“But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” - Matthew 26:50-54
Yesterday, I helped my dad cut grass at our old home place. Things had changed quite a bit since the last time I was there (years ago), particularly on the route there…
Dad drove us over from their current home to our former home. We were going along the way I knew… and then, all of a sudden… he made a turn that I thought was odd. And then another. After that, I asked where we were headed. He informed me that the new highway was right around the corner. Sure enough, the next thing I knew, he was on this new road that was the cause of us moving the first time several years back. It had not been completed the last time I was down there, so this was my first time riding on it.
Everything seemed different. Things were not where I thought they should be. The new road was on the other side of stores compared to the old road. A trip that would have at one time involved many stops and turns was straight and unimpeded. We got there in what seemed like no time at all. It was just disorienting.
I imagine that the disciples were a bit disoriented when they saw their Master – who had performed many different supernatural things in their sight - now being arrested and subjected to religious and civil authority. I can understand why the whole thing would be upsetting to someone like Peter, whose natural response would be to retaliate and defend his Lord. And yet, Jesus told him to back down. He reminded him that this was all part of a greater plan.
Jesus knew that His life would be called for to make the sacrifice for our sins. He knew what was awaiting Him. Peter did not.
We do not. But we do know the One does. And so, our faith is tested in times when things would disorient us. My prayer is that I will be reminded of this passage in such times, and that I will focus on Christ and orient myself and my life to Him.
Daniel
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
#290.1 – “In All That He Did”
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” - Matthew 26:39
Yesterday in our SS class, we talked about obedience. We looked at the example of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane - praying to the Father that, if it would be His will, to remove the cup of death that was about to pass before Him. And yet, because of how much He loved the Father and how much He loved each of us, Jesus went to that cross and died for our sins.
As easy as it is to forget God when everything is going your way, it is just as easy to want to get off the train of obedience when hard times come. And yet Jesus stuck with it when it became difficult. He honored God in all that He did. And in so doing, He gave us the example of what our attitude should be when difficult times come to us.
Daniel
Yesterday in our SS class, we talked about obedience. We looked at the example of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane - praying to the Father that, if it would be His will, to remove the cup of death that was about to pass before Him. And yet, because of how much He loved the Father and how much He loved each of us, Jesus went to that cross and died for our sins.
As easy as it is to forget God when everything is going your way, it is just as easy to want to get off the train of obedience when hard times come. And yet Jesus stuck with it when it became difficult. He honored God in all that He did. And in so doing, He gave us the example of what our attitude should be when difficult times come to us.
Daniel
Friday, March 26, 2010
#289.4 – “A Better Seat”
“Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "At your service!" Then the king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet." So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar." Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!" So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually." Then he bowed himself, and said, "What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?" And the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given to your master's son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. "You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master's son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's son shall eat bread at my table always." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do." "As for Mephibosheth," said the king, "he shall eat at my table like one of the king's sons." Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table. And he was lame in both his feet.” - 2 Samuel 9:1-13
The last day of our trip was spent going on a little further to Raleigh, so we could see Little House on the Prairie the musical, starring Melissa Gilbert (who used to play Laura on the television series) as Ma. The kids have all watched the television series on dvd, and we have always appreciated the spiritual side of the program that is so absent is much of our nation’s network programming today.
Well, we got to the auditorium that evening and showed one of the people working there our tickets, so they could point us to our seat. They did, and we moved in that direction. Once we reached our row, we realized we had a problem. There were all kinds of huge spotlights sitting in the row where we were supposed to sit! I saw another worker there close by and asked him what we were to do. He said the same conflict had occurred the night before and that the auditorium had provided the people affected with better seats. He instructed me to go back to the lobby and ask the ladies at the window. I did… and sure enough, they had an envelope with our name on it which contained six substitute tickets that were on the second row, just right of center! We moved down and took our seats and were thrilled with the realization that now we would actually be able to see the expressions on the actors’ faces!
This sudden ‘move up’ was such a better deal, that I was reminded of God’s grace. There is absolutely nothing I deserve except death and separation from Him. If salvation were a live musical, I wouldn’t even be deserving of a seat on top of the spotlight… much less sit front and center. Yet, Jesus – in all of His mercy and love – gave me the best seat in the house… the very seat of grace that was purchased by Him… paid for with His own blood… and He allowed me to sit in it… in His place.
Don’t take lightly your position in Christ. Realize the immeasurably valuable gift you have been given in Him. You are so incredibly loved by your Redeemer that He gave all that He had in order to bring you in from the cold, dark alleyway to the very front and center warmth and light of His glory. Treasure the gift of His love to you today. And then consider how you might show that same kind of undeserved love to someone else who might be out in the alleyway.
Daniel
The last day of our trip was spent going on a little further to Raleigh, so we could see Little House on the Prairie the musical, starring Melissa Gilbert (who used to play Laura on the television series) as Ma. The kids have all watched the television series on dvd, and we have always appreciated the spiritual side of the program that is so absent is much of our nation’s network programming today.
