Joy to the World - Pt 3

And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:12-17 ESV).

What John the Baptist did for Israel, Christmas can do for us. We must not be unprepared for this time of celebration. It is so easy to get busy with all the things we are called on to do for Christmas that we can easily fail to be spiritually prepared. If we will prepare, the joy and impact will be so much greater. There are some practical things we can do to increase our preparedness for Christmas. Each of these suggestions come from some of my own practices each year. Perhaps they will be as helpful to you as they are to me. First, meditate on the fact that you need a Savior. Christmas is as much an indictment as it is a delight. It will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately the need for a Savior. I believe that we have inadvertently allowed the grace of God to be devalued simply through neglect. We all too often cheapen the price of our redemption in our effort to reach others with this wonderful good news! Second, engage in a sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. David’s psalm of repentance is such an incredible declaration and example for us to follow. He writes, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24). We prepare him room in our hearts and lives by cleaning house. Third, build God-centered anticipation and excitement into your home, especially for the children. For us that moment when we really begin to do this is the time of decoration. We are traditionalists in our theme. I like a cut tree, though any will do. It is the first reminder of the eternal life God gives us through Christ. Evergreens have long been such a symbol. And, we use many other decorative pieces that have meant something special to us through the years. Sharing these memories build excitement for the others who share our home. If you are excited about Christ, they will be too. Fourth, be much in the Scriptures, and memorize the great passages! “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord!” (Jeremiah 23:29) Gather ‘round that fire this Advent season. It is warm. It is sparkling with colors of grace. It is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights. Make ready for the celebration of the coming of our King! It will increase you joy and peace enormously the entire year ahead!

Joy to the World - Pt 2

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:24-26 ESV).

Sometimes we hear people say that God created man because he was lonely. So they say, “God created us so that we would be with him.” This is not the teaching of Jesus. He does tell us that he wants us to be with him, but we must consider the rest of our reading today. The reason is not because he was lonely; it was because “he loved us before the foundation of the world” (v. 25). This expresses his concern for the satisfaction of our longing, not his loneliness. Jesus is not lonely. He and the Father and the Spirit are profoundly satisfied in the fellowship of the Trinity. We, not he, are starving for something. And what Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to experience what we were really made for. Jesus made us to see his glory (cf. John 1:3). Just before he goes to the cross he pleads his deepest desires with the Father: “Father, I desire that they … may be with me where I am, to see my glory.” But that is only half of what Jesus wants in these final, climactic verses of his prayer. I just said we were really made for seeing and savoring his glory. His desire is that we not only see his glory but savor it, relish it, delight in it, treasure it, and love it. Consider the last verse in our reading: I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. That is the end of the prayer. So, Jesus’ final goal for us is not that we simply see his glory, but that we love him with the same love that the Father has for him. Jesus’ longing and goal is that we see his glory and then that we be able to love what we see with the same love that the Father has for the Son. And he doesn’t mean that we merely imitate the love of the Father for the Son. He means the Father’s very love becomes our love for the Son, that we love the Son with the love of the Father for the Son. This is what the Spirit becomes and bestows in our lives. What Jesus wants most for Christmas is that his elect be gathered in and then get what they want most. He wants us to see his glory and then savor it with the very savoring of the Father for the Son. What I want most for Christmas this year is to join you in seeing Christ in all his fullness and that we together be able to love what we see with a love far beyond our own half-hearted human capacities. This is the goal in these devotionals leading to Christmas Day. I want us to see and savor this Jesus whose first “advent” (coming) we celebrate, and whose second advent we anticipate. This is what Jesus prays for us this Christmas: “Father, show them my glory and give them the very delight in me that you have in me.” Oh, may we see Christ with the eyes of God and savor Christ with the heart of God. That is the essence of heaven. That is the gift Christ came to purchase for sinners at the cost of his death in our place.

Joy to the World - Pt 1

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1-3 ESV).

The Christmas season is for adoring Jesus. We are going to look at some of the many things the Scripture reveals to us that gives us pause during this season of patient waiting, hopeful expectation, soul-searching, and calendar-watching marked by Christians all over the world. There’s no biblical mandate to observe Advent. It’s a tradition that developed over the course of the church’s history as a time of preparation for Christmas Day. The English word “Advent” is from the Latin adventus, which means “coming.” The advent primarily in view each December is the first coming of Jesus two millennia ago. But Jesus’ second coming gets drawn in as well, as the popular Christmas carol “Joy to the World” makes plain. You may listen to it by Pentatonix at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xo64Q2ucQ8: Joy to the world, now we sing Let the earth receive her king Joy to the world, now we sing Let the angel voices ring Joy to the world, now we sing Let men their songs employ Joy to the world, now we sing Repeat the sounding joy Typically Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends Christmas Eve. This means the earliest it begins, depending on where that Sunday falls, is November 27th and the latest it starts is December 3rd. Christians throughout the world have their different ways of celebrating Advent. Some light candles. Some sing songs. Some eat candies. Some give gifts. Some hang wreaths. Many of us do all of the above. Christians have developed many good ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’ coming beyond merely the short 24 hours of December 25. The incarnation of the Son of God, “for us and for our salvation,” as the old creed says it, is too big a thing to appreciate in just one day. Indeed, it’s something the Christian will celebrate for all eternity. My prayer is that this little series might help you keep Jesus as the center your Advent season. He is, after all, the only reason we may have real joy! This is the “new song” we may now sing!

Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan!

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6 ESV).

Perhaps one of my favorite quotes concerning grandchildren is from an anonymous contributor: “A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.” Fifteen years ago I discovered the truth of it with the birth of our first two grandchildren. Faith and Logan are fifteen! It hardly seems possible that much time has passed so quickly. We have three other grandchildren as well. Maggie, Harris, and Lucy live in Florida. Some might have believed that subsequent grandchildren are somehow not as spectacular as the first; however, I can attest to the truth that each of them continues to fill that space I had no idea I even had! The picture I’ve chosen to accompany today’s thought was taken earlier this year. It was their first day of high school! They have grown so much over these fifteen years; and, the space they fill in my life has only grown with them. I suppose that’s what Solomon meant when he declared that grandchildren are a “crown of the aged.” That declaration has been an incredible help to me as I have ministered to the grandchildren of aged saints as they grieve. The key is in our understanding the meaning of the word “crown.” A crown is extravagantly jeweled. If you get the opportunity see the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, you will see the actual crown of Queen Elizabeth. It is valued at 750 million dollars. The 140 different royal objects in the collection are valued at 11 billion dollars! Even the relatively plain crowns of rulers in Solomon’s day were incredibly valuable. So, the Scripture is clear when we are instructed that grandchildren are valuable to us. They are valuable because they are each irreplaceable and unique. Think of the forethought God had in the creation of each of them. Indeed, this is a present reminder of how each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (cf. Psalm 139:14). I also find this “crown” as a reward and honor with the reality of my grandchildren. It means that my life has mattered. It will continue on, at least, through succeeding generations. It gives me that there is hope for the future! The amazing gift of family becomes vivid in subsequent generations. I am very blessed to be able to live so close to Faith and Logan. It makes seeing them and experiencing all the experiences much easier. However, it is not these things that make the difference. There is a great lesson for me in that they were born on Thanksgiving Day that year. The difference is in the realization of the relationship I have with my earthly family and my heavenly Father that makes it all possible. Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan!

