Thankful for Someone to Thank
Last night my brother asked this question on Facebook:
His question brought to mind an ODB (Our Daily Bread) that I wrote back in 2005, but which (to my knowledge) was never published. That year I was just finishing chemotherapy and was about to begin radiation. I was extremely thankful to all the friends, family, and physicians who had given me so much attention. But at the top of the list was God, who had equipped all of those people with gifts of compassion and the knowledge to treat deadly diseases.
My devotional doesn't answer Jim's question, but it does address the same subject . . .
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. —James 1:17
Read: James 1
Magician Penn Jillette believes there is no god and claims that his life is better for it. Not believing in God is good, he says, because he has to “treat people right the first time around” since he can’t be forgiven.
Of course it’s good to treat people right, but his conclusion doesn’t address inevitable failures. What do we do with our guilt? Jillette doesn’t offer an answer. Instead he implies that believers are beggars.
“I'm not greedy,” says Gillette. “I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. . . . It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more.”
When I heard Gillette’s essay just before Thanksgiving in 2005, I thought, yes, he has all these things, but one thing is still missing: He has no one to thank for all this goodness. He doesn’t even have an explanation for goodness. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).
I feel sorry for people who think that the only reason for believing in God is so we can beg Him for more. Believers aren’t beggars; we’re worshipers. We believe in God not because we want more, but because we’re grateful for everything He has provided—especially forgiveness. —Julie Ackerman Link
Who do people thank who don't have a saving faith in Christ?
His question brought to mind an ODB (Our Daily Bread) that I wrote back in 2005, but which (to my knowledge) was never published. That year I was just finishing chemotherapy and was about to begin radiation. I was extremely thankful to all the friends, family, and physicians who had given me so much attention. But at the top of the list was God, who had equipped all of those people with gifts of compassion and the knowledge to treat deadly diseases.
My devotional doesn't answer Jim's question, but it does address the same subject . . .
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. —James 1:17
Read: James 1
Magician Penn Jillette believes there is no god and claims that his life is better for it. Not believing in God is good, he says, because he has to “treat people right the first time around” since he can’t be forgiven.
Of course it’s good to treat people right, but his conclusion doesn’t address inevitable failures. What do we do with our guilt? Jillette doesn’t offer an answer. Instead he implies that believers are beggars.
“I'm not greedy,” says Gillette. “I have love, blue skies, rainbows and Hallmark cards, and that has to be enough. . . . It seems just rude to beg the invisible for more.”
When I heard Gillette’s essay just before Thanksgiving in 2005, I thought, yes, he has all these things, but one thing is still missing: He has no one to thank for all this goodness. He doesn’t even have an explanation for goodness. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).
I feel sorry for people who think that the only reason for believing in God is so we can beg Him for more. Believers aren’t beggars; we’re worshipers. We believe in God not because we want more, but because we’re grateful for everything He has provided—especially forgiveness. —Julie Ackerman Link
Greetings from Africa
This is my first Internet connection since my brief connection at the airport in Grand Rapids. I was too cheap to pay the fee to connect for a such a short time at Detroit or Amsterdam.
Here is a rundown of our trip so far. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll use Grand Rapids time:
Friday, 30 October
1:30 pm | Leave Grand Rapids
2:30 pm | Arrive Detroit
5:00 pm | Leave Detroit
Saturday, 31 October
12:30 am | Arrive Amsterdam (5:30 am local time)
5:20 am | Leave Amsterdam
1:00 pm | Arrive Nairobi (8:00 pm local time)
After arriving in Nairobi, we spent approximately one hour waiting in line for our Visas. Then, after retrieving our luggage, we found our MAI greeters at the airport entrance. Our driver took us to the van, where we were later joined by three more people who had come in our flight (Jeanette Windell, Esther Zimmerman, and Ian Darke). We then waited for the 9:30 flight coming in from London. A few of us were just about ready to go back to the airport for a drink of water and a potty break when Alice Lawhead arrived. After rearranging the luggage so everything would fit, we headed for Brackenhurst. We drove through Nairobi, but by now it was nearly 11 pm local time, so the city was quiet. We headed “upland” through much fog, which, because of the elevation, may have been clouds (I’m still not sure which it was).
After a few wrong turns, which took us down some very deserted roads, and a few phone calls, we finally found Brackenhurst. We drove into the complex and found the reception area, which was totally dark. However, this was the place where the driver was told to drop us off, so he unloaded our luggage and told us that someone would come to show us to our rooms. So there we were, the six of us and our luggage, standing in complete darkness waiting for someone to show up. A short time later, four people appeared out of the darkness and let us into the reception hall. One of them gave us keys to our rooms and told us to follow the other three to our rooms. The person Jay and I and Alice were to follow was bundled from head to toe in heavy clothes and had a thick red scarf wrapped around his neck and head. The temperature probably wasn’t lower than 60, but apparently it was cold for him.
