Pastor Buddy’s Blog

A meeting with the dove…

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Journal,

Been a very pleasant day. CJ and I picked up the paper. Then I settled down for my morning ritual of coffee and cheese toast, reading the paper, then placing everything to the side for my devotional time with the Lord. These morning devotions have always been the strength of my day.

Had a counselling appointment at 9 a.m. Afterwards I felt a nudging to go to my meditation place on the hill behind Christian Challenge. Just felt like I wanted to spend some more quality time with the Lord. So, I pick up my prayer journal and my New Living Bible translation, off me and my buddie go.

The General and I stop by the church office to say our ‘howdies’ to Nathan and Donna. Then on to the hill. I sit down on the bench and CJ settles down in the grass.

An interesting thing happened. I’ve never been one to just open my Bible to ask the Lord if there was something special He wanted to say to me. My experience has been that the Lord can and will speak to me anywhere my reading takes me. And He does it often in my regular morning devotions. But today was different. I felt perhaps there was something extra the Lord would speak to me.

With Bible in hand, its ‘Ok Lord, is there something I need to hear?’ I opened my Bible at random and my eyes instantly fall on Hezekiah’s ‘Poem of Praise’ found in Isaiah 38:9-20.

Wow - I thought to myself. This is really interesting. It had to do with Hezekiah’s recovery from his sickness. It does start off a bit rough but ends up in victory. It was as if the Lord was saying, ‘This is your recovery.’

While all of Hezekiah’s poem spoke to me, yet it was the latter part that especially spoke to my heart. This is what caught my attention:

Vv16,17: “Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You have restored my health and allowed me to live! Yes, it was good for me to suffer this anguish, for you have rescued me from death and have forgiven all my sins.

Vv19,20: “Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation can make known your faithfulness to the next. Think of it — the Lord has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the Lord.”

Perhaps I should explain that the Lord has often assured my heart before Him, concerning my health situation and concerning the future. Yes, there have been moments when my mind strayed with a bit of worry. I try to keep these moments to a minimum. The idea of passing on to be with the Lord has never disturbed me, but I do find myself thinking about Betty and my children and grandchildren, and Christian Challenge.

Well it wasn’t over. While meditating on this portion of Scripture, I begin writing in my prayer journal a prayer of thankfulness to the Lord. That was when I looked up and there on the electrical line above my head was a lone dove. Wow - That is really neat. In the Bible the dove is a symbol of peace.

The dove was not startled in the least. She stays there and keeps looking at me. I wait for any movement by me or CJ to startled her, but she calmly sits there and cocks her head this way and that so as to get a better look at me. There is no bird as beautiful as a dove. She is so graceful in her appearance.

Anyway, read that as you will. I am not a sign seeker. My heart is fully established in the Lord. But I found what happened so interesting that I couldn’t wait to get to the parsonage to share it with Betty. After all, she needs the encouragements that I receive from the Lord.

I certainly don’t wish to read more into this that it warrents, but God is also the God of nature. He has often spoken to me through nature. When I take daily walks, I find myself saying, ‘This tree belongs to you Lord. All these trees belong to you. And my heart belongs to you Lord.’

In fact some years ago I wrote a song entitled ‘The Song of the Disciple.’ I believe it is Nathan’s favorite of my songs.? Here are some of the lyrics:

You know my heart belongs to you, Lord.
No matter what the world may say or do, Lord.
You are my King, my everything,
Whose praises I adore.
There is a fountain in my life, its you, Lord.

Here it is on my Jubilee CD if you like to listen to it.:

http://www.christianchallenge.org/audio/music/13_Disciples%20Song%20.mp3

So what’s all this about meeting with a dove?

Often time in the Bible the Lord used creatures of nature as messengers or as servants. The prophet Elijah was fed by the ravens. Balaam’s donkey had something to say to his rider. Jesus rode an untamed colt into Jerusalem.

In fact, Jesus even told us to look at the birds of the air, that they had a message for us. You aren’t sure about this. Listen:

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Then we have this Psalm concerning how God’s birds are very comfortable with Him:

“The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Your altars, O Lord of host, My King and my God.” (Ps84:3 nasb)

Now on to other things. Yedsterday’s service was wonderful beyond words. Nathan and Lori were in Houston for their 20th anniversary. It was my joy to fill in for him.

My subject was entitled, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’ My text Scripture came from Ephesians 3:14-21.

I wanted the congregation to understand the personal side of a faith walk. As an example I used General Claudius Josephus (CJ). When we are out for a walk, all I need to say to my buddie is, ‘CJ, come walk with me,’ and he will walk next to my left side.

This is what salvation is about. Jesus says, ‘Come walk with Me.’ In fact the distinguishing sign of a believer throughout the Bible has always been their walk with the Lord.

One point that I wanted to get across is that the spirit of the world is also saying, ‘Come walk with me. You are missing out.’ What the spirit of the world doesn’t say is, ‘Walk with me and I will destroy your life.’

Of course we know the answer. The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came to give us life. 

The graciousness of the Lord was upon the congregation. When it came time for an altar ministry, the tears bore witness to repentant hearts. My joy was fulfilled in seeing all who came. What I saw in particular and in a personal way was answers to my own prayers.

What can I say I’ve said it times without number. It is good to serve the Lord!

Much love,

Buddy