The Ultimate Adoption Story

Image found here

For some reason, adoption has come up several times in conversation over the last few days. That was topped off with a sound byte I heard from an interview this morning about the new movie, "Man of Steel." The interviewer called it, "the ultimate adoption story."  Really?  I can think of a better one.

The Son of God became man and came to earth as a helpless infant (Philippians 2: 6-8). He was raised by human parents who did not always understand Him and sometimes failed to support Him in His mission (Luke 2: 41-52; Luke 8: 19-21), but He loved them and cared for them, and they loved Him in return, even at the end (John 19; 25-27). His biggest weakness, as His enemy, Satan, saw it, was His love for people, including those who didn't know Him or love Him (Romans 5: 7-8), which brought Him to death on the cross (John 15: 1-14).  He had a greater purpose, however, and the cross was part of that purpose. He wanted to make a way for all orphans to be adopted and to know His love, and the love of His Father in Heaven (Romans 8: 14-17), but that had to come through His suffering. He willingly accepted the cost so that He, and all the people He loved, could reap the reward. This means that His biggest weakness turned out to be His greatest strength (Philippians 2: 9-11), because through love and obedience to His Father, He defeated the ultimate enemy, death!

Image found here

Those who know Jesus and obey the Father will be called children of God, not orphans any more, never rejected or alone again. Now, how is that for an adoption story?

Feel free to leave a comment on your thoughts about "Man of Steel" versus Jesus' story (how it compares and how it is different), or share your thoughts about your own "adoption" story. I'd love to hear from you!

Centering In

My thoughts today feel rather scattered as I settle down to write this post.  I find it easy today to get bogged down in what I "feel like" and lose sight of what I am, and who God is.  I don't want to be ruled by feelings today.

So, let me guide my thoughts back to basics.

First, who is God?

God is the creator of everything, the all-powerful ruler of the whole universe and everything in it.  He is real, whether we "feel" Him or not.  He is in control, whether we see that in a sunset or in a hospital room.  More than that, He is good, and kind.  He isn't some sightless force or fearsome dictator. If we look long enough at the world around us, at the sunshine and the birds singing, at the rain and even the rise and fall of a baby's chest while sleeping, we can see the great goodness and kindness of God in the things He has made. He is not like any Creator we could make up. His goodness is beyond our imagination and ability. We can even see that great, unmerited kindness shining through the cracks in the dark pall mankind has pulled over the world, if we keep looking.  I say this, lest my readers forget to look.

Who, then, is Christ?

Jesus Christ is the priceless gift of a kind God to an ungrateful world. He is the logical extension of that great love and kindness we see in all the good things we had already received before He came.  He is proof, in the flesh, that a God who could be so kind as to bless us with things like sunshine, singing birds, the rain, and little children, would care that we saw justice for our wrongs, and mercy for our wrongdoings.  We can't make something like this up, but if we've ever known heartache, then we've known how badly we need the gift that Jesus brings. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," (Matthew 5: 4 NIV), Jesus said, and we can take that as a promise.  It is my prayer that all of my readers will come to know the goodness of that promise.

Who, then, are we?

We are God's creation, the work of His hand and the most important thing that He made--whether we feel it or not. We are important because He made us important, and because He gave us value in His heart, before the foundation of the world was set.  We are not important because of the importance we give ourselves, or that which others give to us.  Some people willfully blind themselves to the kindnesses of God that He speaks through creation; some people deafen themselves in an attempt to block out the message that God has spoken through Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, in their desperate attempts to cast God out, they are only casting themselves out of His presence.  They starve to death needlessly, like a famished beggar who won't take food that is offered to him. Who are we, except the sheep of God's pasture, which He made to know, and to be known by Him?  How blessed are we, that we are given the opportunity to live by blessings we never had to earn! I pray that all of my readers truly know God, and if not, that they will turn now and seek Him out.

How, then, should we feel?

Satan distracts us with feelings, and he would rule us by them, if he could. Let us not forget the realities of God--His eternal kindness, the mercy that He proved through Jesus Christ, and the value that He gives to each one of us as He tries to draw us to Him.  If we remember these things, we don't have to hold on to those feelings of stress, worry, distraction, sadness, and boredom.  Certainly, those feelings can and will come, but when they do, those who know God can take a deep breath and say this about their own lives: "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day," (Proverbs 4:18 NIV).  Those feelings pass away like the morning dew, but the light of God never goes out.

Can't Cross Jesus Out of Christmas

It has lately become a trend to abbreviate Christmas to "Xmas," particularly when dealing with limited space on billboards and in tweets, but this year I have seen it used with increasing significance as a way of "x-ing" out Jesus at Christmastime, as if He wasn't the central reason for the holiday in the first place. It's just another example of a modern movement to secularize this holiday.

I was thinking about that again today, and I realized that, even with all the efforts to remove Jesus, He just keeps coming back into conversation. Sometimes, I think the "x" even calls attention to His absence.  This "x" appears to be yet another symptom of conviction and guilt in society, if the news of more shootings, violence, etc. hasn't been enough to convince you that the general populace has tried to forget God and His authority over our deeds. 

Carrying that thought a little further, I remembered that the character "x" itself in English is itself a throwback to the Roman crucifixion cross. In essence, the symbol of the world's rejection of Jesus this season is the very one they used thousands of years ago at Passover time. That means, in essence, that the original Xmas (called Easter) falls in March this year.  If that doesn't give you pause, I don't know what will.

But, you know, some tried to wipe out all traces of Christ back then, and they failed then, too.

I've been deeply saddened by all the news this week, and I pray for comfort for the families of the victims.  I am reminded again that Jesus brings peace to the hearts of those who welcome Him in, so I have been praying for those who are searching for peace right now in the face of personal tragedies. I'm also praying that those who are thinking about dealing with their problems through violence will find the better way--Christ's way--which brings healing and restoration.

I hope those prayer warriors who are reading this blog will join me in that prayer this season, and if possible, Christians everywhere will take steps to remind people about the real significance of Christmas.  In effect, we would be putting Christ back at the front like He should be.  The world needs to know what we have found!

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. (Luke 2: 14 NIV)

Staying Grateful in the Consumerism Season

I recently read one of those "Snark Jokes" that circulate on Facebook and Pinterest, which read, "Only in America do people knock each other down to get the latest gadget just one day after giving thanks for what they already own." It makes you think, doesn't it?  In contrast, the Bible says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain," (1Timothy 6: 6 NIV). 

I was praying this weekend and felt God reminding me to stay grateful this season.  It's so easy to fall victim to "want-itis" and to feel bad about budget constraints these days.  Even if we've learned to be satisfied with less this year, the commercials, sales circulars, automated emails, and web ads (especially this weekend) can drive that peace far from us. It's important that we don't lose sight of the important things in the middle of "Consumerism Season."

