The Never-Ending Story

Guess what movie I saw yesterday?  The Hobbit!  Again!  “Isn’t once enough?” you ask, but for the girls who live at my house and love a good story, the answer is, “No!”  It takes a second time (and many times more when the DVD becomes available) to notice all the details, pay attention to the excellent soundtrack, and memorize the great lines.  Each time around, we pick up something new, but enjoying a plot we know and love, delighting in our favorite characters, and reliving exciting or poignant scenes are the main reasons multiple viewings are so enjoyable.  Great stories just don’t grow old.

Since it’s Christmas, you can understand.  That story has been around for a while—a couple of millennia, actually.  We know the characters and the plot.  The young, virgin mother.  The faithful and willing stepdad.  No vacancy in the inn. Labor and delivery in the barn. The sleepy shepherds.  The bright angels.  The rush to town.  And the baby “wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger”(Luke 2:12).  Every year, the same story is told over and over and over.  Pageants portray it.  Choirs sing it.  Artists paint it. Teachers tell it.  Pastors preach it.  And it never gets old.

I always knew the story—at least I don’t ever remember not knowing it.  I recall Christmas when I was three or four, standing on the fireplace hearth with my older brother and sister quoting the story for our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Each family did something special at our Christmas celebration.  Some sang. Some shared.  Ours quoted.  Luke 2:1-20.  Still do—every year before we open presents, now with the kids being our own and us being those middle-aged parents!  It’s a special part of Christmas, but it’s more than tradition.  It’s truth.

Good stories don’t grow old, and God’s story never will.  For ages to come and into eternity, we’ll be telling the story over and over and over—noticing the details, singing along with the soundtrack, quoting our favorite lines, enjoying the plot, delighting in our favorite characters, and being utterly amazed that the Author of the story (who’s also its biggest star) wrote us into it.  “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior.”

The Christmas Story.  Learn it.  Love it.  Live it.  Again and again!

Only Jesus

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11 

 The funerals started a few days ago—the burials of twenty precious children in Connecticut whose lives were cruelly and brutally terminated by the terror of evil.  Families weep in anguish.  Our nation reels in horror.  The questions of Why?, How?, and Who could have? tumble over each other in a mixture of disbelief and dismay.  Brace yourself for the honest and hard answers. Why?  Because “the heart of man is desperately wicked”(Jeremiah 17:9) and because “there is none righteous, no not one”(Rom 3:10 ).  How?  With unflinching precision and determination when a person believes the prevalent lie in our culture that we are creatures evolved by chance.  If such is so, life has no value, eternal accountability for actions is non-existent, and people are free to do as they please.  And who could have pulled that trigger over and over and over? Any of us.  All of us.  But for the grace of God, the darkness and death of our hearts (Eph 2;1, 5:8) could easily defy the restraints of a civil culture and the evil would happen at our hands. 

Friday’s tragic shooting shows the undeniable truth—left to ourselves, mankind is hopeless, helpless, and horrible.  We need a Savior.  And He came at Christmas. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you”(Luke 2:11).  Jesus didn’t come to boost our egos.  He didn’t come to help our self-esteem.  He didn’t come to make sure we are healthy, happy, and living in a house with a two-car garage.  Jesus came because we are doomed, damned, and “dead in our transgressions and sins”(Eph 2:1).  He came because of the sin that showed up in a bloody carnage at an elementary school.  He came because families and friends are filled with gut-wrenching grief.  He came because we need saving, and only He is our Savior.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”(Luke 2:11).  There is no one else.  The karma of Hinduism and Buddhism is cruel and heartless.  The Allah of Islam is detached and fatalistic.  The crucified and resurrected Jesus is the only comfort for parents staring at the never-to-be opened presents under the tree.  The righteous Jesus who loves justice and extends grace is the only hope for hurting husbands and boyfriends burying the ladies they love.  A sovereign God of unlimited power and unfailing love who was willing to step into our pain and take our punishment and to provide a way for us to be rescued from a for-sure forever without Him is the only answer to our anguished questions and desperate pleas. 

This past Friday doesn’t make sense this side of eternity, but because a Savior has been born, we can be sure that one day it will.  The “good news of great joy”  means the most when we are crushed and crying.  Though evil wrecks havoc and horror in its dying throes, sin will not have the final word.  Our Savior has come, and He is victorious.    

Worth The Wait

“A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”  Numbers 24:17

The Wise Men must have been waiting.  It seems that as soon as they saw the star, they started their journey and arrived in Jerusalem with certainty and expectation.  “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east”(Matt 2:2). 

At our house, we’ve been waiting—not for anything earth-shattering or life-changing—just for a movie.  But we’ve been waiting for over eighteen months, and when you’re in middle school, as two of my children are, eighteen months is a really long time (and when you’re way past middle school, it’s still quite lengthy!).  We’ve been marking off the days—literally—and, finally, this morning, the countdown calendar read ZERO!  So as soon as school is out, we’re taking a trip—a journey to a town that has a theater, and we’re going to the midnight premiere of The Hobbit.

