Echoes from the Campfire

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

I sat down on the rocker and for a while just gazed at the moon, pondering the blessings and workings of the Lord.”

                    –D.C. Adkisson  (Redemption)

       “For your giving does not end in meeting the wants of your fellow-Christians.  It also results in an overflowing tide of thanksgiving to God.”
                    –2 Corinthians 9:11 (Phillips)
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Sure been nice sitting around the campfire, drinking coffee, chatting with friends and family, and just enjoying God’s wonderful outdoors.  Relaxing, refreshing, renewing, and it causes the soul to contemplate the important things in life, not the frivolous, not the wants and desires, but what is truly important.
     I pause here to say that there will not be an Echo sent out tomorrow, nor probably Friday either.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving and be giving God the thanks and glory for there are many who do not have it as well as you on Thanksgiving.
     Here is a little something I found to tide us over.  I do not know the author but the thoughts are good.

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.
 
“Count your blessings and name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”  (Johnson Oatman, Jr.)

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

You can know a man if you follow his trail, if you follow long enough. By his tracks on the land the ways of a man are made plain—his kindness or his cruelty, his ignorance or his cunning, his strength or his weakness.”
                    –Louis L’Amour  (The Key-Lock Man)

       “You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.”
                    –Psalm 18:39 (NLT)
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Ever have frustrations?  Trying to get people to do something, and then on top of that to do it right?  I know as a coach and principal I experienced that to some degree.  It seems that the more you expect, the more you prod, the less things get done.  It’s as if they are saying, “Try and make me.”  I would get frustrated with students and would tell them the problem is that I want you to succeed more than you want to.  As we look at the Song of Deborah, she found herself in that sort of situation.  Nobody was doing anything about the situation.  Keep that in mind as we look at the first part of her song in Judges 5.

          2 — When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord!
          3 — Hear, O kings!  Give ear, O princes!  I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
          4 — LORD, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water;
          5 — The mountains gushed before the LORD, this Sinai, before the LORD God of Israel.
          6 — In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, in the day of Jael, the highways were deserted, and the travelers walked along the byways.
          7 — Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arome, arose a mother in Israel.
          8 — They chose new gods; then there was war in the gates; not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel.
          9 — My heart is with the rulers of Israel who offered themselves willingly with the people.  Bless the LORD!  (NKJV)

Why, bless the Lord!  I can imagine the feeling when the people got together to purposely fulfill God’s will under the call and leadership of Deborah.  A leader’s joy is when others do their duty without being told and they do it right–the first time.   Hmm, perhaps the Lord looks down on us and thinks the same thing–“I wish they would just do what they are supposed to do”.  
     A little background on Deborah is necessary at this point.  You may find that you relate to some of her responsibilities.  “Deborah wore three hats:  a judge, a prophet, and ‘a mother of Israel.’  Israel desperately needed all three right then.  They needed a judge to bring law to a land that was falling apart.  They needed a prophet to bring them God’s message when they thought God had forgotten them.  And they needed a mother to call everyone together and get them moving.” (William Petersen)  Look at it more again, and bring it closer to home.  That seems to me to be the role of the Christian mother in the home.
     Because of Deborah’s actions, Israel was rescued from the Canaanites.  How many times have mothers rescued their homes from the onslaught of the Canaanites–the enemy that seeks to destroy the home.  It is not easy, and it often is not appreciated.  Saying an emphatic “No” is hard, but often it must be done.  Saying, “get busy” and then making sure it happens takes time, effort, and follow through.  Without Deborah the Israelites would most likely have just continued on with cultural compromise losing their identity and purpose.
     Now is the time for us to get busy with what our Lord wants us to be doing, using our gifts and talents to the best of our ability.  Doing the work He has called us to do, and doing it in the place where we find ourselves.  Work as unto the Lord and submit to His leading and know that He has armed us with strength for any battle we face.

               “Lead on, O King Eternal, we follow, not with fears;
               For gladness breaks like morning where’er thy face appears;
               Your cross is lifted o’er us; we journey in its light;
               The crown awaits the conquest:  lead on, O God of might.”
                       –Ernest W. Shurtleff

 

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

The heavy curtain of dark grey overhung the pale blue that faded to blushing orange and pink, reflecting the brighter colors on the silhouetted landscape. It was his favorite time of the day. Quiet, still, cool and constantly changing moods as the palette of colors was dipped with the Creator’s brush to be splashed across the horizon. He looked heavenward and spoke a silent prayer, the words coming deep within his grateful heart.”

