The last day of 2015. Wow.
Thank You, Father, for Your amazing faithfulness and relentless grace to each of us over these past 365 days. Thank You for Your Word that spoke to us day after day after day. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that guided, encouraged, strengthened, and helped us every hour of every day. Thank You for Your wondrous gifts of our family and friends that brought us so much joy and happiness this past year.
Thank You for the joyous moments--and the hardest moments--of this past year, for we know and trust that You are somehow, someway using every single one of them for Your greater glory and our ultimate and eternal good. Thank You for the new lives You brought into our world...and for those You took back home to Yourself. Oh how we thank You for dear friends and family who so faithfully ran their races all the way to the finish line and who are right this moment rejoicing with You in glory. And thank You for the absolutely certain hope and joy that, because of Jesus, we will see them again.
Thank You for every one of Your promises in Your Word--all of which are "Yes!" in Christ Jesus (2 Cor.1:20). Thank You that we can bank our entire lives and our eternal destinies on those never-failing, supernaturally powerful promises. Thank You, thank You, thank You for never treating us as our sins deserve, "for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him." (Ps.103:10-11) And thank You for Jesus--our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.
From this morning's reading for December 31st from the One Year Bible--
"And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.'" (Rev.21:5-6)
Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is even now making all things new...including our lives, our loved ones, our world, and our hearts. And thank You that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega--He was at the inaugural moments of 2015; He is at the closing moments of this year; and He will be in every single moment of this new year that is upon us.
We need not fear...for You are already there. We will not fear...for You are in complete control. And we refuse to fear...for You are working all, all, all things out for good and for glory. If we ever doubt that, Father, turn our eyes to Your cross that we might see the worst that man could do...and the glorious, beautiful best that God did and does. Our sins for Your righteousness. Our death for Your eternal life. Our ugly failures and weaknesses for Your infinite perfection and power.
If You could do that with the absolute worst thing in the history of mankind, imagine what You can and will do with those hard, dark places in our lives?
Thank You, Lord, for this new year. Might we know You more and more clearly, love You more and more dearly, and follow You more and more fearlessly for however many days You choose to give us in 2016. In Jesus' wonderful, powerful, and beautiful Name. Amen
To God be the glory.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
What's your treasure?
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Lk 12:34)
"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:11)
What's your treasure?
The wise men brought their treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby King of Kings. Gold--the most valuable and beautiful of materials was destined for royalty...fit for a King. Frankincense--the most costly of all oils which was derived from dried sap was used as incense for worshipping Almighty God...fit for the Lord. Myrrh--the spice employed in embalming dead bodies...fit for a man.
Gold for Christ the King. Frankincense for the Lord. Myrrh for Jesus, the Man. What beautiful and perfect gifts for the Lord Jesus Christ--King, God, Man.
But here's the thing I keep coming back to--these wise men brought their most valuable treasures, yet they were coming to the ultimate Treasure. They bestowed treasures to The Treasure.
And I'm wondering, what's my treasure? What's your treasure? What's that ultimate thing without which our life would lose it's spark of joy? Because whatever you or I see as our treasure, well, that's where our hearts will inevitably follow. And any and every treasure other than the Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately, inevitably, and always disappoint.
Only in Christ will we find our heart's true treasure, lasting satisfaction, indefatigable joy, and continual feast. Not in material possessions. Not in accolades. Not in accomplishments. Not in pleasures. Not even in the glorious gifts of family and friends. Only in Jesus.
When we seek Him as our Treasure, all this world's smaller treasures take on their proper significance...and yet, remarkably, we discover those treasures then bring us greater enjoyment. Suddenly that stunning sunset...or delicious meal...or precious child...or magnificent music are enhanced, savored, and appreciated to an even greater degree when we see each and every one of those littler treasures as wondrous gifts from the hand of The most extravagantly glorious Gift and Treasure.
I don't know about you, but I sadly need constant reminding of this. Yes, I completely understand this to be true, but all too often, I live as if those minor league treasures are what will really bring me contentment and joy. Oh Lord, I believe...help Thou my unbelief! Remind me, help me to treasure You, Lord Jesus, as my greatest of all Treasures.
So "treasure" is my word for this year. Worshipping and treasuring Jesus as my ultimate and most glorious Treasure. Thanking Him for, and savoring, all the smaller treasures He's so graciously and generously placed in my life--most of all, family and friends. And daily choosing to treasure that which is important and eternal--Jesus, His Word, and the people He's given me.
To God--our greatest Treasure and our generous Giver of treasures--be all the glory.
"And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:11)
What's your treasure?
The wise men brought their treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby King of Kings. Gold--the most valuable and beautiful of materials was destined for royalty...fit for a King. Frankincense--the most costly of all oils which was derived from dried sap was used as incense for worshipping Almighty God...fit for the Lord. Myrrh--the spice employed in embalming dead bodies...fit for a man.
Gold for Christ the King. Frankincense for the Lord. Myrrh for Jesus, the Man. What beautiful and perfect gifts for the Lord Jesus Christ--King, God, Man.
But here's the thing I keep coming back to--these wise men brought their most valuable treasures, yet they were coming to the ultimate Treasure. They bestowed treasures to The Treasure.
And I'm wondering, what's my treasure? What's your treasure? What's that ultimate thing without which our life would lose it's spark of joy? Because whatever you or I see as our treasure, well, that's where our hearts will inevitably follow. And any and every treasure other than the Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately, inevitably, and always disappoint.
Only in Christ will we find our heart's true treasure, lasting satisfaction, indefatigable joy, and continual feast. Not in material possessions. Not in accolades. Not in accomplishments. Not in pleasures. Not even in the glorious gifts of family and friends. Only in Jesus.
When we seek Him as our Treasure, all this world's smaller treasures take on their proper significance...and yet, remarkably, we discover those treasures then bring us greater enjoyment. Suddenly that stunning sunset...or delicious meal...or precious child...or magnificent music are enhanced, savored, and appreciated to an even greater degree when we see each and every one of those littler treasures as wondrous gifts from the hand of The most extravagantly glorious Gift and Treasure.
I don't know about you, but I sadly need constant reminding of this. Yes, I completely understand this to be true, but all too often, I live as if those minor league treasures are what will really bring me contentment and joy. Oh Lord, I believe...help Thou my unbelief! Remind me, help me to treasure You, Lord Jesus, as my greatest of all Treasures.
So "treasure" is my word for this year. Worshipping and treasuring Jesus as my ultimate and most glorious Treasure. Thanking Him for, and savoring, all the smaller treasures He's so graciously and generously placed in my life--most of all, family and friends. And daily choosing to treasure that which is important and eternal--Jesus, His Word, and the people He's given me.
To God--our greatest Treasure and our generous Giver of treasures--be all the glory.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Christmas isn't quite over yet!
Okay, so maybe you're packing up Christmas just like we are (hmmm, let me correct that to: "just like I am"--as so far yours truly is the only one who's been dealing with this dreaded task...not that I'm irritated or anything. Oh noooooo).
Can we all just agree that this is the not the most fun job in the world? I'm not saying it's terrible or anything. In some ways, it's a bit freeing to clean up the clutter, wipe down tables, and rediscover all those pictures you shoved into drawers to make room for nativity sets and nutcrackers. But goodness, it's still always sad to pack Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus away for a whole year and to say goodbye to the twinkling lights and evergreen smells of Christmas. Oh how I looooove Christmas!
But sometimes you just have to give yourself a little pep talk and tackle that task you most dread and simply begin. Take the first step and get going. And, of course, the doing of that hard thing is never, ever even a smidgen as difficult as you imagined before you began (and that's a good reminder for all of life).
So, after a bit of moaning and groaning before diving in, here we are with the last few boxes waiting to be hauled upstairs. I think I can here the Elf on the Shelf happily snoring away in one of those boxes--after all, he's been on duty and at full alert for a good month. Only our tree remains standing to sing silent testimony to the wondrous celebration of Jesus' birthday--
But before we close up the Christmas shop, let's don't forget the wise men. This is, after all, the season of Epiphany, because, people, Christmas is not over until January 5th! We tend to forget this and ignore Epiphany in our mad rush to move on the next thing...partly because we've been seeing evidence of Christmas in Target and the shopping malls since about July 4th. But it's still Christmas. The wisemen are still journeying and following that star. And we are still remembering and celebrating the greatest Gift ever given.
Today, I've been thinking about--and thankful for--those persevering wisemen and their long, arduous journey to find the King...all so they could worship Him. We know these were men of tremendous learning and wisdom. And commentators tell us that they came from a great distance away, and their journey took the better part of a year. All our beautiful manger scenes with the wisemen joining the shepherds and angels to worship and adore the baby Jesus in the manger? Well, I love 'em...but those wisemen probably missed the stable, the sheep, and the shepherds by a good year or so.
But that only makes their story better. Why? Because look at the gigantic effort, the huge time commitment, the enormous financial stake they made in traveling all those many miles to find and worship this King of Kings. Think of the inconvenience of putting their lives on hold for a year or two while they traveled to who-knows-where to follow the star and find the Savior. I wonder if their friends, family or acquaintances thought they were crazy to take this risk (after all, the "roads" in those days were dangerous places) and to simply up and leave everything in their based upon some bright shining star and their research. What if they were wrong? What if they couldn't find Him? What if something happened to them along the way? What if....?
Yet despite all the inconveniences, the doubts, the questions, the difficulties, the sacrifices...they determinedly followed that star and journeyed to find the King of Kings so they could worship and adore Him.
What about us? We're on the cusp of a new year. What sacrifices will we make to spend time every day loving and worshipping the Lord of Lords? What's my excuse for failing to seek Him daily? What's preventing us from daily thanking and worshipping Him? The wise men traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles...are we not willing to get out of bed earlier and spend time with the One who made us, loves us, and died to save us?
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:10-11)
Wise men--and women--still seek Him. Might we, like the wise men, daily worship and adore our King. In Him we will find our heart's treasure and joy. To God be the glory.
Can we all just agree that this is the not the most fun job in the world? I'm not saying it's terrible or anything. In some ways, it's a bit freeing to clean up the clutter, wipe down tables, and rediscover all those pictures you shoved into drawers to make room for nativity sets and nutcrackers. But goodness, it's still always sad to pack Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus away for a whole year and to say goodbye to the twinkling lights and evergreen smells of Christmas. Oh how I looooove Christmas!
But sometimes you just have to give yourself a little pep talk and tackle that task you most dread and simply begin. Take the first step and get going. And, of course, the doing of that hard thing is never, ever even a smidgen as difficult as you imagined before you began (and that's a good reminder for all of life).
So, after a bit of moaning and groaning before diving in, here we are with the last few boxes waiting to be hauled upstairs. I think I can here the Elf on the Shelf happily snoring away in one of those boxes--after all, he's been on duty and at full alert for a good month. Only our tree remains standing to sing silent testimony to the wondrous celebration of Jesus' birthday--
Today, I've been thinking about--and thankful for--those persevering wisemen and their long, arduous journey to find the King...all so they could worship Him. We know these were men of tremendous learning and wisdom. And commentators tell us that they came from a great distance away, and their journey took the better part of a year. All our beautiful manger scenes with the wisemen joining the shepherds and angels to worship and adore the baby Jesus in the manger? Well, I love 'em...but those wisemen probably missed the stable, the sheep, and the shepherds by a good year or so.
But that only makes their story better. Why? Because look at the gigantic effort, the huge time commitment, the enormous financial stake they made in traveling all those many miles to find and worship this King of Kings. Think of the inconvenience of putting their lives on hold for a year or two while they traveled to who-knows-where to follow the star and find the Savior. I wonder if their friends, family or acquaintances thought they were crazy to take this risk (after all, the "roads" in those days were dangerous places) and to simply up and leave everything in their based upon some bright shining star and their research. What if they were wrong? What if they couldn't find Him? What if something happened to them along the way? What if....?
Yet despite all the inconveniences, the doubts, the questions, the difficulties, the sacrifices...they determinedly followed that star and journeyed to find the King of Kings so they could worship and adore Him.
What about us? We're on the cusp of a new year. What sacrifices will we make to spend time every day loving and worshipping the Lord of Lords? What's my excuse for failing to seek Him daily? What's preventing us from daily thanking and worshipping Him? The wise men traveled hundreds and hundreds of miles...are we not willing to get out of bed earlier and spend time with the One who made us, loves us, and died to save us?