We hauled our luggage up a hill along flagstone walkways, then along a grass-covered driveway, up some flagstone steps, along another flagstone walkway, and finally to our room.
We didn’t waste any time getting settled into our room. Although it was only 6:30 pm Michigan time, we hadn’t had any real sleep since getting up the day before at 6:30 am.
Getting from the airport to our room took 5 ½ hours. If my math is correct, that’s only 2 hours less than it took to get from Detroit to Amsterdam.
We slept until about 11:00 Sunday morning, and got up just in time to get ready for lunch, which was delicious and plentiful. After lunch, Jay went to an afternoon session, and I went back to the room to work on my workshop for the next day. I had somehow managed to leave at home the copy on which I had made my last-minute changes, so I had to try to remember what they were. I finished in time for supper.
At the Sunday night session, a band from a Presbyterian church in Nairobi led worship. They were excellent. Very talented and very enthusiastic. Nothing can compare to an international worship experience. The keynote speaker Sunday night was Kenyan Ambassador Bethuel A. Kiplagat. What an amazing person. I’ll have to write more about this later. I’m in a hurry to finish so I can get online and get this uploaded.
Sunday night when we got back to our room, the power was off. We’d been warned that Kenya has temporary power outages, so we had flashlights. We set our alarm clocks and went to sleep hoping the power would be back on in the morning. It was, but only temporarily. Before the water heated up, it went off again. So we had to take luke warm showers. The power was on briefly when Jay dried his hair, but it went off again before I got to use the hair dryer. So I had to show up for breakfast with a wet head.
Oh, well, it’s an adventure.
Jay was supposed to visit a couple of sites with an organization located nearby, but they couldn’t go because the roads were closed due to so much rain. I forgot to mention that part of the story. Apparently this is the rainy season. Thankfully it was raining in Grand Rapids when we left, so I have my raincoat with me. Everyone here is jealous.
If we have power in our room tonight maybe I will upload some of the pictures I took today when it wasn't raining.
Oh, my workshop today went well. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. I think Jay said there were 16 people there. Of course, he was one of them. I was honored also to have Alice Lawhead and Nicholas Gray attend.
That’s all for now. It’s almost time for supper.
Here is a rundown of our trip so far. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll use Grand Rapids time:
Friday, 30 October
1:30 pm | Leave Grand Rapids
2:30 pm | Arrive Detroit
5:00 pm | Leave Detroit
Saturday, 31 October
12:30 am | Arrive Amsterdam (5:30 am local time)
5:20 am | Leave Amsterdam
1:00 pm | Arrive Nairobi (8:00 pm local time)
After arriving in Nairobi, we spent approximately one hour waiting in line for our Visas. Then, after retrieving our luggage, we found our MAI greeters at the airport entrance. Our driver took us to the van, where we were later joined by three more people who had come in our flight (Jeanette Windell, Esther Zimmerman, and Ian Darke). We then waited for the 9:30 flight coming in from London. A few of us were just about ready to go back to the airport for a drink of water and a potty break when Alice Lawhead arrived. After rearranging the luggage so everything would fit, we headed for Brackenhurst. We drove through Nairobi, but by now it was nearly 11 pm local time, so the city was quiet. We headed “upland” through much fog, which, because of the elevation, may have been clouds (I’m still not sure which it was).
After a few wrong turns, which took us down some very deserted roads, and a few phone calls, we finally found Brackenhurst. We drove into the complex and found the reception area, which was totally dark. However, this was the place where the driver was told to drop us off, so he unloaded our luggage and told us that someone would come to show us to our rooms. So there we were, the six of us and our luggage, standing in complete darkness waiting for someone to show up. A short time later, four people appeared out of the darkness and let us into the reception hall. One of them gave us keys to our rooms and told us to follow the other three to our rooms. The person Jay and I and Alice were to follow was bundled from head to toe in heavy clothes and had a thick red scarf wrapped around his neck and head. The temperature probably wasn’t lower than 60, but apparently it was cold for him.
We hauled our luggage up a hill along flagstone walkways, then along a grass-covered driveway, up some flagstone steps, along another flagstone walkway, and finally to our room.
We didn’t waste any time getting settled into our room. Although it was only 6:30 pm Michigan time, we hadn’t had any real sleep since getting up the day before at 6:30 am.
Getting from the airport to our room took 5 ½ hours. If my math is correct, that’s only 2 hours less than it took to get from Detroit to Amsterdam.
