One of my least favorite songs at Christmas is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. I think the main reason for this is because it is grossly overplayed. Not only is it on the in-store radio at every business establishment, somehow it has made its way into every school Christmas program. It’s just overbearing. Now, forgive me for my hypocrisy, but I do actually like the piano part at the beginning, but not enough to justify listening to this song in its entirety more than once a year.
I suppose people would find me annoying because I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 different versions of “O Holy Night” in my music library, so I have issues as well. I think what drives me nuts the most is the Hallmark mentality that has taken over the music industry at Christmas—like if you are not in love in a small town with snow and horse-drawn carriages, you’re not doing Christmas right. I’m not condemning Christmas love songs, I’m just declaring that they are pretty tacky and extremely cringe-worthy. I am definitely condemning Hallmark movies for their elementary predictability. Ladies, I guess if he doesn’t propose to you and give you a diamond ring on Christmas Eve, he’s not the one for you.
Maybe my disdain for cliché Christmas love songs is because they stick merely to the human level and are based on person-to-person relationships (which are obviously necessary, but not the main point). Even though it’s fun to give presents to those we love, too often we forget the whole reason for Christmas. And while giving is better than receiving, we must remember the foundation of why we give gifts in the first place.
Paul told the Galatians what it was all about in a Scripture text that we normally do not classify as a “Christmas” passage. At exactly the right time, God sent His Son to save us from the curse of sin. So, while all the songs tend to be fun and bring us joy, which is totally fine, we cannot miss celebrating the greatest gift of all: Christ. I mean, the holiday is literally named after Him! All I want for Christmas is to worship the One who was born in a manger, and have my family close by to join me.
As many of you know, I regularly use a GPS when driving. Although I see a lot of the same locations quite often, I still probably couldn’t get to most of them using my memory. Needless to say, I am probably too dependent on my GPS. One thing I have noticed as I switch back-and-forth between route options is that sometimes the trip with the quickest time is not always the one with the least amount of obstacles. I would personally rather drive 10 minutes out of the way and keep moving than sit in traffic that’s going nowhere, watching my arrival time climb and climb.
There are advantages to refreshing the maps on my phone to always find the quickest way to my destination, but as with all technology, sometimes the GPS doesn’t quite get it right. In fact, sometimes I have to zoom out and find a road that runs parallel to the one that I am on just to make progress. Even worse, sometimes the GPS gets it wrong and ends up taking me to someplace that doesn’t make any sense in relation to my trip.
When it comes to God’s directions, He never gets it wrong or causes us to end up sitting in front of a sign that says “dead end”. However, He does sometimes change the route and insert detours to make us better, not bitter. Honestly, I sometimes lean towards the bitter part, but thankfully, He forgives my flawed humanity and gives me a second chance. Actually, more like thousands of second chances. So, no matter where you are heading, if you are allowing Him to freely have the role of GPS, you will get to the destination that He has intended for you. Technology has glitches, but God’s directions are perfect. Finally, remember this: the steering wheel was not designed to fit our hands—only the Lord is qualified to drive.
You may or may not have noticed that I took a few day off from posting my daily devotional writings. I was so busy with work, and I’m going to be just as busy through the rest of the year, but it wasn’t just a time issue. May mind could not focus on spiritual things to pass along to encourage you. In fact, it would have been a dark cloud over your day, so you were better off enjoying my silence/absence. Because I don’t know how to tell people “no”, I’m in over my head and so my love language is currently anger. I’m not proud of it, but I don’t handle stress very well—I know my limitations and they have been exceeded.
If I’m still in this line of work next year around Christmas time, I will definitely be doing things differently. Sure, we all need money to pay the bills and finance the family, but it they get tired of how it makes me, I won’t have a family left to provide for or have a purpose for the crazy hours of driving. I drove 3,300 miles so far this week (and got paid for almost all of them—ha ha), and I have a couple more thousand to go before Christmas Day arrives. Okay, enough whining from me—let’s get to an important truth that will actually help you be successful from a spiritual standpoint, even if you don’t benefit according to the world’s definition of success.
Today’s passage from Proverbs is basically a warning to not wear yourself out trying to get rich. It also says, “Be wise enough to know when to quit.” I’m certainly not rich, but thankfully my insane hours worked this week have translated into decent financial provision. However, I’m thankful to be home with my family for a day before the busyness starts again early tomorrow morning. I have learned my lesson that it’s okay to say “No” to opportunities that will run me ragged and make me realize that there’s not enough coffee in the world to sustain me. But at least you and I have an all-powerful God to lean on!
I hate snow—okay, let me clarify: I hate driving in snow, I hate shoveling snow, I hate feeling snow on the back of my neck; but I love to watch snow on TV. Yesterday, as my daughter and I we’re driving, it started to snow. Part of me thought that it was pretty, but I got over that thought quickly as I realized I had to drive in it for the unforeseeable future. We purposely left our home early in order to beat the snow that was coming, thinking that the faster we drove south, the quicker we would be able to avoid it. Man, was I wrong!
Snow itself isn’t a bad thing, because God created it, but because I’m in the driving industry, I definitely do not prefer it. This time of year people like to sing the song “Let it Snow”, but I would much rather settle for rain. So if you are wondering where I would rather vacation, and you’re probably not, I definitely prefer warmer weather, the beach, and a pool.
As the snow was falling, my mind was immediately taken to Isaiah 1:18 where the Lord says that even though our sins were like scarlet, they would be as wide as snow. There is something pure and clean about snow. Well, unless you ask the great philosopher Lucy from Peanuts—she will tell you to never eat the December snow, but wait until January when it’s ripe. No matter your preference on the acceptable time to eat snow, keep in mind the biblical truth that in Christ, our sins have been washed whiter than snow. That is good news!
Some people consider Chick-fil-A to be the official chicken of Jesus, but the jury is still out on that. I mean, it’s good, but it’s not miracle-level good. Yes, I had it twice this week, so maybe I’m just a little tired of it :) As an itinerant worker, I have no choice but to eat out often, which loses its luster very quickly. Most of the time, I try to get the meal deals because I am not merely frugal, I’m unashamedly cheap.
Perhaps you have a favorite restaurant that you frequent and it never gets old. Maybe for you it’s your comfort food and it fills the void in your stomach better than any other culinary establishment. As long as you don’t say your favorite restaurant is McDonald’s, we can be friends. I still don’t know how that place has stayed in business after all these years. I’m not even a health nut, I just think their food is way overrated. But to each his own.
When Jesus was beginning His earthly ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. As he has from the beginning, Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the same three ways that he did with Adam and Eve: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. While Satan was busy quoting Scripture out-of-context, Jesus was quoting it properly and successfully resisting the Adversary’s attempts at tempting Him. We learn the reason for this temptation as we read Hebrews 4:15, in which we are told that our Great High Priest (Jesus) can sympathize with us because He was tempted in every way that we are—yet He did not sin.
When the Devil challenged Jesus to turn the stones into bread to prove that He was indeed the Son of God, Jesus didn’t cave, rather He told the Tempter, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” So, whenever you are eating a tasty meal, remember that God’s Word is the soul food we desperately need to thrive as believers. Feast on His Word and you will have the fuel to defeat the Enemy.
In 2003, the movie “Elf” was a huge hit, grossing over $220 million. Taking into account the $33 million budget, that’s a pretty hefty profit! At one point in the movie, when Buddy the Elf got a job at Gimble’s department store, he was smiling at the manager, and the manager asked him, “Why are you smiling?” Buddy replied, “I just like to smile; smiling’s my favorite!” The manager then replied, “Make work your favorite.”
When Jesus was 12 years old, His parents had lost track of Him for a few days, likely due to the fact that the family caravan contained a lot of people, so it would have been easy for Jesus to get “Home Aloned” so-to-speak. When Joseph and Mary returned to Jerusalem, they found Jesus sitting in the temple discussing the things of God. Mary asked Him, “Son, why have You done this to us?”, to which Jesus replied, “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” BTW, He wasn’t talking about Joseph, and He wasn’t talking about carpentry.
This should really be the response of each one of us in regard to what is most important in life. We should really make the Bible our business (obviously not referring to monetary profits or prosperity theology). What I mean is that we should prioritize the Bible, just as Jesus was busy about His Heavenly Father’s business of revealing the heart of God to those who may have been religious, yet lost. We have been commanded to occupy (do business) until He comes back (Luke 19:13). For some, this could entail full-time ministry, but for all believers, it involves making God and His word a priority in our everyday lives. When we do that, we can’t help but share the message of salvation with others!
Like myself, many of you live a fast-paced, stress-filled life. This time of year only magnifies it, but it’s pretty much everyone’s story 24/7/365. Even on days like yesterday, when I should have been enjoying a little breather (aka “time off”), I was super-stressed about next week because some situations were beyond my control, and of course it affected me. But I think it’s all good now and hopefully the plan will result in productivity. Only time will tell.
Stress is defined as “a feeling of emotional or physical tension”. The internet says that stress can make you frustrated, nervous, or angry. In this case, the internet would be correct. Something tells me that today’s edition is very relatable, so let’s see what God’s Word has to say about stress and worry.
In the Old Testament, Moses had just died and Joshua was beyond stressed out at the thought of managing a couple million wilderness nomads. But the Lord told him not to worry and that His presence would be with him. Fast-forwarding to the New Testament—in 2 Timothy we see Paul getting ready to leave the earth, but not before telling Timothy that believers in Christ have not been given the spirit of fear.
I know it’s sometimes hard to relate Bible accounts to our own lives, but it all boils down to the fact that we are all human beings, no matter when we live(d) in history. The presence of God with us is no different than it was with Joshua and Timothy. No matter how stressed out we get, let’s try to remember that God’s strength is more than sufficient to get us through any situation. Instead of using your hands to pull out your hair, try lifting them up toward heaven in praise.
Thirty-one years ago, 4Him released their hit Christmas album “The Season of Love”, with the title track taking the Christian world by storm! As I was killing time yesterday while waiting on a phone update at the mobile phone store, I decided to go next-door to Starbucks, which is something I almost never do. The reason was two-fold: first of all, my friend told me to get the gingerbread latte, so I did. Second, I had nothing better to do while I waited on the data to transfer from phone to phone, which took about two hours (it’s not like I could browse on my phone :)
After I paid seven dollars for my latte (it was good, but not 7 bucks good), the young lady who handed it to me cheerfully said “Merry Christmas”. Now, if you remember the war on Christmas that began many years ago, this was a pleasant surprise for me to hear. Then, to pass more time, I went around to area stores and got some Christmas shopping done. It was awesome hearing all the Christmas music in about four or five different businesses. If I said the names of these, you would recognize all of them, so I’m not talking about some little “mom and pop” operations.
The other part that was neat is that people were pretty nice. Given the busyness of the season, I also thought that was a pleasant surprise. It’s a shame that people aren’t this friendly all the time. Just like the great philosopher Céline Dion said, “Don’t save it all for Christmas Day.” We can share the love of Christ who is the Reason for the season every day, not just at Christmas. When the angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds, they said that this good news would lead to peace on earth and good will toward men. Let’s share the good tidings of great joy with all people—it’s literally the gospel!
As I was driving through Queens, New York yesterday, I noticed something very common, yet peculiar. It was a cemetery, and I literally see them everywhere, but the stones looked extremely close together, and there were many of them. Not only did they look like a bunch of blocks standing side-by-side, but the sheer volume of headstones caused me to remember that each one represents a once-living soul. One stone corresponds to one life.
I don’t know how many people are in all the graveyards in the world, but it’s probably more than you or I would want to count. Each one of those gravestones matters; not just to friends and family, but most importantly to God. Every gravesite represents an individual for whom Christ died. It’s really sobering when you think about it; with the exception of cremation, someday we will all have our own marker to show others where our earthly body is being stored.
I always chuckle at the old joke that asks, “Why are there fences around cemeteries? Because people are dying to get in” (ba-dum-tuss:) On a serious note, death is inevitable for each of us (in the physical sense), but the good news is that if we know Christ, our soul will live forever!
I didn’t want to bring up the subject of death today in order for you to get discouraged or depressed—instead, I want it to be a motivation to focus on living our lives to the fullest. None of us knows how many days we have left on this earth, so a good practice is to live every moment like it could be our last. God has an appointment for each one of us to come home, so let’s not get distracted by the quantity of years, but focus on the quality of every second.
Yesterday, coming through West Virginia toward Pittsburgh, I crossed the New River Gorge Bridge. I usually come this way about once-a-month, and every time I cross the gorge, I think of how cool it would be to do the skywalk underneath the bridge. I’m not afraid of heights as long as whatever I’m standing on or sitting in is secure, but some people can’t even get on a ladder without having an anxiety attack. We are all wired differently, and as brave as we claim to be, everyone deals with fear in some capacity.
Perhaps you are scared of heights, or maybe you are afraid of germs. It could be that you are afraid of death, or maybe you are afraid of flying in an airplane. The list of fears is extremely long—actually it’s inexhaustible! In the cartoon “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Lucy lists several valid fears while trying to help Charlie Brown figure out what is wrong with himself. Finally, she discovers that he has pantophobia, which is the fear of everything.
I think it is especially fascinating that angels (including Gabriel) talking to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds on separate occasions, told each of them not to fear. How was it possible for them not to be afraid? I mean, they were the recipients of what seemed to be some pretty bizarre news! The reason they didn’t need to fear was that God had orchestrated the entire plan, and He is not capable of failing or getting things wrong.
The phrase “fear not”, or some variation of it, shows up in the Bible many times; certainly enough to perk up our eyes and ears to appreciate the significance. We are actually commanded not be afraid because the Lord is with us. He does not want us to live in fear, rather He wants us to trust in Him, regardless of how scary the situation might seem. We can rest assured that He has all the resources necessary for us to conquer every fear. Don’t be afraid!
There is so much activity that occurs in the spiritual realm that if we could see it with our eyes, it would probably terrify us. In terms of good and evil forces, there is a constant battle that is taking place ‘round the clock. A lot of demonic interest used to be taboo, but now people are intrigued by the darkness and even celebrate their fascination with supernatural and paranormal things.
Demons have been around ever since they got kicked out of heaven with their leader Lucifer (Satan and his fallen angels), but so many people underestimate the destruction and power that they wield. However, we have to be discerning because the Devil will disguise himself as an angel of light in order to entice individuals into following him. Before we go any further, I just want to state that I do not believe a true believer in Jesus Christ can be demon-possessed, but I do believe that followers of Christ can be oppressed by demons and influenced by the spirit of antichrist that is alive in this world.
In today’s account, we see Jesus casting out legion of demons from a man who had been possessed for a long time. He was insane, lived in a cemetery, and walked around naked. Mark‘s parallel account tells us that there were about 2,000 swine into which Jesus cast of the demons, then sent them running down a steep bank on a stampede into the water (deviled bacon?) While this is an extreme example, Satan still desires to possess the souls of humans. Thankfully, the man who was filled with demons was fully delivered by Jesus from his long-time possession.
It seems like people of all ages are flirting with demonic activity and dabbling in the occult, sometimes without even realizing it. Just like we know that Jesus can deliver a demon-possessed person, we also know that He can dispel the demons that are oppressing believers, causing them to live in terror. Just remember, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. There will always be a demonic influence in this world, but the One who made this world can deliver us from the power of Satan.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the famous song by Andy Williams that usually shows up at the top of every Christmas playlist. While I love the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, I can’t help but think that for some people, it’s not the most wonderful time of the year. Although we set aside this season to celebrate the birth of Christ, many people struggle with memories of loved ones who are no longer with them, and the Christmas season seems to only magnify the grief.
For one person, it may be the loss of a loved one, while for another, it could be the loss of a job. There are many different reasons that cause people to dread this time of year. I love Christmas, but I will be honest, I don’t love the busyness of the season. Work is extra busy, which is good in terms of income, but I have to deliberately focus on the people that matter the most to me in the world.
I remember listening to a song growing up titled “Merry Christmas with Love”, and I even sang it in church once (if I remember correctly). The song talks about a woman who lives alone with no one else to open gifts and had no reason to decorate the tree, but her Christmas lights up as carolers arrive at her door to sing songs and give her company.
So, while Christmas is a season of joy and giving, it is often marked by grief, sadness, and chaos. Let’s keep this in mind as we greet others on the street or in stores, because we may not have any idea what they are dealing with behind the scenes. The best thing we can do is give them the love of Christ and show them the reason for the season: God sending His gift of love and grace in the person of Jesus Christ.
It may not be the case where you live, but in central Pennsylvania, it has been brrrrrr cold! My comfort zone is somewhere in between 70 and 72°. When it’s only half that temperature outside, I don’t like it—at all. If I’m driving, I like to be comfortable enough in my car that I don’t have to wear a coat because it’s too bulky. I even like the heated seat feature in one of my vehicles.
If we’re honest, a lot of us are pretty complacent in our Christian walk. We’ve gotten to the point that it’s not much of a walk—it’s more like a sit or a stand. Here’s the problem with that type of living: it’s not biblical. We are not wired to cater to the world’s philosophies and to go with the flow; that’s easy, but we were not designed to put it on autopilot and just coast through life.
Paul wrote tons of information about the sufferings of this life that inevitably accompany those who are walking by faith, but today I want us to consider Jesus’ words. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” He went on to say that if we lose our life for His sake, we will find it.
There is no such thing as a “call to comfort” for the child of God. This doesn’t mean that we are more spiritual if we have a hard life, but it does mean that we can expect speed bumps, opposition, and discomfort at times. But it’s going to be okay because our real home awaits us in heaven, and we can rest assured that we will be eternally comforted in the very presence of our Lord.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Luke 6:1-49
Many of you likely have a structured time of devotions or Bible study. Many people this time of year are reading the book of Luke by focusing on one chapter per day during December, which means it will be completed on Christmas Eve. It’s a great refresher course on the life of Jesus who is the whole reason for this time of year: Christmas! (I’ve attached Luke 6 in the Scripture link, which will correspond with the calendar).
While we all have differing schedules and availability of time to study, we can all incorporate at least some time of structured Bible reading habit into our lives. The Bible testifies of itself that not only is it inspired, but it is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness—each one is very essential to everyday living! If we want to know God’s heart and where He stands on the issues of life, we need to look no further than His written Word.
I’m not saying that we are all called to be theologians, but we are each called to be a Theophilus or “Lover of God” (which was literally the person to whom Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts were addressed). The best way to know God’s truth is to have some form of structured Bible time, no matter how busy or hectic and crazy our lifestyle may be. It is always worth the investment of time and energy, because it will inevitably enhance our walk with God. It’s a discipline that will help shape us into mature followers of Christ who become more like Him every day.
I frequently get my lunch at Circle K for $3.25. This includes a hot dog (or cheddar wurst), a bag of Frito Lay chips, and a fountain soda (up to 44 oz.) At the same place, I can pay nearly $4.00 for a bag of Skittles. Don’t even get me started on the price of beef jerky! Not sure if they offer financing, but they should. What determines an item’s value? Chew on that for a moment.
The Bible tells us that in the first century culture, two sparrows could be purchased for one farthing. Since most of us probably don’t use that currency, one farthing is equal to 1/4 of a penny—basically worthless. Jesus assured us that we are worth more than many sparrows! While my life insurance company will tell you how much I’m worth after I’m dead, you cannot put a price tag on a human life. Okay, so the government does, but I trust them about as much as I trust a paper bridge over a swamp infested with hungry alligators. (BTW, I’m worth more after I’m gone than I am now).
Not only do people place a price tag on objects that is in direct correlation to the cost it takes to produce them, they also place a value based on supply and demand. And in the same way that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, one person may give more for an item that intrigues them rather than someone else who would just as soon throw it in the trash.
Our worth was measured by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. To Him, our value was worth the ultimate sacrifice: dying in our place and shedding His blood to pay for our sins. So, the next time you feel like you don’t have any value and that your life isn’t worth living, just remember the great lengths to which Jesus went in order to redeem you. You can’t put a price tag on that! You are not just an object; to God, you are a soul worth saving.
People will do anything to get attention these days. In fact, I just read online that a guy fell over 600 feet to his death from a bridge while trying to get video for social media. It’s amazing the lengths to which people will go in order to garner likes and followers. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty aggressive on X (formerly Twitter) and have a fairly decent following, but it’s all satire designed to make people laugh, as I hide behind the curtain of anonymity.
We sometimes even equate followers with “friends”, although we will probably never meet most of them in real life. For some, social media is just a platform to launch their viral personas, yet it often comes at a great expense. In order for people to continue following, content creators have to do just that: create content—constantly. If they take a break, it could affect their bottom line.
If you want the kind of attention that matters, build genuine relationships. Much of what goes on in the realm of social media is grounded in pride and superficiality. Sadly, many online influencers are good at creating hype and entertainment, but to hold a face-to-face conversation would prove to be a great challenge. Let’s be sure not to boast in our follower count or the temporary fame/attention we may have collected along the way.
Let’s do what the apostle Paul did and boast in Christ alone. He alone deserves the glory and nothing else really matters. Do you think those thousands or millions of followers will attend your funeral? Most likely not. It’s okay to have fun with social media, but we cannot neglect our real-life relationships in the process. Let’s not be hungry for attention, rather let’s be hungry for God.
It seems like I regularly spend time waiting on customer service departments to respond to me concerning nuisance issues with technology. Whether it’s my website or a social media account, I feel like there’s always a gap in communication, or that my request is invisible. Most companies are so inundated with queries and problems that there is often a long delay in getting a response, if there is any response at all.
Since I have the patience of a kid on Christmas morning, I do not enjoy waiting to hear back, especially if it’s a service that I am paying for but am unable to properly utilize. I really miss the days when we were able to deal with a human on the other side of the phone rather than a bot automatically replying in a chat based on keywords. My personal opinion is that this has not made us better as a society.
But since I don’t want to be all “doom and gloom” today, we can rest assured that God always hears us when we call to Him in prayer and we don’t have to wait in line. I know you just read that, but did you really read it? We have a direct line of communication to the God of the entire universe, and there is never a poor connection or a technical issue. That truth ought to cause us to take full advantage of the prayer aspect of our relationship with Almighty God. He is always available, He is always listening, and He always has the answer that will be best for us, according to the plan He has ordained for our lives.
Yesterday, I made my weekly trek from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, but I had forgotten that I promised I was never going to work the weekend after Thanksgiving, because instead of the trip taking about nine hours, it took nearly twelve, due to an overload of vehicles on the highway. Interstate 81 is basically a parking lot this weekend every year. Sadly, traffic is only going to get worse the closer we get to Christmas.
I was using two different GPS apps, and depending on the level of traffic buildup, I would alternate between the two and adjust my route to find the path of least resistance. It meant that I would stay on Route 11 most of the way through Virginia. From a mileage standpoint, I don’t know that it was that much different, but from a traffic standpoint, I got to keep moving most of the time, which is always my goal. At certain points, I could look over at the interstate, which was running parallel to me, and I could see the traffic moving very slowly. I knew I had made the right choice to not follow the crowd only to stare at brake lights all day.
As Christians, we are not supposed to follow the crowd. Just because everyone is going a certain direction doesn’t mean it’s the right direction or the best direction. Sure, if we follow the path that Jesus has placed before us, we will definitely hit some speed bumps and roadblocks along the way, but at least we will be making progress, and we won’t be hindered by those who are aimlessly wandering with no real purpose. So, don’t be afraid to take a different path than the one that the crowd is following, because there is a better way. Sometimes the way that seems best to us is not the way that God would have us to go, so we must use discernment in order to make it to the destination that He has prepared for us. Follow the Holy Spirit’s compass.
I am not writing today to lecture you on patience, because the Lord knows my heart, and I’m not very good in this particular area of life. With each passing day, we become more and more complacent with living in an instant society. Lack of patience is nothing new, but with all the access to updates, we have not learned how to simply wait.
When I was 18 years old, I ordered a new drum set. However, I not only had to wait on it to ship, but I had to wait on the company to manufacture it. With the Internet and email being relatively new, I couldn’t track my order online; I just had to wait. It took a couple of months until my drums finally arrived, but it was worth the wait because the finished product was so beautiful that I was almost afraid to play them. The color I chose was called Platinum Mist, and it had maximum aesthetic appeal. The sparkle and the wood grain combined for an amazing finish, but since you probably don’t care, I digress.
Perhaps you have been forced to wait on something. Chances are, it is far more important than my drum set. There are certain things that I am currently waiting for, but unfortunately, God did not furnish me with a tracking number. I simply have to wait and learn how to be patient. I admit, this is probably the hardest lesson of my life, but God has a purpose, therefore I need to trust Him. So, what should we be doing while we are waiting? First of all, worship. Second, be available for anything that God has in store for you to do. It’s probably not going to happen yesterday, but it will happen soon enough—according to His perfect timing. Patience builds trust; trust grows our faith; and faith is the currency of believers.
As you know, Black Friday marks the beginning of the mad holiday rush, which translates into more traffic on the roads and more chaos in the stores. I opted to sleep in rather than stand in line out in the freezing cold at 4:00 in the morning to fight with strangers in order to get a big screen TV at the “lowest price of the season” (which means it’s his been marked up and then heavily discounted to make you think you’re getting a deal). No siree, that’s not for me—but to each, his own.
Even though it’s fun to shop for those we love and try to be creative in choosing a gift that’s best for their personality and lifestyle, we have to be sure not to lose our focus. In today’s verse, we are reminded of the star that points to the Star of the season: Jesus. The wisemen traveled a very great distance with gifts to present to the Baby-King, yet they didn’t get so hung up on the worth of their presents that they missed the point—His presence with them is what caused them to kneel before Him in worship (Matthew 2:11).