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Mt.2:10-11)
Wise men--and women--still seek Him. Might we, like the wise men, daily worship and adore our King. In Him we will find our heart's treasure and joy. To God be the glory.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
For the-day-after-Christmas blues
Don't know about you, but I'm feeling the day-after-the-big-day blues.
All the build up, all the excitement of celebrating the birth of the King of Kings, all the decorating, all the cooking of favorite foods, all the fun and familiar traditions, all the happy anticipation of children returning home and gathering with beloved friends and family...and all too suddenly, it's over.
How I love Advent...but oh how I dread post-Advent cleaning up, putting up, straightening up, and sending off (of children). Makes me sad just thinking about it. Not to mention enduring a shockingly quiet, nearly empty house and a counter sadly missing all those triple chocolate peppermint cookies, cheese straws, and chocolate fudge that we've been devouring over the past few weeks. Sigh. How I'll miss the glorious songs of Christmas, the smells of Christmas, the lights of Christmas, and most of all, the joy of celebrating and being together at Christmas. I don't want to say goodbye to the baby in the manger and the sense of wonder permeating the world for a few brief weeks in December.
So in case you're like me and need a little post-Christmas reminder, I loved these simple but wonderfully true words from David Jeremiah that I read just this morning--
"Here’s the great thing. The incarnation of Christ—the truth of His entering the world for us—is a reality we never leave behind. His abiding presence is a constant reality. We never say goodbye to Him. We’re never separated from Him, not today, not ever. The Bible says, 'Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). Take a parting glance at Christmas and then press onward into a new year with Christ!"
He's given us another Christmas to rejoice in His coming, and He's also graciously given us another day to love Him and to live to His glory. We have no earthly idea what challenges tomorrow will hold...but we know, know, know Who holds tomorrow. And if our Savior's there (and He is and forever will be!), well then, we'll be more than okay. We carry the Baby-Savior-King, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor with us wherever we go and whatever we face...or maybe I should say, He carries us. So no matter the date on the calendar...or the mess in our homes...or the ache of saying goodbye, it's always and forever Christmas. We can rejoice no matter what, for Jesus is here.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
To God be the glory.
All the build up, all the excitement of celebrating the birth of the King of Kings, all the decorating, all the cooking of favorite foods, all the fun and familiar traditions, all the happy anticipation of children returning home and gathering with beloved friends and family...and all too suddenly, it's over.
How I love Advent...but oh how I dread post-Advent cleaning up, putting up, straightening up, and sending off (of children). Makes me sad just thinking about it. Not to mention enduring a shockingly quiet, nearly empty house and a counter sadly missing all those triple chocolate peppermint cookies, cheese straws, and chocolate fudge that we've been devouring over the past few weeks. Sigh. How I'll miss the glorious songs of Christmas, the smells of Christmas, the lights of Christmas, and most of all, the joy of celebrating and being together at Christmas. I don't want to say goodbye to the baby in the manger and the sense of wonder permeating the world for a few brief weeks in December.
So in case you're like me and need a little post-Christmas reminder, I loved these simple but wonderfully true words from David Jeremiah that I read just this morning--
"Here’s the great thing. The incarnation of Christ—the truth of His entering the world for us—is a reality we never leave behind. His abiding presence is a constant reality. We never say goodbye to Him. We’re never separated from Him, not today, not ever. The Bible says, 'Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:38-39). Take a parting glance at Christmas and then press onward into a new year with Christ!"
He's given us another Christmas to rejoice in His coming, and He's also graciously given us another day to love Him and to live to His glory. We have no earthly idea what challenges tomorrow will hold...but we know, know, know Who holds tomorrow. And if our Savior's there (and He is and forever will be!), well then, we'll be more than okay. We carry the Baby-Savior-King, the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor with us wherever we go and whatever we face...or maybe I should say, He carries us. So no matter the date on the calendar...or the mess in our homes...or the ache of saying goodbye, it's always and forever Christmas. We can rejoice no matter what, for Jesus is here.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Alleluia from head to foot!
"The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!" Augustine of Hippo
Whew. I needed that reminder.
Too much rushing, shopping, wrapping, mailing, cleaning, delivering...and desperately trying to get it all done before the big day. It's December 23rd, and for the first time in days, I'm sitting down quietly in front of the Christmas tree to pause, to reflect, and to praise.
Don't get me wrong--I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I love the joy of busily preparing for our children to come home. I love cooking some of old favorite foods. I love running errands with Christmas carols blasting in my car. I love running in and out of stores brightly decorated with glowing red and green lights in celebration of the Savior (even if the store doesn't understand or acknowledge it). I love the continual remembrance of Jesus' birth that's like a delicious fragrance bringing joy and wonder in it's wake. I love Advent--rejoicing that Jesus came and remembering that He's coming again.
But, oh my goodness, all too often those happy preparations can begin to consume us, can't they? One moment we're humming a Christmas carol...and the next we're hammering our horn at the slow car in front of us. Lord Jesus, forgive me for working so hard to celebrate Your birthday that I fail to celebrate You. For putting so much effort in demonstrating my love for my family and friends that I miss the joy of simply savoring and loving them right now in the present moment.
Yes, there's much to do...but there's so much more to delight in. Yes, we all have much to accomplish...but how much more important to shout alleluia! Immanuel is with us and for us. Almighty God has come and moved into our neighborhood. He loves us with an infinite, incomprehensible love that will never weaken or waiver. A love so great that He came in order to go to the cross. As Paul David Tripp puts it: "Look into the manger and see the One who came to die. Hear the angels' song and remember that death would be the only way that peace would be given. Look at your tree and remember another tree--one not decorated with shining ornaments, but stained with the blood of the Son of God. As you celebrate, remember that the pathway to your celebration was the death of the One you celebrate, and be thankful."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for coming. Thank You for going to the cross. Thank You for coming down to our earthly home so that one glorious day we could go up to Your heavenly home. As we prepare to celebrate Your birthday and begin a new year, might our lives be one giant alleluia for who You are and what You've done! Alleluia, Lord, from head to foot!
To God be the glory.
Whew. I needed that reminder.
Too much rushing, shopping, wrapping, mailing, cleaning, delivering...and desperately trying to get it all done before the big day. It's December 23rd, and for the first time in days, I'm sitting down quietly in front of the Christmas tree to pause, to reflect, and to praise.
Don't get me wrong--I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I love the joy of busily preparing for our children to come home. I love cooking some of old favorite foods. I love running errands with Christmas carols blasting in my car. I love running in and out of stores brightly decorated with glowing red and green lights in celebration of the Savior (even if the store doesn't understand or acknowledge it). I love the continual remembrance of Jesus' birth that's like a delicious fragrance bringing joy and wonder in it's wake. I love Advent--rejoicing that Jesus came and remembering that He's coming again.
But, oh my goodness, all too often those happy preparations can begin to consume us, can't they? One moment we're humming a Christmas carol...and the next we're hammering our horn at the slow car in front of us. Lord Jesus, forgive me for working so hard to celebrate Your birthday that I fail to celebrate You. For putting so much effort in demonstrating my love for my family and friends that I miss the joy of simply savoring and loving them right now in the present moment.
Yes, there's much to do...but there's so much more to delight in. Yes, we all have much to accomplish...but how much more important to shout alleluia! Immanuel is with us and for us. Almighty God has come and moved into our neighborhood. He loves us with an infinite, incomprehensible love that will never weaken or waiver. A love so great that He came in order to go to the cross. As Paul David Tripp puts it: "Look into the manger and see the One who came to die. Hear the angels' song and remember that death would be the only way that peace would be given. Look at your tree and remember another tree--one not decorated with shining ornaments, but stained with the blood of the Son of God. As you celebrate, remember that the pathway to your celebration was the death of the One you celebrate, and be thankful."
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Thank You for coming. Thank You for going to the cross. Thank You for coming down to our earthly home so that one glorious day we could go up to Your heavenly home. As we prepare to celebrate Your birthday and begin a new year, might our lives be one giant alleluia for who You are and what You've done! Alleluia, Lord, from head to foot!
To God be the glory.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Your redemption is drawing near!
A little food for weekend Advent thought--
"Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Lk 21:28)
Bonhoeffer declared, in an Advent sermon given in London in December, 1933--
"'Look up and raise your heads' (Lk 21:28 RsV). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on the earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears...Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near...
You know what a mine disaster is...The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the las shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! I'll hold out until you come! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'"
How thankful I am that Christ came...and that He is coming again. Advent is a reminder and a celebration both of His first coming and of His second coming. Only when He comes again, it will not be as a helpless infant or a humble, suffering servant giving His life as a ransom for many. No, it will be as the conquering King of Glory, the mighty Lion of Judah come to claim His own, destroy the powers of darkness, and establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Sometimes, in the midst of a world so topsy turvy, we need to stop and remember to "Look up and raise our heads" for He has come...and He is coming again. Death, destruction, despair, disappointment do not, not, not have the final word!
Advent reminds us: don't lose heart. He has come; He is coming again; and your redemption and rescue is drawing ever nearer. Rejoice! To God be the glory.
"Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Lk 21:28)
Bonhoeffer declared, in an Advent sermon given in London in December, 1933--
"'Look up and raise your heads' (Lk 21:28 RsV). Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on the earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears...Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near...
You know what a mine disaster is...The moment even the most courageous miner has dreaded his whole life long is here. It is no use running into the walls; the silence all around him remains...The way out for him is blocked. He knows the people up there are working feverishly to reach the miners who are buried alive. Perhaps someone will be rescued, but here in the las shaft? An agonizing period of waiting and dying is all that remains.
But suddenly a noise that sounds like tapping and breaking in the rock can be heard. Unexpectedly, voices cry out, 'Where are you, help is on the way!' Then the disheartened miner picks himself up, his heart leaps, he shouts, 'Here I am, come on through and help me! I'll hold out until you come! Just come soon!' A final, desperate hammer blow to his ear, now the rescue is near, just one more step and he is free.
We have spoken of Advent itself. That is how it is with the coming of Christ: 'Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'"
How thankful I am that Christ came...and that He is coming again. Advent is a reminder and a celebration both of His first coming and of His second coming. Only when He comes again, it will not be as a helpless infant or a humble, suffering servant giving His life as a ransom for many. No, it will be as the conquering King of Glory, the mighty Lion of Judah come to claim His own, destroy the powers of darkness, and establish His everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace.
Sometimes, in the midst of a world so topsy turvy, we need to stop and remember to "Look up and raise our heads" for He has come...and He is coming again. Death, destruction, despair, disappointment do not, not, not have the final word!
Advent reminds us: don't lose heart. He has come; He is coming again; and your redemption and rescue is drawing ever nearer. Rejoice! To God be the glory.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Glaring...or gazing
So here's how life's going down around here lately--
The other day, I had the joy of eating lunch with my wonderful sister, Mary Norris, and our dear friend, Ellen, for Mary Norris' birthday. Now keep in mind that though I'm a terribly challenged organizer and plan-aheader, I had (semi-miraculously) managed to purchase, wrap, and load all their Christmas and birthday presents (including the ones for my other wonderful sister, Jane and my equally fabulous niece) into our car the night before. Please notice I had done it a day ahead of time. I'd even baked a home-made birthday cake...Martha Stewart's got nothing on yours truly. I might even had begun feeling a bit smug and self-righteous that I'd been so on task and prepared. Hmm. I seem to recall a verse about "pride goeth before a fall."
Yeah, well, like I said, the three of us had a ball at lunch, and afterward, we exchanged presents. Wait. Let me rephrase that. My sister "exchanged" Christmas presents.
Ms. Organization here took out the cake to put it in my sister's car...and left it sitting on top of a newspaper stand outside the restaurant. And all those presents in my backseat? In the mad rush to get things in our cars in the midst of a heavy rain, I left every blessed gift still sitting in my backseat. A minor fact which I discovered when I arrived back into Raleigh. So much for planning ahead.
We (sort of) laughed about it later...well, at least they laughed. I wanted to scream. Though to my sister's ever-loving credit, she did go back to the little strip center and found my cake still sitting there on the newspaper stand some 30 minutes later, so all was not lost.