We know a lot about the story.  Everyone in the family has read the book—that was a prerequisite for attending the show!  We’ve talked about the plot.  We’ve been following the production updates.  We have a poster plastered on the fridge.  We can name the main characters and most of the minor ones too.  We’ve even talked Grandmom and Grandpa into missing most of a night’s sleep and going with us too.  It’s really fun when something you’ve been waiting for for a long time finally happens.

I wonder if the Magi felt that way—and a whole lot more.  They weren’t waiting for a movie; they were waiting for a monarch.  Way back, a guy named Balaam had prophesied that “a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel”(Num 24:17).  Obviously, word had made its way to Babylon (most likely through Daniel of lion’s den fame), and the Wise Men were waiting.  And ready to go once the big day arrived.

I’m going to have a great time tonight—riding, chatting, watching, and sharing a special memory and a special movie with those that I love.  It’s been neat how God has used the anticipation of such a small event to remind me of the great expectation of Jesus’s first coming and of how excited I should be for His second. 

Really good movies and a truly righteous Monarch—both are worth the wait!

(Btw, in case you’re a Tolkien fan, I wrote this devotion Thursday, saw the movie Friday night, and raised many cups of coffee that day as a toast to job well done and a story well told!)

 

True Treasure

“To you is born today a Savior.”  Luke 2:11

Today I’m thinking about gifts—white elephant gifts to be exact—because tonight we’re going a party and we’re supposed to take a present.  Not a real present, but one of “those” presents—an item you no longer care to keep in your possession and are delighted to pass on to some other lucky soul.  A white elephant gift. 

Being the somewhat curious sort, I wondered where that label originated, and after only a bit of time on Google, I discovered that in the past, the King of Thailand would give white elephants to members of his court whom he found obnoxious because the high cost of care for the creature would cause their financial ruin.  Hence, a valuable but burdensome gift whose cost of upkeep exceeds its usefulness came to be called a white elephant gift.  Over time, the worth of these gifts seems to have lessened, and the term is now synonymous with a present which is cheap—or, better yet, free.

The best part about a white elephant gift is the fun you have while playing the gift exchange game because when you get home with your newly acquired possession, about the only good thing to do with it is to store it until the same party next Christmas!  White elephant gifts are entertaining, they might be useful, they occasionally can be a bit valuable, but by definition and tradition, they are not needed.

Jesus was not a white elephant gift.  The tag on heaven’s perfect present read, “To you a Savior has been born”(Luke 2:11).  The Gift was personal—“To you.”  Not to some random participant in life who drew the lucky number or the last number, but specifically to you individually and intimately.  “To you a Savior has been born.”  You need one desperately, for having Someone to save us is not merely useful but absolutely imperative.  Without Him we are definitely doomed and damned.  And the Gift was precious, for His true value is beyond our finite measure and understanding.

Interestingly, throughout history, the possession of a white elephant was a sign that a king reigned with justice and power, and that his kingdom was blessed with peace and prosperity.   Our King has come and is coming again.  He reigns with justice—the justice of the cross and the justice of holiness.   He reigns with power, holding the universe together and holding life and death in His hand(Eph 1:19).  And He is our peace and prosperity—lavishing on us His abundant love(1 John 3:1). This glorious, royal Gift is free to us because of God’s grace and goodness, but He is not cheap. 

White elephant gifts are often wrapped well but contain little worth.

The present of our King was wrapped humbly but was priceless.

 

    

Broken Beauty

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, now and forevermore.”  Jude 1:24-25

A few days ago as I unpacked my nativity, I was struck again by its beauty—the rich colors of the Magi, the shepherd’s earthy hue, Mary’s soft sweetness, Joseph’s proud relief, and the angel’s heavenly hovering.  But what I noticed even more than its beauty was its brokenness.  You might not see it at first glance, but a closer inspection will reveal cracks, crevices, and chipped off paint.  An errant handstand by one of my offspring a few Christmas seasons ago led to the realization that given the right force, heads (even holy ones) will roll and that ceramic angels don’t fly—they fall.

Copious amounts of Super Glue reattached most of what was missing, but now, instead of perfection, it’s a motley crew around the manger—a bunch of broken people  bowing low before the special baby.  I think my manger scene is perfect. 

It’s really the only way to come, you know—broken and cracked, with parts of what we thought was our best side chipped away by life’s realities of sin, sadness, and disappointment.  Until we acknowledge that we’re mixed up and messed up, we’ll never appreciate the gift lying in the manger, and we’ll never understand what He had to feel to fix us.

Sometimes we like to gloss over the depths of our depravity, applying another coat of pretend to give the appearance of seamless innocence.  Often we fake our feelings, afraid to show our struggles and sorrow and seem weak to those who might not understand.  But none of our facades or refurbishings can hide the fact that a mighty fall has left us in a hopeless dilemma, and when we finally and honestly say so, and shout so, and gladly admit that we are broken, then we can know the healing blessings of His mighty grace. 

Jesus didn’t come to just put us back together; He came to make us brand new. In this world of hurt and heartache as we struggle with our own failures and the faults of others, He will hold our breaking hearts, and one glorious day, the God “who is able to keep us from falling will present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy”—unbroken—to be with Him forever(Jude 1:24-25).

None who are perfect need come.  The motley crew around the manger is beautiful because it is broken.  And because He is whole.

Who's Not There?

