Weekly Devotions

#351.1 – “I’ll Unscare You!”

2011-08-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” - Romans 3:24-26
We were gone recently on a trip to Arkansas for Sarah’s family reunion. While there in the hotel one day, Grant and Ruthie were playing on the bed. At some point, something happened (I don’t remember now what it was) that startled Ruthie, and she playfully said to her little brother that it had scared her. He immediately caught on that this was a game and – holding onto her with all of his might - he said “Don’t worry, Ruthie… I’ll unscare you!”
I love the phrases that young children create. It is precious to hear the way they put words together to make meaning that is comprehensible to them. I love that phrase ‘unscare you’, because of the way that it implies a complete eradication of fear. It sounds as if it will totally rid the one who is scared of their problem.
When it comes to the sin problem we all have, there is only one solution that will totally rectify our fallen state, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. Placing our trust upon His finished work at Calvary is the only hope we have in eradicating our sin from before the judgment of God. Nothing else will justify us. Nothing else will satisfy His righteousness. It is the only thing that will ‘un-separate’ us from God.

Daniel

#350.3 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part Three”

2011-08-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

“And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?” - Exodus 3:11
Having too much fun watching Joshua run around the house looking for his present, I didn’t bother to tell him it was out in the garage at first. Instead, I let him hunt for a while. Then I told him I would give him a hint. He stopped dead in his tracks to wait on the words that would follow from my lips. When I told him that he would need his flip-flops to find his present, he very quickly (with the help of his oldest sister) put two and two together and figured that that could only mean it was outside. He ran to his room, threw on his shoes, and took off towards the garage. As soon as he opened the door, his eyes gleamed. Standing before him was a shiny new bike. He was overjoyed!
And then he realized that such a present would require him to actually get on and ride (something he had not done very well in the past, even with his mother helping), and immediately his joy shifted to fear and he ran back in the house and into the very closet from which he had gotten his flip-flops and shut himself inside! I followed after. With a little bit of encouragement (and some patience too), I managed to get him to come out and at least sit on the bike and see how it felt. Soon after that, he was willing to pedal a little. The next thing you know, he was making a lap around my parent’s car. And before ten minutes had past, he was riding up and down the driveway.
You see, Joshua could drive that bike all along, and I knew it, but he didn’t believe it. His lack of faith caused him to want to stay where he was. But once he tried it and realized he could do it, he took off like a pro. In fact, I imagine it won’t be very long before we’ll be taking those training wheels off.
When I was talking Joshua ‘out of the tree’, so to speak, I could only see how great this was going to be… and how much fun he would have… and how easy it would be for him to master this now… but all he could see and think about was his past… and how he had fallen before… and how afraid he was of falling again.
God knows what we are capable of through Him. And in those moments when my fears and doubts overwhelm me to the point that all I want to do is go run and hide in my closet, I hope that my son’s trust in what I said to him that day and his willingness to get up on the bike and put his feet on the pedals and push remind me of how I need to exercise faith in God and let His Word and His trustworthiness decide my actions for me.

Daniel

#350.2 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part Two”

2011-08-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

“And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of a good heart and do your work; have no fear and do not be troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you; he will not give you up, and his face will not be turned away from you...” - 1 Chronicles 28:20
On the morning that my parents arrived to present Joshua with his gift, he was still asleep. They agreed to let him wake up on his own. In the meantime, they took it out of their car and we put it in our garage.
I had already told Joshua the night before that they were coming that next day, and that they would be bringing him a present when they did. When he woke up that morning, he immediately started looking all around the house for it. We all had a good chuckle out of that, and then I told him that he could look for it after he ate a bite for breakfast (I knew that once he started riding that bicycle, he wouldn’t get off to eat a thing!). He reluctantly complied, knowing that a bike was in his very near future.
Now at any other time, I might not have been able to get him to stop for anything long enough to eat, but knowing that eating equaled getting a present meant “bring on the chow” for ol’ Joshua! He gobbled up his breakfast and resumed his quest.
Sometimes having the right motivation is the key for accomplishing any given task. Getting paid and providing for my family factors into my working hard. Do the best I can do with any given task is directly a result of my competitive nature. My desire to please others drives me at times to do the things the way I do them. But at the heart of what really should matter to me above all else as a Christian is that I please God with my life.
Today, may we please Him in who we are and all we do.

Daniel

2011-08-09T08:51:00.001-05:00

I have a new conviction that I would like to share with all of you regarding these devotions: in an effort to simplify my life, I feel that it is time for me to only write a devotion when I feel I have something to say, instead of feeling pressured to have something written every single day. I admit that sometimes in the past I have forced myself to come up with something, which ends up being a little like the tail wagging the dog. So these may come a little more sporadically from now on, but hopefully they will still be a blessing to you all.

Daniel

#350.1 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part One”

2011-08-09T08:50:00.001-05:00

“And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of a good heart and do your work; have no fear and do not be troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you; he will not give you up, and his face will not be turned away from you...” - 1 Chronicles 28:20
Joshua had a birthday July 24, and one of the several gifts he got was a new bicycle from his Maw Maw and Paw Paw. This was a very helpful present because, unlike the other bicycles we had at the house, this one came with training wheels. You see, Joshua is just now learning to ride a bike for himself, and he has not yet felt comfortable attempting it on his own. His mother has tried several times to work with him - holding onto his seat while he pedaled – but that has not helped him gain any confidence at all. But the training wheels have made all the difference. They have given him the support he needed to be willing to ride on his own… and ride he has. He has spent no telling how many hours on that thing since he got it – riding it in our driveway, and in his Grammie and Grandpa’s driveway.
Sometimes we need the support and confidence of something outside of us to help us take action that we know all along is best. The Holy Spirit is that for us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. He gives us the encouragement we so often need to step out in faith and obey the Father.
Another voice of support comes from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can share in the encouraging of one who is need of it with just a simple word. Oh the power of a well-spoken word! May we seek to be that kind of encourager to those around us. And may we pray for the Holy Spirit to give strength and courage to them.

Daniel

#349.1 – “Holes”

2011-07-26T09:44:00.001-05:00

“Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.” - Numbers 22:31
The other day Sarah was going shopping and she wanted to dress up a little. She showed me a pair of shoes she was considering wearing, to see what I thought. She stood there before me - with the sandals on - and asked me if I noticed anything different between the two of them (now I have played this game long enough to know that that means this is not a question of whether there is a difference, but whether or not I can spot it!). So I looked intently at both shoes, determined to find what it was, and I could not see a thing there that screamed ‘big difference’; I couldn’t even find anything that looked like it was even mildly dissimilar. So I did what any normal husband would have done in that situation: I sort of grunted and shrugged my shoulders and looked stupid… I mean natural.
Frustrated at her husband’s lack of attention to detail, she pointed out the distinction between the shoes being the size of the hole above the toe created by the weave of the leather (or whatever the material was; for all I know, those shoes could have been made of paper; in my defense I would like to say that my normal level of perceptive abilities were thrown off by the almost blinding glare coming from my wife at that moment). One hole was the size of a dime; the other was the size of… well, a big dime.
And I had missed that stark disparity.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we somehow get to a point where we are going along in our walk, but we are missing God. We are doing a lot of the things we do when we do ‘find’ and ‘have’ God, but we are still missing Him. I don’t know how much of that is because we become rather sure of the things which lead us to Him rather than on Him, or how much of it is because we assume we know best and that He will just go along with us because we’ve been right in the past, or what. But God sometimes has to come along and wake us up to the fact that we are totally missing the boat. His presence is staring us right in the face and we are missing it.
Father, forgive me for the times when I go along on cruise control and don’t see You in my day.

Daniel

#348.5 – “Party All Night… Sleep All Day”

2011-07-22T08:27:00.001-05:00

“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them. And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living. And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need. And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food. And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes.” - Luke 15:11-18
All of the kids got to have a taste of party life last night. The girls went over to Ashton’s house for her birthday party. Meanwhile, Brennan came over to our house to play with the boys. Since it was officially a party night, they stayed up a little later than normal… which was fine with us, since they aren’t in school right now. But that meant that getting up this morning was a bit of a struggle. I think I called them four times before anybody showed up in the kitchen for breakfast. They each came dragging in, slowly waking up as they ate their cereal. I guess they just aren’t cut out for party life!
This little episode reminded me of the prodigal son, and how he thought the party life was for him. He asked for his inheritance early, so that he could go live it up in the far country. Instead, he found out that the fun lifestyle he was so looking forward to quickly ‘ran out of fun’, leaving him with nothing but a longing for home.
Living by our selfish wants and wishes will always leave us dissatisfied. It will never prove to be what we had hoped. Consequently, we will come to a point when we must decide whether we will continue on our course of action (with the same dissatisfaction as a result), or we will turn back to our Father and home… a place where we will always be welcomed and loved and fulfilled.

Daniel

#348.4 – “Weed-Picking 101”

2011-07-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

“And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to do work in it and take care of it.” - Genesis 2:15
Our four kids have hardly scratched the surface of work in their lives, and I decided the other night that they needed to have a lesson in work. So I told them all that the next day we would all do a little weed-pulling. I wanted them to have just a taste of what real work is like.
The next morning, the boys were up first… so I gave a bag in which to put weeds and told them to get started. I showed them how to pull and get the whole weed up – roots and all. I then went over to another part of the yard and began pulling some of my own. After I got one sackful, I came over to check on them. They had hardly picked a thing. I gave them a good talking to, and told them to get to work. I went back across the yard to my spot and started working some more. I could hear them taking to each other; in fact, they weren’t doing much of anything except talking. I yelled across the yard and told them to get busy, and finally did. By the time I had picked a second sackful, they had finished their only sack (and they still missed a few spots, but I was okay with that, because the girls needed something to do).
Later, the girls got out there and finished weeding that section, and then started to work on the other areas neither the boys nor I had done. In the meantime, I was weed-eating the back ditch. I didn’t watch the girls do their work, but I know they came up with another sackful of weeds on their own.
Work is a good thing. When the work itself is pleasing to God, and the heart of the Christian worker is centered on serving the Lord in their work, that work honors God as an act of worship.
May we honor God in our work today.

Daniel

#348.3 – “Giving It Away”

2011-07-19T16:53:00.000-05:00

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” - John 15:12-13
Our girls are two very giving children. They ‘earn’ money from “Grammie Camp”, doing little odd jobs and helping her with things around the house, while learning about various hobbies and skills. But they are constantly working together to make lists of things they want to buy for the boys and for us… for birthdays and such. In fact, they have already approached Sarah and expressed a desire to purchase a birthday present for Joshua (who’s due for a birthday in a little over a week). Sarah, of course, agreed.
It does us as parents good to see them be selfless… to want to do for others… to give their monies away to show love to someone else (yes, even their brothers). This is one way they can reflect the love of Christ.
Their selfless love makes me want to imitate that from them in my life.
Lord, help me to give my life away… not just so that I can be more selfless, but so that I will be more like You, and You will be glorified.

Daniel

#348.2 – “It’s Weirder Just Having One”

2011-07-19T11:19:00.001-05:00

“So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” - Genesis 21:14-17
I thought having two kids instead of four was strange… then we got to see what having one is like.
It was Grant’s turn to choose where we ate after church this past Sunday. I don’t know if it was that, or what, but he chose to stay the course and stick with that plan instead of taking up the offer given to him by his grandparents to come over to their house Sunday afternoon. So it was just me and Sarah and Grant for lunch that day, which was weird… a good weird… but weird nonetheless.
First off, let me just say that lunch is a whole lot cheaper with three eating instead of six. Second, everything is a whole lot more quiet without the girls and Joshua! And third, but not least, there is an unusual dynamic with only one child. You can spend a whole lot more time one-on-one with only one than with four (I know that is hard to believe, but it is true!).
I told you all about how Sarah planned and prayed that we would have four kids – two of one sex and then two of another (by the way, she has since told me that she DID, in fact, ask God to give us girls first… so if any of you out there are planning a family, or even grandkids, and you would like to rent my wife as an intercessor on your behalf, we would be happy to negotiate a fair price with you!). And I told you about how one great advantage of that ‘system’ is that each kid has a built-in playmate for life. Well, that is very good, and I certainly wouldn’t want to change that for anything. But one thing that is also true about having four (especially having two and two) is that having one-on-one time with any of them is very unusual.
But that is exactly where we found ourselves Sunday. After lunch, we went home and I offered to play some games with Grant. He quickly took me up on that, and we played for quite a while. Then, one of his best friends from our neighborhood came over, so I bowed out to let them play together like they wanted. But that time I had with him was a precious one to me, and I was grateful for it.
I am thankful that we serve a one-on-one kind of God. He never has to divide His attention from me; He is always 100% there with me, through thick and thin. He is good beyond words to me, and He is equally good to everyone else in the world… all at the same time… giving 100% of Himself and His attention to each one.
Lord, You truly are awesome in the manifestation of Your presence. May You be lifted up in my praise today.

Daniel

#348.1 – “It’s Weird Just Having Two”

2011-07-18T13:47:00.001-05:00

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” - 1 John 4:7-9
This past weekend, the girls went off to GA camp at Camp Helen. They were gone just overnight Friday into Saturday morning – but it felt like much longer than that to me. I suppose one reason why that was so is because it was just so much more quiet without them (and I don’t mean that as an attack on them… it’s just true), and quiet hours seem longer than noisy ones (to me, anyway).
Having someone else share time/life (and no, I’m not talking about the magazines!) with us makes such a difference. I suppose there is always the danger of taking them for granted. The fact is, before the girls left, I had not realized how much they help me stay active and have purpose and spend my day. But they do – even if we don’t always do a ton of things together, they give me a reason to work and do the things that I do. They are a crucial part of who I am.
In the same way we, as a part of the Body of Christ (even and especially in the local body of Christ, with whom we gather to worship and serve), are integral to each other’s spiritual lives. We help provide purpose and encouragement and love to each other. We need each other. God made us to be dependent upon each other, and He desires that we serve Him by serving each other. Anything less or else is just, well, weird.

Daniel

#347.4 – “My Helper”

2011-07-15T08:52:00.001-05:00

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” - John 14:16
After supper last night, there was still enough daylight to go out and do some car-washing. I invited any of the children who wanted to join me in this venture to come out and help. Grant was the only taker. He came out right after me and worked like a little Trojan, vacuuming and washing and spraying; he even washed his bicycle while we were out there!
I can remember wanting to help my dad when I was a kid. And it didn’t really matter what it was he was doing; I just wanted to be with him. Seeing Grant come alongside me to help me do something reminded me of me and my desire to help my dad.
God’s Holy Spirit is the believer’s Helper. He is always there for us; He never leaves us. And He helps in so many ways – guiding… protecting… giving wisdom… reminding us of God’s word… assuring us of His love.
May we be grateful today for the love God shows us through giving us a Helper to walk through life with us.

Daniel

#347.3 – “A Free Lunch Just Tastes Better”

2011-07-14T09:53:00.001-05:00

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” - Psalms 34:8
As a part of one of my recent trips to do some visiting at Huntsville Hospital, I was the recipient of a free lunch from the family of one I was visiting. Not at all expecting that, it came as such a nice surprise. As I was eating, I thought to myself how enjoyable that lunch was… and not only because the visit with the family was such a precious thing, but also because I didn’t have to pay for it!
There have been many times when I have had my lunch bought for me, and I can honestly say that not having to pick up the tab just made those lunches that much better! When it comes to salvation, my Savior ‘picked up the tab’ for me…. and He’s done the same for you. The only question is whether or not you have graciously (there is grace involved in receiving too) accepted it or not.
If you have, then invite someone else to the banquet table of grace… and if not, then let me encourage you to dine at the King’s table… at no cost to you. You will find His salvation to be the sweetest thing you’ve ever tasted.

Daniel

#347.2 – “Play with Me”

2011-07-13T08:51:00.001-05:00

“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” - Psalms 46:7
Last night Grant came up beside our bed (which I was already in and getting ready to go to sleep) and asked me if I would play with him. His brother and his sisters were in their respective rooms, playing on their own… and he didn’t have anyone with which to play. I was pretty exhausted and really didn’t feel like getting up playing anything like hide-and-seek, so I suggested a compromise: thumb-wrestling. Thumb-wrestling is a great sport at which young and old(er) can all enjoy, with minimal effort. And that’s what we did; we had several matches right there on my bed. Within a few minutes, some other would-be participants were standing around watching, waiting for their turn to take on the champion.
I am grateful that God is never too tired for me. He never turns me down when I want to talk; He never tells me to come back later. He is always there for me.
Father, thank You for being there… all of the time.

Daniel

#347.1 – “… If You’ll Pay Me Back Two Dollars and Fifty Three Cents.”

2011-07-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

“And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:6
I don’t remember now where exactly we were… but the family had been out the other day and Joshua had a little bit of change with him. At some point, he motioned for me to lean over so he could tell me something. When I did, he whispered in my ear that he would let me ‘borrow’ two pennies if I would later pay him back two dollars and fifty three cents! I told him he should go to work for the credit card companies!
Joshua is old enough to understand that having the ability to buy some things for yourself is fun. And – like any other normal kid – he would always love to have more money to be able to spend. But his little ‘system’ he had come up with, while funny, was a good reminder to me of how quickly our ambition can carry us farther than we ought to go. The Bible is clear about the wrong of taking advantage of another in order to make gain for yourself. At the heart of this sin is the issue of how we perceive ourselves versus the other person; do we believe that we are more worthy than they to receive gain? Have we any concern for their well-being, or ours alone? Do we focus exclusively on self? A healthy approach is for us to always keep our eyes on Jesus and be reminded of how He views people and things.
Lord, I realize that, apart from You and Your grace, my ambition would be willing to go to any lengths - including the destruction of others – to get what I want. Help me to stay reminded of that as I seek to reflect You to the world around me.

Daniel

#346.4 – “God Math, Lesson Four: 1 > 99???”

2011-07-08T08:15:00.001-05:00

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” - Luke 15:4-7
I said earlier this week that one of the great things about math is that there is a ‘standard’ on which you can count (no pun intended), i.e. 2+2=4. The same kind of standard is true of the character of God and nature of God; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But in ‘God math’, there is one time when 1 is actually greater than 99, and that time is aptly described in the verses above, so you don’t need me to elaborate on it for you. Allow me, then, just to appreciate this mathematical ‘puzzle’. As one who is soooo glad that He deemed me – an individual who was bound for hell because of my sin – worthy of His time and attention that He saved me from the lost state I was in (note: not heading towards, but already there) and brought me back to where I belonged and where He intended all along, I concur that this kind of math doesn’t ‘make sense’, but it is nonetheless true.
God loves the ‘ones’ of this world. You and I are proof of that. And we should love the ‘ones’ also.