Well, we got to the auditorium that evening and showed one of the people working there our tickets, so they could point us to our seat. They did, and we moved in that direction. Once we reached our row, we realized we had a problem. There were all kinds of huge spotlights sitting in the row where we were supposed to sit! I saw another worker there close by and asked him what we were to do. He said the same conflict had occurred the night before and that the auditorium had provided the people affected with better seats. He instructed me to go back to the lobby and ask the ladies at the window. I did… and sure enough, they had an envelope with our name on it which contained six substitute tickets that were on the second row, just right of center! We moved down and took our seats and were thrilled with the realization that now we would actually be able to see the expressions on the actors’ faces!
This sudden ‘move up’ was such a better deal, that I was reminded of God’s grace. There is absolutely nothing I deserve except death and separation from Him. If salvation were a live musical, I wouldn’t even be deserving of a seat on top of the spotlight… much less sit front and center. Yet, Jesus – in all of His mercy and love – gave me the best seat in the house… the very seat of grace that was purchased by Him… paid for with His own blood… and He allowed me to sit in it… in His place.
Don’t take lightly your position in Christ. Realize the immeasurably valuable gift you have been given in Him. You are so incredibly loved by your Redeemer that He gave all that He had in order to bring you in from the cold, dark alleyway to the very front and center warmth and light of His glory. Treasure the gift of His love to you today. And then consider how you might show that same kind of undeserved love to someone else who might be out in the alleyway.
Daniel
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
#289.3 – “Holding”
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation...” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4a.
During the first few days of our trip, we stayed at an indoor water park. One of the things you could do was go down some water slides on an innertube raft. The rafts held up to four people. Ruthie wanted me to go down with her on the most advanced one. I agreed. Little did I know what I was in for…
This was the only thing at the waterpark that had a disclaimer on the sign where you lined up to get on that read something like this: ‘This is a high speed, high thrills activity. If you are not accustomed to or are not ready for such a ride, please do not attempt.’ Well, I of course was not dismayed and readily got on the raft with Ruthie. The only thing was that I had always assumed that I would be going down the slide feet first. Not so. Since there were only the two of us going on a raft, we had to sit opposite each other… which meant that one of us had to go backwards. Guess who that someone was?
The next thing I knew I was going backwards as fast as any time I have ever gone backwards in something! About the time I got used to it and had sort of locked myself in, the raft dropped off what felt like a cliff… and I found myself feeling like I was going to land on my head. The next thing I knew, we were being slung back and forth in a side to side motion – like one of those pendulum things with the metal balls – within a big opening in the middle of the slide. Water was rushing over us from all directions. I wanted to wipe my eyes, but didn’t dare take my hands off the handles of the raft. After being tossed about like clothes in a washing machine, we were torpedoed into the last section of the slide, where made a few turns and then suddenly hit the bottom pool of water with a big splash.
I staggered out of the raft, weak-kneed and weak-stomached. I looked over at Ruthie. She had a big smile on her face. She had loved it! Once I got over the initial trauma, I admitted that I did too. In fact, I went on that slide two more times: once again with Ruthie (this time she went backwards) and once with Sarah (I was backwards again). It was much better those times, since I knew what to expect.
I wrote Monday about detours and how sometimes life’s detours can be the nicest parts of our journey here on earth. The other truth that stands alongside that one is the fact that sometimes the unexpected can really throw us a loop. I mean, let’s be honest… wouldn’t all of us like to plan out exactly how our lives would go? In fact, we kind of do that in our minds… wishing for things to happen a certain way or to turn out the way we would hope. But life is not always like that. Sometimes, it slings us in a direction we weren’t expecting and drags us along a current we didn’t anticipate. Sometimes, life shakes us around… beats us up… and spits us out.
When I was on that raft facing (in my mind) imminent death, I was so glad that I had two handles at my sides to hold onto. The security they brought me reminds me of the peace and comfort that come from the knowledge that, no matter what life brings my way, I am held within the arms of my loving Savior and the protection of His Holy Spirit.
Today, I encourage us to give thanks for the lifeboat of Jesus Christ. If you are riding out a difficult storm in your life, I hope you can sense the security of Him holding you.
Daniel
During the first few days of our trip, we stayed at an indoor water park. One of the things you could do was go down some water slides on an innertube raft. The rafts held up to four people. Ruthie wanted me to go down with her on the most advanced one. I agreed. Little did I know what I was in for…
This was the only thing at the waterpark that had a disclaimer on the sign where you lined up to get on that read something like this: ‘This is a high speed, high thrills activity. If you are not accustomed to or are not ready for such a ride, please do not attempt.’ Well, I of course was not dismayed and readily got on the raft with Ruthie. The only thing was that I had always assumed that I would be going down the slide feet first. Not so. Since there were only the two of us going on a raft, we had to sit opposite each other… which meant that one of us had to go backwards. Guess who that someone was?
The next thing I knew I was going backwards as fast as any time I have ever gone backwards in something! About the time I got used to it and had sort of locked myself in, the raft dropped off what felt like a cliff… and I found myself feeling like I was going to land on my head. The next thing I knew, we were being slung back and forth in a side to side motion – like one of those pendulum things with the metal balls – within a big opening in the middle of the slide. Water was rushing over us from all directions. I wanted to wipe my eyes, but didn’t dare take my hands off the handles of the raft. After being tossed about like clothes in a washing machine, we were torpedoed into the last section of the slide, where made a few turns and then suddenly hit the bottom pool of water with a big splash.
