The Monday Memo from John Stanko

WELCOME TO THE MONDAY MEMO

Welcome to the home of the Monday Memo! In 2001, I began writing the Monday Memo in response to people who had heard my purpose message but said they needed to hear more. They wanted more content to help them think through and then identify the purpose in their life, so I began writing a weekly entry to fill that need. My goal was to write six to eight paragraphs every week that focused on the topics of purpose and faith. Eventually I expanded the repertoire to include entries on creativity, goals, and leadership. Little did I know that the Monday Memo would still be going strong more than two decades later!

At first, I managed those who subscribed through Outlook, but before I knew it, I had 18,000 subscribers, and eventually my email program crashed under the "weight" of so many names and emails. Plus, it was a headache for me to manage the list—especially if someone wanted to unsubscribe. In 2006, I converted what I was doing to a blog format and have maintained that since then.

Eventually, I began gathering Memos of like theme into documents and turned them into books when they were long enough (a few are pictured here; all are available on Amazon). To date, I have published 15 books from Memo content with more coming, including my six-part Unlocking series (unlocking the power of your purpose, creativity, productivity, you, faith, and thinking). Now I have expanded my weekly entries to incorporate other themes, but purpose and creativity are still my main foci. I have told people as long as they keep reading, I will keep on writing.

If you check out the categories on the right side of this page, I'm sure you will find themes and topics of interest that will help you be more purposeful, creative, and productive. I would estimate about 90% of the Memos are original, with some borrowed from the archives around the holidays or when I was traveling. I welcome your comments and questions, for writing and talking about purpose never gets tired. You can also subscribe to receive the Memo every week on the top right side of this page.

I invite you to check out my website for more video content on similar topics and you can also download my free mobile app to have that content at your fingertips when you have time to watch or listen. Thanks again for visiting and remember, "You have something to do that only you can do, something for you to be that only you can be. God wants you to know what it is, so if your heart is to hear, His heart is to speak." Enjoy your purpose quest and if I can be of service as you seek, please let me know.

Memo 1122: Your Anointing

King David is the perfect example of God revealing His will to someone when they're quite young. There are so many lessons for a young person from David's life that it's hard to know where to start. So let's do the logical thing and start at the beginning.

Israel had a king named Saul but God rejected him because he wouldn't obey what God wanted him to do. Therefore, Samuel the prophet (remember him? we studied him in the first few lessons of this series) had to find another man to replace Saul. God directed him to go to the family of a man named Jesse where God assured him he would find the next king:

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:6-7).

GOD LOOKS AT THE HEART

What you just read is an important lesson. God doesn't consider outward appearances; He doesn't evaluate people as we often do by looking at what they wear, or how they talk, or their good or not-so-good looks. No, God looks beyond all that to a person's heart. That's why you should not make it your goal to look good; your goal should be to be good.

So Jesse presented all his sons to Samuel, but the Lord said none of them were to be the next king. It's interesting that Jesse had to be reminded about his youngest son, David: "Then [Samuel] asked him, 'Do you have any more sons?' Jesse answered, 'There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.' 'Tell him to come here,' Samuel said. 'We won't offer the sacrifice until he comes'" (1 Samuel 16:11). Even your family sometimes can't see what God's will is for your life. When Samuel saw David, however, he saw God's purpose for him even though David's family couldn't:

So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David (1 Samuel 16:12-13).

To everyone's surprise, David was the man, or really the young man, God had chosen for this important position. When Samuel poured oil on David's head, it showed everyone that God had chosen David and because of that, the oil of anointing, which is symbolic of God's presence in someone's life through the Holy Spirit, would be with David to help him fulfill God's will for the rest of his life.

YOUR ANOINTING

Just like David, you also have an anointing, which simply means that God is with you when you do certain things. It may be singing, it may be adding up numbers for a business, or it could be standing in front of a crowd to teach them or make them laugh. And just like God wanted David to know His will for his future, God wants you to know as well. We can also see that God wanted him to know at an early age, for David was probably around 14 or 15 when all this happened. So you can see from this that you're never too young to pray about and know God's purpose for your life. God is more than happy to reveal it to you.

