places for folks who crave quiet and privacy.  Ours is more like the drive through at Chick-Fil-A at noon.

I suspect that Tripadvisor lists circling our cul-de-sac as the #1 thing to do in White Oak, Texas.  “Where’s Waldo?”  I’ve seen him here.  When the Christmas lights are up, I have watched people revolve around that circle three times to make sure they don’t miss a twinkle.

The actual French translation of the term cul-de-sac is, “the bottom of a sack.” Yep, that’s where I live.

A cul-de-sac is pretty much a dead-end – one way in and one way out. However, you almost never find a sign at the entry to a street with a cul-de-sac warning you that it is a dead-end. 

Which is why more than one person has unknowingly turned down our street, to eventually circle back to where they started.

That sounds a lot like a guy named Samson from the book of Judges.  He started life with two parents that deeply loved the God of Israel.  It is also said that the Lord uniquely blessed him (13:24-25).  Because of this, he was well on the road to success in life, but silly Samson frequently chose streets with cul-de-sacs instead.  

He wanted a wife but looked among women who did not share his faith.  He overruled the objections of his parents and guidelines of his God to get her.  But she betrayed him and then became the wife of his friend (14:1-20).  Samson pursued the cul-de-sac of sensual desire but then found himself alone.

Samson had a big ego.  He wanted to be regarded as witty, so he created a riddle.  He bet the Philistines that they couldn’t figure it out, but they outsmarted him. Samson was humiliated and wreaked revenge by killing 30 of them.  He pursued the cul-de-sac of his ego but found himself humiliated (14:5-20).

The Lord chose Samson to lead His people in the ways of righteousness, but Samson was more concerned with the cul-de-sac of self-determination.   His reckless self-willed behavior caused His people to reject his leadership and then deliver him over to their enemies (15:9-13)

Samson continued to pursue his dead-end cul-de-sacs until the Philistines finally captured him, gouged out his eyes and put him in chains (16:21-27).

If we aren’t careful, we too could naively end up on a street that gets us to nowhere.  The thoroughfare we really need is found in John 14:6, where Jesus said to us, “I am the way…”

Jesus is the way; the only way to the Father, and the only way to do life

When we choose Jesus as the way, we trust Him to forgive our sins and make things right between us and God.  But we also follow the path He lays out for us.  We don’t need GPS because we have His Holy Spirit, to guide and direct us and His Word to fill in all the details.   

It’s a narrow way to be sure.  Jesus said, “How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it! (Matthew 7:13-14)

And once the path is chosen we must not look back.  Jesus also said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”  Luke 9:62. But it is the way we need to go. 

Are you aware that Luke, in the book of Acts refers to Christians as people of “The Way?”  (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 24:14; 24:22)  

I love that!  We are people of the Way – people who follow the Way.  No more dead ends.  No more crazy cul-de-sacs, just sure and steady progress on the highway of life that leads to heaven.    

A PRAYER: Lord, help us avoid the dead-ends of life.  May we walk in the Way.

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

Scriptures passages are from the NETBible ®