No Place for the Grinch - Pt 4

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 ESV).

The third practical principle in banning the Grinch from our Christmas season is simply to make it about Jesus. Of course, the picture I have included in today’s devotional is a significant stretch in “photoshopping”; however, it does begin to convey some of what the apostle meant in our reading today when he said, Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (v. 31). The point is to make all of your activities center in Jesus. Let’s just use the seemingly endless task of shopping for that “perfect” gift for the one person on your list who always says, “I don’t need a thing.” Shopping is a difficult experience for me anyway, shopping for something “perfect” merely makes it worse. However, here are some ways to turn that into a kingdom mission: Go with someone else with whom you can share nourishing fellowship or share the gospel. Pray before you go out for divine appointments, and be intention to look for people with whom you can share the gospel. Bless the harried retail cashiers and sales persons with a kind word, your fellow harried shoppers with your kind patience, and your harried restaurant server with a generous tip. Be prepared to be generous with the bell ringers, exit ramp beggars, and panhandlers in Jesus’ name. Buy a couple $5 gift cards to convenient fast food places to give away with a gospel blessing. Pray that God will help you find remarkable deals. God loves to bless generosity and cares whether your shopping will glorify him. Ask him (cf. John 15:7). I’m sure you can add to this list. The bottom line is this: make Christmas about Jesus, and not about money or possessions. Be generous, be restrained, and be first about Jesus’ kingdom. And remember to revel in the Christmas glory! Party more heartily and purer than ever before this season. Let the glorious, generous, abundant, joyful, warm, wonderful Light of the world shine brightly in all your celebrations! Let your heart grow at least three sizes!

No Place for the Grinch - Pt 3

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21 ESV).

The second principle we should practice is that of wisdom. There are a few basics to remind ourselves about before we actually begin removing the Grinch from our Christmas and growing our hearts a few sizes. First, know how much you’re able to give. We should take care to guard against covetousness and selfish indulgence, resolve to give away some generous percentage of your gift budget to those in true need before you buy your Christmas gifts. However, as many overspend their budget, don’t add to the “stack.” As the Grinch of Dr. Seuss’ story learned, Christmas doesn’t need to come from a store. Second, be intentional and disciplined in your spending limit; and, do not go into debt. Buy what you can really afford. If you can’t afford to buy gifts, give the generous gift of your time and/or service. Let love, faithful stewardship, and self-control rule your gifting. Third, beware of false humility and/or pride. I’m sure I will never forget my first “white elephant gift” experience. I was well into my adult years when I learned of this tradition of bringing odd or unwanted items to gift to others as a planned event for Christmas gatherings. I’ve seen a lot of strange things exchange from one person to another in these events! However, one really sticks in my mind. Bear in mind the gift limit was $10.00. The usual items crossed the attention of the group at first. You know, things like Christmas socks, pet rocks, Chia pets, and bacon flavored toothpaste were a real hit. But then someone opened a single serve Keurig coffee machine. Now, it was accompanied with the explanation that it “really wasn’t that much,” and “I just had it lying around.” Of course it was the “hit” of the exchange of gifts. I rather think the giver more wanted to be praised for their generosity than anything else. I had a piece of firewood that year. It was my version of a “Yule log.” I know… I really do need to grow my heart several sizes! But, then, don’t we all?

No Place for the Grinch - Pt 2

Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:37-38 ESV).

Remember, we are working toward the goal of banishing the Grinch from our Christmas season. The first, step is to be generous. It is a wonderful embedded truth that the little book by Dr. Seuss brings to the forefront. Generous giving out of a change in heart does produce a wonderful peace and contentment. So, if you are going to brave the crowded malls this season, then shop with the recipient in mind. Most of us really don’t need anything. But loving generosity is a beautiful thing, and God loves it if it is fueled by faith. Braving the overcrowded stores and long lines in order to take advantage of sales that enable you to be more generous with others, possibly to get that one thoughtful gift that will bring someone else unique joy is a great reason to shop during this season; however, make it an act of love in Jesus’ name, which makes it an act of worship. Now, some of you are already thinking I’m crazy. However, this is the story of the early church. They weren’t merely givers, they were generous givers. It has been a while since my boys were children, however one experience is still fondly remembered from those days. When we lived in Tyler, Texas, I was president of the Rose City Kiwanis Club for a year. One of the many service projects was the coordination, collection, and distribution of a food drive for people at Christmas. We collected thousands of pounds of food and other staples, divided them into boxes, and delivered them to people who either could afford it, or were too ill to get out and buy it. That year I decided to take my boys with me to make the deliveries I was assigned. We went into different homes that day. Some of the people were older and very ill. One older woman lived in a large home, though she was confined to one room at the front of her home. She was nearly bedfast and too poor to heat the rest of the house. We were invited in and took the groceries into her room, putting them on a small shelf near her bedside. She was so grateful. We visited just a bit and the boys were stunned to hear her story. It was one of repeated illness and abandonment from her family. Her husband had died much earlier leaving her with very little other than her house. Her children has left and gotten too “busy” to even call during the holidays. She felt alone and forgotten. At the end of the visit we had prayer together and said our goodbyes. She had tears in her eyes as she lay waving us out the door, simply saying, “Merry Christmas! I hope you boys get everything you want from Santa.” They were quiet along the way to the next home, at least until Kyle said, “Maybe we need to start checking on her after Christmas.” I agreed and did go by regularly, sometimes with them and other times without. More than anything, it taught us generosity with our time, talent, and resources. Our hearts grew three times that year!