Daniel

#346.3 – “God Math, Lesson Three: Two > One”

2011-07-07T13:00:00.001-05:00

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Before Sarah and I were ever married, we talked about how many children we each wanted to have. Being an only child of sorts (I do have three older half-brothers, none of whom lived with us), I figured we would have one. Sarah, being one of two children, had always dreamed of having… you guessed it… four (I gave up figuring her math a long time ago!) – two of one sex and two of the other... and she specifically wanted two of the same sex to be born back-to-back, and then the other two of the opposite sex to be born after that. To my knowledge, she graciously left God room to decide which sex would come first (although I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she was whispering ‘girl’ in His ear the first time around)!
The truth is that we are both grateful for our four kids. And we’re not just grateful for each individual child, but also for the fact that we have four. Having two and two means that, not only do our kids have a childhood playmate, but for the rest of their lives they will have a support… a confidant… a friend (although there are plenty of times when we wonder if they will survive each other in the childhood stage!).
There is strength in numbers. And God intends for His Church to be a community of believers, who work together toward a common goal. He gifts us as individuals, but He brings our individual gifts together (in the context of a local church) to make a unique representation of Him to the world around us.
And part of the reason why He does so is because the group accomplishes much more than an individual could do. Two really are better than one. And three are better than two.
And another part of the reason why He does so is because the group working as one best represents His nature as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit… three entities who are as One.
It ‘works’ for God, and it will always ‘work’ for us as well. We are our best and we do our best when we unite with others around us and work with each other.
So today I urge us to be thankful for the others who help make up the Body of Christ with us. Thank God for them; and thank them for their contribution to the Kingdom of God.

Daniel

#346.2 – “God Math, Lesson Two: God’s Grace > Our Sin”

2011-07-05T16:49:00.001-05:00

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 5:20-21
You know, one of the great things about math is that once you learn a truth, that truth stays the same forever. 2+2=4… always has been… always will (unless you’re into that goofy math). Well, a HUGE truth that has always remained the same in God’s math class is this one: His grace is always greater than our sin. In any given situation… at any point in time… as it pertains to any individual… God’s grace consistently outweighs, outdoes, out-whatever any sin that it comes up against.
That doesn’t mean that grace always ‘wins out’ in somebody’s life. The fact is that people go through life (even to the point of their death) without ever choosing to accept God’s grace for themselves. They disregard it and the God who offers it to them freely. But that doesn’t change the truth that God’s grace is greater than their sin, any more than writing down a ‘5’ as the answer to the problem 2+2 changes the fact that the answer is ‘4’. The answer is ‘4’. And in the same way that 10 is always greater than 1, the all-powerful, all-forgiving, all-cleansing, all-life-changing grace of God is always greater than sin.
But is up to us to choose to believe it and receive that truth for ourselves.

Daniel

#346.1 – “God Math, Lesson One: Jesus > Anything Else”

2011-07-05T11:08:00.001-05:00

“For by Him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by Him and for Him; He is before all things, and in Him all things have being. And He is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things He might have the chief place. For God in full measure was pleased to be in Him; Through Him uniting all things with Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven. And you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, He has now made one in the body of His flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil before Him: if you keep yourselves safely based in the faith, not moved from the hope of the good news which came to you, and which was given to every living being under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.” - Colossians 1:16-23
An extension somewhat of last Friday’s lesson, this mathematical statement is a good reminder of a truth that is peculiar to Jesus alone. No one… no thing… no idea… no belief… no kingdom… no power… no principality… nothing is greater than Jesus. He is superior to all. He is above all. He created all things, and all things were created for His pleasure. He reigns over the entire universe and beyond. Every knee will bow… every tongue confess that He is Lord over all.
Got it. Check that box. Learned that lesson a long time ago.
Okay, so the real question is: is Jesus greater than everything to me? Is He greater than my desires… to be important… to be desired… to have wealth and fame and glory? Does my calendar say that He is most important? Does my checkbook declare Him to be Lord of my life? Do my wife and kids concur that he reigns in my heart?
Whether or not my life reflects the truth that Jesus is greater than anything, the fact does not change that He is. He is superior to everything… in every way… everyday.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness today. Declare Him Lord over your day today. Give Him the rightful place of honor in your day.

Daniel

#345.5 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Five: Grant the Observer”

2011-07-01T08:22:00.001-05:00

“He has to become greater while I become less.” - John 3:30
The only one I have not written anything about is Grant, and that is because he was not a participant in ‘the show’. He instead preferred to just sit and enjoy as a quiet observer, alongside his mother and me and the Hughes. That is so characteristic of Grant; unlike his younger brother, Grant is another one who would just as soon not be the center of anything. Much more reserved and quiet than Joshua, he rarely does anything that would draw attention to himself.
In our dealings with other people, we as Christians should have an attitude of ‘less me, more Jesus’ in all that we do. We should seek to point others to Him and not to ourselves. Our aim ought to be to put Him in the forefront of any and every conversation and action we take, while we should remain ‘in the back’.

Daniel

#345.4 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Four: Beth and Ruthie, the Dynamic Duo”

2011-06-30T08:34:00.001-05:00

“My prayer is not for them only, but for all who will have faith in me through their word; May they all be one! Even as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so let them be in us, so that all men may come to have faith that you sent me.” - John 17:20-21
Ruthie had dual roles the day of the show – she not was the ticketmaster, but she was also the DJ for Beth, who sang along with one of her dad’s cd’s as the next act after Joshua. This superstar team cranked out several tunes for us, with Beth calling out to Ruthie which track to play next.
The teamwork the two of them demonstrated reminded me of how Jesus always did only what the Father called out for Him to do. Whatever track He was to take, He took. The two of them were always ‘in sync’ with each other.
As we seek to be like Christ in all we do, may we ever give ourselves in surrender to His will. May our lives be in sync with His.

Daniel

#345.3 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Three: Ruthie the Ticketmaster”

2011-06-29T14:59:00.001-05:00

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 3:24
When we entered the preschool room that day, we found ourselves walking through an elaborate path of cardboard bricks. As we followed them (in a zig-zag pattern) to their end, they led us right to Ruthie, who was selling tickets for the show. When we asked how were supposed to pay, the girls (having thought of everything for us) pointed to some fake money lying on the table that they had made from index cards. Ruthie handed us the ‘cash’… which we then gave her back, in exchange for a ticket each. We then took our seats and enjoyed the show.
Pretty good set-up, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t you wish that every show you went to see provided the cash for you to purchase your tickets? I’m saying… I like that deal!
And that is exactly what Christ did for us at Calvary. The standard of God’s holiness was so high that only perfection could obtain a relationship with Him. Since we all fall short of His perfection, we could not enter into that relationship on our own merit. But God - knowing this was the case – planned all along to provide the means by which we could enter into a relationship with Him, and thus He came in the form of the God-man: Jesus. He took on the sins of the entire world and made a way where there was no way, by giving His life as a sacrifice. In so doing, He purchased for us a ‘backstage pass’, good for all eternity. All we have to do is pick up the ‘cash’ (trust His blood to cover our sins) and turn it in (by faith, give Him our sin and accept His righteousness) for our ticket (our eternal relationship with God).
Pretty good deal, huh?
If you’ve never accepted it, why not do that right now? And then tell another believer about what you did.
If you have accepted it, help another person ‘in line’ see that the price has already been paid for them.

Daniel

#345.2 – ““The Show to End All Shows, Part Two: Joshua the Superman Tumbler”

2011-06-28T17:28:00.000-05:00

“And they took off his clothing, and put on him a red robe. And they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and put a rod in his right hand, and they went down on their knees before him, and made sport of him, saying, Long life to the King of the Jews. And they put shame on him, and gave him blows on the head with the rod. And when they had made sport of him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothing on him, and took him away to put him on the cross. And while they were coming out, they saw a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they made him go with them, so that he might take up his cross. And when they came to the place named Golgotha, that is to say, Dead Man's Head, They gave him wine mixed with bitter drink: and after tasting it, he took no more. And when they had put him on the cross, they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance. And they were seated there watching him. And they put up over his head the statement of his crime in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then two thieves were put on crosses with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who went by said bitter words to him, shaking their heads and saying, You who would give the Temple to destruction and put it up again in three days, get yourself free: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. In the same way, the chief priests, making sport of him, with the scribes and those in authority, said, A saviour of others, he has no salvation for himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will have faith in him. He put his faith in God; let God be his saviour now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. And the thieves who were on the crosses said evil words to him.” - Matthew 27:28-45a.
Joshua was the opening act of this thrilling show. He led off with what he does best: run around and jump and tumble and flip and all kinds of other such stuff. Some of his ‘act’ was a demonstration of what he remembered from his gymnastics class... and some of it he just made up… but all of it was fun to watch. And he did all of this while pretending to be Superman. And Superman he was… one time, he stood at the top of the steps in that preschool room and literally tumbled – end over end - off into the floor. He then did a somersault (of sorts) back up to the top. The rush of blood turning his head a bright shade of red didn’t stop this superdude from performing his stunts.
Sensing that it was time to let the next act on, the emcee (Anna) got up on stage and tried to introduce the next act. But Joshua kept trying to get more time in… running around and ‘finishing’ (as he called it) what he was doing. Anna – knowing the way her brother is - just cut him off and told him instead to go run around in the hallway outside the room. Joshua tried to still get more time in on the stage. Finally, Sarah and I told Joshua that he had to go out. Even then, he still tried to get his neck in the room and talk over Mrs. Emcee (unlike his big sister, Joshua has no problem whatsoever with being the center of attention)!
Oh that I would have Joshua’s no-quit attitude when it comes to spiritual warfare. So often, I let discouragement keep me from trying something that God is calling me to… or I give in to the temptations I find around me, instead of standing firm like I should… or I want to quit when the going gets tough… but not Joshua.
And not Jesus, either. When the time came that He knew He was facing death, He boldly became vulnerable and willingly surrendered Himself to the cross, in order to pay for the sins of the world. And nothing – not insult… not injury… not anything – kept Him from accomplishing what God had planned for Him.

Daniel

#345.1 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part One: Anna the Emcee”

2011-06-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

One day last week Sarah and Susan and I were up here practicing on a song for Sunday’s service. Meanwhile, our kids and Beth were working on a show to present to us afterwards. This week’s devotions are centered around that event.

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' ” - Matthew 3:1-3
Anna grabbed her microphone (which was made of construction paper) and stood up on the platform (the stage area in one of the preschool rooms) and proceeded to announce all of the show’s line-up, one at a time. Always very articulate, yet appreciative of not being the ‘main attraction’, Anna is a great emcee. She kept the ‘entertainers’ moving and kept the show exciting. She built up each act as if it were the greatest thing on earth.
John the Baptist was sort of an ‘emcee’ for Jesus: he preceded Jesus… and his life and work ‘set Jesus up’ to do what Jesus was called to do. He served to point people to the ‘main attraction’ of Christ and His life and death and resurrection. He made it clear that believing in Jesus was the greatest thing anyone could ever do.
In a lot of ways, we are to be ‘emcees for Christ’. Our lives should point people to Him. Nothing should be done for our glory, but for His alone. We should understand that we exist to serve and glorify Him.

Daniel

#344.4 – “The Group is Greater than the Individual”

2011-06-24T08:27:00.001-05:00

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:5-7
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1
Another motivation for a musician to keep going is ‘the band’: the group with whom the person is playing. Yes the piece of music is crucial… more than whatever individual notes may be missed. And so, having the ‘end in mind’ of playing the whole piece of music is important to finishing what is begun. But also, there is the motivation of finishing with and for your fellow players.
If – in the middle of a piece of band music – I decided to just quit, my part would be missing from the arrangement, leaving a ‘hole’ musically. The band could (and should) go on without me… but it wouldn’t be the same. My part contributes to the whole… as does each of theirs… and thus, we encourage one another with our playing.
The Christian life is the same way. As a part of the Body of Christ, I contribute to the whole. And so does every other believer. And my playing encourages another… and theirs encourages me. Those who have mentored me - both in the past and in the present – encourage me in my walk with Christ. And those whom I have been blessed to mentor – both in my past and in my present – I hope to encourage. And so we support each other in our playing and move on the end of piece together.

Daniel

#344.3 – “The Song Outweighs the Notes”

2011-06-23T08:19:00.001-05:00

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24
As I expound a little more on the object lesson from yesterday, another parallel occurs to me:
The reason a mature musician ‘keeps trucking’ with their music is because they understand that music is a temporal art. Notice I did not say ‘temporary’, but ‘temporal’… meaning that it takes place in time. In that sense, it is unlike many of the visual arts, which can be done in stages. Take drawing, for example… say you wanted to draw the Empire State Building. You could start by getting just the outline done. Then, you could stop and put your pencils or chalk or whatever you were using away. You could come back the next day and start filling in some windows, and maybe the door. After another break, you could do the details (like shading or what have you) until you had the finished product. You could even go back at any point along the way and erase/correct something before you showed it to anyone.
But you can’t do that in music. Music happens… in time. If you make a mistake while playing a piece for someone, there is no ‘going back’ and ‘erasing’… you just have to keep going on… mistakes and all. And thus, music can be a very humbling art (which is really a good thing).
What drives a musician to play through the mistakes anyway is the ‘piece’ (the song). The piece is incomplete until the last note is played, that truth overrides all other parameters that a musician has… and so the ‘piece’ outweighs the ‘notes’.
Life is made up of a series of moments… and those moments may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at times. But our life here on earth isn’t over until we take our last breath, and so Paul encourages us as believers to run right up till our death… giving glory to God in all we do all along the way… mistakes and sins and all.

Daniel

#344.2 – “A Difference”

2011-06-22T12:38:00.000-05:00

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” - Acts 20:24
Anna has been taking piano lessons for a while now. At the very beginning of here training, there were a lot of wrong notes and repeated mistakes… pauses and corrections… and sometimes still repeated mistakes. Lately, Sarah and I have noticed that she is becoming much more capable with her playing. She still makes mistakes, of course, but they are fewer and farther between… and even more importantly, they trip her up less. I think that is the biggest sign to me that she is maturing as a player: the mistakes she does make do not hinder her from playing the piece she is working on at the time. Sometimes she will stop and fix them; sometimes, she may play ‘through’ them; but she still gets through the piece one way or another.
As I think of what ought to be some signs of being more mature in our faith, I think that sinning less should be in the list… but I also know that some sinning will still take place. And when it does, one sign of maturity is that it has less ‘effect’ on us, in terms of getting us off track from the mission God has called us to… what Paul referred to as ‘finishing the race’. When my sins cause me to focus so much on them that I miss the next thing God has in store for me, the song God has for me to play isn’t getting played. But when I can ‘go on’ and keep playing – knowing I am going to hit some ‘clunkers’ every now and then – and yet can still play the overall piece, then God is glorified… while His grace is shown as a needful thing.

Daniel

#344.1 – “Windex and Blood”

2011-06-21T10:22:00.001-05:00

“… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” - Revelation 1:5-6
Grant wanted to help me yesterday as I washed and cleaned the inside of Sarah’s car, so I gave him the job of cleaning the inside of the windows. He went around and sprayed them good with Windex… and then wiped them down with paper towels. Meanwhile, I was vacuuming and cleaning the rest of the car. When he got done with his job, he went out and played on his bike. After I had finished, I looked at the work he had done. There were streaks left where he had worked… but at least they were consistent; he hadn’t missed a spot! I showed them later to Sarah, with a certain pride. ‘Look’, I said, as I pointed to the streaks… ‘your son helped’.
When I think about how perfect God is and how imperfect I am, it is truly a wonder that He lets me help with His work at all. Even with the best and most focused intentions, I still leave a trail of splotches and streaks behind. And – just like I could let Grant go back over those windows again, only to still have some streaks left - I could wipe and sweat all day long, and still not be able to remove my sins. But the blood of Jesus comes along and cleans all of that in such a way that it doesn’t just look new; it is new.
Praise be to God, who makes all things new.

Daniel

#343.3 – “Like Having a Toddler… but without the Pull-Ups”

2011-06-17T08:28:00.000-05:00

“Let Christ the King of Israel now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe. And they who were crucified with Him insulted Him.” - Mark 15:32
Joshua’s older brother also had an interesting story about getting up in the night…
We had gotten the kids in the bed one night recently, and Sarah and I stayed up to watch a favorite show of ours. A short time later, Grant came staggering in our room… wandered rather aimlessly into our bathroom… and attempted to find the light switch on the wrong side of the wall. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then stumbled toward the bathroom sink… turned on the faucet… and then began pulling down his underwear! Sarah and I, who had been watching this whole episode play out before our very eyes, realized what he was about to do, so we began yelling out ‘Stop, Grant… you’re not standing at the potty!’ He continued with his undressing at first, as if he did not process what we said.
We (very quickly!) repeated ourselves.
He then replied: ‘yes I am’.
‘No… you’re not, buddy… you’re at the sink’.
‘Oh,’ he answered, and quietly made his way a few feet over to the potty and there accomplished his mission… thankfully without creating a big mess in the floor!
When I told that story to him the next morning, he had absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever. He was so wiped out that night, he didn’t remember any of it!
Physical exhaustion can make you do some pretty crazy things. I cannot imagine how exhausted Jesus must have been during His time at the Garden of Gethsemane… His trial… His flogging… carrying His cross… and then, of course, His crucifixion. And yet, He never wavered from His appointed mission. Even in the face of ridicule from all sides, Jesus stayed on course and saw His plan through. He was so determined and so persistent that nothing could stop Him from loving you and me with his life.