What do you have an anointing to do? By that, I mean what do you do that when you do it, you sense God is with you? You have joy and you see good things happen. Is it athletics? Is it learning or reading? Is it that you make friends easily and enjoy being with them, and them with you? All that may not seem very special or spiritual. You may not understand how God will use it in your future, but for now, it's simply important that you recognize what it is and accept that God made you that way. As you get older, all those "anointings" will make more sense and you'll realize that there has never been anyone quite like you who has walked the face of the earth—and never will be again.

Memo 1121: Treated Like An Adult

It's a goal of just about every young person I know to grow up quickly and to be treated like an adult. The good news is that I know a place you can go if you are young where you are always treated like an adult—and that place is the presence of God. When you go to God and have faith, no matter how young or old you are, God hears your prayers and speaks to you about serious matters. If you are young, He doesn't treat like a child.

The last two weeks, we have studied the life of a boy named Samuel. We saw that his mother dedicated him to the Lord before he was born and then when he was a young child, she took him to live with a man named Eli who was a man of God. Samuel stayed there to help Eli but then one night, God called out to Samuel, but he didn't know who it was. So he went to Eli and woke him up, asking him what he wanted. Eli sent the boy back to bed but his happened a few more times until Eli finally realized the Lord was the one speaking to Samuel.

Eli then told the boy to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" if and when Samuel heard the voice again. And sure enough, he did: "And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Speak, your servant is listening'" (1 Samuel 3:10). So why did God call Samuel by name? What was so important that God kept on calling out to him until Samuel answered and was ready to listen?

SERIOUS THINGS

God wanted to speak to Samuel about serious adult matters, for it seems that Eli and his family were being disobedient to the Lord:

The Lord said to him, “Some day I am going to do something to the people of Israel that is so terrible that everyone who hears about it will be stunned. On that day I will carry out all my threats against Eli's family, from beginning to end. I have already told him that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they were doing this, but he did not stop them. So I solemnly declare to the family of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever be able to remove the consequences of this terrible sin” (1 Samuel 3:11-14).

Even though Samuel was a child, God told him things just like he was an adult. The next day, Eli asked Samuel what God had told him and even though he was frightened, Samuel told him the truth about what the Lord had said. We then read,

As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and made come true everything that Samuel said. So all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, knew that Samuel was indeed a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to reveal himself at Shiloh, where he had appeared to Samuel and had spoken to him. And when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened (1 Samuel 3:19-21).

TREATED LIKE AN ADULT

Samuel served as God's prophet or spokesman throughout his life, and that role started when he was a child. Though he was young, God didn't speak to him about childish things. He treated him like an adult and Samuel was obedient and willing to do and say what God showed him.

Just like Samuel, God may be speaking to you at a young age about His will and purpose for your life. You will grow into it as you mature, but that doesn't mean God won't use you now even if you're young. Don't be too quick to dismiss what you're hearing or thinking about your life, your future, or the things you see that may not seem right in God's eyes. If you take God seriously and put your trust in Him, He will take you seriously, respond to your faith, and use you no matter how old or young you are.

Memo 1120: Your Hair

Last week we looked at how the Lord spoke to young boy named Samuel to tell him what his life work was going to  be. We learned that before Samuel was born, his mother Hannah had dedicated him to the Lord. Here is her prayer when gave him to God:

One time, after they had finished their meal in the house of the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli the priest was sitting in his place by the door. Hannah made a solemn promise: “Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don't forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut” (1 Samuel 1:9-11 GNT).

Hannah made the unusual promise that if God gave her a son, she would see to it that he would never get a haircut! Why is that? What was the significance of such a vow? Let's try to see what the Lord can teach you this week about His will for your life from this story.

A SYMBOL

Very often in the Bible, God uses everyday things to teach spiritual lessons. Things like oil, doves, water, bread, and lambs all have some special meaning for us that speak to us about God and His will for us. But what about not getting a haircut? What could that possibly teach us about God's will and purpose for your life? Let's think about that for a moment and ask God to help us understand.

Think about your hair. What color is it? Does it grow fast or not so much? Is it fine or thick? Is it curly or straight? Your hair is unique to you. In fact, if someone examined your hair with special scientific instruments, they could find out it belonged to you and no one else on earth! Nobody has hair like you, not even your brothers or sisters. God gave you your hair and all its special characteristics. It comes out of you and you have nothing to do with it until after it grows.