“O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Quick Christmas Quiz—What do you call the grouping of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, magi, angels, and obligatory farm animals??  If you said nativity, manger scene, crèche, or something close, you’re right!!   Most of us have at least one of these in our homes during Christmas, but why?  What is the purpose of the porcelain, ceramic, wood, plastic, or Popsicle stick figurines we proudly display on our coffee tables and counter tops?

The obvious reason is decoration.  Manger scenes are pretty.  Whether painted brightly or polished smoothly, they look nice and people notice them.  (One of my favorites was a Waterford crystal nativity gracing a black top table at a former place of employment.)  There just isn’t an ugly nativity.  Even those which are faded or fashioned by the least-artistic still display an intrinsic beauty because of the story they represent.

Sharing this story is the second reason we set up manger scenes—for declaration.  There, in varied arrangement, a few small statues reveal the most amazing narrative—the true tale of  the God who didn’t want to live without us and so He came to us, wrapped in baby-soft skin, born in a barn, lying in a manger.  No wonder Mary and Joseph always look amazed, the shepherds seem so awed, the Wise Men stand mouths gaping with gifts forward, and the angel hovers above proud and protective.  This simple scene silently states to those who see it that there is a God—a God who cares.

His love leads to the third purpose for a nativity—invitation.  The assorted assemblage around the manger beckons us all—needy, wealthy, well-known, obscure, or ordinary—to come and worship.  To pause what we’re doing and say thanks.  To stop our holiday scurrying and ponder the wonder that God came to be with us.  That’s why, this year, my manger scene has an empty spot—a big, bare space to Mary’s left.  Though a quick glance confirms that all normal characters are present, it looks like someone is missing—because I am.  Each time I look at my nativity, I am invited kneel by the manger and join the adoration .

Try it this Christmas.  Rearrange your nativity.  Move over the Wise Men and make room for one more. You.

Perfect Communion

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”  John 6:51

This past Sunday, to celebrate the start of Advent, my church lit the candle of hope and shared a special communion.  Since I was involved in the music of all three services, I took part in all three communions.  Well, sort of…

Because I played the piano while the elements were passed, my participation depended entirely on what was given to me by someone else.  During one service, I received no bread at all.  During another, the supply of regular communion bread was soon depleted, and the elders resorted to breaking off bits of a leavened loaf used for illustration.  But, finally, during the third service, bona fide Lord’s Supper bread came my way.

This experience started me thinking.   Our lives are much like my communion experience.  Unable to reach what we need on our own, we are entirely dependent on what we are given by Someone else.  And Jesus had a choice.

He could have not come to earth at all, leaving our hearts like my hands during Sunday’s first service—empty.  No bread.  Or He could have come but then sinned by giving in to Satan’s temptations.  This failure would have disqualified Him from being the perfect sacrifice we so desperately needed.  He would have become leavened bread—the right stuff tainted by a wrong ingredient.  But, instead of leaving us eternally lost by His absence or His selfish actions, Jesus came to be just what we needed—perfect Living Bread from heaven who was arrived as a baby, lived a sinless life, and died as our bona fide substitute.  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven”(John 6:51). 

On Sunday, as I finally held that little square of special sweetness in my hand (at my church communion bread is sweet and yummy—email me for the recipe!), I kept thinking, “Thank you, Jesus, that You are always more than enough to go around, that You are all always all I need, and that You are never not there.”  As we start our Christmas celebration, let’s begin by being glad Jesus showed up—and that we don’t ever get left out.

Sunday’s communion was special because through man’s imperfection I realized more of God’s perfection.

And don’t even ask about the grape juice.

     

The Sweet Cycle of Giving

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”  2 Cor 9:15 

Today is the last day of November, and tomorrow we move from a season of giving thanks to one of giving gifts.  The transition should not be difficult.  Gratefulness and giving just go together—kind of like Snoopy and Charlie, Mickey and Minnie, peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and…anything!  But actually gratefulness and giving are better described as a cycle than as a couple, for when we are given something, the blessings which bring gratitude should naturally result in generosity.

Try taking this angle as you approach this time of gift-giving.  As you look down your Christmas list, instead of seeing names of people you have to buy something FOR, see them as those you have been blessed BY, and let your present be a gift of gratitude.  God had graced our lives with family, friends, and acquaintances (even the boss who lets us keep our jobs, the carrier of our mail, or the leaders at our church), and these people fill our lives with much joy, comfort, and delight.  As a thanks to God and as a thanks to them for who they are and what they do, we should share who we are and what we have—which, by the way, is also a blessing from God that often comes through the very people to whom we are giving. 

As the Apostle Paul encouraged his friends in Corinth to send gifts to needy Christians in another city, he reminded them that “this service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God…Because of your gift, men will praise God for you and in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you”(2 Cor 9:12-14).  See the cycle?  God had blessed the Corinthians with money for which they were grateful and which they were willing to share, and though those who were needy could not give back material gifts, their gratitude for the generous blessing resulted in thanksgiving and praise to God and in prayers being lifted up on the behalf of the ones who gave.  (Remember that quite often, the best gifts can’t be bought!)