No Place for the Grinch - Pt 1

Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:13b-22 ESV). T

he tale begins with a startling declaration: “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch!” And, then Dr. Seuss's iconic tale of the green ogre who lives on a mountain, seething while the Whos in the village below celebrate Christmas starts to unfold. It seems as they get happier, he gets angrier, until finally he can't take it anymore and hatches a plan to crush their joy like a glass ornament. All of us have read this book at one time or another. It has a particular truth to convey for us as we begin the Christmas season. So, with today being “Black Friday” and all its commercial blitz upon us, we should be intentional in laying aside the grousing and see the grace. Let’s make a commitment to ban the Grinch from our holidays. Christmas should always be the most cheerful of seasons, drawing loved ones and strangers together around its warmth to share in the joyful wonder of the Incarnation. And please, let us lay aside fruitless and, frankly, irrelevant debates about pagan origins. After all, Jesus came into the world to redeem us pagans and turn us “from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:19). If ancient solstice celebrations now mark the moment when the Light of the world came to end our long, dark night, then I think it’s of God. It’s just like him to make Christmas itself a parable of redemption. If there was ever a reason to clothe our homes in light and feast and sing and give generous gifts of love to each other, and just overall make merry, it’s celebrating the birth of our Savior! Even as our culture slides more and more toward secularism, Christmas can remain the one annual moment so deeply entrenched in our traditions and economy that with joyful, inextricable stubbornness we can sing the gospel in the most God-forgetting places like shopping malls. The real conundrum is how we can accomplish that. I think we should take a cue from Christmas itself and think of ways we can make this season serve the cause of Christ and his kingdom! We’re going to look at several suggestions over the next few days. Today, concentrate your efforts in simply being at peace with one another. I wonder what a moratorium on political and social differences would really look like for the next thirty days! Maybe all our hearts would grown three sizes like the Grinch’s did!

A Taste of Home - Pt 2

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV).

The longing rises, even in the midst of our thankfulness. Something is not yet complete. The world strains under its own pressure. Our hearts cry out for redemption, for rest from this darkness. We cry out for our God. The ultimate longing underneath all we crave is to be at home with him. Perhaps the only remaining holiday in heaven will be Thanksgiving. In this world, we live with thankful longing. We know that the world has been set right, and this is why we’re thankful, but its rightness is still being disseminated. We are left longing, because God is not yet done pursuing. We must humbly give him space for his own longing. In this in-between, we create imitations of our real home through the table, the talk, and the giving of thanks. When we gather with friends and family and lift our meager words of thanksgiving to God, we may briefly pause the advance of age and time with our traditions and tastes. It foreshadow our heavenly home. As we will do there, we turn our attention to the host, who has provided a bountiful feast of celebration and gladly serves all who’ve come to the table. We enjoy the company of our family, past and present. We accept with gladness the offered food that satisfies and cup that quenches. We receive all we’ve been given with humble thanksgiving. Today, I encourage you to let this Thanksgiving be a taste of home. Make your family’s traditional foods, watch your family’s traditional movies, and play your family’s traditional games. And, when a twinge of longing attaches to your thanks-giving, remember that this was set in our hearts by our great God and Savior. We’re all hungry. We’re all thirsty. We’re all weary and heavy laden. Let the longing for a true north lead you to Christ and an anticipation of what’s to come. In your rest from work, know that he who began a good work in us will carry it to completion. Pass out appetizers of grace and truth, preparation for the feast to come. Love wildly. Forgive tirelessly. Thank him unabashedly. In all things, imitate and anticipate the final Thanksgiving table and a place where all our longings will finally find their home. And, if there are empty chairs at your table, remember that they will all be filled someday when our time to go home is at hand! Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

A Taste of Home - Pt 1

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV).

We lived in several places in East Texas over the years of our ministry. Each of them has a very special part in our lives. I suppose we can call that region “home” as easily as any we have lived. Our children were born there and we still have many good friends who live in that part of our state. It is one of those places where the chicken is fried, the pine trees grow tall, and the accents drip thick with “honeys” and “bless-your-hearts.” It is also a place where Thanksgiving is taken very seriously as extended family gathers together for lunch and a relaxing time of “catching up.” When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of home, and when I think of home, I think of family gatherings in Galveston. The aroma of herbs and spices combined in all manner of Italian food inside the house and the hickory smoke of the barbeque pit outside is still a vivid memory for me. I can hear the men gathered telling their tales of the year gone by and expressing their hope for an even better year ahead. Some of them would talk about growing up in the Depression with all the difficulties of life as immigrants. When the cooking was finally finished everyone gathered, a prayer was offered, and the line to serve themselves began form. There was never a lack of food or fun. Almost all of those folks are gone now. I guess my generation has become “the old folks.” The world has also shifted with age and time, and the will of God has taken me from my home, but I still remember those days fondly. I have done my best to make sure my family has a place to gather at least once a year, though we are scattered across the country with children in Texas, Florida, and Washington DC. It may be a mere expression of sentimentality or nostalgia, though I prefer to think of it as my desire for the simplicity of childhood. I believe we all long for that kind of “home.” We all long for that feeling of familiarity, of being known in all of our ages and stages. We all long for a place, a time, or an assuredness that all is right with the world, that it’s been freed from its turmoil and unspeakable atrocities. Some of us, who’ve not had a sanctuary in our youth try to create it for our own children. We desire the simplicity of a satisfying meal and togetherness with others around a table. We long for an eternal peace. We crave time to stop, that we might try to fully ingest the overarching story of our lives and God’s gracious hand weaving there throughout. May I remind you that you have that promise in heaven? Tomorrow we will celebrate that thought. Today, look forward. Your redemption draws near!

Practical Gratitude

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9 ESV).

The apostle helps us with the practical aspect of giving thanks. He often reminds us of being grateful for the past and trusting God for the future. I suppose it’s another means of using thanksgiving to learn to delegate, and not attempt to do all the work itself. Thanksgiving has an indispensable ally named “faith.” These two things must strike the balance if gratitude is to be appropriately applied and used in our lives. Piper says, “Gratitude exults in the past benefits of God and says to faith, ‘Embrace more of these benefits for the future, so that my happy work of looking back on God’s deliverance may continue.’ And faith is eager to respond, ‘Thank you, Thanksgiving, for sending me your impulses of delight in what God has done. I’ll happily transpose those into faith and keep on trusting him. I’ll keep believing in Jesus for more grace.’” There is always more grace to come for the child of God. Earlier in the Ephesian letter the apostle calls grace “immeasurable” (cf. Ephesians 1:19). One of the exercises I have employed to help me with my personal thanksgiving is an intentional focus on the horizon. While I cannot go into space as some have, I can gain an incredible perspective of how immense God is by simply looking across the expanse of creation. It is a little easier in our part of Texas since we don’t have lots of trees that might block such a view; however, there isn’t a place on this earth, or beyond, that we cannot get a sense of the immeasurable characteristic of God’s grace from just looking to our surroundings. My prayer is that God will fill us to overflowing with thanksgiving for his amazing graces this year. Remember, the greatest of these graces is the gift of himself in the person of his Son. I also pray that thanksgiving will give each of us the strength to rise to great hope that the God who has so richly provided for us to date, will most certainly give us everything we need for our everlasting good and increase for all eternity in showing us “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). The grace we’ve seen so far is only a taste of the grace that is to come. Have your thanksgiving ready. There will be much more to enjoy.