We slept until about 11:00 Sunday morning, and got up just in time to get ready for lunch, which was delicious and plentiful. After lunch, Jay went to an afternoon session, and I went back to the room to work on my workshop for the next day. I had somehow managed to leave at home the copy on which I had made my last-minute changes, so I had to try to remember what they were. I finished in time for supper.
At the Sunday night session, a band from a Presbyterian church in Nairobi led worship. They were excellent. Very talented and very enthusiastic. Nothing can compare to an international worship experience. The keynote speaker Sunday night was Kenyan Ambassador Bethuel A. Kiplagat. What an amazing person. I’ll have to write more about this later. I’m in a hurry to finish so I can get online and get this uploaded.
Sunday night when we got back to our room, the power was off. We’d been warned that Kenya has temporary power outages, so we had flashlights. We set our alarm clocks and went to sleep hoping the power would be back on in the morning. It was, but only temporarily. Before the water heated up, it went off again. So we had to take luke warm showers. The power was on briefly when Jay dried his hair, but it went off again before I got to use the hair dryer. So I had to show up for breakfast with a wet head.
Oh, well, it’s an adventure.
Jay was supposed to visit a couple of sites with an organization located nearby, but they couldn’t go because the roads were closed due to so much rain. I forgot to mention that part of the story. Apparently this is the rainy season. Thankfully it was raining in Grand Rapids when we left, so I have my raincoat with me. Everyone here is jealous.
If we have power in our room tonight maybe I will upload some of the pictures I took today when it wasn't raining.
Oh, my workshop today went well. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. I think Jay said there were 16 people there. Of course, he was one of them. I was honored also to have Alice Lawhead and Nicholas Gray attend.
That’s all for now. It’s almost time for supper.
13 August 2009
"Sticks & stones may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me," is a lie.
Words Hurt
Click here for today's Bible reading: Job 25-28; Proverbs 14:12-24.
The trouble with people who say stupid things is that they seldom realize they have said anything dumb. This means that I too have surely said my share of stupid things, perhaps even hurtful things, and that I am going on with my life oblivious to the hurt and anger I’ve left in my wake. I feel bad about this and wish that ignorance didn’t accompany stupidity because if I knew who my victims were I would go back and apologize and ask them to please not blame God for my wrong-headedness.
People who say stupid things often mean well. (I am trying to give others the benefit of the doubt that I want to claim for myself.) Perhaps they are simply trying to reconcile their beliefs with their observations. When you desperately want to believe in a loving God, you see only two obvious options to explain suffering: either you have to close your eyes to all the suffering or you have to come up with an explanation that gets God off the hook for allowing (or causing) so many bad things to happen.
But sometimes people cross a line (granted, it’s my line, not God’s) and speak as if they are an oracle from God to explain the reason for someone else’s devastating circumstances. Usually they are trying to provide comfort. Nearly always they do the opposite.
Which brings me to a story that I heard this week.
A child is born with a serious disability. The parents are devastated. And some stranger tells them that God did this to make them better Christians. Ouch! What kind of theology is this? And on what basis does anyone dare to claim that he or she knows the reason for someone else’s suffering?
Again, trying to give the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the comment was an attempt to defend God—to excuse his bad behavior by claiming that good will come out of it. But does God really need this kind of defense? I think not.
So here’s my question: “Why does God give everyone so much freedom of speech?” I mean, he has, on occasion, made people speechless (e.g., Zechariah, Luke 1:20). Why doesn’t he use this technique more often? I can think of many times when a little imposed silence would have served him well.
For the most part, however, God lets people blab. Even more surprising, he has published some of the outrageous comments made by people who are speaking lies about him. Surely he doesn’t condone lying. Yet God has demonstrated amazing patience when it comes to people who tell lies about him.
That seems to be what’s going on in the book of Job, which I “just happened” to be reading when I heard this story.
When really bad things start happening to Job, the only way his friends can explain them and still maintain their belief in God’s fairness is to conclude that Job deserves punishment. They have not seen Job sin, so they believe he must be hiding it. Their belief system has no place for a God who allows an innocent person to suffer.
Their faulty theology led to two faulty assumptions: First, that God was causing Job’s suffering. Second, that Job deserved what was happening to him.
For me to criticize them for their wrong thinking would be unfair. The only reason I know they’re wrong is because God has revealed a lot more about himself in subsequent centuries. In fact, God used their faulty arguments and false allegations as an opportunity for further revelation. Their mistaken beliefs provided the backdrop for God’s startling soliloquy at the end of the book.
So perhaps I have answered my own question. Why does God allow us to speak so freely? Because our speaking reveals what we believe (Matthew 15:18), and by airing our erroneous arguments, we give God an opportunity to correct our faulty thinking.
But God’s ability to use our stupid comments does not mean that we should continue to carelessly provide him with opportunities. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2).