God's History of Faithfulness

The Bible instructs us, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,'" (Hebrews 13: 5 NIV). We don't have to worry about where things are coming from, because God is going to take care of us--and that is a much better guarantee than a large bank account or a great storehouse of gold or even food.

If we've known God for awhile, we have seen this pattern over and over again in our lives.  In those moments when we feel as if our dreams of the perfect Christmas are far from happening (or beyond our means) it is important to stop and remember how God has been faithful through the years, daily providing for us and sustaining us, and not just during the holidays.

See God's Provision

It's also a good exercise to look for God's provision in our lives today.  What do you already have that is clearly a blessing from God?  I'm not just talking about the latest iPhone, and I might not even be talking about friends and family members.  There are tons of little things God blesses us with every day, even right now, from a nice view to indoor heating, plus, He provides our daily needs, which Jesus called "our daily bread."

I don't mean to be trite, but before we let retailers or our peers make us feel bad for not owning the "latest thing" we should count our blessings. After all, the latest thing is always going away, but God's provision in the present is constant.  The Bible says, " I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread," (Psalm 37: 25 NIV).

Give Thanks in the Midst of Current Needs

The last thing we ought to do to stay grateful this season is also the hardest: praise God, even in the face of current needs.  The Bible reminds us again and again that God is faithful, but when we are facing dire needs, such as serious financial struggles, it can be difficult to keep things in their proper perspective.  That is where praise helps us.

I heard a sermon this weekend that touched upon this. The pastor spoke about the "garment of praise" in Isaiah 61: 3, contrasting the symbolism of fresh garments with the ancient Hebrew custom of tearing the outer garment at the neck to express extreme anguish or grief. The pastor noted that praising God brings healing in our spirit, symbolically replacing the "torn garment" of despair. Praise heals us from feelings of despair and grief at our current circumstances by focusing our eyes beyond that, on the God who is powerful enough to overcome obstacles, who is infinitely trustworthy, and who has brought us hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.

God was there before the current circumstances (like holiday stress) arose, and He will still be there when they are gone.  He intends to carry us through it all, as long as we stand with Him.  Isn't that an awesome thought?

No Earthly King

Tomorrow is the long-awaited official election day in the US, where the nation will decide who will be president for the next 4 years, as well as settling the same question concerning the balance of power in quite a few Senate and House of Representative races.  This is a big event, and it is pivotal in the history of the world, however it goes.

I say it is big, but that doesn't mean it's the end of the world.  I want to remind everyone that we aren't electing a Christ, but rather, an earthly king of sorts.  Whoever gets into office will be imperfect, and prone to sin.  That person, no matter how qualified, is capable of leading the entire nation farther astray if he moves in his own power and doesn't follow the urging of God. 

I say farther astray because I believe the nation has already strayed far from the principles of godliness outlined in the Bible.  I believe this is even reflected in the reputations and beliefs of the candidates we have to choose from.  That's why we should be prayerful about who we vote for, and keep praying for whoever wins (even if we didn't vote for that person) after election day is over.  However it goes, God is still in control, and that's what I want to talk about today.

An Earthly King: What It Means

The ancient Israelites once lived without a visible, central government and single leader, in the period of the Judges. During this time, they were held together loosely by their tribal affiliation and more tightly by the religious customs and laws God had established through the Law of Moses.  In fact, God ruled them as their King, occasionally sending Judges to do His will among them through all of those years.

However, their hearts strayed from God, and they ceased to acknowledge Him as their high King and ruler. They wanted a visible government, complete with a king and officials, which they saw as preferable to the leadership of an invisible God. They were looking for someone who looked "kingly," (1 Samuel 9:2) and they put great stock in the strength of their warriors and in the cleverness of this individual, who would lead them all to victory.  This pride in their warriors and faith in their king would make them just like everybody else (1 Samuel 8: 10-22).

This decision to follow an earthly king reflected a lack of faith in God. They didn't want Him to lead them and direct them any more, though He had proven Himself many times. They would rather trust in human strength, cleverness, and foresight, rather than trust in God's power. It was rebellion.

A Greater King

I have seen people in despair over this election.  Some seem to follow candidates with an almost religious devotion and fear the worst if their votes do not prevail.  I've heard multiple reports of voting fraud already, due to the new early voting option.  I've even heard reports of people threatening to riot if they don't get their way (which is unheard of in the US, for those who don't live here).  I can't say that the worst won't happen.  I will admit that it looks pretty grim.
However, I'm not ready to despair.  I follow a greater King, who I believe is going to take care of me if everything else falls apart.  He will not be dethroned in any election.  He wasn't dethroned in the ancient "election" that chose the first king for Israel.  Even though they had an earthly king, he and all of his court were still answerable to God.

In fact, God is in control of this election, though many strive to control it.  God already knows the outcome, and can do as He pleases about it.  As Isaiah described God:

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.  He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.  He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.  No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isaiah 40: 22-24)

If we have been foolish, as the ancient Israelites were, and have put all our hope in the strength of an earthly king, we may get what we asked for, as they did.  That was its own punishment, as Samuel warned them (1 Samuel 8: 11-18), outlining a loss of property and personal freedom, leading to oppression.  Their earthly kings began by taking their sons to war and ultimately led the whole nation into shame and exile.

We can learn from their hard lesson, and not hang all of our hopes on people.  It is better to trust in God, and do our best as Christians to support a government that submits to God and maintains law and order (Romans 13: 1-5),  "not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience" as Paul explained.  All those in authority are put there by God, and answerable to His authority, so take heart!

See you at the polls! Don't forget to pray.

The Luxury of Rest

I'm writing my Monday blog on Tuesday, because I've been busy with a million little tasks the past few days. I'm not complaining.  However, I do find it ironic that the subject God has been talking to me about a lot over the past week has been rest.  Specifically, the nature of the sabbath.

I've been reading a book about the sabbath this week, on loan from my sister, called Sabbath Keeping, by Lynne M. Baab. I also keep stumbling across articles in magazines and on the web stressing the importance of rest and vacation time. Here are some key points I've gleaned from it all.

• Doctors and office workers are pretty much united in the health benefits of periodic rest from work. I've also read several articles this week touting the benefits to creativity and innovation of taking a break from the routine, or from stress-inducing activities.  Why do we refuse to stop work, with all this evidence for the benefits of rest? Could it be a fear that we'll be left behind in the rush and information deluge? Could it be a fear of financial catastrophe? Whatever the cause, fear doesn't seem like a good place for Christians to live. The sabbath, as it was established, was like a weekly vacation or a celebration to remind us that God (not our own efforts) protects us and prospers us.
• Sabbath in Hebrew can be translated "rest," but it more generally means "stop." So when the Bible says that God rested at the end of creation, it means that He also stopped. He stopped to enjoy all the things He had made, and He took a whole day to do it.  He invites us to step back and enjoy what He created, with Him.