Once your hair grows, you are free to do with it what you want. You can allow it to grow long or cut it short. You can change your hair style as often as you wish. You can find a style that you like and keep it for the rest of your life if you want to. You can change its color. The point is that your hair is yours, and you are free to do what you like with it—even if you want to shave it all off.

HANNAH'S VOW

Now, let's go back to Hannah's prayer. She promised no one would touch her son's hair. If we think of that as a symbol, Hannah was actually saying, "God, if You give me a son, I won't try to make him who I think he should be. I won't allow others to do so either.  I won't try to shape or fashion his life to how I would like to it to turn out. Whoever you make him to be is who he will be, and I as his mother won't interfere. He belongs to you."

So Hannah was saying she wasn't going to try and make her son a doctor, lawyer, or farmer. She was going to cooperate with whatever came out of her son for him to be, which was symbolized by his hair. His long hair would indicate that he was a man of purpose, made so by God's will for his life.

Just like God has given you unique hair, He has given you a special purpose, something only you can do and be. Just like your hair, you haven't done anything special to make it part of your life. But once you know your purpose, you can then help make it all it can be. You can go to school, get special training, practice, or set up a business to make your purpose something that looks good on you—just like you do with your hair.

What comes out of you that is special to you? Is it music or art? Do science or math come more easily for you than your friends? Do you have special athletic abilities? Think of those things as your hair. God gave them to you and they are not yours to do what you want. Instead, you are to develop them so God can use them to reach others and do His will. So now that you see you have a purpose and it's very much like your hair, you can work to care for your purpose just like you do your hair, giving it some attention every day as you become the person God created you to be.

Memo 1119: "Speak to Me, Lord"

This week, we start a new series directed toward young people to help them find their purpose. I'll be writing with younger readers in mind, but I'm confident there will be lessons for both adults and children in each entry. I hope you'll share these with the young folks in your life. Then when we're through, there will be a book titled "Never Too Young" to help young people all over the world be young people of purpose.

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Let's start our study of young people and children of purpose in the Bible with the story of Samuel. God spoke to Samuel when he was a child and told him what his life's work would be. Before we look at that, let's look at a bit of Samuel's family background to see if maybe you have something in common with him.

Samuel's mother's name was Hannah and she could not have children, which made her very sad. What did she do when she was sad? She prayed:

One time, after they had finished their meal in the house of the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli the priest was sitting in his place by the door. Hannah made a solemn promise: “Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don't forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut" (1 Samuel 1:9-10 GNT).

We'll talk later about why she promised she would never cut Samuel's hair, but I want you to see that his mother gave and dedicated him to the Lord before he was born. Maybe your parents did the same thing.

God heard Hannah's prayer and Samuel was born. Hannah kept her promise and when the boy was young, maybe three or four years old, she took him to live with the man of God at that time whose name was Eli. Samuel stayed there without his mother so he could learn about God from Eli the priest. Then one night, even though Samuel was a young child, a voice spoke to him:

Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning, the Lord called Samuel. He answered, “Yes, sir!” and ran to Eli and said, “You called me, and here I am.” But Eli answered, “I didn't call you; go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed (1 Samuel 3:4-5).

This happened a few more times before Eli realized God was the one who was speaking to Samuel:

Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, so he said to him, “Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. The Lord came and stood there, and called as he had before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak; your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:8-10).

Isn't that amazing? God was speaking to Samuel and He came to talk to him about His will for Samuel's life.

Maybe God is speaking to you about your life too. It could be that you have thoughts and ideas, maybe even a picture in your mind, of what your future will look like. I bet people tell you that you are good at certain things like building, singing, or helping. That could be God speaking to you through them to help you see the talents and gifts he has given you.

Or maybe you've heard a voice in your heart and didn't know who or what it was. If that's the case, I want you to do what Samuel did. I want you to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant listens" and then listen even more closely to what you hear. God may be telling you what He wants you to do with your life.

Our lesson today is that God wants you to know His will for your life and He can begin speaking to you about it when you're young. Don't think, "I'm too young to know or do God's will." Instead, accept that God knows your name and has something for you to do that only you can do. Then begin to tell other people what it is that you are hearing, and then watch God help you do what it is that He showed or spoke to you, no matter how young you are.