So, as we launch out into the Christmas season, let’s be sure to keep our focus on the Reason for the season. I don’t mean to sound cliché, but He is the Star of the whole thing! God invaded time with eternity when He sent His Son to be born as a Baby in a humble manger; literally a feeding trough. This would forever be the greatest Gift ever given to anyone at any time in history. When you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off, ask the Lord to help you maintain your focus on Him.
Yesterday I was helping my son build a Lamborghini—with Legos, not a real car (did I even need to say that? :) I don’t know if they will sue me for using their brand name without permission, but that’s definitely the brand with the most building options, so I guess it’s pretty much a sales pitch for them. Legos. Legos. Legos (I’ll wait for my commission check, or subpoena). Anyway, we struggled getting one part of the steering mechanism to line up, so we had to back up the steps until the pieces fit properly. Then we put the Legos back in the places from which we removed them, and things worked out. Well, except for the fact that there were three bags of pieces left at that point in the game. It’s like putting a puzzle together—very tedious.
Looking at the box can be both inspiring and intimidating. I mean, it’s nice to have goals, but getting to the finished product can be a little overwhelming. I feel like life can be the same way at times. We know that God is working in us, and we have an idea of how we hope things turn out, but the process seems to drag on forever. If you’re like me, you get tired of waiting, and you have the patience of a kid at Christmas who has to wait until after breakfast and the annual reading of the Christmas story before you can open your gifts.
In what ways do you see God working in your life and building you up to become more like Christ? While the process seems to move in slow motion at times, God is always working behind the scenes to produce a finished product that will blow your mind! So, the next time you build with Legos (with your kids or your grandkids, or admit it, you’re an adult who loves Legos), use it as an illustration of the work that God is doing in your life and how much of a masterpiece it will be when the end result looks exactly like His perfect design.
If you’re like me, you can become so myopic that you fail to see the many blessings God has given you. It may seem like an odd verse that I chose for the main text, but Romans chapter 1 showcases the type of person that is antithetical to a true follower of Christ. Keeping that thought in mind, it should then frighten us to be unthankful. Think about it: in the very same section where Paul is calling out all kinds of sin, including sodomy, slander, pride, and a whole slew of things that you can check out in the passage, It’s kind of scary that being unthankful is in the same list. It got my attention!
Unthankfulness is not a godly character trait, rather it stems from the Devil. Now obviously, if we are saved, then we belong to the Lord. However, that doesn’t mean we always follow the things of God in our attitudes and actions. We know in our heart if we belong to Him, but others will only know by observing how we carry out that truth in our daily lives. Essentially, we live in a glass house and the world is watching to see whether or not we really live out what we claim to believe.
Some years ago, I had a sermon series titled “Thanks-living” which obviously highlights the importance of being thankful to the Lord every day, not just on the fourth Thursday of November. Consider this: if we start with gratitude and appreciate the blessings of God, we will be less prone to commit the other sins that are listed in Paul’s letter to the Romans. I guess you could say that unthankfulness is a gateway sin to some of the others that we consider to be “big sins”, even though all sins are offensive to God, no matter how big or small we rate them.
I hope that you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, but don’t let it stop when the clock strikes midnight. Let’s all resolve to live with an attitude of gratitude. Even on our worst day, we can still be thankful that we have everything we need in Jesus Christ!
Philadelphia, New York City, Boston (and back to Boston again…still trying to figure that one out), and lots of small towns in between. Thousands of cars and millions of people. That’s what yesterday looked like for me. I’m not trying to sound super-spiritual, because I’m not (in fact, it was one of the worst days of my life, and I said many things that I am not proud of), but I couldn’t help thinking about how many of those souls are lost without Christ. By some of the gestures and behavior, it was evident. It’s kind of overwhelming when you think about it, and it really underscores the enormous scope of our mission field.
It would be easy for us just to throw our hands up and say that it’s no use, but then the little Sunday school song came to mind as I was driving: “Brighten the corner where you are.” There is no way that one individual could ever reach that many people in his/her own strength, but the most genuine way to reach people is one-on-one, building relationships, showing the kindness of Christ in your everyday life—and just plain loving others. I know it’s hard, and I’m not preaching at you because unfortunately, I get to see the worst in people; and sometimes I AM the worst of people—NYC traffic has ruined me, sadly. But that doesn’t change the fact that they need a Savior.
Many years ago, one of my favorite bosses said, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s the same method when it comes to souls. How do you reach the world with over 8 billion people living here? One person at a time. So yes, it is a lot of people, but if we are constantly living in a way that influences others for Christ, we won’t know how many people we have impacted until we get to heaven. Honestly, that’s the way I like it because then we have no specific quantities to boast about. Don’t look at the big picture and the overwhelming masses of people; look at individuals and love them one person at a time.
*(hypocrite alert: just because I feel this way, doesn’t mean I always live it out)
Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Timothy 1:15
The year was 1999. I was 17 years old and struggling with doubts about my salvation. This is a pretty typical scenario for church kids who have been in the thick of it since they were born. While I was raised right, I still had to come to the realization that God doesn’t have any grandchildren; He only has children. I mean, I was pretty sure that I was saved when I was younger, but I always struggled with wondering if I had just gone through the motions, or if it was the real deal. The Holy Spirit was convicting me.
Since I was brought up in a Christian home, I don’t have a powerful testimony like someone that was saved out of a life of drugs or alcohol abuse. But I’m okay with that, because not only did God spare me from going through those things, it’s also not a contest of who has the more dramatic conversion experience.
The Bible makes it clear that we are all saved by grace through faith in Jesus. He was the One on the cross, not us. So, if someone was part of the occult for decades, it’s the same grace that saves someone who has never spoken a cross word in their entire life. The fact is, we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and everyone’s life takes a different path in order to come to that realization.
On the other hand, the fact that I never dabbled in drugs doesn’t mean that I am a better person, because I am just as much of a sinner as the next guy. In fact, the Apostle Paul, who was the greatest Christian to ever live, in my opinion, declared himself to be the chief of sinners. So, if he couldn’t do anything to boast in his own salvation, neither can we. Twenty-five years ago today was when I realized that I needed to get serious and make sure I was following Jesus. It’s okay if you don’t know an exact date and time, as long as you know that He has changed your life and saved you from your sins.
Although you don’t need a holiday to be thankful to God, it has been recorded that one of the early dates for Thanksgiving Day was November 25th (starting in 1668). However, that fixed date didn’t last long, so now it is the fourth Thursday in November, no matter what the date on the calendar reads. Here’s the thing: if we wait for a specific day each year to be thankful, it’s safe to say that our heart is not truly thankful—it’s just another empty tradition and a reason to eat. For believers in Christ, every day should be a day of thanksgiving!
As I travel around New England from week to week, I likely pass many historical places and don’t even realize it. Sometimes I do catch a historical placard or associate certain towns with historical events, and that’s pretty neat! It is quite common to see signs marking the birthplace or homestead of certain historical figures that I learned about as a young boy in school.
One particular place I visited almost four years ago is called “First Encounter Beach” and it is where the Wampanoag Indian tribe had their first encounter with some of the most famous pilgrims to have ever lived. While there was nothing exotic or unusual about the landscape that stood out at this beach, there was a stone marker with an inscription that identified the area and occasion. Knowing what took place near the area where I was standing was pretty surreal, especially as I recognized some of the names of the people who pre-dated our nation’s founders.
Just like our country’s forefathers who would draw up documents about 150 years later declaring their independence from Great Britain, the pilgrims came to the new land for the very same reason: to escape religious persecution. In fact, one of my very favorite places to visit is in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and it is called the “National Monument to the Forefathers”. The entire (81’ tall) statue is a testament to the Christian faith of our founders—it is quite an impressive site to behold!
So, if you are saving all your gratitude for a single holiday, you need to get into God’s Word and see what it says about giving thanks in all things, all the time. Even in the midst of trials and catastrophic world events, we should still be thankful for the freedom that God has allowed us to have. This freedom was secured by brave, selfless people who saw beyond their own dreams to the many generations to come. But the greatest freedom is our deliverance from sin!
Matthew 25:21; Revelation 2:10
I almost didn’t write today’s devotional, which means you almost wouldn’t be reading it, but I changed my mind late in the day yesterday—okay, it was nighttime to be exact. Honestly, I didn’t feel like writing, even though I love to do this on a daily basis. The day started off rough as my mind began to think about all the nonsensical, inefficient, unethical, and just plain stupid things that I contend with on a daily basis. And for several hours of being bombarded with nuisance thoughts, I let the anger ruin my day. However, I decided later on that I would use it as a lesson that I could pass along to others.
I don’t pretend to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean I just want to throw my hands up and quit. Well, actually yesterday I did, but I won’t belabor the point. I usually have a zillion topics that I could potentially write about, but with all the madness going on in my head, I couldn’t focus the way I wanted to. I actually don’t have any big, grand, elaborate example—just a simple truth. Be faithful.
Skill and ingenuity might get you far according to the world’s idea of success, but faithfulness will cause you to live a life that matters and cross the finish line to the sound of “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Many times that involves hanging in there through the menial tasks and mental attacks. Sometimes we get the greatest satisfaction from muscling through things that we don’t want to do, and we inevitably become better individuals for having done them. The hard times and struggles build strength and character.
Even though I don’t want to go to work most days, I know that I have to be faithful to my responsibilities in order to pay the bills. Although I know that my writing may not be effective or even seen by many people, I know that if I am faithful, God will use my feeble words to encourage someone. So, to reiterate it simply: be faithful.
The other day I was re-listening to a podcast from March and the guest was singer Mac Powell (formerly of the band Third Day, currently a solo artist). When he was asked about how easy it was to stay humble during the band’s peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he said it wasn’t hard at all because with all the success that they enjoyed, he learned to hold loosely to the things of earth. The Dove Awards and Grammy nominations were not his focus—he just wanted to make music about Jesus.
As I was listening, my mind immediately went to the quote by Corrie Ten Boom when she said, “I have learned to hold all things loosely, so God will not have to pry them out of my hands.” This is such a brief, yet profound truth. While God has allowed us to possess certain things in this world, it was never His intention for those things to possess us. I have learned this truth, but not without my own failures and shortcomings. Too often, I have relied on the blessings of God rather than the Giver Himself. We should treat money and material things like a necessary evil rather than an end in themselves. These things are tools designed to help us manage our responsibilities, not become the object of our existence.
While it is nice to have a little money in the bank and more income than expenses, we have to be okay with the fact that God could cut off that supply at any given time. Now, before you start coming at me with Bible verses from Philippians chapter 4, I did not say that God would stop providing. He will never stop providing for our needs, but sometimes He will cause the extra blessings to dry up because we have failed to thank Him and worship Him, and instead have turned to worshiping His gifts. There is no other way to put it: this is idolatry.
So, what is the proper attitude for us to have as God’s children? First of all, remember to thank Him for every thing He has given you, down to the very air that you breathe. Second, remember to never get the order of who/what is important mixed up in your life. If the Lord is not your main focus, nothing else is going to line up correctly. Once you have your priorities in order and realize the difference between temporary and eternal things, it won’t be that hard to hold loosely the things of this earth and cling to that which can never be taken away.
What I’m writing today should not be controversial, yet it’s one of the biggest debates among grown adults right this very moment. God settled this matter long ago when He had Moses record this truth in the very first book of the Bible. In fact, this truth is so simple that even a child has no problem comprehending it. So, it’s not that people can’t understand it, they just choose not to believe it. God only made two sexes: male and female—it’s that simple!
We should not be surprised at this level of willful ignorance because the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that “The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Sadly, the Deceiver is very experienced at leading masses of people away from the light that can lead them to the truth. The Bible also says, “This is the verdict, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
The bottom line is not that it is hard to distinguish between male and female—there’s an easy way to tell—it’s that people openly reject God’s design for humanity because they hate Him. The Devil has people’s minds so perverted that they actually believe they are something they’re not. I would love to identify as a millionaire, but it would be a lie. God made each of us the way we are for a specific reason. Psalm 139 tells us in great detail that God carefully designed us and that we matter to Him. The cross of Jesus is a bold statement that He did not want us to die in our sins by following Satan.
Don’t be bashful when it comes to standing up for the truth. You can do so with grace and compassion while maintaining an unwavering boldness that comes from following Christ. We have been called to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), which means that we represent Him and His mission to seek and save the lost. We can be loving while standing firmly upon the truth of God’s Word that never changes. Only God can change the hearts and minds of unbelievers, but it’s up to us to show them what the God of forgiveness and deliverance looks like in our lives. The truth isn’t complicated, so let’s never stop standing for what’s true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Luke 17:12-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
One week from today marks our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration in which we pause what we’re doing so we can eat way too much food and feel miserable. However, the focus should be on the many blessings that we enjoy on a daily basis. The reason I’m writing about giving thanks an entire week prior to the official holiday is because our gratitude cannot be confined to a 24-hour period, once a year. It should be more like 365/24/7 (plus an extra day on Leap Year).
The tragically-low percentage of people who are grateful is nothing new. It’s not just a 21st Century problem; in fact, it even goes back further than the 1st Century (in which our Scripture example took place). This problem is so old that we can see a lack of gratitude back in the earliest books of the Old Testament as we observe ancient Israel’s history.
In Luke 17, today’s passage, we see that only 1/10 of the healing recipients were thankful to Jesus after He made their leprosy disappear. Before we become too critical, let’s recall our own negligence in obeying God’s command to “Give thanks in everything” (as recorded by Paul). Whenever we fail to thank God for our healing and deliverance, we are actually going against His will (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
So, ten men, whose bodies had been eaten by the horrific disease of leprosy, were miraculously made whole by Jesus, yet only one of them returned to say “thank you” to the Healer. The others were in a hurry to go show themselves to the priests in order to be declared ceremonially clean and return to society, but the one grateful ex-leper turned around, came back, fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, and gave Him thanks. Oh, and it’s worth noting that he was a Samaritan. Unlike many religious leaders and average citizens of His day, Jesus didn’t avoid the Jews’ enemies—He made it a point to save them as well (cf. John 4:1-25).
Let this early thanksgiving-themed devotion be a reminder to give thanks to the Lord everyday, not just on a holiday named “Thanksgiving Day”. Take the next 7 days to prepare your heart for the official holiday of giving thanks, then don’t stop when you get to next Thursday. Read some chapters in the book of Psalms (start with Psalm 100) and live with an attitude of gratitude—or as I like to call it “Thanks-living”. Be like Leper #10 and don’t forget to give God thanks.
It is very possible that you have endured hatefulness and scorn from those who disagree with your Christian faith. It may have cost you friends and even money, but I think we can all agree that standing for Jesus is worth the cost. While there is always a growing opposition to Christianity in our country, we are blessed to have a lot less persecution than other nations of the world. For now, we still have the freedom of religion, although persecution is inevitable and will eventually show up on a large scale.
I am certainly not wishing for persecution to come because I love being able to express my faith in Christ freely. However, when the time comes, we can say that we are in good company. If you took the time to read today’s Scripture text, you will see that many believers who have gone before us were tortured and martyred simply because they took an unwavering stand on God’s truth.
If you have ever read any of the accounts from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, you will walk away with a couple facts: first, persecution is not limited to Bible times. Second, we need to appreciate the religious liberty that we so routinely enjoy, because it could be gone in an instant. The author of Hebrews doesn’t beat around the bush when describing some of the forms of torture that were carried out on followers of Christ.
So, if persecution finds its way into our lives, what should our attitude be? Well, according to the Bible, we need to place our hope in the fact that Jesus will give us life in a better place after the resurrection (v. 35). Also, we have to keep in mind that the identity of those being persecuted or martyred is “too good for this world” (v. 38). Why? Because there is a far better world awaiting us.
Just like those heroes of the faith, we look forward to a city whose Maker and Builder is God. It may look really bleak for us on this earth at times, but let’s keep in mind that it will be worth every insult they throw at us, every kind of force they try to use against us, and any amount of pain that they inflict upon us. Remember, we represent the One who laid down His life so that we could have the hope of life to come. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
Amos 1:1, 7:14-15; 1 Timothy 1:12
It’s been about 15 years (give or take) since I wrote my first theological thesis. I forget exactly what I titled it, but it had to do with a believer’s calling. When I refer to a person’s calling, I am not necessarily alluding to vocational ministry. Sometimes the two overlap, but the activity involved in most people’s calling takes place outside of a formal church setting. Make a note of this: while it always includes your purpose, it doesn’t always involve your paycheck.
I was blessed to be able to use my calling in my profession for 10 years. Even though I am in-between assignments at the present time, I clearly have a call to full-time ministry. The sad reality for some is that they are involved in full-time ministry, yet they are not in their calling. For some, it is merely a job, and while it may seem to go well for a time, eventually it will catch up to them.
Perhaps you are a teacher in a public school setting because God has called you to do that. There’s no telling how many young people’s lives you may be impacting for Christ! Here’s another example: your job may not be part of your calling, but your hobby or volunteer work may be exactly what God told you to do in order to fulfill His purpose for your life. It may be coaching Little League, it could be volunteering at a soup kitchen, or it could be giving up your weekend to drive a van full of smelly teenagers to camp (and maybe educate them on the importance of personal hygiene).
What’s challenging is discerning between our own interests and answering God’s call. Many times God will draw on certain personality traits and gifts and sanctify them for you to impact the world for Him. He may also use others to steer you toward opportunities and then give you peace to confirm that it is your calling.
One example from today’s reading is the prophet Amos. His job was a shepherd, but his calling was to be a prophet. He made his living guiding sheep, but he fulfilled God’s calling by guiding people back to God. While he lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, the Lord called him to be a prophet to the northern kingdom. Yes, sometimes God may even call you to do that which is unconventional or uncomfortable, but His plan will be fulfilled, and your life’s mission will be fulfilled in the process. Rule of thumb: your true calling will minimize yourself and maximize Jesus Christ (John 3:30).
Luke 11:13; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18
Most of you are aware that I purchase a lot of gas to make it possible for me to drive a lot. If I don’t drive, I don’t get paid, which means my family doesn’t eat. So as weird as this sounds, buying gas allows us to have food in our stomachs. The gentleman who owns the local convenience store sees me a lot, which is probably why when I saw him in the supermarket, he shook my hand and was happy to see me. I’m sure I’m helping to feed his family as well :)
Unless you drive an EV, you realize that gasoline is essential to make your vehicle run. If you are like me, occasionally your gas gauge indicates that pretty soon you need to fill up your tank. I mean, you could run on fumes for a while, but eventually you will run out if you don’t replenish your fuel supply. The best practice is to be aware of your fuel level so that you can fill your tank long before you get anywhere near empty.
This is such a basic illustration, yet it seems that many times we try to operate in our own strength, but then when we feel like our spiritual tank is getting low, we make a desperate plea for the Holy Spirit to refill us. He will, but God’s plan for us is to be filled with the Spirit each day so we readily have the resources necessary to keep the engine running. While we will always have our spiritual motor within us, the need for stocking up on spiritual fuel on a daily basis is essential.
It seems like we have no problem filling our lives up with other things, but when it comes to the things of God, they often take a backseat or become a last resort. Keep in mind the importance of fuel in your car and then make the spiritual application to your life. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, our lives will spit and sputter and run out of strength very quickly. Just like putting diesel fuel into a gasoline engine will cause it to become inoperable, putting fleshly strength into our spiritual lives will harm us. Let’s always be aware of the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. If you’re not sure how that works, simply pray to the Lord and ask Him to overflow your life with the Holy Spirit’s power. He will do it. So fill ‘er up!
Those of us who belong to Christ have been brought into this relationship through faith, yet we don’t always operate by faith. Let me explain: while we always have that relationship, we don’t always practice or live out our faith in tangible ways. We have the tendency to be unfaithful. For instance, we might have the faith to face a huge trial that we would otherwise crumble under the weight of—but on the other hand, we may not have enough faith to be kind to our annoying neighbor whose dog messes in your yard and barks at 2:00 AM for no reason at all.
Whether we see it as “big faith” or “little faith”, it all stems from the same source: Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. But we must be humble enough to admit that we don’t always draw near enough to Him. To operate outside of faith is to act in our own strength, which will not please God. How do I know? Because Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it’s not only difficult, but impossible to please God. The qualifier in this verse assumes the one who has faith has experienced both the initial faith that leads to salvation as well as the faith to please God on a daily basis. It says, “for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” It takes faith to know Him and faith to grow in Him.
Now let’s invoke the title of today’s edition. Our faith capacity should be infinite since God is all-powerful and will give us as much faith as we need for any given situation. However, must be careful not to replace faith with self-sufficiency, as the two are not compatible—like oil and water. So, I guess a better question would be “What’s your faith level in relation to your capacity?” The sky’s the limit, but we have to let go of our faithless inhibitions and fully rely on God. The simple definition of faith is “believing God.” Trusting Him to help us love our neighbor and get through the routine of the day actually takes more faith than we think. Every activity of our lives should be lived by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Have faith!
As I was sitting in a café working on a sermon yesterday, an older man sat down at a nearby table to drink his coffee and eat his breakfast sandwich. Seeing my Bible and iPad sitting on my table, he asked me if I was working on a sermon, to which I replied that I was. The conversation continued as he asked me how one goes about preparing a sermon. So I explained to him my process and told him that there used to be a time when I prepared 3 to 4 messages per week, but this particular sermon was one that I would work on and tweak over the next couple of weeks.
We continued conversing and discussing the idea of relating to various age groups through a single sermon. I told him that I prepare them in such a way that they are relatable to kids from ages 1 to 92 (plus older ones, if they are present). The thing that stood out is how our conversation led to concern for every age group, but especially the teenage years when many kids are dealing with so many issues. After he left, I thought to myself, “There’s tomorrow’s devotional”.
The amazing thing about God’s Word is that it knows no boundaries in terms of age and effectiveness. The truth that is applicable to an 8-year-old can also speak volumes into the life of an 80-year-old. The Holy Spirit is the One that takes the same truth and tailor-fits it to our individual lives. We will never outgrow God’s truth, nor will we ever become too old to declare His praise to all generations.
Asaph declared this truth as he penned this song (psalm) thousands of years ago. He was exactly right because the name of the Lord has continued to be proclaimed throughout all generations, and we can delight in the fact that humanity will praise Him forever! If you think church and Christianity are just for old-fashioned people, take some time to read the Bible—God’s truth is just as relevant today and will continue to be, long after we are gone from this earth. If you have the opportunity, sit down with someone older or younger (depending on how old or young you are) and talk about the wonderful works of the Lord. He truly is the One that bridges the gap between all generations!
2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10-11
I’m sure you are all familiar with going to the doctor for a wellness check. Nothing hurts, you don’t feel like you are on your last leg, and you are not breathing so heavily that you feel like you are hyperventilating to the point of expiration. Basically, you are just checking in to make sure all your parts are well-oiled and you receive a clean bill of health. I’m sure you will also be receiving another kind of bill, but you can write that check when the invoice comes in the mail. That’s the one that will keep the doctor’s bank account healthy and ensure that his BMW has new tires so he can drive to his beach house and get fresh lobster.
While our physical health is certainly important, we often don’t place enough attention on our spiritual health. However, I want to start all the way back at the beginning. I don’t want to just assume that everyone reading this has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, although I hope each of you has made the decision to follow Him and commit your life into His hands for the eternal salvation of your soul. That’s basic—it is the spiritual equivalent of breathing. Once you have that most essential matter settled, the rest of life not only makes sense, but also has true meaning and purpose.
In Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he urged the readers to self-examine their lives spiritually. He told them to test themselves to make sure that Jesus Christ was in them. If not, they were trusting in their own strength, which is not only futile, but also disqualifying. Sadly, entire religions are built on works-based “salvation”. Get this: if we had any effort toward our own salvation, it doesn’t count. Only the salvation that is received by grace through faith in Christ is legitimate. This is confirmed in the previous verse in 2 Corinthians 13 … “For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He lives by the power of God” (v. 4a). The power that raised Jesus from the grave is the same power that gives us eternal life: it is the power of God which grants salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
God uses grace to save us for these very reasons: 1because our strength is insufficient, and 2because if we could save ourselves, there is no question that we would boast about it (Ephesians 2:8-9). I know this is all very elementary, but I just wanted to check in to make sure that each of you who are reading this is truly a child of God through faith in His Son. If you are, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will testify of it in your life (Romans 8:16). I pray that you have passed your wellness check. Be well!
Today’s content is more principle-based than it is politically-based, but I know that sometimes we are not able to distinguish between the two due to the fact that they do overlap in many areas. Politics comes from two words: poly (a Latin word) meaning “many” and ticks which are “blood sucking insects”. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself ;) If you’ve had your eyes and ears open, you’ve known for years that many, but not all, politicians are corrupt. They don’t always start out like that, but dirty money is a language that many people speak fluently.
Politics is not a new entity, and it has its place when appropriately enacting policy and carrying out the will of the people. Unfortunately, it has been perverted into a platform for a power grab. However, in our own country’s brief history, we have seen many good, God-fearing politicians—but I like to refer to them as “statesmen” or “public servants”.
According to the Bible, government is necessary in order to punish evil and reward good, but we are so far from that paradigm, it’s scary (Romans 13). I am hopeful that our country can be restored to greatness via a national revival and courageous leaders, both in the pulpit and in the public square.
In today’s corresponding Scripture text, we see how the Babylonian politicians did Daniel dirty. They were so jealous of the fact that he had favor with the king, that they made up an illegitimate accusation against him (sound familiar?). Sure, he did unashamedly pray to Jehovah three times a day, but prior to their coup against him and their phony law, this wasn’t illegal. So, they devised a legal plan that attacked Daniel’s religion, since they could find nothing that he had done wrong politically or socially.