• When God first instituted Sabbath observance in the Ten Commandments, He reminded the nation of Israel of their slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5: 14-15). They had no break from their work as slaves, but the Sabbath distinguished them as free people under God's covenant, with no cruel masters to keep them working without a rest. The Sabbath symbolized freedom and the luxury to enjoy that freedom.
• The Sabbath also symbolized God's abundance. The Israelites had to live hand to mouth every other day of the week, gathering only enough manna for that day, but on the Sabbath, they ate the extra manna, the extra blessing that God had sent them (Exodus 16: 21-26). They did six days of work but got paid for seven, in essence.
• The origin of the Sunday celebration among Christians had to do with the day of the Resurrection, the "Lord's Day," not the timing of the Jewish Sabbath service, which is on Saturday. In essence, Sunday service for most Christians is a combined celebration of God's completion of Creation (the old sabbath) and Christ's completion of our redemption through His death and resurrection (the new sabbath, the new creation).

 

 I shared these points today because I want to encourage my readers to consider taking a Sabbath of some kind, perhaps not on Sunday or Saturday, but maybe on another day of the week. I'm not suggesting legalism or empty ceremony.  I'm talking about celebrating the luxury, freedom, and abundance that we have because of the God we serve.

Rosh Hashanah: God's Lordship and His Coming

Today marks the first of the "High Holy Days" on the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year's day.  I'm talking about it today, because it bears greater symbolic significance today for the world than it has, perhaps, in previous decades.

Image from this site

This holiday is traditionally celebrated by blowing the shofar horn (which gets its significance from Numbers 10: 1-7, and Exodus 19: 16-19) and eating symbolic foods like honey and apples. The horn signifies God's leadership and lordship over mankind, and is also blown in praise of the Lord.  The honey and apples represent a blessing for a "sweet new year."

The Jewish people believe that on Rosh Hashanah the Lord opens His records on every person to review the sins and pass judgement at the beginning of the new year. His judgment is "sealed" 10 days later, on Yom Kippur (the "Day of Atonement").  This means that from today until Yom Kippur, Jewish people all over the world will be contemplating their deeds over the past year, and seeking to make atonement for the wrongs they've done, so that God will "seal" them in the Book of Life for the next year.

Significance for the World

While Christians do not have to observe this particular traditional holiday, they should at least contemplate the spiritual and symbolic meanings it has to the Jewish audience. The day also means something to Christians and Muslims (but I'll get to that).

First of all, in these troubled times, it would do us good to stop on a day like this and think about the lordship of God, and His authority, which gives Him the right to pronounce absolute judgment over our sins.  As my parents put it often enough to me, "If the Lord was to come back right now, what would He think about what you're doing?"  We talk a lot about the blessings of God or the salvation of Christ, but we ought to remember to consecrate our daily lives to God's service, as well.  God has been abundantly merciful and generous, "not wanting anyone to perish," (2 Peter 3:9 NIV), but He desires our obedience, and deserves honor from us!  I believe God is always watching, throughout the year and not just today, and that the standards He has shared with us in the Bible are boundaries He holds us to, as people who know Him and seek Him.  If sin was grave enough that Jesus had to die to atone for it, it should not be treated more lightly by those He has redeemed!

Secondly, the shofar of Rosh Hashanah has significance to those who are waiting for Christ's return. The Bible says that Christ's second coming will be heralded by horns, just as in the days of Moses (Exodus 19: 16; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).  This has prompted many Biblical scholars to suggest that the Second Coming could very well happen on Rosh Hashanah or some time during the 10 days before Yom Kippur.  I don't know--Jesus Himself didn't tell us when He will come back--but it certainly is possible, and the perfect symbolism of this timing would make sense, since Christ's death and resurrection, as well as the day of Pentecost, were timed according to Jewish festivals.  If Jesus came back this week, it would be wonderful, but I suggest being prepared for His coming, whenever it could happen. It would be best for the Lord to find our hearts ready and watching for Him throughout the year (Luke 12: 35-37). 

Finally, the day is significant in light of world events this week. I would be insulting the intelligence of everyone in the Middle East if I failed to point out that the widespread violence there is occurring during the holiest week in the Jewish calendar, with rather significant timing. The anti-American and anti-Jewish speech I've already been hearing for a week seems perfectly timed to blot out this Jewish holiday, and to show aggression toward the Jewish race. It might be important to point out that the New Year of the Islamic calendar starts at sundown on November 14th this year, but it draws its name Ras as-Sanah from Rosh Hashanah, as well as some of its traditions.  In light of all of this, I now better understand what Israel's Prime Minister meant in a tv interview I saw yesterday, in which he said that in the Muslim's eyes "We are the same [the U.S. and Israel]."

I choose to accept this cheerfully (Matthew 5: 11-12)!  This is just another reason why Christians should pray for peace throughout the Middle East (Luke 6: 28), for the "sweetness" of the coming year, and for the salvation for many souls!

So, in summary, this week is significant because of the cultural meanings to the Jewish people and the world.  It is also an important reminder for Christians to contemplate their lives in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.  He could very well come today!

P.S. As an interesting note, although I am not Jewish, this holiday has personal significance to me, aside from all that I just discussed, because I accidentally timed the completion of the first draft of my novel for September 26th (Yom Kippur this year). The novel just happens to cover a lot of the topics significant to this holiday! Ironic, huh?

See you here next week!  As my Jewish friends would say it, Shana Tova (A good year)!

Trust and the Sabbath

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work....For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.--Exodus 20: 9-11

For some time now, I have been pushing myself so hard in my work that I've pretty much worked right through the weekend.  Besides the fact that I feel guilty about my failure to take a proper Sabbath, I've heard (and can personally confirm) that this kind of schedule is bad for creating burnout and heightening stress levels.  So, this past weekend, I really tried to stop. I really did. I ended up feeling restless and even bored, and found myself switching the computer on again, just to fill the boredom.

This experiment revealed some weaknesses in me that I need to correct. It also made me think a little more about the purpose of the Sabbath in Biblical times.  Most obviously, it was symbolic of the rest that we could find in Christ, who opened the doors of heaven for those who believe in Him (see Hebrews 4: 8-11).  Without minimizing this very important meaning, I also wanted to point out some subtler messages that the sabbath rest sends.