Echoing God's Grace

Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God! (Psalm 50:22-23 ESV).

Please excuse the cartoon today. I know it is not typical of what I usually choose, however, it was something of what I wanted us to look toward today. We are created to echo God’s grace in our gratitude. Thanksgiving “exults in grace,” writes John Piper. We were created by God to echo his grace, and we’ve been redeemed by Jesus to echo his astounding grace all the more. Piper continues, “I exalt gratitude as a central biblical response of the heart to the grace of God. The Bible commands gratitude to God as one of our highest duties.” This is what Asaph writes in our reading today: “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me” (v. 23). There it is again. Note the close connection between thanksgiving and the massive biblical reality of honoring and glorifying God. Thanksgiving is one of the key ingredients of expression in our spiritual lives. However, we cannot ignore a significant danger. The Bible doesn’t have much, if anything, to say about obeying out of gratitude. Giving thanks to God for what he has given to us is precious and essential, and, so is trusting him for his ongoing provision in the future. Thanksgiving is beautiful, but it can go bad on us, if we try to give it the task of faith. There is an impulse in our fallen humanity to forget that gratitude is a spontaneous response of joy to receiving something. When we forget this, what happens is that gratitude starts to be misused and distorted as an impulse to pay for the very thing that came to us “gratis” (free). This terrible moment is the birthplace of the “debtor’s ethic.” The debtor’s ethic says, “Because you have done something good for me, I feel indebted to do something good for you.” This impulse is not what gratitude was designed to produce. God meant gratitude to be a spontaneous expression of pleasure in the gift and the good will of another. He did not mean it to be an impulse to return favors. If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtor’s ethic—and the effect is to nullify grace. Today I would encourage you to think about being grateful because you can, not because you must. It need not be lavish expression. It merely needs to be expressed. Use these next days to do that in response to the grace God has extended to you.

Honor God with Gratitude

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23 ESV).

Giving thanks is no small thing for the Christian. But far too many of us have the wrong impression. Deep down we may see the summons to thanksgiving as coincidentally related to honoring God. And yet, as our reading today shows clearly, we ought to all the more honor Him with our thanksgiving. Gratitude should never seem obscure to the very people who have the most to be thankful for. To sinners forever saved by grace, thanksgiving should be significant. It ought to be a central anchor point in our lives. Healthy Christians are thankful Christians. Thanksgiving is what we were created for, and it is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian (v. 1). Side by side with honoring God is giving him thanks. Don’t underestimate the centrality of thanksgiving. Gratitude is essential in doing whatever we do to the glory of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:31), and thanklessness is deeply intertwined with what it means to “fall short of the glory of God” (cf. Romans 3:23). This no small thing. Listen to Tremper Longman who gives us this jarring thought: “The real difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that the former gives thanks to God”. In A Praying Life, Paul Miller adds some similar reflections about the centrality of thanksgiving for the Christian. While it was thanklessness that was “the first sin to emerge from our ancient rebellion against God’ (v. 21), in our ongoing redemption, it is thanksgiving that “replaces a bitter spirit with a generous one.” Thanksgiving is important, essential, because the Christian life, from the beginning to end, is a life of extraordinary grace!

Choose Your Focus

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 ESV).

A friend of mine is a photographer. You can see his work at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/danny-pickens.html. He has an eye for things I would never notice. I like to think of myself as someone who can see the beauty of God in everything; however, when I see some of his art, I have no choice but to admit I am nothing but a novice. Perhaps it is because he’s willing to look past the obvious and see the small things. As a result he ends up with breathtaking photos that I may have completely overlooked. This is the result of focus. Our reading today reminds us that focus in our life is important in every area. How I view my own life is dependent on what I choose to focus on. From some angles, it looks like a mess. But from other vantages, it is beautiful. My perspective all depends on where I focus. Many of us have had those conversations with our physician when we are told that we need to alter our life habits. We are directed to lay aside the way of life we were accustomed to and start a new life. It may be a life where dependence on others was necessary and independence was a thing of the past. That kind of life can be disappointing at best. Often it is terribly painful. This new life is something we certainly don’t ask for, and we usually don’t want. However, we can be thankful for it. It requires focus. I’ve had that kind of conversation with a physician before. In fact there have been several of those pivotal moments when it seemed nothing but loss surrounded me. It would have been easy to become a person who preferred misery and pain. The interesting truth is that it was out of these challenges that some of the most satisfying things in my life began. Even this daily exercise in writing a brief thought of inspiration and encouragement is rooted in one of those times. Our time spent in North Carolina and Tennessee was all precipitated by some of the most difficult of circumstances. Yet, as these experiences unfolded, it became apparent that they were some of the greatest blessings God could have provided for us. We spent time with our first grandchildren; we made new friends that have become dear to us; and, we spent time with family that had been geographically separated from us for decades. That’s what God does! This is the time of the year to reevaluate our focus. Like photography, as well as life itself, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I don’t know what the future holds for me, and you don’t know what it holds for you, but I can promise you this: If you are in Christ, the one who holds you is guiding all your circumstances. And for that assurance, we can all be thankful.

Gratitude in Life

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1-4 ESV).