As one of our favorite childhood Bible accounts, we all know how Daniel fared in the lions’ den: he walked out unscathed, as the lions likely didn’t even care that he was there. To me, this means there is hope in our own nation for those leaders who dare to be a “Daniel” and take a stand against evil. Of course, they may go through the “lions’ den”, but God just might have a bigger plan to promote them above their attackers. If God did it for Daniel, He can do it today because He is still in control! When you view it this way, it’s not a political matter; it’s 100% spiritual.
It goes without saying that we are all busy. Maybe this is the reason that we can live ten minutes away from someone and only see them once a year. Our schedules are so jam-packed that we don’t take time to actually enjoy being alive. Most of the time we are so busy making a living that we don’t take time to make a life. Now, I want to be sensitive, especially since the cost of living is through the roof and many people have to work multiple jobs just to make the ends meet. I’m not referring to those who have additional jobs in order to enjoy the finer things of life—that’s fine. I’m talking about the ones who are struggling just to pay the bills. It’s a legitimate kind of busy, but we aren’t really wired to live like that on a continual basis.
With increasing technological endeavors, we are able to be more efficient. However, we have traded efficiency and rest for more work; but that doesn’t change the fact that we each only have 24 hours in each day. This unprecedented amount of busyness is directly traceable to burnout and depression levels being at an all-time high. The direct result of burning both ends of the candle is usually lack of peace and contentment.
Okay, so here’s the deal: while we think we are good multitaskers, our brain can really only focus 100% on one thing at a time. When our thoughts bounce from one responsibility to another, or one business deal to the next, too often, we don’t have time left to meditate on God and His word. Or if we do have time, we usually can’t get ourselves in the proper mindset, or we just don’t have the energy to focus, leaving God with only our leftovers.
Being busy is not a bad thing if we are able to properly balance the things that demand our attention. If we don’t even have a fraction of our time to commit to focusing on the Lord and finding strength in Him, it’s safe to say that we are too busy. Oh, by the way, I am not pointing fingers or trying to be judgmental, because I find myself in this condition more often than not. I’m going to try to focus on what really matters and give God more of my time and energy, since it all belongs to Him anyway. Even if you’re busy, keep your mind fixed on Him and He will provide perfect peace.
Yesterday, as I was traveling home from South Carolina, I was keeping an eye on my GPS (‘Global Positioning System’ for those who don’t like abbrev.) It suddenly added a bunch of time, so I thought I would take a different route that looked like it ran parallel according to the map. The route I was originally on was showing a 17-minute backup, and my philosophy is this: even if I have to drive a little bit out of the way, I would rather be moving and making progress than sitting in traffic and getting nowhere.
Did I make better time than I would have if I would have sat in the traffic backup? I seriously doubt it, but the scenery was so much better while I was winding through the mountains and the countryside. It was a beautiful day, so it was a nice break from the many miles of highway that I am used to staring at on a regular basis. There wasn’t a lot of traffic on the detour that I voluntarily took, because most people were satisfied with the status quo. However, if I can find another way to get where I’m going without obstacles, I’m going to take it. I dared to be different :)
Most of you learned about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when you were knee-high to a grasshopper in Sunday school (I personally refer their Hebrew names: Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael). But it’s not just a story—it is an amazing historical event that showcases the power of taking a stand for what is right, knowing that God will ultimately bless it, even though there may be a fiery trial involved. I won’t insult your intelligence by retelling the story, but take your knowledge of that account and put it into practice in your own life.
People will oppose you simply because they oppose God. Don’t let that discourage you from standing tall when everyone else around you falls down and worships the false gods that the world has created. The world is so polarized that when you take a stand for righteousness, you will inevitably stand out. Who cares if everybody sees you and scoffs? The greatest part is that God also sees you and He will reward you accordingly with spiritual currency that is far more valuable than anything society has to offer. Be a salmon for God and continue to swim upstream for His glory!
One of the many Scripture references that the pastor used yesterday at church prompted the topic for today’s devotion. Not only is God the eternal Ruler of the universe, He is also the One who conquered death for us. Jesus, who is God the Son, left His throne in heaven to personally come make this possible. The brief verse that comprises our Scripture text today speaks volumes to the power and eternality of God.
Even though it is a very simple verse, let’s break it down into three sections. First, we see that the God who raises the dead delivered us from so great a death! As believers, we can equate this portion of the verse with our salvation. The sacrifice of Jesus paid the price for our sins, which otherwise would have resulted in our death.
Second, because we have been delivered by Him, He continues to deliver us on a daily basis through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Consider this quote from the Model Prayer in Matthew 6:13b, “deliver us from evil.” The evil being referred to is the wicked influence of Satan in this present world. Unfortunately, this is something we must contend with on a daily basis, which is why we need our daily bread and strength from the Lord each day.
Third, since our deliverance began with our salvation and continues through daily sanctification, we know that it will continue until the day we arrive at home in heaven and receive our glorification (which involves our glorified body, as we mentioned yesterday). Because of our ongoing deliverance, we have good reason to rejoice in the Lord always! That doesn’t mean we won’t face trials in this life, nor does it mean that we won’t struggle with sin. If that were the case, we would not need deliverance.
The easiest way to remember this is that God is sovereign in the past, in the present, and in the future. Therefore, no matter what comes our way, it has already been seen by Him and has been allowed to pass through His hands, for whatever reason. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Not only is He our Deliver, He is also our Protector. He reigns supreme!
For some reason, I always feel like I’m driving east in the morning—it’s so bizarre! There is not a sun visor big enough to shield the bright rays of the early morning sun. In fact, the brightness of sun glare is enough to slow traffic down due to everyone taking caution and trying to stay focused on the road. Yesterday morning was no different, and until the mountain shielded the sun, I had to come to an almost complete stop until I determined what was the road and what wasn’t.
When I’m driving away from the sun, the only distraction I have is if it’s shining in the mirror and blinding me on a smaller scale. As challenging as it may be at times, I’m thankful that the sun is shining and that it’s not rainy and gloomy. Think about this: if we cannot stare at the sun for more than a few seconds without our eyes burning out of our head (actually 1 min. 40 sec.), how much brighter is the Son of God in all His glory? I firmly believe that the reason we will have glorified bodies in heaven is because in our natural bodies, we would be consumed in the presence of the holiness and light that radiates from Jesus.
What’s the difference between staring at Earth’s sun and gazing at the Son of God? Simple: staring at a big ball of burning gas will cause you to go blind, while looking to the Son will open your eyes and allow you to see like never before! Since He is the author and completer of our faith, there is no other legitimate direction in which we should be looking.
So, how can we know that following the Son is the only way to find eternal life and have a home in heaven? He said so! Hebrews 12:2 also tells us that Jesus saw past the agony of the cross to the overwhelming victory that would come on the other side of the empty grave. Now that He has died and been raised back to life in order to bring us salvation, He is currently seated on the right hand of the Father’s throne. John 3:16 and 14:6 tell us that Jesus is the only way to the Father and the only source of eternal life. Since He is the Way, let’s keep staring at the Son and telling others to look up!
Colossians 2:6-7; 1 Corinthians 3:11
I’ve been quiet concerning the election, but not by accident. The way I see it is that if you chose a platform that was pure evil and went against everything in God’s Word, you will have to deal with Him on that. If you chose a platform that, while not perfect, more closely aligned with biblical principles and the freedom for which our founding fathers courageously confronted tyranny to secure, living according to the Bible makes more sense. The abortion thing alone was reason enough to not choose the platform that blatantly and proudly opposed God’s truth.
Now, since we are past the election process, we need to make sure that our heart is devoted to God, even though we are grateful to once again have leadership that is not afraid to give God the credit for the greatness of our nation. The United States was founded as a safe haven for those who experienced religious persecution, which is contrary to the type of government our founders so bravely fled in Britain some 250 years ago. But like them, our roots are much deeper than our national pride and allegiance. Government was never intended to be a god, and those wise men knew it when they founded our republic on the truth of God’s Word.
The goal of America’s founding was for free citizens to be able to worship God however they pleased, without having to answer to a state religion or single government-run denomination. These historical icons put down roots—but not just family and territorial roots, they also planted spiritual roots. Our founding documents are clear on the fact that if we ever neglect God, our country will be judged or may even cease to exist. Although the words “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12) we’re not written to America (since it didn’t yet exist), the principle applies to any nation that follows and fears the Lord.
While we as a nation may never fully get back to our roots, we as families and individuals of faith in Jesus Christ can certainly control the trajectory of our course and those under our influence. No matter who is in the White House, what truly matters is Who is on the throne. And while the government doesn’t determine our level of spirituality, it is definitely helpful to know that some of our leaders are fighting to restore godly principles to the public square. I believe God was merciful and we ought to appreciate this reprieve. Let’s use our enduring freedom of religion to the fullest as we strive to make disciples of Christ.
Yesterday I received a very nice text from a friend who let me know he was praying for me and is here for me in the event that I need anything. Those random notes are very nice, whether you are having a good day or a bad day. Even though I was having a good day, it was a timely reminder that we need encouragement from the Lord and Christian friends on good days and bad days. In fact, since we live in an evil world, we still have to confront all the negative things around us in society; even on the bright, sunshiny days when everything is going well. In short, it was a nice surprise when I got that notification on my phone.
Maybe you have a person or two that will send you a prayer or thought out of the blue and it just seems to make your day a little bit better. This is actually a very biblical concept, and in this rat race of society, it’s good to know that there are others on whom we can depend. I’ve been saying this for a long time: “The greatest thing you could ever tell me is, ‘I’m praying for you’”. The fact that someone is mentioning your name to our Father in heaven is amazing! In the book of Proverbs, we see the comparison of iron sharpening iron to friends strengthening each other.
You may be an introvert, and that’s perfectly fine, but the truth is simple: we were created for community and human interaction. God doesn’t want us to go through this life alone. Admitting that we need friendship is not weakness; it’s being real. They (whoever ‘they’ are) say that the average person has five people that they get close to in their lifetime. If you have a handful of close friends you are blessed, because money cannot buy true friendship. Having hobbies and other interests in common is great, but having a spiritual connection with others who know Christ is the icing on the cake!
Take a few minutes to thank God for your friends, and then take a few seconds to send them a text or a note to tell them that you appreciate them and are praying for them. You never know the difference it could make in how their day goes! Just like the old song says, “Lean on me.”
Do you remember when education was simple? I don’t mean that it wasn’t challenging content or difficult material, but the whole system was rather basic and effective. Yesterday I was able to visit one of my favorite places in Vermont called Hathorne School (Bridport, VT). The coolest part is that they leave this little one-room schoolhouse unlocked for the public to come and visit. There’s even a book to sign your name and where you came from. While I have driven near it numerous times, this was my second time going inside and snapping some photos.
I realize that the population has multiplied many times over, and that people can travel further now to the school of their choice, but there is something about that simple setting for education which transcends nostalgia to the point of being extremely productive. Different age groups could work together to help each other learn the basics that they would need to be decent, functioning citizens in society. It sort of reminds me of the church paradigm—the Bible being taught to kids from 1 to 92+ in a way that applies to all areas of life on every maturity and education level. As much as I cringe at the phrase “doing life together”, essentially that’s the concept.
When Paul wrote to young Timothy in the second letter bearing his name, he mentioned the fact that the young lad was taught the Scriptures from an early age. This worked out really well, because Timothy was able to be a helper to Paul, as well as a pastor of the church of Ephesus. Those roles were not just handed out; they were earned through scriptural knowledge and proven character.
I am not saying that kids don’t need to learn math, grammar, and other subjects in school, but we can’t miss the main form of teaching: the knowledge of the Bible. Look at all the time that has been wasted teaching children about 57 different genders, when that time would’ve been better spent teaching them the truth and training them in the ways of God. As Christian parents, we can make a difference in this area; in fact, we are commanded to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Education begins in the home, so let’s get busy training our children for Christ!
Have you ever met a person and then the minute they started to speak, you began to think that their voice didn’t fit their face or body? This is especially common whenever an actor or actress is singing, but you know full-well that it’s not their voice. Disney does this all the time with voiceovers. Or, how about when you see a vehicle on the road that looks tough, then when the driver revs up the engine, it sounds like a weed-eater on steroids? You’re like, that doesn’t sound right! I don’t care if the bumper sticker says it’s got a Hemi, we all know that it has a lawnmower engine.
I read something on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday that was posted by a “pastor”. However, what he posted had a 0% chance of lining up with the Bible. In fact, it went against what the Bible says, but then when people challenged him in the replies, he was an absolute jerk to them and made them all feel pretty stupid. Now, it’s not my place to judge his heart, but based on his fruit, he did not appear to be a Christian, at least in the true, born again sense.
Consider the Pharisees—they had all the religious lingo down pat, but Jesus had some harsh names to call them and declared that they didn’t even have a relationship with the God they claimed to represent.
While none of us will ever be perfect in this life, we should at least have a believable testimony. Our faith should produce fruit that looks just like the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). People will know us by our good fruit, or they will be justified in calling us a hypocrite as they witness our rotten fruit. We should never bring shame to the name of Jesus, or in other words, we should never take His name in vain. Do your words that profess Jesus match your actions and decisions? Make sure it’s believable!
It seems like many people are striving for three things in life: fame, fortune, and fun. Fame is not a bad thing for those who can handle it without getting a big head, and as long as it’s not sought after as the sole source of significance. Fortune can be a good thing when used in a way that glorifies God and helps others have a better life. And fun is okay as long as it doesn’t replace our purpose and responsibility with a frivolous, self-serving agenda.
Life is too short to be wasted on temporary pleasures that are antithetical to the treasures we are supposed to be storing up in heaven. I love the truth of the T-shirt that I saw many years ago that said, “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” The practical principle is that it’s fine to have stuff as long as the stuff doesn’t have us. The problem is that many times it does possess us and heavily influences our life’s path.
God has allotted each of us a certain number of years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. While you may have lived to a ripe old age, when contrasted with eternity, it’s really not that long. Since each of us has a different number of years assigned to us, it’s not the amount of time we have that matters, it’s the quality of our years. It’s how we spend this currency called “time”.
I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble, but you are probably never going to be famous. It is also a fact that you may never be a billionaire. And as far as fun goes, you may have very few experiences with amusements, but that’s not the purpose of life. James addressed this issue thousands of years ago, yet it seems like his writing is very current. The reason for this is that humanity’s struggle with time has persisted since the beginning of…well…time! It’s an ongoing race that we never seem to win.
The unit of measurement that James uses for the length of a person’s life is “vapors”, and we each only get one. Our years on earth are literally a blip on the timeline of eternity. So, the questions we should be asking are not “How famous and rich can I be?” or “How much fun can I have?” The question we should be asking is “What is God’s will and how can I accomplish it?” Make your itty-bitty blip count for eternity!
Have you ever had a penpal? In the digital age in which we live, I feel like they are not as common as they used to be. Chances are, you have never met your penpal, but the exchanges via letters made you feel like you knew them very well. While not all penpals end up meeting, some do, and there are tons of remarkable stories that have come out of those unique relationships.
In 2023, it was reported that two ladies who had been penpals for 70 years finally got to meet each other in person. When Patsy Gregory from Lancashire met Carol-Ann Krause from South Carolina, she remarked, “I recognized her immediately and it just felt natural,” referring to the fact that her expectations were exactly as she had imagined. While the two had never met in person, they probably knew each other better than most best friends, since they had corresponded faithfully for seven decades*.
While there are numerous stories that play out very closely to this one, and other others that result in a man and woman meeting for the first time in person and eventually getting married, there is one that tops them all! When Peter wrote his first letter addressed to God’s chosen people who were spread out over an area consisting of five provinces, he described what I see as the quintessential definition of faith. In verse 8 of our text, he is speaking of Jesus as the One whom believers had not seen with their eyes, yet they loved Him. He went on to say that even though the early believers had never seen Jesus, they trusted Him, which resulted in inexpressible rejoicing and hope of salvation.
We won’t see Jesus with our physical eyes until the day He calls us home, but that doesn’t change the fact that He knows us comprehensively, and the more we walk by faith, talk to Him in prayer, and study His word, the more we will get to know Him. When we get to heaven, we won’t have to wonder which one is Jesus—we will just know, because we have been invested in reading His love letter to us ever since we first believed. Through faith, we don’t need to have physical evidence, because our connection to the Savior is so much deeper than that. When someone gives His life for you, you will automatically recognize Him.
(*Penpals article source: BBC News, Sam Nanda, August 15, 2023.)
My wife’s minivan is a hybrid model, which means that it runs partly on gasoline and partly on a special battery. About a week ago, a recurring message started coming up in the message center that said “Maintenance required for traction battery cooling parts”. Thankfully my awesome mechanic looked it up and found out that all I had to do was clean two little air filters under the seats, which took all of 10 minutes and cost me exactly $0.00. Imagine what the bill would have been if I would have taken it to the dealership!
I love it when I am able to fix things on my own or save money by doing things cheaper. In fact, DIY is all the rage these days, and Home Depot and Lowe’s do a pretty solid business outside of their normal contractor customers. And don’t get me started on all the do-it-yourself social media channels! If you watch YouTube, you can do practically anything—well, maybe not open-heart surgery.
Did you know that the Bible has many DIY applications? While pastors and teachers are very important fixtures in our Christian life, we are supposed to implement what we learn from those who teach us. Most importantly, we are supposed to be applying the truth that the Holy Spirit teaches us as He guides us daily. Just as a teacher gives the students the answers, the teacher cannot take the test for them—but the teacher’s job is to prepare them for it.
Christian leaders are just that: leaders. But they are not supposed to live our lives for us. They help give us direction, but it’s up to us to follow their example. While we are supposed to have a deep dependency on God’s ministers, we also need to have a do-it-yourself mentality with the tools He gives us. He gives us the strength we need, but He’s called us to be obedient and responsible. No one else is going to live our Christian life for us, so it’s up to us individually to diligently learn the ways of the Lord in order that we can find the answers we need from His Word, even without having to ask anyone. We should always be ready (1 Peter 3:15).
Whenever we are in a pickle, we should have a working knowledge of the Word to help us navigate through the uncertain waters of life’s tests. It may seem overwhelming to learn God’s Word since it is so vast and deep, but with His Spirit helping us, we can seek, find, and put into practice the answers we find when we dig in the treasure chest of the Bible. We have all the tools and ingredients we need to live a successful Christian life.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the default Disney message that weaves throughout all of their movies: “follow your heart”. That’s all well and good as long as your heart belongs to the Lord, but otherwise, it’s just wasted passion and a quest that will be futile. The Bible tells us that we should follow the desires of our heart as long as we delight in the Lord. In fact, if we want to keep verse 4 in the proper context, we need to look at the verses on either side of it. Verse 3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and practice faithfulness.” Verse 5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass.” So, it all revolves around God, and today’s verse is appropriately sandwiched in the middle. When our heart is not yielded to Him, it is wicked and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9).
My daughter arrived in Korea (the southern part ;) yesterday after departing on Thursday. This is her third trip to that little country which is about the size of Oregon. The major difference is that South Korea has a population of about 50 million, as opposed to Oregon’s approximate population of 3 million. Demographics aside, she absolutely loves it in South Korea—it’s where she really comes alive, and although I’m not thrilled about her living on the other side of the world, if that’s her dream, her mother and I support her.
God has implanted a dream within each of us, and when our desires line up with His will, it will bring contentment and peace to our heart. For some, that dream may be to serve in ministry, while for others, it may be to stay home and raise a family. Perhaps your dream is to teach and invest in the lives of the younger generations, or it could be that you will help people keep their vehicles running by serving as a mechanic. Whatever your passion, if the Lord is in it your life will be fulfilled, and when done as unto the Lord, it’s all ministry.
David served in many areas throughout his life, from a humble gig as a shepherd to a regal role as a king, and he was declared to be a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). Your calling is probably not going to be the same as someone else’s, but when all of God’s willing servants work together to impact society, His message of love and salvation will be communicated on a large scale, and we know that’s His will (Isaiah 12:4; Luke 4:18; 2 Peter 3:9). Follow God’s plan for your life and He will supply all the adventure that you can handle!
A number of years ago, I created a character for YouTube that was based on a satirical stereotype. Now, keep in mind that if sarcasm was an official language, I would be both fluent and certified (or certifiable). I called the channel “Unimportant Pastor”, and I made fun of the millionaire lifestyles of some of the fake TV preachers. I would get together with local business owners and others in the community and film brief sketches that were full of quirky topics such as: pretending that I owned my friend’s BMW, having my own exclusive menu item at a local pizza shop (it was actually a #1), and bragging about my “humble award”, along with lots of other crazy ideas. I even coerced a local news station to go along with the joke at a football game.
The reason I called it “Unimportant Pastor” is because the character that I played was the total opposite of a VIP preacher and he tried to convince everyone around him that he was actually famous—yet no one had ever heard of him, nor did they care. Anyway, back to the humble award. I simply got a regular piece of paper and typed “humble award” on it and displayed it in highly visible places, especially for the camera. On one occasion, I even took it to the local trophy shop to ask the owner to frame it (that was its own episode). The thing with satire is that it takes true attitudes and stereotypes and exaggerates them, while poking fun at their ridiculousness.
Humanity is filled with pride by default. Since we have a sin nature, we have to realize its origin in order to properly deal with it. Pride began when Lucifer attempted to exalt himself to God’s level. That’s a huge no-no! There is only one God and He alone reserves the right to flex. No one is to be worshiped except for Him (see Exodus 20). Look at the universe He created—has anyone else made anything that grand? The multi-million dollar compounds that some televangelists and business tycoons (same thing) have built don’t even show up as a blip on God’s radar! No one has the right to boast—ever!
The Bible tells us that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That doesn’t mean that our humility earns God’s favor, because then it would cease to be “grace”. Instead, humility is the attitude with which we must accept God’s grace because we know we don’t deserve it. Even on our best day, using our most righteous attempts, we are still filthy rags (look it up!—Isaiah 64:6). If we have even a shred of pride, we need to surrender it to Jesus and live a life of humility, knowing that without God’s grace, we would be lost and unable to know Him. Let’s stop fooling ourselves by telling others how humble we think we are and start modeling humility—just like Jesus did. So, on a scale from 1 to 10, how humble are you? If the answer isn’t zero, there are changes to be made.
As I was driving the other day, my tire pressure warning light came on. Now, I take it with a grain of salt since it randomly comes on, like the boy who cried wolf, but it usually just means that one of the sensors is bad. But this time it stayed on—for like two hours (that’s how long it took me to find a suitable place to “purchase” air, which I think is kind of a racket). Anyway, I eyeballed the tires as soon as I suspected an issue, but they all looked like they had sufficient inflation to get me to my destination.
The “check engine” lights are on in both of the vehicles that I use for work, but I’m aware of what the issues are, and they’re not really worth getting fixed—especially when one of them has almost 500,000 miles on it. However, I do periodically scan the trouble codes just to make sure the reason for the light is something minor. But this is not how it’s supposed to work; the lights are supposed to be off unless there is a legitimate problem with the vehicle’s functionality. When they indicate a problem, I’m not supposed to ignore the lights.
Think about this principle from a spiritual standpoint. Imagine we had a “check engine” light for our soul—oh wait, we do! The Holy Spirit lives inside us if we know Christ as our Savior, and one of His jobs is to convict us of sin. When we are out-of-step with the Lord, the Spirit will use conviction as an indicator light that something is spiritually off. When we are in tune with Him, the Spirit will commend us and confirm our righteous actions. The problem is that we get used to the warning lights and have ignored them for so long that we are comfortable with them living in the background, kind of like when you have 5,000 browser tabs open on your computer.
Just as our vehicle’s warning lights are indicators that we are in danger or that something needs repaired, so the Holy Spirit warns us when we are in the proximity of spiritual danger and falling into sin. However, He doesn’t only convict us of sin, He also guides us into truth so that we are able to draw closer to the Lord and avoid making bad choices that cause us to sin against God. Don’t ignore the warning signs because they are God’s indicator lights to keep us on the right path.
I love shooting my potato gun, but there is pretty much no point in it other than just seeing how far the potatoes will fly through the air. Maybe it’s wasted time, or maybe it’s youthful fun, but I guarantee I won’t be bringing home any deer or turkeys with it. I suppose you could use the shrapnel from the spuds to make mashed potatoes, but I’m pretty sure the Aquanet hairspray and fire flavor would not be very appetizing.
About a decade ago, I used some of my birthday money to purchase the pieces necessary to build my potato gun. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this item, it is a gun that shoots potatoes. While there is no meaningful purpose in it, launching overpriced potatoes from the supermarket sort of comes with its own thrills. But I guess I could think of worse things to waste money on, like electric bills and car payments—those are no fun!
I’m sure that you have things in your life that don’t have much purpose and are not very productive, but they are part of your life anyhow. Here’s something we don’t often think about, but is actually very important: our words. Hopefully, we are careful to use good, edifying speech, rather than harmful, damaging words, but have you ever thought about idle words? The Bible warns us about using idle words, which I understand to mean frivolous, useless words that neither build up others nor glorify God. Now, I’m not talking about “shooting the breeze“ with people just to pass time, but words that have no benefit or reason to be uttered. Perhaps even words wasted on selfish ambition.
While the content of our words may not be bad or harmful, sometimes it’s just pointless speech, because we could be using our words to edify, testify, and glorify—which all have eternal value and a lasting impact. I can spend hours on the phone passing the time while I drive for many miles, using hands-free technology, of course (safety first, kids), but most of my conversations are just filling time, not producing any permanent results. For me, I need to be more careful with how I invest my words. For you, that’s between you and the Lord to deal with. Think of this little lesson the next time you shoot your potato gun for no apparent reason.