I staggered out of the raft, weak-kneed and weak-stomached. I looked over at Ruthie. She had a big smile on her face. She had loved it! Once I got over the initial trauma, I admitted that I did too. In fact, I went on that slide two more times: once again with Ruthie (this time she went backwards) and once with Sarah (I was backwards again). It was much better those times, since I knew what to expect.
I wrote Monday about detours and how sometimes life’s detours can be the nicest parts of our journey here on earth. The other truth that stands alongside that one is the fact that sometimes the unexpected can really throw us a loop. I mean, let’s be honest… wouldn’t all of us like to plan out exactly how our lives would go? In fact, we kind of do that in our minds… wishing for things to happen a certain way or to turn out the way we would hope. But life is not always like that. Sometimes, it slings us in a direction we weren’t expecting and drags us along a current we didn’t anticipate. Sometimes, life shakes us around… beats us up… and spits us out.
When I was on that raft facing (in my mind) imminent death, I was so glad that I had two handles at my sides to hold onto. The security they brought me reminds me of the peace and comfort that come from the knowledge that, no matter what life brings my way, I am held within the arms of my loving Savior and the protection of His Holy Spirit.
Today, I encourage us to give thanks for the lifeboat of Jesus Christ. If you are riding out a difficult storm in your life, I hope you can sense the security of Him holding you.
Daniel
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
#289.2 – “Stay in Your Lane”
“Cause me to walk in the path of Your commandments; for I delight in them.” - Psalms 119:35
As we were traveling through the mountains of TN/NC, there were some spots where the curves were so sharp, you almost met yourself in the road! It being a new place for us… and the fact that it was late afternoon with a steady mist… I had to pay close attention, so as to not run off the road. At one point, I was coming around one of those sharp corners when an oncoming vehicle with a trailer on the back was coming around the bend… somewhat on my side! I got over as far as I could go and hoped they would do the same. Thankfully they did, and we kept on.
That incident reminded me of the importance of staying in your lane. For us as Christians, the thing that keeps us ‘on track’ is the Word of God. It gives the encouragement and instruction we need to stay on the straight and narrow path. The Holy Spirit speaks to us when we study the Word, and we glean understanding about God and His nature and how we ought to resemble Him in all we do.
Lord, help me seek You in Your Word today, so that I may stay on the path You would have me to go.
Daniel
As we were traveling through the mountains of TN/NC, there were some spots where the curves were so sharp, you almost met yourself in the road! It being a new place for us… and the fact that it was late afternoon with a steady mist… I had to pay close attention, so as to not run off the road. At one point, I was coming around one of those sharp corners when an oncoming vehicle with a trailer on the back was coming around the bend… somewhat on my side! I got over as far as I could go and hoped they would do the same. Thankfully they did, and we kept on.
That incident reminded me of the importance of staying in your lane. For us as Christians, the thing that keeps us ‘on track’ is the Word of God. It gives the encouragement and instruction we need to stay on the straight and narrow path. The Holy Spirit speaks to us when we study the Word, and we glean understanding about God and His nature and how we ought to resemble Him in all we do.
Lord, help me seek You in Your Word today, so that I may stay on the path You would have me to go.
Daniel
Monday, March 22, 2010
#289.1 – “Detours”
This past week our family went to Concord, NC on a little trip. I wanted to take this week and write about our experiences.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28
When I first checked online for a map to help us get to Concord, the computer suggested that I go down through Atlanta. Well, I didn’t want to go all the way down there to go up to NC, so I looked for an alternate route. The best option to me was to go through Chattanooga and then go across to Asheville and then onto Charlotte (Concord is just above Charlotte). When I did my map research, I found that the Tenn D.O.T. had a warning saying that they had some recent rock slides which had caused some detours around Asheville. To prepare for that possibility, I had looked at a few alternate routes to help us navigate that. What I had not prepared for was the need for an alternate route before we got to that point.
We needed one.
Thankfully, when we reached the point where we needed one, one was clearly marked and provided for us. We just followed the signs.
However, this detour led us almost as far north as Knoxville before allowing us to turn off again towards our destination. Consequently, we drove an hour out of the way! Nonetheless, our little detour was one of the nicest parts of our trip…
It was on this detour that we got to go through the Nantahala National Forest of the Great Smoky Mountains. Naturally, there were no homes and hardly any pollution. It was like stepping back in time to a different world. There was a fine mist falling the whole time, creating a most beautiful deep blanket over the huge rocks. Along that stretch of road, there were times that you could pull over (and we did) for some breathtaking views of the mountains. The roads themselves were peaceful, as they followed the rolls and curves and dips of the mountain terrain. It was quiet. We rarely saw another vehicle. All in all, we were extremely glad that we had experienced this detour.
Sometimes in life, the detours are the best parts... and by ‘detours’, I mean the stuff that you and I don’t plan. Oftentimes, the unexpected can be such a blessing. We know and believe that all things work together for our good, but so often are so busy working those together ourselves that we are taken back when something reminds us that we are not in control.