This progression of blessing, gratitude, and giving should be repeated often, for the attitude of our hearts should be shaped each morning by the words Paul used at the end of his instruction.  “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”(2 Cor 9:15).  Everything we give can be described and explained, but the love and grace of God that showed up in a manger and shouted at on the cross cannot be fully expressed.  He is indescribable.

As thanks-giving rolls into gift-giving, remember that you’ve been blessed to be a blessing.  Be grateful.  Be generous.  And be blessed again.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”(2 Cor 9:15). 

Good Eats

“Give thanks to the Lord…who gives food to every creature.”  Psalm 136:25

I’m still thinking about Thanksgiving, and today I’m grateful for good food!

When we’re at home, my family sits down three times a day to eat.  Since I do most of the cooking, I won’t say there’s always good food on the table, but there is always food—food for which we are thankful, and so we say so.   Jesus started this practice back in the Bible when He picked up His lunch and paused to say thanks.  “Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks”(Matt 14:19). 

Funny that the first time in all of Scripture where someone speaks in gratitude to God before a meal is the very time when there surely didn’t seem to be enough to go around.  Perhaps that’s the point.  Just as thousands of hungry tummies could only be filled that a day by a miracle of God’s grace, so our tables can only be filled day after day by His same providing power.  “Give thanks to the Lord…who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever”(Ps 136:1,25). 

God’s unfailing love for His creation and His children prompts Him to provide what we need—whether it be a five-course meal or a simple fish sandwich.  And, oh the delights of His provision!!  The sweet juiciness of a tree-ripened peach.  The hearty comfort of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  The spicy tartness of a kosher dill.  The buttery crispness of a fresh Ritz cracker topped with, well, almost anything—or nothing at all!  And did I mention chocolate??

The variety of foods available for our consumption seems unending, and if our cupboards are bare, a quick run to our grocery of choice soon stocks the shelves.  We live in a land of staggering abundance, but don’t feel guilty; feel grateful.  Say thanks, share with those in need, and savor the many flavors. “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things”(Ps 107:8-9).

The dinner bell is ringing, but don’t just “say grace.”  Let each meal be a reminder that you have received it—and be thankful for it.

 

 

 

Giving Thanks~Always

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I know the official day of national gratitude is past and that the turkey has long been camouflaged in various forms of leftovers, but before we pack up the pilgrims and unwrap the angels, let’s say thanks again.  And again.  To be honest, our gratitude should never lessen or let up, for God’s abundant grace and blessings compound in our lives daily.

Physically, He provides the very breath that gives us life and then supplies jobs, homes, food, clothing, transportation, and communication.  Emotionally, He places us in families and surrounds us with the love of friends and the community of church.  And spiritually, He Himself has become our salvation and is our eternal life(John 17:3).

Because of such glorious grace, all that we do should be done with thanksgiving.  “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”(Col 3:17).  And no matter our situation, sorrow, or struggle, we should “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”(1 Thess 5:18).  Though tears and trials may seem all too frequent this side of forever, by the blood-stained cross and the empty tomb we are assured of an eternity in the joy of His presence.  No wonder God’s Word and our words are full of gratitude.  “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!  Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”(2 Cor 9:15, 1 Cor 15:57, 2 Cor 2:14)

Because of God’s blessings, we should continually be “overflowing with thankfulness”(Col 2:7) and “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Eph 5:20).  But sometimes we forget to say thanks, we focus on what we want not what we need, and we find ourselves full of complaints, discontent, and envy.  When this happens, may I suggest two simple songs.  One I learned to sing when I was quite young in a small Baptist church in southern Alabama.  “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,  when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. “  The other, Madam Blueberry of Veggie Tales fame finally learned to sing after realizing that stuff can fill your house but not your heart. “A thankful heart is a happy heart.  I’m glad for what I have; that’s an easy way to start.  For a God who really cares, who listens to our prayers, that’s why I say thanks every day.”

Both are good thinking.  Both are good theology.  And both are even better when we put them into practice. 

Happy Thanksgiving—today and always.

Praise Party

“On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy.”  Nehemiah 12:43

Some days just call for celebration!  And not a quiet one either but a whoopin’, hollerin’, dancin’ kind of celebration!  If you’ve lived somewhere around fifty years or less, you might be thinking of Kool and the Gang about now, and you’re probably moving to the to beat…

There's a party goin' on right here;
A celebration to last throughout the years.
So bring your good times
And your laughter too;
We’re gonna celebrate your party with you…

Celebration….Let’s all celebrate and have a good time.

Celebration…We’re gonna celebrate and have a good time.

I have no doubt that if disco had been around back in Nehemiah’s day, “Celebration” would have been the theme song at the dedication of Jerusalem’s wall.  Music was definitely the headline of the event, and Nehemiah “assigned two large choirs—under the direction of Jezrahiah—to give thanks”(Neh 12:31,43).  The ensembles paraded on top of the wall in opposite directions until they met at “their places in the house of God”(vs 40), and the praise party began.

Singers and musicians had come from the surrounding villages and regions to “celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres”(Neh 12:27).  Sounds like a pretty good band to me!  And we know they were loud because “the sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away”(Neh 12:43).

 

Through all the trial, trouble, toil, and turmoil, God had been faithful to His people, and Jerusalem’s wall, once a broken and burned pile of rubble and rocks, had been rebuilt to its full height.  No wonder that “on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy”(vs 43).  It really was “a celebration to last throughout the years.”

