One-Liners

one-lin·er

[ˈˌwən ˈlīnər]

NOUN

one-liners (plural noun)

a short joke or witty remark.

synonyms:

joke · witticism · funny remark · witty remark · jest · quip · pun · sally · pleasantry · epigram · aphorism · repartee · banter · bon mot · jibe · barb · jeer · sneer · taunt · insult · [more]

I was in the midst of doing something over the weekend and was feeling a bit lonely without Piper’s physical presence in my life, when I suddenly stopped and said aloud, “I’m having a hard time seeing myself going forward without Piper.”  And without missing a beat I heard that all familiar small still voice inside me say, “but you’ve been doing it for eight months now!”  Well that quick quip not only startled me out of my bout with self-pity but also made me laugh with understanding as I spoke out… “You know… You’re RIGHT!”

Well… that little conversation seemed to open up the door for a whole series of one-liners that the Lord spoke to me over the next couple of days!  Job 9:4 tells us that “God's wisdom is so deep, God's power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece?” (MSG)  I have to admit though, that these witty remarks from the Lord were far from deep but yet exactly what I needed to hear!  They reminded me of the little repartees that Piper would say to me when I said or did something funny, clumsy or just plain stupid.  She had a way to make a quick comeback that would either make me feel better, laugh or straighten myself out… and feel good about myself at the same time!

That’s how I felt the Lord talking to me over the weekend as I went room to room removing just about all the personal touches that I had displayed on the walls throughout the house.  It wasn’t the easiest job to perform as each one of those pictures or wall-hangings held special memories of experiences with Piper and the family.  To put it mildly, there were more than a few tears shed.

On Saturday evening as I was getting ready for bed, I began to think about my future in Oklahoma and I plopped down on the bed and whined: “I don’t really want to have to start all over again!” And there it was… that small still voice rose up from deep inside and plainly stated, “You’re not starting over again Jim, you’re continuing on with your life!”  Well, I’m not sure why, but that thought brought an instant measure of peace to me.

I realized that when Piper and I started out together we were just kids and through the next 48 years built a life bursting with meaningfull experiences, developed our God given gifts and talents and matured way beyond what we could have ever foreseen as those two fun-loving and goofy seventeen-year old’s!  And now, I’ve got all that in me as I continue to move forward with all the plans and purposes that the Father still has for me to complete for Him in this life!

So, that made me feel better as I face what lies ahead.  It’s not like I am starting out with an empty toolbox but one that is stuffed with many of the precise tools and gadgets that I will require in the coming years.

Then this morning while I was praying while shaving, I found myself thinking about all of those familiar scriptures that have become my best friends over the years of my Christian walk.  As I shifted gears and began to speak out those verses (without cutting myself with my five bladed Gillette razor, I might add!) it happened again!  From somewhere inside I heard that small still voice gently whispering, “You realize don’t you Jim, that the scriptures you've studied and confessed the most over all the years are the ones that have most often directly influenced your daily life.”

Well… that was one of those “Duh!” moments that made me stop in my downstroke with the razor and stuttered out, “Ye, ye, yeah… that’s right!”  And I was reminded of my morning Bible study yesterday when I got to thinking about how important it is to “activate” the Word that we put inside of our hearts.  I had written down in my notes that day that “The Word won’t work until you work the Word!” 

This morning I took a peek at the Apostle John’s first letter to his Christian brothers and sisters where he remarked “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (I John 3:18 KJV)  I found it interesting that the word “word” is talking about the “logos” or the written Word of God while “tongue” describes the spoken words of someone’s native language.  So, John is telling us that its not just good enough to talk about God’s Word or even make good confessions… but that we have to DO the word with our corresponding deeds or actions of faith!

So, there you go!  I got three quick one-liner lessons that I’ve passed on to you!  Sometimes we don’t need a whole sermon to get God’s point, but a simple one-liner that takes out all the fillers and goes right to the heart of the matter… in a most encouraging manner!  I hope that you all have a great new week ahead.  I’m hoping to get my house on the market by early next week… which means that I still have a lot to do, so I might not have too many more posts this week… but I’ll be back!  In the meantime, say with me… “I am expecting to hear, speak and act on some teachable moments from my Father God this week!”