                    –B.N. Rundell  (Saguache)

       “Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.”
                    –Mark 14:23 (NKJV)
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               “Give thanks with a grateful heart,
               Give thanks to the Holy One…”
                      –Henry Smith

Thanksgiving, a time when we remember and are reminded to be thankful.  Shame that we have to have a special day to remind us, but then again, it is a wonderful idea that we do set aside a day to be thankful.  Far too often we take things for granted; we don’t even think about being thankful.  I understand that we don’t have to be constantly saying, “I’m thankful for the squirrels running up the tree, I’m thankful that I can walk, I’m thankful for…”.  I understand that, but at the same time we need to have a heart of gratitude, an attitude of thankfulness.
     I received at the beginning of the month a little reminder to be thankful.  It is called 30 Days of Thankfulness, and I have used it every morning in my little inspirational thought or jab at the grandkids.  I have enjoyed it, and it is a little different as it identifies some things that I really never thought to be thankful for.  For example, be thankful for a gadget.  It made me think of the tools we use in the kitchen, i.e., just the gadget of a can opener.  Another day, be thankful for a scent.  Mmmm, the smell of baking bread, of coffee, of bacon frying.  (How come they all related to food?)  The fresh smell after a rain.
     The idea was to get our minds geared to the idea that we are to “give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18.  Let’s take a look now at some things in the Bible that we are to be thankful for.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” –1 Chronicles 16:8
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  –1 Chronicles 16:34
“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.”  –2 Samuel 22:50
“Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”  –Psalm 30:4
“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.” –Psalm 75:1
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!”  –Psalm 105:1
“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”  –Psalm 106:1
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  –1 Corinthians 15:57
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.”  –Colossians 1:3
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.”  –Revelation 11:17

There!  That gives you an idea of the reasons why we should give thanks.  There are plenty more, but just notice how being thankful draws our attention to God.  An attitude of gratitude–remember that.  And most of all, let me finish the lyrics of Henry Smith:
             
               “Give thanks because He’s given
               Jesus Christ, His Son.”

Just think, contemplate, recognize, meditate upon the goodness of the Lord and what He has done for us.  Yes, Give Thanks!

Echoes From the Campfire

by Ira Paine, Posted on

No traveler of the desert had ever correctly measured distance in this valley of shadows and hazes and illusions.”
                    –Zane Grey  (Wanderer of the Wasteland)

       “Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go off into the wasteland and perish.”

                    –Job 6:18 (NIV)
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There are 280 references in the Bible in regard to “the wilderness.”  That does not even count the times that the term “desert,” or “rocky places,” or “mountains” are used.  Wilderness places are places that God often uses.  A few days ago I mentioned different types of wilderness: polar, desert, jungle, prairie, and mountain.  I will also mention that there are unusual wilderness places such as the belly of a large fish, a den filled with lions, not to mention prisons of various types.  One of the first and foremost things you need to do is to recognize the type of wilderness that you are in, and then understand that your soul is facing a challenge.  Work through the wilderness no matter how long it takes.  Do not hasten, let the Holy Spirit do His work, remember that Moses faced the wilderness for forty years before accepting his calling, then went on to live another forty years.  A little side note:  Moses had to first rid himself of the “civilization” that was in him.
     We find ourselves in the wilderness for various reasons.  I mentioned that the woman Hagar was using the wilderness as a means of escape.  Trying to escape she placed herself in possible danger.  We are not told how far into the wilderness she fled, but it was one of those “woe is me” attempts.  Our wilderness may come because we are trying to escape; we feel sorry for ourselves, and we do not want to submit to the hand of the Lord.  Some people run from job to job, never secure, and never realizing what they are doing.  They are in a wilderness and do not even recognize it.  How will they stumble through life?
     Maybe it is time you take inventory and check your situation.  Maybe you are continually unsatisfied with your work, just bouncing around, or grumbling and complaining.   Perhaps the Lord is trying to get your attention and you’re not listening, but murmuring against what He is attempting to do with your life.  Maybe you are running to the wilderness of materialism to satisfy your needs, something, anything, to satisfy that longing.  You need to stop, look around, access the situation, recognize the problem or you will find that this wilderness of the soul will continue on until the end of life.
     I said there may be unusual types of wilderness experiences.  Some may retreat into the wilderness of loneliness.  They hide from others not trying to find their way out.  They cover their heads, like an ostrich in the sand, hoping, wishing, that it will go away–but it won’t.  We have to work out of the wilderness.  Children may run to the wilderness of their rooms.  When scolded or disciplined they want a refuge, but instead and not realizing it, what they have really done is to enter a wilderness.  The danger here is that they could wander their entire lives, becoming lazy bums, couch potatoes, and welfare recipients.  They may not be fortunate like Hagar to find a spring nearby.  They may hide under their pillow and not hear the voice of the Lord.