This Thanksgiving let your praise be loud and long!  God rebuilds our lives from the rubble of sin, He gives us power and purpose for every day, and He promises our forever will only get better!  This surely calls for a celebration—a whoopin’, hollerin’, dancin’ kind of celebration!! 

Strike up the band and get the party started!

Good times praising God are the best!

Our Declaration of Dependence

“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”  Nehemiah 9:38 

In the summer of 1776, fifty-six men signed a paper declaring themselves and their thirteen colonies free from British rule.  Years of conflict with the crown over taxation without representation resulted in this “Declaration of Independence.”  The members of the Continental Congress who picked up the pen were so serious about the subject that they signed their names, leaving a public record of their protest and their plans.  With their signatures now in ink, not one of them could deny their commitment to the cause, and the revolution charged full-steam ahead. 

The men in Nehemiah’s day also signed a script, but their declaration was of dependence not independence and of recommitment instead of revolt.  A review of God’s faithfulness and their failures caused them to understand their current distress and the consequences of disobedience, so “in view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it”(Neh. 9:38).

Eighty-four men signed with their seals, and “the rest of the people…joined their brothers the nobles, and bound themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God…and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our God”(Neh. 10:28-29).

The people knew they needed God’s help, they knew obedience brought his blessing, and they knew that taking care of God’s house was a priority over their own, so they publicly committed to love God and live it out.  They were so serious about the subject that they “bound themselves with a curse and an oath” and promised to not let their daughters marry heathens, to not work on the Sabbath day or the seventh year, and to provide supplies for the temple.  “We will not neglect the house of our God”(Neh 10:39).  By stamping their seals on the scroll, the men and their families would now be held accountable by God and by others to keep their word—and His. 

These days we rarely sign our names to something spiritual, but recently filling out our family’s commitment card to help build a new outreach center at our church and then reading this passage today has started me thinking.  Perhaps there are times when, at least privately, we should review God’s faithfulness in the past and His promises for the future and should literally write down our recommitment to love the Lord our God completely, to love others unselfishly, and to live for His glory. 

Sometimes our signature helps make something more serious.  Search your soul, confess your sin, celebrate God’s grace, and sign away. 

In view of all He has done, how can we do less?

Revelry

“They reveled in your great goodness.”  Nehemiah 9:25

We should rarely stop smiling.

From the time we wake till we rest again—and even when we’re sleeping—we’re continually bombarded with divine blessings.  Air to breathe, food to eat, a place to lay our head, family to love, friends to cherish, freedom to come, go, worship, and work, and the unfailing and unending grace of our Heavenly Father.  No wonder our grins shouldn’t go away. Each day of our lives we should “revel in God’s great goodness”(Neh 9:25).

That’s what God’s people did when He brought them into the Promised Land.  In Nehemiah’s prayer of confession and commitment, he recounts that in Canaan, the Israelites “captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance.  They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness”(Neh 9:25).

To revel means to take great pleasure and delight, to exult in merry amazement, to rejoice in boisterous festivity and celebration, to be so absolutely overwhelmed by something so incredibly astounding that all you can do is simply bask in the blessing.  That’s what God’s people did then, and that’s what God’s people should do now.  Yes, difficult times will come. Yes, the future will seem uncertain.  Yes, storms will blow and seas will rage.  Yes, we will face sickness and sorrow. The routine will be monotonous and menial.  We will be disappointed, discouraged, and feel defeated, but in the middle of all the mess and marvels of life, God’s constant goodness is cause for merry amazement, boisterous celebration, and grateful basking.

Today, and every day, rejoice in God’s grace, rely on His love, and revel in His great goodness!

 

Never Alone

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert.”  Nehemiah 9:19

Many times in life we deserve to be deserted in the desert.

Our refusal to walk in God’s right sets us on a path of wandering and waywardness, and we end up doing circles, getting nowhere fast.  Outright obstinance isn’t always to blame for the sand between our toes; often our carelessness and laziness cause us to ignore God’s Word and choose the easier and seemingly more exciting way of the world.  On occasion, our fear finds us shaking our heads at God’s call and His commands, and because we say no, we can’t go—and so we wander. But even in our rebellious drifting, “because of His great compassion, God does not abandon us in the desert”(Neh. 9:19).   

Repeatedly in Nehemiah’s prayer of confession and commitment, he acknowledges that God’s mercy and grace are what keep Him from casting His people away.  As Nehemiah praises God for His power in creation and then masterfully condenses Israel’s history from its beginning with Abraham to its current state of “great distress,” he admits that though God miraculously rescued the Jews from slavery in Egypt, revealed Himself to them on Mt. Sinai through His laws,  and promised to give them victory in their new land, “they became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands…They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them”(Neh 9:16-17).  This rebellion and lack of belief turned a two-year journey into a forty-year excursion, yet every day while they wandered in the wilderness due to their disobedience, God’s “pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire to shine by night…You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.  For forty years you sustained them…they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen”(Neh 9:19-21).

For four decades in the desert, God’s great compassion—His deep love and care for His people—caused Him to provide for their needs and to guide them with His presence, though they deserved no such grace at all.