Memo 1118: A New Series

It's time to start a new series, this one titled "Never Too Young." For the next six months, we'll look at examples from the Bible of  young people, some infants or children and others in their teenage years who God used in some significant way. We will look at people like Genesis Joseph, Samuel, David, Mary the mother of Jesus, Moses, Miriam, John the Baptist, and Daniel along with passages from Proverbs, Psalms, Acts, and the gospels that are consistent with our theme. Then when we have about 25 entries, I will compile them into a book.

Over the years, I've been regularly asked if I had any purpose material that was age appropriate for a younger audience. Then recently when my Colombian friend Yair asked if I had anything he could use with his classes, I concluded God was speaking to me and it was time to write something. The good news is that Yair will be translating each entry into Spanish, so I will be in essence be working on two books every week.

YOU CAN HELP

I know you probably don't fit into the youth category for most of my readers are older because I speak most often to adult audiences. I'm confident there will be purpose insights from which you will benefit, so please read as you always do, but then I want to ask for your help. When you get an entry in this series, pass it on to some young people you know. That may be your children or grandchildren, nieces or nephews. If you work in a school, then share it with the students. If you work with youth in your community or church, give them a copy. Don't just give it away, however, but also be willing to talk to them about what they are reading to help them become a young person of purpose. Don't you wish someone had done that for you when you were younger and the question started coming, "What do you want to do when you grow up?"?

My premise for this series will be the same for any series in which I have written about purpose and that is that God wants you to know your purpose so you can fulfill it—and that goes for the youngest members of our society and churches as well. If God wants someone to do His will, and of course He does, then He must reveal what that will is. Won't it be great when this series helps your young loved ones and friends find a life of purpose? And if it helps you do the same along the way, then all the better.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Every entry I write in this series will have one common assumption and that is this: There's no baby or adolescent version of the Holy Spirit. As we'll see, when God revealed himself to the youth of Scripture, He didn't talk baby talk to them. He didn't discuss matters that would only pertain to an audience of youth. God treated them like adults and gave them serious responsibilities. He told the boy Samuel that there was sin in Eli the priest's family. The Spirit made a teenage girl the mother of our Lord Jesus. God took teenage Daniel from his home in Judea and sent him to a Babylonian university where he stayed for the rest of his life. God didn't treat these young people like they were in the minor leagues, He spoke to them, revealing things that indicated He expected them to play at the major league level. And play at a high level they did, winning victory after victory for the Lord, often while their adult counterparts were relegated to being spectators in the stands.

It's the desire of every young person to grow up and be treated as an adult—even when they're not quite ready for that. However, I have told youth audiences that there is someone they can go to where they will always be treated like an adult and that someone is God. If they have faith and pray, it will be as effective as any bishop, pastor, or other adult leader. Their faith can move mountains just like an adult's can, for God is no respecter of persons, and that includes the young. If they have faith and trust Him, then He's ready to use them in significant ways. How cool would that be for a youth to hear? Do you think that would impact their behavior, their studies, their participation in church?

So next week, we'll take a look at the boy Samuel as we start our series. I won't present these in the order in which they are found in the Bible, but will mix them up as we go. And someone like David is going to merit more than a few weeks because we know so much about his young life. Who knows, we may end up with more than 25 entries, and I'm going to rely on Yair (and you) to tell me if something I'm writing is too advanced for the youth he's or you're working with. This may be one of the more important books I have written, so I also solicit your insight and feedback if you have any comments or ideas for posts on this important topic "Never Too Young." So there you have our direction for the coming months. Before we start, I wish you a blessed week from here in Kenya!

Memo 1117: Protecting Your Abundant Life

There are other lessons to be learned about David from his psalms, but this entry will conclude our series titled PowerPoints for Living the Abundant Life. Our objective has been to identify elements in David's life that we can apply in our own pursuit of God's will. In some ways, Psalm 37 like the perfect place to end, for it gives us a number of points to consider that are consistent with our series' theme. Let's look at some of them this week.

DAVID'S LIFE PHILOSOPHY

In Psalm 37, David summarized many of this life themes that are found throughout the psalms (all quotes are from the NLT):

1. "Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong" (37:1).
2. "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper" (37:3).
   
3. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires" (37:4).
4. "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you" (37:5).
   