To a mostly agrarian society, the idea of completely stopping all work one day of the week was pretty radical. A lot can happen with livestock in one day (obviously, the Bible made allowances for helping an animal in distress on the Sabbath).  Also, if a person is harvesting a field and has to stop for a day of rest, what could happen to the unharvested crop in the meantime? This carries forward today, even in non-agrarian jobs, when a worker has to leave a project half-completed, and wonders if he or she did "enough" to stem the work overload when Monday comes.

There is also the worry about finances that creeps over people when they are not working. Taking a whole day off makes people very aware of the fact that they are not making money at that moment, especially those who make little money anyway, or those who have a lot of bills.  Since money buys food, clothing, and shelter, and these things are essential for life, taking a day off is almost like jeopardizing survival.  It can be scary!

On top of these basic worries, there is a feeling of lost esteem that can overtake people who are used to actively working at a job.  There may be few people to interact with on a day off, and no accolades or any kind of emotional reward.  This is perhaps the most subtle loss of all.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that, besides the spiritual symbolism, the Sabbath is a trust exercise that God established to teach us about Him and to clear up our misconceptions about work.  We can get so involved in our work that we begin to think we can control our futures and buy our salvation and security with our efforts, and we begin to value ourselves by our labor. God wants us to see that He guards our interests, provides for our needs, and gives us the value and attention that we secretly desire--but we need to trust His word on it!  Through Christ, God's only son, God has prepared and established a future for those who know Him which can never be taken away--not even by a catastrophe that sweeps over us in one day. The work of preparation, and the work of salvation, is already done. Now He just wants us to enjoy it with Him.

Let me reiterate my point: Work is good, but it serves a different purpose from establishing salvation, protecting our futures, or giving us our value. God has already done all of that, so if at all possible, we should take time from our labors to acknowledge and truly enjoy this new-found rest with Him.  That is what the Sabbath is for--a weekly reminder of God's power and provision.

Restored to Youth

I've had a lot on my mind this week.  From conversations with friends to events in my life and career, to the discovery, on Pandora, of the lyrics to "Logical" by an old group called Supertramp (this isn't really a recommendation), I found my mind wandering back to contemplate the future as I foresaw it as a preteen, looking forward.  For awhile, I guess I felt "old," but God reminded me of His promises and His future, and I felt the youthful optimism returning.

There was so much idealism then; the future had a polished gleam of promise and success. I saw myself without obstacles, working for the cause of Christ, succeeding in all that I lay my hands on. There were things I knew would complicate my life, and I recognized that I would encounter difficult people along the way, but I really had no concept of what the future would be like.  Maybe the details were foggy, but what I most wanted to see was a path traced out by God, which managed to thread its way safely through the maze of troubles.

So where am I, many years later, in reaching those goals? Where has the gleam gone, now that I've encountered a little bit of the "bitter reality" that often comes along in this life? Some of my old dreams are yet to be realized. Some of them have been discarded along the way as impracticable.  A few more didn't happen the way I planned, at all. Maybe people have gotten nastier and more personal than they were, and maybe there is more work and less play than there used to be.  Maybe life doesn't always warrant a laugh, and maybe success is fleeting.

Still, throughout my life I see the golden thread of God's plan woven into every scene, every moment of joy, and even the deepest pits of despair. It may not be a fairytale outcome so far, but it is definitely a good one.  When I give some serious thought to all of that, the old optimism comes flooding back!

 God hasn't changed. His words still hold true.  Hope hasn't gone, or even been dimmed. 

Life has dark and disappointing times, and we usually can't look forward and fully comprehend them ahead of time. I certainly didn't.  I don't want to minimize or overlook pain, but I do want to say it's not good for us to focus on it too long.  If we do, we will forget God's goodness, His kindness, His joy, and even more, His power. If you want to lose the old gleam of optimism, that's the way. Obscure the light with a few clouds.  It didn't go; we just looked away.

That's it, exactly.  In reality, troubled times are all shifting shadows that will soon perish when God scatters them with the light of His presence (Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 60: 1-3; Zechariah 14: 6-7; James 1: 17). Let us not make more of pain than it is.  It is real, but so is God. It may linger, but God has been there from the beginning, and He will still be there at the end.  It sometimes seems final and life-long, but God has overcome the world, and we can, too, in Him. These are not trite sayings; they are promises that have held through many generations of testing, including my own, and maybe yours, too.  God has made a solemn promise to us that He is going to take all our troubles away and restore our youth (Psalm 103: 2-6), and I fervently believe that He doesn't lie (Numbers 23: 19).

Do you feel "old" today, perhaps because something in your life has made you feel bitter?  Take heart! What you believed as a child about God is still coming true.  It wasn't a fairytale then, and it never will be. Even if pain has since tried to steal away your hope, cling to Jesus and He will restore your spirit.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103: 2-6 NIV)

The Repentance Game, Part 2: The Plowman Who Looked Back

 Last time, I defined the godly form of repentance and spoke about the need for a Christian to be actively and willingly involved in the act of obedience, so that God can bring about the transformation of that individual.  That sounds good and everything, but it isn't the whole story.  If it was left up to our willpower alone to bring about obedience, we probably couldn't do it when the temptation got too strong for us. That's when we need special help.

Heavenly Reward from a Child's Perspective

When my sister and I were children, we used to correct each other with a "Christian" hand signal we had developed, which baffled adults around us. It was a prying motion, usually coupled with a deep frown.  Do you fail to see the Christian connection?  I don't blame you.  It had a convoluted origin that will take me awhile to explain, but bear with me. It's worth it.

The hand signal literally meant that the corrected person had just done something that displeased God, and said person needed to stop it, quickly.  But the prying motion, even more literally, meant that God was prying jewels out of the misbehaving person's crown in Heaven (the crown referenced in this verse, for instance: 1 Corinthians 9:25).

"Yeah, I guess I shouldn'ta done it..."

I don't know where we got this idea.  I suspect it was from the Wonder Works production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, in which I seem to remember Edmund Peevensie receives a plainer crown than his siblings, perhaps because he had been so rotten.  It could also be that we conjectured (from Sunday school lessons about treasures in Heaven) that blessings from God are like piles of jewels; therefore, disapproval from God is like jewels withdrawn from our stores (Matthew 6: 19-21).

Now, the Bible doesn't talk about God demoting people in Heaven in retribution every time they steal their sister's toy or say something hateful, or even when they graduate to worse crimes. However, the hand signal my sister and I used was a useful thing because it kept God's wrath in the forefronts of our youthful minds.  The fact is, God might not do something like removing jewels from our crowns when we continue in rebellion after meeting Him, but do we ever think about what God might do instead?