Perhaps you’re in the desert right now and are experiencing a time of barren wandering.  Maybe your own choices brought you there, or it could be that the sins of others landed you in this wasteland (remember that lots of kids were born during those forty years who hadn’t rebelled against God).  However you ended up in desolation, don’t get down.  “Because of His great compassion, God does not abandon us in the desert.”  Though we deserve no such grace at all, God protects and provides.  He heals and He helps, and, day or night, He is always with us.

When you are truly His, you are never abandoned and you are not alone.

God won’t dump you in desert or desert you in distress; His great compassion keeps Him close and holds us close.

“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise!”  Nehemiah 9:5

'Fess Up!

They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers.”  Nehemiah 9:3

If confession is good for the soul, then some of our souls might not be faring so well.  Since honest and humble admission of our faults and failures seems unpleasant, we often skip it or skimp on it—hitting only the highlights (or rather, the lowlights) but not acknowledging the true scope of our transgressions.

But we shouldn’t.  As God’s children, we are called and commanded to confess our sins, and God’s assurance of forgiveness awaits our admission of guilt.  “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9).  Over and over and over, without fail, God will forgive our authentic owning up.  Such complete and recurring cleansing is possible through the faithfulness of His character and the justice of the cross.

The importance of confession was so evident to Nehemiah and his fellow countrymen that they put it on the calendar. “On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together…They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers”(Neh 9:1,3).  As a physical reminder and indication of their contrition, the people fasted, dressed in rough sackcloth, and dumped dust on their heads.

There was nothing private about their confessions.  They all knew that they all had sinned, and they all said so—and even included the offenses of their ancestors.  For several hours, they poured out their hearts to God, acknowledging and agreeing with God about their wrong.  “They read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of a day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God”(Neh 9:3). 

They obviously had much to confess because they hadn’t kept current in their coming clean!  Don’t let sin sit too long before you say you’re wrong.  Our confession should be like the voting mantra of a corrupt Chicago mayor—early and often.  God already knows all we’ve done.  We’re the ones who are miserable trying to keep it in and cover it up.  Please don’t.  Confession isn’t comfortable, but it’s cleansing, so own up to your wrong, and let God make you right.

Schedule a time of confession, and make it today.

The Difference of a Day

“The just shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:17

Some days make a big difference.  On July 4, 1776, American colonists stood against tyranny and for independence.   On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stood against tyranny and for freedom.  And on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther stood against tyranny and for truth.

Luther was a German monk and priest (and professor of theology) who through his own study of Scripture and spiritual struggles realized that several teachings and practices of his Catholic church were not Biblical.  On October 31, 1517, Luther wrote a letter to his bishop protesting one of the Church’s greatest offenses—the abuse of indulgences.  Indulgences were “supposed forgiveness” which could be bought as penance for one’s own sins or for the sins of loved ones suffering punishment in purgatory.  “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs” was the famous buy-line of indulgence sellers whose profits funded the building of St. Peter’s cathedral and padded the pockets of church officials.  Luther’s letter contained 95 points of dispute centered on two principles of truth—the Bible is our spiritual authority  and people are saved from an eternity without God by their faith and not their deeds.

Luther also posted his list of grievances on the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, as an invitation to fellow scholars to debate and discuss the issues, but such an event never took place because Luther’s 95 Theses were soon translated from Latin into German, widely distributed, and the uproar had begun.

The spiritual and cultural reformation resulting from this stand for truth changed the course of the world history and shaped where and how we live today.  In reality, neither July 4, 1776, nor June 6, 1944, would have happened if a brave German monk hadn’t picked up his quill—and then his hammer.

A raging fire starts with a spark.

May the truth of God’s grace blaze brightly in our lives and make a big difference today.

 

First Response

“Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10

What do you do with what you’ve heard?  When, by sight or sound, God’s Word comes your way, what do you with it?  What is your response to His revelation?

When the Jews around Jerusalem heard God’s Word, the first thing they did was start crying.  “Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law”(Neh 8:9).  Their grief was great because they realized God’s holiness and their own helplessness.  This attitude of humility and brokenness was beautiful, and their repentant hearts led Nehemiah to offer calm and comfort.  “Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength”(Neh 8:10). 

But God’s people didn’t stop at simply acknowledging their failures and enjoying God’s forgiveness, they took the next step and complied with God’s commands.  When the leaders gathered the next day “to give attention to the words of the Law”(vs 13), they discovered that God had established a week-long campout to commemorate His faithfulness during their ancestors’ exodus from Egypt and journey to the Promised Land.  So Nehemiah and company spread the word, and everyone gathered branches and built huts to stay in for the seven days.  All around town, on roofs, in courtyards, by the temple, and in the city’s squares, “the whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them”(Neh 8:17).

As crazy as it sounds, instead of causing them frustration or irritation, this obedience to God’s Word triggered great celebration.  “From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this.  And their joy was very great”(Neh 8:17).  Even when we don’t fully understand the why’s of God’s commands, obedience to His Word will bring blessing—the blessing of joy, the blessing of peace, and the blessing of celebration.