5. "Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm" (37:8).
6. "The wicked borrow and never repay; but the godly are generous givers" (37:21).
7. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives" (37:23).
8. "Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever" (37:27).
9. "The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong" (37:30).
10. "The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him" (37:39-40).

If you want to live an abundant life, then follow David's life philosophy in those ten points that will be our PowerPoint for Living this week:

Don't worry, trust Him, do good, take delight in God, don't be angry over wrongs against you or others, be generous, walk with confidence, be a source of wisdom for others, and make God your shelter in tough times.

ONE THING

As we close this series, the one thing that stands out to me is that there will be opposition when you attempt to live the abundant life for you—whatever that looks like. It will vary according to your purpose, gifts, and values, but the one common thread is the enemies you will have to face to find and keep that life. Paul gave us his own list of things, this time made of things that come against us that cannot separate us from the abundant life Jesus gives us. The one thing not on his list is your own decision to surrender that life by ignoring or violating David's life philosophy described above. Here's what Paul had to say:

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:29-39 NLT).

Have a blessed week!

Memo 1116: A Real Conspiracy

It's fashionable these days for people to try and find evidence of a conspiracy in almost any walk of life. When they do, it often makes me think of what the Lord told Isaiah,

“Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread" (Isaiah 8:12-13).

However, that isn't to ignore the reality of conspiracies that the wicked unfold against God and His people of purpose:

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues (Psalm 31:19-20 NLT, emphasis added).

As we bring this series to a close on how to live the abundant life, let's look at what it means to fear the Lord and take refuge in Him.

THE DEVIL

There's a network of spiritual evil whose commander is an entity called Satan or the devil. He isn't omnipresent or omniscient, but he has a lot of henchmen who do his bidding and he's a spiritual albeit fallen being. When people say, "The devil is after me," that's probably not true. He's a master strategist so he picks his targets to personally oppose those who present the greatest threat to his kingdom. Therefore, you have to earn being personally opposed by him; usually one of his lieutenants is sufficient to handle the job.

David was just such a worthy target for the master of evil as we read in 1 Chronicles 21:1: "Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel." We won't examine that incident in detail, just suffice it to say that Satan caused a lot of harm in that story and many people lost their lives. He is a formidable opponent who is smarter, more spiritual, and more ruthless than any other force in the universe (except God, of course, and He's not ruthless).

Jesus warned us to have a healthy fear for God, not the devil: “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28 NLT). Our job is to spread the good news, not fake news. Jesus' warning came in the context of Him sending out His twelve disciples to minister according to their purpose to which He had appointed them. They found out as they went what it meant that God is their refuge and we need to follow in their footsteps.

IMPLICATIONS    

When Jesus warned us to fear God and not the devil, He was talking about when we go out on assignment from Him. We should expect opposition from the kingdom of darkness when we do, but He also said, "But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). John expanded on this thought later in his letter, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

So let's summarize. There are viable conspiracies against the righteous, but much of what is being termed conspiracies today falls under the category of "foolish and stupid arguments" (2 Timothy 2:23). Paul said you are to refuse to participate in such things. You can expect opposition, however, not when you are sitting in church, but when you leave church to carry out your purpose. It's then that God promises He will protect, shield, and even hide you from those who are looking to hinder or ruin you.

Therefore, this week's PowerPoint for Living is,

When you live the abundant life, you can expect supernatural opposition but also supernatural help, but only when you step out to do God's will. Then God will lavish on you "protection, blessing [you] before the watching world." Therefore, your only fear should be a healthy fear of God that compels you to be all you can be, otherwise you are missing His plan for your life.

Have you made yourself significant enough to be a threat to the kingdom of darkness? Do you have the proper fear of God that motivates you to make the most of the opportunities He has given you to go wherever He sends you? When you encounter opposition, do you see it as the conspiracy it is to try and sidetrack you from bearing fruit for God's kingdom? If you want to secure God's protection, you won't find it by playing it safe, but rather by taking bold action that will bless others and glorify God. As you do, have a blessed week!

Memo 1115: A Future Audience

Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10, KJV, emphasis added). Abundant life—what is it exactly? Other translations attempt to define it this way:

• "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (NLT).
  
• "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]" (AMP).
  
• "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they may have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way" (NIRV).