If you are married, when you sit down and talk with your spouse, do you open up a notebook and ask him/her specific pre-programmed questions? Or, do you use the same phrases over and over again without even thinking about them, like you could have that conversation in your sleep? Do you ramble on and on, just trying to hit a certain timestamp in your day so you can fulfill your relational obligation? I would certainly hope not because that would be a huge disservice to the person you that are supposed to love more than anyone.
If this is unacceptable behavior in human relationships, why do we make it the standard when talking to God? If we are not talking to Him like He is sitting right beside us in the room, we are doing it all wrong. If we are trying to use super-spiritual words that even Noah Webster would be scratching his head about the meaning of, we are throttling back the power and effectiveness of our prayer time.
Since God already knows every thought and intention of our heart, why would we try to hide behind flowery words and religious filler phrases? Imagine talking to one of your human friends while suffering through a trial or trying to cope with a serious situation, only to allow superficial speech to come out of your mouth, which any listener would know is fake. That would be preposterous in a person-to-person interaction, so why should we allow it to be acceptable when talking to the One who is our best Friend?
While we must remember to show the Lord reverence when we come into His presence through prayer, we must also feel the freedom to not hold back what we really need to say. Since He already knows every detail about us, He wants us to bring our mess and confusion to Him. When we do, we are surrendering our own futile efforts to straighten it out. We can’t do it, and when we admit that, we are acknowledging that we trust His power to fix us. Let me leave you with the words of the great musical philosopher Riley Clemmons: “You want my tears, every messy word; every scar and every fear. You want all I have with no holding back. When I'm hurt, at my worst, You meet me there; 'cause You see the beauty in my broken prayers.”
Matthew 21:9-11; Mark 11:8-11; Luke 19:36-38; John 12:12-13
If you read the first four books of the New Testament, you will see that these Gospel writers present many of the same accounts, yet with a few different details. If we genuinely believe that the Bible does not contain contradictions, we will see that these difference of detail are not conflicts, rather they add to the cohesion of the biblical narrative.
If you were to have four eyewitness accounts of a traffic accident, the first individual might say that a car and a truck collided. The second account could highlight details about the colors of the vehicles involved. The third set of details might capture the make and model of the automobiles. The final individual might provide information as to how many people were involved in the crash. Out of these people, none were lying and none were giving conflicting information. They were simply adding details to form a broader, more comprehensive picture.
The three Synoptic Gospels and John’s account are neither competing nor contradicting, but instead are combining the details of the life of Jesus in a way that paints a clearer picture for us to learn more about His love for, and involvement with humanity. Just as scribes or historians furnish additional details to a historical event, so the Gospel writers added details based on history, culture, and a unique perspective.
Common sense tells us that the more credible sources are attached to a certain subject or entity, the more reliable the account becomes. Therefore, the fact that we have four very different individuals recording varying details to the same events reinforces what we already believe by faith: that God’s Word is true, and there are no contradictions. I think it’s amazing how God allowed the personalities of the writers to shine through without overshadowing the main character: Jesus Christ.
The connection of this principle for us today is simple: your testimony might be different than someone else’s testimony. The way you worship God may vary from someone else’s style. Your denomination may be more reserved, or it may be more outgoing. However, if the way we practice our faith agrees with God’s Word and does not contradict it, we can see these differences as adding to the bigger picture of Christianity—especially as we see believers around the globe worshiping in very different ways, yet with the same sincerity and attention to the detail of true, biblical salvation.
Let’s not see each other as competing with one another, rather as complementing and encouraging one another in the faith. Our preferences and perspectives may vary, but we are united on the unwavering doctrinal truth of God’s Word.
If we are honest with ourselves and others, we will admit that we all have human struggles. It’s only by the grace of God, and not my own strength, that I don’t struggle with certain addictions such as drugs, alcohol, porn, or gambling. That’s not to say that I can’t be duped by the Devil into going down these paths, because I am just as susceptible as the next guy, but I rely on the strength of God to keep me away from these things.
Having said all of that, I definitely do have struggles. One of the most powerful things that I deal with on a daily basis is worry. The Bible clearly tells me not to worry, but I am very weak in this area. It’s not that I don’t believe in God’s strength, it is simply that I fail to fully rely on His supernatural capability to provide.
No matter how hard I work, I still don’t think it will ever be enough. And in my own strength, I would be right—it never will be enough. I get so hung up on my own ability to provide that I fail to depend on Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who is my Provider. It may not seem like a big deal, but the emotional and mental stress that it causes ‘round the clock is very real.
My wife tries her best to keep me grounded and reminds me that the Lord has always provided for us, but I still have a tendency to wonder why the math ain’t mathin’; why the bills are up but the income is down; why busting my tail doesn’t positively impact my bank account?
I know that I am not alone, because we are all dealing with this (or as Red Green would say, “We’re all in this together”)—but that doesn’t make it go away. The only way to truly have victory in this area is for me to completely give it all over to God. Please don’t think I’m complaining, because I know I have a pretty good life, but I wanted to use my own experiences as an example. My mind knows that God is able, but I need to get my heart to believe it. The same God who provided in Genesis will provide for me, and for you, and for all His children. He’s our Jireh!
Psalm 23; Isaiah 53:6; John 10:28-30
You don’t have to be a shepherd or have a degree and sheepology to know that sheep are very dumb. Not in the sense that they are mute, because they do like to say “bah bah”, but in the sense that they are stupid. It has been noted that they are so dumb that if one of the sheep decides to walk over a cliff, others will follow its lead without thinking, “Hey, this isn’t very smart!” When this happens, the shepherd can use his staff to pull the sheep back to safety. This is one of the many reasons that sheep need a shepherd.
Another reason that sheep need a shepherd is because they are unable to defend themselves against predators. When a wolf or a bear is close, the sheep need the protection of a rod. A good shepherd is prepared to use this weapon against all threats to his flock. This protection enables them to eat wild berries and other tasty foods without fear, even when their enemies are watching them and drooling.
As you might know, especially from being around cows and other livestock, flies love to bug them to death. This is no joke when it comes to sheep, because they would literally rather kill themselves than be annoyed by flies their entire life. However, an attentive shepherd has the proper provision and will anoint them with oil on their head. This acts as an insect repellent as well as a salve for their wounds.
These are just a few examples, and if you read Psalm 23, you will know that David used his experience as a shepherd to describe our relationship with the Lord. But if the Lord is your Shepherd, you don’t have to fear any of the things that you are unable to deal with on your own. The fact is that we need the Shepherd in order to survive. Question: why in the world would you want to go through life without protection, provision, and direction? Yet, if we are honest, we will admit that we don’t always take full advantage of the Shepherd’s benefits.
I know that today’s Scripture readings are very familiar, but please don’t skip over them. Perhaps the reason that we are not living in the fullness of God’s blessing is because we have dismissed the simple Bible passages that remind us of how we are supposed to be living and depending on God for our daily strength and sustenance. Is the Lord your Shepherd? If so, listen to His voice and you will not be let astray by the distractions of the Enemy that have deceived the masses.
Screens, screens, everywhere are screens. In fact, you are reading this on some sort of screen, whether it is your phone, tablet, or computer. I am certainly thankful for screens, but sometimes they become a distraction. As much as I love a good Bible app, I much prefer to turn the pages of a physical Bible.
You can’t even buy groceries anymore without coming into contact with a screen, whether at the self-checkout or by using the screen and pin pad for payment. In most cars built these days, there is a screen where a radio or 8-track player used to live. Television screens have been a staple in most homes since their inception many decades ago. Did you notice that they are getting bigger and bigger? Every time I go to Walmart, I see 65” and 70” TVs. (The movie screen in my basement isn’t much bigger than that!)
I wonder what it would look like if we took a significant break from screen time and, as Gen Z says, “Go touch grass” (go outside and enjoy nature, away from digital devices). While they have their time and place, I fear we have become too dependent on them. Of course, if you do a technology fast, don’t forget to make an exception for reading my daily devotions ;)
Maybe we could benefit from taking some time to simplify and give the screens a break for a little while. I think it would do our souls some good and maybe even restore some sanity to our lives which are often lived in overdrive. Take a step back, grab a few minutes without the screens, avoid distractions, and dive into God’s Word a little longer today.
(Idea: crossword puzzles. I fully endorse this activity)
Hulk Hogan, Sergeant Slaughter, Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, The Nasty Boys, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Mr T. You may recognize some or all of these names, but for me, these were the professional wrestlers that I would occasionally watch on TV when I was growing up. Early on, I knew they were acting, but it was still fun to see them pretend to beat the snot out of each other and act super-dramatic.
I never really got that invested in wrestling, and it was probably just on the TV while I was playing with Legos, using my imagination to build all kinds of creations. No matter how well or how not well we are acquainted with wrestling, we all get the idea. It’s two individuals or two teams struggling with each other until the winner is able to successfully pin the loser.
If you are a wrestling aficionado, you can probably name some of the most famous professional wrestling matchups in history, but I think the one that outlives them all is when Jacob wrestled with God. Lest we think that Jacob somehow outsmarted and defeated God, remember who had his hipbone knocked out of joint. God ultimately prevailed, changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and gave him a blessing that would never end—and the nation of Israel still lives on.
God didn’t lose; He got Jacob’s attention in a big way: through dislocation! (If it was boxing, I wonder if he would’ve had his ear bitten off instead?—sorry, couldn’t help myself). My personal opinion is that when the Bible says that he prevailed, he had a spiritual breakthrough. The changing of his name even reflects this.
Do you ever feel like you’re wrestling with God? Perhaps the first step would be allowing the Lord to change your name (identity) from “sinner” to “saint”, if that has never transpired in your life. Or, the next step could be fully surrendering to God’s will for your life. Additionally, it might be that you need wisdom and guidance for a big decision in your life that you must make.
For me, the hardest thing is knowing what is right but lacking the resources to carry it out. In situations like this, we must trust God’s timing and strength in order to get us where He wants us to be. So, no matter what decision you may be facing, just remember that if you are completely submissive to God, He will open the necessary doors at just the right time. Conversely, if you are wrestling with God and trying to avoid His plan, now is the time to surrender. Lots of thoughts to wrestle with today—you can choose to either tap out, or you can tap into God’s will.
As humans, we often misuse words, especially when we exaggerate. I am guilty of exaggerating a billion times a day! One of the words that we regularly abuse is the word “hunger”. I am not trying to be insensitive, but I think it’s safe to say that most of us have never truly experienced hunger to the point that we almost died. If you did, I’m very sorry that you had to endure that. However, there are many people in the world who are truly starving to death, and it’s not just a problem in the world’s poorest countries. This is the reality for some people right here in America.
Usually when we say that we are hungry, it means that we just feel like eating, or perhaps there is a legitimate rumbling in our stomach that indicates that it’s meal time. On occasion, we take it a step further and say that we are “starving”. This is quite the exaggeration, in my opinion. (Note: my stomach normally growls when we are in church or when I am trying to record audio. It never fails!) When my kids tell me they are starving, I know they’re lying because only cereal or snacks seem to be what they are in the mood for—not actual nutrition.
If you took a few seconds to read today’s Scripture passages, you would see what real hunger looks like. Are you so hungry for God that it consumes you to the point that nothing else matters? Do you have a spiritual void in your soul that can only be satisfied through the truth of God’s Word?
I don’t have any statistics to offer you, but my observation in recent days is that we have lost our hunger for the things of God. Don’t get me wrong, we still like God and enjoy His blessings, but we don’t always seek Him above everything else in life. He becomes an afterthought. When you are physically hungry you get food and eat it—when you are spiritually hungry, nothing but the meat of God’s Word will satisfy. I think we could all benefit from a good meal!
Have you ever experienced soul fatigue? Now, I don’t know whether that’s a thing or not because I didn’t take the time to research it, but I feel like it should be. I’m not talking about being physically exhausted from a hard day’s work, or even suffering from an overstimulated brain, or even just feeling like you don’t have the emotional energy for X, Y, or Z.
This is far deeper than your favorite sports team not winning the title, your paycheck being slightly less than expected, or even having to pop energy drinks because your workload is beyond reasonable. I’m talking about stuff that’s deep in your soul. It could be a prayer request that never seems to get answered, chasing after a wayward child, or struggling with a tough marriage situation. Not that any of those other things are trivial, but the ones I just listed in the sentence prior to this one are extremely heavy burdens.
I wish I could say that the good news entails God magically take away the negative circumstances, but it’s usually a little different than that. While He may allow these seasons to last longer than we want, He promised that His presence would be with us and never leave us. That’s the good news! Just as the Lord didn’t immediately take the three Hebrew boys out of the fiery furnace, He also didn’t exempt Daniel from spending the night in the lions’ den. And do we need to even mention Job? He actually did one better than that: He stayed with them through these trials.
So, if God hasn’t changed, why in the world would we think that He would abandon us when we go through hard times? Many years ago when I was a little kid, I used a karaoke machine to record myself singing to soundtracks (I still have those embarrassing tapes, but don’t tell anyone). One of the songs that I recorded was titled “He’ll Do It Again.” More recently, I have come to love a song by Sanctus Real that says “my God is still the same.” If your soul needs rest, come and collapse at the feet of Jesus and let Him carry you through life.
The story is told of a time when Karl Barth, a Swiss Reformed theologian and author of Church Dogmatics, was giving a lecture to a group of focused listeners. Because they revered him so much, they awaited anxiously, pencil in hand, to write down every word that he spoke. Someone in the audience asked him what the greatest thought was that had ever crossed his mind. Expecting a huge, in-depth theological answer, they were surprised at what they heard him say following a brief time of silence. Barth told them, “The greatest thought I ever had was ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’”
Imagine going to hear a great Bible scholar speak, only to hear those words as the deepest theology that individual had ever encountered! But you know what? He was absolutely right. Not only was that answer true based on his own experience, it is true for everyone who has ever come into a personal relationship with Christ.
I was reminded of this story as we sang the closing song yesterday at church. While many people classify this as strictly a children’s song, it is just as true and relevant for any adult who appreciates God’s gift of salvation. No matter how much theology you study, and no matter if you can define all the fancy Christianese terms within Christianity, you can’t have any of those things without this basic truth: Jesus loves me, this I know.
Some people who were present when Karl Barth gave his simple, yet profound answer may have been a little critical. Perhaps some even looked down on him, thinking that he should have given them some super-spiritual formula and secret to spiritual revelation. Actually, he did just that by quoting the words of a popular song, which many of us learned in Sunday school. Basic is beautiful because it leads to the greatest depth of love that we could ever imagine. Breaking news: Jesus loves you!
Ephesians 3:20-21; 1 Kings 8:56
Have you ever settled for something that’s not quite what you had your heart set on? We usually settle because the thing that we really want costs more money, but the cheaper item will definitely still do the job (albeit it’s not as cool). When my wife and I bought a new minivan a few years ago, we settled for the model without all the bells and whistles. We didn’t need the fancy seats or the automatic lift gate. We figured that our kids could ruin the cheaper seats just as easily, so we opted to not spend the extra $10,000 for the upgrades (crazy, huh?).
My oldest daughter is at the same point that I was when I was her age: trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life so she doesn’t have to settle for a career that she has zero interest in pursuing. Settling is often the easy thing to do, but in the long run, it ends up not being fulfilling. I will admit that I have settled in many areas, because the things I am passionate about don’t seem to pay the bills, and that’s more important.
About this time 24 years ago, I went to school for audio recording and walked away with several certificates in audio production. That’s what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but unfortunately, there is virtually no money in it, so I had to settle for a real job. (Side note: if I had my choice, I would have my own recording studio and make a living tracking, mixing, and mastering music; but I’m resigned to the fact that it’s not a tangible dream). Roughly a decade later, I pursued my calling to full-time ministry, but unfortunately the bills were far more than the income. I have a few degrees in theology, but I’m not really using them either.
Have you noticed that more than just a few people never end up using their degree(s)? I think maybe it’s because our dreams are bigger than reality, but then when life gets real, we have to realize that a career as a social media influencer, a plant psychologist, or a rockstar is the exception, not the norm.
These are just a few feeble examples of how human beings are forced to settle all the time. However, when we choose to follow Jesus Christ, we are not settling for an inferior product or a cheaper version of something better. There is no greater path that we could choose in life than living for Him. Your purchases may disappoint you; your career path may disappoint you; other life choices may disappoint you—but Jesus will never disappoint you. Don’t settle for anything less than the Best!
Do you remember when you were a kid and you used to get DumDums™ lollipops? (By the way, Happy 100th birthday to that company). Actually, you may be an adult who still loves them, and that is okay in my book. One thing I dreaded was the mystery flavor, because I always feared that I would end up getting peach, pineapple, or piña colada. If I had the choice, I would pick a well-known flavor such as butterscotch or cherry.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “Forrest Gump”, you will recognize his famous quote: “Mama always said ‘Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get’”. There’s a lot of truth to that observation. This is no new revelation, but unless you’re a psychic, you don’t know what the future holds. Even if you are, I have lots of questions. For example, why do you need to post a phone number on your storefront if you already know who is going to need an appointment? Answer me that one.
Anyway, getting back on track (I just took a quick candy break)—we don’t know exactly what life will hold from day-to-day, even if we militantly try to stick to a schedule. Life has so many variables that can change our day in an instant. It is full of mysteries and surprises; some are good, but others are not so good.
If you’re like me, you don’t embrace change. I prefer the predictability of a schedule, which is humorously ironic, given the unpredictability of my line of work (ha ha). However, the stories in the Bible indicate that change is inevitable, in any point in history and for every generation. Therefore, if we fully trust in the One who is unchanging, we will not be beaten to pieces by the storms of life that show up unannounced. In the midst of all the uncertainty and mysteries of this life, we can be sure that our faith is anchored in the Rock of our salvation. He never changes!
Do you ever feel alone? Do you feel isolated from society and even disconnected from everything that is going on around you; even within your own circle? When I was growing up, I used to feel like everyone else knew what was going on and I was always late to the party (or I missed it altogether). Even when it came to school, I felt like I missed certain information, although I had literally sat through the same classes and heard the same lessons as everyone else.
As you know, I visit New York City a lot, and I will tell you this: if you are feeling small and insignificant, don’t go there. You will see an ocean of faces from all around the world and feel like you are lost in the crowd. It’s very different from being in a small town where everyone knows your name, or feeling the distance between other humans when you are out in the country. The crazy part is that even among the masses of people, it’s still easy to feel alone. It’s not the vast number of people around you, it’s the fact that you don’t have relationships with them, and that makes you feel alone. We all have things with which we struggle and one of those things is loneliness. If somebody says they don’t deal with it at some point in their life, they are either in denial or just flat-out lying.
Even David, a man after God’s own heart, shared this struggle with humanity when he penned Psalm 25. How did he cope? He put his trust in the Lord (vv. 1-2); he put his hope in the Lord (v. 3); he sought the ways of the Lord and His truth over man’s guidance (vv. 4-5); he reflected on God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness (vv. 6-7); he testified of God’s goodness and righteousness (v. 8); he kept his eyes on the Lord (v. 15); and he acknowledged that the Lord was his Protector and Deliverer (vv. 20-22)…among other things.
Elijah also had to be reminded by God that he was not alone (1 Kings 19:14 & 18). Not only was God with him, there were also 7,000 others who shared the same faith in God and had not worshiped Baal. Yes, I know you feel alone, just as I do at times—but if we focus on God’s presence in our lives and remember the ones who care for us, it will definitely help us adopt a different perspective on life. The reason that we often feel alone is not because no one cares (they do), but because everyone is busy with life to the point that we all feel isolated; all alone in a crowded room. Take heart, God will never leave you alone (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Riddle me this: “I can’t be saved, though people try. When fun is had, they say I fly. They say I’m money: I can be spent, I can be wasted, but never lent. What am I?” Take some “time”to think about it…(hum the Jeopardy theme song)…okay, “time” is up! The timely answer is obviously “time”.
I feel naked without my wrist watch. However, I only wear it for fashion purposes, because I normally look at my phone when I need to tell the time. Sometimes that’s how we treat our time. We know it’s there, but we ignore it, or we don’t appreciate it enough to make the most of it. Keep this in mind as you continue to read: time is a gift, but eventually it runs out; it has an expiration date. We must use it while we are privileged to have it.
My GPS usually gives me the option of more than one route, so not surprisingly, I pick the quickest route. It could mean I that spend $16.85 in tolls as opposed to $8.68 in order to save an hour of time, but it’s worth it because time is money in my line of work. While it may seem like I am gaining time, the reality is that we can’t buy time—but we can certainly spend it! Oh, and let me tell you this: it goes faster than a bucket of tokens at Chuck E. Cheese’s! The truth is, you and I will never have more than 24 hours in a day, so it’s not that we need more time, it’s that we need to be better managers of the time that we have been given.
The Bible tells us that the average lifespan is 70 years—if you get more than that, you’re technically living on bonus time. However, we shouldn’t wait until we are 69 years and 11 months old to start living with purpose. The time to make the most of our time is the present time. Let’s stop wasting time sitting around waiting for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fall in our lap. Instead, let’s start making the most of every single moment, beginning right now. While we can’t get more time than we are allotted by God, we can intentionally make our time count for His glory!
Creation vs. evolution is a topic that shouldn’t be controversial, but it is. Both are belief systems; one is based on faith in nothing turning into everything, while the other is based on faith in God the Creator who made everything. In fact, God wanted us to be so sure of this truth that He made it the very first verse in His Word.
Understanding the process of how the leaves change right on schedule is mind-blowing. Well, I don’t think we can ever really fully fathom the intricate details, but we see the result happening before our very eyes over a short period of time. I’ve been blessed to be witnessing this process over the past few weeks in my travels, and although we see them change every year, it never gets old. There’s no way all of that happens accidentally.
I firmly believe that the reason God created seasons is to serve as a periodic reminder that not only did He put it all into motion, He also sustains His creation and is personally involved with its operation.
While I was not present at creation, I believe God’s record of how the world was created. This takes faith. Proponents of the theory of evolution must also accept their belief by faith, since they were not present at the time of what they call the “Big Bang”. So, it’s all part of a faith journey. Commenting on Genesis 1:1, D.L. Moody said “I do not know anything more difficult to believe than just the first verse of the Bible. If we master this verse, anything else that happened in the heavens or in the earth which God created will not stumble us.”
Faith is simply believing what we cannot see with our physical eyes. According to God’s Word, the only legitimate object of our faith is God Himself. The reason that people believe evolution and other theories that are opposed to the Bible is because humanity has shouted these lies for so long that people have started believing them. However, the truth will always speak louder than the lies and it will prevail. The Creator is shouting to us through His creation, if we would simply pay attention. Take a minute today to thank God for revealing His truth to you.
Yesterday morning as I was in Greenville, my normal routine was disrupted slightly due to the fact that whenever I was going to get my coffee from Dunkin’, there were no lights on. I was pretty sure that they were supposed to be open starting around 5:30, but I just figured they were short on help, so they would be opening later. So, I continued on with my duties and circled back around a couple hours later. It was now daylight and I could see that there were clearly customers present, so I ordered my coffee and drove up to the window to pay. Before I left, I asked one of the employees if they had changed their hours, but she informed me that they had not. However, since the hurricane came through a couple weeks ago, the sign and exterior lights were still not working.
You can imagine my initial confusion, especially since I didn’t see any cars in the parking lot the first time around. My mind immediately thought about the slogan by Motel 6 that says “We’ll leave the light on” (and just as a side note, they might leave the light on, but you should probably bring your own soap and shampoo).
Do you remember the childhood song “This Little Light of Mine”? It seems like these days, we as believers have failed to shine our light. Just like I was confused with the open/closed status of Dunkin’, people who are observing our actions are likely to get confused if we are not representing Christ with our life, while our lips are proclaiming Him. It sends mixed signals and it often hurts our cause more than it helps.
I am not pointing fingers or being judgmental, because I am convicted about it as I write this. I know I’m guilty of not always shining my light, and even of sending mixed signals out into this dark world. God is light, and we are supposed to walk in the light. Whenever we are being obedient, we will inevitably brighten the ever-darkening world around us. Let’s leave the light on.
I am sure that many of you reading this have passed many more cemeteries than I have, but I do see a lot in my travels. I feel like “Hope Cemetery” is the most common name that I have seen for graveyards. If we know Jesus as our Savior, we don’t need to fear being laid to rest 6 feet beneath a stone. While our body will decay in the ground, our soul will be in heaven with Jesus!
If you have ever stopped to read the headstones at a cemetery, you will see something that they all have in common: there’s a dash between the dates. I know it sounds cliché, but that hyphen in between two dates represents a complete lifespan. A person’s entire journey from the cradle to the grave is captured in that one tiny line.
Not that I need to tell you this, but that little tiny dash is a great big deal! If you stand that hyphen up on its end, it looks like the number 1. It’s a very easy way to remember that we have one life to live on this earth, so we need to make it count.
So, how do we implement this kind of thinking in our every day life? First of all, get into God’s Word and find out what really matters in the big scheme of things. Second, make any adjustments that may be interfering with prioritizing the most important things. Third, realize that relationships have a far greater lasting value than a paycheck. Fourth, as I read somewhere recently, if something isn’t going to matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes worrying about it. And finally, determine whether or not the item in question will have an eternal impact and be part of your legacy, or if it is just something that is temporary or even unnecessary.