May we all be receptive to what God has in store for us this week, knowing that He – our benevolent Father - is in control.
Daniel
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28
When I first checked online for a map to help us get to Concord, the computer suggested that I go down through Atlanta. Well, I didn’t want to go all the way down there to go up to NC, so I looked for an alternate route. The best option to me was to go through Chattanooga and then go across to Asheville and then onto Charlotte (Concord is just above Charlotte). When I did my map research, I found that the Tenn D.O.T. had a warning saying that they had some recent rock slides which had caused some detours around Asheville. To prepare for that possibility, I had looked at a few alternate routes to help us navigate that. What I had not prepared for was the need for an alternate route before we got to that point.
We needed one.
Thankfully, when we reached the point where we needed one, one was clearly marked and provided for us. We just followed the signs.
However, this detour led us almost as far north as Knoxville before allowing us to turn off again towards our destination. Consequently, we drove an hour out of the way! Nonetheless, our little detour was one of the nicest parts of our trip…
It was on this detour that we got to go through the Nantahala National Forest of the Great Smoky Mountains. Naturally, there were no homes and hardly any pollution. It was like stepping back in time to a different world. There was a fine mist falling the whole time, creating a most beautiful deep blanket over the huge rocks. Along that stretch of road, there were times that you could pull over (and we did) for some breathtaking views of the mountains. The roads themselves were peaceful, as they followed the rolls and curves and dips of the mountain terrain. It was quiet. We rarely saw another vehicle. All in all, we were extremely glad that we had experienced this detour.
Sometimes in life, the detours are the best parts... and by ‘detours’, I mean the stuff that you and I don’t plan. Oftentimes, the unexpected can be such a blessing. We know and believe that all things work together for our good, but so often are so busy working those together ourselves that we are taken back when something reminds us that we are not in control.
May we all be receptive to what God has in store for us this week, knowing that He – our benevolent Father - is in control.
Daniel
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
#288.3 – “15,000 of Your Closest Friends”
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and He that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto Him: and He went forth conquering, and to conquer.” - Revelation 6:2
You’ve probably seen the t-shirts that refer to going to your favorite college team’s ball game as ‘hanging out with X –number of your closest friends’. Well, I get that after having gone to the basketball game the other day. I sat between two guys I had never met before and likely will never see again… and yet, when Alabama scored a basket, we all jumped up and cheered in synch, like we had worked on our moves for years. I’m sure we were as fun to watch as the game itself (thankfully, the cameras filming the game never panned our direction).
The whole experience did give me just a glimpse of the unity we will experience in heaven as we worship our Lord for eternity. I hope that the cheering we did last Saturday is so pale in comparison that it is not worth comparing to what we as Christians will do in the presence of our Conquering King… because He truly is worth celebrating. After all, He is undefeated with a perfect record!
The great news is that we can go ahead and start celebrating Him and His ultimate victory before the last battles are even fought, because we know He will win! We can rejoice in Him now; we don’t have to wait until heaven. So let’s ‘hallelujah’ for Him today in our words and deeds…
Daniel
You’ve probably seen the t-shirts that refer to going to your favorite college team’s ball game as ‘hanging out with X –number of your closest friends’. Well, I get that after having gone to the basketball game the other day. I sat between two guys I had never met before and likely will never see again… and yet, when Alabama scored a basket, we all jumped up and cheered in synch, like we had worked on our moves for years. I’m sure we were as fun to watch as the game itself (thankfully, the cameras filming the game never panned our direction).
The whole experience did give me just a glimpse of the unity we will experience in heaven as we worship our Lord for eternity. I hope that the cheering we did last Saturday is so pale in comparison that it is not worth comparing to what we as Christians will do in the presence of our Conquering King… because He truly is worth celebrating. After all, He is undefeated with a perfect record!
The great news is that we can go ahead and start celebrating Him and His ultimate victory before the last battles are even fought, because we know He will win! We can rejoice in Him now; we don’t have to wait until heaven. So let’s ‘hallelujah’ for Him today in our words and deeds…
Daniel
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
#288.2 – “My Ticket”
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let's also walk by the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:22-25
So I went to the ball game Saturday to hear our girls sing. The funny thing was - there were about fifteen thousand other people who also came out to hear our girls sing! Okay, some of them might have been there for the game… and I admit that I had as much fun watching it as anyone there… but I almost didn’t get in.
They had shuttle buses running from the parking lot where I parked (way on the other side of the campus) to the coliseum where the game was to be played. I got on the first available bus going across. As soon as I got settled, another guy on the bus asked if anyone had an extra ticket. ‘A ticket!’ I thought to myself… ‘I left my ticket in the van!’ I knew I wouldn’t get in without it.
Needless to say, I had to ride the bus ‘round trip’ back to where I started from… get out and walk across the parking lot… get my ticket out of the van… get back in line… and start my voyage all over again. Thankfully, I had left myself enough time to do all of that without missing anything.
Jesus is our ticket to heaven. Salvation comes through faith in Him alone. He is also our ticket to joy, peace and all the other gifts of the Spirit that come with that salvation. We cannot be the kind of Christians God wants and intends for us to be without the surrender of ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We must crucify the flesh and live rather by the Spirit.