Heavenly Father, may I not compound my stupidity with arrogance by assuming that only other people say stupid things. Please seal my lips and keep hurtful words from escaping. When they manage to sneak out, make me immediately aware of them so that I can quickly repent and ask forgiveness.
Have you ever been hurt by someone’s unkind, unthinking, ignorant, or insensitive comment about God’s role in your circumstances? How did you process it? Did it make you angry at God? Do you think the world would be better or worse if God didn’t allow us to say stupid, hurtful things? In what way?
“Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’
God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens . . .
And he said to man,
‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’ ” —Job 28:20-24, 28
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'” —Jesus (Matthew 15:18)
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
11 August 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Job 17-20; Proverbs 13:13-25.
Then Job replied:
"How long will you torment me
and crush me with words?
Ten times now you have reproached me;
shamelessly you attack me.
If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error remains my concern alone.
If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me
and use my humiliation against me,
then know that God has wronged me
and drawn his net around me.
"Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response;
though I call for help, there is no justice.
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.
He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.
He tears me down on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope like a tree. —Job 19:1-10
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Then Job replied:
"How long will you torment me
and crush me with words?
Ten times now you have reproached me;
shamelessly you attack me.
If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error remains my concern alone.
If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me
and use my humiliation against me,
then know that God has wronged me
and drawn his net around me.
"Though I cry, 'I've been wronged!' I get no response;
though I call for help, there is no justice.
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.
He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.
He tears me down on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope like a tree. —Job 19:1-10
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
9 August 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalm 93-95.
Storm coming in over Lake Michigan at Whitehall.
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty. —Psalm 93:3-4
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Storm coming in over Lake Michigan at Whitehall.
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty. —Psalm 93:3-4
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Michael Jackson's Moonwalk
A metaphor for our generation?
Going backward while appearing to go forward.
23 June 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: 1 Chronicles 15-17; Proverbs 17:15-27.
Dancing Birds
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." 1 Chronicles 16:31
Straight ahead of me, against a clear blue sky on a warm fall day, a small gray cloud hung above a busy intersection. What was that lonely cloud doing there on such a perfect Sunday afternoon, I wondered. As if hearing my thoughts, the cloud suddenly shimmered like silver and disappeared. Then, just as suddenly, it reappeared, darker this time and in a new shape. A smile. Then the cloud stretched itself across the road like a wavy banner announcing the song that I was hearing on my radio. As the music of “This Is My Father’s World” beamed from nearby radio towers, the cloud of dancing birds soared with each majestic phrase—as if feeling the music in the air. Seemingly elated that the station was “playing their song,” the birds dipped with each downbeat and swelled with each crescendo through all three verses.
I wondered if the other drivers realized that they were in the audience of the Almighty. I wanted to look, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off the swooping and soaring birds. Instead, with my eyes open, I prayed, “Thank you, heavenly Father, for allowing me to watch you conduct this remarkable ballet of birds. Thank you for reminding me that all creation, myself included, is part of your song and that you are conducting every verse. May my praise and worship this day be as beautiful to you as your creation is to me. Amen.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Dancing Birds
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." 1 Chronicles 16:31
Straight ahead of me, against a clear blue sky on a warm fall day, a small gray cloud hung above a busy intersection. What was that lonely cloud doing there on such a perfect Sunday afternoon, I wondered. As if hearing my thoughts, the cloud suddenly shimmered like silver and disappeared. Then, just as suddenly, it reappeared, darker this time and in a new shape. A smile. Then the cloud stretched itself across the road like a wavy banner announcing the song that I was hearing on my radio. As the music of “This Is My Father’s World” beamed from nearby radio towers, the cloud of dancing birds soared with each majestic phrase—as if feeling the music in the air. Seemingly elated that the station was “playing their song,” the birds dipped with each downbeat and swelled with each crescendo through all three verses.
I wondered if the other drivers realized that they were in the audience of the Almighty. I wanted to look, but I didn’t want to take my eyes off the swooping and soaring birds. Instead, with my eyes open, I prayed, “Thank you, heavenly Father, for allowing me to watch you conduct this remarkable ballet of birds. Thank you for reminding me that all creation, myself included, is part of your song and that you are conducting every verse. May my praise and worship this day be as beautiful to you as your creation is to me. Amen.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
16 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Acts 3-5; Proverbs 15:1-11.
The LORD detests the way of the wickedClick here to see the complete one-year schedule.
but he loves those who pursue righteousness. —Proverbs 15:9
15 May 2009 | Being a Witness
Click here for today's Bible reading: Acts 1-2; Proverbs 14:25-35.