Make the hyphen of your brief life a big deal, because like the great philosophers Rascal Flatts said, “It’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘how’ they remember you.” Make choices that will cause your life to count for Christ and benefit others, even long after you’re gone. James tells us that this life is very brief, so don’t wait any longer to live with purpose and an eternal perspective. Live every day like it could be your last.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercials or have heard the tagline by Capital One that asks “What’s in your wallet?” I haven’t carried a wallet for years, so I could honestly answer “Nothing!” Okay, so while I don’t carry wallet in my pocket, I have a nifty phone case that holds credit cards, so I guess that’s technically a wallet—but I can assure you, there’s no cash in there. If I were to sit on a wallet while driving thousands of miles per week, I would probably have some serious sciatica issues, so I try to play it safe. You know, an ounce of prevention…
An infinitely more important question that we can ask ourselves has nothing to do with what’s in our wallet, rather “What is in my hand?” By that, I don’t mean the cheeseburger or the pencil that you may be holding, but what gift has God given you in order to serve Him? Every believer has a calling. The percentage that involves full-time ministry is very small, but you may fall into that category. However, for today’s example, full-time ministry will be the exception, not the rule.
Think about Moses. God called him while he was working as a shepherd, far away from civilization and the palace where he grew up in Egypt. He wasn’t just a few doors down from the universities or the booming business district; this guy was out in the middle of nowhere, totally unnoticed by everyone…except God. While I am often prone to criticize Moses for making five excuses as to why he couldn’t serve or obey God, the bottom line is this: he did obey. Moses ended up serving God and, other than a couple visible flaws we see, his story tells us that he made a lasting impact on the nation of Israel.
At one point in his exchange with God, Moses was asked, “What is that in your hand?” (referring to his shepherding rod). Not long after that conversation, we see God taking Moses’ rod and turning it into a snake in the presence of Pharaoh (among other miraculous acts). You might feel like a nobody and that your life doesn’t count for much, but think about the huge way that God used an ordinary man like Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. You may not be face-to-face with any pharaohs today, tomorrow, or ever, but I guarantee you that God will use you in a mighty way if you are willing to surrender whatever tool is in your hand, no matter how insignificant it might seem to you at the time.
This past Thursday night, we were blessed to be able to witness the Northern Lights from our little town (or as I like to call them “Aurora Borealis” because it sounds like I have scientific street cred). Over the course of several hours, we were able to get some stunning photos using the night mode setting on our iPhones. The most distinct color was a very vivid shade of magenta, while the greens and blues were pretty as well (the photo in today’s title graphic is a pic I snapped near my house).
My wife and I independently had the thought, “If we are so amazed by this display of lights, imagine how beautiful heaven must be!” I’m sure many others had the same response to this very impressive light show by our Creator. These lights in the sky were a direct testament to the beauty and glory of Almighty God. His handiwork is seen, not just in the sky, but everywhere we are capable of traveling throughout the universe.
The sun, moon, stars, planets, and other sources of light are creation’s way of speaking without using an audible voice. What are they saying? I believe that in their own way they are communicating the glory of God and the wonders that He has allowed us to experience in this life. God’s intention for ALL of His creation is for it to collectively glorify Him—whether humans, beasts, or inanimate objects (Luke 19:40). I know that this world is nothing compared to what heaven will be like, but it sure is a beautiful preview, especially since the One who made this earth is the same One who has a home waiting for us in heaven.
Above all, we must remember that as amazing as creation is, it wouldn’t even be a thing without the Creator. He’s the only One worthy of worship, and we must be careful not to allow the wonderful things He’s given us to become idols and replace the wonder of His person and all that He has done for us. So, go ahead and post those amazing photos (I did), but be sure to give credit to the Maker of the masterpiece, not the painting itself. He is truly the God of wonders!
Over the past several years, the curbside grocery pick-up industry has exploded. It used to be that you would have to go into a supermarket, deal with people, walk by a particular aisle five times before finding the product you needed, and then have to go through the checkout line without getting too upset that the bag boy put your laundry detergent on top of your bread. Oh, and don’t even get me started on those impossible-to–open bags in the produce section! You know what I’m talking about ;)
I’ve always equated grocery shopping with drudgery, but I think it’s at an all-time low now that you need to take a loan officer with you to pay for your food and various household items. Don’t get me wrong, I am anything but lazy, and I do find myself frequenting the supermarket several times during the week, but this curbside thing is a genius idea. You place your order online, an employee does the shopping for you, and then they tell you what time to pick it up. Also, they’re not allowed to accept tips, so you don’t have to factor that amount into the equation whenever you’re trying to figure out how much you spent per roll of toilet paper.
If I hadn’t experienced this phenomenon first-hand, I would have said that it’s too good to be true. But now that I’ve personally utilized this amazing service, I’m a believer in its validity. My question is this: “Why did it take so long for humanity to get this to catch on?” We’ve been pushing shopping carts around since their inception on June 4, 1937, and a very large percent of these buggies have a bad wheel that makes the shopping experience even more of a chore. Therefore, the curbside thing is a welcome sight to those who dread grocery store drama.
Do you know something else that seems too good to be true but isn’t? Salvation through Jesus Christ. Think about it: He gives us eternal life, unconditional love, forgiveness of sins, 24/7 soul support via the Holy Spirit; and even though we still have bad days, He is always with us to guide and comfort us. Plus, it doesn’t cost us anything because He paid the entire bill on the cross—and He doesn’t accept tips; only our gratitude. Take a few minutes today to thank God for sending His Son to rescue you from sin and death—then live with an attitude of gratitude. It’s truly good news!
Back when I was growing up in the 1900s, this symbol (#) was either called a pound sign or a number sign. It wasn’t until the invention of social media that I started hearing it called a hashtag. Now it’s all the rage! It has literally become a marketing tool used to grow businesses or to attract a certain demographic, based on algorithms and other nerdy stuff that I don’t understand. (Disclaimer: nerdy stuff is where all the money is).
When I post my themed designs on Instagram everyday with a link to my devotions, I usually try to use appropriate hashtags in order to draw in an audience of like-minded readers. Is it successful? I don’t know, but as I check my daily insights, I see that my posts get a few views, so it must work a little bit (when I pay, it works much better—go figure). My goal is to get God’s truth into the hands and hearts of as many people as I am able to reach, so I try to be creative and strategic with my delivery. Obviously, God’s Word is more powerful than my feeble marketing tactics, but I still like to try to make my writing as accessible and appealing as possible.
Since a hashtag attracts people who are searching for a particular topic, what do you think the hashtag of your life would be? Would it be #blessed, or #truth, or #faith, or #others, or #Jesus, or #self, or #wealthmatters? Think about what the many possibilities could entail and make adjustments that will help you reprioritize your life.
I know the idea of hashtags sounds trivial, but on a serious note, what would someone see in your life if you had a visible hashtag attached to you? Would they see a person who isn’t perfect, yet is desperately trying to live a godly life? Or would they see a person who only lives for three people: Me, Myself, and I? It’s definitely food for thought, because how we carry ourselves in front of others is an outward display of our inward character. If our lives don’t point others to Jesus, we need to reevaluate and make sure we are living by the right “hashtag”. #LiveOnPurpose
I used to be a big fan of the late Thomas Kinkade’s paintings. The man had a gift for making beautiful works of art and became known as the “Painter of Light” (not quite sure how I feel about that title). One of my favorite paintings is “The Resurrection” by Ron DiCianni, and although I always wanted a copy for on the wall of my office, I could never shell out that much money. Google it sometime and check it out because it is an amazing work of art!
Did you know that you are an artist? Well, maybe you can’t paint or draw or even stay in the lines of a coloring book picture, but I assure you that you are an artist. Perhaps not the kind of artist that applies at a tattoo studio, but an artist nonetheless. Maybe you are thinking that you aren’t even able to carry a tune in a bucket, so there’s no way that you would qualify as a musical artist. You could also be taking into account the fact that you are so bad at cooking that you burn water, but I am not talking about being a culinary artist either. So then, what exactly am I getting at?
Consider this thought: what gift has God given you in order to paint a picture of His love for others? Not only is your life a canvas on which He paints His masterpiece, but He has also given you all the necessary tools and has commissioned you to paint the most beautiful picture of His grace. Sure, it’s a tall order to fill, but we’ve all been called to show others what He looks like based on His work in our lives. The power of His Word alive in our hearts, coupled with our obedience to Him, will paint a picture so beautiful that those who see it will know it’s His work.
So, what is your canvas? For me, it may be the document on my iPad or a pulpit I stand behind as I speak. But no matter the canvas, I always want to communicate Jesus to those who are listening and watching. For you, it might be an athletic field, a classroom, or a retail store, but the picture is always the same: God’s love and grace for humanity.
When I have written or preached about the preciousness of life in the past, I have generally used Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1:5. Those are great passages, and for good reason, but today I would like to go back even further to the first book of the Bible. This passage was brought to my attention during the message by the pastor at church this past Sunday. I’m sure I have read it countless times, but for some reason, it really stood out to me this time.
Whenever we talk about the issue of abortion, it’s amazing how polarizing it becomes. However, this is unfortunate because it is not a political issue, nor is it merely a moral issue—it is literally a spiritual issue; a matter of life and death. As people who worship and serve the Creator, we have a responsibility to protect human life, since we are the crown of His creation and have been made in His image. It shouldn’t be controversial; it should be something on which all Christians are united. Why? Because every life is precious to God, from the womb to the tomb!
Nineteen years ago, just before the birth of our first child, we thought it would be cool to get one of those 3-D ultrasounds, even though it was not included in the insurance plan that we had through my employer. However, it was worth the extra expense for us to see our child on a 3-D monitor and even get photos printed out for us to take home. It was amazing to see the detail, weeks before our little girl made her exit from the womb into the cold hospital room. The only difference was the location, due to the fact that all of her body parts were fully formed.
Even if you have the most basic knowledge of the Old Testament, you will know that Jacob and Esau were very different people, although they had the same mother and father, and even shared the same womb! The part that stood out to me recently was the fact that these two were fighting in their mother’s womb. My point is this: they were doing the very same thing before birth as they did after birth. Their function was the same, although the location had changed. They were not different, their environment was. To this day, their descendants still don’t get along.
Sadly, I believe that even if women had clear bellies with the capability to view inside the womb, some people would still want to end these precious lives prematurely. I am not going to beat around the bush—this attitude is not from God who is the Creator of life; this stems from Satan! We must keep defending life, not just for political platforms, but as representatives of the One who gave us the very breath in our lungs; the One who formed us in our mother’s womb and instilled within us His unique purpose for our lives. Say it with me, “Life is precious!”
Did you ever notice that some people are so success–focused that they either embellish facts about their lives or travel back to a notable experience from the past to define themselves? Maybe this is the reason that so many people on social media act like they are still in high school, but maybe that’s a separate drama issue for another day.
About 18 years ago, my wife and I (and our oldest daughter) got to meet Martina McBride at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee (original home of the Grand Ole Opry). While it was a neat experience, it doesn’t define who I am, and it certainly doesn’t mean that we are friends, or that we even know her.
A few years ago, I delivered a puppy to the home of an actress named Laura Linney. While she and her family were super-welcoming, and while I still have a coffee mug from the latte she made me, I’ve never had any more contact with her, nor will I ever, because it was simply a gig for work. Sure, it was a memorable experience, and yes, I did get a selfie with her at the request of my wife, but it certainly doesn’t define who I am. Too often, we mooch off of the fame and personalities of others, while wasting time failing to build our own lives and pursue our own individual purposes.
Now, let’s look at the other side of the coin. More often than not, we allow negative circumstances and traumatic experiences to define us. While they certainly have a lasting impact, we have to acknowledge them as merely rungs in the ladder of life. Are they real? Absolutely! Are they important? You bet! However, in the same way that we should not allow the highs of life to define us, we should also not allow the lows of life to define us. They are critical ingredients in our personal formation, but our true identity is so much bigger. The most defining moment in the life of any believer in Christ is the moment that we surrendered our entire being to Him and He rescued us from sin’s curse.
We should not live according to past achievements or disappointments; former triumphs or failures—rather we should live forward-facing, or better yet, live with our eyes focused on heaven. The experiences and connections that God allows in our lives should be tools that we use to better serve Him with a sense of eternal purpose. Whether it’s that 30-year-old Little League trophy that we have hanging from our rearview mirror, or that decades-old bad decision we have hanging over our head—let’s take that burden and, in the words of Elsa of Arendelle, “Let it go!”
Take just a minute and try to think about something in your life that is tried and true. It could be a spouse, it could be a pair of shoes, it could be a solid career, it could be an ancient family recipe, or it could be any number of staples in your life. If we contemplate it long enough, I’m sure that each of us has at least one person or thing that is ultra-dependable, no matter what.
If you travel toYellowstone National Park, you will get to see one of the most well-known timepieces in the world, and it’s not a Rolex. “Old Faithful” is the geyser that put Yellowstone on the map in the late 1800s as the first national park in the entire world! While there are five other geysers whose eruptions park rangers can predict, Old Faithful stands out as the most famous. The names of the others are Castle, Grand, Daisy, Riverside, and Great Fountain. Old Faithful erupts somewhere between every 68 and 94 minutes, depending on certain variables, but I would say that is pretty precise and dependable for something in nature that is not powered by man-made clock.
While the predictable behavior of these geysers is impressive, think about the faithfulness of the One who created them, along with the rest of creation. When calling out to God for help in whatever trial you may be facing, you will find out that while He may seem distant or unconcerned, He is never early and never late—His timing is always perfect! Not only is His timing impeccable, but His truth hasn’t changed either. As the group Austins Bridge used to sing, “There’s still power in the blood, and Satan still has to flee; there’s still hope in the cross, and that’s what I still believe.”
Just because we can’t see behind the curtain to His activity, we can rest assured that God is always working behind the scenes. When He finally reveals His plan to us, we should probably bring a light jacket, because it’s going to blow us away!
Another current song that speaks to the faithfulness of God is a powerful musical testimony by Terrian that says, “…I know the God of the old is the God of the new, I know that You did it then, and You still do.” Fads come and go, culture shifts, seasons change, and life’s chapters seem to look a little different as we turn the pages. However, we can take comfort in the fact that our faithful God never changes, and His love for us will never fail. He is tried and true!
Is it just me, or does it seem like the more advanced our technology becomes, the more complicated things get? It feels like the more we use technological tools to become more efficient, we end up adding more to our plate and we are not any less busier than we were before. In the midst of the constant movement of trying to hustle, prove ourselves, build our brands, and get more accomplished, we become more stressed. We might find ourselves slightly ahead financially, but mentally, it’s killing us as a society. (Did you notice my use of the word “more” a lot in this paragraph? But wait, there’s more…)
This is not only true with work and business, but also with leisure. Social media can be a distraction from reality, but some have taken it too far, to the point of becoming addicted. In fact, some people are so consumed by what their followers or fans think, that if they had to go a whole day without their phone, they would likely have a nervous breakdown. That’s how dependent we have become trying to impress other people, many of which we have never even met in real life, and that’s how much the little Apple controls us.
Think about the irony of it: while some people dominate all the social media platforms, they may be completely unable to hold a regular in-person conversation. So, in essence, the tool that was supposed to connect people has made them more introverted in real life situations. On top of that, the cowardice of arguing over politics, religion, sports, or any of a variety of subjects, has done just the opposite of connecting people—it actually divides!
I am not suggesting that you get rid of social media, because I am active on a couple platforms, but if you want to, it’s not a bad idea. What I am suggesting, however, is that you take steps to simplify your life. We have complicated relationships, shirked responsibilities, and wasted far too many hours being consumed with a virtual world that is virtually insignificant when viewed in relation to the big picture.
Some of the advantages of social media would be things such as: keeping in contact with friends or family (especially those who live far away); using the marketing tools to grow your business; or, like I do with my devotional ministry, use it to spread the good news of Christ and encourage others. Like anything else, if used properly, it can be a great tool; but if abused, it can lead to a lot of hardships—many that certainly could have been avoided. Take a step back and readjust your priorities to focus on what really matters. Simplify—don’t voluntarily add more stress than life already throws at you, but instead turn your gaze to heaven and prioritize the things that are eternal.
What are some things you don’t see every day? While driving in Massachusetts on Tuesday, I saw a dead bear on the side of the road in the median of the highway. I suppose that counts as spotting a bear “in the wild.” There are other strange phenomena we rarely encounter, such as seeing a teenager without a cell phone and a politician without an agenda; but you may never see either of those anomalies first-hand, so just take my word for it.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Greatest Showman”, you will know that P.T. Barnum made his fortune by offering the public a glimpse into the “unusual and bizarre” acts that were part of his interest in human curiosities. The one-of-a-kinds were showcased for people to see, knowing they would likely never see these wonders anywhere else. Now, with the emergence of social media, and especially TikTok, weird stuff is just a click away. Let’s shift our thoughts away from the unusual and strange to the precious, hidden gems that God wants us to unearth from diligently digging in His Word.
Whenever you read your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to show you something that you haven’t seen before. Or, if you have seen it, ask Him to give you a new perspective of that truth—a fresh application. I have nothing against people who read the entire Bible through every year, in fact, it’s a great discipline! That being said, I will offer you two warnings. First, don’t just go through the motions so you can check off a box that you read several chapters without any comprehension. That’s not a spiritual victory, it is an empty, religious duty, and you would be wise to focus on a verse or two, or even a short passage that you can retain.
Second, if you do read large portions of Scripture, don’t tell everyone about it. There’s nothing worse than a spiritual bragger who makes others feel like a failure (whether intentionally or inadvertently), or that they are an inferior believer. It’s between you and the Lord, period. So, start digging and you will be surprised at the treasure you uncover that’s been there all along. You might just say, “Wow! I’ve never seen that!”
Isn’t it just like our human nature to criticize other people for their faults, but not our own? Sometimes it’s almost like we live by a different standard and whenever it’s our turn, or we get caught, we write off our sins as “not that bad”. Today’s scripture reading is the quintessential example of this type of attitude and behavior, but we will get to that momentarily.
This isn’t just an attitude that takes place in the workforce, or in our private residences; sadly, it is very prevalent within our church communities. I don’t know if it’s that we as believers think we have a monopoly on morality, but when we stumble or do the same things as people outside of the church, we tend to shrug it off. Hypocrisy is the theme today, not apathy, but think about a very common sin that we engage in and don’t even deal with it. Just because you’re doing “religious” things the way you’ve always done them doesn’t mean you’re spiritually mature. Our “sophisticated“ mishaps are still considered sin to the Lord. This is just one example of how we give ourselves a free pass, but I wonder if sometimes we are ever guilty of being whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones, just clocking hours at the church house and going through the motions?
Let’s consider the woman who was caught in adultery. When Jesus gave these religious leaders an opportunity to cast the first stone at this woman who deserved it according to the law, they were like, “Nah, we’re gonna pass!” The consensus of biblical studies is that these fellows had their own sins that they needed to deal with before they started throwing stones at other people. This was evidenced by Jesus stooping down and writing with His finger in the dirt. My unsolicited opinion is that due to the order in which they left the scene, from the oldest to the youngest, Jesus could have very well been writing their list of sins—more for the older; fewer the younger. Just my thoughts (and likely of some Bible scholars).
Jesus never said that He condoned her sin, but He spoke to her those precious words, “Neither do I condemn you.” Yet, there was more to it. Because He was sinless God, He forgave her and then gave her the command to “go and sin no more.” I wonder how it would look if God were to address the church that you or I attend and start listing the faults of individual members? Then what if He gave us the option to condemn and throw stones at the people who had sin in their lives? The only appropriate and honest response that we could have would be something to the effect of dropping the stones in our hand, removing ourselves from the judgment seat of accusation, and saying, “Nah, I’m gonna pass. I’ve got to deal with my own sins.”
More often than not, I spend a portion of my Tuesdays in New York City. If you’ve ever driven in the Big Apple, you will know that there is a certain driving skill that most New Yorkers, New Jersey residents, and ALL cab drivers possess. This skill simply involves driving with one hand on the wheel and the other hand on the horn. At the first fraction of a second after a light turns green, the horns blare. They barely give you enough time to get your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.
People are so impatient these days, and I am no exception. I want to get where I’m going yesterday, but even with that mentality, I never resort to passing people on the shoulder, or doing what the motorcycles do and split lanes. All of that behavior is so dangerous! When I started driving to New York City for work almost 5 years ago, I quickly found out why so many people are miserable, angry, and on edge. They are all running around like chickens with their heads cut off, yet never really seem to be getting anywhere that has purpose.
While I certainly haven’t done so well in the patience department, I’m definitely getting lots of lessons in waiting. No matter how much we don’t like it, we must realize that there is a purpose for the pause. The old saying goes something like, “Sometimes He calms the storm, but sometimes He calms His child.” I’m ashamed to admit that I get more worked up than I should, especially given the trivial impact of a traffic back-up in the big picture of life. I’ll probably forget the whole event in a matter of hours anyway.
Back in the day, when Jesus was on the boat with His disciples taking a nap, He had to come to their rescue. He did this by first calming the physical storm that was raging around them and then by calming the storms that were brewing in their hearts, due to their lack of faith. I personally feel like this is one of the most relatable passages in the entire Bible, because each of us periodically gets overwhelmed by the stress of life, thus the reason we fail to stay calm. Jesus told the disciples that they were going over to the other side, and the same is true for us. Let me leave you with a rhetorical question: “Do you really think that Jesus would have let His disciples drown at sea after telling them they were going to the other side, especially when He was in the boat?” Keep calm and motor on!
I don’t think this devotion would hit right if I didn’t start off with the question “To be dependent or not to be dependent? that is the question.” It’s amazing how many of us think that we are independent until the things that we subconsciously depend on are suddenly absent. It’s then we realize exactly how dependent upon other people or entities we truly are!
Sunday evening, I made my normal commute into work—well, I guess it’s not normal since it takes me 9 hours, but for the sake of the illustration, it was part of my normal routine. The only part that was different is that the area to which I was traveling had been severely affected by the recent storm, to the point that much of the city was still without power. I knew this information going into it, so I set my expectations of working amenities pretty low.
I did some driving around, but I had to be especially careful since many of the traffic lights were not operational. However, people were doing a good job of yielding the right of way and taking turns. One particular road that I turned onto was completely blocked by a tree, and when I say “blocked”, it looked like someone planted a 20-foot-tall shrub in the middle of the road. There was absolutely no getting around it. They say it could be days until people have their power back on. We have all been there, and that is a helpless situation, especially when you think about the fact that we depend on electricity in so many areas of our lives.
While my heart goes out to the countless number of people who are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane, I was undeservedly blessed that the place where I stayed was on city water, meaning that I was able to use the faucets and toilet like I normally would. This is different from my home, because I have a well, and while the water is free, it takes electricity to pump it out of the ground using the well pump. So, I learned that if I have running water, I have far more than I need. Although we are dependent on it, electricity is a luxury.
We don’t often think about the things on which we depend until there is either a crisis or an abrupt change of circumstances. I fear that we treat God like this. The words of our prayers reflect that we depend on Him, but it’s really just lip service, not our sincere heart attitude. Well, I never want to be in Job’s shoes, but that guy was the epitome of depending on God, despite the fact that he had lost everything on which he could’ve placed his dependence. So, the next time we think we are independent, we must remember that without the very breath that God gives us on a daily basis, we can’t even function. Let’s reestablish our dependence on Him.
Do you remember the days when families would gather around the radio? Okay, so maybe you’re not that old, but maybe your parents or grandparents shared these experiences with you. I remember a number of years ago, when we only had our two oldest children, that we purchased an Internet radio (I think it was from one of the Moody ministries). Anyway, that’s an insignificant detail, but what is significant is the reason that we acquired one of these gems. (Please note, this was back when we had almost no money, so $100 was a lot to spend on anything, let alone a radio!)
It was pretty cool that we could listen to any genre that we wanted to, at any time of day, without having to worry about static or bad radio reception. However, the main purpose for us buying this piece of equipment was so we could listen to “Keys for Kids” with our children (once they switched from Uncle Charlie to Zach, it just didn’t have the same feel). Now, I could not tell you a single illustration or lesson from what we listened to, but the part of being together and wanting our children to hear truth from the radio was very special.
Another memory, which didn’t necessarily include Bible teaching, was when we would get out the Christmas records and put them on the turntable, listening to the old music that would take us back quite a few decades. It was both nostalgic and magical for me, and I hope that my children will remember these occasions. By the way, they still use record players, and quite comically, they sometimes play music that is older than I am.
Regardless of the content, the importance of the time of togetherness is crucial. They grow up so fast and we only get what seems like a couple minutes to instill within their hearts the beauty of simply being together and collectively focusing on a single object (not a family-size pack of cell phones). Whether it is gathering around a record player, sitting around the dinner table, or just swapping crazy stories about the events of the day, these are the memories that will outlive the countless hours on social media or other entities that often become a distraction. If you gather around God’s Word together and model your faith in front of your children, you may not only start a great tradition, you will likely also make a lasting impact.
Have you or a loved one ever been accused of sleepwalking? I can’t say that I ever have, but I’m pretty sure my son did at least once. If you have ever done this, hopefully you never went outside, got in your car, and drove down the road asleep. You know, with all the crazy things in this world, I could actually see that happening to someone. If there was a way that I could somehow stay asleep at 3:00 AM while walking to the restroom (because I’m over 40), that would be really cool!
We are actually in that time of year where we transition from “pumpkin spice everything season” to “zombie season”, where people get over-infatuated with Halloween–themed stuff. I guess that’s cool if you’re into that genre—to each his own. I’ve been to Jason‘s Woods more than once in my life, so I’m pretty much scared of hay rides at night, and even the kid-friendly “haunted house” at Knoebels amusement park. Some people are even keeping their 12-foot-tall skeletons up in their front yard year-around. Anyway, back to the sleepy part.