Sometimes it is difficult to live a life of gratitude. It is always better to count our blessings, though sometimes it’s just easier to count our miseries. It seems to come naturally to fall into that trap. Miseries can capture our thoughts and interrupt our days more readily than blessings. However, counting our miseries will shrink our soul, and in the end we become more miserable than when we began. When we first begin to practice the habit of gratitude it may be seem to be enormously difficult; however, it does produce space for joy. When I choose to focus on what I have been given, rather than linger over what I’m missing, I feel happier. I am able to be more content and less agitated. And when I choose to face my miseries directly and find blessings in them, something miraculous happens. I view all of life differently. I see my circumstances through a lens of faith. And I am able to declare with confidence that, even in the worst of circumstances, God is good and there is much to be thankful for. For years I pictured the first Thanksgiving as the Pilgrims’ joyful celebration of a bountiful harvest, sharing with the indigenous people God’s abundant provision in a fertile new land. But celebrating the first Thanksgiving was an act of faith and sober worship, not a natural response to prosperity and abundance. In the fall of 1620, the Mayflower set sail for Virginia with 102 passengers on board. On December 16, they landed in Massachusetts, far north of their intended destination, just as winter was setting in. This northern climate was much harsher than Virginia’s, and the settlers were unprepared for the cold season ahead. Winter brought bitter temperatures and rampant sickness. Shelter was rudimentary. Food was scarce. People lay dying. That winter, all but three families dug graves in the hard New England soil to bury a husband, wife, or child. By the spring of 1621, half of the Pilgrims had died from disease and starvation. No one was untouched by tragedy. And yet in the midst of these monumental losses, the Pilgrims chose to give thanks. They focused on our reading today. The Pilgrims chose to be grateful for what they had, rather than to focus on all they had lost. Their thanksgiving was not based on pleasant circumstances, but rather on the understanding that God was to be thanked in both prosperity and adversity. Their gratitude was not a “positive thinking” façade, but a deep and steadfast trust that God was guiding all their circumstances, even when life was difficult. Viewing their lives through a lens of gratitude changed their perspective. We should see to develop that habit as well.

Blessing - Pt 3

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4 ESV).

The sun has begun to shine after the first really cold front of the year in our area. Winter has begun in North Texas. This picture, taken just blocks from where we live, is a good example of the first few days of winter. Now, that only means that we’ll have some cold days with rain, maybe some snow or ice, and the leaves on the trees will have dropped to begin the winter cycle. It does look dreary, almost sad, as the backdrop of winter invades our area. Our lives can feel like that sometimes. In fact, circumstances at certain periods in our lives can cause us to ask how is it that God can be so good to us? For that answer we simply must understand the basis on which God can bless us so generously. Just like the drab winter in Texas promises a vibrant spring filled with wildflowers and vast landscapes of new growth, so we can anticipate being showered with God’s blessing because Jesus experienced the full measure of God’s curse in our place. Christ was given what we deserve so that we might be given what Christ deserves. This is the too-good-to-be-trueness of the gospel. We can be sure that the Lord will keep and protect us because Christ was not protected. We can revel in having the Lord’s face turned toward us only because he turned his face away from his own Son as he hung on the cross. We can be sure that the Lord will lift up his countenance upon us only because when he looks at us, he sees us robed in the righteousness of Christ. He is able to grant us his peace only because his anger was exhausted on another. To be blessed is to be joined to Christ so securely that we have an ever-increasing sense that we are being kept by and for God. Because we are recipients of lavish grace, we can be honest with God and other people about our sin. Because the Lord is giving us peace, we can face the future confident that there is therefore now no condemnation for us because we are in Christ Jesus (v. 1). We can shout it for the world to hear, post it for the social media world to read, and nail it to every wall in our home: we are truly, deeply, eternally blessed in Christ. That is worth celebrating at any time of the year, and especially now.

Blessing - Pt 2

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For his light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV).

You may be experiencing the pain and difficulty of “empty chairs” at your celebration of this holiday season. Even though there are many things to be thankful about, that emptiness is not one of them. Today’s inspirational thought is written in the hope that you would be able to look a bit beyond this present pain. I hope you will be able to see that while God is our source of blessing, he is much more. God is also the substance of blessing. Experiencing God’s blessing is not merely getting good things from God. The essence of blessing is getting more of God. It is looking up to see affection and approval radiating from his face. To be blessed is to be confident that God has not and will never ignore or abandon us. Since more of God himself is the substance of blessing, whenever we ask him to bless us, we’re essentially inviting him to pervade all of the ordinary aspects of our lives. When we ask him to bless our plans, we’re inviting him into them, inviting him to even disrupt or change them, believing that his plans are always better than ours. In asking for his blessing we’re confessing that the outcome of our lives will not be the sum of our grand efforts or accomplishments. Instead, anything and everything good that emerges from our lives will be a result of his sovereign presence in it. If we really believe that God is the substance of blessing, we won’t confess that we’re blessed only in the circumstances that seem good. Instead, when times are hard, and even when the worst things we can imagine are happening to us, we’ll be able to say that we are blessed. We’ll call ourselves blessed and mean it because we’re experiencing the presence of God with us and in us in ways we were barely aware of when life seemed easy. Because we know the Lord is keeping us and being gracious to us, our sense of security and peace won’t be so tied to our circumstances. In our desperation for him during difficult times, we’ll find ourselves incredibly blessed by an increased sense of his companionship and comfort. Even with your grief and pain, concentrate on the “eternal weight of glory” that God is specifically preparing for you. That is the indescribable blessing that God has for each of his children. That assured hope brings me to real peace. I hope it will you as well.

Blessing - Pt 1

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:22-26 ESV). Our reading today is most easily remembered as a part of “the Irish Blessing.” Of course, that blessing was developed from the Scripture. I have often used this passage as the last pronounced prayer of weddings I have officiated. I am reminded today of the many times it has become reality in my life. After all, it is time in our calendar when we are encouraged to think of such things. Perhaps the next few devotionals will help you to be a bit more reflective this year as well.

I went back into my files and grabbed the photo attached today to begin with. It was taken this year when Mary and I visited Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Not much has changed over the years in “the Village” of downtown Gatlinburg. Most of the shops are the same and the decorations each year seem to be just as vibrant and wonderful as ever. We have had many photos taken through the years on this little bench set in front of the fountain in the center of the area. I honestly don’t know how many times we have been to this spot over the past fifty years, but each was a blessing. That’s the beauty of memories. They never really go away. They continue to bring us blessing. Today, I want to bring you to a few thoughts surrounding the concept of “blessing.” It is somewhat amusing that home décor stores do not seem to have gotten the message of real blessing. They have shelves stocked with all kinds of signs and accessories so we can declare to the world, or at least anyone who comes into our homes, that we are indeed “blessed.” The real issue is what does it really mean that we are blessed? Is it an expression of gratitude for the things we have, the health we enjoy, or the people we love? Are these things really at the center of what it means to be blessed? Well, the first thing we learn from this Scripture is that God is the source of every blessing in our lives. He blesses us by keeping us secure, extending his grace, and flooding our lives with his healing and wholeness. He is fully engaged, fully determined, and fully able to fill our lives with the security, grace, and peace we all long for. This is not merely during those experiences that delight us. It is not just when we seem to enjoy the bounty that we call to mind when we think about the holidays. It is so much more. It is the work of the Lord in our lives. Today, think of how God has blessed you! Look past your hurt and circumstance and see His grace.