Our goal in this series, however, isn't to define abundant life but to empower you to live it no matter how you define it. For me, it's doing what I love through my purpose all day, every day, as I write, broadcast, travel, and speak. Your definition will vary because you're not me, and you shouldn't try to be. You should only try to learn from me so you can be the best you that you can be. That's why we have been studying David, for by almost any definition most would agree that he did indeed live an abundant life.

THE TEMPLE

This week, let's look at some verses from Psalm 30 in which David was doing what he often did in the psalms—pouring out his heart to the Lord because he had been in a difficult place:

I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:1-5).

While these verses aren't unique or special among the psalms, the heading of Psalm 30 is quite remarkable. I'm not sure if the headings in the psalms are inspired like the words are, but the heading for this psalm is noteworthy: "A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David." What's so special about this heading? It's jut that the Temple hadn't been built yet, yet David was amassing resources for its construction (see 1 Chronicles 29) and he was composing songs to be sung at the Temple dedication.

David saw the future, and then planned his present on what he had seen—not the hardships he was enduring. He wrote for a future audience that would gather in a building that had yet to be built, that most people didn't even realize was part of the nation's future. That's important for you to do as well if you want to live an abundant life.

WRITING FOR THE FUTURE

I mentioned earlier that my days are filled with an abundance of creative activity. I write or edit all day almost every day. I love it. However, if I had to live on the earnings from my writings, I would starve! I earn money from editing, speaking, and consulting, and when that money doesn't come in, God provides through the generous donations from people like you. Then you may ask, Then why on earth do you write? I write because, like David, I've seen the future and I'm preparing for it now.

For example, I've written six daily devotionals. For 2,200 consecutive days over six years. I showed up to write and every day, and "saw" something to write about to connect readers to God's Word. What's more, for nine years I wrote a commentary on the entire New Testament, all 8,000 verses, writing about four verses per day. Then I spent three years preparing that commentary for publication, and now I have a 12-volume set called Live the Word. The irony of those two projects that took 15 years of my life is that they don't sell well and probably never will—until I'm gone.

Think of it: your favorite commentaries or devotionals were probably written by people who are no longer here, having gone on to their eternal reward. So I am content with the fact that I have chosen (or did God direct me?) to write large portions of work that no one will buy or pay attention to—yet. Therefore, I'm writing for a future audience, content to give away my daily entries and posts in the hopes that they can help someone—anyone—who is paying attention or who God happens to notify they exist.

Therefore this week's PowerPoint for Living is

God may show you the future so clearly that you give your present to its fulfillment That means your abundant life may be invested in something that will have its greatest impact on future generations after you're gone.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm not complaining about the lack of traction or notoriety some of my work has gained. I am willing to accept they aren't worthy of a bigger audience than they have now. There are other things I do that give more immediate satisfaction, but part of the outflow from the abundant life God has provided isn't for today but hopefully for tomorrow.

I accept that after I'm gone, my devotionals and commentaries still may remain obscure, but that's up to God. What's up to me (and you) is following our joy that irrigates an abundant, satisfying life, allowing us to serve God in faith today while we hope for a fruitful tomorrow. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1114: The Look

When I was a child, I knew when my mother was displeased because she would give me "the look." She didn't have to raise her voice or say anything for that matter. All I needed to do was catch a glimpse of "the look" and I knew that I either had to stop doing what I was doing or start doing something I wasn't—or else. The look told me everything I needed to know. I always think of "the look" when I read these verses in Psalm 27:

Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger (Psalm 27:7-9).

As we continue to search for PowerPoints for Living to help us live and enjoy the abundant life, let's look at these verses more closely this week.

FACE TO FACE

David's heart was directing him to seek God's face. That meant he would come to God with nothing obscuring who David was or what he was going through at the moment. He was to come as God had created him—a musician, a warrior, a leader, a king. A letter to God could have been written by someone else, or the meaning could easily have been distorted or misunderstood by the lack of physical presence that could help clarity the meaning of what was written. So David came in person as he was.

A face-to-face meeting is usually an open and honest one. There's an exchange that ensures both parties understand where the other is coming from. Face-to-face communication is preferable because body language and posture, voice inflections, tone, and even dress are all part of what people can use to get their point and message across to others. Face-to-face meetings with God, however, are not like any other, as we learn from Moses' encounters with the Lord:

When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord (Exodus 34:33-35).