You Will Be My Witnesses
This week, Ed Dobson, my former pastor, has been posting updates about the sermon he’ll be preaching at Mars Hill Bible Church on Sunday. His topic is witnessing. As one Facebook friend suggested, Ed’s name is synonymous with the subject. Mine is not. For years I felt guilty about my inability to learn and use all the helpful witnessing tools that have been promoted and presented at various churches, camps, and conferences I have attended.
Then this morning, when my devotional reading was on the same subject (see Acts:1:1-8), I decided it would be a good time to post an excerpt from my book that tells how I finally resolved (for the most part) my guilt by realizing that it was based on years of faulty exposition (not by Ed) of the word witness.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
You Will Be My Witnesses
This week, Ed Dobson, my former pastor, has been posting updates about the sermon he’ll be preaching at Mars Hill Bible Church on Sunday. His topic is witnessing. As one Facebook friend suggested, Ed’s name is synonymous with the subject. Mine is not. For years I felt guilty about my inability to learn and use all the helpful witnessing tools that have been promoted and presented at various churches, camps, and conferences I have attended.
Then this morning, when my devotional reading was on the same subject (see Acts:1:1-8), I decided it would be a good time to post an excerpt from my book that tells how I finally resolved (for the most part) my guilt by realizing that it was based on years of faulty exposition (not by Ed) of the word witness.
Whenever I sit down in front of my computer to write, I wish I could make my words sound like those of Henri Nouwen or Anne Lamott or Philip Yancey. They don’t. If anything, my words sound more like those of an impatient preacher. I want to be soothing, not scathing; amusing, not accusing; inspiring, not indicting. Sometimes I wonder if the prophet Jeremiah wanted to write like David, the singer and songwriter, or like Moses, the historian. Or was he content to speak in the style and for the purpose that God assigned him, even though his message was unpopular?Also see “Just Be Yourself.”
My failed attempts to use someone else’s voice when I write is similar to what happens when we try to use someone else’s story to witness. To be an effective witness for God we cannot use someone else’s voice or talent or experience. Being a witness is telling others the truth about myself and my personal encounter with God; it’s not memorizing the plan of salvation so that I can explain it to strangers. Being a witness means being able to say “I once was,” but now “I am.” In the words of the hymn writer, “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”
One summer I worked at a Christian camp in upstate New York, and one of our duties was to go to a nearby resort town and do street evangelism. The idea of stopping total strangers on the street and “witnessing” to them about God seemed phony to me. And it was. To be a witness a person has to have seen or experienced something. The Bible is clear about that. One of the Ten Commandments is “do not bear false witness.” Standing on those lakeside streets, I felt like a false witness—even though I was a Christian who believed God, did not deny my sinfulness, and gratefully trusted Christ for forgiveness.
But I did not have the kind of dramatic conversion experience that I thought was needed to make a convincing case for God. I became a Christian at age eight—before sin had a chance to reach the fullness of its ugly potential in my life; the “was but am” aspect of my testimony was not at all compelling.
Since then I have learned that my testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic. My witness is the simple story of my life. It’s my first-hand account of how God is taking the “me” that he created and is gently and lovingly transforming and restoring it to its full potential for his glory. Slowly but surely he is turning me from a clump of clay to a work of art.
The Greek word translated “workmanship” in Ephesians 2:10 is poiema, from which we get the English word poem. This means that we are God’s poem, his artistic expression. We are God’s good work!
I still feel some residual guilt from those early failed witnessing attempts. But, looking back, I believe that I was being required to do something I was not equipped to do. I was being sent to “go, tell” before doing the prerequisite “come, follow.” I had not yet seen what God had done, was doing, and could do in my life. I didn’t realize that I had not simply been saved from the consequences of sin but also saved for the cause of righteousness. —adapted from Above All, Love
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
14 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: 2 Samuel 5-8; Proverbs 14:12-24.
Perhaps you have witnessed something like this in your church. Perhaps this describes how you sometimes feel when you come to worship . . .
On the left side of the aisle, three people sat stiffly in the pew. When the congregation stood to sing “Shout to the Lord,” they kept their arms folded across their chests. On the right side of the aisle sat a man in a wheelchair. When the congregation stood, he needed help getting up on his feet, but then he willed his weak arms toward heaven. As the song swelled to a crescendo, he closed his eyes and tried to make his mouth form the words of the song; the three on the right stared straight ahead, their lips sealed.
Obviously, I do not know the hearts of anyone in this story, but I cannot help but see myself in it. I sometimes do more pouting than praising in church. Instead of concentrating on the God I worship, I criticize the way others are worshiping.
When King David worshiped the Lord exuberantly, his wife called him shameless. David said, “I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight” (2 Sam. 6:22). David knew that a proper “God-consciousness” could not co-exist with prideful self-consciousness.