God is Omniscient!

Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Psalm 46:8-11 ESV).

Somewhere along the way I stopped putting jigsaw puzzles together. I guess I simply moved on to other things to occupy some of my free time. I do remember the feeling of accomplishment when I finished each “stage” of the puzzles though. Usually I would begin them by separating all the pieces according to shape (whether they were an edge piece or not) and basic color. I would use the picture on the puzzle box as a basic guide to determine where each of the colors would ultimately fit into the puzzle. That may sound like a relatively easy part of the process; however, it usually occupied a significant amount of time and was a satisfying start to the solution. The second phase was finishing the edge. I can remember feeling both satisfied and surprised at the size when I completed this stage. Even though the box always told me what the finished size was, it was always bigger than I imagined. Of course, the next was simply putting groups of pieces together for final insertion into the puzzle. And, of course, when that last piece was put in, it was as if I had triumphed. Recalling those experiences brings me to another characteristic of God that brings me great comfort. It is that God is omniscient. This simply means he knows everything. Life can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle. It often feels as if we are given a box full of pieces, sometimes without a picture to guide us. Sorting them all out cannot be done at once simply because we don’t yet know what it will turn out to be. God does. And, his desire is to make it perfectly fit and ultimately be good (cf. Romans 8:28). A. W. Tozer writes: “God perfectly knows Himself and, being the source and author of all things, it follows that He knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.” Because God is all-knowing, we can trust that he knows everything we’re going through today and everything we will go through tomorrow. When we meditate on this truth, especially in light of his other attributes of goodness and love, it makes it easier to trust him with all we have going on in our lives, from the very serious to the silly and mundane. He will put it all together!

Perfectly Wise

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27 ESV).

Our reading today is the doxology of Paul’s letter to the Roman Church. This letter is the most comprehensive of all of the epistles, detailing so much of the theology that provided the early church with the means to endure the difficulties of persecution. It was this letter as much as anything that provided the fabric for their faith. In these last verses the apostle declares that God is wise. He is full of perfect, unchanging wisdom. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” – Romans 11:33 Wisdom is more than just head knowledge and intelligence. A truly wise person is someone who understands all the facts and makes the best decisions. A wise person uses his heart, soul and mind together with skill and competence. But even the wisest man on earth would never come close to being as wise as God. God is infinitely wise, consistently wise, perfectly wise. Tozer writes, “Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision.” Indeed, when we see wisdom like this, we realize just how much our limited, finite wisdom compares with the limitless, infinite wisdom of God. And how comforting and wonderful this is for man to dwell on! The fact that God can never be more wise means he is always doing the wisest thing in our lives. No plan we could make for our lives could be better than the plan he has already crafted and is carrying out for us. We might not understand his ways today, but we can trust that because God is infinitely wise, he truly is working all things out in the best possible way.

Merciful!

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7 ESV).

We are a people of second chances. Even when it’s hard, we are prone to forgive those who sin against us, hoping that maybe they will treat us differently the next time. We give our children chance after chance after chance to obey. Second chances, in many ways, are built into our souls. We want them for ourselves and we grant them to others. And, second chances are often God’s means of providing mercy to his people. God is merciful. He is infinitely, unchangeably compassionate and kind. In our reading today, the Apostle Paul, writing to Titus, uses lavish words to describe the mercy God has shown toward us. He also is clear about the truth that it is nothing we deserved, nor earned. In his letter to the church at Rome he wrote: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." (Romans 9:15-16). As noted above, God’s mercy is inseparable from his justness. He is infinitely, unchangeably, unfailingly merciful; and, he is forgiving, lovingly kind toward us. He is inexhaustibly, actively compassionate. His mercy is also undeserved by us. Without the mercy of God, we would have no hope of eternal life. Because of our disobedient hearts, we deserve death. “For all have sinned and fall short glory of God,” and, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23). But because of mercy, we don’t get what we deserve. Instead, because of the mercy of God, we get life through faith in Christ. A. W. Tozer writes this about the mercy of God: “As judgment is God’s justice confronting moral inequity, so mercy is the goodness of God confronting human suffering and guilt. Were there no guilt in the world, no pain and no tears, God would yet be infinitely merciful; but His mercy might well remain hidden in His heart, unknown to the created universe. No voice would be raised to celebrate the mercy of which none felt the need. It is human misery and sin that call forth the divine mercy.” I can sleep easily knowing that this wonderful mighty God, creator of all things, shows me mercy through the grace in Christ. This is His character!

Gracious!

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:10-13 ESV).

God is gracious. Our reading today indicates the depth of this characteristic about God. He is infinitely inclined to spare the guilty. If mercy is not getting what we do deserve (damnation), grace is getting what we don’t deserve (eternal life). “As mercy is God’s goodness confronting human misery and guilt,” Tozer writes, “so grace is His goodness directed toward human debt and demerit. It is by his grace that God imputes merit where none previously existed and declares no debt to be where one had been before.” Because grace is a part of who God is and not just an action he bestows, it means we can trust that grace is eternal. His grace is something we do not earn or lose. The Apostle Paul writes, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). His grace is also sovereign. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). When talking about the grace of God, theologians will often differentiate between God’s common grace and his saving grace. Christianity Today writer Patrick Mabilog writes this about the difference. “His common grace is a gift to all of mankind. It is the reason that everyone – Christian or non-Christian - enjoys the blessings of life, provision and abundance (cf. Matthew 5:45). While all of humanity benefits from common grace, only those who are called to be children of God and put their faith in Christ receive saving grace. This is what results in our sanctification and our glorification of God, that we might live for him and enjoy him for all eternity. The meme I’ve chosen to accompany today’s devotional means a great deal to me, especially during those times when the journey seems to be too difficult to continue. God really is the only one who can make the valley of trouble the door of hope. It can be your hope as well. Regardless of how difficult life may have become, fall back into the arms of God and know that he is infinitely gracious. His desire forever is to save you and deliver you safely to your eternal, perfect home!

Dependable!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV).