But seriously, what a picture of this stressed-out, crazy busy time of year when we're all overloaded and desperately trying to do, do, do from dawn to dusk...often resulting in mess-ups and blow-ups.
By the way, I learned an incredibly valuable bit of information the other day. Did you know that the word "stressed" is actually "desserts" spelled backward? So there's your antidote for Christmas craziness. Consider this your permission to stop reading this instant and go eat a cookie or a large slice of cake.
Other than massive quantities of chocolate, what's the solution?
Stop fixating on all the presents and start to focus on the The Present.
Pause long enough to look to Jesus and worship...rather than rushing and fussing and worrying. Because if we don't stop and come apart from the world and look to the Savior, well, we truly will come apart at the seams. I'm ample proof of that.
But here's the remarkable, wondrous thing: His grace truly is sufficient. His grace is always available. His grace is abundant. And His grace is oh-so glorious. Because though we mess up time and again, when we simply come to the end of our silly selves and turn to Him, He forgives. He refreshes. He restores. He reveals. And He loves.
Oh, how He loves.
And so finally, finally, I stopped and listened. Here I sit in our living room, drinking the Living Water and finding that thirst I didn't even know I had, completely satisfied and filled to overflowing. Worship can happen right here, right now.
Yep, I still have about a zillion things to do. And yep, I'm still pretty much a disorganized mess with a serious memory problem. And yep, I've failed even just this very day in more ways than I can count...but I have a Savior who loves me so much that He relinquished the infinite joys and glories of heaven to come down--so, so far down--to this broken, dark world. He came as a helpless infant to be born, to live, to die, to defeat sin and death, and to rise again to resurrection life. Even for the likes of me. And you. And, by the way, for that annoying friend...or difficult family member...or selfish co-worker.
Oh might we never, ever tire of hearing the beautiful words of His coming! "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."(Lk 2:10-11)
The Light has come into the darkness. The Son has come to bring life. The Savior has come that you might experience faith instead of fear, joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of restlessness, hope instead of despair, and strength instead of weakness.
Or, as He explained so succinctly, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Can we just remind each other--stop listening to those lying voices of "Hurry!" "Worry!" "What if?" "What now?" Instead, let's listen to Him. Let's listen to Truth. Let's listen to the Word made flesh. He came to give you life--abundant, full, whole, joyful, restful, real life.
Stop glaring at your to-do list or your worries, and gaze at Him. Today. Now. And find Life.
To God be the glory.
The other day, I had the joy of eating lunch with my wonderful sister, Mary Norris, and our dear friend, Ellen, for Mary Norris' birthday. Now keep in mind that though I'm a terribly challenged organizer and plan-aheader, I had (semi-miraculously) managed to purchase, wrap, and load all their Christmas and birthday presents (including the ones for my other wonderful sister, Jane and my equally fabulous niece) into our car the night before. Please notice I had done it a day ahead of time. I'd even baked a home-made birthday cake...Martha Stewart's got nothing on yours truly. I might even had begun feeling a bit smug and self-righteous that I'd been so on task and prepared. Hmm. I seem to recall a verse about "pride goeth before a fall."
Yeah, well, like I said, the three of us had a ball at lunch, and afterward, we exchanged presents. Wait. Let me rephrase that. My sister "exchanged" Christmas presents.
Ms. Organization here took out the cake to put it in my sister's car...and left it sitting on top of a newspaper stand outside the restaurant. And all those presents in my backseat? In the mad rush to get things in our cars in the midst of a heavy rain, I left every blessed gift still sitting in my backseat. A minor fact which I discovered when I arrived back into Raleigh. So much for planning ahead.
We (sort of) laughed about it later...well, at least they laughed. I wanted to scream. Though to my sister's ever-loving credit, she did go back to the little strip center and found my cake still sitting there on the newspaper stand some 30 minutes later, so all was not lost.
But seriously, what a picture of this stressed-out, crazy busy time of year when we're all overloaded and desperately trying to do, do, do from dawn to dusk...often resulting in mess-ups and blow-ups.
By the way, I learned an incredibly valuable bit of information the other day. Did you know that the word "stressed" is actually "desserts" spelled backward? So there's your antidote for Christmas craziness. Consider this your permission to stop reading this instant and go eat a cookie or a large slice of cake.
Other than massive quantities of chocolate, what's the solution?
Stop fixating on all the presents and start to focus on the The Present.
Pause long enough to look to Jesus and worship...rather than rushing and fussing and worrying. Because if we don't stop and come apart from the world and look to the Savior, well, we truly will come apart at the seams. I'm ample proof of that.
But here's the remarkable, wondrous thing: His grace truly is sufficient. His grace is always available. His grace is abundant. And His grace is oh-so glorious. Because though we mess up time and again, when we simply come to the end of our silly selves and turn to Him, He forgives. He refreshes. He restores. He reveals. And He loves.
Oh, how He loves.
And so finally, finally, I stopped and listened. Here I sit in our living room, drinking the Living Water and finding that thirst I didn't even know I had, completely satisfied and filled to overflowing. Worship can happen right here, right now.
Oh might we never, ever tire of hearing the beautiful words of His coming! "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."(Lk 2:10-11)
The Light has come into the darkness. The Son has come to bring life. The Savior has come that you might experience faith instead of fear, joy instead of sorrow, peace instead of restlessness, hope instead of despair, and strength instead of weakness.
Or, as He explained so succinctly, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
Can we just remind each other--stop listening to those lying voices of "Hurry!" "Worry!" "What if?" "What now?" Instead, let's listen to Him. Let's listen to Truth. Let's listen to the Word made flesh. He came to give you life--abundant, full, whole, joyful, restful, real life.
Stop glaring at your to-do list or your worries, and gaze at Him. Today. Now. And find Life.
To God be the glory.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
George's CD and the familiar, yet wondrous!
Right now Peter and I are listening to the music that accompanies the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol." This time of year, we have Christmas music playing pretty much continually...and, oh my, we never tire of it! We've collected a fairly vast collection of Christmas CD's, ranging from classical to jazz to contemporary Christian to you-name-it. So every day, we pull out four or five CD's and start enjoying this most joyous of music. How thankful I am for the gift of singing and music, for as Martin Luther once declared, "As long as we live, there is never enough singing." Amen!
But of all our CD's the one playing right now might be our favorite--in fact, Peter specifically requested it to "help" him study for exams. And why this particular CD? Well, for one thing it's homemade--created by one of Richard's closest friends, George DeLoache. You see George adores and appreciates Christmas as much as anyone you'll ever meet...which means he loves the lovely carols and songs from this most wonderful of seasons. George knows how much we love this music (more on that in a moment), so he personally contacted the composer--since these particular pieces are not available on any kind of CD--to get permission to record them. Now that's a true friend--way to go, George!
And we love this music that accompanies "A Christmas Carol" (only the George C. Scott version, mind you), because our family cherishes the tradition of watching it every Christmas Eve night. Same routine every year--we attend our church's wonderful Christmas Eve service, eat dinner, and, of course, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before eating a big slice of birthday cake. And then, late on Christmas Eve, we watch old Scrooge once again rediscover the wonder and joy of Christmas.
So as I sit here listening to George's CD, I'm transported to one of the sweetest times of my whole year--those happy minutes on Christmas Even of sitting in front of a warm fire and savoring every single moment of being with the people dearest to me in the whole world while watching, yet again, Charles Dickens beautiful tale of reclamation and redemption. Just remembering and anticipating it brings such joy and gratitude!
I also need to add that George's fabulous CD also includes selections from the good old Charlie Brown Christmas special (again--makes you smile with delight! We love you, Charlie Brown, and thank you, Linus, for sharing directly from the Gospels, the real story of Jesus' birth), the Christmas episode from Andy Griffin (which will make you cry), and "Home Alone, " among others. Did I mention this is one fine, fine CD?
So how about you? Have you thanked the Lord lately for the simple, but oh so meaningful, traditions of Christmas? Yes, above all else, we celebrate anew the birth of our Savior. That's why we're here! But don't forget to rejoice in some of the other gifts of the season--the music, the food, the smells, the memories, the beloved ornaments, the old family nativity sets...all those familiar--yet never mundane or routine--wonders and blessings all around us. Familiar...yet wondrous. Familiar...yet joyous. Familiar...yet supernatural.
Happy Advent! Happy Birthday! Thank You for coming, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
But of all our CD's the one playing right now might be our favorite--in fact, Peter specifically requested it to "help" him study for exams. And why this particular CD? Well, for one thing it's homemade--created by one of Richard's closest friends, George DeLoache. You see George adores and appreciates Christmas as much as anyone you'll ever meet...which means he loves the lovely carols and songs from this most wonderful of seasons. George knows how much we love this music (more on that in a moment), so he personally contacted the composer--since these particular pieces are not available on any kind of CD--to get permission to record them. Now that's a true friend--way to go, George!
And we love this music that accompanies "A Christmas Carol" (only the George C. Scott version, mind you), because our family cherishes the tradition of watching it every Christmas Eve night. Same routine every year--we attend our church's wonderful Christmas Eve service, eat dinner, and, of course, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before eating a big slice of birthday cake. And then, late on Christmas Eve, we watch old Scrooge once again rediscover the wonder and joy of Christmas.
So as I sit here listening to George's CD, I'm transported to one of the sweetest times of my whole year--those happy minutes on Christmas Even of sitting in front of a warm fire and savoring every single moment of being with the people dearest to me in the whole world while watching, yet again, Charles Dickens beautiful tale of reclamation and redemption. Just remembering and anticipating it brings such joy and gratitude!
I also need to add that George's fabulous CD also includes selections from the good old Charlie Brown Christmas special (again--makes you smile with delight! We love you, Charlie Brown, and thank you, Linus, for sharing directly from the Gospels, the real story of Jesus' birth), the Christmas episode from Andy Griffin (which will make you cry), and "Home Alone, " among others. Did I mention this is one fine, fine CD?
So how about you? Have you thanked the Lord lately for the simple, but oh so meaningful, traditions of Christmas? Yes, above all else, we celebrate anew the birth of our Savior. That's why we're here! But don't forget to rejoice in some of the other gifts of the season--the music, the food, the smells, the memories, the beloved ornaments, the old family nativity sets...all those familiar--yet never mundane or routine--wonders and blessings all around us. Familiar...yet wondrous. Familiar...yet joyous. Familiar...yet supernatural.
Happy Advent! Happy Birthday! Thank You for coming, Lord Jesus!
To God be the glory.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
A tiny shoot
A little food for an Advent weekend thought--
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." (Isa.11:1-2)
The second Sunday of Advent, and I sit in our quiet living room surrounded by twinkling lights on the tree, bright stockings of those I love hanging on the fireplace mantle, and the weathered, beautiful old nativity from my dear aunt Janie resting on the table. Well, and truth be told, there's also a bit of the ever-present clutter from the piles of books on the desk and on the chair. All reminders of God's perfect and utterly undeserved faithfulness in my life, in our world.
Peace and thankfulness overwhelms me. Peace that God is with me, even me. Thankfulness for family, for friends, and most of all for my Heavenly Father and His wondrous gift of Jesus. Peace and thankfulness for these small, still moments in life when we sit back for a few moments and, like Mary, ponder the things of God, treasuring them in our hearts.
I loved these words from Henri Nouwen that I read just this morning on those verses from Isaiah:
"These words from last night's liturgy [from Isaiah--"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse"] have stayed with me during the day. Our salvation comes from something small, tender, and vulnerable, something hardly noticeable. God, who is the Creator of the Universe, comes to us in smallness, weakness, and hiddenness. I find this a hopeful message. Somehow, I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power; but over and over again I am reminded that spectacles, power plays, and big events are the ways of the world. Our temptation is to be distracted by them and made blind to the "shoot that shall sprout from the stump."
When I have no eyes for the small signs of God's presence - the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends - I will always remain tempted to despair. The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump, a shoot that hardly anyone notices."
Thank You, Jesus, for coming in the small, the hidden, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, "in the poverty of the manger." Thank You for coming as a tiny, helpless baby to remind us that though You are the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth, You were willing to be made small, weak, and vulnerable out of Your amazing grace and love for those You came to save. Give us eyes to see You in the small moments of our day and to share Your love and light with those who are feeling weak and hidden to the world...but not to You.