Metaphorically, so many people are asleep. I’m not talking from merely a political standpoint, but spiritually speaking, so many people are either asleep or dead. Now, this is not a problem that is isolated to the day in which we live. This type of behavior has been going on since the fall of man. Sadly, we haven’t learned our lesson, and I fear it is because we have ignored or neglected God’s instructions on how to live righteously.
Whether it was one of the Old Testament prophets addressing the nation of Israel for their apathy and indifference, or the Apostle Paul writing to Gentile believers in the New Testament warning them to wake up, the message is the same. If all the bizarre events in the world that are taking place haven’t caused you to wake up, you are in a dangerous state of sleep walking.
Rather than waking up to the evil in the world, so many people are going woke, and the two are polar opposites. The problem with the world isn’t that there is more evil than before, the problem is that all the good people are asleep or tuned-out, settling instead for apathy.
Perhaps you need wake up from your slumber—I know I do in certain areas—and get serious about the fact that our deliverance from this world is closer than when we first believed. That is very comforting, especially given the level of wickedness that society has reached. I don’t mean to be “Mr. doom and gloom”, but all this stuff in the news with Diddy is just a drop in the bucket compared to things that are happening worldwide, or will be happening soon. Today’s assignment: wake up, be alert, and warn others about what time it is. Thankfully, there is hope and eternal rescue in Jesus!
1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
One of my favorite forms of recreation that I enjoy with my children is fishing. We don’t always catch a lot of fish, but when we do, they are usually very small and we throw them back. None of the fish would even be big enough for a fish sandwich, but it’s fun to be together with my kids and enjoy the challenge of enticing fish to take the bait. Plus, if the economy keeps trending the way it’s going, we are going to need to be avid fishermen (and fisherwomen) in order to stay alive. My kids prefer seafood over food from the land, so little fish out of a pond would be a pretty close match, I guess.
Sometimes we use real worms for bait, but other times we use fake lures, artificial worms, and Slim Jims®. No, that last one was not a typo. If you cut a Slim Jim® into small sections, it will almost appear to be a worm to the unsuspecting fish. Plus, they are a whole lot easier to get on the hook than squirmy night crawlers, not to mention that they double as a tasty snack for whenever the fish are not biting!
Since we throw these little guys back, I often wonder if we have “repeat customers”. You know, fish that either didn’t learn after their first lip piercing, or ones that didn’t get the memo or listen to the warning of the others. Occasionally, they get the bait, get away, and leave me with an empty hook that I have to replenish; but more often than not, they get hooked and I reel them in. I don’t know how their little brains work, but I can imagine they are in full-on panic mode.
Even as Christians, while we have a greater power within us through the Holy Spirit, we are not immune to the deception of Satan who uses the bait of “temptation”. When he dangles that worm, Slim Jim®, or cricket in front of us, we often think that it looks appetizing. This has always been his method, dating as far back as Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God told them not to eat from a certain tree, and that’s the very tree Satan deceived them into eating from, thus entering into sin through their disobedience. It wasn’t an “oopsie, we didn’t know!”
We know all about how this works, because we might see a sign that says “Wet paint, do not touch!” and suddenly we are tempted to touch it just to see if it really is wet. There’s a reason for the warning, and if we obey that warning, we won’t end up in trouble. However, our senses often override our sense, and we end up choosing the wrong way; if that makes sense.
The Devil has an entire tackle box filled with various kinds of bait, and based on our individual weaknesses, he employs them strategically. One person may be tempted to abuse drugs or alcohol, while another person’s weakness may be engaging in unethical financial dealings. Whatever bait the Enemy uses, there is a very sharp, damaging hook attached.
As believers, we must be extremely vigilant and aware that Satan’s devices are not always obvious, making it very easy for us to be deceived. Let’s pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and discernment so that we don’t end up getting hooked by the Devil.
Yesterday, one of my daughters was in the car with me and she said, “Dad, you need to take a grammar class, because you have lots of mistakes in your devotionals.” Apparently they are not misspellings, but the wrong use of words like “their”, “there”, and “they’re”. This was super frustrating to me because even though I proofread my writings before posting them, I guess I am missing things. I’m always in a hurry. What’s even more frustrating is that I’m so much of a grammar Nazi that I even have a shirt that says “*you’re”, since that’s probably the most common misused word among people, especially on social media.
I guess I will have to be more careful when I proofread, and not be content with just double checking, but step up my game and triple check my work. Hopefully my readers are not angry, and understand that I am more than capable of making mistakes. These errors were unbeknownst to me, but now that I’m aware, I can make the appropriate changes and try to give you better quality content. Now, I know that my devotionals are a little lengthy, but that’s not a mistake—I just have a lot to say, so I just write until my point is finished.
Have you ever noticed how some people misuse the word “mistake”? I’m not talking about misspelling it like I did for the title; I’m talking about the entirely wrong definition they attribute to the word. Usually, this occurs when someone gets busted for whatever sin they were participating in, and when they issue a formal apology, all I hear is “I’m sorry I got caught.” I’m not pointing fingers, because I’m just as guilty of this wrong attitude as the next guy.
Although it wouldn’t grammatically sound right, the most accurate and honest way to say it would be “I made an on purpose” rather than “I made a mistake.” We tend to give children a little more slack, but when it comes to adults, we know what we we are doing and what the consequences of our actions will be. Generally, mistakes are rooted in ignorance, not rebellion. My kids don’t miss a spelling word because they were being rebellious, they miss it because they were unaware of the correct spelling—a common misteak. The reason for the quizzes and tests are to get them to learn how to spell properly so they don’t make that mistake again.
So often, in trying to justify our disobedience, we call our “on purpose” sins “oopsies” and act like we didn’t know they were wrong. Come on now, who are we kidding? God gives us clear direction in His Word, so when we claim we don’t know what’s right and wrong, it just proves that we’re not paying attention to His commands and the reasonable expectations He has for us as His children.
So, in my daughter’s defense, I’m glad she brought these mistakes to my attention so I could be more careful; but I’m even more grateful that she is reading what her daddy is writing! (Or is it “righting”? Hmmm). Anyway, it does my heart good—or well—or whatever. See, now I’m going to be grammatically paranoid!
Do you ever wonder what life is all about? Do you ever feel like throwing your hands up and throwing in the towel? Do you ever feel like you give and give, and then give some more, with virtually no payoff or benefit? Do you feel like years of your life have been wasted trying to arrive at your purpose? (I feel like I should say “then you may be entitled to compensation” :) Let me attempt to address the last question. You have probably heard me say this or read some of my writings that say “we never arrive in this life”. As humans, I fear that we have gotten it all wrong, setting up only earthly goals.
We often set certain goals, which may not be wrong, but in trying to achieve them, we miss so much of life. I’m not trying to be super-spiritual, but I think sometimes our goals and dreams become idols. We get so fixated on the end result that the whole journey is a blur. Perhaps we focus on the final product and fail to see the production process. Whenever I travel, my goal is to get to my destination ASAP, so I know that there are many sights along the way that I miss seeing. It was the great philosopher Celine Dion who said, “I’ve traveled the world, but sadly, I’ve not seen the world.” With all the tour stops, she never got to take in the beauty around her.
At times, I believe the lie that if I get to a certain level, maybe financially or occupationally, that I can sit back, relax, and enjoy life. However, that’s the wrong way to look at it. In fact, without the stops and detours along the way, you can never fully appreciate the destination to which you are headed, if you ever get there. It may be the relationships and experiences along the way that have a greater impact on your life than your dreams and aspirations. You may actually be surprised that when you finally reach your goal, it wasn’t all that you imagined it would be. The real disappointment lies in all the missed opportunities and experiences along the way that you may have sacrificed by trying to hustle through life.
When we take the time to look around, and even pause along life’s journey, we will be less likely to miss tons of blessings that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. To be honest, some of the greatest ministry opportunities have never taken place on a stage or in front of an audience—they are one-on-one interactions that could potentially change someone’s life. While we may see the final product when someone wins the Super Bowl, that’s only part of the picture. That game started being won months or years prior, in the gym, at practice, and through much mental preparation.
The behind-the-scenes experiences have a much longer lasting satisfaction, because even if no one else sees them, God does. He will bless exponentially more than human praise or financial compensation ever could. I want to encourage you to keep plodding along, looking for daily opportunities to make an eternal impact, both in your own life and in the lives of others. When you live by this standard, you will be less likely to forfeit those precious moments that would normally be missed opportunities. Don’t get so focused on a single life goal that you miss really living. Live on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.
Have you ever gotten upset when the Internet went out, or when one of your cars was dirty and needed washed, or your favorite team didn’t win the game? I know I have gotten worked up over the silliest things. Sometimes the comforts of this life that we have become accustomed to cause us to get bent-out-of shape over the most trivial things. I don’t think we realize, even on our worst day, how good we have it! Now, I am not trying to discount the problems you are facing, or the ends that won’t meet, but if we are honest, compared to most of the world, we are wealthy. Hence, the sarcastic tone when insignificant things go wrong and we call them “First World problems”.
Just so you don’t think I’m only talking about Third World countries, let me give you a domestic example. There is a place in West Virginia called McDowell County and it is one of the poorest places in the United States. I know this because our church supports a mission that takes basic necessities and distributes them to these people. I have family members that have visited there, and let’s just say that if you leave your shoes on the mat outside overnight, they won’t be there in the morning. The county is also plagued with a drug problem, for obvious reasons. The median income is only $28,000 per year (when reported in 2022). When I thought about that place a few days ago, it reminded me that I need to count my blessings.
Many of my customers appear to be pretty well-off—that is if they’re multi-million dollar homes, or multiple homes, are any indicator. The designer automobiles also hint at the fact that from a financial standpoint, they have been blessed—or they are just in debt up to their eyeballs. Now, I know that happiness is not contingent upon material wealth, and I know that many people who are rich can sometimes be miserable, but it does speak to the fact that most of us have more than enough. If the Lord has given you a little extra, listen for His voice whenever He tells you to help out someone who is less fortunate. To be honest, each of us could just be one paycheck away from poverty. Remember to count your blessings and always be aware of how you can bless others.
Have you ever told anyone, or has anyone ever told you, that you are full of hot air? Normally, that’s a bad thing, but since I am not normal, I want to equate that with being a good thing. For some reason, I had the idea of a hot air balloon in my head twice over the past two days, and I haven’t even seen one for a long time, so I’m thinking that maybe I’m supposed to write about hot air balloons. Hopefully it doesn’t go over like a lead balloon!
Without getting too scientific, the way that hot air balloons work is that heat from a burner is injected into the balloon, causing it to rise, since hot air is lighter than cold air. This explains why your baseboard heaters are not mounted at the top of your wall—warm air rises. You can protest it and start all the “anti-warm-air-rising” movements that you want to, but this fact of nature will never change. Believe it or not, you can actually jump higher when it’s warm outside. Actually, the internet is kind of divided on this, so I guess you’ll have to try it and measure your jumping height, but please don’t get hurt because I will feel responsible.
We often hear the terms “on fire for God” or “that was a very warm, welcoming church”. On the other hand, we hear things like “it’s a cold world out there” or “they have an icy demeanor,” which are antithetical to the warmth that we desire as believers in Christ. From a trial perspective, like we saw yesterday, some obstacles are inevitable and we can’t avoid them. However, our character is measured by how we respond to the speed bumps of life. I have seen how the warmth of some individuals (who have literally been through the fire) has caused them to rise above the circumstances of life. Their bad situation may have not changed, but their attitude made all the difference. I have a lot of growing to do in this area.
When we come to Jesus, all our problems don’t go away automatically, but we do have a new sense of purpose that causes us to embrace the warmth of His comfort, which leads to us being on fire for Him. Just as fire affects its surroundings, and just as fire in the hot air balloon causes it to rise, so our godly testimony will help us rise above the opposition, as well as attract others to the Source of our spiritual temperature. This cold, hateful world needs all the warmth and love of Christ that we can give it! The next time you see a hot air balloon, remember this analogy so that you don’t conform to the cold, dark, world system. The warmer you are, the higher you will go, and the closer you will be to the Son. (SWIDT? :)
I will close with one more “heat” analogy. Sometimes we face the fire of affliction, but instead of being burned, God’s desire is that it refines us and makes us purer. That being said, if things seem to be heating up in your life, it could be that God is taking you to the next level in your spirituality. He may be teaching you perseverance or dependence upon Him in the hard times. Job, who went through the toughest trials that we could ever imagine, declared that when God had tried him, he would come forth as gold. Last time I checked, gold is precious and valuable. So if you’re full of hot air, let it be because you are filled with the fire of God that is at work within you. It will cause you to rise above the trials of life, and cause others to want the same hope that you so warmly radiate.
Have you ever been stuck behind a slow moving vehicle and can’t get around? That’s literally the story of my life. The most common tale is when a tractor trailer is in the left-hand lane, going uphill, driving well below the speed limit. That is super frustrating because they are not supposed to be in that lane unless they are passing a slower vehicle. An even more frustrating scenario is when traffic comes to a screeching halt for no reason, and we sit there needlessly instead of making progress. Then there are the ones that I don’t even get mad at anymore, I simply chuckle at them. One is when the highway goes from two lanes down to a single lane due to “construction”. After many minutes of people fighting their way into one lane, we finally see that all of this was so that eight guys could be on their cell phones while one guy operates a piece of machinery. It’s funny because it’s true!
Those are nuisance obstacles, but sometimes life serves us up some real challenges. Often times, it feels like we will never be able to scale that wall in front of us, or that the door of opportunity will always be locked with a deadbolt, and we will never find the key. Don’t worry, when God allows this to occur, He has a huge purpose on the other side of it. Finally, there are the obstacles that we are responsible for placing in our own way because of our disobedience and sin. When God’s Word clearly speaks to an issue and we either ignore it or reject it, we are creating stumbling blocks for ourselves.
When you see a highway sign that says “Roadwork 10 miles ahead”, you have time for preparing to avoid this obstacle. Such is the case with an obstacle created by temptation to sin. We know what the Bible says, and we shouldn’t be surprised when things get messed up after we follow our desires into sin. Just as we can heed the warning on the highway sign and make the appropriate adjustments to our route, when it comes to choosing to do what is right rather than sin, we often have plenty of warning, allowing us to adjust our course to pursue righteousness. Is it easy? If it was, then we wouldn’t sin as much as we do. But God always provides a way of escape in times of temptation.
So, we have seen that while some obstacles are inevitable, others are avoidable. If you use a GPS, most often it will offer you a detour that bypasses whatever obstacle may be ahead. The key to success in this area is to keep looking ahead, focusing on the journey. As in the case of the inevitable spiritual obstacles, there is nothing we can do, and we simply have to sit in traffic and wait it out. However, if we are diligent in watching out for obstacles that we can see up ahead, and especially those of our own making, we can correct our path, take a detour, and get to our intended destination unscathed. In those times when we are able to choose to avoid the situation, we should choose wisely. But in those times where we have no control, we just have to wait patiently and trust that God has a purpose for the delay and lessons along the way. Above all, keep your eyes on Jesus.
One of the positives of no longer being employed by a church is that I can say what needs to be said without worrying about who is going to try to have me fired because they didn’t like it. This is something that many pastors deal with on a daily basis, and it’s likely one of the reasons that the percentage of pastors who consider leaving the ministry is increasing every year. The latest Barna research data shows that number to be around 42%. There’s a lot of passivity that occurs in the name of self-preservation. Too many individuals are afraid to be real.
Not always, but in many church situations, there is usually a “church boss” who sort of operates in the shadows, yet keeps the pressure on the pastor to steer the church in the direction that they want it to go. Sadly, many pastors don’t stand up against this injustice because they have families to feed and they are afraid of losing their jobs. Unfortunately, some churches even become known as “pastor eaters” because most pastors that come there to minister don’t last very long. The average tenure of a pastor is 4 years, which means there are many that don’t even last that long, while some do last longer, but maybe not for the right reasons.
While abusive pastors are a dime-a-dozen, you don’t often hear about the folks in the seats that Kent Crockett calls “pastor abusers”. I don’t know that I would necessarily equate it to blackmail, but that could certainly be involved in some cases. In my personal experience with difficult church members, the issues were never doctrinal—they were always based on personal preferences.
Obviously, every situation is different. Sometimes controlling pastors are the problem, but sometimes controlling pew people are the problem. One thing is sure, the common denominator is always rooted in sin and selfishness. Some pastors should have left years ago, but some parishioners have also overstayed their time. The church has a revolving door, and wisdom tells us when to stay and fight for truth and when to move on. More churches than we want to admit should probably have the word “Ichabod“ written over the door.
In no way am I excusing the latest scandal of a certain high-profile pastor; he was wrong, and the sin must be dealt with accordingly. However, people need to stop putting pastors on pedestals, treating them like celebrities, or expecting them to be sinlessly perfect. They will let you down, just like everybody else. They are just regular people, like the rest of us, who happen to have a specific calling. Now, everyone has a calling, so whatever God has called you to do is every bit as important as what God has called them to do. The purpose is the same, though the venue is different: the goal is to make disciples.
I am not picking on pastors, because I was one for 10 years, and I still preach wherever I am invited, as well as occasionally host Bible studies in my home. My calling hasn’t changed, just the venue and the frequency. Now, instead of cranking out 3 to 4 sermons per week, I’m dropping 7 devotional writings per week, and I’m loving it! At this juncture in my life, it is very fulfilling. Honestly, in some ways this ministry can be equally as effective, because we’re on a daily journey, not just a weekly sermon tour. Don’t get me wrong, good, meaty sermons are essential, but let’s face it, we have short memories and forget a lot of what we’ve heard by Monday morning.
I’ve said some things today that others either won’t say, or can’t say because it’s not safe for them. I promise you, it’s all in love, because the body of Christ has so much potential, as well as unlimited opportunity, to minister to the world. But the bottom line—the truth of the matter—is that these ecclesiastical problems can be averted or remedied by us keeping our focus on the Head of the church: Jesus Christ. Until the house gets fixed, there’s no way you can justify inviting guests to come in. I urge you to say an extra prayer for your pastor today, and perhaps even send him a text or note of encouragement. It will mean the world to him! After all, he’s got his hands full dealing with us :)
Now, before you click the “X“, hear me out. When I use the word “therapy”, I don’t necessarily mean a formal appointment with a licensed therapist or counselor. Those folks are great, and they have their place, but the therapy I am talking about deals more with hobbies or interests that help us to better manage our lives. I am also not talking about physical therapy, because I want us to focus on our mind and heart. You can be the healthiest physical specimen alive and still be plagued with mental, emotional, or spiritual burdens.
I really want us to focus on the happy things that distract us from the negativity of the daily rat race. Although I don’t do it much, I love to play my drums as sort of an escape from reality. I’m not in a band, although I would love to be, so I just have to be content with playing along to other people’s music. While I know some people that play music for a living, most of my musical friends just do it for the joy and fulfillment of making music.
I think my main source of therapy is writing, which should be no surprise since you are reading the fruit of my labor. It’s a labor of love, because I obviously don’t get paid a dime, nor does that matter. I just love to write and use this gift to communicate God’s truth in practical, easy-to-remember ways. Perhaps much of my writing is quirky or even cringe-worthy, but if you remember the illustration and apply the truth, then I have accomplished what I set out to do. For me, that is true success, and you can’t put a price tag on that.
When I pose the question, “What is your source of therapy?” I want you to consider things that make you happy or bring you peace and joy in the midst of an inevitably hectic society. While we can’t fully escape the chaos of the world, we can choose to not let it consume or control us. For many of us, reading some of God’s promises from the Bible is the greatest form of therapy. Of course, talking to Him in prayer is especially comforting as well.
How about singing? If you have ever watched American Idol or The Voice, you will know that millions of people turn to singing as their source of personal therapy. The bad thing is that many of them aren’t really good at it, so once they get a reality check when Simon Cowell tells them they sound like a dying cow, they might actually need professional therapy to help them cope with the sting of rejection.
Hiking or being out in nature is an amazing form of therapy, unless you are like me and hate bugs. Multiple forms of recreation prove to get our minds off of the hustle and bustle of life. I’m not very good at them, but a couple of my favorite things to do are: go fishing with my kids and play pickleball with them. Even though we don’t often get many bites or catches when going fishing, the calmness and quietness is the epitome of being therapeutic. As for pickleball, we just make the rules up as we go and that makes it more fun.
Now, just so you don’t think I’m painting a utopian picture of a perfect life, here’s an observation: the so-called “Instagram life” doesn’t really exist. I have been tempted in the past to start a social media account that shows all the ordinary moments, or even the bad days, to counter all the fake, seemingly-perfect people who only post the highs and never the lows. That’s not real life! So often, we base our happiness on the attention or “likes“ we get from people we don’t even know. Let’s focus on being real, pleasing the Lord, and living a life of contentment and peace.
Raise your hand if you’re familiar with the light on the dash of your car that says “Change oil”. While every car may not give, you a fancy-shmancy notification, usually the person who changed it last would have written the information on a sticker and put it in the upper corner of your vehicle; and you probably will never look at it again. Okay, if you have a Tesla, Rivian, or Chevy Volt, you don’t have to mess with oil changes—you just have to pay an electric bill that equals the average person’s mortgage. I love the idea of a sign that says, “Free oil changes for life with the purchase of any Tesla.” If you don’t know, then I’m sorry, I’m not going to take time to explain it. We have lots of miles to cover :)
Since I put a lot of miles on my work vehicles, I average an oil change every other week. So, I end up doing about 25 oil changes per year, and you can probably understand why I do them myself. First of all, the convenience of not having to schedule an appointment when it literally takes me 15 minutes to accomplish. Second, because most quick lube garages charge well over $100 for an oil change—I’m not lying; I have a receipt to prove it!
The older generations understand the importance of having fresh oil, while the younger generations sometimes wait until the red oil can light comes on, which is different than the reminder light. This light means you probably don’t have enough oil and you need to add some. Hopefully no one is waiting until they see smoke, ‘cause that’s never good. So, while it may seem like a minor item, oil is literally what keeps your engine lubricated internally, causing it to continue to get your from A to B—or for some of us: A to B to C to D to E…to Z.
In both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, oil is representative of the Holy Spirit. If you have been saved, you have the Holy Spirit living within you—meaning that God indwells you! So, when He tells you to do something and you say, “I can’t,” what you’re really saying is, “God, you can’t do _________” (fill in the blank of with whatever your situation is). While none of us may have ever said these words audibly, our hearts sometimes feel that way; let’s be honest, we all have doubts at times.
Just as you don’t see the oil inside the engine of your car, you can’t physically see the Holy Spirit inside a person. However, you will know He is there because you won’t be able to operate spiritually without Him—you’d be dead in your sins. But when a person is filled with the Spirit, everyone around them knows it. Without oil in your car, it will not run (disclaimer: electric vehicles [EV] don’t apply since my metaphor is based on internal combustion engines [ICE]—I just made up that acronym and I think it’s pretty smooth; like oil ;)
While you should always use the grade of oil that your car calls for, you need to keep refreshing it because it gets dirty. The Bible tells us that there is one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4). We are also commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not drunk with booze (look it up, it’s there—Ephesians 5:18). Now, the Holy Spirit doesn’t get dirty since He’s perfect, but we do—everyday. That’s why we need to stay fresh in our walk with the Lord by asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth, and He will do it (John 16:13). Take a few moments today to make sure your will is surrendered to God’s plans, and rely on the all-powerful strength of His Spirit within you in order to have a victorious day!
I drive in Vermont quite a bit, so I guess you could say I just get used to the scenery. However, yesterday as I was driving from New Hampshire to New York, it was early morning going through Vermont and the surroundings really caught my attention. It was beautiful to look out over the miles from a scenic overlook to view the Green Mountains. If you know anything about Ethan Allen, or have ever had Green Mountain Coffee, you may be familiar with the area, or at least it’s history. Needless to say, it’s gorgeous! The leaves have already started to change in the higher elevations, but of course the iPhone camera doesn’t do the photos justice.
You know you’re crossing into Hoosick, New York when you start to see billboards again, because if you aren’t aware, Vermont is one of four states in which it is illegal to have billboards. I like this law because it really enhances the natural beauty, which is the whole point of it. I guess as someone who travels for a living, I get kind of numb to my surroundings. Perhaps it’s because I’m usually on a tight schedule, or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve literally seen New York City, Boston, and Cape Cod so many times that I’ve lost count, and now it has lost its luster. However, yesterday I wasn’t on as tight of a schedule, so I made a couple quick stops to take some pictures and soak in the scenery. Appreciation of God’s beauty is good for the soul.
One of the brief stops I made was an old stone church in a beautiful little grove, and it was shortly after pausing there momentarily that today’s devotion topic came to mind: celebrating our Creator. Just as a painting has a painter, a building has a builder, and a book has a writer, creation has a Creator. And while it’s impossible to meet folks like van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Edgar Allan Poe (since they’re all dead), not only can humans meet their Creator, they can also have a personal relationship with Him—He’s not dead!
Most of what I write on a daily basis is nothing new to any of you, but I hope that it serves as a reminder to keep your focus on the One who never takes His eyes off of you; the One who never stops walking beside you and holding your hand. What else or who else can you think of where, without paying an exorbitant fee, you can have unhindered access to, regardless of your location or the time of day? No such thing exists—except with God. The Designer of the masterpiece we call the Universe is as close as the mention of His name. It’s hard to comprehend, but He is not bound by time or distance.
