Have you ever noticed that we all have a common disease? It’s known as embellishment! It is defined as “a detail, especially one that is not true, added to a statement or story to make it more interesting or entertaining.” Yes, our tall tales just get taller with each telling—the monster bass that somehow evaded the hook tends to get a little fatter with each rehashing, the forked horn buck that winded us becomes a mighty eight-pointer; the line-drive that seems to pick up speed in our memory. 

           God also tells a story. He's telling it in the magnificence of every lake, every forest and every animal He has made. And here, there is no need for embellishment. Psalm 46:10 states: He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  I love the ridiculously simple directions He gives in this verse. Just be still. That’s it! Quit moving! Quit being so busy! Stop chasing your tails in this rat-race known as life and observe the magnificence of the creation around you. Once you do, you’ll see Him everywhere you look. He's in the majesty of the woods and waters and in the beauty of a deer and a bass. 

Romans 1:20 says For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Paul says that God has revealed Himself to us through His creation and that we are without excuse for not believing in Him.

            Yes, God is exalted, not only among the nations, but in our everyday life. We just have to “Be still” and notice His majesty. It’s everywhere if we’d just take the time to notice and, once we do, we’ll see that He is so awesome, there’s no need for embellishment. 

        I’ll close today with a history lesson. Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying, "I never behold them (the heavens filled with stars) that I do not feel I am looking in the face of God. I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God." 


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Ah, firsts. It’s amazing how these now normal or even mundane tasks and activities stick with us the first time they show up in our lives. I can still recall my first bass, deer, squirrel, turkey, alligator, duck, polar bear. OK, maybe I still have a few firsts yet to go.




Have you ever considered how important first's are:
The first time you fell in love.
Your first kiss.
Your first varsity game or contest.
First time your child said "Dada" or "Mama".
The first day of high school.
Your (or your child’s) first kill or catch.
Your first car or truck.
Proverbs 3:9-10 says Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
God made first's to be special in our lives because they are special to Him. When speaking of giving to God, King Solomon instructs us to "give Him the first and the best."


In all parts of your life, give God your first's. We can do this by giving Him the first part of your day through prayer and study. It’s a good habit to get begin. We can give Him the first part of your week by going to church and sharpening others while being refined by God’s people. The first part of your paycheck is also a good place to start..
Remember how important first's are to you and know that they are just that special to God. Give God your first's and see if He doesn't "burst your barn."

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My friend and I have a tradition known as the “The Black Friday Hunt”. Neither of us care for shopping, large crowds or cities. So on this day of national mayhem, we intentionally find the deepest, darkest part of the woods and do our dead-level best to avoid other people. We also take the time to deer hunt. We will scout an area and hang our stands where we believe success will find us.

This past year, my friend had done all the heavy lifting. He picked the perfect spot and hung the stand. A few days before, he and I walked in the area and buck sign was everywhere. Then, over coffee, we checked the trail cameras he had set up in the area.
It was a new stand. He had done his homework. Still, there I sat, wondering if it would be a good spot. An hour later, I was admiring a decent young buck that I had just taken. 
When he heard the shot, my hunting partner got down from his stand to help me track and drag my trophy. When, he saw the animal, he told me he had that same deer at 20 yards for most of the morning but decided to pass on him.
Even though he still gives me a hard time about dusting one of his “babies”, I have come to realize that without my friend, that nice 8 point would not be on a plaque gracing my office wall. I literally did nothing but pull the trigger. He hung up the stand where he knew the deer would be crossing. He set up and checked the camera. It all actuality, I killed the buck but he hunted it.

I’ve come to realize that sometimes you just have to set someone else up to succeed in order to accomplish a common goal. In our case, it was fresh deer tenderloin, a rack to adorn our “Black Friday” trophy case and a story that has gotten plenty of use.  My reward was a filled tag. His reward was having helped me to succeed (and to be able to hang that fact over my head). 

Our society puts too much emphasis on having the spotlight firmly focused on ourselves. But God's ways are not like our ways. 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 says What, after all, is Apollos?  And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. In the passage above, Paul and Apollos were working hand-in-hand for a common goal, to see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Sometimes Paul would preach and then Apollos would go talk to the people one-on-one and they would be saved. 

My pastor and I have a similar relationship. While he is excellent behind the pulpit, he shines in behind-the-scenes ministerial work. His ministry is visiting people in hospitals, counseling one-on-one and small group bible study in his house. I, on the other hand, feel I am doing the most for God’s kingdom as a teacher. As weird as it sounds, I can thrive in front of hundreds of people and feel like a fish out of water in front of 5.

I like Paul’s attitude here. Basically, Paul says, "I don't care who gets to lead them to the Lord as long as they get saved!" Sometimes we're called to plant a seed. Sometimes we're called to water it. Other times, we get to harvest. But don't forget that we do exactly what God calls us to do--and nobody harvests unless God makes our efforts grow. 
I’ve had to learn that The spotlight is not on us. We're in the shadows. The spotlight is right where it belongs--on our great and glorious God! It’s truly amazing what people can accomplish when we don’t care who gets the credit.

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As some of you know, I have a pretty rare eye/neurological condition known as blaphrospasm. My eyes will clamp shut resulting in what the doctors refer to as “functional blindness.” A side effect of this condition is severe light sensitivity. Because of this, I pretty much wear shades all the time now. As my quarterly treatments begin to wane, so does my ability to drive. Therefore, I must rely on others as my form of transportation.
During a recent trip to run some errands, my father volunteered to be my chauffeur. As I sat in the passenger seat of my Z71, shades on and eyes closed, my father remarked “Boy, you sure keep a clean truck. I can barely see the road.” I pried my eyes open and looked out the windshield. Surprisingly, I could see the road fine.
Then, I realized I was wearing polarized sunglasses. They are designed to knock the reflection of transparent items, such as water and glass, so individuals (i.e. fisherman and functionally-blind passengers) can see through it more easily. So, I removed my glasses. Through squinted eyes, I could see the blaring reflection of papers, mail I forgot to bring in, Sonic cups, beef jerky wrappers, various forms of shiny ammunition, toilet paper, tools, gator hooks, a Bible, ball gloves, empty Gatorade bottles, spinnerbaits, camo caps, seashells from the Gulf, my son’s backpack and something that resembled an urn (To be on the safe side, when we got home I found a shady spot in the yard, sang a few bars of “Old Rugged Cross” and planted it.) 
I can recall remarking to my father how these polarized shades were a good investment. I may never have to clean off my dashboard again. Then I also recalled what the Word says about how God sees us. Hebrews 10:14 says “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”  When God looks at me through the lens of forgiveness, He doesn’t see the train wreck I am. He sees me as one of His perfect, holy children.
So, the next time you slip on a pair of polarized glasses, remember how the Father can look through the mess and see the masterpiece. The glasses can also help erase the messes of this life that seem to congregate on dashboards.

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