Thank You for the gift of this day, this one, small, fleeting day, to love You and others...by Your grace, to Your glory. To God--our tiny shoot, our wondrous Savior--be the glory.
"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from His roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." (Isa.11:1-2)
The second Sunday of Advent, and I sit in our quiet living room surrounded by twinkling lights on the tree, bright stockings of those I love hanging on the fireplace mantle, and the weathered, beautiful old nativity from my dear aunt Janie resting on the table. Well, and truth be told, there's also a bit of the ever-present clutter from the piles of books on the desk and on the chair. All reminders of God's perfect and utterly undeserved faithfulness in my life, in our world.
Peace and thankfulness overwhelms me. Peace that God is with me, even me. Thankfulness for family, for friends, and most of all for my Heavenly Father and His wondrous gift of Jesus. Peace and thankfulness for these small, still moments in life when we sit back for a few moments and, like Mary, ponder the things of God, treasuring them in our hearts.
I loved these words from Henri Nouwen that I read just this morning on those verses from Isaiah:
"These words from last night's liturgy [from Isaiah--"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse"] have stayed with me during the day. Our salvation comes from something small, tender, and vulnerable, something hardly noticeable. God, who is the Creator of the Universe, comes to us in smallness, weakness, and hiddenness. I find this a hopeful message. Somehow, I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power; but over and over again I am reminded that spectacles, power plays, and big events are the ways of the world. Our temptation is to be distracted by them and made blind to the "shoot that shall sprout from the stump."
When I have no eyes for the small signs of God's presence - the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends - I will always remain tempted to despair. The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown young man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises. But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump, a shoot that hardly anyone notices."
Thank You, Jesus, for coming in the small, the hidden, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, "in the poverty of the manger." Thank You for coming as a tiny, helpless baby to remind us that though You are the Almighty Lord of the heavens and the earth, You were willing to be made small, weak, and vulnerable out of Your amazing grace and love for those You came to save. Give us eyes to see You in the small moments of our day and to share Your love and light with those who are feeling weak and hidden to the world...but not to You.
Thank You for the gift of this day, this one, small, fleeting day, to love You and others...by Your grace, to Your glory. To God--our tiny shoot, our wondrous Savior--be the glory.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
An early Advent morning
My favorite time of day...the wee early morning hours. The house is still (well, except for Bingley roaming around and eventually settling down at my feet). The darkness outside a peaceful prelude to a busy day. Quiet, so blessedly quiet. We forget the lovely, calming sound of true silence in our ever noisy world. In the silence, you can feel your soul breathe deeply and fill with the Spirit's fullness. Our Christmas tree stands proudly in the corner--unadorned as we just got it last night, but beautiful, deep green, and smelling of childhood Christmases and joy. And I must say, I'm loving the simplicity of the pure evergreen. After all, Jesus' birth was in a simple, unadorned stable.
The warmth and light of the fireplace beside me remind me of the true Light of the World whose birth we prepare to celebrate anew this Advent. I keep coming back to John's remarkable words: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth." (John 1:4-5,14)
The Word became flesh, and as one translation puts it, "moved into our neighborhood." Don't you love that? The Almighty, eternal, glorious Lord became flesh and blood and moved right into our neighborhood--yours and mine.
And He is the Light. He is our Light...His Light obliterates the darkness. The darkness of our fears, our addictions, our sorrows, our failures. When light comes, darkness flees. If even one tiny, weak candle can dispel the dark around you, can you imagine what the omnipotent Light of the World can do?
And here's the thing--He is with me right this moment. As I sit here typing, the Light of the World sits beside me, shining and spilling out His grace, His love, His powerful yet peaceful presence all over me. As you are reading these words, He is right there with you. The Light of the World, the Savior, the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, Emmanuel is with you, right this moment. How incredible is that? How dare we take we take that lightly!
Oh Lord Jesus, forgive us for all too often forgetting who is with us. Who is in us. Who is for us. Who fights for us. Who empowers us. Who forgives us. Who loves us. And Whose coming we now prepare to celebrate in this season of Advent.
Don't know what you might have going on right now--what losses you grieve, what challenges you face, what happinesses you celebrate, what chores you dread, what worries you carry--but can I remind you Who is with you right now? His Light will overcome all darkness. His love will conquer all fear. His grace will overwhelm all weakness. His joy will overpower all sorrow.
He has come. He is here. He is able. And He is with you.
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Fill us afresh this day. Fill us to overflowing that we might spill over into a lost and lonely world, shining Your Light into the darkness.
To God--who came, who moved into our neighborhood and who promises to never, ever leave us--be all the glory.
The warmth and light of the fireplace beside me remind me of the true Light of the World whose birth we prepare to celebrate anew this Advent. I keep coming back to John's remarkable words: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth." (John 1:4-5,14)
The Word became flesh, and as one translation puts it, "moved into our neighborhood." Don't you love that? The Almighty, eternal, glorious Lord became flesh and blood and moved right into our neighborhood--yours and mine.
And He is the Light. He is our Light...His Light obliterates the darkness. The darkness of our fears, our addictions, our sorrows, our failures. When light comes, darkness flees. If even one tiny, weak candle can dispel the dark around you, can you imagine what the omnipotent Light of the World can do?
And here's the thing--He is with me right this moment. As I sit here typing, the Light of the World sits beside me, shining and spilling out His grace, His love, His powerful yet peaceful presence all over me. As you are reading these words, He is right there with you. The Light of the World, the Savior, the Mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, Emmanuel is with you, right this moment. How incredible is that? How dare we take we take that lightly!
Oh Lord Jesus, forgive us for all too often forgetting who is with us. Who is in us. Who is for us. Who fights for us. Who empowers us. Who forgives us. Who loves us. And Whose coming we now prepare to celebrate in this season of Advent.
Don't know what you might have going on right now--what losses you grieve, what challenges you face, what happinesses you celebrate, what chores you dread, what worries you carry--but can I remind you Who is with you right now? His Light will overcome all darkness. His love will conquer all fear. His grace will overwhelm all weakness. His joy will overpower all sorrow.
He has come. He is here. He is able. And He is with you.
Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus. Fill us afresh this day. Fill us to overflowing that we might spill over into a lost and lonely world, shining Your Light into the darkness.
To God--who came, who moved into our neighborhood and who promises to never, ever leave us--be all the glory.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
At the dawn of Advent: envy or grace?
A little food for weekend thought--
Well, we're right in between: just finishing up the last of the Thanksgiving turkey and dressing (praise God for dressing!) and just contemplating the first Sunday of Advent tomorrow. Whew, like it or not, life continues at a breakneck pace, and so here we leap into yet another Christmas season.
But before the start of Advent and all the excitement, joy, and yes, the exhausting frenzy (not this year, Lord, by your grace!) of Christmas, why don't we pause for a few words of wisdom from one of my favorite writers--Paul David Tripp--on envy versus grace.
Because here's the thing: envy is the antithesis of thankfulness, don't you think? If we are envying others, we are refusing to notice and acknowledge God's extravagant goodness to us. We're rejecting all His many gifts in our lives, because we're too fixated on His gifts in the lives of others. Oh my, what an inevitable path to misery and bitterness.
We can even envy different seasons in our own lives. We look back with longing and even regret at the "good old days" of those carefree college years...or of having young children in the home...or of having no children in the home! Or we tragically wish away the days God has given us right now so that we forfeit the joy in our today while essentially envying some future time when we finally get married...or have children...or have grown children...or retire. Geez what a sad waste.
Here's what Paul David Tripp says: "when envy rules your heart, the love of God doesn't...Envy assumes that you deserve blessings that you don't deserve. When your heart is ruled by envy, the attitude of 'I am blessed' gets replaced with the attitude of 'I deserve.' Envy is selfish to the core. Envy always puts you in the center of the world. It makes everything all about you. It causes you to examine life from the sole perspective of your wants, needs, and feelings.
Sadly, envy causes you to question the goodness, faithfulness, and wisdom of God. Envy accuses God of not knowing what He's doing or of not being faithful to what He's promised to do. When you are convinced that a blessing that another person has ought to belong to you, you don't just have a problem with that person, you have a problem with God. When you begin to question God's goodness, you quit going to Him for help. Why? Because you don't seek the help of someone you've come to doubt.
Envy does something else that is spiritually deadly. It assumes understanding no one has. Envy not only assumes that you know more about that other person's life than you could ever know, it assumes that you have a clearer understanding of what is best than God does. Furthermore, envy causes you to forget God's amazing, rescuing, transforming, empowering, and delivering grace. You become so occupied with accounting for what you do not have that the enormous blessings of God's grace--blessings we could not have earned, achieved, or deserved--go unrecognized and uncelebrated."
Oh my, convicting words, are they not? Especially right here on the cusp of this season of too much buying, decorating, consuming...and sadly, envying. News flash: contrary to every magazine cover, there is no "perfect" Christmas. There is no ideal of "Making this the best Christmas ever!" complete with decorations, homemade gifts, and culinary masterpieces that would put Martha Stewart to shame. And there is no "most remarkable and meaningful Christmas devotions ever."
But here's what there is: grace. Extravagant, amazing grace showered upon us by a Savior who came to earth as a helpless infant, lived as a perfect man, died as the One condemned in our place and bearing our sins, and rose again to new, triumphant life to give us eternal life.
Boy, we all struggle with envy, don't we? But as Tripp says, "The only solution to envy is God's rescuing grace--grace that turns self-centered sinners into joyful and contented worshippers of God." Yes!
Oh praise God for grace. Praise God for Jesus. Praise God for Christmas...where we celebrate the dawn of indestructible grace, joy, hope, peace, and love. Here at the dawn of Advent, let's ask God to kill the sinful envy that all too often infects our souls and instead, by His grace, to turn us into joyful, thankful, contented worshippers.
To God be the glory.
Well, we're right in between: just finishing up the last of the Thanksgiving turkey and dressing (praise God for dressing!) and just contemplating the first Sunday of Advent tomorrow. Whew, like it or not, life continues at a breakneck pace, and so here we leap into yet another Christmas season.
But before the start of Advent and all the excitement, joy, and yes, the exhausting frenzy (not this year, Lord, by your grace!) of Christmas, why don't we pause for a few words of wisdom from one of my favorite writers--Paul David Tripp--on envy versus grace.
Because here's the thing: envy is the antithesis of thankfulness, don't you think? If we are envying others, we are refusing to notice and acknowledge God's extravagant goodness to us. We're rejecting all His many gifts in our lives, because we're too fixated on His gifts in the lives of others. Oh my, what an inevitable path to misery and bitterness.
We can even envy different seasons in our own lives. We look back with longing and even regret at the "good old days" of those carefree college years...or of having young children in the home...or of having no children in the home! Or we tragically wish away the days God has given us right now so that we forfeit the joy in our today while essentially envying some future time when we finally get married...or have children...or have grown children...or retire. Geez what a sad waste.
Here's what Paul David Tripp says: "when envy rules your heart, the love of God doesn't...Envy assumes that you deserve blessings that you don't deserve. When your heart is ruled by envy, the attitude of 'I am blessed' gets replaced with the attitude of 'I deserve.' Envy is selfish to the core. Envy always puts you in the center of the world. It makes everything all about you. It causes you to examine life from the sole perspective of your wants, needs, and feelings.
Sadly, envy causes you to question the goodness, faithfulness, and wisdom of God. Envy accuses God of not knowing what He's doing or of not being faithful to what He's promised to do. When you are convinced that a blessing that another person has ought to belong to you, you don't just have a problem with that person, you have a problem with God. When you begin to question God's goodness, you quit going to Him for help. Why? Because you don't seek the help of someone you've come to doubt.
Envy does something else that is spiritually deadly. It assumes understanding no one has. Envy not only assumes that you know more about that other person's life than you could ever know, it assumes that you have a clearer understanding of what is best than God does. Furthermore, envy causes you to forget God's amazing, rescuing, transforming, empowering, and delivering grace. You become so occupied with accounting for what you do not have that the enormous blessings of God's grace--blessings we could not have earned, achieved, or deserved--go unrecognized and uncelebrated."