Daniel

#343.2 – “Like Having a Newborn… but without the Cute”

2011-06-16T08:41:00.001-05:00

“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20
Joshua has some kind of physical issue that must be causing him to occasionally choke and/or vomit, because he has had too many episodes for it to be coincidence. Just last week, he had two occasions – once when were eating out to celebrate Grammie’s birthday, and again the other night at the house. It is this last episode I will tell you about…
We had all gone to bed. Sarah said that she woke up when she heard Joshua in our bathroom. She found him curled up in the fetal position on the little mat that lies in the floor in front of my sink. She asked him if had been sick; he said that he had. She then encouraged him to come to bed with us for a while. None of this I heard or knew about at the time (if any of you are long-time readers of my devotions, you know that it is next to impossible to wake me once I fall asleep). I got my information the next day from the one who had been most of the night with him… the same woman who was up many nights when we had babies. She told me all about it from her state of sheer exhaustion the next day. I thought then that this was a lot like having a newborn in the house… but without the ‘cute’.
Being with somebody in their time of need is a mark of Christ-like empathy. By showing that we are willing to walk alongside someone in their trials and tribulations, we resemble the kind of ‘I will never you nor forsake you’ commitment that Christ has towards His Church. When we make that kind of commitment to each other, we are modeling the very character of Jesus. And that type of allegiance not only has an immeasurable impact on the recipient of such kindness, but also brings great glory to the One who first modeled it for and to us.

Daniel

p.s. we do have an appt for Joshua to find out what is at the bottom of his choking/vomiting

#343.1 – “The All-Star”

2011-06-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

“Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.” - 1 Corinthians 16:10-11
Grant finished up playing ball with his regular season team a week ago, but he has been in all-star practices and/or games ever since. His last game is tonight, and they have officially placed second in their league. Grant has played very well in all of these post-season games, hitting the ball and getting on base and playing solid defense at his outfield position.
I think he has definitely enjoyed his baseball experience this year. Playing on the Cardinals team in the regular season was a great experience for him, because he had some really good coaches that taught him a lot about the game. He learned a good bit about hitting and playing defense.
For him to have been selected as an all-star was quite an honor. Whether that selection is based purely on stats… or is influenced by coaches’ recommendations… or both, the fact is that someone besides us had recognized that he has done well; it is confirmation of just how far he has come in one season.
That got me to thinking about the power of encouraging words and deeds. To have one Christian brother or sister acknowledge something they have seen in you – be it a spiritual gift that you are exercising, or an act of kindness in Jesus’ name, or anything of the sort – means a lot. Of course, our ultimate encouragement comes from the Lord. But there is strong tool to be used by Him of us in giving encouragement to each other. Let us prayerfully consider today how we might be an encourager of someone in their faith.

Daniel

#342.2 – “Our Standard”

2011-06-03T08:15:00.001-05:00

“So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in His kingdom and His glory. And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:12-13
Anna, Ruthie, Grant, and Joshua all had excellent grades this year, and that makes us as parents so very proud. We know they are smart kids, but to see an objective standard ‘agree’ with that makes us thankful that they have all adjusted well to school and to what it is expected of them there. They (pretty much) follow the rules and do what they are supposed to do.
Our lives as Christians have the standard of the holiness of God and the character of Jesus’ life as set forth in the Bible. The Word of God shows us how we need His help and His Spirit living in us to guide us. We cannot live up to His standard on our own, but – with His help - we can seek to please Him in all we do.

Daniel

#342.1 – “A Persistent Little Bugger”

2011-06-01T08:46:00.001-05:00

“Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” - Romans 12:12
Joshua had what acted like a little stomach bug two and a half weeks ago. Without complaining or even waking us up, he got up in the middle of the late night Friday/early morning Saturday hours with his stomach hurting. He actually had vomited twice before he woke Sarah up. Then he continued off and on through the night. That Saturday he was weak, but had stopped vomiting. By Saturday evening, he seemed to be better. Then early Sunday morning, he started throwing up again. But through it all Joshua never complained or cried about it. He just hung around and took it easy and eventually got better.
The bug (or whatever it was that was causing him to feel ill) was persistent, but so was Joshua. No matter how many times he had to get up and deal with it, he did. And he did what he was supposed to do - resting as much as he could… drinking and eating a little once he felt like it… and just living with it. By the third day, he was better.
Persistence is a quality of bugs that plague us. It is also a quality of our spiritual enemies as they wage war against us. It is, therefore, a quality that would behoove us to have as we engage them in battle. However, our persistence should not be rooted in regards to our own strength; rather, it ought to be seen in the way we seek to continually dwell in the presence of our Father, the Commander of the army.

Daniel

#341.3 – “Right There the Whole Time”

2011-05-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

“… have no fear for I am with you…” - Genesis 26:24
For the last week or two of school, Anna was supposed to wear some rubber bands on her braces, to help align her top and bottom jaws. The orthodontist had given her two packets of rubber bands. There were a couple of days when she had forgotten her bands at home and I had to go back and get them. After the second time, I suggested that she bring a packet to school and leave them there so she would have them if she forgot to put them at home. When she forgot the third day in a row, I told her I was not going to go get them again and that she needed to remember them for herself. She got home that afternoon and emptied her pocket… and discovered that she had a pack in her pocket the whole time!
Sometimes we go through struggles and trials as believers in Christ and we attempt to tackle those things in our own strength and with our own understanding. We engage in spiritual warfare without ever asking God for help. We fight defeated… and all the time we have God in our pocket, so to speak.
God, today help me to realize my only source of strength and victory is You. Grant me an awareness of You throughout my day.

Daniel

#341.2 – “Bumps”

2011-05-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

“And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain. And about this thing I made request to the Lord three times that it might be taken away from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for My power is made complete in what is feeble’. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me. So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The past few months, Grant has had a rash come up over his torso that causes these little red bumps. We took him to the pediatrician and then later to the dermatologist, and they both said that it was a virus that will eventually work its way out of his system. The treatment they recommended was a cream that you put on the bumps before he goes to bed at night. This is to help dry up the bumps and, in time, cause them to recede. The only problem with it is that if you give him too much medication, it irritates his skin and makes it itch worse than if you do nothing. So there is a constant balancing game that we have to play to keep the bumps in check and not hurt him too much either. Still – despite the discomfort – he doesn’t seem to let it keep him from doing what he wants.
In the context of the Christian life, there are some things and times that are kind of like those bumps – unexpected and sometimes irritating. Sometimes they take a while to work out. Sometimes the more you try to deal with them, the worse it seems to get. Take Paul’s experience. He had something that was just bothering him without end. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it, but instead of removing the ‘thorn’, God used that experience to show His grace is a new and mighty way to Paul. For apart from that bump in Paul’s road, the temptation might have been for him to think a little too highly of himself and not near enough of God. But because God’s grace was a well on which Paul was desperate to draw from, it kept him at a place of acknowledgement that he needed God. And that constant reminder was undoubtedly necessary in God’s understanding, as He left Paul with it.
God uses even the bumps in the road of our Christian life to help us stay focused on Christ and His grace and what He has done for us. Let us then be grateful then, with the understanding that the bumps aren’t just there to aggravate us, but to keep us close to God.

Daniel

#341.1 – “Pay Attention”

2011-05-23T08:31:00.000-05:00

“… there is the more need for us to give attention to the things which have come to our ears, for fear that by chance we might be slipping away.” - Hebrews 2:1
There was a day not long ago when I carried our boys to the elementary school and there picked up two friends, both of whom are in Ruthie’s class, to take them with the girls to the intermediate school. Ruthie was excited about having her friends in the van with her that day; in fact she was so excited that, when it was time for them to get out and go into the intermediate school, she was trying so hard to keep up with her two friends that she had an accident. She was trying to run and catch up with her friends… and close the van door all at the same time… and, not looking where she was going, she ended up running into the one of the awning poles and hurting herself on the head.
Ruthie had so many things going on in her mind that morning that she was not paying attention to what was right in front of her.
That is the case sometimes with me and my relationship with God. There are times when I get caught up in the work I am doing… or the tasks before me in a day… and I miss God being right there in front of me. I pass over Him instead of letting His blood and His grace pass over me. Then oftentimes something comes along and whacks me on the head spiritually and I wake up and realize I have missed Him.
Lord, help me to pay attention to You from the very beginning of my day to its end.

Daniel

#340.4 – “Excuses”

2011-05-20T08:35:00.000-05:00

“And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."” - Genesis 3:11-13
Last Tuesday, Anna was sick and missed school. Wednesday morning, I was writing her a note to take to school (just to explain why she had been out)… when she tells me that she had homework from Monday that she did not do. She asked me while I was writing that note (which goes to the principal’s office) if I would write another one (for her teacher) saying that she was sick Tuesday and therefore did not do her homework that was due Wednesday. The only problem I had with that was that she could have done it on Monday night; she was not sick then. Of course, Grant did have a ballgame that night… but there are many times when she brings a book to read during his game… and there have been times when she has done homework during a game. The fact is that she could have easily done it then; she just didn’t want to. And the thing that aggravated me the most about it all was that she did not tell me about this homework until Wednesday morning, when we were on the way out the door to go to school.
So I told her that I could not do that for her. I felt that it was not right for me to alleviate the consequences of her choosing not to do it on Monday by writing a note of excuse for her on Wednesday morning. I felt that this was a lesson she needed to learn – that she is responsible for her actions and she could not reasonably expect me to ‘fix’ things for her that she has caused. And so I didn’t. I explained why I didn’t, but I didn’t. Later she told me that she was able to get it done during lunch period (which was great to me, because it showed me that she knew she had to ‘fix’ this herself, and she did).
Responsibility is sometimes a hard lesson to learn. I think about Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden; when confronted by God with their disobedience, they both blamed someone else. They were not willing to take responsibility for their actions.
We all must learn that our choices have consequences – sometimes for us only... sometimes for others, too… and all the time in relation to God – and that we are solely responsible for our choices.

Daniel

#340.3 – “The Morning After”

2011-05-19T08:15:00.001-05:00

“So the Lord would have nothing to do with all the offspring of Israel, and sent trouble on them, and gave them up into the hands of their attackers, till he had sent them away from before his face. For Israel was broken off from the family of David, and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king, who, driving them away from the laws of the Lord, made them do a great sin.” - 2 Kings 17:20-21
A couple of weekends ago, Joshua was so exhausted from all that we had been involved with - culminating in a late Saturday afternoon game - that he fell asleep on the way home from that game, at approximately 6:30. When we got home, we agreed we would just let him sleep the rest of night if he would. ‘IF’ is the key word in that phrase. He got up at some point in the early morning hours and kept Sarah up the rest of the night, causing them both to miss church the next day due to sheer exhaustion.
Our actions have consequences. Sometimes our actions affect others and cause consequences for them too. Sarah would have slept all night were it not for Joshua coming in our room and waking her up. But because he did, she could not get the sleep she needed.
Our sin caused consequences for Jesus. HE had to die a cruel death on the cross to pay for OUR sins. Now, of course, He knew all along that this was going to be the case and, therefore, it is more like a plan from the start than an afterthought consequence, but the truth is still: He died for us. Were it not for my sin and your sin, Jesus’ death would have been unnecessary. My choices produced a reality for Him that would not have been needed otherwise.
Our sins also cause consequences for others. There is more than one recorded act in the Bible where a certain leader’s sin causes a family or a nation to go the wrong direction.
Lord, help me to see that my sin not only helped bring You to Your fate, but that my sin oftentimes has consequences that affect others around me. May my love for You and for them produce better choices in me.

Daniel

#340.2 – “Priceless”

2011-05-18T09:03:00.000-05:00

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...” - John 1:14
Grant had a ball game a few weeks ago on a Monday night at 7. Sarah and I have community band practice Monday nights at 7. So we agreed that she would take Grant to his game and stay there with him, and I would go to band practice (we would have both gone to the game, except it was nearing our spring concert, and we hated to both not go to band). Well thankfully, it worked out where band let out right on time and Grant’s game had started late… so I got the word from Sarah when I got out of band that the game was still on… and I hurried to make it in time to see the end.
It had been an exciting game (Sarah would update me with texts throughout the night). Our whole team had played well, and Grant had been having an exceptional night. It was one of the close games that had gone back and forth. By the time I drove up, it was the bottom of the last inning. I could see that our team was behind two points, with one out, bases loaded, a batter up, and Grant on deck. The next batter got a hit, sending in one run, but the runner coming from second to third got out. When Grant got up to bat, our team was one point down with two outs and runners on first and second. In the meantime, I had made it from my truck to behind home plate. I yelled to let him know I was there to watch him hit that ball and win the game (a little pep talk, to boost his confidence)… and that is exactly what he did. He hit a solid hit right up the middle that rolled into the outfield. The defense was scampering to get the ball. The two runners ahead of Grant scored by the time he made it around to second base, and we had won the game. Everybody on our side cheered like crazy! Grant was ecstatic, and so were we!
That moment was a priceless one for me, and I am so grateful that I got to witness it. Sarah could have texted me about it… or told me about it after the game… or even sent me a picture or two showing bits and pieces of it… but it would not have been the same as being there. That moment was a shared experience – one that our entire team and their families will remember fondly for a while (and I know it is one Grant will remember for a LONG time)!
Jesus could have just heard about our pains and sufferings; He could have just watched from a distance regarding our trials and tribulations; He could have sent a note of congratulations to us in our moments of victory; but He instead came and lived among us and felt those very same things for Himself. He understood those feelings from a human perspective because He shared those types of experiences… and that makes Him priceless to those who know Him as Savior.

Daniel

#340.1 – “Asleep on the… Hey!!!”

2011-05-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

“Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.” - Psalms 119:40
Before Sarah took Ruthie to her guitar lesson a couple of weeks ago, she dropped off Anna, Grant, and Joshua here at the church building. They all had some homework, but Joshua’s only took about five minutes. After he was finished, he played for a while around the church. Since they practically have this as their second home, I was not really worried about watching him and what he was doing… as I was concentrating on my own work.
When Sarah came back with Ruthie, she laughed as she came down the hall to my office. When I asked her what was so funny, she told me to go check in the room across the hall (the one with the couches). Sure enough, there Joshua was - laid out cold! I mean, he was sound asleep. In fact, he was so sound asleep that we were able to have our staff meeting in that room (our usual meeting place) just a few minutes later. All of the guys laughed as they came in and saw my boy crashed on the sofa… and they were all equally tickled when I told them they we could still meet in there and it wouldn’t bother Joshua’s sleep one bit. ‘He’s got three siblings,’ I told them ‘and he’s used to being able to sleep through all kinds of racket!’
Nothing was going to disturb Joshua’s need for rest that day. Oh how I would like to have that same kind of singular focus when it comes to my need for God and His Word! If I would only ‘shut out’ every single thing that would seek to interrupt or sway me from the treasure that is found only in Him.
Lord, help me to learn a lesson about recognizing and surrendering to my need of You.

Daniel

#339.4 – “The Fall”

2011-05-13T14:16:00.000-05:00

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and a delight to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and gave it to her husband.” - Genesis 3:6
Grant and another teammate were at one of their practices a few weeks ago, and they both were chasing after the same ball. Somehow the other little boy tripped Grant, who landed pretty hard on his wrist. We thought it best to get it checked, so the next morning we took him to get an x-ray of it. It turns out that he did not fracture it; it was merely a sprain. The suggested treatment was to keep it wrapped and put ice on it for a few days. We did, and he was feeling much better by that weekend.
That was one of those moments that could have gone either way. We could have been looking at a fracture which, of course, not only would have meant that he couldn’t play for a while, but would have kept him from doing a lot more than that.
Moments can sometimes be just that… moments. And then again, moments can sometimes have lasting consequences. They can cause effects that hurt for a long time. Such was the case for Adam and Eve in the garden; their moment of disobedience led to a legacy of sin and pain and agony… one that still has effects today.
But praise God: His one-time death on the cross defeated the effects of sin forever for those that believe in Jesus, and that ‘moment’ of His resurrection makes possible a victory we can have over death and hell.
There is a moment for me, at which I decided to trust His sacrifice on my behalf, and accept the gracious effects of it for my very own. That moment forever changed my destiny… and I want to take this moment to encourage any of you who have never had such a moment to consider this as an opportunity to do so. Take this time to talk to God and confess your need of Him. Open your heart and let Him come in and accept His grace-gift to you. And then tell others what you have done and share the good news with them. Experience the greatest moment of all today.

Daniel

#339.3 – “Ruthie and the First Day Back after Spring Break”

2011-05-12T08:38:00.000-05:00

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” - John 14:26
During spring break, our kids stayed home and played around the house. We did not take a trip or do anything special and yet, they had a great time just taking it easy for a week. I think everyone enjoyed the rest and relaxation associated with the break.
And then came the time to go back to school… and wouldn’t you know it? Ruthie woke up that Monday with a pretty good headache. I figured that it had to be due to the fact that they were up the night before a little bit later than they normally would have been… you know, stretching out that spring break as long as they could. Ruthie felt bad that morning. But, knowing what it was, I couldn’t just let her skip school because she had too much fun the night before… so I gave her a couple of headache pills and sent her on.
I have done and still do the very same thing sometimes – staying up too late when I know I ought to go to bed. And I have had several ‘next days’ when I had a gentle reminder – whether it was in the form of a headache or grogginess or lack of concentration – that my actions have consequences. And those ‘reminders’ prompt me (sometimes!) to alter my course of action.
The Holy Spirit often serves to gently remind us of God’s character and how we ought to resemble that in our daily lives. He takes our study of God’s Word and reveals to us the truth that God wants to teach us. He lovingly corrects us when we need it, and He points us to the way we ought to go. We should be most grateful for those loving, gentle reminders that help us become more like Christ.

Daniel

p.s. - that afternoon, I asked Ruthie if her headache went away and she said it did.

#339.2 – “Grant, the Sweaty Boy”

2011-05-11T08:52:00.001-05:00

“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” - 2 Timothy 4:18
As parents, there are a few traits that Sarah and I can see in kids as being ones that definitely came from one or the other of us. Ruthie being able to laugh so freely at herself is a Sarah trait. Anna being an aggravator comes from me. Joshua being a stinker… well, once again, comes from me. And another one that comes from me - a physical trait - is Grant’s sweaty self. I can remember being sweaty as a boy – running and playing and having a good time, and coming home looking like I had dipped my head and shoulders and underarms (not quite sure how you could dip underarms, but anyway) in the river. And bless my dear mother’s heart, she never fussed; she just took and washed my nasty clothes for me. Mine weren’t the only nasty clothes in the machine, though. I remember seeing my dad’s work clothes look a lot like mine, usually worse. That’s because he was a ‘sweater’, too. It is a bond that many of us Metcalfe men share: sweat. When we work or play outside on a day like these days lately have been, we are going to sweat. What am I saying? When we just stand out in the sun for a while on days like these, we sweat!
Well, this little sweat gene has definitely been passed onto Grant, who I remember recently was sweating like he had been out in the Sahara on the night of Patrick’s birthday party, when it was 45 degrees outside. We came to the party (which was held here in the youth room) and, after a while, Grant and several of the kids went and played in the gym (which, admittedly was not 45 degrees, but was not that warm either). Of all the kids playing there, Grant was the only one whose head was soaked afterwards. And it’s not because he plays harder, or does anything differently… he’s just sweaty. Period.
This sweat gene links my son indelibly to me, and me to my father. It is something that will never change. It will not go away. Grant’s sweatiness is here to stay… as is mine and my father’s. And so we have somewhat of a permanent bond. But that bond is nothing compared to the bond that God places with us once we come to accept Jesus as our Savior. At that moment of acceptance, He gives us His Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us… to be our forever Friend and companion… to lead and to guide us in His ways. It is truly a permanent bond, because it lasts for all eternity. And it is a bond which should lead to our becoming more and more like Christ as we live for Him and seek Him, thus resulting in an even greater likeness in us to our Lord.