It's also important to point out that it wasn't the spiritual, invisible crown that was the important thing; it was the jewels contained in that crown.  The prying out of those jewels was not as threatening as the threat of God's disapproval connected to such an act.  In an imaginative, childlike way, we tried to put a tangible measure on God's approval rating of our behavior.  You can ignore the symbolism if you wish, but the thought behind it is crucial to faith at any age.  The signal meant that we cared what God thought, and His imagined frown of disapproval brought shame and even fear.  Frequently, the prying signal was all that was necessary to get our behavior back on track.


What if God did act immediately to punish our willful disregard for His rules? (Sometimes He does.)  What would He do?  If that thought is not troubling enough, what about our great reward in Heaven? It is preposterous to believe, if we are Christians, that our actions today only affect this present life, and do not touch eternity as well.

By the way, there does seem to be some sketchy evidence in the Bible that there are ranks or levels of positions in Heaven.  Christ explains this to His disciples, who argued about their position in the kingdom of Heaven.  According to Christ, if you want to be highest in the rankings, you must be the least, and the servant of all, especially God (Mark 9: 33-35; Luke 14: 7-11).  To make it clear, the rankings are determined by works, but salvation is not earned in this way.

So, to summarize things, God's approval of what we do is something we as Christians should desperately seek after, first to avoid His wrath, and secondly to earn a greater reward in Heaven than anything we can enjoy on earth.  If it takes a child's example to learn this, we should be ready to accept the challenge.  One thing I can't answer from Scripture is the question of how many jewels are placed in your crown in Heaven for doing good deeds.  I suppose we will just have to figure that out later on.

The Man with the Shriveled Hand

I have been away from this blog for awhile, dealing with some storms in life (including tax season) which gobbled up all of my focus even when I had free time to spend here. Today I'm back, only to briefly share something that God put on my heart yesterday morning.

I dreamed about the man with the shriveled hand, who Christ healed (Matthew 12: 9-14; Mark 3: 1-6; Luke 6: 6-11). Now, this miracle happened so that Jesus could prove His point that the Sabbath observances had reached such an extreme that it was considered unlawful by some to do anything on the Sabbath, even something good, like healing.  I recount all that so you know I haven't forgotten the story, since I'm about to talk about other aspects of the miracle instead.

Do You Want to Be Healed?

So many of Jesus' miracles always began with the question, "Do you want to be healed?"  The answer to this question always seemed so obvious to me as a reader, but I guess it wasn't to them. I can't accurately imagine being afflicted with a health problem of any kind that would keep me out of fellowship with my fellow human beings, because God has blessed me with good health. But, if I were to be so afflicted that I couldn't work and had to beg for food, that I couldn't marry or own a house because I couldn't work, I would think I would want healing.  Maybe the people who said "no" (if any did) were afraid of the changes to their lifestyle that such healing could bring.

Jesus didn't ask this question of the man with the shriveled hand. This is just my own speculation, but maybe Jesus, the man, and all of His audience were already clear on this point. Perhaps the man had been attending the Synagogue for some time, praying for deliverance from his handicap, and everyone knew why he was there. I don't know, but it is a point to be raised. The fact is, I think Jesus knew the man wanted healing before He even saw Him there, and I think it was for that specific man that Jesus had gone into the Synagogue that day.

Humiliation Before Deliverance

If any part of you does not quite meet up to the public's views of "normal" or "beautiful," then you know what it is like to shy away from the prying eyes of a crowd. This man had experienced a lot of that, I'm sure. I don't know what had caused his malformed right hand--it might have been a genetic birth defect, a disease, or an injury--but I can pretty confidently say that he didn't want everyone staring at it.

That day, he was minding his own business, when Jesus walked in and told him to stand up in front of everyone--everyone from the town where he lived, everyone who was traveling through, everyone he respected and even those who had treated him badly.

It had to be terribly, terribly humiliating to stand up there, with everyone staring and little children pointing, and face the crowd of his peers.  But, he did it.  Why? Because he wanted deliverance so much more than he wanted his dignity. He wanted God to take notice of him so much more than he cared what other people thought.  He swallowed his pride and stood up.

After that huge internal conflict was past, all that Jesus told him to do was hold out his hand, and just like that, his hand was completely normal, just like the other one.  His hand had been healed because he had not allowed anything to come between himself and God's gift, not even his own pride. This man illustrated that when we come to Christ for healing, we come with humility, letting nothing stand in our lives that denies our great need for Christ's help.

Total Healing

The healing that this man had was total restoration.  His hand looked perfectly normal, showing no traces of his past infirmity, as if it had just been an illusion all along. It could be that his hand had never been like the other one, and in that case, something was restored to him that had never been his. However it had been before, I'm sure every day, from then on, he saw that hand and thanked God for the undeniable miracle that had been given to him.

And that, my friends, is a very important thing to point out about this miracle. When God heals, He restores completely. He won't half-way fix the problems in your life. He can take them away completely, leaving no visible traces of the past. God is so powerful, He can take away bad habits and addictions, emotional scars and family problems, and leave behind a shining picture that is better than any healing you could have imagined. Believe me! More importantly, believe the man with the shriveled hand, who was healed.

Are you just like the man with the shriveled hand? Now is your chance. Stand up, brush off your shame about your need, admit it without reservations, and reach out to the God who will heal you and restore you completely! He can and will do it, so don't wait another day!

The Grim and the Gleam of Easter

Many centuries ago, the sun set and Jewish people in Goshen, in Egypt, sat in their houses trying to eat as Moses had instructed them, while frightful and terrible noises filtered through their walls and doors from the dark streets outside.  They couldn't look outside to see what was happening, and they probably didn't want to. The important thing in their minds was that they were shut away from it all, protected by the sign on their doorposts that Moses had said was all God needed to turn death away from them--the blood of an innocent lamb.  What a grim thing, but it had shielded them from the tears and sorrows that stalked Egypt that night. An innocent thing had died to save them all!

Death came again later and stole each of them away, anyway. There was a glimmer of hope, however, because God had already begun His plan to rescue them for good.  It was just going to take a few years...

Many years later, a man was killed on a wooden cross outside the walls of Jerusalem--a sinless man named Jesus.  People everywhere in the city were celebrating Passover, but even those who knew Jesus the best had failed to see that He was their symbolic lamb.  He faced death alone for them that night.

This time, however, God took away the grim sting of death.  He raised Jesus from the dead because, due to Jesus' sinlessness, death had no jurisdiction over Him.  Now, Christ has offered us that same resurrection, this gleam of hope in a very dark world, so that we can escape from death with His help!

Today, if we know Jesus and have committed ourselves to Him, we are hidden in Him, like the people who sat inside their homes long ago in Egypt (1 Peter 1: 18-21). This is what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are all about.  We are celebrating the fact that those who are covered by the Lamb are no longer exposed to the curse, but are safe and alive because of Christ!