Oh my, convicting words, are they not? Especially right here on the cusp of this season of too much buying, decorating, consuming...and sadly, envying. News flash: contrary to every magazine cover, there is no "perfect" Christmas. There is no ideal of "Making this the best Christmas ever!" complete with decorations, homemade gifts, and culinary masterpieces that would put Martha Stewart to shame. And there is no "most remarkable and meaningful Christmas devotions ever."
But here's what there is: grace. Extravagant, amazing grace showered upon us by a Savior who came to earth as a helpless infant, lived as a perfect man, died as the One condemned in our place and bearing our sins, and rose again to new, triumphant life to give us eternal life.
Boy, we all struggle with envy, don't we? But as Tripp says, "The only solution to envy is God's rescuing grace--grace that turns self-centered sinners into joyful and contented worshippers of God." Yes!
Oh praise God for grace. Praise God for Jesus. Praise God for Christmas...where we celebrate the dawn of indestructible grace, joy, hope, peace, and love. Here at the dawn of Advent, let's ask God to kill the sinful envy that all too often infects our souls and instead, by His grace, to turn us into joyful, thankful, contented worshippers.
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Almost Thanksgiving...one more reminder!
It's almost Thanksgiving Day! Yahoo! So one more reminder of thankfulness--
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col.3:15-17)
That's a hat-trick of thankfulness! Christ's peace ruling in our hearts...and be thankful. Reading God's Word, teaching and encouraging one another, singing hymns...with thankfulness. And then, to cover any and every possibility--doing everything in Jesus' name...giving thanks. Don't see much wiggle room in there for grumbling, fretting, complaining, and worrying, do you?
John Henry Jowett put it this way: "Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." Thanksgiving day is tomorrow, but oh how I pray we can daily, consistently, joyfully give thanks to God in all things. All I know is that I'm a mighty good forgetter. One moment I'm reading about gratitude...and the next, I find myself fussing about the traffic (not that anything like that happened to me today as I rushed from Whole Foods to Target. Sigh).
You know, it's not that we need to hear all these radical new truths. There really aren't any shocking new truths--and if it's new, it's almost certainly not true! Instead, we need to be reminded afresh of the great old things we know to be true and important, but that we forget in the hustle and bustle of life or the big or little disappointments that come our way.
Staying in God's Word. Obedience. Love. By faith, not by feelings. Forgive. Receive grace, give grace. Seeking first His kingdom. Living by faith, not by sight. Giving thanks in all things.
The Lord Jesus is always the answer. And gratitude is always the path to peace and joy in Him. Not just thankfulness on Thanksgiving day, but every day.
So thank You, Father, for sending Jesus, our greatest Treasure. Thank You for the gift of eternal life. Thank You for forgiveness and grace, wonderful grace. Thank You for your Word. Thank You for the wondrous gifts of family and friends. Thank You for your magnificent world. Thank You for our senses to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch all the gifts of your planet. Thank You for our nation, our freedom, and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give us that freedom. Thank you for the consolations of home, books, dogs, gardens, music, food, laughter, and on and on.
Keep us faithful and thankful, Lord. Keep us mindful that we live this day before your face, under your authority, and to your glory...with hearts overflowing with gratitude.
To God be the glory.
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col.3:15-17)
That's a hat-trick of thankfulness! Christ's peace ruling in our hearts...and be thankful. Reading God's Word, teaching and encouraging one another, singing hymns...with thankfulness. And then, to cover any and every possibility--doing everything in Jesus' name...giving thanks. Don't see much wiggle room in there for grumbling, fretting, complaining, and worrying, do you?
John Henry Jowett put it this way: "Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." Thanksgiving day is tomorrow, but oh how I pray we can daily, consistently, joyfully give thanks to God in all things. All I know is that I'm a mighty good forgetter. One moment I'm reading about gratitude...and the next, I find myself fussing about the traffic (not that anything like that happened to me today as I rushed from Whole Foods to Target. Sigh).
You know, it's not that we need to hear all these radical new truths. There really aren't any shocking new truths--and if it's new, it's almost certainly not true! Instead, we need to be reminded afresh of the great old things we know to be true and important, but that we forget in the hustle and bustle of life or the big or little disappointments that come our way.
Staying in God's Word. Obedience. Love. By faith, not by feelings. Forgive. Receive grace, give grace. Seeking first His kingdom. Living by faith, not by sight. Giving thanks in all things.
The Lord Jesus is always the answer. And gratitude is always the path to peace and joy in Him. Not just thankfulness on Thanksgiving day, but every day.
So thank You, Father, for sending Jesus, our greatest Treasure. Thank You for the gift of eternal life. Thank You for forgiveness and grace, wonderful grace. Thank You for your Word. Thank You for the wondrous gifts of family and friends. Thank You for your magnificent world. Thank You for our senses to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch all the gifts of your planet. Thank You for our nation, our freedom, and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give us that freedom. Thank you for the consolations of home, books, dogs, gardens, music, food, laughter, and on and on.
Keep us faithful and thankful, Lord. Keep us mindful that we live this day before your face, under your authority, and to your glory...with hearts overflowing with gratitude.
To God be the glory.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Reminding myself...again!
More than a century ago, John Broadus said, "We are so taken up with the affairs of the present that we don't have time to give thanks for the blessings of the past."
Oh my, in our fast-paced technology-crazy, sound-bite driven culture, how much more is the that the sad state of affairs? So preoccupied with our to-do lists that we're too busy to look back. Too busy to pause and reflect. Too busy to be thankful. Too busy to express our gratitude to the Lord, to our loved ones, to the people in our paths.
I've said it a million times....but I love, love, love Thanksgiving. A purposeful setting aside of time to enjoy being with your loved ones (praise God--children returning home!), to savor feasting on the most delectable of foods, and to reflect on God's extravagant goodness in your life--how could you ever go wrong with all that? And, joyfully, no giant expectations of gift buying and home decorating--thank You, Lord! Add to that the wondrous story of Thanksgiving with pilgrims and indians and God's faithfulness, and well, there's no doubt about it: you simply cannot beat Thanksgiving.
But sadly, to my shame, I'm already beginning to feel the edges of anxiety gnawing at my heart...how many days till Christmas? Oh mercy, not going there.
Seriously, just now--after writing these words on thankfulness--I ran to pick up our youngest son, and I found myself fussing about the traffic, fretting about all the things I've got to do, grumpy and irritable for no particular reason. Oh my stars!! Lord I believe...help my faithless, fretting, fussing unbelief!
So here's the thing--there's only one way to defeat all that: purposeful daily pausing to spend time with the Lord in His Word, in prayer, in praise and thanksgiving. Thankfulness, peacefulness, faithfulness is not our default mode, is it? Nope, it'll never just happen. We have to daily choose to make it happen.
We have to daily be reminded of God's presence, His goodness, His love, His grace, His faithfulness in our lives and in our world. We have to daily remember to look to Him and worship the sovereign Creator rather than all the stuff He's created. We have to daily reflect on all our reasons for gratitude rather than grumble. We have to daily choose to humble ourselves, seek His forgiveness, ask for His grace. We have to daily choose to worship Him rather than indulge in self-focused worry.
I loved these words by Matt Boswell: "Thankfulness is the fuel for living worship. While our gatherings are a theater for our thankfulness, our entire lives should be marked by gratitude. As we allow the truths of the gospel to enlarge our hearts, we find ever-increasing room for thankfulness to God...We are a tired and forgetful people, who need to be once again gripped by the glory of God. And we all of us have much to be thankful for." And all God's people said: AMEN!
It's a daily need, this need for fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), for thankfulness, for worship. And yes, we can become mighty tired and forgetful this time of year, can we not? So today, this moment, pause. Reflect and give thanks. Open the Word and worship. Take a deep breath...look around and savor a glimpse of the glory of God...stand in awe and wonder at the greatness of Your God. And give Him glory. Today.
To God be the glory.
Oh my, in our fast-paced technology-crazy, sound-bite driven culture, how much more is the that the sad state of affairs? So preoccupied with our to-do lists that we're too busy to look back. Too busy to pause and reflect. Too busy to be thankful. Too busy to express our gratitude to the Lord, to our loved ones, to the people in our paths.
I've said it a million times....but I love, love, love Thanksgiving. A purposeful setting aside of time to enjoy being with your loved ones (praise God--children returning home!), to savor feasting on the most delectable of foods, and to reflect on God's extravagant goodness in your life--how could you ever go wrong with all that? And, joyfully, no giant expectations of gift buying and home decorating--thank You, Lord! Add to that the wondrous story of Thanksgiving with pilgrims and indians and God's faithfulness, and well, there's no doubt about it: you simply cannot beat Thanksgiving.
But sadly, to my shame, I'm already beginning to feel the edges of anxiety gnawing at my heart...how many days till Christmas? Oh mercy, not going there.
Seriously, just now--after writing these words on thankfulness--I ran to pick up our youngest son, and I found myself fussing about the traffic, fretting about all the things I've got to do, grumpy and irritable for no particular reason. Oh my stars!! Lord I believe...help my faithless, fretting, fussing unbelief!
So here's the thing--there's only one way to defeat all that: purposeful daily pausing to spend time with the Lord in His Word, in prayer, in praise and thanksgiving. Thankfulness, peacefulness, faithfulness is not our default mode, is it? Nope, it'll never just happen. We have to daily choose to make it happen.
We have to daily be reminded of God's presence, His goodness, His love, His grace, His faithfulness in our lives and in our world. We have to daily remember to look to Him and worship the sovereign Creator rather than all the stuff He's created. We have to daily reflect on all our reasons for gratitude rather than grumble. We have to daily choose to humble ourselves, seek His forgiveness, ask for His grace. We have to daily choose to worship Him rather than indulge in self-focused worry.
I loved these words by Matt Boswell: "Thankfulness is the fuel for living worship. While our gatherings are a theater for our thankfulness, our entire lives should be marked by gratitude. As we allow the truths of the gospel to enlarge our hearts, we find ever-increasing room for thankfulness to God...We are a tired and forgetful people, who need to be once again gripped by the glory of God. And we all of us have much to be thankful for." And all God's people said: AMEN!
It's a daily need, this need for fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2), for thankfulness, for worship. And yes, we can become mighty tired and forgetful this time of year, can we not? So today, this moment, pause. Reflect and give thanks. Open the Word and worship. Take a deep breath...look around and savor a glimpse of the glory of God...stand in awe and wonder at the greatness of Your God. And give Him glory. Today.
To God be the glory.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Choose gratitude!
A little food for (thankful) weekend thought--
"All your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless You! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Ps.145:10-18)
The Psalms provide an abundant wealth of praise material. And it's interesting how often a number of the Psalms begin with discouragement. frustration, or fear. Yet by the end of those Psalms, the writer--who has fixed his gaze upon the Lord--finds renewed strength, courage, and hope. They might start with worry but they finish with worship.
Why is that? Well, because we cannot worry and worship at the same time--one will always displace the other. We either choose to look to ourselves, wringing our hands in worry or we choose to look to the Lord, praising Him for His greatness and faithfulness.
Nor can we experience fear and faith in the same moment. We might feel fear, but when we choose by faith to look to Jesus and kept our gaze locked upon Him, that faith will dispel our fear.
Same thing for thankfulness--in any given circumstance, we have the choice of grumbling or gratitude. Will we choose to be grateful for that which God has chosen to give...or withhold? Or will grumble about what we're stuck with...or lack?
Because here's the thing: it's always a choice. Oh might we choose wisely.
I loved these words on gratitude: "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord." (John McArthur)
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." (G.K. Chesterton)
One more: "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." (John Wooden)
We may not have a choice over our circumstances, but we always have the choice as to how we'll respond. No matter what's going on in our lives today, let's choose wisely and well--choose to give thanks to God.
To God be the glory.
"All your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless You! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Ps.145:10-18)
The Psalms provide an abundant wealth of praise material. And it's interesting how often a number of the Psalms begin with discouragement. frustration, or fear. Yet by the end of those Psalms, the writer--who has fixed his gaze upon the Lord--finds renewed strength, courage, and hope. They might start with worry but they finish with worship.
Why is that? Well, because we cannot worry and worship at the same time--one will always displace the other. We either choose to look to ourselves, wringing our hands in worry or we choose to look to the Lord, praising Him for His greatness and faithfulness.