Daniel
So I went to the ball game Saturday to hear our girls sing. The funny thing was - there were about fifteen thousand other people who also came out to hear our girls sing! Okay, some of them might have been there for the game… and I admit that I had as much fun watching it as anyone there… but I almost didn’t get in.
They had shuttle buses running from the parking lot where I parked (way on the other side of the campus) to the coliseum where the game was to be played. I got on the first available bus going across. As soon as I got settled, another guy on the bus asked if anyone had an extra ticket. ‘A ticket!’ I thought to myself… ‘I left my ticket in the van!’ I knew I wouldn’t get in without it.
Needless to say, I had to ride the bus ‘round trip’ back to where I started from… get out and walk across the parking lot… get my ticket out of the van… get back in line… and start my voyage all over again. Thankfully, I had left myself enough time to do all of that without missing anything.
Jesus is our ticket to heaven. Salvation comes through faith in Him alone. He is also our ticket to joy, peace and all the other gifts of the Spirit that come with that salvation. We cannot be the kind of Christians God wants and intends for us to be without the surrender of ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We must crucify the flesh and live rather by the Spirit.
Daniel
Monday, March 8, 2010
#288.1 – “Out of the Mouth of Babes…”
“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” - Psalms 8:2
This past weekend Anna and Ruthie got to sing with the Alabama Baptist Honor Choir. One of the things they did was sing the national anthem Saturday for the Alabama/Auburn men’s basketball game. Never have I been prouder to be an Alabama Baptist than when those children began to sing. They did such an excellent job. Afterwards, the crowd roared. The guy sitting next to me (who was not affiliated with the choir) said to his buddy on the other side of him: ‘out of the mouths of babes’.
He was right. The boys and girls who sang that day not only represented Alabama Baptists or Southern Baptists; they were representing God Himself, declaring His strength through the text and the music and the excellence with which it was sung. God uses children – even babies – to declare His strength. He will use us too, if we will make ourselves available to Him.
Be available to God today. Offer Him your best service, and let Him take it and use it for His glory.
Daniel
This past weekend Anna and Ruthie got to sing with the Alabama Baptist Honor Choir. One of the things they did was sing the national anthem Saturday for the Alabama/Auburn men’s basketball game. Never have I been prouder to be an Alabama Baptist than when those children began to sing. They did such an excellent job. Afterwards, the crowd roared. The guy sitting next to me (who was not affiliated with the choir) said to his buddy on the other side of him: ‘out of the mouths of babes’.
He was right. The boys and girls who sang that day not only represented Alabama Baptists or Southern Baptists; they were representing God Himself, declaring His strength through the text and the music and the excellence with which it was sung. God uses children – even babies – to declare His strength. He will use us too, if we will make ourselves available to Him.
Be available to God today. Offer Him your best service, and let Him take it and use it for His glory.
Daniel
Friday, March 5, 2010
#287.5 – “Love Never Fails”
“Love never fails.” - 1 Corinthians 13:8a.
Last but certainly not least in these brief descriptions of the inexhaustible subject of love, Paul makes a huge statement: love never fails.
Do you anyone who has never failed at anything? I will go ahead and answer that one for you: no, you don’t. I can say that with certainty, not only because of my own experience (which may or may not always be reliable), but also because scripture tells me that, if in no other arena, I can be certain that everyone has failed at perfection. Rom 3:23 unequivocally says that we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection. And so the question is a redundant one.
I have failed – at many different times and in many different things. My most painful failures involve those times when I fail to live up to the standard God sets for me in my role as a husband and a father.
I love my family. That is a truth of which I have no doubt. In fact, that is a truth of which I know that they have no doubt. And yet, when I contrast my love to the standard of ‘love never fails’, I realize that I fall terribly short. So I must be reminded again that this passage of scripture serves two purposes: one (as is the case with all scripture) is to reveal the very nature of God - that God is love… and He will never fail to love me with a perfect love… His love is the standard by which I know what love is; the other is to give me a picture of how I ought to love.
When my actions don’t look like God’s love, I am reminded that I am not Him, and that I need Him to help me love as I ought. I need to rely on His strength and His wisdom to love as I should.
So I ask my question once again… except that this time I include God in the pool of possible choices… and I say: ‘Do you anyone who has never failed at anything?’ And God and His Word answers: ‘Yes! You do! You know One whose love NEVER… NEVER… NEVER fails!’
Daniel
Last but certainly not least in these brief descriptions of the inexhaustible subject of love, Paul makes a huge statement: love never fails.
Do you anyone who has never failed at anything? I will go ahead and answer that one for you: no, you don’t. I can say that with certainty, not only because of my own experience (which may or may not always be reliable), but also because scripture tells me that, if in no other arena, I can be certain that everyone has failed at perfection. Rom 3:23 unequivocally says that we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection. And so the question is a redundant one.
I have failed – at many different times and in many different things. My most painful failures involve those times when I fail to live up to the standard God sets for me in my role as a husband and a father.