When they met, there was a transaction that occurred between Moses and God that was more than words, ideas, and feelings. God imparted who He was to Moses and Moses became radiant like God, to the extent that "they [the leaders] were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:30). Even Moses' brother Aaron was hesitant to come near Moses because of his radiance.

READ THE LOOK

And now we are to follow in the footsteps of David and Moses as Paul instructed us: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit "(2 Corinthians 3:18). The goal is not to get our laundry list of needs met when we pray, but to transformed into His image. We are to be so close and intimate that we can "see His face" and read His look without Him saying a word, just like Peter did:

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62).  

Seeking God's face isn't a religious phrase or ritual. It's a consistent practice during which you are looking to be transformed into God's image by picking up on His slightest suggestion and desire. Therefore, this week's PowerPoint for Living is,

Those who are living an abundant life come to God as they are, not as they are pretending to be. As they do, they are transformed into even more of who God wants them to be.

Is God's transforming power working in your life? Are you a different person, a better version of you than you were last year at this time? When you seek God do you seek Him for what you can get or what you can become? Maturity is being sensitive to read and obey God's look as you seek Him. If your heart, like David's, is telling you to seek Him, then I urge you to do so with all your strength, knowing that His response may be more subtle than overt. Have a blessed week!

Memo 1113: Mr. Lonely

Every psalm that David wrote reveals more of who he was, what he went through, and how he interpreted God and his circumstances. Our goal in this series is to extract lessons from his life and these psalms to help us live an abundant life that Jesus said He came to give us. This week, we move on to Psalm 25, where we read,

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me! (Psalm 25:16-19, emphasis added).

Once again, we see that David was encountering trials and tribulations, the likes of which most people will never experience, which is why learning how he responded will most certainly help us stand firm in our own day of trouble. Let's see what we can learn this week.

MR. LONELY

David enjoyed immense popularity among the people when he first came to the king's court and began his military career. His success brought him into the limelight to the extent that people composed songs about his exploits and he could seem to do no wrong. The king offered David his daughter's hand in marriage and his fame spread to the surrounding nations.

Then one day, he fell out of favor with his father-in-law the king. The king heard people singing their songs and it didn't sit well with him:

When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals. This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David (1 Samuel 18:6-8 NLT).

How bad did Saul's jealousy get? So bad that he tried to kill David on three separate occasions. He also gave his wife away to another man and then used the army that Saul should have been using to fight the Philistines to pursue and destroy his son-in-law. I would say that things got pretty bad fairly quickly for David.

Yet like Joseph before him and Daniel after him, David stayed steadfast and true to the Lord. When he finally broke away from Saul, the word spread:

So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men (1 Samuel 22:1-2 NLT).

But later, when their families were captured during a military operation, we are told, "David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him" (1 Samuel 30:6 NLT). I would say that point in his life was the lowest, and he found himself owning the title of Mr. Lonely.

WHAT DID HE DO?

What did David do at that rock bottom low point in his life? We aren't told the specific steps he took to climb out. Perhaps he wrote Psalm 25 or some other poetry we don't have today. It could be that he took his harp and went off to worship, pray, and think. Maybe he went for a long walk, watching his back the entire time. There was no one to meet with and no one to console him, but we are told that somehow, "David found strength in the Lord his God" (1 Samuel 30:6).

I don't know exactly how he did that, but somehow, in some way, David went to God and "found strength." In his loneliness and while experiencing failure and betrayal, he touched God or perhaps it's better to say God touched him. Whatever David did, he strengthened himself, returned to his men, led them so they could recapture their families, and continued his path to the throne God had promised him.

How do you react in your lonely times when no one understands you or what you're going through, and everyone, including God, seems to be piling on trial after trial? What do you do to strengthen yourself in the Lord? What activities can you engage in that always seem to encourage your heart and renew your vision and energy? This week's PowerPoint for Living is

The path to an abundant life can be a lonely one. You must be familiar with what you do that lifts your spirits and strengthens your resolve to carry on. In other words, identify what you do or where you go that when you do, God is always waiting there for you. When you find it, make sure you stay connected to it.

It has been said that it's lonely at the top. The key when you're there is to remember that you're not alone, and God has promised not to protect you from difficult times, but to be with you as you go through them. Have a blessed week!