If you want a deeper explanation of what Passover and Easter are all about, read my post here about the meaning of substitutionary atonement.  If you are still wanting more, click the "sacrifice and atonement" tag at the bottom of this post for more posts where I talked about it.

I was looking for a good Easter weekend song to share, and decided to share this worship song about committing ourselves to Jesus. It is called "To the King," and it was written by Annie Herring of the group The 2nd Chapter of Acts. Here it is sung by her younger brother, Matthew Ward.  Have a wonderful, worshipful Easter, everyone. Spend it with Jesus as King of your life!

Weekend Snippet: Old Eyes, New Eyes

As I write this, a new second-cousin is being born--one of several new additions being added to my extended family this year. It makes me think about the value of human life, which was first valued by God.

If judging by the contributions an individual makes to the "greater good" or some physical beauty or ability, it is easy to miss the point and bog the argument down in politics and statistics and supposed scientific measurements.  It is way too easy to overlook the value of one person while praising the apparent value of another. It is also easy to look at all the pain and suffering that comes with living and decide that living is no longer worthwhile.

In fact, it is too easy to take life for granted while we have it, to overlook the beautiful gift that it is when we look at others, and to miss the point of life entirely while we have the chance.

The basic reason for living is God. The basic value of life was set by God, when He called it "good." Finally, the basic purpose of life is to find eternal life, and hold on tight to it when we've found it.

"Good" Is Such an Understatement

When God created life, He looked at it and called it "good" (Genesis 1: 31 NIV). I always thought that was an understatement, especially at high points in life when we feel like shouting for joy at the "stupendousness" of life.  You know what? I see now it didn't need extreme words to describe it. There is something simple but perfectly elegant about life, which can only be summarized in such a simple but completely fitting word. Life is good, even when it seems bad.  But, I'll get to that.

Life got so complicated, full of crests and troughs like the surface of the ocean, when Adam and Eve tried to have life and live it their way, too. They stepped away from the pattern of goodness and planned to continue in this broken pattern forever. Then God put a deadline on their evil--a little thing called "death" (Genesis 3)--and it looked like it was all over. But, was it?

Pressing On Toward the Goal

 God called life "good" because it was one of those absolute qualities of Himself that creation reflected, dimly sometimes, but clearly.  Death was necessary because He also had to uphold justice and mercy (two other eternal qualities of himself), but He couldn't let life come to an end because of sin. Failing to uphold this eternal ordinance was just as bad as letting injustice stand.  He couldn't do it!

That is why God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to uphold life by paying the penalty for sin with His own life.  He sent Christ because He wanted to show to us how seriously and personally He took this whole situation.  Christ was sinless, just like His Father, but He willingly died, so we who had sinned could have a chance to regain the eternal life we had forfeited.  It was the only way to uphold justice and uphold life at the same time, and Christ did it!

Now, people laugh and scoff at this, saying it's all a fairytale, but it does make logical sense that the toughest, most complicated questions have simple answers.  We don't need to figure out where life comes from, or try to isolate a substance, or draw up genealogies. We just need to believe that God is the source of life, and go to Him, and ask for Him to give us the life that He won on the cross.  If we go to Him seeking life earnestly, He will reward our search (Hebrews 11: 6).

God made life.  He values it so highly that He committed His own son, the embodiment of His Word, His goodness, and His purposes (John 1: 1-5 NIV) to the preservation of life.  And finally, He offers this perfect life which He has protected as a replacement for this broken version of life we are now living.  I can't think of a greater goal for this current existence than to seek the things He values--the foremost being eternal life--which we receive now and enjoy even after these old eyes have closed for the last time.

This Easter season, Christians everywhere will celebrate the life that God birthed with the Resurrection of His son, "The firstborn among many" (Romans 8: 29 NIV). What we are talking about is this eternal life, this "new" life, that is pure and clean like new eyes, patterned the way life should have been before sin broke it.  Do you have eternal life today?

Weekend Snippet: Thirst

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.--Isaiah 55: 1a NIV

On the long drives to and from the Colorado trip, I brought along a big liter bottle of water and developed a reputation as the person in the car who drank the least water. Part of this was intentional, but the rest was the fact that I just didn't feel thirsty.  Sometimes I craved salty foods, which I've heard sometimes is really thirst signals getting confused with hunger.  Any time I noticed this (and knew that I wasn't just genuinely hungry), I drank more water.

The Bible frequently relates God's gift of salvation and eternal life to a drink of water.  Just as water brings life and vigor to the weary, Christ's offering can repair the most run down of souls.  There's just one catch: We have to "thirst" so that we can "drink."  We must first become aware that we (individually and personally) are thirsty.  It doesn't work to expect to benefit from another person drinking the water, nor does it work to merely live near it all our lives.  Christ cannot bless us and help us until we face our own thirst, that is, come to terms with our own lack.

Sometimes people recognize this need right away, and turn to Christ early in their lives (these people are the luckiest ones).  The rest get mixed signals in their minds, and chase after things that they think will satisfy their thirst, but which aren't really water.  This is like eating crackers instead of taking a drink.  It only leaves them hopeless, because they are thirstier than ever.

Many keep saying, "How could God help me, now that I've [eaten all these crackers]?" and they persist in their sin without turning to the living water they suspect could help them.  Some get so mixed up that they keep "eating the crackers," insisting this is what they need, until it makes them ill, or worse, kills them.  If only they would see what will satisfy their thirst before the disaster comes!

Whether they are feeling only slightly thirsty, or so lacking that they have fallen ill or are nearing death, it is our challenge as Christians to offer them what we have found, "the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55: 2 NIV), which satisfies completely.  It's not boring stuff.  Even in its simplicity, it is essential to life and health.

This grave responsibility to our fellow human beings calls for true wisdom in the Christian community, not pop psychology, and this can only come to us through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We who try to reach out to the world have not helped anyone if we offer Christ's salvation to them, but don't explain to them how this fulfills their needs--that is, we don't explain thirst, or the fact that this alone quenches it.  Without a clear, straightforward, and truthful answer to this question, we have wasted our time and theirs, to their much greater loss.  Furthermore, if we offer them "crackers" of even the purest sort, but no "water," we have condemned them, and they just might choke to death on our blessing!  This should not be. 

Until next time, I challenge you to remember your own past thirst, and taking Christ's model for your own (John 4: 8-30),  pray for wisdom in reaching out to others when you go out of your door each day. They so desperately need this living water!  Who will share it with them?