I love my family. That is a truth of which I have no doubt. In fact, that is a truth of which I know that they have no doubt. And yet, when I contrast my love to the standard of ‘love never fails’, I realize that I fall terribly short. So I must be reminded again that this passage of scripture serves two purposes: one (as is the case with all scripture) is to reveal the very nature of God - that God is love… and He will never fail to love me with a perfect love… His love is the standard by which I know what love is; the other is to give me a picture of how I ought to love.
When my actions don’t look like God’s love, I am reminded that I am not Him, and that I need Him to help me love as I ought. I need to rely on His strength and His wisdom to love as I should.
So I ask my question once again… except that this time I include God in the pool of possible choices… and I say: ‘Do you anyone who has never failed at anything?’ And God and His Word answers: ‘Yes! You do! You know One whose love NEVER… NEVER… NEVER fails!’
Daniel
Thursday, March 4, 2010
#287.4 – “Love Endures All Things”
#287.4 – “Love Endures All Things”
“(Love) endures all things...” - 1 Corinthians 13:7d.
The key to having an enduring love is to turn our eyes to Jesus – ‘the Author and Finisher of our faith who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’ (Heb 12:2). Let us look with more detail at this verse.
Jesus is the ‘Author and Finisher’ – the beginning and the end – of our faith. Everything we believe and do and live and think regarding our faith is because of Him. Therefore, He is also the Source of our understanding of enduring love. So what should we understand?
For one thing, we can know that enduring love holds to a promised coming ‘joy’. For Christ, that joy was the relationship with us that He was making possible by His sacrifice. For us as Christians, the ultimate joy is experiencing the culmination of His work, when we cross over into eternity with Him. In this we relate to a woman who is expecting a child: she suffers great pain at times, but she does so with determination, looking to the joy of having that baby.
For another thing, that holding to a coming joy implies that it is not so joyful right now. Jesus ‘endured the cross’. It hurt. He bled. He gasped for air. He suffered. In addition to that, He also had to bear the ‘shame’ associated with such a death. He was mocked and ridiculed. He was treated like scum. They cast lots for His outer garments. In the same way (but not nearly to the extent), life for us sometimes hurts. We suffer. We are put to shame. Enduring is needed in such times.
Finally, we see that enduring is temporary. The end of Heb 12:2 tells us that Jesus is no longer on the cross, but rather is at the very ‘right hand of God’. He is rightly exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His suffering on the cross was only for a short time compared to His reign from on high. Likewise, our suffering here on earth (even if we feel that we suffer our entire lives) is only temporary if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior… because we will one Day be transformed into our glorious existence with Him for the rest of time.
I pray that our love is an enduring love, and that we pattern that endurance after none other than Jesus Christ.
Daniel
“(Love) endures all things...” - 1 Corinthians 13:7d.
The key to having an enduring love is to turn our eyes to Jesus – ‘the Author and Finisher of our faith who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’ (Heb 12:2). Let us look with more detail at this verse.
Jesus is the ‘Author and Finisher’ – the beginning and the end – of our faith. Everything we believe and do and live and think regarding our faith is because of Him. Therefore, He is also the Source of our understanding of enduring love. So what should we understand?
For one thing, we can know that enduring love holds to a promised coming ‘joy’. For Christ, that joy was the relationship with us that He was making possible by His sacrifice. For us as Christians, the ultimate joy is experiencing the culmination of His work, when we cross over into eternity with Him. In this we relate to a woman who is expecting a child: she suffers great pain at times, but she does so with determination, looking to the joy of having that baby.
For another thing, that holding to a coming joy implies that it is not so joyful right now. Jesus ‘endured the cross’. It hurt. He bled. He gasped for air. He suffered. In addition to that, He also had to bear the ‘shame’ associated with such a death. He was mocked and ridiculed. He was treated like scum. They cast lots for His outer garments. In the same way (but not nearly to the extent), life for us sometimes hurts. We suffer. We are put to shame. Enduring is needed in such times.
Finally, we see that enduring is temporary. The end of Heb 12:2 tells us that Jesus is no longer on the cross, but rather is at the very ‘right hand of God’. He is rightly exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His suffering on the cross was only for a short time compared to His reign from on high. Likewise, our suffering here on earth (even if we feel that we suffer our entire lives) is only temporary if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior… because we will one Day be transformed into our glorious existence with Him for the rest of time.
I pray that our love is an enduring love, and that we pattern that endurance after none other than Jesus Christ.
Daniel
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
#287.3 – “Love Hopes All Things”
“(Love) hopes all things...” - 1 Corinthians 13:7c.
Hope looks for the best to come out of a given situation. Similar to yesterday’s devotion about believing love, I don’t think this scripture is implying for one second that love just sort of naively assumes that “everything’s going to be alright”. That kind of cheerful thinking is best left to the self-help book section of the library and newsstand. No, I think that the phrase ‘hopes all things’ is more directed at how God’s love is such that it never gives up. Despite the gloomiest, most desperate situation, God perseveres with His love. Again, Jesus is the perfect example.
Consider how He suffered beatings and cursings and all kinds of torture and ugliness before being hung by spikes onto a wooden death… and then endured the level of pain and despair physically required of Him in order to accomplish our salvation’s atonement. What an amazingly hopeful love!