Taking worship seriously means taking ourselves less seriously, for worship is not about holding onto our dignity; it’s about letting loose our praise. —Adapted from “Let Loose Your Praise.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Perhaps you have witnessed something like this in your church. Perhaps this describes how you sometimes feel when you come to worship . . .
On the left side of the aisle, three people sat stiffly in the pew. When the congregation stood to sing “Shout to the Lord,” they kept their arms folded across their chests. On the right side of the aisle sat a man in a wheelchair. When the congregation stood, he needed help getting up on his feet, but then he willed his weak arms toward heaven. As the song swelled to a crescendo, he closed his eyes and tried to make his mouth form the words of the song; the three on the right stared straight ahead, their lips sealed.
Obviously, I do not know the hearts of anyone in this story, but I cannot help but see myself in it. I sometimes do more pouting than praising in church. Instead of concentrating on the God I worship, I criticize the way others are worshiping.
When King David worshiped the Lord exuberantly, his wife called him shameless. David said, “I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight” (2 Sam. 6:22). David knew that a proper “God-consciousness” could not co-exist with prideful self-consciousness.
Taking worship seriously means taking ourselves less seriously, for worship is not about holding onto our dignity; it’s about letting loose our praise. —Adapted from “Let Loose Your Praise.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
10 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalms 54-56.
Happy Mothers’ Day.
Jay, Julie, Mom, Dad
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Happy Mothers’ Day.
Jay, Julie, Mom, Dad
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
9 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: John 19-21; Proverbs 12:15-28.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and today we read how Jesus honored his mother.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and today we read how Jesus honored his mother.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
8 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: John 16-18; Proverbs 12:1-14.
John 17 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. I especially like reading his prayer for all believers, because it includes me!
John 17 is my favorite chapter in the Bible. I especially like reading his prayer for all believers, because it includes me!
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (17:20-26)
6 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: 1 Samuel 16-19; Proverbs 11:12-21.
The LORD detests men of perverse heartClick here to see the complete one-year schedule.
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free. —Proverbs 11:20-21
3 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalms 51-53.
Have mercy on me, O God,Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions. —Psalms 51:1
But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever. —Psalms 52:8
2 May 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: John 13-15; Proverbs 10:12-21.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” —John 13:34-35
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” —John 14:15-21
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30 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: 1 Samuel 5-7; Proverbs 9:10-18.
But an idol is more than a carved or forged image. It's anything that takes the place of God. False gods fall over and have to be set upright. They have to be carried from place to place (or washed or cleaned or put away; or, in the case of opinions and preferences, defended). They are a burden. But people would rather cater to the gods they create than bow down to the One who created them. They work tirelessly to appease false gods but refuse to do the one thing that will make them acceptable to the one true God: bow down. (Adapted from Above All, Love: Reflections on the Greatest Commandment)
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. (1 Samuel 5:1-4)The Bible is filled with stories of people who go to all kinds of trouble to create and care for gods that are worse than helpless—they’re needy! Dagon, the god of the Philistines, certainly fit the description.
But an idol is more than a carved or forged image. It's anything that takes the place of God. False gods fall over and have to be set upright. They have to be carried from place to place (or washed or cleaned or put away; or, in the case of opinions and preferences, defended). They are a burden. But people would rather cater to the gods they create than bow down to the One who created them. They work tirelessly to appease false gods but refuse to do the one thing that will make them acceptable to the one true God: bow down. (Adapted from Above All, Love: Reflections on the Greatest Commandment)
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
29 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: 1 Samuel 1-4; Proverbs 9:1-9.
My Biggest Enemy
Sometimes I feel as if I’m in a bad relationship—with myself! Whenever Julie the writer starts a paragraph, Julie the editor interrupts. “No, no, no. Don’t say it that way. Why are you always so negative?” Or “You’re trying to say too many things. Why can’t you just stay focused for a change?” Or “What makes you think you have anything worthwhile to say?!”
Before I’ve completed a single thought, my alter ego has torn it to shreds. This ritual is very debilitating. It’s also common to the human condition.
Satan loves to distract us with criticism, and he uses our imperfections to convince us that we have no value. He interrupts us with accusations that cause us to doubt the work that God wants to accomplish in and through us. He also gets us to use this tactic on others by judging them prematurely and trying to correct them before we know what they’re trying to say.
That’s what Eli the priest did when Hannah was crying out to God. He interrupted her prayer and accused her of being drunk.
God, on the other hand, welcomes our cries for help. He wants us to pour out the contents of our hearts to him, and we can do it without fear of interruption (Psalm 62:8). We learn from reading the psalms that even as we are expressing our doubts and fears, God is at work resolving them. Many psalms that begin in despair end in praise.