I am not going to insult your intelligence by trying to describe how beautiful this world is, because you have witnessed that for yourself. My purpose is that these little insights will serve as a reminder to worship the One who created it all. You don’t have to purchase VIP tickets, secure backstage passes, or produce special credentials in order to have access to Him like you would with a celebrity. It’s as simple as personally knowing Him through salvation and communicating with Him frequently—that will show you value this amazing relationship. So, as you start to see the leaves changing, remember that He didn’t only create it all, but He also keeps it going and looking beautiful, like the ultimate Groundskeeper.
Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:14–18
Having children that belong to both Gen Z and Generation Alpha, I feel like I have to learn a new language. These kids use words that didn’t exist several years ago, and if they did, they certainly didn’t mean what they do now. I’m sure today’s reading will be a little bit cringe, and if my children read it, they will probably respond with the eye roll emoji, but it’s all Gucci. I know that she would never read this in a billion years, but shout out to Kelly Clarkson for keeping the word “rad” alive. Surprisingly the word “cool” has stood the test of time, so that’s cool!
I have no problem with the new words, as long as I can understand them and they don’t have any bad meanings. The way that some of these kids talk out in public reminds me of the day when parents used to wash their children’s mouths out with soap, but now that’s child abuse and it comes with a guaranteed court appearance. Perhaps I was just sheltered, or it was taboo to say certain words out loud, but I guess I was privileged to go to a school where you could end up in detention for saying the word “butt” instead of “rear end”. Oh, and if you were referring to a cigarette rear end, that was probably an automatic expulsion.
I remember when my sixth grade teacher got upset with one of the students who had a messy desk and said, “Clean up this cr@p!” As impressionable youths, we thought all heck had broken loose in our little Christian school! A couple years ago, I reminded her of that event while I was speaking at a commencement ceremony at my alma mater.
Anyway, enough about my generation, let’s get back to the struggle of trying to navigate the choppy waters of today’s language barrier. Words like rizz, skibidi, cheugy, stan, glow-up, pop off, and slaps are just some of the words that make up their crazy language. Are they silly? Bet.
The beauty of the Bible is that it was written for every generation. Sure, our language has changed, but the meaning behind certain words like redemption, justification, grace, salvation, and a host of others have not changed. This is where it is our responsibility to explain the truth to the younger generations in a way that they can comprehend. Believe me, just because they talk stupid doesn’t mean they aren’t smart—they are very intelligent. In fact, when it comes to tests, some of these kids are slaying!
For today’s Scripture texts, I purposely did not choose ones that referred to generations, but instead I chose verses that explain the fact that God’s salvation is available to everyone. The passage in Ephesians speaks about the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross tearing down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles, and last time I checked, those are the only two categories of humans. The fact that God’s Word has been translated into thousands of languages is fire! However, my hope is that we don’t neglect those within our own sphere of influence who speak our own language. My prayer is that when we give them the gospel, it hits different.
Okay, so before I bounce, today’s challenge is to speak truth into the lives of the younger generation in tangible ways they can understand so that it has a lasting impact. While I have had fun attempting to use some of these bougie words, tomorrow I will resume writing in a language that I am used to. Also, I have refrained from starting my sentences with lowercase letters because I am not e.e. cunmings, nor am I part of Gen Z. But I do want to reach them and every generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ, because it breaks down all generational, cultural, and linguistic barriers. Fam, it’s legit bussin!
If you know me, even just a little bit, you know that I love music. I like a lot of different styles, depending on my mood, but gangster-polka-metal is where I draw the line. Okay, full disclosure: I made that up; I don’t think there’s any such genre that exists, but I’m sure it’s been attempted before (and it would have 100% involved alcohol). I will admit, I’m not a huge fan of much of the music that’s been made after the early 2000s, because once people of my kids’ generation were told they could be anything they wanted to be, suddenly they were all “pop stars”, using TikTok to market their brand that sounds exactly like a million other identical brands.
Back in the 1900s, when I was growing up, we had artists who were so unique that even if you didn’t like their style of music, you could pick them out of an audio lineup. Whitney Houston’s voice was unmistakable. You didn’t have to guess if it was her on the radio; you just knew. There was nobody else in the world who sounded just like Barry White, and people just couldn’t get enough of his love, babe. There were quartets such as Gold City, that sounded their best with a certain lineup, but then once they had a personnel change, it totally transformed the sound—not in a bad way, but it just wasn’t the same.
My point is that a lot of music (pre–Gen Z) had more uniqueness and individuality. Now don’t get me wrong, there were some groups that resembled each other’s sound, because I still have a hard time figuring out which songs belong to Chicago or REO Speedwagon. I was 42 years old when I found out that it was Shirley Temple who sang “I’m Gettin Nuttin for Christmas“, just three weeks ago. I can’t necessarily say that one particular style is my “favorite”, although I do favor Christian music. While I’ve attended many concerts of some of my favorite musical acts, I have been especially honored to be able to meet a few of them personally, and for the most part it has been a good experience.
It doesn’t matter which musical trends burst onto the scene, music is an ancient art form—in fact, it is considered to be the universal language. One of my children loves Korean music, while another loves music that was made before I was born. Then, there are my younger two who make up songs and giggle. My youngest recently wrote a song to help her with her science class, but I told her that even though it’s about a flower, she needs to be careful about where she sings about a “pistil”. It sounds like another word with an entirely different meaning, but if it helps her get a good grade in science, I’m all for it!
Music goes back much further than anything we have ever had the privilege of listening to. In fact, Genesis 4:21 tells us about Jubal, the father of musical instruments. For the longest time, my life verse was Psalm 150:5–you know because I play the drums and my drum set has a lot of cymbals. Even before the beginning of time, music would have been present in heaven among the angels.
Consider the biblical musical giant named David who wrote nearly half of the Book of Psalms (73 out of 150 ain’t bad). He was a very skilled musician, and even modern-day artists borrow his lyrics for their own songs. Also, think about the history of the Jewish people and their magnificent worship celebrations which included a lot of singing, playing instruments, and dancing. Even as we progress through the Bible into the book of Revelation, we see music mentioned. In fact, in Revelation 14:3, there is a literal concert taking place around God’s throne!
So, whether or not you are a big fan of music, it seems like we will be doing a lot of singing in heaven—and no, I do not believe that Chris Tomlin will be the worship leader in heaven, even though his songs do seem to last forever. God created music as a form of praise and is a beautiful expression of our worship. Even if you only sing in the shower and in your car on the way to work, go ahead and belt out a song of praise to Him today, because He is worthy!
Well, based on the consensus of advertisements, I think it’s safe to say we are officially in the fifth season. By this, I mean “pumpkin everything season”. The only thing I can think is that when all the major brands higher a marketing specialist, they make it a prerequisite to not only tolerate the flavor pumpkin, but to be overly obsessed with it. I challenge you to find one product that does not have some sort of connection to pumpkin or pumpkin spice. I’m sure it can be done, but not very easily. So, we’ve got Starbucks, Dunkin’, and every independent coffee cart competing for top sales in the coffee and pastry market.
This obnoxious trend will continue for the next couple months, then it will give way to the sixth season: “peppermint everything”. But let’s not get the cart ahead of the horse, and instead focus on the season at hand, as annoying as it is. As much as I roll my eyes and chuckle at all the advertisements, I will admit that it is kind of nice when certain themes accompany the changing seasons. Don’t get me started on candy corn, but that one is definitely vying for top position this time of year. If you’re not familiar with them, they are basically miniature traffic cones made of 110% sugar. I can’t handle them too much anymore. For me, they are right up there with circus peanuts—a few don’t bother me, but more than that make me want to vomit.
Even though Creator God made the seasons that we enjoy, I love the truth that Joel Vaughn sings about with his lyrics that say, “You don’t change with the seasons.” As humans, we get bored with the status quo and change our minds, our outfits, our hairstyles, and our musical tastes on an almost-daily basis. We are fickle; God is stable. We doubt and waver: God is faithful and static. Society has blatantly thumbed its nose at contentment, demanding constant change.
Don’t get me wrong, I try to keep up with the changing fashions, and I can look GQ whenever necessary. But sadly today, a hoodie, pajama pants, and a Rolex are a walking status symbol. I find it hilarious that many of the ugly styles that we had in the 80s and 90s have made a comeback, and now that I see my kids adopting these trends, I realize how ridiculous I looked back in the day. Change is inevitable, and while some is good, other change is unnecessary.
While God is always relevant in every culture and any time in history, His principles and character never change. Right will always be right, and wrong will always be wrong, according to His unchanging Word. This fact is comforting for us, because people change their minds like I change my clothes, and humanity certainly overthinks everything. But God’s truth is steadfast and you never have to wonder if it’s going to change or lose significance. In other words, God is not like that junky room in the corner of a rundown Kmart that has items that were on clearance from every single season. He doesn’t change with the seasons!
Don’t be worried about trying to keep up with the Joneses—just be faithful in whatever God has called you to do. Consistent service for Him is always in season.
I worked with a guy over a decade ago selling snack foods, but he moved on to become a mailman and I became a pastor. We stayed in touch for a while, but I haven’t seen him for a long time. I remember one time that he told me when he was delivering government checks (like clockwork) on his mail route, a little kid told him that one day he’d be getting his own check. How sad! I don’t know the circumstances that led to that particular life status, but it seems like there was no incentive to get off the system and become more self-sufficient. Some people get so comfortable depending on others that they don’t take the initiative to better themselves.
That’s one perspective, but we also have to be careful not to start new generational curses. Kids are sponges and they literally soak up everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s by God’s grace that they develop a filter to sift through the junk, extract the good, and adopt those wholesome patterns for daily living. Personally, I’m the negative example (to my own shame), and my kids sometimes witness my short fuse. This was not something I inherited, because I never heard my dad curse or raise his voice in anger, other than a couple times when he was working on a car and he called something a “common thing”. I guess that was his cuss word for those rare occasions that became flustered.
While I’m not proud of the fact that I haven’t mastered patience, I think it’s good for us to share some of our struggles, because some people are under the impression that all Christians are perfect and never get upset or lose their temper. While that might be the case externally, everyone has their imperfections to contend with, no matter how convincing the façade may appear. That doesn’t mean we justify or become content with our shortcomings, but we don’t live in denial, pretending that there are no areas in which we can improve as individuals. We will never arrive at perfection as long as we are on this earth, but our daily sanctification and progress should be evident as we grow in grace.
Now, when I speak of breaking generational curses, I’m not naïve to think that any family or individual will totally eradicate sin, because we live in a sin-cursed world. What I am alluding to are specific, identifiable curses that can be overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit and changing certain bad habits. For instance, you may not have been brought up in a Christian home, but now that you know Christ, you are going to do everything in your power to influence your family for Him. You didn’t inherit your salvation from your ancestors, but you can impact your offspring in a way that results in generational blessings and exposes them to the truth.
Since God doesn’t have any grandchildren, no one is automatically saved just because they were raised in church or because their parents were believers. However, the majority of believers trust Christ for salvation and enter into a relationship with Him by the age of 13, according to statistics. Don’t get me wrong, there are literally millions of people who have come to Christ later in life, but those cases are more rare than the younger converts. In Judges 2:10, we see that there was an entire generation who did not know the Lord, nor did they walk in His ways. Why? Because they were never shown the right way, due to the fact that their parents were not following the Lord. Hence, the lack of influence which led to a spiritually illiterate generation.
I am not trying to be nit-picky toward the people of Israel, but the apostle Paul reassured us that their history is recorded in the New Testament to serve as an example for those of us who have followed Jesus by faith. So, as our example in today’s scripture reading, they serve as a warning for us to not neglect being models of righteousness. We need to learn from them.
Don’t allow the bad stereotypes and misconceptions of being stuck in negative generational strongholds to keep you from breaking free. While this freedom can be true from a financial perspective, and that’s a good thing, it’s far too limited. Our desire should be to break free from the spiritual bondage that may have been passed down from previous generations by intentionally refusing to live under the curse. Remember, God is the only One who can break those curses and replace them with blessings—for generations to come. Break free!
My wife and I were cleaning out our basement yesterday and it was so amazing how much clutter we were able to straighten up. It seems like every time we engage in this dreaded process, we have to buy more trash bags because it requires more than what we normally keep on hand. Our youngest daughter is to blame for most of the little bits of paper on the floor because she is a prolific self–crafter, meaning that she makes messes from crafts that she designs in her brain which always manifest themselves in wasting computer paper and mailing tape.
As I was driving, shortly after completing the job, totally exhausted from taking on this overwhelming task which followed a lot of procrastination, I said to my wife, “This would be a good illustration for a devotion.” Did you catch that? I was driving, hence the moniker “Driven Devotions” (SWIDT?). So, when I got home I grabbed my iPad, and here we are with the finished result. Ironically, I am sitting on the couch with my feet propped up in the newly-cleaned basement… and it is so much less stressful after the declutterring. Scratch that—the kids are coming and I need to engage in damage control.
In both of our text passages from the book of Psalms, David acknowledges God’s cleansing power. He not only knows that God can cleanse him, but he also prays that the Lord would search him to see if there is any wickedness in him. This is spiritual decluttering and we should do it on a daily basis, since we fail God every single day. Psalm 51 is a confession passage in which David admits his sinfulness and pleads for restoration.
In Psalm 139:19-24, we see David praying in light of his persecution at the hands of his enemies. But rather than blaming the enemy for his personal shortcomings, he also asks God to cleanse his own heart. We also see him acknowledging God’s power, presence, holiness, and knowledge in this beloved song of praise. I would love to have been a fly on the wall of David’s tent listening to the melodies that he set these lyrics to while singing to the Lord. I can tell you this: his songs are way better than “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, which has been covered by more than 300 artists over the years. But Psalm 139 has probably been preached, proclaimed, prayed, or presented in song form millions of times throughout history!
So, whether you are sweeping the floor, cleaning out your car, or doing a little routine cleaning to start decorating for pumpkin spice season (Autumn), remember the spiritual application to search your heart and ask God to forgive you for the times that you have let Him down. This isn’t a judgy reminder, because we all (including me) sin and need forgiveness. I love the truth that the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:9, that if we confess our sins to the Lord, He is faithful and just to forgive us from all our sin and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. Let’s declutter our hearts before we go any further into our day.
Great news: it’s Friday! Well, for some people that’s a significant day, but since my work week begins early on Saturday morning, it just means it’s the end of my “weekend”. Oh boy…it’s Friday the 13th! Okay, back on track after that little A.D.D. detour. For most people, they begin to slow down and tend to get very little accomplished at their job on this particular day of the week. I feel like Fridays are not very productive, but that could just be my wrong perception. Whatever your schedule looks like, you know the feeling of being busy. Now, if you’re retired, you may not necessarily be less busy, but you’ve likely adapted to a different pace—probably a little slower than the rat race of the working world.
By definition a rat race is “an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit.” I had to look it up since I rarely see rats racing; however, it would be fun to watch, and I guarantee there would be a market for it on Draft Kings or whatever betting apps keep showing up in my Twitter/X feed. Let’s break it down: “endless” means it never stops, and many employees can attest to the fact that when they are “off work” at home, they are still working, or at least must be available to work. “Self-defeating” doesn’t sound like a very successful term, and sadly, many people cave under the pressure of the rat race and end up becoming another statistic; emotionally and mentally defeated.
The third element of the definition is “pointless pursuit.” While your work may provide for your family (and that’s good and biblical), it may actually take away more than it gives, in terms of your value to the family. It may even leave you resenting your job because of the constant expectations of being a company man or woman. Without balance, however, you may lose either your job or family—or in some cases, both. I once read something that said, “If it won’t matter in 5 years, it’s not worth worrying about for 5 minutes.” Now obviously, we aren’t psychic, but there are some frivolous things we give fat too much thought to, and it consumes us, robbing us of our present joy.
In the account of Mary and Martha, Jesus wasn’t condemning Martha’s action as much as He was trying to see that she needed boundaries and a healthy balance. Tidying up the place and cooking a nice meal for the Lord weren’t bad things to do, but they were things that wouldn’t matter in 30 minutes. However, the things Jesus was teaching in the home of Mary and Martha were much more important; in fact, they were of eternal value.
So, I’m not telling you to not be industrious or responsible—I’m asking you to consider what your list of priorities looks like and whether or not the eternal things are near the top. We should all work hard and honor God through our diligent labor, but not at the expense of feeding our souls with His word and passing that truth along to those under our influence. That’s what will count for eternity, long after your job has replaced you or the company has gone belly-up. Don’t let the crazy rat race drain you of your greater purpose. Like Mary, choose the good part which cannot be taken away. Deliberately sit at the feet of Jesus so that you will be better equipped to serve Him.
I remember watching the cartoon The Jetsons growing up and thinking how cool it would be live like that. The show was set in 2062, and sadly, I don’t think we’re going to experience flying cars in our day—however, they did get the Zoom meeting thing pretty accurate. Anyway, the Jetsons: George, Jane, Elroy, Judy, and Astro (the dog) had a robot named Rosey. Regarding the cartoon, I’ve observed that we have been successful in the area of robotics. In fact, I think it’s scary how far we’ve come with robots: from iRobot vacuums to self-driving cars; and from self check-out registers to AI technology. It’s a little too advanced for my comfort level.
Another show was called Small Wonder, and the robot Vicki lived with the Lawsons after Ted Lawson invented her. Her monotone voice was fairly annoying, but the neighbor Bonnie, who always said “Yoo-hoo”, was even worse, and don’t get me started on nosey, little Harriet with her robot Rodney (insert eye roll). It was the type of sitcom we need more of though, rather than a lot of the trash on TV today. It was pretty family-friendly, to be honest, but now let’s get to the spiritual stuff.
God didn’t make us robots. We can be thankful for that, because then we would have no free will, and instead of loving Him and appreciating Him for His saving grace, we would be programmed to serve Him without any sense of heartfelt gratitude or sacrificial service. In essence, we would just be going through the motions. We would perform based on our settings, unable to deviate from the predetermined pattern, and God would just be mean to not give us choices.
The religious leaders in Jesus’ day looked very commendable on the exterior, but as Jesus told them very boldly: they were white-washed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones (Matthew 23:27). They went through all the religious motions, but their hearts belonged to someone other than God—in fact, Jesus told them on one occasion that they belonged to their father the Devil. Wow—harsh, but true! Since they couldn’t serve two masters, they chose their self-made haughty reputations over humbly submitting to Jesus.
Even as believers, we are very susceptible to this type of behavior; not only the elitism, but often performing for the camera (so-to-speak) and just going through the motions of Christianity, yet having greater loyalty to self or idols. Let’s be real and humble, not trying to paint ourselves as religious superheroes, rather being known as humble servants of Jesus who still drop the ball from time to time, but don’t try to pretend to be perfect. Plus, when we serve Him from our heart and not merely our head, we won’t just go through the motions—like a robot.
I drive in or around New York City practically every week, but it’s amazing how I don’t even think about the Twin Towers when I see the skyline. It’s not that I don’t care, because I vividly remember the events of 9/11 like it all happened yesterday. Of course, back then I didn’t know that I would be working in the Big Apple. Once you get used to the traffic, it’s not too bad, but the fact of the matter is that most of the day, the streets are a parking lot. But what do you expect when you funnel eight lanes of traffic down to three lanes, then throw in a lane closure on top of that, just to get across the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan?
I remember the slogan that originated immediately after the terrorist attacks in 2001: Never Forget. On one hand, our country has not forgotten the horrific events that transpired on 9/11 in NYC, Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon. Not only those national events, but most people also remember exactly what they were personally doing when they saw awful pictures on the news. As a 19-year-old kid, I was traveling with a music group, and the owner of the band casually told me to hurry up and write a song for the occasion. But some dude named Alan Jackson beat me to it, and it seemed like within just a few days, people were singing, “Where were you when the world stopped turning…?” Those are just a few unforgotten memories. On the other hand, there was something that people forgot very quickly…
…Some of us in Christianity refer to the brief time of spiritual awareness following the events on that September day as a spiritual awakening. For several months following that tragedy, churches were full and people were seeking help from the Lord. But sadly, that trend slowly faded and people went back to their pre–9/11 habits of neglecting God and corporate worship. Perhaps some folks viewed church attendance as a sort of “rabbit’s foot”, however, it was nice to see many people uniting in faith. We can’t deny that there was the faint beginning of a spiritual awakening—a glimmer of hope.
This type of behavior is nothing new, nor was it exclusive to the events of 2001. In fact, the ancient people of Israel acted like this a lot! For a season, they appreciated God’s goodness, then they got too self-reliant and forgot about Him altogether. Then they repeated the process, and their relationship with God was up and down, like a roller coaster. It was the same type of post-9/11 syndrome, years before we ever showed up on the scene. It is inherent to our sinful human nature, but it is not what God desires of us. Speaking of God’s people (Israel), or God’s people (the church), He wants us to appreciate His grace, live according to it every day, and never forget it.
While there is nothing magical or soul-saving about merely attending church, as saved people who comprise the church, there is something special about us gathering together in community and reflecting on God’s goodness through corporate worship. Although it is good to look back on 9/11 and reflect on how it impacted us, it is even better to look back to the cross and thank God for how that day changed us for eternity. This reflection and remembrance should determine how we live each day and help us make our lives count for Christ. Never forget.
Romans 12:1–2; John 17:14-15
I remember a few years ago when it was all the rage for people to eat Tide Pods. Yes, you read that correctly. What’s ironically interesting is how this fad was adopted by college-aged individuals. Spending mom and dad’s hard-earned money to go to a place of higher education in order to enhance their future, only to snack on laundry detergent, was likely quite the disappointment. I know it sounds crazy, but it was called the “Tide Pod challenge” and it was very popular. But here’s the catch: Tide Pods are toxic. You would think that anyone with a brain in their head would realize this, but peer pressure, coupled with the arrival of TikTok on the scene, made people do stupid things. Plus, wouldn’t Gain pods be cheaper?
There’s a reason that we don’t put antifreeze in our dogs’ water dishes, and there’s a reason we don’t pour a glass of detergent for our children: these are toxic items. We would be naïve to think that this world is not toxic. However, this toxicity is nothing new. In fact, it has been around since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and entered into sin. Each and everyone of us has followed their lead, which obviously shows us our need for a Savior (the Second Adam).
Have you ever heard anyone say, “The Devil made me do it”? Well, while the Devil is very powerful and his demons are very active in this world, John tells us that the One who is within us is greater than the one who is in the world. If we are saved, the One who is in us is the Holy Spirit, and we understand that the one who is in the world is the Devil: the god of this world. But his power and deception exist for a limited time only! Satan may have influenced you or tempted you, but the Bible assures us that God always provides a way of escape, therefore giving us the strength to resist the temptation and not follow it into sin.
You may approach the Bible with the question, “How do I survive in a toxic world?” but that is not quite the question you need to be asking. It should really be, “How do I THRIVE in a toxic world?” There is a huge difference! You can survive by eating candy and sweets on a regular basis, but eventually you will be in a sugar coma. On the other hand, you can thrive by making healthier choices when you eat, and your body will thank you. I don’t have this figured out or mastered, so I’m not trying to take the moral high ground or preach at you—I like candy.
In the passage that I call “the real Lord’s Prayer” (John 17), Jesus prayed to the Father for His disciples who were doing ministry with Him, other followers who were committing their lives to Him, and those who would eventually become followers (that’s us). He prayed that the Father would keep them from the world. Why? Because we were made for another world; a non-toxic one. This is just a temporary holding tank until we get to our real home. Just like a Beta fish on the shelf at Petsmart, eventually it’s going to get out of that bowl and into a tank where it can thrive and swim in freedom.
While we who are believers look forward to the day when we finally make it home, we have to face the reality that we’re not there yet. So, how do we deal with it? Paul told the Romans, and it applies to us also, to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The Bible also states that as Christians, we have the mind of Christ, and elsewhere it teaches us to think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy. When we get our mind right, it won’t matter how toxic the world seems to get, because our actions will reflect the mind and heart of Christ.
While we have to be in the world, we are not to be of the world. In the words of the great musical philosopher Jason Roy, “All I know is I’m not home yet, this is not where I belong.” By living out our Christian faith before others, our prayer is that they will see the difference and desire to abandon the toxic elements of the culture and turn to Jesus. For now, let’s stop making the world our home and start living for eternity.
As I write this, we are in the middle of another political season. Actually, I don’t know that we ever get a break from it. No matter which party you are voting for, and regardless of the promises made by candidates down through history, humans can never solve human problems without divine intervention. Since we are not our own creators, we don’t have the capacity to change ourselves.
Lower taxes are great and I’m all for them, and naturally, my vote is going to reflect that—but fiscal solutions cannot solve moral problems. You can tax people into bankruptcy, but that is not going to lower the murder rate. You can sanction people all you want, but that is not going to change their immoral heart.
Here’s an example: let’s say that you have pain in your arm. The pain is excruciating (like an 11 out of 10 on the emoji pain scale), so you take a generous dose of cough syrup. However, the pain in your arm persists, so you decide to call your eye doctor. Now, your optometrist will have no problem taking your money, but you will most definitely still have pain in your arm. Next, a lightbulb goes off in your head and you decide physical therapy might be a logical solution. The only problem is that the therapist exclusively wants to focus on your legs and ankles. But the pain in your arm still exists—it’s a solid 12 out of 10 now.