You may argue that His being God not only gives Him the omniscient perspective that enables Him to know how a situation will end, but His omnipotence enables to do whatever He pleases with any situation… thereby cheapening this hope of which I am writing. I would argue that such a knowledge and such a power (which are possessed by Him alone) are the very reasons why we ought to also have a hopeful love, because we are told in scripture that this same all-knowing, all-powerful God has our best interest at heart through everything that comes our way (Rom 8:28).
This is particularly meaningful in the ‘bad times’. Indeed, what good is hope in the ‘good times’? Hope exists because bad stuff happens. This verse in 1 Cor. implies that hope will be needed in the context of love… meaning bad times will come. So if you find yourself struggling today, I sincerely hope that this has helped you draw strength from and place your hope in Him.
Daniel
Hope looks for the best to come out of a given situation. Similar to yesterday’s devotion about believing love, I don’t think this scripture is implying for one second that love just sort of naively assumes that “everything’s going to be alright”. That kind of cheerful thinking is best left to the self-help book section of the library and newsstand. No, I think that the phrase ‘hopes all things’ is more directed at how God’s love is such that it never gives up. Despite the gloomiest, most desperate situation, God perseveres with His love. Again, Jesus is the perfect example.
Consider how He suffered beatings and cursings and all kinds of torture and ugliness before being hung by spikes onto a wooden death… and then endured the level of pain and despair physically required of Him in order to accomplish our salvation’s atonement. What an amazingly hopeful love!
You may argue that His being God not only gives Him the omniscient perspective that enables Him to know how a situation will end, but His omnipotence enables to do whatever He pleases with any situation… thereby cheapening this hope of which I am writing. I would argue that such a knowledge and such a power (which are possessed by Him alone) are the very reasons why we ought to also have a hopeful love, because we are told in scripture that this same all-knowing, all-powerful God has our best interest at heart through everything that comes our way (Rom 8:28).
This is particularly meaningful in the ‘bad times’. Indeed, what good is hope in the ‘good times’? Hope exists because bad stuff happens. This verse in 1 Cor. implies that hope will be needed in the context of love… meaning bad times will come. So if you find yourself struggling today, I sincerely hope that this has helped you draw strength from and place your hope in Him.
Daniel
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
#287.2 – “Love Believes All Things”
“(Love) believes all things...” - 1 Corinthians 13:7b.
The definition of love begins and ends with God. He is love. And if He is love, and love believes all things, then ‘believing all things’ must be consistent with what we know about God.
We know that God knows all. Not only does He know all, but He also knows what is right and what is wrong (Gen 3:5)… what is true and what is false. If He knows when something is false, then it is fair to assume that this verse in 1 Cor. 13 is not saying that love believes everything it is told as if were true. Our faith would not survive long in a world like ours if that application were made.
So we are sure of what this verse does not mean; now let us turn our attention to what it does mean.
When we look at the context – the passage surrounding the verse – we see that love is described as ‘bearing’ and ‘hoping’ and ‘enduring’. Since all three of these descriptions of love are akin, I think it is safe to assume that this one is related to the others. When taken in that light, this ‘believing’ seems to be a kind of faith in another that goes beyond simple trust. It appears to have to do with a kind of hopefulness. Going back to God, we see this kind of ‘believing the best’ with regards to the way He sees us.
One example from the past is Moses. God knew that Moses – despite his doubts in himself - would be the leader He would use to shepherd His people out of bondage.
But this ‘believing’ love that God has for us goes beyond having confidence in us… so that we can be and do all that we were meant to be and do. It carries with it a sort of stubborn refusal to believe anything but the best of, for, and from us.
God believes the best ‘of’ us. He has proven so in dying for our sins and thereby removing the power of any who would come against us with accusations of our past. Romans 8:31-34 says: “What may we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not with Him freely give us all things? Who will say anything against the saints of God? It is God who makes us clear from evil; who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.”
God not only believes the best ‘of’ us, but He also believes the best ‘for’ us. His sacrificial love reveals what value He places on us. That same passage in Romans says He gave us His Son – His very best. And if He gave us His best then, how much more should we anticipate what He has in store for us in heaven!
God believes the best ‘of’ us and ‘for’ us, and He also believes the best ‘from’ us. In Romans 12:1, Paul exhorts us: “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.” His love is such that He not only sets such a high and glorious calling (which is what is best for us), He also ‘roots for’ us to carry it out.
That’s love that believes all. That’s God. That’s our standard by which we live and love. May we all be challenged and encouraged by it today.
Daniel
The definition of love begins and ends with God. He is love. And if He is love, and love believes all things, then ‘believing all things’ must be consistent with what we know about God.
We know that God knows all. Not only does He know all, but He also knows what is right and what is wrong (Gen 3:5)… what is true and what is false. If He knows when something is false, then it is fair to assume that this verse in 1 Cor. 13 is not saying that love believes everything it is told as if were true. Our faith would not survive long in a world like ours if that application were made.
So we are sure of what this verse does not mean; now let us turn our attention to what it does mean.