Daniel

#339.1 – “The Fort Builders”

2011-05-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” - Hebrews 9:15
The last time we were at my parent’s house, Grant and Joshua decided to build a fort using two fold-out cots they use to sleep on when there. They turned them on their sides… folded them a bit so they would stand up… brought them somewhat close together, leaving just enough room for a ‘gate’… and immediately established the rules of how to get in or out.
The only way in through the gate was to use a password. They decided what the password was and then told me, so I could get in. They agreed that the password was only needed to get in; you did not have to use it to get back out. After several times of going in and out of the gate – and having to use the password each time to get back in - they decided they would create a ‘secret’ entrance just for those of us who were part of the ‘in’ crowd, and the password no longer was necessary for the three of us.
When the boys set up their ‘rules’ for the fort, they had already decided in their minds that they wanted me to be in there with them. So when the rules would have kept me out, they gave me what I needed to get in. And when the password-system proved exhausting, they established a new system, which made the old one unnecessary.
That is exactly what God has done for you and me. He decided ahead of time that He wanted you and me to have a relationship with Him. But He saw that the rules and works-system would only keep us out… so He created a new system - one based on faith in His Son Jesus, who met the requirements of the law and fulfilled all of its demands. Now we can gain access to God by simply trusting in what Jesus has done in paving the way for us. In fact, He didn’t just pave the way; He IS the way.
Let us celebrate the standing we have because of what Christ has done for us. And if you know of someone who is still on the other side of the gate, show them the Way.

Daniel

#338.1 – “Growing”

2011-04-25T08:46:00.000-05:00

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
Grant is playing ball again this year, and he has really seemed to enjoy and to learn a lot this time around. I took him to a batting practice a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed that he had significantly improved from the beginning of this year. He hit around half of the pitches that came from the machine that night, which was so much more than what he hit the first practice. His stance has improved dramatically… and his follow-through is much better as well. Consequently, he is hitting more… and he is hitting them a little farther.
It is neat to watch all the kids on the team improve as the year goes on. They are learning by listening to their coaches and putting into practice what they are being taught.
The same is true for believers in Christ. In order to grow in our faith, we must listen to our ‘coach’ (the Holy Spirit) as He imparts wisdom from God’s Word to us… and we must adjust our lives to the teachings we receive and make the necessary corrections in order to line ourselves up with what is being taught. As we do, we will see that a change is being made in us – one that will have lasting impact not only on us, but on those around us as well. As we come together with other believers (our ‘team’) we gain strength from the group and we grow that much more.

Daniel

#337.4 – “Put That in Your Funny World!”

2011-04-22T09:01:00.000-05:00

“When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” - Psalms 126:1-3
The night that I was told one of the stories of Joshua being in the road, we were at the supper table (by the way, there is nothing better to liven up mealtime conversation than a good Joshua story; if you need any, I can loan you some!); Sarah was telling the tale, and we were all listening (including Joshua). When she had finished, she suggested that I put that story in one of my devotions. Joshua chimed in right behind her and said to me: “Yeah, put that in your funny world!”
After a few moments of chaotic laughing from all who were present, Joshua went on to explain that that is what he does: whenever something funny happens to him or because of him (and there are plenty of both), he puts it away in his head; then later, when he wants to laugh, he just pulls it out and thinks about it and laughs!
Pretty good, huh?
We all need ‘a funny world’. We all need a place where we can laugh and get tickled about things. God made laughter, just like He made the trees and the birds and the rainbow. And just like those things, laughter is one of the best evidences of God.
Laughter reminds us both of the character of our Creator and how we are specially made in His image. Our ability to laugh is a sign of how we are unique amongst creation. And that uniqueness pertains not only to laughing (good thing, too… for how far would laughter get us in remedying our sinful state?), but also to the special standing we have in God’s eyes, in that we alone have been offered the precious relationship with Him that comes through the redemption made possible to us by the death of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of laughter. And thank You for how it also reminds us of the most precious gift of salvation. May we truly treasure both today.

Daniel

#337.3 – “Joshua in the Road… the Second Time”

2011-04-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

“And Esau said to Jacob, Give me a full meal of that red soup, for I am overcome with need for food: for this reason he was named Edom. And Jacob said, First of all give me your birthright. And Esau said, Truly, I am at the point of death: what profit is the birthright to me? And Jacob said, First of all give me your oath; and he gave him his oath, handing over his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave him bread and soup; and he took food and drink and went away, caring little for his birthright.” - Genesis 25:30-34
The very next day after Joshua did his best impersonation of ‘The Streak’, he was out in the middle of the road again… only this time for a totally different reason. This time, he was lying down in the middle of street. Sarah saw him there as she came out of the house behind him. When she first saw him, she thought that he had fallen off his scooter, which was there on the road beside him. She ran towards him in a bit of a panic, only to have him pop right up once she got to him. When she asked him if he was okay, he told her he was fine; he had just gotten cold, so he stretched out on the nice warm pavement to warm his body up (he strips down to his shorts when he’s hot; he lies down in the road when he’s cold… what are we going to do with this boy?)!
Like I said yesterday, with Joshua – the only that matters is what matters to him right then! And right then, he was cold and wanted to get warm! Never mind the fact that his tanning bed could cost him his life; just as long as it got him warm at that moment.
I can be just like that, too. There are times when I all am focused on is my immediate wishes and wants and gratification. I can disregard what spiritually is really most important and be consumed instead with whatever physically is drawing me at the time. There is still much I need to learn about stepping outside of myself and seeing the big picture… still much of God’s perspective to gain.
Lord, help me to weigh the decisions I will make today in light of eternity, and grant me the wisdom to make good choices that will prove to be a blessing, to You and to me and to those around me.

Daniel

#337.2 – “Joshua in the Road… the First Time”

2011-04-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

I came home last week to hear two very interesting stories of Joshua being out in the middle of the road in our neighborhood. Here is the first such tale…

“Little is needed, or even one thing only: for Mary has taken that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:42
Sarah said that Joshua had been playing outside in our neighborhood and got hot... so he came in to cool off. ‘Cooling off’ for Joshua includes taking off clothes. After stripping down to his underwear, he began playing inside the house. At some point, he stubbed his toe (which he had already injured earlier) and caused it to bleed. His first response to such an occurrence is always to run to momma. After running through the house and not finding her (I think she said she had stepped out and gone down the street to go call one of the other kids home), he proceeded to run out the door and down the street to her… in nothing but his underwear. When she saw him coming towards her, she said something like: ‘Joshua, you are running down the street naked!’ to which he replied: ‘I don’t care! Look at my toe!’ She said she picked him up in her arms – both to comfort him and to somewhat cover his bare body (of course, there were several neighbors out at that moment watching the whole thing) – and repeated her exclamation: ‘Joshua, you don’t have any clothes on!’ And again came the reply: ‘I DON”T CARE if I don’t have any clothes on… look at my toe!’
There are moments in life when nothing else matters… when the things that have seemed important before really don’t matter at all… when everything fades away and there is only one priority. I know for me that one such time was when I was in the hospital with my appendix... I didn’t have any concerns about appointments and meetings and schedules… all I cared about was getting well. For Joshua, this was one of those moments, where all he cared about was his bleeding toe.
Oh, that we would have such a clarity regarding what truly is important in life all of the time. If we could learn to prioritize our lives and place supreme importance on our relationship with God and each other…
Lord, help me see that life is all about loving You and loving others.

Daniel

#337.1 – “Teenage Years”

2011-04-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” - Psalms 48:14
One afternoon last week - when the kids were on spring break - Anna surprised us by falling asleep in our bed. Sarah said she just came in our room and crashed on our bed and was asleep in minutes. She must have been pretty tired, because I had to wake her up that evening when I came home from work, so that she wouldn’t be up all night! She had been asleep for a few hours at that point. She never does anything like that. That’s when it hit me and Sarah as to what was happening: we realized that we are about to be entering ‘the teenage years’ (Anna turns 13 this November). We have never been there, but we have heard stories... stories of beings who eat you out of house and home… stories of these quasi-adults who sleep at unusual hours of the day and don’t sleep at night… stories of hormones and heartaches.
So I guess we’re embarking on new territory. Who knows what the future will hold? I know that we don’t, which means that we are going to have to rely heavily upon God to guide us.
Lord, I know that You are sovereign over the universe, and that You hold all things in Your hands. Thank You for each of our children, and for the knowledge that You have created each of them with special purpose. Help us as parents to treasure that truth and to trust You, as You lead us through every stage of life.

Daniel

#336.4 – “The Lunch-maker and the Way-maker”

2011-04-15T08:42:00.001-05:00

“For already, while we were still helpless, Christ at the right moment died for the ungodly.” - Romans 5:6
It is customary in our home for me to pack the kids’ lunches for school. There are a few times, however, when I am doing all I can just to get me ready in the mornings! On those days, lunches get purchased instead of being made. But recently, I have had an eager beaver who has gotten herself ready early enough to come in the kitchen and help me pack lunches. Ruthie was consistently one of the first kids ready to go to school last week… and she was right there beside me, helping me bag up chips and sandwiches and whatever else needed doing. This unexpected help often came at just the right time… because I would be running around wondering what I was going to do to get us all out the door on time.
I needed help right at the moment it was given… and that made that help especially precious to me. In the same way, we as sinners before a holy God needed help in order to be forgiven of our sins and brought into the Presence of God clean and right… and Jesus provided that help (in fact, it is more accurate to say that He Himself IS that help… that Way to God. Without His dying for our sins, we would have no way to have a relationship with God. But because He did, we can! And that sacrifice should be to us a most precious gift – more precious than anything.
Lord, help me to be reminded of how thankful I should be in light of what You did on my behalf.

Daniel

#336.3 – “The DS Droid”

2011-04-14T10:40:00.001-05:00

“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” - Acts 6:4
Joshua loves to play his video games. He has a handheld game called a DS that he carries with him most places. We have learned to not have him play while we are all walking somewhere, because he doesn’t actually look where he’s going (if you point his head in the right direction, he will just go… he won’t look, but he’ll go!). He also cannot carry on a conversation while playing, because he is too absorbed in his game. If we would let him, I’m sure he would choose to lose sleep in order to play it. I’m surprised that he hasn’t grown robotic arms as much as he has that thing in his hands!
In the same way, there are many things that would distract me from my relationship with God… and not all of them are ‘bad’ things (just like playing a game is not a bad thing in itself). But when those things prevent me from spending time with God, they are a distraction from the most important part of my day and who I am. And if I am not careful, they sort of begin to add up and cling to me and overwhelm me to the point that I am not moving with God.
Lord, help me keep my life in check to see if things are becoming more important than You. Forgive me when I become enthralled with the world and do not look deeply into You. When I wander, lead me back into the direction I need to go.

Daniel

#336.2 – “Spinnin' Away, but with No Heat”

2011-04-11T16:47:00.001-05:00

“Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.” - Jeremiah 9:23-24
One day last week, the kids were all getting ready for school, when I noticed that Ruthie did not have on any pants (a brilliant observer, I am). When I inquired as to what had kept her from getting fully dressed, she informed me that she was waiting on a pair of blue jeans to come out of the dryer. Content with that answer, I kept on getting everybody’s lunches ready. After several minutes, I asked her if she had checked them recently. She said she did, but that they were not dry. I gave them a few more minutes and then checked them myself.
Our dryer has a setting where, as the load gets closer to the end of a certain cycle, it reduces the heat applied to that load… sort of a ‘cool dry’ mode (I guess to protect the clothes from shrinkage). Ruthie’s jeans were at that particular point in the cycle and were not getting anywhere close to dry, because the dryer was not heating at all! I cranked the dial back a few notches and turned the dryer back on. The heat kicked on and, in just a few minutes, Ruthie’s jeans were dry and we were on our way!
Sometimes in my spiritual walk, I have been guilty of working myself crazy and not getting much effect… and that is most often due to the fact that I am working in my own power (which, let me tell you, ain’t much!) and not relying upon God’s power to accomplish His vision. When I recognize this flaw and ask for His strength and help, He is always faithful to provide the power needed to bring about the result He desires.
Lord, forgive me for the times when I am spinnin’ away, but with no heat! Help me to turn back my spiritual dial and learn to rely upon Your power more consistently.

Daniel

#336.1 – “Night and Day”

2011-04-11T08:20:00.001-05:00

“Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” - Ephesians 2:20-22
Last week I touched on how different some of our kids are when it comes to sleep. There are no two more different than our boys. Grant takes after his momma when it comes to sleep. He can go to sleep in less than two minutes when he is tired. All he has to do is just lie down (or sometimes just sit still) and he is out like a light.
Joshua, on the other hand, takes after me. He has to have a little bit more time to wind down. In fact, he hardly ever goes to sleep when we try to get all four of them to take a nap on the weekends. More often than not, the other three kids will be sound asleep in just a while, but Joshua is just afraid he is going miss out on something! I remember being the same way when I was little.
They are as different as night and day when it comes to sleep habits, but they have a bond like only brothers can have. They truly love each other. They help each other and they stick together.
Their bond reminds me of that which we as believers should have for one another. We should be close – willing to serve one another… to help one another… to love one another in Christ. Despite whatever personal preferences we may have or what various spiritual gifts we possess, we should always seek to come together for the cause of Christ.

Daniel

#335.5 – “If I Didn’t Have Sarah…”

2011-04-08T08:16:00.001-05:00

“Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave Himself for it.” - Ephesians 5:25
Today is Sarah’s birthday, so that works out great for me to score some major points and write about her today!
Sarah is fun. She generally laughs and smiles a lot in any given day, and that is because it is a genuine reflection of her attitude. One of my favorite traits of Sarah’s is her ability to laugh at herself; as long as I have known her, Sarah has done or said funny things… and then gotten tickled at herself… and then laughed at herself like she is watching someone else do these funny things as part of a comedy routine!
Sarah likes sleep. She can fall asleep with just a thought. She also wakes easily, which usually favored her for middle of the night duty with our babies.
She is almost always cold, which works out great for me to do some snuggling with her!
Her love is true. It is pure and right and sincere.
Sarah has always been my support in everything. From helping me make decisions, to being a wonderful mother to our children, to taking care of me while I was sick from my ruptured appendix, Sarah has been right beside me all the way.
If I didn’t have Sarah, I don’t know what I would do. I would be lost without her. She is my completion.
God, thank You for Sarah. Thank You for leading us to each other. And thank You for Your faithfulness and Your sacrificial love to Your Bride, the Church. Help me to love Sarah as You love the Church.

Daniel

#335.4 – “If We Didn’t Have Joshua…”

2011-04-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

“Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit. And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord. And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.” - 1Corinthians 12:4-6
Joshua is the spoiled rotten stinker child. He is the baby and he knows it and he plays it for all its worth. Incapable of being still while playing anything, he loves to run and jump and bounce and flip and leap and tumble (consequently, he is taking gymnastics classes right now). The hardest to get to sleep… and the hardest to get up in the mornings… he gives me fits some days, but we manage to get out the door on time most of the time. Joshua is super sensitive; he will get his feelings hurt at nothing, and he gets happy again just as quickly.
If we didn’t have Joshua, we would miss out on a whole lot (for one thing, I wouldn’t have nearly as much material for devotions!). We would not have near the laughs… the joys… the aggravations! Life just would not be nearly as exciting.
Thank You, God for Joshua. Thank You for creating Him uniquely. Thank You for how You make each of us different and yet, how You use us for a common purpose of bringing You glory. May we seek to do that today.

Daniel

#335.3 – “If We Didn’t Have Grant…”

2011-04-06T08:16:00.001-05:00

“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Be seated here while I say a prayer. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and grief and great trouble came on him. And he said to them, My soul is very sad, even to death: be here a little time, and keep watch. And he went forward a little, and falling down on the earth, made request that, if possible, the hour might go from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; take away this cup from me: but even so let not my pleasure, but yours be done.” - Mark 14:32-36
Grant is our most cautious child. He is careful with anything he does – playing games… running… meeting new people… anything. He is the one who falls asleep most easily and the one who generally has the best attitude when he wakes up. He loves to play ball and video games. Very methodical and yet, lacking in concentration, he is by far the slowest child we have in terms of getting homework done. He is genuine in his love; he consistently tells us and draws us pictures or sends us notes saying how much he loves us.
If we didn’t have Grant, we would miss out on watching the thought process of thinking everything through before taking that first step (a quality he gets from his daddy). We would miss out on seeing his internal struggles and wrestling with ideas and fears. And we would definitely miss his sweet words proclaiming his love for us.
In His prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus wrestled between what He felt and what He knew needed to be done. He wanted there to be another way, but He knew there wasn’t. He was committed to doing what was best for us. He chose to endure the suffering and pain associated with death on the cross in order to redeem His people and make a way for man to have a relationship with Him.
God, thank You for Grant. And thank You for living out the best example of intentional love.

Daniel

#335.2 – “If We Didn’t Have Ruthie…”

2011-04-04T15:47:00.001-05:00

“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
Ruthie is outgoing, quick to show love, and comfortable in any group. Ruthie is very friendly. She is able to laugh at herself – a quality she gets from her mother – and is not at all concerned with what others think about her. She is interested in all kinds of things, and loves to help someone in whatever they are doing. She truly derives pleasure from serving others. She also loves to be held and to snuggle.
If we didn’t have Ruthie, we would miss out on some laughs, for one thing, because she can truly be funny with some of her doings! We would also miss out on her sweet spirit, and her selfless attitude. And we would also miss out on some major hugs!
Lord, thank You for Ruthie. Thank You for being the epitome of selflessness. Thank You, most of all for the declaration of love You readily made for all mankind when You chose to die on the cross for our sins. Help us to be so willing to give to others.