Nor can we experience fear and faith in the same moment. We might feel fear, but when we choose by faith to look to Jesus and kept our gaze locked upon Him, that faith will dispel our fear.
Same thing for thankfulness--in any given circumstance, we have the choice of grumbling or gratitude. Will we choose to be grateful for that which God has chosen to give...or withhold? Or will grumble about what we're stuck with...or lack?
Because here's the thing: it's always a choice. Oh might we choose wisely.
I loved these words on gratitude: "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord." (John McArthur)
"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." (G.K. Chesterton)
One more: "Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." (John Wooden)
We may not have a choice over our circumstances, but we always have the choice as to how we'll respond. No matter what's going on in our lives today, let's choose wisely and well--choose to give thanks to God.
To God be the glory.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Give glory to fall's Creator!
Alrighty. It's been a busy week, so time to get back on the thankfulness bandwagon. And oh my, fall just pleads with us to open our eyes and savor the quickly passing beauty, to indulge our senses in the wonderful aromas and tastes, and then to give voice to what should be our constant response of gratitude.
I loved these words by Shauna Niequist: "Our kitchens are filled with the smells of apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself. [Amen! Just throw some pumpkin and chocolate in there and you're pretty much at the gates of heaven...but I digress. Sorry, back to Shauna.] The leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white and silence of winter. Fall is begging for us to dance and sing and write with just the same drama and blaze."
Amen! Who crafted every leaf, created every pumpkin, and caused every summer to shed her stifling temperatures for fall's brisk, pure air? Why don't we let Nehemiah answer that--
"You are the Lord, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You." (Neh.9:6)
Or as John put it in Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."
Our great and awesome God stained the cardinal a bright crimson (still my favorite bird--a love letter from God, if you ask me--so whenever I glimpse one, I always respond--"I love You, too, Lord!")--
And our Creator and Redeemer just as surely painted yesterday evening's sunset--
Not to mention the mighty and awesome One who even gave us the gift of dogs. Mr. B relaxing after a bracing walk in autumn's wonderful air--
A.W. Tozer says that "we make a mistake if we do not learn to admire God in all things, great and small; for a new rich mine would be opened in our consciousness if we could learn to recognize God in nature as well as in grace!"
So thank You, Lord, for Your magnificent creation--all a pale but lovely reflection of Your perfection, beauty, and glory. Thank You for autumn's countless treasures from sights to smells, every single one a gift from our great and good Giver. Oh might we notice each one of Your gifts and then immediately turn to You in thanksgiving and praise.
And by the way, can I just add--if fall can be this wondrous, can you even begin to imagine heaven? Wow. Yet another reason for hope and rejoicing!
Give Him the glory today!
To God--our extravagantly creative and generous Painter, Sculptor, Chef, Author, Architect, Designer and on and on--be all the glory.
I loved these words by Shauna Niequist: "Our kitchens are filled with the smells of apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself. [Amen! Just throw some pumpkin and chocolate in there and you're pretty much at the gates of heaven...but I digress. Sorry, back to Shauna.] The leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white and silence of winter. Fall is begging for us to dance and sing and write with just the same drama and blaze."
Amen! Who crafted every leaf, created every pumpkin, and caused every summer to shed her stifling temperatures for fall's brisk, pure air? Why don't we let Nehemiah answer that--
"You are the Lord, You alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You." (Neh.9:6)
Or as John put it in Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."
Our great and awesome God stained the cardinal a bright crimson (still my favorite bird--a love letter from God, if you ask me--so whenever I glimpse one, I always respond--"I love You, too, Lord!")--
And our Creator and Redeemer just as surely painted yesterday evening's sunset--
So thank You, Lord, for Your magnificent creation--all a pale but lovely reflection of Your perfection, beauty, and glory. Thank You for autumn's countless treasures from sights to smells, every single one a gift from our great and good Giver. Oh might we notice each one of Your gifts and then immediately turn to You in thanksgiving and praise.
And by the way, can I just add--if fall can be this wondrous, can you even begin to imagine heaven? Wow. Yet another reason for hope and rejoicing!
Give Him the glory today!
To God--our extravagantly creative and generous Painter, Sculptor, Chef, Author, Architect, Designer and on and on--be all the glory.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Praising the Lord, Part II
Okay, part II the joy of praising the Lord…because I think we all need reminding!
We worship Almighty God, because He is infinitely worthy of all our praise (see yesterday). But here’s the amazing part—the Lord also uses our worship to bless and encourage us! Yet another example of His amazing grace!
Listen to these ten benefits to our worship as shared by Louie Giglio: First, our worship changes the soundtrack of our circumstances. When we’re struggling mightily with some sort of problem or pain, that can become our soundtrack—the thing we’re always thinking about and talking about. But when we choose to praise God in the midst of the trouble, the soundtrack changes! We begin to recognize that God is right there with us. We change that soundtrack running in our brains to one of praise rather than panic or worry.
I can share a literal example of this in our family when our daughter, Janie, lay unconscious in a coma. The moment the doctors gave us permission, we started softly playing praise music. We kept that music on pretty much 24-7, and I can tell you, it radically transformed the atmosphere in Janie’s ICU room. Right in the midst of the fear and pain, we were continually reminded of our Great God’s presence, power, and faithfulness. It changed the soundtrack…and changed and strengthened us.
Secondly, worship allows us to reframe our circumstances. Sure, our circumstances may not change, but we put a new frame around them—the Lord’s in control here. His goodness, grace, and power frame our circumstances.
Third, worship puts God in view. Darkness conceals but praise reveals. Oh my, how thankful I am for His illuminating presence…and praise allows us to see Him when darkness has hidden His face.
Fourth, I love this one: worship displaces worry. Because you absolutely cannot worry and worship at the same time. It’s impossible! One always displaces the other—so let’s choose worship! Fifth, worship dispels the darkness. God’s first words as Creator in Genesis 1 were “Let there be Light.” John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Light that “shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” When the Lord enters the picture, darkness always flees.
Sixth, worship breeds hope. When we worship we’re reminded that our Father is forever faithful, and He will always come through.
Seventh, worship repels the enemy. Satan, our enemy despises worship and cannot remain wherever and whenever the Lord’s name and greatness is lifted high.
Eighth, worship welcomes Jesus. Ps.22:3 declares that “God inhabits the praises” of His people. It’s as if we build the Lord a throne in our hearts with our worship and welcome Him into our lives.
Ninth, worship preaches the truth to us. Oh my, this is so important, because nobody preaches to you more than you! And the most powerful preaching you can ever do is to praise Almighty God by rehearsing and reminding yourself of His faithfulness, power, love, grace, goodness.
You know, it’s funny. If we have a friend who’s really struggling, think how quick we are to encourage them by sharing truths from God’s Word. We exhort them by telling them things like: “God’s faithful! Don’t give up. He’s got all the power, and He has great plans for you and your loved one. He’ll pull you through this.”
Yes sir, we’re johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to encouraging others with God’s faithfulness, but then what about ourselves? We can all too easily fall into that woe-is-me, what-on-earth-are-we-going-to-do mode when what we really need to be doing is stop worrying and start worshipping. We’ve got to preach the truth about God to ourselves!
Finally, tenth, worship restores our soul. We find healing and rest for our troubled souls in when we worship the One who is our Peace.
Oh my, worship changes everything! Tim Keller says, “Who cares about the acclaim of the serfs, if you have the love of the King?” Seriously, think about that! If the King of the Universe loves and adores you, then what does it matter if you don’t enjoy the applause and approval of the world around you?
There is one glorious King; everybody else on this planet—including every single one of us? Serfs! So let’s get busy adoring and praising the only One worthy of all our worship!
To God be the glory.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Praising the Lord!
Hope you’ll forgive me sharing some thoughts from our Bible study on Nehemiah 9 since it’s all about the focus of this wonderful month of November—gratitude and praise to the Lord, who is the Giver of all good gifts!
In this prayer, the Levites begin by praising and worshipping God: “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.’ (Neh.9:5-6) The starting place for prayer, and indeed for all of life if we want to be filled with joy—is praise of Almighty God. Everything begins by looking up. When we look up in praise and worship to our Lord and Maker, all the other things swirling around us take on their proper perspective.
What is disease compared to Jehovah-rophe, our Great Physician who is our Hope and Healing? What are our financial challenges compared to the One who made everything, owns everything, and sustains everything and is our Jehovah-Jirah—our Great Provider? What are our relationship difficulties compared to Jesus who is our Peace and Jehovah-Shalom, our Lord who sends peace? No problem, no person, no pain, no perplexity can ever begin to compare to the power and glory of our Lord.
So what does it mean to praise? Well, it means taking yourself out of the way and instead being fully occupied with adoration of the Lord. For instance, we praise and meditate upon His glorious names found throughout Scripture. I just mentioned a few, but He has so many because He’s infinite! Here’s a couple more: Jehovah-Nissi, meaning “God is our Banner,” for He’s our Source of victory. Adonai—meaning “Master” or “Lord.” Elohim—meaning “Strength” or “Power.” “El-Shaddai” meaning “God Almighty, the God who is all sufficient and the Source of all blessings.” Father—He’s our Abba, our Daddy, who knows and loves each of us individually. Emmanuel—God with us. Lamb of God. Savior. The wonderful list goes on and on, so that we’ll never lack for praise-ammunition!
Moreover, we praise God by recounting His beautiful, perfect character. His attributes such as His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, love, grace, sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience and on and on. In the Levites prayer in Nehemiah, they praise Him in v.6 as the Exalted One and the Creator, Sustainer, and Preserver of the universe. “You are the Lord, You alone. [Amen!] You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is in it, the seas and all that is in them; and You preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships You.”
If you need some inspiration for adoration of God, just open your eyes and look around you! He crafted every beautiful tree arrayed in fall’s finest, every bird soaring overhead, every tiny baby in all his or her astounding intricacy, every peaceful, glowing sunset, and every microscopic cell of your body that allows you to see, think, hear, and feel. AMAZING!! Such is our God and there is NONE other!
We adore and praise God because He is infinitely worthy of all our praise, but remarkably, our Great God also uses our praise to bless and encourage usI What a Lord we serve! More on that tomorrow since I’ve already gone on and on.
But here’s the point—give God praise! Spend time daily--beginning today--praising Him for who He is and what He has done. He is worthy, worthy, worthy (and you will be encouraged and strengthened in the process--only our God!)
To God be the glory.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
What's your source?
"Then he [Nehemiah] said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'" (Neh.8:10)
Just a wee bit of background: The people of Jerusalem were exiles who had returned to rebuild their beloved but shattered capital city that had been decimated decades earlier by the conquering Babylonians. Remarkably, now Jerusalem's people had not only rebuilt the temple, but they had finished rebuilding the city's ruined walls which were essential for protection from their enemies.
As they celebrated the completion of the walls' reconstruction, the people listened to a reading of God's Word...which led to great conviction and mourning over their sins, for the people recognized how terribly far they had strayed from God and disobeyed His life-giving Word.
But in this verse, Nehemiah encourages them that God's Word brings both conviction and yet also offers forgiveness, grace, life. The Word reminds us where our forgiveness can be found as well as the Source of our joy and hope.
I love that phrase--"the joy of the Lord is your strength." For those exiles, the Lord was their joy and strength. He was the One who brought them back to Jerusalem. He was the One who enabled them to rebuild the city's walls. And He was the One who would be their hope and stay in all the years ahead.
I had to ask myself, what's my strength? What's your strength? Seriously, what's the source of your inner strength, your peace, your hope? Because this is a reminder that only in Christ is there a spring of endless power, peace, love, and joy. He is our strength for He is our joy...and in Him our heart's hunger finds complete satisfaction. As Augustine said, "You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You."
This month of November when we consciously remember and choose gratitude, let's begin with the greatest of all gifts--the Lord Jesus. No matter what might be going on in your life right now, if Jesus is your Savior, then you have an infinite fountain of forgiveness, grace, joy and Life in Him.
The joy of the Lord is your strength this day and everyday. Not your bank account. Not your successes. Not your home. Not your appearance. Not your relationships. Not your health. Jesus is your indomitable joy and your indefatigable strength. And no disease, no defeat, no disappointment, no nothing can ever separate you from His love nor overcome His supernatural joy, strength, and grace.