God does not speak to hear His own voice.  He speaks so that we will listen to His Word and then live it out.  Don’t ignore the conversation.  With a humble heart, let His Word bring you to tears, calm your fears, call you to obey, and cause you to celebrate.   

Listen to God’s Word, and let it break you.

Obey God’s Word, and let Him bless you.

And celebrate with great joy.

 

The Gift of God's Word

“On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly…He read it aloud from daybreak till noon.” Nehemiah 8:2-3

This morning my “regular” Bible which normally sits on the dresser by my bed wasn’t there, so I reached for my study Bible on the table.  I could have gone to the car and found a compact Scripture in the glove box. Or I could have walked to the bookshelf and retrieved several different Bibles in several different versions.  And, if for some bizarre reason all my printed books happened to have disappeared, I could have read the holy script in electronic form on various devices belonging to my family. 

Most likely your home is a lot like mine—well-stocked with God’s Word.  But though God’s Word is readily accessible, is it rightly appreciated?  Do we love it, long for it, listen to it, and are we willing to do whatever it takes to have it and hear it?

 “On the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly…He read it aloud from daybreak till noon”(Neh 8:2-3).  The people of Israel didn’t have scrolls of Scripture at their disposal.  They couldn’t read God’s Word whenever they wanted. The only way to have God’s Word in their homes was to hide it in their hearts, so “all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law”(Neh 8:3).

When Ezra opened the book, they rose to their feet in respect and then bowed down in worship.  Hour after hour after hour, from the time it got light until lunch, men, women, and all the kids able to understand stood up and soaked in God’s Word.  Hearing God’s Law (remember they only had the first five books) was a gift—a present they relished.  With eager excitement, they opened their ears and their hearts to what God said.

The same approach would be wise for us.  We don’t have to wait for a certain day to hear God’s Word—it’s close by any time we wish.  We aren’t asked to stand in the sun for hours to listen—we can read in climate-controlled comfort.  So let’s not let the ease of access and the luxury in which we listen lessen our appreciation and intensity for God’s Word.  With eager excitement, may we open our ears and heart to what God says each day.

God’s Word is a gift. 

Open, listen, and enjoy.  Often.

My God

“So my God put it into my heart to assemble the people.”  Nehemiah 7:5

Is God your God?

I’m not asking if you belong to Him—for if you have received by faith His gift of grace in Christ, then you are truly His.  No, I’m asking if He is yours.  In Scripture you’re assured that you are the apple of His eye, His chosen child, and His treasured possession, but is He yours?  Is God your God?

Ten times in Nehemiah’s story, he refers to the Almighty as “My God.”  Nehemiah’s relationship with God was personal, passionate, and possessive.  Yes, the Lord is the great, mighty, and awesome God(Neh 9:32), the God of heaven(Neh 1:4), and the God who is from everlasting to everlasting(Neh 9:5), and yet, again and again, Nehemiah calls this God, “My God.” 

He wants to be your God too.  Though you can never own Him, He can be your own, and He desires to be your delight and joy.  Forty-one times in scriptures God says, “I am the Lord your God.”  Your relationship with Him should be personal, passionate, and possessive—an intimate connection that can never be fully described but only experienced.  “My God.” 

Those two words have made me smile all day.  By God’s unfailing love and unending grace, I belong to Him, and He belongs to me.  He is “My God.”  An old Scottish hymn says it best:

I’ve found a Friend, O such a friend! He loved me ere I knew Him;

He drew me with the cords of love, and thus He bound me to Him;

And round my heart still closely twine those ties which naught can sever,

For I am His, and He is mine, forever and forever.

Enjoy your God today.

And know that He is yours always.

 

 

Two Truths and No Lie

“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.” Nehemiah 7:2

Ever played the game Two Truths and A Lie?  It’s a quick and fun way to get to know people in a group.  You describe yourself by telling two things which are true and one which is not, and the others must guess the lie.  For example, I might say that I got my first speeding ticket six months ago, I got lost in Rio, and I made my first B in college in piano lessons.  Or my husband might say that he can ride a unicycle, has starred in a British movie, and his favorite color is green. 

Determining which are true and which is false is all the fun, but Nehemiah wasn’t playing games when he described his friend, Hananiah, whom he put in charge of Jerusalem—and he only gave two truths and not the lie.  After the wall around town was complete and the gates were set in place, someone needed enforce the city security schedule.  “I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do”(Neh. 7:2).

Truth #1—Hananiah was a man of integrity.  He told the truth.  He lived the truth.  He couldn’t be bribed or bought, and he would not say or do something that wasn’t right even if it brought him power, popularity, or pleasure.

Truth #2—Hananiah feared God more than most.  His reason for doing what was right was not simply his own reputation but his relationship with God.  Hananiah lived each day in awe, astonishment, reverence, honor, and respect for God.  More than most people around him, Hananiah recognized God’s power, realized God’s holiness, and had a healthy fear of his amazing, gracious, and loving God. 

No wonder Nehemiah chose Hananiah to be in charge!  He was honest in word and deed, and he honored God highly each day.

May those two truths describe us as well.

And never be a lie.

 

(Btw, just in case you’re wondering, I’ve actually never gotten a speeding ticket, and my husband’s favorite color is orange.)

 

Done!

