The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

I was having a particularly tough time keeping this bunch of ranger students on course. Every few minutes they were either heading the wrong direction or under their ponchos with red lenses making a map check. After a few hours of weaving back and forth across the desert floor, I told the patrol leader to show me on his map where he was. Then the problem was obvious. As we unfolded the map together, this poor ranger student slowly recognized the error of his way. You see, we were at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah and he was using a map from the mountain phase in Dahlonega, Georgia. Right country, wrong state. The same thing can happen to us when we only read small portions of the Bible and pick and choose what we want to learn. We don’t get the big picture and we can actually be pretty lost in our misunderstandings of the scriptures. Navigating life is a little easier when I survey the whole landscape of God’s Word. SP286

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

As a kid growing up as an Army Brat, I used to like wearing my Dad’s Army stuff. I would put on that oversized hat, helmet, or pistol belt and think I was cool. Or even put on a fatigue shirt with all the badges and give that long sleeved, handless salute in the mirror. Then when I joined the Army, I donned my own uniform. Over the years I’ve collected my share of ribbons and badges and I still look in the mirror. But there’s something I remind myself, all these things belong to God. He is the one who gives the strength and endurance to pass the physical rigors. He is the one who gives intelligence and wisdom. He has given success and glory and ultimately it all belongs to Him. So the next time someone is looking at your uniform and asks, “What’s that?” you can let them know, “My Dad let me borrow it.” SP285

Read Lk 2.8-21

The shepherd’s response to God’s revelation of the messiah’s birth was immediate, direct, and aggressive. They wasted no time making their way “straight” to whom the revelation spoke of and they made “haste.” Quick, fast, and in a hurry. That is the response of a person who is convinced that what they just heard is of great value. That’s how a disciple responds to God’s Word (Lk 2.15-16). FJ6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

They came back to brag about their exploits. As an infantry trainee, I was lapping up the stories of the guys who had just graduated AIT the class before. Now in Airborne School, they talked about jumping out of a 34-foot tower. “34 feet!” I thought, “Well, if they did it, I can.” You see, I was thinking they meant I would jump from 34-foot tower and hit the ground. I was mentally prepared to do so because I had faith that if they did it, I could. Of course, as soon as I got there, I learned it was more like some ride at an amusement park and you never touched the ground. But, as a naive private, I was willing to do what ever it took. And isn’t that a lot like our faith in God. We think He’s going to ask us to do some horrendous thing but we trust Him and take that leap of faith. Then we see His provision and experience His grace. We find that it wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, it turned out to be pretty fun. Don’t have it all figured out? Time to trust Him. SP284

Read Mt 1.1-17, Lk 3.23-38

A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link, right? Unless God made it. The genealogies explain the human heritage of Jesus but also the sovereign work of God the Father. Running back to David, Abraham, and Adam, the human chain authenticates the promises of God and gives the disciple confidence in the Word of God. The Maker of the chain is more important than the chain itself. God’s plan cannot be thwarted. FJ2

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5

Get off the Truck! off the truck! The Drill Sergeants screamed, as I was officially welcomed to basic training. Having been in JROTC and an Army brat, I knew the deal. Keep a low profile, do what you’re told, and move out sharply. With my duffle bag over my shoulder I was one of the first in formation. It was complete mayhem. People pinging off one another, Drills yelling, guys doing push ups, it was crazy. But I was gloating over the fact that “I knew what I was doing, I was no rookie like the rest of these guys.” Suddenly it was dead silent with forty sweaty bodies standing at attention. One Drill started out low and choppy, “Who…is… missING…THEIR…DUFFLE BAG?! I thought, “Oh, I pity the poor schmuck who left their bag on the truck.” “WOOD, CHARLES D.” came the enraged voice. I had someone else’s bag. I was the poor schmuck! Lesson: Check your own stuff before “assisting” others. SP283

I’ve been working my way through the Gospels again and God is showing me so much. I’d really like to share some of my findings with you. So Sprinkled in the midst of Swordpoint will be some thoughts from a devotional I will call “Following Jesus, a Call to Discipleship.” These devo’s will be raw and unedited. Basically, my quick thoughts without a whole lot of polish. If there is an editor out there who wants to smith my writings, feel free to edit away and send it back in an email and I will make the changes (charleswood1@gmail.com). Hopefully this will stimulate the head, heart, and hands to follow Jesus more closely.

Read Luk 1.1-4, Jn 1.1-18

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ begins with understanding who He is. Luke wants to explain to Theophilus “the exact truth” Lk 1.4 and launches into His story. John also takes great pains in explaining the mystery of the God/Man who came to His own and only those who received Him were named “children of God” Jn 1.12. These are the true converts of Jesus, those born of the will of God Jn 1.13. God the Son, explaining God the Father to those who wanted to know Jn 1.18. FJ1

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:4-8

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God…the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:11,15

He was one of my RIs, a young motivated Buck Sergeant fresh out of the 3rd Ranger Bn. He came up to me after PT and looked me square in the eye. “Sergeant,” he said, “I know you are a Christian and I know you are really living the life. Will you show me how?” I started with the basics; How to have a quiet time, share his faith, Bible study, and lots of time spent together talking about life and our Lord. Then I started to challenge him to bear fruit, to reproduce, “The things I’ve done with you, go and do for someone else.” 12 years have pasted and now he’s a Major who’s done very well in his career, he has a family, and lots of responsibilities. I had breakfast with him recently and as we talked he opened his Bible. He shared his white-hot passion for God and how He was using him in other men’s lives. He’s still bearing spiritual fruit, planting the Word of God in other men’s souls. Now that is good soil! SP282

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Luke 8:4-8

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:11,14

While being trained in the art of hand-to-hand combat, I was taught a particularly nasty little move, the rear strangle take-down. You sneak up behind an unsuspecting sentry and in a split second, wrap one arm around the neck, placing the shoulder to the back of the head, then leaping backwards, thrusting both your body and your opponents to the ground. It immediately cuts off the air supply and has a high probability of snapping the neck. The move is silent and deadly. It sounds pretty gruesome doesn’t it? But consider how the things of this world can strangle the life of faith. They quietly and slowly creep up from behind and before the sleeping Christian can react, these things wrap themselves around the vital passageway of abundant life and choke out the things of the Spirit. It’s spiritual strangulation as a result of life’s worries, riches and pleasures. Check your six, Stay Alert, Stay Alive. SP281

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:4-8

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God…Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. Luke 8:11,13

Ranger School’s advanced mountaineering on Mount Yonah started in the cool of the morning. I had a pep in my step and life was good. But as the sun rose, so did the temperature and the big rock was transformed into something more suitable for baking tortillas rather than mountain climbing. By the end of the day my pep had gone to pot and there was more smoke than smile. The relentless heat radiating of the rock all day had turn my mind to mush and my legs to rubber. The same thing can happen to Christians who are not prepared for the trials that come with living a life of faith. Starting our walk with Christ can be fun and exciting but what happens when the tests of life come? Temptations, failures, dashed dreams, and struggles begin to turn up the heat and we are left wondering, “Is this all worth it?” The secret to avoid being scorched? Sink your roots deep into the living waters of Christ’s daily and seek Him first. Beat the Heat! SP280