So today, choose joy...because the joy of the Lord is your strength. He's your never, never, never, never failing Source! Hallelujah!
To God be the glory.
Monday, November 2, 2015
It's November--start today!
I love the months of October and November for so many reasons. First, because, well look around you. God puts on a serious show of beauty during these wondrous weeks of fall. Explosions of orange, red, and yellow at every turn. Pumpkins, squash, and bales of hay. Carpets of leaves, crunching acorns, and cool refreshing air. The fair, football, and feasts of pumpkin cake, pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin chocolate chip bread (oh yeah).
But secondly, in a word: Thanksgiving! What a gift to have these months to be reminded afresh to be thankful. Not just in some general, namby pamby way, but with conscious intention to recall specific things, people, places, whatever, for which we're grateful.
Oh my, how desperately we need that gratitude. You know why? Because we forget. And when we forget, we grow resentful or irritable or bitter. Never fails.
For instance, it starts right when we first awake in the morning. People who remember God's relentless goodness to them and who choose gratitude, tend to have the joyful attitude of saying "Good morning, Lord!" upon waking up to a brand new day, a brand new opportunity to love their Lord and love the people He's so graciously put in their lives. Those who forget, those who have the attitude of resentful discontentment, tend to groan, "Good lord, it's morning." Discouraged before the feet even hit the floor thinking and complaining: not already...not again.
Sure, thankfulness isn't the answer to the world's problems, but it's a start. God commands it over and over again in His Word. For instance, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess.5:16-18) Or "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name." (Ps.100:4) Or "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" (Phil.4:4) Or "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph.5:20)
I didn't see many qualifiers in there, did you? Giving thanks always. In everything. In all circumstances.
And I'm telling you, thanksgiving and praise changes everything. Yeah, yeah, it sounds simplistic, but it's true. I've seen it borne out in my own life time and again. Whenever the focus is upon me, myself, and I and my problems, well, it's not only boring, ugly, self-centered, and prideful, but it always leads to misery. Always.
But on the other hand, whenever we choose--by an act of the will--to move from what we lack to all that we've been blessed with, or we shift our gaze from life's obstacles to our Lord's omnipotence, well then, our focus completely changes...our hearts lift...and our spirits rise from resentment to rejoicing. From worrying to worshipping. Before we know it, our hearts that had been filled with fretting and selfishness are now overflowing with joyful faith and a renewed vision of the Savior.
As Paul David Tripp says, "Peace in times of trouble is not found in figuring out your life, but in worship of the One who has everything figured out already."
Maybe that's November's greatest gift of all--the reminder that we don't need to figure it all out...we simply need to worship. We simply need to choose praising God for who He is and thanking Him for all He has done. Even the small things...maybe even especially the small things, since often that's where we'll uncover hidden pockets of unexpected joy. Joy!
So, it's the beginning of November. Just in case you've forgotten, or perhaps, like me, need a little reminding since bad habits of busy ingratitude can creep in, it's time to start remembering to be thankful. Time to start choosing to be thankful. Time to start specifically writing down or saying out loud how we're thankful.
Start your list. Today. To God be the glory.
But secondly, in a word: Thanksgiving! What a gift to have these months to be reminded afresh to be thankful. Not just in some general, namby pamby way, but with conscious intention to recall specific things, people, places, whatever, for which we're grateful.
Oh my, how desperately we need that gratitude. You know why? Because we forget. And when we forget, we grow resentful or irritable or bitter. Never fails.
For instance, it starts right when we first awake in the morning. People who remember God's relentless goodness to them and who choose gratitude, tend to have the joyful attitude of saying "Good morning, Lord!" upon waking up to a brand new day, a brand new opportunity to love their Lord and love the people He's so graciously put in their lives. Those who forget, those who have the attitude of resentful discontentment, tend to groan, "Good lord, it's morning." Discouraged before the feet even hit the floor thinking and complaining: not already...not again.
Sure, thankfulness isn't the answer to the world's problems, but it's a start. God commands it over and over again in His Word. For instance, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess.5:16-18) Or "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name." (Ps.100:4) Or "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" (Phil.4:4) Or "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph.5:20)
I didn't see many qualifiers in there, did you? Giving thanks always. In everything. In all circumstances.
And I'm telling you, thanksgiving and praise changes everything. Yeah, yeah, it sounds simplistic, but it's true. I've seen it borne out in my own life time and again. Whenever the focus is upon me, myself, and I and my problems, well, it's not only boring, ugly, self-centered, and prideful, but it always leads to misery. Always.
But on the other hand, whenever we choose--by an act of the will--to move from what we lack to all that we've been blessed with, or we shift our gaze from life's obstacles to our Lord's omnipotence, well then, our focus completely changes...our hearts lift...and our spirits rise from resentment to rejoicing. From worrying to worshipping. Before we know it, our hearts that had been filled with fretting and selfishness are now overflowing with joyful faith and a renewed vision of the Savior.
As Paul David Tripp says, "Peace in times of trouble is not found in figuring out your life, but in worship of the One who has everything figured out already."
Maybe that's November's greatest gift of all--the reminder that we don't need to figure it all out...we simply need to worship. We simply need to choose praising God for who He is and thanking Him for all He has done. Even the small things...maybe even especially the small things, since often that's where we'll uncover hidden pockets of unexpected joy. Joy!
So, it's the beginning of November. Just in case you've forgotten, or perhaps, like me, need a little reminding since bad habits of busy ingratitude can creep in, it's time to start remembering to be thankful. Time to start choosing to be thankful. Time to start specifically writing down or saying out loud how we're thankful.
Start your list. Today. To God be the glory.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Redeeming Halloween
Our culture has become obsessed with Halloween. The hosts on morning newscasts wish everyone a cheery, "Happy Halloween!" The stores feature boundless displays of every conceivable kind of Halloween paraphernalia. In fact, last year, American consumers spent over 350 million dollars on costumes...for their pets! But wait, there's more: experts expect us to spend a staggering 6.9 billion dollars--yes billion--all together on Halloween decorations, costumes, and candy. And we're spending only a paltry 2.1 billion on candy alone.
Oh my stars--have we lost our minds? 350 million on pet costumes? Really? Not that Bingley wouldn't look sensational as Yoda, a Jurassic Park dinosaur, or maybe even a clown.
Now, don't get me wrong. We have tons of happy memories of our children dressing up and then us following them door-to-door on Halloween night to gather enough candy to fuel every marathoner in the country for a year. We love handing out candy and enjoying all the cute and creative costumes. Though, I must say, we never excelled at the creative part--our youngest dressed up as Carolina football or basketball player too many times to count. Sorry, I know that's totally lame, but boy, was it cheap! So yes, we really enjoy Halloween and all the fun for all the kids...and of course, the chocolate. More chocolate is always a good thing.
But seriously, can you believe we're doling out that kind of massive cash on a one evening candy-fest that's, sadly, been often hijacked by the ridiculously creepy, gross, and even terrifying? Do we really need to see masks dripping blood or zombies with decaying flesh? Whatever happened to dressing up as a hobo--my personal and perennial favorite growing up--simply by raiding your daddy's closet for a battered hat, an old, tattered jacket and some charcoal for a mustache and beard? We've come a long way, baby.
Ugh. Okay, okay, I'll get down off my soap box, but can I at least point out that Halloween--way way way back in the day--got it's name from "All Hallow''s Eve?" And All Hallow's Eve got it's name for the distinction of being the eve of All Saints' Day--a day when the Catholic church remembered and celebrated the faithful saints of bygone years.
Then, of course, a little known German priest and professor named Martin Luther, chose that date--October 31, 1517--to nail his 95 theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His theses were a series of indictments against the rampant corruption in the church. Luther's theses changed everything, as he was advocating a radical call for repentance, a return to God's Word, and a return to the critical belief and truth that our redemption comes through grace alone, in Christ alone. Not through our endless striving and never-enough efforts, but by faith in Jesus' glorious, amazing grace. Praise God!
So yeah, let's enjoy this day and evening of Halloween and eat plenty of candy...assuming it's chocolate, of course--all the rest is a total waste of time and calories in my completely unbiased opinion. But far more importantly, let's redeem Halloween! How?
Well, first by remembering and thanking the Lord for the faithful men and women who've gone on before us. And not just the big-deal saints, but all those we have known and loved who've impacted our lives for Christ: teachers, ministers, parents, friends. And secondly, let's praise the Lord for His beautiful Word that guides us, His wonderful grace that saves us, and His glorious Son, Jesus, who is our glorious Redeemer, Savior and Friend. Now that will make for a very, very happy Halloween indeed!
Thank You, Lord, thank You. To God be the glory.
Oh my stars--have we lost our minds? 350 million on pet costumes? Really? Not that Bingley wouldn't look sensational as Yoda, a Jurassic Park dinosaur, or maybe even a clown.
Now, don't get me wrong. We have tons of happy memories of our children dressing up and then us following them door-to-door on Halloween night to gather enough candy to fuel every marathoner in the country for a year. We love handing out candy and enjoying all the cute and creative costumes. Though, I must say, we never excelled at the creative part--our youngest dressed up as Carolina football or basketball player too many times to count. Sorry, I know that's totally lame, but boy, was it cheap! So yes, we really enjoy Halloween and all the fun for all the kids...and of course, the chocolate. More chocolate is always a good thing.
But seriously, can you believe we're doling out that kind of massive cash on a one evening candy-fest that's, sadly, been often hijacked by the ridiculously creepy, gross, and even terrifying? Do we really need to see masks dripping blood or zombies with decaying flesh? Whatever happened to dressing up as a hobo--my personal and perennial favorite growing up--simply by raiding your daddy's closet for a battered hat, an old, tattered jacket and some charcoal for a mustache and beard? We've come a long way, baby.
Ugh. Okay, okay, I'll get down off my soap box, but can I at least point out that Halloween--way way way back in the day--got it's name from "All Hallow''s Eve?" And All Hallow's Eve got it's name for the distinction of being the eve of All Saints' Day--a day when the Catholic church remembered and celebrated the faithful saints of bygone years.
Then, of course, a little known German priest and professor named Martin Luther, chose that date--October 31, 1517--to nail his 95 theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His theses were a series of indictments against the rampant corruption in the church. Luther's theses changed everything, as he was advocating a radical call for repentance, a return to God's Word, and a return to the critical belief and truth that our redemption comes through grace alone, in Christ alone. Not through our endless striving and never-enough efforts, but by faith in Jesus' glorious, amazing grace. Praise God!
So yeah, let's enjoy this day and evening of Halloween and eat plenty of candy...assuming it's chocolate, of course--all the rest is a total waste of time and calories in my completely unbiased opinion. But far more importantly, let's redeem Halloween! How?
Well, first by remembering and thanking the Lord for the faithful men and women who've gone on before us. And not just the big-deal saints, but all those we have known and loved who've impacted our lives for Christ: teachers, ministers, parents, friends. And secondly, let's praise the Lord for His beautiful Word that guides us, His wonderful grace that saves us, and His glorious Son, Jesus, who is our glorious Redeemer, Savior and Friend. Now that will make for a very, very happy Halloween indeed!
Thank You, Lord, thank You. To God be the glory.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Pleasant inns in routine days
Whew. Been a while, hasn't it?
I wish I could say I've been busy inventing the cure to cancer...or traveling around the world with my family...or at least cleaning out every bit of the clutter in our home and giving it all away to folks who could use it (that would be my husband's idea of the greatest day ever. He's often told me the only thing he wants for his birthday is a huge black trash bag...filled with stuff we are giving away. Someday, honey, someday.)
But really, it's just been busy, daily life that has kept me hopping and doing who knows what. Lots of fun stuff like children coming home for the weekend, Parents' Weekend for our college-aged daughter, working on lectures for Bible study, an overnight visit with a couple of our children near Charlotte...and just the small, routine but happy duties of daily life: Helping with homework (thank You, Father, for the gift of a child still at home). Walking the dog on spectacular fall days (thank You, Father, for creating the glories of fall...and the joy of dogs). Eating at good old Cloos or Casa Carbone (thank You, Father, for food, glorious food...and for taste buds and for chocolate--always gotta thank You for that gift!). Doing the laundry (thank You, Father, for clean clothes to wear and for the people I love for whom I can wash them). Carpooling (thank You, Father, for a car that works and for places to go and for the astounding beauty of fall exploding all around us. It's like driving through an art museum filled with masterpieces).