“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.”  Nehemiah 6:15

On the right side of my desk rests a strip of paper blaring this challenge:  “Attempt something so big for God that unless He is in it, it is bound to fail.”  Each time I sit to write, those words stare me down and make me think—and pray.  The friend who passed out that phrase at a teaching seminar two years ago took his own advice and is spending his retirement going undercover to equip the underground church.   Sometimes we need to remember that though life mainly consists of the little, we shouldn’t be afraid to attempt the large. 

“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days”(Neh 6:15).  In less than two months, Jerusalem’s wall had risen from piles of rubble to full height.  The building project which for years had seemed impossible was now a finished reality.  Without divine help it would never have been done—and everybody knew it.  “When our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God”(Neh 6:16).

“Attempt something so big for God that unless He is in it, it is bound to fail.”   This is not a call to reckless folly, but an encouragement to obey when God’s bidding seems absurd.  “Pack up the wife and hit the road.  I’ll let you know your destination later.”  That would be Abraham.  “Go get my million people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to a new land.”  That would be Moses.  “March around Jericho for seven days.  Shout, and watch the walls fall.” That would be Joshua.  “Some stones and a sling. What else could one possibly need to fight a fierce 9-foot giant?”  That would be David.  “Five thousand men and only enough food for a good McFish?  Lunch is served.”  That would be Jesus.  And hopefully you can soon add your own story—the story of a time when you took a risk on some ruins and God helped you build a wall.

 Don’t be daunted by what others say cannot be done; give it a go, and watch God go!

“Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

 

 

 

Helping Hands

“Now strengthen my hands.”  Nehemiah 10:9

Sometimes our hands get tired.

I remember the feeling in my fingers after a full day of pruning peach trees or picking ripe fruit.  During those busy times of carrying buckets or clipping branches my hands would ache and feel weary, but often in life it’s fear not fatigue that drains the strength from our grip.

When Jerusalem’s wall had risen to its halfway height, the opposition launched a full-fledged campaign of fear.   Four times they tried to get Nehemiah to attend a private meeting where they had more in mind than simple chat, but his RSVP simply said, “I’m busy.”  To their fifth invitation, which included false accusations of conspiracy and revolt, Nehemiah quickly replied, “You’re crazy!”  And he kept on working, well aware of the enemy’s tactics.  ”They were trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be complete’”(Neh 6:9).

Knowing that anxiety would make him unable to reach his full potential, Nehemiah prayed an earnest and honest prayer, “Now strengthen my hands”(Neh 10:9). We should often repeat his request, for fear frequently paralyzes our own progress and causes our hands to hang limp at our sides.  Think about the things we’re building right now—our marriage, our kids, our friendships, our relationship with God, our job responsibilities, the organizations and opportunities we’re involved in—so many projects that need to progress, yet our fears of incompetence, criticism, and failure keep us from being busy and bold.

Scared hearts result in shaky hands, and we sometimes stop half-way.  But we should not, for when we need supernatural strength, our God delights to supply.  “So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my righteous right hand”(Isaiah 41:10).

When our hands need help, God offers a helping hand—His own.

And His grip will never let go.

 

 

Why Not?

“Out of reverence for God, I did not act like that.”  Nehemiah 5:15

Why do you do what you do?  That’s a good question to ask, but sometimes so is this one:  Why don’t you do what you don’t do? 

Our honest answers would vary.  If an action is undoubtedly wrong, we might say we’re afraid of getting caught.  We don’t want to face the consequences of our choices.  We don’t want to look bad to those who think we’re good.  We take seriously the reputation of the organization, company, family, or church we represent. And often we would say it’s because we’re Christians.

And what if a choice is not necessarily wrong and some even think it’s right?  Why would we choose not to do it then?  Many of the same reasons apply.  We don’t want to look bad to those who think we’re good.  We take seriously the reputation of the organization, company, family, or church we represent. And often we would say it’s because we’re Christians.

But since our salvation is totally dependent on what God did and not on what we do, why should being a Christian be a factor in our choices?  Because the overwhelming mercy and astounding grace of God in Christ should create in us a desire to honor Him in every way possible—by what we do and what we don’t do.  “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love”(Gal. 5:13).  The grace of our relationship with God should guide our actions, and our love for Him should show up in how we live.

As governor of the land of Judah, Nehemiah could have required his constituents to keep his cupboards stocked and his wine cellar full.  Their contributions would have been helpful because “one hundred fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well of those who came to us from the surrounding nations.  Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds”(Neh. 5:17-18). But in spite of the hearty number of dinner guests, Nehemiah “never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because these demands were heavy on the people”(Neh 5:18).  His predecessors had placed a big burden on those they governed by demanding a monetary tax in addition to the required groceries, and “their assistants also lorded it over the people”(Neh 5:15).  But Nehemiah stated that “out of reverence for God I did not act like that”(Neh 5:15).

There’s our real reason for doing what we do and for not doing what we don’t do—reverence for God.  Realizing who God is and responding with our lives.  Being so amazed by God’s grace that we want to show others His goodness.  Not fear of being found out, not concern for our own reputation, but our absolute awe of God and our amazed adoration for God should drive our decisions all day every day. 

Just because you could doesn’t mean you should.

Live the way you live because you love God.