Daniel

#335.1 – “If We Didn’t Have Anna…”

2011-04-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

We are grateful for all of our children and what they mean to us. I cannot imagine not having any of them. This week, I want to write about how they are each unique in giftings and personalities.

“Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle.” - Deuteronomy 2:24
Anna is our deep thinker. Quiet and reserved, she is cautious about entering into a new relationship or situation. She loves to read (a gift which she did not get from either of us). She is very generous and wants to give and be a help. For example, just the other day, she stayed right by Sarah’s side the majority of the afternoon and helped her pull weeds from our front flower beds. Then she came over and helped me by wiping down the inside of the windows of our vehicles while I finished washing the outside. She is thoughtful towards others – esp. with those whom she is close and comfortable. She and her sister wrote us a note the other day, asking for the opportunity to work for some money for them to save in order to get their brothers gifts.
If we didn’t have Anna, we would have missed out on beholding a true miracle in seeing how God delivered her and protected her at birth – a preemie at 4 lbs 11 oz who struggled early on to gain weight. Today, we would miss out on watching the Lord help this child of such depth and inner beauty struggle to show it and take risk and engage other people. We would not be privileged to witness such a precious heart with compassion.
Lord, thank You for Anna. And thank You for Your selfless love, which is given so freely to us. Help us all to take risks for Your sake in showing love to others. Help us to abandon our fears and engage in the spiritual battle that is going on around us.

Daniel

#334.4 – “Daddy, Will You Help Me?”

2011-04-01T08:35:00.001-05:00

“But You, O LORD, be not far from me; O my strength, hurry to help me!” - Psalms 22:19
Since things have been in bloom this season, Anna’s allergies have been bothering her some, to the point that she had a pretty steady cough a few days ago. One night I had given her a sucker that had medicine in it to help suppress her coughing. I pitched it to her while she was on her bed doing her homework… and then I left the room. In just a few moments, I heard her calling my name. When I asked what she wanted; she replied that she needed help opening the sucker. ‘Oh come on Anna… surely you can do that’ I said. ‘No, I can’t; I’ve tried’ she said. Still in disbelief, I went in her room and took the sucker out of her hand and was going to show her how easy it was…
I couldn’t open it either. The wrapper had gotten stuck to the sucker itself and would not let go. I had to pull with all my might to get the thing open. When I handed it back to her, I told her that she was right and that it was tough (the next time she asks for help, I’ll know she really needs it).
I am guilty often of trying to do things on my own strength and in my own capacity and not relying on the Holy Spirit and His help. Instead of simply asking for assistance, I tend to tug at whatever it is in front of me with all my might. How quick Anna was to see that she could not do it on her own; she realized she needed help. If I would only be more childlike regarding my need for help…
Lord, I confess that I need You all the time – esp. when I think I’ve got it all under control. Help me see that I don’t and that I need you to help me to even take my next breath.

Daniel

#334.3 – “A Whole Lot of Waitin’ Goin’ On, Part Two”

2011-03-31T08:13:00.001-05:00

“For so you have the true end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. For the prophets who gave the news of the grace which would come to you, made search with all care for knowledge of this salvation; Attempting to see what sort of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was pointing to, when it gave witness to the pains which Christ would undergo and the glories which would come after them. And it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants not for themselves but for you, to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; things which even angels have a desire to see. So make your minds ready, and keep on the watch, hoping with all your power for the grace which is to come to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 1:9-13
As an extension of yesterday’s devotion, I wanted to point out that I realize that there are many times when my kids are waiting on me as their parent. For example, they waited on us last night while we were practicing with the choir; they waited on me to get their clothes ready for school today; and they waited on me to brush my teeth this morning before we could leave. They wait on me a lot – probably much more often than I wait on them, actually.
We who are God’s children wait on Him too, but in a different sense. We await Christ’s second coming with anticipation of what will be. We await the glory and majesty of His presence. We await the full revelation of Himself to us. And in the meantime, we try to learn more about Him constantly; we serve Him faithfully; and we love Him and His people with all of our being. Ours is an active waiting; we keep moving forward towards the prize as we wait for it.
Lord, help us to be ready… to keep on the watch… and to have hope of what will be as we serve You today.

Daniel

#334.2 – “A Whole Lot of Waitin’ Goin’ On”

2011-03-30T09:14:00.001-05:00

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Galatians 1:3-5
On Tuesday afternoons, Anna has piano lesson and shortly after, Joshua goes to gymnastics. Sarah and I usually split up duties on days like that, and the past couple of weeks I have taken Joshua to his gymnastics class. Yesterday, I forgot to bring something for me to do while he does his thing. Inside the gym, there is no cell phone coverage, so you have to step outside to make a call… so I didn’t do much of that. And the only thing inside to do is watch your kid… which would be great, but you can’t see Joshua’s class from where the lobby is, so mostly what I did was sit and do nothing. I did walk out for a while and send a few texts, but the rest of the time I just sat.
Parents give of their time all the time to their kids – waiting in car line… waiting at the ball park… waiting on them to come to the dinner table… waiting on them to clean their room… waiting on them to get their homework. Being a parent involves a whole lot of waiting.
There’s a huge element of sacrifice involved in waiting on another human being. After all, time is one resource that you can never get back. Time is valuable. When you give your time to somebody, you are giving one of the most precious gifts you can give.
That sacrifice of time made by parents for their kids is a reflection (albeit a poor one) of the kind of sacrifice that God has made on behalf of man. He gave us the most precious resource He had in Himself. Not only did He give us time in the sense of His coming and living amongst men for some thirty-three or so years, but He also gives us the opportunity to receive Him into our lives, thereby claiming the gift of eternity with Him.

Daniel

#334.1 – “The Sun Is Huge”

2011-03-28T08:39:00.001-05:00

“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” - Exodus 3:11
“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” - Exodus 5:2
We were coming home last Monday night when Grant and Joshua got into a discussion on the sun. Grant (who had recently read a book on the sun) was filling in his little brother on all the information he knew. Joshua, wanting to contribute, made a comment about how big the sun was. I don’t remember the specific comment he made, but it called for a correction by his much more wise and knowledgeable brother. And so, Grant offered one: ‘No, Joshua, the sun is much bigger than that. It’s huge. It’s like 50 houses wide and 50 houses tall!’
I didn’t say a word. I was enjoying it too much. I just sat there with a big grin on my face.
And then I thought about how often I do the same thing with regards to my perception of God and of Jesus. My actions declare that I believe them to be rather small and limited in ability. Rather than getting a glimpse of their immensity, I tend to think of them only in the context of what I already know, like Grant comparing anything ‘big’ to a house (he does that because that’s one of the biggest things he knows; but it is nowhere even close to being comparable to the sun). I do the same thing when I try to ‘fit’ God into my mind and my thinking – I make plans and think through things according to what I already know and am familiar with. But I am sometimes ‘short-changing’ God tremendously in the process. I am missing out on Who He is in all of His glory (like Pharaoh, with his question: ‘Who is the Lord?’). I am missing out on what He has in store for me (Like Moses, with his question: ‘Who am I?’), which is far greater than I can imagine or understand. And I am doing so because I am comparing God to me, or to stuff I know. And they are not even comparable.
Lord, help my understanding of You be expanded as I study Your Word and as Your Spirit reveals Himself to me, and cause that understanding to increase my faith in You.

Daniel

#333.5 – “Runnin’ for Our Lives”

2011-03-25T08:15:00.000-05:00

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” - John 5:28-29
We tried to do all the sightseeing we could before leaving DC. Consequently, we did not have much time to dilly-dally once we got the airport Sunday evening. We got in line (a rather long line) to get our tickets printed out. Then there was some trouble with the machine that was supposed to print them. So we had to get in another line and have someone else do it for us. Then we had to get in yet another line to go through security check. This last one was one of those lines that you couldn’t see the other end of, because it wound around several corners and was VERY long! In fact, the first guidepost sign we came to said we had 20 minutes from our current position in line to get to the security checkpoint. The only problem with that was that we had only 30 minutes until our flight was set for takeoff! However, our line moved faster than expected. Nonetheless, I’m sure we were a sight to behold – stripping off shoes and belts and anything metal and carrying them in our hands for the last couple of minutes in line… and then dashing through security in a flash that would have made OJ proud… and finally making it to our boarding gate… only to find that there were no people there waiting to board! Why? They were all on the plane already! We were the last ones! But we made it on and, after a bit of a squabble over our carry-on luggage, we got to our seats and were just sitting down good when the plane began moving for takeoff. Whew! I didn’t think we were going to make it. It’s amazing what you can do when you are super-focused!
That same sense of urgency is something I wish I had in my daily life in terms of living out and sharing the gospel, in order that others might come to know Christ. If I could just see that time is at hand, and there is no time for dilly-dallying, I think I would live differently. If I just lived in light of the end in mind, things would be different.
Lord, forgive me for my lackadaisical attitude. Help to live with urgency today in all I do, with Your mindset as my own.

Daniel

#333.4 – “Unmerited Favor”

2011-03-24T10:07:00.001-05:00

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.’ - Luke 15:7
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” - Luke 19:10
We had a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon to do a little bit more touring in Washington before we had to catch our flight home. We all agreed to go to Arlington cemetery. While there, we visited the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and watched the changing of the guard. There was such ceremony to be seen in this one event… such meticulous honor and care given… such attention to detail. No such honor was given to those were known… not even to the two presidents (JFK and Taft) buried on those hallowed grounds. And yet, here was a nameless warrior whose remains were always kept under close watch.
This act of guarding the tomb and the ceremony associated with it is distinct because, unlike all other tributes and awards given in the military, this one is not based upon what the soldier did (they don’t know anything about what he did or didn’t do) but simply on the fact that he was a soldier. Consequently, this ceremony is an honor not earned, but rather given… it is given as a tribute not only to this individual, but it is symbolically given to all who have served at the cost of their lives (as his identity is unknown, he represents all of those who have fallen in service)… and it is given with the same spirit of eager willingness as possessed by those whom it commemorates. And so, in this one act, there exists this two-sided picture of unmerited favor: the favor associated with these soldiers, who gave their lives for a cause they deemed greater than themselves; and that of this nation, who now proudly remembers all of them – even the ‘unknowns’ – and deems them worthy of respect and admiration. And both sides of that picture of grace remind us of Christ.
Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. He deemed you and me – rotten dirty sinners – worthy of His life’s blood. And not only did He die for us and give us the opportunity to have a relationship with Him, He honored us by giving those of us who trust and accept His gift of salvation His very Spirit - to live inside of us and be a constant guard and guide in life. We are never unwatched or unloved by our Savior.
The fact that we who have accepted Christ are now a part of God’s family is a reflection of nothing of our merit, but only His grace. As people who were once ‘unknown’ to God (in the sense that we, at one time, were not part of His spiritual family), we should be grateful that He chose to grace us with His unmerited favor.

Daniel

#333.3 – “It’s Different When It’s Personal”

2011-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

“And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be? And Jesus, answering, said, Are you the teacher of Israel and have no knowledge of these things? Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen...” - John 3:9-11
Saturday night, we went to see the wall that commemorates all the Vietnam veterans who died. Just across from that wall was a statue of three soldiers. From a distance, you could hardly see the soldiers because of the large crowd gathered around them. As we got closer, I heard a man from amongst the group there telling a story. I immediately noticed how attentive the kids standing around him were (this appeared to be a teacher with his students, who looked to be high school age). They were virtually silent the entire time I was there, and they had expressions on their faces that signified their captivation by the storyteller. As I listened further to his talk, I realized that he wasn’t merely lecturing; he was testifying. He was explaining the various elements of gear that the soldier statues were wearing or holding, but he wasn’t doing so in the third person (he/they carried this because…); rather, he was telling all of this from the first person perspective (I/we carried this because…). And I suddenly became aware that I was listening to someone who was not a lecturer… not an orator… but a veteran. This was someone who had been there (wherever ‘there’ was for him) and done that (whatever ‘that’ was). And this one simple distinction made all the difference in the world - not only as to how he told the story, but also the way I listened to him… because I knew I wasn’t getting my information second-hand. No… I was getting a real, inside ‘scoop’ into the life of a soldier (something I know nothing about personally). This story was different because it was personal.
I wrote yesterday about the unique story that we as people graced by God ought to tell for His glory to others who need that same grace. One of the neatest things about that story is that, in one sense, we all share the same ‘big’ story - we who know Jesus as Savior were once sinners saved only by His grace. Yet, we all have individual stories within that collective story… stories that are particular to us. Listening to that veteran talk (even though it was brief for me) reminded me of the importance of telling the lost ‘my’ story… because if I only tell the ‘big’ story, then not only am I missing out on a great chance to testify as to what God and His grace has done for me, I am depriving the listener of hearing the real, life-changing effect that His grace has on an individual.

Daniel

#333.2 – “Cherry Trees Everywhere”

2011-03-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, the nations, in time past were in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; and that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once afar off are made near by the blood of Christ.” - Ephesians 2:10-13
The weather this past weekend while we were in Washington was absolutely gorgeous. It was a little cold in the evenings, but the afternoons were perfect for walking (which was how we got around mostly). The sun was out in full strength… the wind was blowing a steady breeze… it was great.
And there was such beautiful landscaping in the area there. One of the things I was most impressed with was all the trees. For a big city, DC sure has a LOT of trees. Many trees were hundreds of years old… some were relatively new. One of the most beautiful varieties we beheld while we were there were the cherry trees. They were all over the place (ol’ George would have had a field day with his ax!). Every direction you looked, you could see cherry trees with their buds blossoming.
Walking around that area was another reminder of how God’s creation testifies to His majesty. Everywhere we went, we saw evidence of His Presence. His creation was telling about Him!
As the only part of creation that has experienced reconciliation with God through the blood of Jesus, you and I as Christians have a unique story to tell. And with that story comes a unique responsibility to tell it. We who once were strangers to God have been made family; we have been loved by the King, and it should make our hearts want to sing of His beautiful grace and mercy to all who see us. We should bud with the truth of God, having rooted ourselves in His Son Jesus and in His Word. And we should display His glory and not our own.
May we bloom for Christ today.

Daniel

#333.1 – “I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore”

2011-03-21T09:10:00.001-05:00

“Give me teaching so that I may do your pleasure; for you are my God: let your good Spirit be my guide into the land of righteousness.” - Psalms 143:10
This weekend, several of us from EBC went to Washington, DC for a Praise Factory seminar held there by the creators of that curriculum. This was my first time ever in DC. Even an old boy like me (for whom it takes knockin’ over the head to see things sometimes) could tell right off the bat that we were not in Alabama anymore.
For one thing, there was a difference in how busy everything was. Washington is busy… even at night time, it is busy. You know how – in Athens – if you walk the square at say, 10:00 at night, you’re likely to have a police escort soon thereafter? Well, in Washington DC there are folks all over the streets at 10:00. And there are so many streets… running every possible angle and direction you can imagine. We made so many turns once we got into the city from the airport, there’s no way I would have found our hotel if I had been driving; thankfully, we had Patrick with his “Jarmin” (little inside joke there!).
The only problem with the Garmin was that, at first, it thought we were still in Athens. We were riding along into DC, but it said we were on Hwy 72 here in Alabama. The gang at the front of the van tried turning it off and on again to get it to orient itself, but to no avail; they pushed all kinds of buttons on the screen to try and find a reset somewhere, but never did. When all else failed, they exercised their ‘phone a friend’ option, who explained that there was a tiny, inconspicuous switch on the bottom or back of the instrument that would reset it. Once they hit that, it said that we were in Washington (but I didn’t need that thing to tell me that!).
The spiritual war in which we find ourselves is a lot like that. Satan and his army attempt to disorient us as Christians from the Word of God; they want to sabotage us from carrying out God’s plan of redemption by getting us distracted from our objective and distanced from our power Source. They want to convince us that we are not where we are and not who we are… and they desire to get us completely off track.
Our only hope is to stay constantly connected with Jesus. The best way to do that is through a steady track through His Word and an open line of communication in prayer with Him.
I want to encourage us all to use the great map of God’s Word to guide us in our journey with Christ… and to phone our great Friend regularly for assistance.

Daniel

#332.4 – “Asleep on the Way”

2011-03-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

“Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." 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." Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?” - Matthew 26:35-40
The fact that Joshua was fussy and cranky Monday afternoon revealed to me that he was tired. But it was not until later that I realized just how tired he was. After work, I drove us to Sarah’s parent’s house for our family night supper. From the church building to their house is about ten minutes. As we pulled into their neighborhood, I realized that it was awfully quiet behind me. I looked in the rear-view mirror… and sure enough, there was my J boy – conked out in his booster seat. He couldn’t hold out ten minutes!
I’ve often felt kind of sorry for Peter and the other disciples that were with Jesus the night of his betrayal, in regards to their falling asleep on Him. I guess I felt that way because I could identify with them. There have been plenty of times when I have fallen asleep just by getting still for a few moments. I have even fallen asleep while praying. I’m sure that those guys were exhausted, and it always seemed to me like Jesus was sort of fussing at them instead of understanding.
But then again, when you consider that they were missing out on something that was the most important event of their lives… of the world really, it does seem kind of weak and shallow and self-centered of them. As important as sleep was to them, it was trivial compared to what was going on around them. Yet they didn’t understand that. All they knew was how tired they were.
And so we have an incredible picture in these verses of the importance of staying in tune with Christ and keeping His perspective on things. Because if we don’t… we may miss out on some really important stuff!
I know that I am guilty of missing out on what Jesus wants me to see sometimes… and I am just as sure that I also miss out on what He wants me to do… all because I am too enthralled with the idea of my own comfort. I am so busy trying to provide for my own satisfaction that I miss the adventure going on right in front of me.
I need to constantly submit what I am experiencing to God’s will and His understanding. Even though I may be feeling something – whether it’s exhaustion, fear, intimidation, hurt… happiness, exuberance, or ecstasy – that tells me to behave a certain way or to take a certain action, I should always submit that feeling to the higher understanding of my Maker, Who sees and knows all... and Who always wants what is best for me and for the Kingdom.
This is a great challenge that applies in our everyday life – to always seek to hear His voice above the noise of our world and our own desires.
Was Joshua wrong for falling asleep? Absolutely not. Was Peter? Absolutely. Why? Because he had been told by Jesus to stay and watch.