I read the following story by Sean Dietrich, who is a columnist, and novelist, known for his commentary on life in the American South: This story isn’t mine, but I’m going to tell it like I heard it. I first heard it from an old man who drove a Ford. And I have a soft spot for old Ford men. So there he is. The old man is driving. He sees a car on the side of the highway. A kid stands beside it. Hood open. The man pulls over. He’s America’s quintessential old man. He drives a half-ton Ford that he’s been babying since the seventies. He changes the oil regularly, waxes it on weekends. The candy-apple red paint still looks nice. He looks under the kid’s hood. He can see the problem right away: the transmission is shot; and, it’s not a Ford. Fixing it would cost more than the vehicle. The kid is in a hurry, and asks, “Can you give me a ride to work? I can’t afford to lose my job.” So, the old man drives the kid across town. They do some talking. The man learns that the boy has four children, a young wife, and a disabled mother living with him. The boy works hard for a living. Bills keep piling up. It rips the man’s heart out. They arrive at a construction site. There are commercial framers in tool belts, operating nail guns. The kid pumps the old man’s hand and thanks him for the ride. “Take care of yourself,” the man tells the kid. The kid takes his place among workmen, climbing on pine-framed walls, swinging a hammer. The old man decides to help the kid. He doesn’t know how. Or why. But it’s a decision that seems to make itself. That same day, he’s at a stop light. He sees something, an ugly truck, sitting in a supermarket parking lot. It’s a Ford with a for-sale sign in the window. He inspects it. Single cab. Four-wheel drive. Low mileage. The paint is flaking. Rust on the doors. It’s a glorified hunk of metal, but they don’t make them like this anymore. Out of impulse, the old man makes a deal. Old men who drive candy-apple Fords have been known to do that. When the workday is over, the old man pulls into the kid’s jobsite again. The kid is loading work vehicles. “What’re you doing here?” the kid asks. “Came to give you a ride home.” The kid hops in. They drive. They talk again. The sun is lowering. The kid smells like sweat and sawdust. They arrive in a supermarket parking lot. The old man shuts the engine off. “What’re we doing?” the kid says. The old man points at an ugly truck with a for-sale sign. “What do you think of that truck?” The kid’s face gets serious. His eyes become large. “I asked you a question,” the old man says. “I know it don’t look pretty, but with a little work, it can be a dependable vehicle.” The kid is unable to speak. He looks like he might even cry. The old man doesn’t care much for tears—men from his generation don’t. So, he tosses the kid a set of keys. “She’s all yours,” the old man says. “You gotta be kidding,” the boy answers. “You BOUGHT that truck for me? You don’t even know me.” “No, son,” the man says. “I didn’t buy that truck for you. I bought it for ME. I’m gonna fix’er up, make her pretty again.” The old man pats the steering wheel of Candy-Apple Red. “This is the one I’m giving to you.” Old men… I guess I’ve gotten old enough to be one of those; my hope is I’ll be a lot like the old man in that story! Just like his old Ford truck, he was dependable. God is like that. The theological word is “immutable.” It means he never changes. God does not change. Who he is never changes. His attributes are the same from before the beginning of time into eternity. His character never changes; he never gets “better” or “worse.” His plans do not change. His promises do not change. What this means, very simply, is that God is dependable! Our trust in him is therefore a confident trust, for we know that he will not, indeed cannot, change. His purposes are unfailing, his promises unassailable. It is because the God who promised us eternal life is immutable that we may rest assured that nothing, not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword shall separate us from the love of Christ. It is because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever that neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not even powers, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Now that makes me stand in the hope of a much better future than the present and know it will happen!

He Is Good!

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:8-10 ESV).

One of my favorite worship songs is “King of My Heart.” I especially enjoy Sarah McMillan’s performance (you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpqSbKYxd9Y). Spend a few minutes today and listen to it at the web address I’ve listed for you. I often need to be reminded that God is good. He is infinitely, unchangingly kind and full of good will. This is what Daivid meant as he penned our reading today: “…taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8). According to Tozer, the goodness of God “disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.” Just like his other attributes, God’s goodness exists within his immutability, and infinite nature, so that he is unchangingly, always good. His mercy flows from his goodness. In his goodness to us, we see that He has purposed to be good in a special way to his people.” As with God’s other perfect attributes, we find it easier to affirm the goodness of God when things are going well. When life takes a turn and circumstances force us to struggle through our journey it is easy to begin to question God’s goodness to and for us. We’ve all had those moments. It may have been little more than a momentary inconvenience, or the devastating experience of grief at the death of a loved one. Regardless the pain of such times can be overwhelming. It is then that we must remember this foundational principle that God IS good! When the Psalmist writes “O, taste and see that the Lord is good,” (v. 8) he is inviting us not just to believe that God is good but to experience God’s goodness. And, interestingly, as Andrew Wilson notes in his article on the subject, “The psalmist affirms his experience of God’s goodness from a place of suffering. In verse 19, he makes the remarkable announcement, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous.’ Even with a good God, who is sovereign over everything and has the power to do whatever he likes, good people still suffer.” The greatest declaration comes a bit later in the psalm though. David goes on to write that “Yahweh delivers him out of them all.” Evil happens, but “none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned” (v. 22). As difficult as it may be to endure your circumstance, rest assured it will work to your good, because God is indeed good!

Infinitely True!

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:6-9 ESV).

The title of our devotional today is a bit incomplete. Perhaps we should look at the whole of the statement that God is faithful; He Is infinitely, unchangingly true. Moses writes for us in today’s reading that we can KNOW “that the LORD is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands" (v. 9). The Apostle Paul echoes that thought when he wrote to Timothy, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). As with all of God’s attributes, they are not separate, isolated traits but interconnected parts of his perfect whole being. So his faithfulness cannot be understood apart from his “immutability,” the fact that he never changes. So when we read that God remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself, we see these attributes working together. The fact that he is unchanging means he cannot be unfaithful. A. W. Pink writes: “God is true. His Word of Promise is sure. In all His relations with His people God is faithful. He may be safely relied upon. No one ever yet really trusted Him in vain. We find this precious truth expressed almost everywhere in the Scriptures, for His people need to know that faithfulness is an essential part of the Divine character. This is the basis of our confidence in Him.” The fact that God is infinitely, unchangingly faithful means that he never forgets anything, never fails to do anything he has set out to do, never changes his mind or takes back a promise. Of course, we don’t always understand or see how his plan is faithful. In our limited understanding and finite minds, God’s faithfulness might look a lot like abandonment. But we should be encouraged in these moments by remembering that God is nevertheless unchangingly faithful, good, always with us and wise. That truth, perhaps more than any other, allows me the strength to take another step when just that small exertion seems impossible. God is indeed infinitely true!