If you have an internal battle raging, let the warring ideas have their time before God. He knows which side is right, and he has no interest in keeping the information a secret. He made each of us for a purpose, and he is eager to enable and empower us to complete it.
Adapted from Inner Turmoil.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
My Biggest Enemy
Sometimes I feel as if I’m in a bad relationship—with myself! Whenever Julie the writer starts a paragraph, Julie the editor interrupts. “No, no, no. Don’t say it that way. Why are you always so negative?” Or “You’re trying to say too many things. Why can’t you just stay focused for a change?” Or “What makes you think you have anything worthwhile to say?!”
Before I’ve completed a single thought, my alter ego has torn it to shreds. This ritual is very debilitating. It’s also common to the human condition.
Satan loves to distract us with criticism, and he uses our imperfections to convince us that we have no value. He interrupts us with accusations that cause us to doubt the work that God wants to accomplish in and through us. He also gets us to use this tactic on others by judging them prematurely and trying to correct them before we know what they’re trying to say.
That’s what Eli the priest did when Hannah was crying out to God. He interrupted her prayer and accused her of being drunk.
God, on the other hand, welcomes our cries for help. He wants us to pour out the contents of our hearts to him, and we can do it without fear of interruption (Psalm 62:8). We learn from reading the psalms that even as we are expressing our doubts and fears, God is at work resolving them. Many psalms that begin in despair end in praise.
If you have an internal battle raging, let the warring ideas have their time before God. He knows which side is right, and he has no interest in keeping the information a secret. He made each of us for a purpose, and he is eager to enable and empower us to complete it.
Adapted from Inner Turmoil.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
20 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Judges 4-7; Proverbs 6:1-11.
Judges 5:3
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the LORD, I will sing;
I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. ”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Judges 5:3
“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the LORD, I will sing;
I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. ”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
19 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Psalms 45-47.
Psalm 45:1
My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Psalm 45:1
My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
18 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: John 3-5; Proverbs 5:15-23.
With God, being honest about who we are leads to a relationship, not rejection.
Jesus proved this in His encounter with a woman of not-so-noble character.
Tired from a long journey, Jesus sat down beside a well in a town that most self-respecting Jews would go the extra mile to avoid. Then He started a conversation with a woman no self-respecting Jew would speak to. Notice how He turned a daily chore into a spiritual lesson.
When Jesus asked the woman for a drink, she expressed surprise that He would speak to her (John 4:7–9). Jesus indicated that He wasn’t who she thought He was, and she expressed interest in knowing who He was (vv. 10–12). Instead of identifying Himself, however, Jesus told her what He had to offer: water that would satisfy her thirst (vv. 13–14).
In a surprising reversal, the woman then asked Jesus for a drink (v. 15). When Jesus asked her to go get her husband, she explained that she didn’t have one. Instead of attacking her for what He knew was an evasive answer, Jesus commended her for telling the truth. Then He told her something about herself that she wasn’t eager to have known: that she’d had five husbands and was living with a man to whom she was not married (v. 18).
The woman then recognized that Jesus was a prophet (not because of what He said about Himself but because of what He knew about her, v. 19) and steered the uncomfortable discussion away from herself by bringing up the impersonal subject of where to worship (v. 20).
Jesus changed the subject back to something personal—from “where” to worship to “who” to worship (vv. 21–24). The woman, trying again to make it impersonal, expressed faith that the Messiah would one day explain everything (v. 25).
Seizing the opportunity the woman opened up by mentioning the Messiah, Jesus told her who He was with a simple “I am” statement: “I am he,” He said (v. 26).
Note how Jesus kept the conversation going. He didn’t tell the woman how bad she was. He just kept increasing her thirst (like salt) for more knowledge about Himself. He didn’t condemn her for who she was or what she was doing wrong. He gently led her to discover who He was and what He could do for her.
When the disciples rejoined Jesus, the woman returned to her village. Later in the passage we learn that many in the town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony (v. 39). However, it wasn’t what Jesus said about Himself that convinced them; it was the truth He spoke about the woman. She returned to her neighbors urging them, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did,” (v. 29). After meeting Jesus, she was no longer ashamed of who she was. She had met someone who knew her intimately but whose foremost desire was to redeem her, not condemn her.
Seeing ourselves as we are is the first step toward becoming all that God designed us to be.
Excerpt from Above All, Love: Reflections on the Greatest Commandment, pages 110-112.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
With God, being honest about who we are leads to a relationship, not rejection.
Jesus proved this in His encounter with a woman of not-so-noble character.
Tired from a long journey, Jesus sat down beside a well in a town that most self-respecting Jews would go the extra mile to avoid. Then He started a conversation with a woman no self-respecting Jew would speak to. Notice how He turned a daily chore into a spiritual lesson.