Daniel

#332.3 – “Jesus, the Mess-Cleaner-Upper”

2011-03-17T09:53:00.001-05:00

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” - Romans 5:8-11
Monday after school, the three youngest kids came up here with me while Sarah took Anna to her orthodontist appointment. While apart from the girl with braces (for whom popcorn is a no-no), the other three all enjoyed a little popcorn for an afternoon snack! Afterwards, Ruthie and Grant started doing their homework. Since Joshua didn’t have any homework, I had him sweep up the popcorn they had all spilled while eating. He didn’t like the idea of having to do any work, esp. clean up a mess that wasn’t all his own. He whined about it the whole time. What would normally have been a ten minute job took him over forty-five, because he kept grumbling about it and moving slow.
When Jesus went to the cross, He did so to clean up my mess (and the mess of the world). My life without Christ is as ugly a mess as any mess could be. I was destined for destruction… bound for eternal separation from God. I had no hope. But Jesus stepped in and intervened – not because He had to, but because He chose to. And He didn’t complain or grumble about it. He went willingly. He cleaned up my mess for me (by cleaning me up from the inside), and I am eternally grateful.
Lord, thank You for being willing to go to the cross. Thank You for Your sacrifice – not just for me, but for all who will admit their need of You, trusting in and accepting Your grace.

Daniel

#332.2 – “All Part of Growing Up”

2011-03-16T08:32:00.000-05:00

“And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” - Philippians 3:9-10
One day recently, Grant had some homework that he needed to do. It was a beautiful afternoon when he got out of school, and he wanted to go out and play. In fact, all of his siblings (who either didn’t have homework or had already finished it) did just that. But Grant had too much to finish in just a few minutes… and we know how long it takes him sometimes… so we agreed that he better stay in and finish. We told him that he could go out and play if there was still daylight after he was done (this was before the time change). Well, he did not get done in time. In fact, he only had time after his work to eat supper and get a bath and go to bed. He was so disappointed. I hated it for him, but I reminded him that this is part of growing up – being responsible and doing the things that need to be done.
As disciples of Christ, we are sometimes called to grow in a direction that stretches us beyond our comfort. Sometimes we may even do things that are not fun. But when we remind ourselves of the ‘discomfort’ (terrible understatement) that Christ went through – not because he needed maturing, but because he knew we needed both salvation and maturing – we realize how little we are in fact asked to do.
God, help me to be willing to be stretched today. Give me the attitude of Christ who humbled himself to die on the cross for me.

Daniel

#332.1 – “Don’t Give Up”

2011-03-14T08:58:00.001-05:00

“Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?” - Job 3:11
A few weeks ago, Anna was practicing her flute. That in and of itself is not an unusual occurrence; she practices fairly regularly. But this time was different: she was getting really frustrated, because it was difficult for her to play. Ever since getting braces, our little flautist has had an extra challenge thrown at her (apparently, having a mouthful of metal alters the way you have to play a little.. or at least alters the comfort level of playing). It has been somewhat discouraging to Anna, who was mastering a good solid sound on the instrument at one time, and now struggles a little more than she did before with consistently producing a quality tone on it. I could see that she was getting frustrated as she tried several times to get this one particular exercise to come out, only to come up short. She finally put her flute in her lap and let out a big sigh. I asked her about it. After she vented for a bit, I encouraged her to be patient with herself. I told her that she should allow herself a little more time to do what she was trying to do.
Patience is a difficult thing to possess sometimes, isn’t it? Especially when it is with yourself that you are called to be patient. I can think of many times when I have been ‘fixing’ (I use that term lightly) something around the house that starts out as a simple job and ends up being overwhelming; and in those times, I often tell myself that I am dumb to even try to fix anything, because it seems I often make things worse instead of better. I lose patience with myself and want to just give up. For example, just the other day I was changing a flat tire for Sarah on her bicycle. Sounds simple enough, right? I ended up completely disassembling her brakes and having to rework them, all because I missed a simple ‘catch’ that would release them to get them out of my way. I was about to quit working on it when Sarah came out and helped me see something that I did not see before. After that, the job went quickly.
The point is that sometimes we are ready to throw in the towel and we need someone else to encourage us. Maybe today you are struggling with something that has got you down… something that has defeated you… something that is towering over you. I hope that you find encouragement in the Word of God. I pray that your strength will be renewed like the eagle’s, and that you will know that the Lord is with you… that He is for you… encouraging you to not give up as you serve Him, but to keep fighting the good fight. May His presence bring you the strength you need.
Maybe you know someone else that needs to be encouraged today. I know that I wouldn’t have fixed that bike without Sarah. As the Body of Christ, we need one another. Share the love and the encouragement of Christ today with those who need it.

Daniel

#331.5 – “It Ain’t Eatin’ Beets, but…”

2011-03-11T08:41:00.000-06:00

“If you will give ear to my word and do it, the good things of the land will be yours.” - Isaiah 1:19
I wrote earlier this week about the fact that I cannot force desire upon my children (I can make Grant eat beets, but I cannot make him want them). Well, I wanted to wrap-up this week with a great example of choosing the good…
Grant has always been the child that requires the most attention from us to see that he gets his homework. The girls rarely need anything from us to do their homework; every once in a while, they will ask us to check something they have done… or to sign something that requires a parent’s signature… but that is it. And while Joshua really does need us to help him do his homework, it only takes about five minutes. For that matter, Grant’s wouldn’t take that long, if he would just do it. But it takes him twenty minutes sometimes to write a five minute reading summary. His delay is not because he isn’t capable of doing it in five, but because his mind wanders and takes off with a thought into something else. His imagination takes him off somewhere instead of keeping him on task. And like any boy, he would always rather play (or do anything else) than homework. So it has always been a struggle with him.
But, all of a sudden, he began this week with the notion to do it himself and to get it done quickly… to keep his mind on his work and do a good job… and he has. And he has seen the benefit of such a deal: he not wins the love and admiration of his parents (yay!), he gets to have more time to do the things he wants to do (like playing… or pretty much anything else!). We have been praising him for this radical change, and he has responded positively.
It ain’t eatin’ beets, but I’ll take it!
Truly, I have been most proud of him, because he has not been forced to do any of this; nor have we offered any kind of special incentive or reward, or anything. He just decided to do better, and he has. And his choice to do what is best has been nothing short of an inspiration for me to want to serve the Lord with my best.
God’s love is unfathomable. He has nothing but the best intentions for me. He wants only my good. At times, I give Him back mediocrity when I could be giving my best. Other times, I give nothing and do the very thing He doesn’t want me to do. But when I choose to do the right thing and trust Him and obey Him, I find no greater joy in life. I am truly full of joy in those times.

Daniel

#331.4 – “Our Father Is Good, Part Two”

2011-03-10T08:33:00.000-06:00

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28
Continuing on with this week’s theme (who would have thought so much truth could be found in a beet?), I want to go a step further with all we have discussed, with the application to those are saved. I ask myself (and I invite you to ask yourself): how much do I really believe that God has only my best interest in mind? How much do I demonstrate in my daily walk that I really trust Him and what He says is good for me? Does my obedience match my speech? If He sets a ‘beet’ before me - something that calls for action on my part - does my ‘trust factor’ in Him trigger in me a response of faith and obedience without hesitation? Or do I want to:
study the beet first…
look it over…
imagine what I think it’s going to taste like…
weigh the pros and cons of consuming it…
call a friend and see if they are eating beets that night…
and all of this before taking a bite?
I confess that I am guilty of every one of the things listed above (which explains why I could write them so quickly!). I’m one of those people that want to know how the song ends before I dance… and while I am certainly not suggesting that we not use the rational part of our minds that God has given us to do whatever planning is necessary, there are situations in our lives in which we need to exercise faith and trust that our Father is, in fact, good… and that He only wants what is best for us.

Daniel

#331.3 – “Our Father Is Good”

2011-03-09T08:02:00.000-06:00

“And which of you, being a father, will give a stone to his son, who makes request for bread? or for a fish, will give him a snake? Or for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If, then, you who are evil are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who make request to him?” - Luke 11:11-13
There is another dynamic involved in parenting with regards to encouraging your kids to eat certain foods, and that is the dynamic of faith.
When I first asked Grant to try a beet (which was a long time ago, by the way… and when he did, he liked it then… and he has consistently liked them since… so I cannot figure out why he didn’t want them the other day!?!?), I was actually asking much more of him than that; I was asking him to trust me. I was asking him to try something that I had tried before and had declared as ‘good’. He had to make a decision to take a bite or not. And while there are many factors that go into such a decision – the way it looks, the way it smells, etc. - I hope that one of the factors that helped him to try it was the fact that he believed what I had told him.
The reason that I can know that salvation is ‘good’ based on the fact that God puts it before me is because I know that God is good. I know that God only has my best interest in mind, as is evidenced in the passage above. My heavenly Father is ‘good’ (and I thought calling salvation ‘good’ was an understatement!), and He wants only what is good for me.

Daniel

#331.2 – “Salvation Is Good”

2011-03-08T08:41:00.001-06:00

“But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach).” - Romans 10:8
Even though I cannot make Grant like beets, I have a responsibility as his parent to give him what is good for him. God has charged Sarah and me with the duty of overseeing his well-being. Part of that role includes providing foods that nourish his body… foods that will help him be strong and healthy. So since I know that beets are good for him… and since I know how good beets are (and I know that I will have some who argue that point), I want to give him some and let him see for himself; I want to do things to encourage him in what I know is best.
In the verse above, God puts the word near us… in our hearts and in our mouths. He does that because He knows it is vital. He realizes how important it is, and He wants so badly for us to accept it/Him. The passage around this verse teaches that, in terms of salvation, I don’t have to do anything to earn it. I don’t have to work at going to ‘get it’ from Jesus. He has put it right before me… on my plate, you might say. And all I need do is accept it as He offers it - a free gift purchased at the highest price. But I just want us to focus today on the simple reality that He puts it right there before us. And He does so because He knows how ‘good’ salvation is for us (calling salvation ‘good’ is a little like calling heaven ‘pretty’; it just doesn’t do it justice).
Please understand - whether or not my son ever eats another beet in his life of his own will is not going to cause me to cry or lose sleep; that is not really that important. What really does matter… and what I really do hope and pray for Grant (as I do for all my children) is that he one day comes to understand just how good and important and valuable salvation is, and that he chooses Christ of his own will as the Lord leads him.

Daniel

#331.1 – “Eating and Wanting Are Two Different Things”

2011-03-07T09:06:00.001-06:00

“But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” - Romans 10:8-10
It was supper time. We called all the kids to the table. We prayed and then began eating. After only a few bites, Grant said he was finished. I asked him why he was ready to be done so quickly. He said he was full; the truth was that he didn’t want everything we were eating (as I recall, it was the beets that were the hold-up). I told him that he could quit, but he would not get any dessert… nor could he have anything else the rest of the night. He was okay with that… until he saw the dessert: lemon pie.
He ate the beets.
Now here’s the tricky part: I can make Grant EAT beets by using the right motivation (in this case, lemon pie). But I can never make Grant WANT beets. No matter how hard I may try, I cannot possibly impose desire upon him; he has to choose that for himself.
God does not force anyone to accept His love. While He offers it freely to all, He does not impose His will on any person; each man, woman, boy or girl must decide for themselves whether or not they accept it/Him. And that is free will.

Daniel

#330.3 – “Ground Zero Revisited”

2011-03-04T08:47:00.001-06:00

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." - Philippians 3:12
While at my parents’ this past weekend, we decided to take a walk (it was a beautiful day that Saturday… a little cool with the wind, but beautiful). Our walk took us by the place where Mommy ‘busted it’ almost a year ago (the day after Memorial Day). For those of you who may not have been privy to that incident, allow me to very briefly recap: Sarah rode Grant’s bicycle down a hill and wiped out at the bottom, taking quite a lick on the head and scraping her shoulder, hands and feet.
The place still carries bad feelings for Grant (the lone child-witness to the ugly episode)… so much so that he didn’t even want to walk up the hill where her journey began. The only way he would go up was if we held his hands – one on each side. When we made it to the top, he didn’t want to turn around and look; he was scared of both the scene and the height of the place (I realize I am making this hill sound like Mt. McKinley or something… it’s only about 30-35 ft high, and not very steep). We didn’t speak much about the wreck as we walked back to my parent’s home that day, but I could tell that Grant had associated that place with pain and sorrow… and the effects of that one day a long time ago still carried a strong effect on him today.
Satan loves the past. He brings it up all the time, reminding us of painful experiences… sins we have committed… bad choices we have made… regrets. His aim in bringing up the past is to prevent our growth for the future by hindering our present. He wants to keep us from getting back on our bikes and riding again.
But God wants only what is best for us – to see us grow more like Christ… to learn about Him and be more like Him. And He is always by our side, holding our hand… encouraging us to take the next step… tenderly loving us all the way… shaping us in His image.
May we all be reminded that the past is just that – the past. And the only ‘time’ we can do anything about is the present. May we see what a wonderful Father we have, and may we take advantage of every opportunity given to us right now to love and serve Him. With the finish line in mind, may we press on towards the future God has for us!

Daniel

#330.2 – “Me All Over Again”

2011-03-02T08:49:00.001-06:00

"Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children." - Ephesians 5:1
We spent this past weekend at my parents house. While we were there, my dad made the comment (one he has made before) that looking at Grant is like looking at me when I was that age. He claims that watching him and his behavior is like seeing me all over again.
Now I admit that such a statement brings me a certain amount of pride. I like knowing that I have a son who looks and acts a lot like me. Then again, there are plenty of things about me that I don’t want him to emulate. And while I can’t do anything about his looks, I hope that - when it comes to character – I am a good influence on him towards God.
I confess that that is not always the case. Sometimes I show him my temper… sometimes my anxiety… sometimes my disappointment. But I hope and pray that - in those times – I am honest enough to confess when I am wrong, and that he will learn from those things as well. And most of all, I hope that I show him and all of our children that Jesus takes us - with our imperfections and sins and ugliness - and makes us whole again through His blood… and that while we should serve Him out of gratitude for what He does for us, we will never (as long as we live here on Earth) not need His grace and mercy and forgiveness.
Lord, open my eyes that I may see how much I depend upon Your mercy and grace. May that awareness help me to always be real in my walk before my children and others. Help me also show them a desire in my heart to be like You. And help them ultimately see how great Your love is for Your children.

Daniel

#330.1 – “This is my dad… he works on a computer”

2011-02-28T09:01:00.000-06:00

"And let not your behavior be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God." - Romans 12:2
Last week, I had lunch with Joshua. After we had finished eating, he asked me to come see his classroom. He wanted to introduce me to all of his classmates, and he knew that his room was the place to do that. So, after checking with his teacher, I agreed to walk back to his room with him and his friends.
When we got there, he had me stand at a certain spot (I got the impression he had seen others do this before) so that he could have his picture made with me by his teacher. After she took our picture, she asked him a couple of questions to help him introduce me. The first question was: “Joshua, who is this you have with you today?” As if they had rehearsed this, Joshua came right back with: “My dad”. The second question followed: “And what does your daddy do?” This one caused him to think a while (quite a while, actually… I was tempted to help him, but I decided it was good to let him answer it by himself… plus I was really curious to see what he would come up with!). After much thought, he replied: “He works on a computer.”
Now this, of course, was and is true and accurate. I do work on a computer (in fact, I am working on a computer right now!). And while I found Joshua’s answer to be humorous, I have since thought about the implications of it. From my son’s point of view, this is what I do. He has such a perspective because that is what he sees me doing most often when he visits me at the church building.
While I do use the computer often in my day, I hope that ‘what I do’ is much greater than that. My aim is to draw people closer to God… through worship experiences I help plan… through these devotions… in everything I do… so that ‘what I do’ is merely a means to a far more meaningful end.
It is easy to let the things we do sort of ‘take over’ our spiritual lives… to the point that we are so busy doing them, we aren’t accomplishing what we set out to do in the first place. Joshua’s brief remark prompted to reevaluate everything I am doing, asking myself the question: ‘Is this accomplishing the objectives God has planned for me?’
So, if any of you want to find out how you’re doing in ministry, I can loan you my five-year-old to follow you around and observe you for a day and critique you (some churches spend thousands of dollars to have such an evaluation… we won’t charge that much!). Or, better yet, ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate. And if the things you do are getting in the way of want God wants you to do, pray about what to cut out or how to change, so that you are effectively accomplishing His will for your life.

Daniel

#329.4 – “I Appreciate the Prayers (everything else, too… but esp. the prayers)”

2011-02-25T08:24:00.001-06:00

"I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day." - 2 Timothy 1:3
Years ago, I was doing some visiting with Bro. Bentley (for those of you who did not know Bro Bentley, he was a retired Baptist preacher who was a member here at EBC). As we were riding that day from one home to wherever our next stop was, he told me a story (those of you who DID know Bro Bentley know that he was never at a loss for words!). This was a simple story about a man that had been visited years and years before, much like the folks we were out visiting then. In addition to the presence of the visitors, this man had been brought some beans. As the visitor was leaving the man’s home, the man told the giver how much he appreciated the beans… but that he especially appreciated the visit.
During my illness and recovery period, I had innumerable visits, cards, phone calls, texts, e-mails, gifts… not to mention all the meals that were brought to us (I think there were even some beans in there somewhere!), but while I am grateful for each and every one of those, the thing I am MOST thankful for were the prayers.
Many of you were praying for me. I know it now, because you tell me. But I knew it then, because I know you. And the knowledge that so many of God’s people were lifting me up in their prayers was and is a most precious thought. I just want to say again: ‘thank you’. I know that we use that phrase so many times and ways, but I hope you know how much I mean it. Thank you… for everything you did… but most of all, for your prayers.
And I hope that this is simply a reminder to us to take advantage of the privilege we have to intercede for each other. The fact that you and I can go to the God of the universe and make requests on behalf of one another is truly a treasure… one that should not be taken lightly. May we be diligent to lift each other up to our heavenly Father ‘without ceasing’.