Our neighbor's tree--glory happening right in front of our driveway!
Okay, I'll shut up. But the point? Our seemingly mundane, regular-old-nothing-big-going-on days are, in reality, filled with opportunities to love others, to savor life, and to worship our Lord. Oh my, how often we miss that in the hustle and bustle or the hum drum and routine. I don't ever want to grow calloused to the wonder of the everyday. Each day a new gift to be opened and lived to the glory of God. Oh Father, don't let us fail to open Your gift of this day. Don't let us miss You in the midst of every single moment of this day.
I love how good old C.S. Lewis describes those simple, "routine," but glory-infused moments--as "pleasant inns" along our journey of life. He sends those pleasant inns to refresh us along the way. Just in case you'd like to read it, here are Lewis' words--
"The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."
Oh how grateful I am for every one of those inns. Don't let us miss them, Lord. Open our eyes and hearts to see You and to savor the inns...and at the same time, to anticipate with great joy that the best is yet to come!
To God be the glory.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
The fair, fall, food...and prayer
A little food for weekend thought--
The annual pilgrimage to the NC State Fair did not disappoint, though, as my husband says, "You're always so happy to arrive...and equally happy to leave." Lots of people, lots of smells, lots of lines, lots of food...lots and lots and lots of food. I have discovered, with great relief, that we are not the only folks who eat our way through the fair...well, eat along with some exhibits thrown in for good measure.
I could go on and on about the fair, as we do love it. After all, what's not to love? It arrives in surely God's best month--October: The air takes on that refreshing coolness; the leaves begin to display their vibrant and best attire; Thanksgiving (hands down my favorite holiday) is right around the corner; the early morning stars shine especially brightly; squirrels busily gather up acorns, and Mr. Bingley happily races after the squirrels; pumpkin-flavored anything and everything is on the menu everywhere (Hallelujah--right there with chocolate as God's best culinary creation!); and our family (or as many of us as we can garner) happily trek to the fair. Oh my, how I love the fall and the fair and the food...especially the food.
Thank You, Lord, for Your creation of the seasons. Thank You for variety and beauty and smells and sights. Thank You for eyes to see Your glory all around us. Thank You for our senses that we might see and smell and touch and hear and taste. And thank You for the gift of prayer that we might come to You, the Giver of all good gifts, and simply say thank You.
When we taste wonderful fall food, when we savor beautiful fall creation, when we enjoy sweet fall fellowship, our first impulse should be one of overwhelming gratitude to the One who has provided us with this rich, wondrous bounty. After all, He crafted the pumpkin...for our pleasure, for His glory. Thank You, Abba.
And that's the beginning of all prayer--worship and gratitude to our Heavenly Father, our Abba, our Daddy. We have the Creator and Sustainer of all this goodness, and we can go to Him at any and every moment to say "Thank You!" And "Please help!" And "Please forgive." And "Please guide." And "Please encourage...empower...enable." The Almighty God of the universe actually wants to hear whatever is on our hearts and minds. Amazing. How can we not go to Him in prayer and thanksgiving?
I loved these words from John Piper on prayer (and food)--
"It is as though God has a favorite food. When we pray, he smells the aroma from the kitchen as you prepare his special dish. When God hungers for some special satisfaction, he seeks out a prayer to answer. Our prayer is the sweet aroma from the kitchen ascending into the King's chambers making him hungry for the meal. But the actual enjoyment of the meal is his own glorious work in answering our prayer. The food of God is to answer our prayers. The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it reveals a God who satisfies his appetite for joy by answering prayers. He has no deficiency in Himself that He needs to fill up, so He gets His satisfaction by magnifying the glory of His riches by filling up the deficiencies of people who pray.”
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil.4:6)
"Pray continually" (I Thess.5:17)
So today, let's pray. Talk to our Heavenly Daddy. Worship our Heavenly Daddy. Thank our Heavenly Daddy. Because He is soooo good and infinitely worthy.
To God be the glory.
The annual pilgrimage to the NC State Fair did not disappoint, though, as my husband says, "You're always so happy to arrive...and equally happy to leave." Lots of people, lots of smells, lots of lines, lots of food...lots and lots and lots of food. I have discovered, with great relief, that we are not the only folks who eat our way through the fair...well, eat along with some exhibits thrown in for good measure.
I could go on and on about the fair, as we do love it. After all, what's not to love? It arrives in surely God's best month--October: The air takes on that refreshing coolness; the leaves begin to display their vibrant and best attire; Thanksgiving (hands down my favorite holiday) is right around the corner; the early morning stars shine especially brightly; squirrels busily gather up acorns, and Mr. Bingley happily races after the squirrels; pumpkin-flavored anything and everything is on the menu everywhere (Hallelujah--right there with chocolate as God's best culinary creation!); and our family (or as many of us as we can garner) happily trek to the fair. Oh my, how I love the fall and the fair and the food...especially the food.
Thank You, Lord, for Your creation of the seasons. Thank You for variety and beauty and smells and sights. Thank You for eyes to see Your glory all around us. Thank You for our senses that we might see and smell and touch and hear and taste. And thank You for the gift of prayer that we might come to You, the Giver of all good gifts, and simply say thank You.
When we taste wonderful fall food, when we savor beautiful fall creation, when we enjoy sweet fall fellowship, our first impulse should be one of overwhelming gratitude to the One who has provided us with this rich, wondrous bounty. After all, He crafted the pumpkin...for our pleasure, for His glory. Thank You, Abba.
And that's the beginning of all prayer--worship and gratitude to our Heavenly Father, our Abba, our Daddy. We have the Creator and Sustainer of all this goodness, and we can go to Him at any and every moment to say "Thank You!" And "Please help!" And "Please forgive." And "Please guide." And "Please encourage...empower...enable." The Almighty God of the universe actually wants to hear whatever is on our hearts and minds. Amazing. How can we not go to Him in prayer and thanksgiving?
I loved these words from John Piper on prayer (and food)--
"It is as though God has a favorite food. When we pray, he smells the aroma from the kitchen as you prepare his special dish. When God hungers for some special satisfaction, he seeks out a prayer to answer. Our prayer is the sweet aroma from the kitchen ascending into the King's chambers making him hungry for the meal. But the actual enjoyment of the meal is his own glorious work in answering our prayer. The food of God is to answer our prayers. The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it reveals a God who satisfies his appetite for joy by answering prayers. He has no deficiency in Himself that He needs to fill up, so He gets His satisfaction by magnifying the glory of His riches by filling up the deficiencies of people who pray.”
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phil.4:6)
"Pray continually" (I Thess.5:17)
So today, let's pray. Talk to our Heavenly Daddy. Worship our Heavenly Daddy. Thank our Heavenly Daddy. Because He is soooo good and infinitely worthy.
To God be the glory.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Not just a better place
We have lost another oak of righteousness. Well, we have not lost him for we know exactly where he is...he is simply lost to our sight temporarily. But we rejoice for David Lewis...oh what gain for heaven! This glorious place that we try to imagine, but cannot, grows ever more beautiful and inviting as we see dear friends and family depart our often troubled shores here for the eternal wonders of there. And we have seen many dear ones depart recently.
"These all died in faith not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city." (Heb.11:13-16)
When we were at the beach a few weekends back, I'll never forget one early morning walk. We had arrived the night before, so we hadn't seen the beach...but I hadn't been to the beach in a good, long while, so I was just thrilled to be at the beach, anywhere near the beach!
I started out walking along the road, beach houses on each side. And it was lovely, still a bit dark, and peaceful. The smell of salt air was delicious, the warmth felt perfect, and I listened to some beautiful music and rejoiced in the gift of being there in this lovely place with dear friends. I was having a wonderful time on that quiet little beach road.
But then it occurred to me. I hadn't even seen the ocean. Maybe the beach was wide enough that I could walk by the seashore. So I ventured over one of the public access points, crossed the dunes...
...and was overcome. Undone, really. The sight was so extraordinarily magnificent.
There are simply no words for it. Tears streamed down my face--stunned at the beauty before me.
And this thought immediately came to mind: this is just the tiniest reflection of how much greater heaven is than earth.
Yes, God crafted this gorgeous, amazing planet. Oh my, what a wondrous Creator He is! Just look around and be awed by the One who formed the smallest spider and the largest star. But His creation is not limited to the majesty of the world around us. No, look at the magnificent beauty of the people He's given us. What a priceless gift to love and to be loved! The treasure of dear friends, precious children, beloved husbands and wives, wonderful parents, brothers, and sisters. If you want to see a miracle, look at the person standing next to you--whether in your home or the checkout line at Target. Crafted and beloved by the Almighty. Forgiven and redeemed by the Savior. Yes, each one a miracle. Think how much joy these people have brought to your life--the memories of shared laughter and love and tears, too.
But it all pales in comparison to the endless, unimaginable wonders of heaven. I've heard it said so many times, "They have gone to a better place." I bet I've said it myself.
No, no, no! They have not gone to a better place...they have gone to an infinitely more glorious, wondrous, awesome eternal Home. A home full of people you treasure, places to explore, and most of all, a Savior to enjoy and worship and laugh with and adore forever and ever and ever. We can't imagine it. We simply can't, for it is so beyond anything our minds and hearts can even begin to grasp while we are still earth-bound.
Jonathan Edwards says, "To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean."
Amen, amen. The nice, little ocean road was lovely...but the ocean itself was magnificently wonderful! Heaven's not just better...it's the best of the best of the best...multiplied by infinitely!
So to dear David and to so many others who have recently gone to glories unimaginable--we rejoice with you and for you. And while we cry and weep and miss you, we know that you will be a far longer, greater part of our future than you were of our past. Praise Jesus! To God be the glory.
"These all died in faith not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city." (Heb.11:13-16)
When we were at the beach a few weekends back, I'll never forget one early morning walk. We had arrived the night before, so we hadn't seen the beach...but I hadn't been to the beach in a good, long while, so I was just thrilled to be at the beach, anywhere near the beach!
I started out walking along the road, beach houses on each side. And it was lovely, still a bit dark, and peaceful. The smell of salt air was delicious, the warmth felt perfect, and I listened to some beautiful music and rejoiced in the gift of being there in this lovely place with dear friends. I was having a wonderful time on that quiet little beach road.
But then it occurred to me. I hadn't even seen the ocean. Maybe the beach was wide enough that I could walk by the seashore. So I ventured over one of the public access points, crossed the dunes...
...and was overcome. Undone, really. The sight was so extraordinarily magnificent.
And this thought immediately came to mind: this is just the tiniest reflection of how much greater heaven is than earth.
Yes, God crafted this gorgeous, amazing planet. Oh my, what a wondrous Creator He is! Just look around and be awed by the One who formed the smallest spider and the largest star. But His creation is not limited to the majesty of the world around us. No, look at the magnificent beauty of the people He's given us. What a priceless gift to love and to be loved! The treasure of dear friends, precious children, beloved husbands and wives, wonderful parents, brothers, and sisters. If you want to see a miracle, look at the person standing next to you--whether in your home or the checkout line at Target. Crafted and beloved by the Almighty. Forgiven and redeemed by the Savior. Yes, each one a miracle. Think how much joy these people have brought to your life--the memories of shared laughter and love and tears, too.
But it all pales in comparison to the endless, unimaginable wonders of heaven. I've heard it said so many times, "They have gone to a better place." I bet I've said it myself.
No, no, no! They have not gone to a better place...they have gone to an infinitely more glorious, wondrous, awesome eternal Home. A home full of people you treasure, places to explore, and most of all, a Savior to enjoy and worship and laugh with and adore forever and ever and ever. We can't imagine it. We simply can't, for it is so beyond anything our minds and hearts can even begin to grasp while we are still earth-bound.
Jonathan Edwards says, "To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean."
Amen, amen. The nice, little ocean road was lovely...but the ocean itself was magnificently wonderful! Heaven's not just better...it's the best of the best of the best...multiplied by infinitely!
So to dear David and to so many others who have recently gone to glories unimaginable--we rejoice with you and for you. And while we cry and weep and miss you, we know that you will be a far longer, greater part of our future than you were of our past. Praise Jesus! To God be the glory.
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