When Jesus asked the woman for a drink, she expressed surprise that He would speak to her (John 4:7–9). Jesus indicated that He wasn’t who she thought He was, and she expressed interest in knowing who He was (vv. 10–12). Instead of identifying Himself, however, Jesus told her what He had to offer: water that would satisfy her thirst (vv. 13–14).
In a surprising reversal, the woman then asked Jesus for a drink (v. 15). When Jesus asked her to go get her husband, she explained that she didn’t have one. Instead of attacking her for what He knew was an evasive answer, Jesus commended her for telling the truth. Then He told her something about herself that she wasn’t eager to have known: that she’d had five husbands and was living with a man to whom she was not married (v. 18).
The woman then recognized that Jesus was a prophet (not because of what He said about Himself but because of what He knew about her, v. 19) and steered the uncomfortable discussion away from herself by bringing up the impersonal subject of where to worship (v. 20).
Jesus changed the subject back to something personal—from “where” to worship to “who” to worship (vv. 21–24). The woman, trying again to make it impersonal, expressed faith that the Messiah would one day explain everything (v. 25).
Seizing the opportunity the woman opened up by mentioning the Messiah, Jesus told her who He was with a simple “I am” statement: “I am he,” He said (v. 26).
Note how Jesus kept the conversation going. He didn’t tell the woman how bad she was. He just kept increasing her thirst (like salt) for more knowledge about Himself. He didn’t condemn her for who she was or what she was doing wrong. He gently led her to discover who He was and what He could do for her.
When the disciples rejoined Jesus, the woman returned to her village. Later in the passage we learn that many in the town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony (v. 39). However, it wasn’t what Jesus said about Himself that convinced them; it was the truth He spoke about the woman. She returned to her neighbors urging them, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did,” (v. 29). After meeting Jesus, she was no longer ashamed of who she was. She had met someone who knew her intimately but whose foremost desire was to redeem her, not condemn her.
Seeing ourselves as we are is the first step toward becoming all that God designed us to be.
Excerpt from Above All, Love: Reflections on the Greatest Commandment, pages 110-112.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
15 April 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Joshua 21-24; Proverbs 4:1-17.
Taxes due. Thank you, Lord, for ordaining governments to maintain justice on your behalf. May our government do that with the taxes we pay. Remove corrupt officials as soon as possible and replace them with those who refuse to show favoritism.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Taxes due. Thank you, Lord, for ordaining governments to maintain justice on your behalf. May our government do that with the taxes we pay. Remove corrupt officials as soon as possible and replace them with those who refuse to show favoritism.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
26 February 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Leviticus 22-24; Proverbs 19:1-15.
It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way. —Proverbs 19:2
Words for Lenten Reflection
Today's Word: Bruise
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. —Isaiah 53:5
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. —Isaiah 53:10 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. —Luke 4:18-19 KJV
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way. —Proverbs 19:2
Words for Lenten Reflection
Today's Word: Bruise
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. —Isaiah 53:5
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. —Isaiah 53:10 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. —Luke 4:18-19 KJV
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
25 February 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Leviticus 18-21; Proverbs 18:13-24.
Today is Ash Wednesday.
Words for Lenten Reflection
Today's Word: Ashes
I blow on flames and end up with ashes; God blows on ashes and ends up with a living, breathing being. —JAL
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? —Isaiah 58:5
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor. —Isaiah 61:1-3
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! —Hebrews 9:13-14
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Today is Ash Wednesday.
Words for Lenten Reflection
Today's Word: Ashes
I blow on flames and end up with ashes; God blows on ashes and ends up with a living, breathing being. —JAL
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? —Isaiah 58:5
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor. —Isaiah 61:1-3
The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! —Hebrews 9:13-14
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
24 February 2009
Click here for today's Bible reading: Leviticus 15-17; Proverbs 18:1-12.
Today is Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French), the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day Christian season of Lent. The idea behind Fat Tuesday makes sense. It started when people would eat up all the perishable food they had on hand that they wouldn't be able to eat during the Lenten fast. Well, over the centuries it got a little bit out of hand and Mardi Gras turned into a multi-day celebration of indulgence and decadence. In today's Bible reading, we find a better use for fat:
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
Today is Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French), the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day Christian season of Lent. The idea behind Fat Tuesday makes sense. It started when people would eat up all the perishable food they had on hand that they wouldn't be able to eat during the Lenten fast. Well, over the centuries it got a little bit out of hand and Mardi Gras turned into a multi-day celebration of indulgence and decadence. In today's Bible reading, we find a better use for fat:
"The priest is to ... burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD." —Leviticus 17:6This indicates that fat is something that God is to consume, not us.
Click here to see the complete one-year schedule.
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