Daniel

#329.3 – “Getting Better Each Day”

2011-02-24T08:53:00.001-06:00

"Now the servant of the man of God, having got up early and gone out, saw an army with horses and carriages of war all round the town. And the servant said to him, O my master, what are we to do? And he said in answer, Have no fear; those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha made a prayer to the Lord, saying, Lord, let his eyes be open so that he may see. And the Lord made the young man's eyes open; and he saw that all the mountain was full of horses and carriages of fire round Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:15-17
It took two months for me to heal from my burst appendix (I had my initial surgery on Dec 15 and Sarah cleaned my wound for the last time on Valentine’s Day). I am happy to report that I now feel like I’m operating at 100%. I look back to the time when I was home after that first surgery (when I would have one or two ‘good’ days, followed by one or two ‘bad’ ones) and then I fast forward a little bit to my recuperation after my second surgery (when I was actually improving each day) and boy… what a difference there is between the two! The progress I made after completely ridding my body of the infection within me was so much greater than before. With nothing fighting against it, my body began to heal rather quickly. People would ask me: ‘How are you doing now?”, and I would reply: “Getting better each day!”
I can’t explain in words what a good feeling it was for me to be able to say that… and to mean it. That I was actually going to be well again soon… and that nothing was going to impede my progress… well, it was just such a relief! Knowing that I was fighting a winning battle instead of a losing one made such a difference in my attitude… I was not only getting better each day; I was looking forward to getting better each day.
Jesus Christ has gained victory over death and hell. He purchased your and my salvation. He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven to take His rightful place there. He is the King of Kings, to whom all nations of peoples and all kingdoms will bow and submit, declaring Him as Lord. He reigns forever and ever. There is nothing and no one who is not under His authority. That means that, if we are born again into His kingdom, then we are warriors in a winning battle. There may be days when it doesn’t seem that way, but it is in those days that we should pray like Elisha - that we would see the reality of the situation from God’s perspective, not ours.
Lord, help me have my eyes opened to the promises of Your Word and my ears attentive to Your Spirit’s voice, so that I see things as You see them, not as my emotions and enemies would have me see them. And help me remember always that You are in control of it all.

Daniel

#329.2 – “Me and Food”

2011-02-23T08:31:00.000-06:00

"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:9
Food and I have always liked each other. For as long as I can remember, food and I have been ‘good buddies’, you might say. We’ve had an understanding: it tastes good… and I eat it! Well during my illness/recovery with my appendicitis, food and I had a bit of a ‘spat’, you might say. We no longer saw eye to eye. There were even a few days - during my feverish times in my last hospital visit – when we weren’t even on speaking terms. I didn’t want look at food… smell food… think of food… nothing. In fact, I can remember flipping through the channels on the television in my hospital room and seeing the Food Network, and just being completely disgusted by it!
But food and I have reconciled now. In fact, we’re kind of at that stage that you go through (and every last one of you who have ever been married HAVE gone through it) where you are kind of ‘making up’ (ohhh… that’s a great stage of life isn’t it?... the make-up stage… everything’s just so lovey-dovey again, and you’re just caught up in the whole thing… my, my, my). Well, that’s food and me right now. Man, is it good… and man, am I eating it up!
My walk with God since first becoming a Christian may have had its ups and downs - times when I have been steadfast and dedicated… and times when I have ‘gone through the motions’, with very little heart in it – but never has there been an instance of inconsistency with God. He is faithful and true always. Boy, am I grateful for that… because if it was left up to me to carry this relationship… whew!
Lord, I know that I will never be faithful as You, but I hope that Your faithfulness will bring about in me a desire to be more like You. I pray that You help me hunger for You like I hunger for food. Help me to not take You for granted like I take for granted my next meal. And Help me to find pleasure in knowing You like I find pleasure in the taste of good food.

Daniel

#329.1 – “Road Trip”

2011-02-21T09:54:00.000-06:00

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
After my second surgery, Sarah’s brother (Rob) and sister-in-law (Debra) had their baby girl (Sophie). Now I knew that this was a trip that Sarah was going to make… whether I went or not… but fortunately, that was just about the time I felt like getting out again, so we ‘loaded up the van and drove to Tennessee’ (hills, that is… but I didn’t see any black gold or Texas tea). Sarah drove. I made the ride just fine.
Then we got to the hospital.
The parking deck was – according to my rough guesstimate - about forty miles from the mother/baby wing, and I was still walking slowly at that point… and I mean SLOWLY (most anybody over the age of ninety could have passed me like the road runner passing a turtle!). Walking didn’t hurt; I just took a really long time to do. About an hour and a half after arriving, I actually made it to the room (ok, ok… we made two stops – one to go potty and one to eat lunch in the cafeteria… which gave Debra and Sophie some time to get ready for company). Once in the room, I quickly spotted the glider rocker and planted myself there while Sarah and the kids ‘ooh’ed and ‘ahh’ed over Sophie (I think we, at some point, acknowledged that Rob and Debra were in the room). After a while, we headed back to the van. I don’t know how they did it, but someone rearranged the path back to the parking deck and had stretched it out to eighty miles! Three and a half hours later (ok, I may be slightly exaggerating), I made it back to the van. Compared to all that walking, the ride home was a breeze (I am grateful we don’t have a Fred Flintstone car!).
The truth is: it felt so good to get out of the house! The seventeen hundred and thirty miles of walking was worth it to be able to see Sophie and to just get away from those four walls for a day. In fact, I didn’t realize just how much I missed being out until I was… well, out.
Sometimes we don’t know what we’re missing… which makes me wonder (and yes, I invite you to wonder with me)…
What if God has some amazing things in store for me that I am missing out on, simply because I am accustomed to my four spiritual walls?
What if my comfort level ‘here’ is keeping me from venturing out ‘there’?
And what if I am letting the ‘miraculous life’ pass me by, and choosing instead the ‘safe life’?
What could God do through me if I would step out of my comfort zone and take a road trip of faith?

Daniel

#328.4 – “The Changing of the Gauze”

2011-02-18T08:22:00.000-06:00

"And He made low your pride and let you be without food and gave you manna for your food, a thing new to you, which your fathers never saw; so that He might make it clear to you that bread is not man's only need, but his life is in every word which comes out of the mouth of the Lord." - Deuteronomy 8:3
As you read today’s devotion, think of the title being set to the tune of ‘The Farmer in the Dell’.
Having fun with that? Good. Now let’s have some more fun talking about gross and painful stuff…
So after my second surgery, they left my incision open in order to let the infection drain. It was packed with gauze and some kind of sterile saline solution. They changed it for me in the hospital four times. I remember that it was done four times, because the pain of each account is so vivid in my mind (God did not make our bodies to be packed and unpacked, by the way). The way they explained it to me was that this was a wet-to-dry packing. They put the gauze in wet and then over the course of 24 hours, it dries somewhat and then, when they pull it out the next day, it pulls some of the yuck-infected flesh with it. The only problem with that is that it hurts terribly to pull flesh out of your body. Nonetheless, it had to be done every day.
When we got to go home, we were told that home health would come out and change it for us. In reality, what they did was quickly train Sarah (who was NOT eager to learn) how to do it. But for the next two weeks or so, she would change it out for me every day. Good, bad, or ugly… it had to be done. Without that daily changing, the healing that needed to take place would not happen.
We need daily changing in our spiritual bodies too. Each day, we come up against evil and temptation and ugliness of all kinds around us (sometimes we even go diving right into it). All of which is why we need to daily be renewed in mind and spirit through the Word of God.
Let me be quick to admit here that there are days when I miss my Bible reading. So don’t hear me as one who has it all together. I let something distract me… or get behind in my morning schedule… or whatever. However, I never missed a ‘changing of the gauze’. Sometimes I had to remind – occasionally even hound – Sarah about doing that for me, but I did… and why?... because it was vital to my well being!
How much more vital is the time I spend with the Lord in His Word?

Daniel

#328.3 – “Am I Ever Going to Want to Eat Again?”

2011-02-17T08:59:00.001-06:00

"And it came about that when they were on the way to Jerusalem He went through Samaria and Galilee. And when He went into a certain small town He came across ten men who were lepers, and they, keeping themselves at a distance, said, in loud voices, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them He said, go, and let the priests see you. And, while they were going, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was clean, turning back, gave praise to God in a loud voice; And, falling down on his face at the feet of Jesus, he gave the credit to him; and he was a man of Samaria. And Jesus said, were there not ten men who were made clean? Where are the nine? Have not any of them come back to give glory to God, but only this one from a strange land?" - Luke 17:11-18
Being cut on again was intimidating, I admit… but the worst point in all my sickness for me psychologically was having no desire to eat anything after my second surgery. I ran fever the night before, the day of, and the day after that cutting (due to the infection developing in me), and the fever just killed what little appetite I had (it’s not like I had been eating much before that, but I didn’t eat a bite for two days). Of course, they were pumping me full of fluids, which kept me hydrated. But after already losing so much weight after surgery, I truly became discouraged that I might not ever want to eat again. But now, I am happy to report that the ol’ appetite is back (maybe stronger than before). I have gained five pounds back of what I had lost and want to eat most everything in sight.
My whole ‘sick’ experience was good for me, in that it showed me so many things which I used to take for granted. Enjoying food was one of them. Before surgery, I was always a good eater (many of you could testify to that!). And to get to the point that I didn’t care if I ever ate a bite of anything again… well, it was sort of disorienting; I almost didn’t who I was. I took that joy for granted.
I take many things for granted…
… my health
… my family’s health
… my job/income
… my comforts
… my next breath
And yet, I am not guaranteed any of those things. I should be more grateful for all the blessings God has given me instead of complaining about what I don’t have.
So the next bite of food you put in your mouth (and please don’t hear me encouraging you to put too many bites in your mouth!), think about the simple pleasure of it and be thankful to God for it… and let that little reminder cause you to be thankful for other things He has given you as well.

Daniel

#328.2 – “Cut Again?!?!”

2011-02-16T08:31:00.001-06:00

"And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, be seated here while I say a prayer. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and grief and great trouble came on him. And he said to them, my soul is very sad, even to death: be here a little time, and keep watch. And he went forward a little, and falling down on the earth, made request that, if possible, the hour might go from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to you; take away this cup from me: but even so let not my pleasure, but yours be done." - Mark 14:32-36
Once being checked out by the doctor after my fever, I received the joyous news that I was going to have to be cut again. This time, it would just be a small incision to let the infection drain and the area heal… but I have to tell you that the news of going under the knife twice in less than a month was no small thing to me. I dreaded it something awful. I wished there was some other way. I didn’t want to have to go through all that again. And yet, I knew in my heart that this had to be done.
In the account of Jesus’ last hours - when He was faced with the reality of death – He saw through what had to be done. We get a glimpse of the struggle that He had with the idea of all the pain He would endure, but we really have no idea of what it must have been like for Him… we can only imagine.
Oh I hope today that the truth of Christ’s pain and suffering (and, just as important, His willful choice to undergo that pain and suffering) will be a blessing of comfort and joy to us who have been afforded the grace-gift He so richly purchased on our behalf, as we realize just to what depths His love went and still goes today. May the thought of His decisions and actions remind us of His true love for us.

Daniel

#328.1 – “Fever: The Tell”

2011-02-14T09:12:00.001-06:00

"Then Joseph said to his brothers, come near to me. And they came near, And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sent into Egypt. Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves for sending me away, because God sent me before you to be the savior of your lives. For these two years have been years of need, and there are still five more years to come in which there will be no plowing or cutting of grain. God sent me before you to keep you and yours living on earth so that you might become a great nation. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt." - Genesis 45:4-8
A conclusion that I have come to since my being hospitalized is that I don’t do ‘sick’ well. I am not accustomed to being sick and, therefore, don’t know what to do when I am. All those days at home… dealing with pain as I would get up and down… not realizing that it was infection developing in my body causing me all that grief… is all just evidence of my amateur rank in this matter.
Then again, my missing the problem was not entirely my fault. That infection was downright sneaky! It was very slow to develop (the doctor said they usually show within a week, whereas mine was nearly three weeks after surgery)… and it was unusual (he also said it was in the most improbable location for a post-surgical infection). The fact is that that little bug was some kind of good at playing hide-and-seek with me! The only ‘tell’ that gave it away was the fever that I began to have one evening.
I had gone a couple of days when I felt extremely good. I had been walking more, and I didn’t seem to have quite the severity of pain of getting up or down as I had been. Although I had not been eating much anytime since being home, I at least was eating three times a day. I didn’t feel great, but I felt okay. And then that Thursday afternoon, I began to have chills that didn’t seem to stop. Sarah brought my supper to me that someone had just delivered to our house. I remember not wanting anything to eat. I forced myself to eat a few bites and warmed myself with the dish. Sarah checked my temp (as she had been doing twice a day) and it was on the high end of 99. She waited a little while and checked it again. It was over 100. A little while later, it was over 101. Since by this time it was after office hours, she called the doctor’s answering service and asked them to page him for us. He called us right back and she explained the situation to him. To make a long story short, I went back to the doctor’s office the next day and then was directly admitted to the hospital again.
The fact is that, while that fever (and the chills associated with it) was no fun (I remember freezing when getting out of the van to walk into the doctor’s office), it was the only way I knew that something was not right. It was a definitive thing that could not be explained away as just part of the process. It was evidence that I didn’t need to just tough it out, but that I was still very sick. The truth is: the fever was the key to my getting well again.
Sometimes we experience things in life that, while not any fun, are necessary for our health and growth spiritually. Though temporary pain and sadness may be associated with these experiences, we are ultimately strengthened and encouraged by Christ through them.
While admittedly a difficult thing for which to give thanks at the time of its occurrence, I can now look back on that event and honestly be so thankful for ‘the tell’ of that fever. And I sincerely hope that, if you are going through a tough time right now, that you too will be able to look back one day and give thanks for whatever it is.

Daniel

#327.5 – “I Only Hurt Every Time I Get Up… or Down… or Move”

2011-02-11T09:12:00.000-06:00

"Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." - Matthew 9:10-13
After my appendectomy, experienced a lot of pain when getting up out of bed or back into it… or up and down out of a chair… or even just walking around. I could stand or lie down pain free, but the ‘in between’ times were pretty rough. Yet I had to get up and down in order to function… and I was determined to walk, in order that I heal and improve. So I kept going, despite the pain I was having. I would have one or two ‘good’ days, followed by one or two ‘bad’ ones.
Looking back, I now know that the pain I experienced then was due to my infection that was developing inside of me. But I didn’t know that then; I just thought the hurt I was feeling was ‘normal’ pain after a surgery like mine. Having never had surgery of any kind before, or ever even been sick much before, I didn’t know what to expect and had nothing with which to compare it. I didn’t know how sick I was.
We live in a world of people who have no idea how much in need of God they are (by the way - sometimes, we are those people). They go on from day to day… trudging about their business or pleasures… living life as they have been… some ‘good’ days, some ‘bad’… with no awareness whatsoever of how sick they are. They do not realize how far from God they are, because they have never been introduced to Him in all of His holiness. They do not see how dark their path is, because they do not have the light of Jesus with which to compare it. They don’t recognize just how infected with sin their spiritual bodies have become. They are accustomed to ignoring the pain they experience; they might occasionally acknowledge that they hurt a little… but as long as they can keep going another day, they do. And all the time, they are terrifically desperate for the love of a living Savior. They stand in need of the complete and perfect healing that only He can provide.
We who have experienced that salvation and freedom and joy that He alone brings can show them that.
Today, I encourage us all to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He opens our spiritual eyes and ears to the people around us.

Daniel

#327.4 – “Home for Christmas”

2011-02-10T09:03:00.000-06:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." - 1 Peter 1:3-5
Three days before Christmas, the doctor told us that we could go home. This could not have been better news, because it gave us the chance to celebrate my father’s birthday on the 23rd, Christmas Eve with all of the Brown family, and Christmas Day just resting by ourselves (all at our house, of course). I use the term ‘celebrate’ loosely, as my idea of celebrating consisted of me sitting in my recliner in the living room and watching everything go on around me (and sometimes sleeping while things went on around me!). But it was fun nonetheless… talking to our family… watching the kids open presents… and just being home.
On Christmas morning, while sitting in my chair and looking out the window, I felt a little guilty as I thought about all of our servicemen and women. I first imagined what it would have felt like to me to be stuck in a hospital room only five miles away from my house… how difficult that would have been… and then pondered what it would be like to be somewhere across the globe… to long for home all of the time, but especially at Christmas.
Home is something to which we all are drawn… something for which we all long… a place we truly miss when we are not there.
I think God instilled in us that desire for home. I believe it is something that is intrinsic to our nature… something we did not create ourselves. And I suspect that the reason we have such a longing is because it mirrors our ultimate longing to be with Christ. That is all purely speculation, of course, but here is a truth that is not:
For those of us who received salvation through faith, God is our eternal home.
He is the reason I long to be in heaven… not because of any mansions… or streets of gold… or anything else, as nice as all that will be. It is the fact that Jesus Himself will be central to all that is there. And as bad as I wanted to be home for Christmas, I want even more to be home with Him.
Some of you are home today because of the snow here in Athens… it’s a very satisfying feeling to be home, isn’t it? Well, we all know how feelings fade, but the satisfaction that comes when Christ calls us as His Body home with Him will be a satisfaction that will never fade or perish. Isn’t that a wonderful truth to ponder and give God thanks for today?

Daniel

#327.3 – “The Snow Don’t Bother Me None”

2011-02-09T08:43:00.001-06:00

"Who gave Himself for our sins, so that He might make us free from this present evil world, after the purpose of our God and Father." - Galatians 1:4
While in the hospital, we had one of our heavy snows. When it first started snowing, it was amazing to see how fast it was falling and how quickly it was accumulating. In virtually no time at all, there was a white blanket on everything (and the blanket was growing quickly!). But that snow did not concern me one bit. For one thing, I knew that the hospital had a generator; so if power were to go out everywhere around us, we would still be okay. And I also knew that we would be a priority should a need arise, and that all available resources would be on ready to help should any situation develop. So I lay there with peace of mind, enjoying the opportunity to watch the snow fall.
There was a strange sense of satisfaction in my being hospitalized, knowing that it resulted in us having a certain ‘immunity’ from the perils of the weather; no matter what went on ‘out there’, I was safe inside. There was such a peace… like the comfort a child draws from being held by a parent. I didn’t know what was to come, but I had assurance that we would be provided for.
That comfort and peace is what we as Christians can know despite what may happen all around us. Regardless of the economy, our government, the pressures of war, and all the evil that takes place in our world, we can know that Christ is in control, yes… but more than that, we can take comfort in the reality that He is holding us in His arms. Things may come against us… we may suffer various trials… persecution may come our way… but nothing can shake His love for us. He will ultimately deliver us from this world of sin into His blessed peace, and nothing that goes on ‘out there’ can change that fact.