Trusting God's Guidance Through the "Fog"

There is something secure about being able to see what is directly ahead of us. We feel somehow better able to handle the situation (even if that is just a delusion), as long as we know which direction it is coming from.  I think this feeling of helplessness is what makes fog so disturbing to us, even on a spiritual level.  At least, I feel I learned a few spiritual lessons from fog during my recent nighttime drive through it!

The Dark Heart of a Cloud

On the way to Colorado Springs, my fellow vacationers and I drove all day in heavy rain, but we didn't feel alarmed or even troubled about the weather conditions until it got seriously foggy that evening.

As the sun set...

Really, really foggy.  We snapped these two pictures through the car windows, half an hour or so apart, before and after sunset.

We were literally driving through the heart of a cloud at that altitude. Traffic slowed to a walking pace, as weird white arms of cloud slid across the road ahead like giant snakes.  Visibility was at zero; we could only see about half of a car length ahead of us at times.  We even passed a large-eared fox and later a bunch of mule deer waiting beside the road to cross.

Fog bank at night.

Unable to pull off anywhere, I kept edging the car slowly down the steep mountain slope.  Conversation in the car shrank to hushed monosyllables.

Then our radio started playing what I would call "Christian Anthems" about walking bravely with the Lord. We spontaneously turned it up and sang along, and suddenly we felt better, even though it would be another hour before we escaped the fog bank.

Guidance Through the Fog

Frequently, life is like driving through that heavy fog bank with zero visibility! Strange things seem to come at us from out of nowhere.  Sometimes they are threatening, and sometimes they aren't, but either way, we feel off-balance and terrified when they suddenly appear.  The thing that shrouds them from our view becomes itself a kind of enemy--an ally with our fears.

We can give in to a fear of "fog" in life, like changing circumstances (which makes planning and foresight impossible), impending money and resource shortages, health issues, and personal relationships, but that fear will soon destroy us.  Thoughts of ways to defend ourselves against any threat will consume our thinking and snuff out everything else.  Fear might even cut us off from God when we allow ourselves to think that God has abandoned us to the fog.

There is an alternative.  We can choose to lean on the Lord and go forward without embracing those fears.  I'm not saying that God has asked us to live without feeling the sensation of fear (it is perfectly natural and good for us at times), but God wants us to leave the worrying about what we cannot predict and the constant scanning of that foggy horizon to Him.  When the darkness really presses in, we need not focus on it, but should instead remind ourselves in praise of His past victories while He works another one in our lives (2 Chronicles 20: 15-28).  He can see what lies ahead, after all, and He isn't afraid of it.  Because He is with us, we shouldn't be, either.

Our task is to trust His guidance, and that is far easier than trying to create our own.

 The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path," (Psalm 119: 105 NIV). Instead of overloading us with worries and revelations about what might lie ahead, God has given us His guidance for this present moment (His Word, the Bible, and Christ who models for us the way [John 1: 1-5]), and a firm and irrefutable promise that He will save us from every alarm if we follow Him (John 3: 16; Joshua 1: 9). We don't need to fear the fog, or what might lie ahead.  We will face those things when we come to them, and we won't be alone!  God will be with us in the future, just as He is with us right now. We just need to trust Him, and He will guide us home.

Weekend Snippet: In a Worshipful Mood...

This past weekend, I took a short trip into the Colorado Rockies with two other ladies. We stayed in the Colorado Springs area at a Christian retreat center called Glen Eyrie (I heartily recommend!), and soaked up the natural beauty of the area.

Especially since we grew up in "mildly hilly" landscapes, we were awestruck by the soaring heights and vibrant colors. God makes lovely things!  Here is a photo from scenic pullout along a highway, with Pike's Peak in the background, and "The Garden of the Gods" in the foreground.  I don't care for the name of that park, because I believe there is only one God who could have made those strange red rocks (and He happened to make the big snow-capped one behind it, too).

Pike's Peak and Gateway Rock

This landscape put all of us in a worshipful mood, and we frequently sang along with Chris August's song, Canyons as we drove from one place to another.  Not worshiping the mountains, mind you, but rather the Lord who made them, and who, after completing such a gigantic project, still cares about the large and small problems we deal with daily.  It is an amazing and humbling thought!  For my past reflections on Pike's Peak, you might want to read my post, "God of the Mountains and Valleys."

Mountains symbolize power and authority to the human mind.  Such a sight makes it hard to believe that God is somehow powerless to attend to our needs.  It was a good spiritual reminder for me to have faith without doubt, and to walk with the Lord with confidence.  The first evening, I re-read Isaiah 55 and this verse stood out for me:

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55: 12 NIV)

This is precisely the way I felt when I surveyed that landscape.  In Christ, and by no other, I can claim that kind of joy and peace.  It's the assurance that whether I'm on the mountain peak or standing in the valley, I know I'm safe.  Since I have put my trust in Christ, I know He will rescue me from death.  That kind of good news makes me want to join in with the song of the hills and mountains!

I wanted to share a couple of other inspiring photos (and these are by no means hard to come by in that kind of landscape).  Don't they inspire awe of God?

Glen Eyrie, Near Echo Canyon, at Sunset

Overlooking Glen Eyrie, with Colorado Springs in the Background

We had quite the adventure, and on a few occasions, we had to trust entirely in God's power (for instance, our nighttime trek down a mountainside in the densest fog we had ever seen).  It was wonderful, though, and we all plan to go back again when we can!

What about you?  What do mountains make you think about? I'd like to hear from you!

Choked by the Weeds

I hate to admit it online, but in the spirit of writing toward the interests and needs of real people, I'll admit that I have a problem lately of over-multi-tasking.  With all of the projects I've started, it is sometimes amazing that I'm able to finish them well, or at all.  Since at this moment I can't really stop any of them altogether, I've been looking for ways to make the less-important tasks drop into the background while I try to develop and improve my lifelong goals.  I think it's important, even for the sake of my spiritual development.

I bring this up here because I've noticed that when I'm constantly switching between tasks, I tend to spend less time with God and His Word.  This results in more anxiety and stress, and a loss of peace.  How about you? Is life beginning to keep you from the spiritual growth of your dreams?

In Jesus' explanation of the Parable of the Sower, I see a warning when Jesus said, "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful" (Matthew 13: 22 NIV). I don't want to be unfruitful! I don't want to waste my energy worrying, since that usually comes to nothing. I certainly don't want to make money (or any other kind of advancement, for that matter) into some kind of god that I serve at the loss of everything.  Nothing on my super-long to-do list could possibly be this important.


Studying this plant symbolism further, I see that the key to overcoming the choking weeds is to focus on God, not on peripheral things. Just like the seedlings growing among the thorns, we have to look up (keep our eyes on God) instead of looking to either side (at our scary-looking neighbors).  Plants that focus on the sun will eventually rise above the weeds, through growth.  Similarly, if we stay in constant contact with the Lord, He will make us grow spiritually, until we can look down at our worries and say, "My God is bigger than you!"