Everywhere!

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. (Psalm 139:7-12 ESV).

It is beginning to look fall in Texas. Of course, the color in our region of the state is significantly different than East Tennessee; however, I can appreciate the shades of green as they begin their change to yellows and reds here easily. The picture I’ve chosen to accompany today’s thought is a typical east Texas logging raid through a thick pine forest that has yet to be harvested. It prompts me to continue my meanderings through the attributes of God; and, today I’m pondering the omnipresence of God. Or, simply put, God is everywhere at the same time. This is the clear declaration of our reading today. I am also drawn to another reading found in the prophecy of Jeremiah: Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV). To be omnipresent is to be in all places, at all times. Yet, it is important to understand that for God “to be” in a place is not the same way we are in a place. God’s being is all together different from physical matter. He exists on a plane wholly distinguishable from the one readily available to the five senses. Nevertheless, he is with us, the fullness of his presence is all around us. Sometimes that makes it a bit difficult for us. After all, all of us have had those times in our lives when we just need “God with skin on.” I like the way Tozer answers this need when he writes, “God is always near us, closer than our thoughts. The knowledge that we are never alone calms the troubled sea of our lives and speaks peace to our soul.” This is the root of deep comfort to every believer, especially when we struggle with loneliness or deep sorrow. Even as we cannot use our five senses to directly experience the presence of God, He has made himself noticeable in the world we experience. Often our problem is simply not noticing. Perhaps that’s the reason for my renewed musings at season’s change. It does require intention. We often go about the regular schedule of our busy lives and fail to notice things that are right before us. I’ve often been caught in that error. On more than one occasion I have been asked if I noticed the new blouse or sweater Mary has donned. As I stumble to answer with some credible defense, I realized I just wasn’t paying attention. Pay attention to God who is all around you today!

Power!

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6-9 ESV).

Yesterday I mentioned the landscape in Texas. It does stretch on for a long way, especially in the part of Texas I live. One thing that proves true about this long look is how you are able to see a storm coming from a long way. There are those times when the eerie color of the clouds and the immense coverage of the cloud bank can be frightening. We have seen more than our share of severe thunderstorms and tornados. It reminds me of the power of God. Our reading declares the power of God. The psalmist says, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth” (v. 6). The theological word for this power is “omnipotent.” It means to have unlimited power. God is able and powerful enough to do anything he wills without any effort on his part. It’s important to note the “anything he wills” part of that statement, because God cannot do anything that is contradictory or contrary to his nature. The writer of Hebrews says, “God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” (Hebrews 6:18). Ron Moore says: “God's attribute of omnipotence means that God is able to do all that He desires to do. When He plans something, it will come to be. If He purposes something, it will happen. Nothing can prevent His plan. When His hand is stretched out to do something, no one can turn it back.” God's decisions are always in line with His character, and He has all the power to do whatever He decides to do.” The Scripture is clear that God is strong and mighty. This means nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish. Often God is called "Almighty," describing Him as the One who possesses all power and authority. In fact, Paul says that God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20). Although such power might seem frightful, remember that God is good. He can do anything according to His infinite ability. So, when I find myself in a quandary with circumstances that severely challenge my limited power, I have the unlimited power of God to draw on so that nothing is impossible! The message for all of us is to stop trying so hard to do it alone! We have a sovereign, omnipotent heavenly Father who works for our good

Forever!

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground. (Psalm 147:1-6 ESV).

Today I will continue to look at some of the attributes of God. Simply stated, God Is infinite; this it to say that He is self-existing and without origin. Our reading declares, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” (v. 5). One of the wonderful things about traveling through the back roads in Texas is the seemingly endless horizon. It reminds me of the infinite nature of God. The fact that God is “self-existent,” that he was created by nothing and has always existed forever, is perhaps one of the most difficult attributes of God for the believer to understand. Because we are limited, grasping the unlimited nature of God is like holding onto water as it rushes down a river. A. W. Tozer wrote: “To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him.” Looking through some of my “old” notes I found an article by Adrian Rogers. He said: The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant name of Israel's God. In the King James Version of the Bible, it's translated Lord God. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, “Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. When possible, they use another name.” All of this means that what God promises lasts as long as He is. Since He is forever, so are His promises! That means time no longer holds me captive. Jesus really is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (cf. Hebrews 13:8).

Majestic

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. (Psalm 93:1-2 ESV).

I was sitting on the deck the other night, just before sunset, and Faith, my oldest granddaughter came running down the hill to sit with me. I think she just wanted to take a break from her homework, though I was very glad she chose to take it with me. The sun was setting with a blaze of colors stretching across the western sky in a particularly spectacular way. I simply said, “That sunset is going to be a good one.” She replied, “Grandpa, why do you like sunsets so much?” I guess I could have went on with some remarks about how beautiful the colors were. I could have even offered some practical information about how the sunsets in our area of Texas were great because we can see so much of the horizon for the lack of tree and relatively flat land. However, I had the presence of mind to draw our attention to the majesty of God revealed in it. Perhaps most of you who are reading this little devotional thought today have a basic understanding about what God's majesty is. I find it helpful to be reminded that it has to do with God's strength and glory. Kings and queens are called "Your Majesty" in recognition of their sovereignty. So God's majesty could also indicates his authority. I suppose others might equate God's majesty with his greatness. And, they would be correct. All of these notions of majesty are wonderful. Surely they represent attributes of God that compel us to worship. But these ideas are not the central focus of God’s majesty. The English word "majesty" comes to us from the Latin word maiestas, which means "greatness or dignity." In the Hebrew original of our reading today (Psalm 93), the word translated into English as "majesty" is ge’ut (pronounced guh-OOth). The standard Hebrew-English lexicon defines this word as "majesty." It is closely related to the word translated as "pride" in a negative sense (ge’ah). Both of these words derive from a root that means "to rise." So, if you think too highly of yourself, then you have ge’ah, which is not good. But when it comes to God, who is utterly great, who is the God above all other gods, then ge’ut is appropriate. This word doesn't convey God's pride in himself. Rather, it stands for God's reputation among people and that which deserves this glory. We might get the sense of the word by saying that God is rightly thought of more highly than any other being, in heaven and earth. God's being robed in majesty represents his being enveloped in the esteem of his creatures. God's great strength calls forth honor. God's glory demands praise. Thus, this psalm reminds us why we worship God even as it calls us to worship. In a sense, we join ourselves to the robe of majesty that surrounds God when we worship him. Check out tonight’s sunset and be reminded of God’s majesty!