When we look at the context – the passage surrounding the verse – we see that love is described as ‘bearing’ and ‘hoping’ and ‘enduring’. Since all three of these descriptions of love are akin, I think it is safe to assume that this one is related to the others. When taken in that light, this ‘believing’ seems to be a kind of faith in another that goes beyond simple trust. It appears to have to do with a kind of hopefulness. Going back to God, we see this kind of ‘believing the best’ with regards to the way He sees us.
One example from the past is Moses. God knew that Moses – despite his doubts in himself - would be the leader He would use to shepherd His people out of bondage.
But this ‘believing’ love that God has for us goes beyond having confidence in us… so that we can be and do all that we were meant to be and do. It carries with it a sort of stubborn refusal to believe anything but the best of, for, and from us.
God believes the best ‘of’ us. He has proven so in dying for our sins and thereby removing the power of any who would come against us with accusations of our past. Romans 8:31-34 says: “What may we say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not keep back his only Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not with Him freely give us all things? Who will say anything against the saints of God? It is God who makes us clear from evil; who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.”
God not only believes the best ‘of’ us, but He also believes the best ‘for’ us. His sacrificial love reveals what value He places on us. That same passage in Romans says He gave us His Son – His very best. And if He gave us His best then, how much more should we anticipate what He has in store for us in heaven!
God believes the best ‘of’ us and ‘for’ us, and He also believes the best ‘from’ us. In Romans 12:1, Paul exhorts us: “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.” His love is such that He not only sets such a high and glorious calling (which is what is best for us), He also ‘roots for’ us to carry it out.
That’s love that believes all. That’s God. That’s our standard by which we live and love. May we all be challenged and encouraged by it today.
Daniel
Monday, March 1, 2010
#287.1 – “Love Bears All Things”
“(Love) bears all things...” - 1 Corinthians 13:7a.
As Paul begins to wrap up his sermonette on love, He makes some big statements, which not only serve as pictures of God, but also give us some over-arching type principles to apply to the way we love. The first of these is that love bears all things. The language here depicts a sort of silent suffering. This makes me think of how Jesus chose to go to the cross without defending His rights as God. Isaiah 53:7 says: ‘He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.’ This gives us a good picture of how our God suffers silently. We see some good lessons in His death to apply to the way we should live out this love.
First, we see that this love chooses to bear all things. It is not forced. It is not coerced. It is not manipulated. Jesus chose to die for you and me. It is only in those relationships in which I am allowed the freedom to choose to bear all things that love blossoms.
Secondly, this love doesn’t in any way condone sin. Christ’s death on the cross serves to make atonement for our sins, clearly demonstrating that God judges sin to be bad. This means that He doesn’t bear our sin because it is not ‘that bad’ in His eyes, but rather because He is so good and He wants is best for us and He knows the hold sin can have on us. So, love that is to bear things like God bears chooses to do so while firmly disagreeing with sin.
This brings me to my next point: God bears all things for our good. He had one focus while hanging on the cross: us. His love is so purely selfless that He bears all things for our benefit. A love that is Christ-like will always be focused on the ‘other person’ rather than me and what I can get out of the relationship.
Lastly (there may be other lessons to see here, but this is the last I see for now), love bears all things, because ‘all things’ are going to happen. Sin is real. Man is fallen. We are self-centered in our nature, and conflict comes as a result. Bad stuff happens… and bearing is needed. So love that bears like God does so by choice, without condoning sin, for another’s benefit, with an awareness that bad things happen.
May we all thank God for His ‘bearing’ love for us, and may we seek to be like God in the way we love.
Daniel
As Paul begins to wrap up his sermonette on love, He makes some big statements, which not only serve as pictures of God, but also give us some over-arching type principles to apply to the way we love. The first of these is that love bears all things. The language here depicts a sort of silent suffering. This makes me think of how Jesus chose to go to the cross without defending His rights as God. Isaiah 53:7 says: ‘He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.’ This gives us a good picture of how our God suffers silently. We see some good lessons in His death to apply to the way we should live out this love.
First, we see that this love chooses to bear all things. It is not forced. It is not coerced. It is not manipulated. Jesus chose to die for you and me. It is only in those relationships in which I am allowed the freedom to choose to bear all things that love blossoms.
Secondly, this love doesn’t in any way condone sin. Christ’s death on the cross serves to make atonement for our sins, clearly demonstrating that God judges sin to be bad. This means that He doesn’t bear our sin because it is not ‘that bad’ in His eyes, but rather because He is so good and He wants is best for us and He knows the hold sin can have on us. So, love that is to bear things like God bears chooses to do so while firmly disagreeing with sin.
This brings me to my next point: God bears all things for our good. He had one focus while hanging on the cross: us. His love is so purely selfless that He bears all things for our benefit. A love that is Christ-like will always be focused on the ‘other person’ rather than me and what I can get out of the relationship.
Lastly (there may be other lessons to see here, but this is the last I see for now), love bears all things, because ‘all things’ are going to happen. Sin is real. Man is fallen. We are self-centered in our nature, and conflict comes as a result. Bad stuff happens… and bearing is needed. So love that bears like God does so by choice, without condoning sin, for another’s benefit, with an awareness that bad things happen.
May we all thank God for His ‘bearing’ love for us, and may we seek to be like God in the way we love.
Daniel
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