So, today, I'm going to take a few minutes to read the Bible in the middle of the day, when nothing is quite done and it's kind of inconvenient.  I'm going to close my eyes and pray during one of those moments when it looks like the whole world is going to fall apart if I don't keep both eyes riveted on the problem at hand.  If I really believe that God is in control and that He will take care of me, I need to act like it.  That means catching myself when I'm trying to hold up the weight of the world on my own, and just believe that God is going to take care of me, even when I'm not "on duty" or "totally with it" today.

God is not going to let His own interests in me get choked out by the weeds. He put too much work into my salvation already when He sent His son, Jesus, to die for me.  If He's not afraid of these things, why should I be? If He has overcome every trouble in this life, I know I can do the same, by His strength.


I'm reminded of a memory verse from children's church when I was small. It's good to return to what I knew first, so I'm sharing it here:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3: 5, 6 NIV)

Weekend Snippet: Impossible to Ignore

As a writer and small business owner who does her own marketing, I spend a lot of time figuring out how to get my words read.  A big part of what I do to make a living is attracting people's attention, and making them want the thing I'm selling. If I fail, I don't get many shoppers, which translates to a skinnier wallet.  Of course, I'm naturally better at failing than succeeding, so I have to work to overcome my own handicaps.

I was thinking about the effectiveness of God's campaign for our souls as I re-read the "marketing" chapter in Isaiah, chapter 55 to be exact, which I've been talking about for two posts now.  The passage begins with cries to "come and buy" something more valuable than the usual fare.  I spoke in detail about that in my recent post "Bought Without Money or Cost."  As the chapter unfolds, we are more clearly told that the thing of great value that can be found in this marketplace is a covenant with God (verse 3) which is something new, exciting, and previously unknown to the world (verses 5-8).  In fact, part of what makes it so wonderful is the fact that none of us deserve it, yet it is available for all of us to receive anyway (verse 7).

Frankly, no one can beat that.  It's brand-new, previously unknown, better than anything we have previously known, and freely given to anyone who wants it.  Who can hear of such a thing and still walk on?

Perhaps the reason why so many have not taken this offering is because they haven't heard about it yet, since God goes on to say,

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55: 10, 11 NIV)

 The reason why every word God says accomplishes His will is that every word is something we all need to hear.  God's word is kind, true, just, merciful, healing, faithful, fulfilling, comforting, and so much more!  It has 100% appeal to every walk of life.  On the other hand, when He pronounces judgement, no one can overturn it.  This is why even those who feel they can escape God will ultimately feel the need to listen.

Marketing campaigns or other kinds of work at a job or at school have their own kinds of usefulness, but God's word is ever useful, and always applicable. You might be able to turn off commercials and block out all the ads on the web, but you can't shut out the need you have for God's word.  If you've felt Him calling you and speaking to you today, I advise you to let Him in.  Give Him your ear, and watch Him transform your life and repair all the brokenness, like the flourishing bud in spring. 

Weekend Snippet: Bought Without Money or Cost

Earlier today, I read another news report about the impending death penalty for Iranian Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and contemplated the response this brave man gave his captors, "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"  According to the wording of the constitution of Iran, he has been labeled a "national apostate" because he was conceived by Iranian Muslims, but converted to Christianity later.  This makes him eligible for death by hanging if he does not "repent" or recant his faith.  His sentence could be carried out at any time.

I bring this up to call attention to those who suffer for the cause of Christ, especially in Eastern countries.  I won't deny that some of us Westerners do face mortal threats and other extremes of persecution for our faith, but generally, we enjoy relative security from our governments, and even a small measure of protection from our neighbors.  We should use this freedom wisely, and pray for those who do not have what we've been given.

I was thinking about this in light of a passage I recently re-read in my personal Bible study.  Chapter 55 in Isaiah talks about the extension of the new covenant to include Gentiles, such as myself and Mr. Nadarkhani.  It begins with an invitation to "buy wine and milk without money and without cost" (v. 1), extended to all who are thirsty, and even those who have no money.

Obviously, this marketplace is a symbol for a spiritual gift extended to all people, a foreshadowing of Christ's salvation "to all who believe" (Romans 3: 22 NIV).  There is another interesting element in this invitation, which I wanted to point out today.  There is no payment being required, because nothing could pay for this, yet those who are invited, are invited to buy.

I looked this up in Matthew Henry's commentary, and his take on it was that the recipients were called "buyers" because there is a cost for following God, and the thing we are seeking has a value.  What God offers is not to be taken lightly, like we sometimes do with free things.

This is an often misunderstood aspect of Christianity.  The sacrifice of Christ is free to us, and we cannot purchase our salvation through any of our own efforts, but when we choose to follow Him, there will be moments when we have to fight to keep our faith, and resist challenges to our faith and life.  There is a cost for following Christ.  Mr. Nadarkhani is currently facing it.

Some people might wonder why Christians hang on like they do in the heat of persecution.  The next verse in Isaiah answers that question: "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55: 2 NIV).  What Christians have found is too good to give up again, and it is too good to ever want the old fare again.  Since it is so valuable, to the extent that it is not equaled by anything else, and satisfaction for our deepest needs can be found nowhere else, it is worth any sacrifice in order to keep it.

This is why the Iranian Christian's profession of faith while he was on trial is so blunt, to the extent that his words likely troubled those he was talking to.  Frankly, when you realize that something is rubbish, you lose patience with efforts to "make nice" and call it something good, and that is what I see here.  He has found something more valuable and satisfying than Islam, and it even outweighs concerns for his family and his own life.  He is trying to challenge his captors, so they will see his certainty, and thirst for what he has found.

I don't know how this is going to end, but right now, there are still things that Christians should pray for in this situation.  I pray that every word Mr. Nadarkhani speaks to his jailers will come from God, so there will be a good return on what is said (see Isaiah 55: 9-11), and I am praying for a miracle, not unlike when Peter walked out of prison aided by an angel (Acts 12: 1-19).  If it comes to his execution, I pray for peace and comfort in the hearts of this whole family, so that no one falters or loses faith over this.

I know that God is real, and His power is not checked by any human challenge, so whatever comes, this battle has already been won.  It is not occasion for despair, but it should be sobering for other Christians.  It should cause us to examine our own hearts and lives, and ask the question, "What is my faith costing me?"  If the answer isn't clear, then maybe our faith is too weak, and we should be taking a stronger stand.  After all, we have found the Living Water, and it is too good to give up easily.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13, 14 NIV)