Daniel

#327.2 – “Green Stuff Inside of Me”

2011-02-07T16:01:00.000-06:00

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." - Isaiah 64:6
Warning: This devotion may not suitable for those of weak stomachs, weak minds, or weak backs… as you may find yourself getting queasy, sick in the head, or passing out and needing to get back up out of the floor. If at any point while reading this devotion you begin to feel nauseous, shove a six foot long tube up your nose (be sure to choose which nostril carefully) and sing today’s title to yourself to the tune of “Shoo, Fly, Don’t Bother Me”.
The NG tube did make an immediate difference in me. It did so by pumping this dark green liquid out of me. As soon as the two bouncers (I mean nurses) got the tube down to the right spot and turned the pump on, it instantly started pulling the gunk off of me and relieving the pressure I felt inside.
It was a real trip to watch the bile come out…
The color itself was fascinating; I never knew the body had such dark green stuff inside of it (I always pictured reds and yellows… not greens; how about you? What colors do you picture when you think of your bodily fluids?).
Then there was the mode of travel… watching it come out of my nose… go up the tube… and into a bucket behind my bed. It was like a little river of goo was flowing from within me… my very own little stream of yuck.
Then there was the sheer amount of it. I don’t recall how many days I was hooked up to that machine, but I remember vividly that I eventually produced two and a half buckets full (not bad for a first timer, huh?) of that marvelous forest green nectar.
I say all of that to say this: I had a lot of junk in me. And the truth is that, spiritually speaking, I have a lot of junk in me too.
Left unsaved by Jesus and unchecked by the Holy Spirit, my nature will inevitably produce sin like a green goo-making factory. It will run to the first temptation it sees and go after anything that feels or looks fun at the moment. It will, quite stupidly, stumble right into the very thing that seeks to kill and destroy me, without even so much as a hesitation. It is impetuous… it is without reason… and its effects are, at times, overwhelming. It can fill me with junk, and that is exactly why I need a Savior - to rid me of myself and impart His nature in me instead. I need His Word on a regular basis to pump my mind ‘full’ of Him and His nature, and ‘empty’ me of me and mine. I need Him to help me with the green stuff inside of me.
Thanks be to Jesus, who comes into my heart and life once I have invited Him by faith... who lives in me through the Holy Spirit from that moment on... who guides me in His ways through the Word... who atones me with His blood… who covers me with His grace and mercy… and who makes me pure and clean before Him.

Daniel

#327.1 – “The Tube that Saved My Life”

2011-02-07T09:23:00.000-06:00

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16
A day or two after my surgery, I was still vomiting. I don’t remember how often it was, but it was often. I was in a cycle of sickness that I couldn’t seem to get out of. As the doctor on call came in my room to check on me, I threw up again. After seeing that, he immediately ordered an NG tube (which has some other kind of medical jargon associated with it, but they described to me as a Nose to Gut tube). This little baby (well, I’m, not sure little is the right word) goes in your nose, down your throat, past your esophagus, and into your gut. He said I needed it to help pull the bile my body was producing off of me (apparently, the body produces bile whether or not you are eating anything).
Within minutes, I had two nurses coming at me with what looked like a six foot long clear rubber hose. They stood on either side of me (I think they knew that, if given the chance, I might bail out of that bed and run!).They looked up into my nose, to see which nostril looked the most promising (who knew there was a preference amongst nostrils???). They decided on their approach and then gave me my instructions. I received a cup of ice chips and was told to swallow one or two. I did… and then I was told that I was to repeat that simple act, but that this time there would be a tube following the ice chip down my throat. Reluctantly, I complied.
Have you ever seen those children’s puzzles with the different shaped blocks and correlating shaped spaces for those blocks… and have you ever watched a child try to put a square block into the circle hole? Well that’s what it felt like on that first try.
They shoved and twisted and pushed. Meanwhile, I wondered and freaked out and hurt. But the tube did not go in. Like a well-disciplined army, they regrouped and began plotting a strategy for their next attack. One looked up the other nostril while the other began greasing up the end of that tube with some Vaseline-looking goop.
I knew we were getting serious.
I was told that we were going to do it again. Thrilled with the opportunity to enjoy this immensely wonderful experience once more, I gladly agreed (yeah, right). I took my couple of ice chips and placed them in my mouth. They told me to swallow, and began shoving. This time, it went down.
The doctor said it would feel like sticking your finger up your nose. That description was incomplete; it was more like a really big, really long finger up your nose… and down your throat… and into your stomach.
I gagged a little at the beginning… swallowed many times… and eventually got used to this tube, which did immediately make a difference in the way I felt. It did its job (which I will describe in vivid detail another day) and pulled that bile off of me. I never threw up again, and my nauseous feeling left me.
I am convinced that that tube saved my life. I was in a position I could not possibly get out of without help from an outside source. And it was such a simple thing, really… just a matter of displacement. But without it, I don’t know how I could have kept going. I needed it.
We all have that same kind of desperation for Christ… for salvation, yes… but also for daily living. Whether or not we see or feel that is irrelevant. It is a fact. We need Jesus. He provides a salvation that we cannot possibly achieve on our own. And He provides a way of life that we cannot possibly live apart from His grace and mercy and love. He is our NG tube; He is that outside Source of life eternal and abundant. And it is so simply a matter of displacing our weaknesses and inabilities upon Him and relying on His strength and His blood and His sacrifice and His Word.
Won’t you let Him meet whatever need you have today?

Daniel

#326.4 – “Much to Write about Nothing”

2011-02-04T08:29:00.001-06:00

"The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light." - Revelation 21:23
One of the things that changed from being a ‘pretty big deal’ to ‘no big deal at all’ with my hospital stay was time. That was true with regards to my internal clock. After only a couple of days in the hospital, I found myself sleeping as much or more during the day as I did at night (part of that was because I was sick and my body needed extra rest, and part of it was due to all the pricking and poking and other stuff they find to do to you when it’s dark out)… little vampires, they are.
Another way that time proved to not be such a big deal was with regards to the way I spent it. Before my hospital stay, my days and nights were usually pretty full of all kinds of activity (notice that I didn’t claim ‘productivity’, but ‘activity’!) - mostly work-related stuff in the daytime, and running kids around in the afternoons/evenings. Once in the hospital, sleep became one of the primary ways to pass the day. Staring at the walls was another biggie. TV watching would hold my attention for a while, but then I would drift off to sleep again. Visiting with those who came to see me was quite often a nice reprieve from the nothingness, but… as with so many other things… I would find myself snoozing it up even with people there. I just lay there most of the time… thinking… praying… talking to Sarah some… but mostly just laying (oh, and did I mention sleeping?). That was the longest stretch of not ‘going and doing’ I have ever had. It was really… well, weird. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy rest and relaxation as good as the next guy… but this was over the top.
One of the consequences of such inactivity is that time becomes fairly irrelevant. I had no schedule. My days and nights were pretty much the same. Life was what it was, regardless of time. Nobody was counting on me being where they were; everybody who saw me had to come to me. I didn’t have anywhere to go… anything to do… and anybody to see, per se. The world felt like it had pretty much stopped.
And then it snowed.
It snowed like I have never seen it snow in Athens in my years here. Sitting in my bed watching the snowflakes come down and pile up on the roads outside my room… blockading us in, as it were, was just another step further into this feeling that time had essentially stopped. Cars were not going up and down the streets. The garbage truck was not banging against dumpsters at 5 am. People were not out… doing whatever they do.
Life had stopped (or so it felt).
And it was during one of those half-awake… somewhat reflective… somewhat hallucinatory moments, when I thought how – in a way – this is what heaven will be like.
Time doesn’t matter in the New Jerusalem. The Bible clearly says that Christ Himself will be our light, and that there will be no need for sun or moon. Consequently, we can reasonably conclude that ‘days’ and ‘weeks’ and ‘months’ and ‘years’ will be no more. Calendars and day-planners and reminders of appointments on our phones will be a thing of the past. We who have trusted Christ as Savior will experience eternity with Him. Even after a week of being snowed in at the hospital, I cannot fully get my head around what that will be like... but I am looking forward to it.
So the next you’re running late to something… or you just don’t have enough time to get whatever it is that you’re doing done… remember that there is coming a ‘Day’ when ‘days’ will be no more… and rejoice in the thought of an everlasting Love that is so great and so powerful and so awesome that time will not matter anymore.

Daniel

#326.3 – “Big Things become Little Things and Little Things become Big Things”

2011-02-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:38-42
One of the things that I noticed early on in my hospital stay was how my perspective changed with my experience. Things that used to be such a big deal to me – like appointments and schedules and work and time – suddenly became less important. And things that perhaps I had not put as much emphasis on before my sickness – like family and friends and relationships and my prayer life – were suddenly extremely important. My entire view changed with the shift from being the one who visits folks in the hospital to being the one lying in the hospital bed. All the things that I would worry and fret over didn’t matter at all to me; my focus shifted to getting well and being thankful for my relationship with God and all of you and others who love me.
And so I am reminded, as I write this, that whatever things may come my way this day, I need to keep an eternal perspective on what matters and what doesn’t. I need to treasure and invest in my relationship with the Lord and with others, and I need to do whatever I can to prevent little things from becoming big things… and big things from becoming little things.

Daniel

#326.2 – “9 out of 10... But I Don’t Know What a 10 Would Be”

2011-01-31T16:50:00.000-06:00

"And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." - Luke 22:44
Monday, Dec 13, 2010 was a memorable night for me. I can remember having a few episodes that day that felt a little like gas, which would subside within five or ten minutes. When I came home from work that evening, I remember thinking that, if I didn’t feel better soon, I wouldn’t be able to make it that night to Anna’s Christmas band concert (which I wouldn’t have missed for anything else). I took some Rolaids and began to feel better… at least well enough to go to hear our little flautist. I made it just fine through the concert, but then felt bad again later that night. After a brief nap on the couch, I woke up with severe stomach cramps and chills. I drew myself a warm bath (the only thing that sounded comforting) and got in. The bath did at least warm me up, but it didn’t ease my pain at all. I progressed in my sickness to the point of vomiting, which brought absolutely no relief to my pain. After an hour or two of suffering, I called out and woke Sarah and asked her to take me to the hospital.
I knew they would ask me the question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rank your pain?”, so I began to ponder my answer on the way. By the time we got there and they asked me, there was only one answer to give. I told them that I was saying ‘9’… only because I was reserving the fact that there could possibly be something out there worse than this, but that I didn’t know what it would be (having a baby maybe… but I don’t get to get on that scale anyway, so…).
My pain was incredible. And the thing was that it never eased off… not even after I would throw up; it hurt constantly, and it hurt bad.
I would be lying if I told you that I was comforted at the time with the following thought, but now that I can look back on the experience, I can say with sincerity that I realize just how precious a thought it is: that Jesus knows pain (many of you may remember the old sports ads featuring Bo Jackson that said things like ‘Bo knows football’ or ‘Bo knows running’; well, only Bo and God know what Bo really knows, but all who study God’s word on even an elementary level know the truth that Jesus knows pain).
He knows the sorrow of being misunderstood… humiliated… unwanted… rejected… despised… hated. He knows what it is like to know when and how you’re going to die, and to choose to accept that death. He knows the pain of a cross at His back… thorns on His brow… a spear in His side… spikes in His feet and hands. And He alone knows the agony of dying for the sins of a world of people, many of whom have not accepted nor will accept the gift of eternal life He offers.
My scale of pain doesn’t even come close to deserving the right to be put up alongside His pain. There is no scale for His pain, because there is nothing else and no one else who could have anything to compare it to. He alone bore an agony I cannot even begin to understand on my behalf, in order that I might have a life full of joy and purpose and peace forever. Amazing.

Daniel

#326.1 – “It’s an Effective Diet Plan… Not One I’d Recommend, but Effective”

2011-01-31T08:27:00.000-06:00

"For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD - to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, "a land flowing with milk and honey." - Joshua 5:6
Many of you know that in 2010, Sarah and I had committed ourselves to losing weight. And we both did… until about Nov. At that point, Sarah was still losing some, but I had officially begun to plateau. For about 6 weeks, I didn’t lose an ounce.
And then December 15 came, and I had my emergency appendectomy. By the time I had come home the second time from the hospital, I had lost over 15 lbs. Now I don’t have the slightest idea how much an appendix – even a swollen and gangrenous one – weighs, but I’m positive it’s not 15 lbs!
The reality is that after my first hospital visit, I didn’t have much appetite (I now realize that was largely due to the infection I was developing post-surgery). I ate less than half what I would normally, and there were a couple of days I didn’t eat much at all. Of course, I wasn’t doing much for exercise either… just walking some a few times each day. But I still was losing weight fast. For a week or two there, I lost a couple of pounds every two or three days. Once my infection was discovered and remedied, I immediately began to feel and eat better. I have now gained a few of those pounds back.
This weight loss plan is not necessarily the method I would recommend, but I can most certainly vouch for its effectiveness! I’m happy to have lost the weight I did, but I don’t know that I would have chosen to lose it that way! Nonetheless, I know that God has revealed Himself to me through this time, and that He continues to use this experience to teach me things about Himself… which got me thinking…
Is the destination all that matters, or is the journey important as well? I think about how God chose to bring the children of Israel into the Promised Land. He could have just moved them instantly into Canaan and given them everything He had intended for them right then, but He didn’t do that. He knew they needed some shaping before they were ready to go in (forty years of shaping, to be exact).
God’s desire for all of us who are His children by faith in Jesus is that we all be conformed into the likeness of Christ. Sometimes our idea of how we ought to ‘get there’ and God’s idea are two different things. But we must remember that God sees all… and that time is of no concern to Him… and that He is just as attentive and interested and active in the process of shaping us, as He is in seeing us ‘arrive’.

Daniel

#325.3 – “One Way In”

2010-12-09T08:48:00.001-06:00

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."- Acts 4:12
This past Tuesday evening, I took Anna to her tongue therapy session at Alabama A&M. We literally pulled into the school entrance with a minute to spare. I let Anna out just outside the building, both to help her be on time and to keep her from having to walk any longer than necessary in the freezing cold. I then went up the hill to park in our designated area (which is a few minutes walk from the building we use). By the time I got back down to where I had dropped Anna off, there she was – standing just outside the building. Thinking she was just being timid and not wanting to go in without me, I motioned for her to go ahead of me. She stood right there. I motioned again as I was walking towards her. She stood still. By this time, I was close enough for her to hear me and so I said ‘go ahead’. She stood.

At this point, I began to wonder if she had actually frozen solid!

I got within a few feet of her and asked why she didn’t go ahead. Her reply? The door was locked.

Sure enough, I pulled on the door... nothing. So then, we had to walk around to the other end of the building to get inside (which we did). It turns out that my best effort at not being late proved futile, as we were about 3 or 4 minutes after her allotted time.

That reminds me of how our best efforts at ‘getting in’ the kingdom of God are also futile if we are relying on our own strength. Nothing we can do or say will ‘open the door’ to God; only our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins will cleanse us from all our unrighteousness and make us presentable to holy God. Jesus is the only Way in. It’s not just that there isn’t another door open… there isn’t another door period. He’s it. He’s all we’ve got. He is the access point to God. So we must choose whether we want to go in God’s Way or not.

Today, I hope you are reading this and have an assurance that you, in fact, have trusted Christ, and have gone through Him and His blood to find a relationship with God; if not, I hope that you will clearly see – perhaps for the first time – that there is but one Way, and that is Jesus.

Daniel

#325.2 – “Mission”

2010-12-08T08:44:00.001-06:00

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…" - Matthew 28:19
Last year at Christmastime, we received as one of our gifts a video game that the whole family could play together.
Last night, we finally beat it. Hey, it only took us 11 and a half months of fairly consistent play!
Now we don’t know what to do with ourselves!
No, the truth is, we can still play it for fun and enjoy it… but there was something exciting and adventurous about exploring new worlds and playing parts you had never seen. When you played it, you felt like you were on a mission. Now it will be more like watching re-runs: still fun… but not the same.
We have yet to finish our mission as Christians. The theme of this year’s emphasis for the Lottie Moon campaign is a reminder that there are still places where the gospel has not be shared. And there are people that we meet and live next to that need to hear the Good News of Jesus as well. So let us be encouraged to go out until our mission has been accomplished!

Daniel

#325.1 – “Our Little Horse”

2010-12-06T11:03:00.001-06:00

"But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:4-7
This past week, Grant has really taken off in his eating. It seems as though he is hungry all the time. He eats as much or more at mealtimes than the girls, and he often asks for a snack in between meals. Of course, he is like his daddy and is willing to eat anything sweet most any time! Sarah and I were joking about the fact that she will have to get another job soon just to keep him fed! I mean, it feels like what I imagine it would be to feed a horse (ok… stretching it a bit, I know)!
God doesn’t have to go anywhere beside Himself to meet our needs; He doesn’t have to take out a loan or take on another job to provide for His children. He is our perfect Provider. He meets our needs as they arise… every time. He gives out of His limitless bounty. His supply of grace and mercy in Christ are only limited by our acceptance of them. He gives… and He gives… and He gives…
Worship Him today for all that He has given you.

Daniel

#324.4 – “As Close as He Could Get”

2010-12-03T08:42:00.001-06:00

"... the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." - 2 Timothy 3:15
During the wee hours of the morning, I awoke just enough to hear Sarah telling Grant that he could not get in the bed with us (something he has done the past couple of nights). The next conscious moment for me was as I was getting out bed some time later, which is when I found Grant lying on the floor right by my side of the bed… sound asleep, with his blanket over him. I staggered to the bathroom, where Sarah said that she too had seen him there this morning, and that it was a surprise to her; she thought he had gone back to his bed. I guess he just wanted to get as close to us as he could.
We could try and try and try to get close to God based on our own righteousness, and that would leave us a distance so great that it would seem as thought we weren’t on the same planet… much less in the same room. The only way to have a relationship with God is through an adherence to the biblical standard of confessing and surrendering our sins to Christ and by faith accepting His righteousness. In the same way that Grant needed to obey his mother, we need to obey the instruction given to us in this matter by our heavenly Father. We need to come to Him based solely upon Christ’s merit and our obedience (the greatest evidence of faith).
The good news is that He wants to approach Him and to draw near to Him. He desires that relationship with us. And if we approach Him His Way, He will never turn us away.

Daniel