I think you know where I’m going with this bizarre series of illustrations—you must address the issue at hand (or in this case, at arm :) The problem isn’t with your throat, or your eyes, or your legs; the problem is with your arm. It shouldn’t be an anatomical crisis. Until you address it, there can be no solution. From a spiritual standpoint, it is no different, although it may not always manifest itself physically.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus telling them that the source of their struggles and battles was not of a physical nature. What might seem like a political or moral issue is really just a symptom of a spiritual problem. I can speak to the topic of our nation since I live here and I know without a doubt that we have a spiritual deficiency. It’s not that there is any less of God to go around since His omnipresence never changes, but we are not calling on Him like we should. We are not asking Him to cure our spiritual sickness, therefore all the other entities we are looking to, hoping to find a remedy, are not legitimate.
Every single issue that we deem “political“ can actually be reconciled by consulting God’s word. After Paul identified the root of their problems, he gave them instructions on how to combat the forces of evil that were actively against them in the spiritual realm. Take some time to check out the armor of God listed this passage and make sure that you are fully clothed in God’s armor every day. The battle is inevitable, but experiencing victory or defeat is a choice. We can either live in defeat by trying alleged solutions that ignore God, or we can walk according to the Holy Spirit and experience His victory in us. The battle is spiritual—spiritual problems require spiritual solutions.
1 Samuel 16:6–13; Exodus 3:1-10
I know that everybody is tight on time and schedules are packed, but I hope you had a few minutes to read the Scripture portion today. Both of these examples serve as a great reminder that God is not looking for superstars, because superstars usually want the credit. God is looking for individuals who are the equivalent of ancient-day shepherds, faithful in the menial task of supervising smelly, mostly stupid animals.
When God used the prophet Samuel to call David, I am sure the last thing on his mind was becoming the greatest king ever. If you have ever seen the VeggieTales rendition of David’s story, he was busy delivering pizza to his brothers who were hanging out for 40 days wondering who was going to fight Goliath. By the way, I would not have wanted to be a gambler back in that day, because I’m sure even the most seasoned bookies didn’t have David on their radar. But God chose that puny, little shepherd boy, and the rest is history!
In the second Scripture reading, we rewind all the way back to the call of Moses. The dude is a senior citizen, serving out the second portion of his life as a shepherd in his father-in-law’s field, on the backside of the desert—basically hidden from society—but not from God. So, this guy is 80 years old, and having just spent the last four decades guiding sheep, God shows up in a burning bush and tells him that he is going to start leading people (personally, I think sheep would be easier—but it’s His story, not mine, so I will leave it alone).
In both of these cases, God did not take into account physical strength or resumes that were built to impress the masses of social media followers. But this is God’s method, because the Bible tells us that not many wise men, not many mighty, and not many noble are called because He uses the ones that society despises or ignores in order to carry out His greatest plays. These were not the only shepherds in Scripture to be part of something much bigger than themselves—it was a group of shepherds in the field at night who became the first recipients of the news that the King of kings had been born in Bethlehem.
Now to the main point: these examples show us that God breaks up our lives into chapters. He might use us to do something unique for Him and then close the door on that chapter and open a brand new one that may look completely different. We as humans invented career callings because we feel like we have to monetize everything. For the last 12 years of my life, I have been writing devotions, but that doesn’t mean I will be doing that forever. For 10 years I pastored a church, but God closed that particular door, and I am patiently awaiting His next move. And it may not be what we as humans would call a “big play,” but if God ordains it, it’s a big deal!
I heard a guy on a podcast the other day say that our calling is not our job, but God will use our job to carry out our calling. Our calling is much bigger than our occupation, although it may include it. All of life is ministry for a believer in Christ, so for us to elevate “occupational ministry” above teaching a Sunday school class for three-year-olds every other week is disgraceful. Some of the greatest servants of Christ have never graced a single platform, but God has used them in a much greater capacity than some of the world-famous megachurch pastors (oh yeah, I just went there). So, if you feel insignificant and you think that no one but God sees you, you are the best possible place that you can be to be used for His glory. Don’t let the world define the “big players”. If you are obedient to the Lord’s calling, you’re a big deal in my book!
Luke 10:25-36
I’m sure you all know the account of the Good Samaritan quite well, so I won’t insult your intelligence with all the details. Instead, we will relate it to today’s society. Many years ago, when auto security systems were first rolled out, you could always tell who the rich people were by the car beep or chirp that their expensive car made when they locked it before they went into one of those fancy dollar stores. So, before we proceed, I’m assuming you are all familiar with the once-luxury-but-now-standard feature of most vehicles on the road. It’s as common as the modern marvel of air conditioning (God bless the inventor of that little blessing).
In the early days of this phenomenon, if we heard a car horn repeatedly beeping, or a chirp going off like a siren, we assumed that someone was breaking into a car and that we were in a high crime area. Not that we would engage the individual, but we knew that someone’s car was possibly being heisted—or at least their Pioneer™ in-dash compact disc/cassette/8-track player without a detachable face plate was being stolen, only to make a return on eBay years later with a scratched-out serial number. They should have spent the extra $100 and got the detachable face plate with the case that looked like one that would hold a pair of eyeglasses. But anyway, you live, you learn…
Nowadays, if we hear a car horn beeping, our first reaction is, “That’s annoying, can you please turn it off?” Or our response may be, “Well, I guess someone is trying to locate their car in a very busy parking lot.” Zero percent of the time do we call the police. Why? Because it has become white noise—and just like police sirens in New York City, everyone tunes them out and most residents don’t even notice them after a while. We’re used to it and it doesn’t alarm us anymore. Or, we are so busy, trying to get it on video that we fail to help.
Sadly, this is where we have landed in terms of those who have been treated much like the man who was beaten and left for dead in the parable of the Good Samaritan. We have become immune to the cries of those in need, or we have acted like many of the Jewish people did in ancient times, where they would completely avoid the Samaritans and their land because of their ethnic and cultural hatred—and vice versa.
Whether purposely or obliviously, we don’t always hear the hurting hearts when they call out to us for help, or we may even see them and treat them as a speed bump in our way rather than an opportunity to serve and possibly even save their life. We’re too busy serving ourselves to actually be of any benefit to the less fortunate. Our assignment today is to be aware of our surroundings so that if someone has a need, we don’t miss it, and especially that we don’t deliberately take a different route to avoid our spiritual responsibility of being the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world that so desperately needs Him.
James 4:17-5:6
If you are an average person like me, you will notice that financial expenses are out of control. Life is virtually unaffordable. Let’s just say that I am qualified to speak to this because I make less money than I did last year, while it seems like every single one of my bills has increased—it’s certainly disproportionate. I’m not talking about luxuries; I’m referring to necessities such as electric, health insurance for my children, and food. Don’t get me started on grocery prices—it’s almost criminal! So, with expenses greater than they were, and income less than it was, the math just ain’t mathin’. I’m not whining, I’m just trying to be transparent and let you know that we’re all in this sinking ship together. This isn’t a political statement: the economy is about as healthy as a rotting corpse.
Basically, we are in survival mode, which is absolutely brutal for most people’s mental health. There’s the tension and balance of knowing God is in control, yet trying to be responsible and do everything we can as humans to be productive. Most people are just a paycheck or two away from going into debt, or perhaps even bankruptcy. We walk by people all the time and just don’t know exactly what might be burdening them.
I’m not making excuses, but I definitely understand why people overlook certain injustices in the workplace, and even in the church (for those in occupational ministry)—it’s no different. What’s the reason for this? Simple: it’s self-preservation. We used to look out for the needs of others, but with constant threats of litigation, as well as financial constraints, that kind of human behavior is almost an anomaly these days.
This apathy or willful ignorance is present in politics, in finances, in occupations, and in churches. If we’re honest, I think we could admit that at least once in our lives, we have turned a blind eye to that which is either immoral or unethical, for the sake of our own well-being. It’s not that we were directly engaged in sinful behavior, but we knew the right thing to do and didn’t do it; or didn’t even speak up. James, in his fairly short letter, called this inaction “sin” (James 4:17). Neglecting to stand up and call out ethical failures puts us in a dangerous position, and suddenly we are accountable for what we know. It’s too late to turn a blind eye.
What I have to keep telling myself is that I have to be faithful, work hard, and trust God to provide for the needs of my family. This isn’t easy to do everyday, but when I think about how huge He is and how small my problems are in contrast to His greatness, it definitely gets my mind back on track. But if there’s an injustice, I am obligated to address it, regardless of the ultimate cost. Let’s not engage in self-preservation at the expense of biblical morality. If we do what’s right and follow God’s truth, He will sustain us and cause us to be morally and spiritually upright—and He’ll provide for all of our needs.
Hebrews 11:13–16
With the moniker “Driven” for my daily devotionals, I think it is only appropriate that I talk about drivey things. Something I see a lot of on the roads, no matter what state I am traveling in, are motorhomes, campers, and the occasional skoolie conversion (for all the lay people, that’s a converted school bus… they are super rad!) Sometimes I pass large RV dealerships and try to imagine how many millions of dollars of inventory they are sitting on. I know I would not want to be responsible for that much money!
If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised that my vehicle of choice is a 45-foot-long Prevost, which the average person can own for roughly about $2 million, give or take a few hundred thousand. No big deal. While I love the aesthetic appeal and the grandeur of these motor coaches, let’s be honest, I couldn’t even afford a tire for one of these beasts. They are for serious travelers with some serious savings accounts.
In my defense, I haven’t always been completely camperless—back when we only had half of our children, my wife and I owned a very used pop-up camper that we took camping about five times or less, and almost always in the rain. I have always had nomadic tendencies, so it’s no surprise that I travel for a living. For my business, I run a couple different vehicles, and I choose which one depending on the mileage of the trip and the cargo demands, but I can assure you that not one of them is a tour bus. How cool would that be though? I’m sure that each of you can attest to the fact that there are plenty of motorhomes and campers on the road. People like to travel, and there is something within us that likes to explore, no matter how much we also love being home.
Let’s consider the ancient fathers of the faith, but specifically Abraham. This guy was a nomad on steroids! By faith, he traveled wherever God led him and was obedient to the purposes and plans of heaven while he wandered on earth. The Bible tells us that he left his homeland by faith and followed God’s directions. He, along with countless others, were no strangers to tents, moving to and fro, seeking a city which had foundations and was made by God. Don’t miss this key element: these men and women of faith traveled around the earth, longing for a city with solid, unmovable foundations.
My point is this: even though we all have a sense of adventure built within us, our hearts yearn for the day when we won’t have to travel anymore, and we will be dwelling in our new home, which is built by the Grand Architect: Almighty God! Not only will there be no U-Haul trailers behind our hearse when we die, we also will not be taking any of our earthly possessions to heaven, because we won’t need any of them. Why? Because the only thing we will ever need is found in a person: Jesus Christ. Oh, and one more thing—we will be in a perfect place, so you won’t have to worry about the pipes on your camper freezing. That alone should cause an RV owner to smile!
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
As we get started, let the record state that I have never actually watched either of the How to Train Your Dragon movies, but I will explain why I chose this title momentarily. However, since I like catchy titles, here we are and we will roll with it. So, my second oldest daughter is the Junior Drum Major in the high school marching band. Every season, they pick a different theme and play songs from the movie/musical. This year they chose selections from How to Train Your Dragon. I think my favorite one was a few years ago when they did The Greatest Showman. But the theme is not as important as the fact that watching my children play in the band and excel at their craft makes me proud.
It’s pretty cool that both my daughter and the Senior Drum Major get to wear cute hats and dragon wings while they conduct the band—and their little handshake adds to the fun of watching their field show. I feel like an elite parent, especially since our oldest daughter was drum major when she was in high school, and the fact that I play drums makes it seem like destiny; or possibly coincidence—but I’m going to go with destiny because I’m writing this.
So, although I have no idea how to train a dragon, much less know where to find one, I would like to get really good at training my children from a biblical perspective. I am not the greatest father in the world, but that’s on me because God has given me the answers and recipe for how to be successful in His word.
Sadly, many parents have gotten angry at God because the Bible says to “train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.” A lot of people struggle with this verse because their children have gone astray. I am not naïve; I know that at any given second, my children could completely walk away from every Christian value we have tried to instill in them. So, while there are no guarantees that they will always live according to God’s ways, there is the guarantee that they have the truth and all the tools necessary to not depart from it. If we equip them to the fullest of our ability, it’s on them if they don’t follow. That’s pretty convicting! No pressure, right?
Not only do we have to teach them the right path, we also have to walk it ourselves. Wait, am I preaching right now? It’s also a “together” thing which is part of the relationship. While we are not trying to be our children’s BFFs, we should model our instruction to them, walking alongside them. It was my favorite favorite president Benjamin Franklin (if you know, you know ;) who said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”
Consider this analogy: if you ever have the opportunity of training someone at work, you are not just giving them a list of duties and then leaving for vacation. They are shadowing you and learning through hands-on teaching. The progress, or lack of, is measurable, and the goal is to set them free to do the job on their own. This the same process for successful parenting. Believe me, I’m no expert, but I want to get this right. A lot of things in life are insignificant, but this is not! So, no matter what stage of life you are in right now—a child, a parent, a grandparent—focus on intentionally living a life that pleases the Lord, and you will experience true peace and contentment, even if the world doesn’t define it as success.
Relationship > Religion
Matthew 23:1-36
Let’s lay out the thesis right off the bat: religion is man’s idea, but relationship is God‘s idea. While the trappings of religion may seem impressive and appear to be sacred, when we properly define the term, most of the religion we see in the Bible appears in a negative light. In fact, if you took the time to read today’s somewhat lengthy Bible passage, you will see that Jesus has very little commendation for the scribes and Pharisees, yet He had no shortage of condemnation for their self-centered ways. The names He gave them were not compliments!
To illustrate the difference between relationship and religion, we need to consider our job versus our family. At your job, you try to perform at your highest level in order to impress your employer. If there were no paycheck coming to you at the end of each week, or every two weeks, there is no way that you would be driving to that place of employment every day. You do it for a paycheck; you do it religiously; most of you could do your job in your sleep without giving it a single thought. Although you may do it heartily, it is not a labor of love, rather it’s just labor.
When it comes to your family, it is very likely that you do not get paid by them in order to show them love. It’s a free gig, but worth every second. Why? Because it’s a relationship. It’s a two-way street, not a contract between parties. In a relationship, the ultimate goal is intimacy. Different types of relationships form different types of intimacy. It is no different in our relationship with Christ—the closer we become to Him, the more love we experience for Him and from Him, and the more we appreciate grace.
Some of you who are reading this are married. If you look back to the day that you exchanged vows with your new spouse, you won’t recall anything that says “I will love you until the money stops rolling in,” or “If you don’t do this, that, or the other, it’s a dealbreaker.” If we would treat our relationships as more of a covenant than a contract, I think we would put more effort into them and they would last.
Because we have been saved by grace, there is no amount of earthly achievement that could ever impress God or make His love for us greater than it already is. He proved that by sending Jesus to die for us on the cross. Aren’t you glad that God didn’t tell us that in order to earn His love we would need to keep all 613 Jewish commandments? Not to be crude, but some of those commandments deal with exclusively female issues, and no man could ever keep them. So, when the Pharisees bragged about keeping all the commandments, they were only exposing their own hypocrisy good lack of knowledge in the things of the Law.
The bottom line is this: Jesus calls us to follow Him for a relationship, not for a religion. The world doesn’t need more religion, it needs more Jesus. Simply put, religion is trying to work one’s way to God, while relationship is God coming down to man, knowing that we couldn’t even come close to fulfilling His righteous standards apart from Christ. So, I can tell you with unwavering boldness that relationship is far better than religion. When you realize this truth, it will change your life and lift a burden that you were never intended to carry. Relationship > religion (it’s so true, it could totally be a tattoo!)
Labor that counts
1 Corinthians 15:58
I’m not a big fan of holidays because they usually mess up my schedule and cause my stress level to elevate [mildly to severely]. Ironically, today is Labor Day, when people take off work to celebrate the American worker, and although people try to pause and celebrate hard work and the end of summer, it just pushes everyone’s schedule back a day. To me, it doesn’t seem worth it, but since I don’t really know how to relax because I know there will be the same amount of work that needs done later in the week, I’m probably not a good person to gauge the value of this holiday. I’ve always been this way, but that doesn’t make it right.
On the other side of the coin, I do see the benefit of celebrating Labor Day with family, because they are the reason that I work so hard in the first place. Too often, people give more attention and devotion to their employer, while their families deal with the void at home. What many fail to realize is that many employers will replace most individuals in an instant if need be, therefore making work/life balance and family time something to prioritize.
Don’t get me wrong, work is necessary and admirable, but I can see how days off and even holidays celebrating work can help us step back and see the big picture. I’m not trying to contradict myself; I’m just thinking through the whole idea of how to properly balance work and leisure—just trying to process while I’m writing.
Both the Bible and the Protestant Work Ethic remind us of the command and commendation of hard work. Second Thessalonians 3:10 confirms this principle, but I feel like we have replaced working as a way to honor God with worshiping our work as a god. Again, there’s a biblical balance, but society has hijacked it, just like everything else.
When it comes to our spiritual walk, the Bible tells us what our motive and motivation should be. According to First Corinthians 15, our motive is to be faithful in the service of the One who saved us, and the motivation is the reality of His resurrection and promise of our own. Everything we do for His glory will outlive our earthly lives and will translate to the eternal glory of the King of kings.
Paul ends this chapter in Corinthians by telling us that our labor for the Lord is not in vain. Because of this truth, we need to be immovable and steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Whatever we do is to be done for Christ. Yes, we should be dependable and trustworthy employees or fair and kind employers, whichever is applicable. However, we must remember that work was God’s idea and it is a tool used to honor Him and declare our devotion to and dependence upon Him as the Source of every good and perfect gift. Sure, we might expend “our own” energy to work, but He is the One who gives us both the strength and the opportunities to do any sort of labor.
Junk Food
Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 4:4
McDonald’s is trash; not because it is the most unhealthy fast food chain; it’s not (Wendy’s already has the market cornered on that one), but because it tastes like garbage. I know that seems blunt, but it’s accurate— well, in my opinion. As a traveler, I am personally sick of fast food, mostly because I’m bored with it. Plus, the prices that some of these places are charging are equivalent to a quality sit-down meal. Have you been to Five Guys lately? Someone recently commented that it would take five guys to pay the bill because their prices are that out of control.
I’ll be honest, I do enjoy some junk food, and even though I have good genes, it will eventually catch up with my waistline. I used to be a big candy lover, but ever since Covid changed my taste buds several years ago, there are only certain candies that I like. I am a big fan of the only grape sour patch kids and I usually treat myself to one or two bags per week. One thing I almost never crave is ice cream, although I do like it. Strangely however, when given the choice between cake and ice cream, I would choose ice cream cake, even though it’s almost all ice cream and no cake—well, except for those little chocolate crumbs (so good).
Speaking of cakes, I have never been carded for buying a birthday cake at a grocery store, nor been made to prove that it’s my birthday…so, anyone can buy them at any time. I often joke that I’m thinking about getting an emotional support cake. Okay, now that I am way off track, let me try to get back to the point of my illustration so that we can add some spiritually nutritional value.
When it comes to chewing on and digesting the meat of God’s word, there is no room for junk food in our spiritual diet. We get enough junk and garbage from the world, and too often we fail to filter it out well enough, and sadly, it ends up negatively impacting us more than our spiritual intake benefits us.
With some exceptions regarding adults with health issues that inhibit them from feeding themselves, and obviously all nursing infants, people can choose whether or not they are going to eat, what that diet is going to include, and generally they feed themselves. In the same way, we can choose to take in spiritual truth or ignore it all together, but the result will be very much the same as if we are making food choices from a physical standpoint. In short, we will either be healthy or unhealthy—the choice is ours.
Now, before I get tons of hate email saying that the reason people attend church is so that the pastor can feed them, there is truth to that. But the decision to be fed starts long before you show up at the church building. In fact, some people that sit under solid, biblical preaching are still not being fed because they choose to neglect the truth that is being conveyed. It’s no different when we read our Bibles; we can merely see words on a page and forget about them, or we can meditate on them and allow them to change our lives for the better, causing us to grow healthier.
So, the next time you pass a sign for McDonald’s, I hope it will be a reminder of the importance of being serious about your spiritual diet and making good choices that will help you grow in your walk with Christ. One more item, some food for thought: we can’t use the excuse that we don’t have the time, because most of us invest more time than we ought to soaking in social media—so it’s a matter of priority.
Oblivious to the storm
Psalm 4:8; Mark 4:35-41
Early yesterday morning, I received a text from a friend asking if our family was okay after the storm that occurred during the night. So, I replied that all was well and that the power didn’t go out. Then they responded that some folks near us reported 7-8” of rain overnight. After a bit, I had to run out, and when I crossed the bridge that leads into and out of our town, I noticed that the river was much higher than normal.
I suppose that I was so tired from the previous activities of the week that I couldn’t be bothered by things such as a severe storm. I mean, I heard a little thunder, but I didn’t know that heavy rainfall was occurring. I was oblivious to my surroundings. Apparently I was so relaxed that I slept like a baby while the storms were raging around me.
One of my favorite Bible passages is Mark 4:35-41. Not only do I love this text because Jesus calmed the storms and His followers, but I love the fact that He told them they were going to pass over to the other side of the sea and then He took a nap. He was in control, relaxed, and knew what the outcome would be even before the storm started to brew.
The storms of life are inevitable and will threaten to rock our boat, but the One who is in control of all of life’s storms, whether squalls or severe hurricanes, has a plan to bring us over to the other side. The sun will shine again and the storm will one day be in the rear view mirror, very far off in the distant past. We can rest in the knowing that He isn’t surprised by any of life’s events.
Because the Lord is in control of everything and doesn’t even have the capacity to be oblivious to whatever situation we are facing, we can rest and relax, knowing He’s got this. We should strive to possess a level of trust in the Lord that we can be oblivious to the negative circumstances around us—not be in denial, but also not be consumed with things we have no power to change. God will cause us to dwell in safety because He has a bigger plan for our lives that may often include storms, but will ultimately reveal His power and purpose on the other side of the wind and the rain, the tests and trials.
Don’t neglect your main ministry
1 Timothy 5:8
I’m not trying to be controversial, but the example I want to share with you today can be copied and pasted many times over, possibly into the thousands. Many a person in ministry has neglected his/her family to the point that they not only failed in their ministry, but they also failed in their family. Tragically, some end up losing both.
Too often, life is presented with an Instagram-type filter, making some folks in ministry seem like they have it all together: the crowds, the charisma, the cash, and the collective package. However, when the cameras are off, they are miserable, lonely, angry, and depressed. This is the story of so many and it can be told down through the generations.
It is very easy for the demands of serving God’s people to take priority over serving one’s own family. I lived under this pressure for a while, trying to justify my inability to show up emotionally, and sometimes physically, as a valid excuse because “I was being paid.” Even in Christian ministry, where your employers are the people you serve, they will cut you off if you cross them or don’t fulfill their personal expectations, leaving you unemployed and even disgraced.
Thankfully, I got out of it before this could happen, but had I stayed much longer, I might have ended up as another statistic. I may have turned my back on the Lord because many of His kids can be brats. What happened instead was that I had time to process various situations and come to the conclusion that God comes first, my family comes next, and everything else must fall in line after that. I remember Pastor Jonathan Falwell telling us at a pastor’s conference that he told the church he pastors, “God comes first, my family second, and the church third, and if that order ever gets changed, I will leave here in a second.” Personally, I had to realize that while followers of Christ can be unreasonable, God is always faithful and worthy of a lifetime of devotion.
More than we care to admit, family gets pushed to the side when they are actually our first ministry. If we can’t lead in the home, how do we ever expect to lead in the church? At least that’s what the Bible teaches. None of us will ever be a perfect leader, but if we can get our priorities in line and have the proper balance, we won’t neglect our main ministry, and whatever area of service we have been called to will have an even greater impact. If you don’t have the people that are closest to you, it won’t matter who else you may think are loyal to you. But they will cut and run in an instant! Never lose sight of God’s order as laid out in Scripture: before He instituted the church, He ordained the family to illustrate His pattern for humanity.
Who is your shepherd?
Psalm 23
In my pastoring days, I led many funeral services and was able to preach to both friends and strangers. One of my pet peeves for some memorial services was when people who gave no evidence of knowing Christ pre-planned to have the 23rd Psalm read. Or perhaps a surviving family member chose it because it’s all they knew. Whatever the case, I always tried to preface this beloved psalm by telling the folks that “if the Lord is not your Shepherd, none of it applies to you.” However, if they did belong to Christ, He would be more than sufficient to meet every need they would ever have—both here and in eternity.
David authored this psalm and he knew well the life of a shepherd because he was one. Using applicable knowledge to convey a spiritual truth is what makes this portion of Scripture so precious to so many. His illustration that included his livelihood likely made these words become very real to him on a daily basis; even after he stopped being a shepherd to become king. He needed all the communion with the Lord and divine guidance he could get because no longer was he leading dumb, directionless sheep, he was now leading potentially difficult people who could certainly be clueless at times.
Let’s face the inevitable in our own lives today: we were never meant to find our own way, and every time we have tried, we have gotten lost. In fact, Isaiah wrote in chapter 53 of his prophecy that we are all like sheep who have wandered astray, turned to our own way, and that is the reason that the Father laid all of our sin upon His sinless Son who was the Suffering Servant; the only suitable sacrifice. Not only did He cleanse our sins on the cross, but He paved the way to daily victory and guidance that comes in the salvation package, purchased exclusively by His precious blood.
I’m not qualified to run my own life, and while I’m not trying to point the finger or be judgy, neither are you—neither is anyone! So often we try to act like owners when, in reality, we are more like barely-functioning, untrustworthy employees. It’s the Father’s business that Jesus was all about—both as a child and as a grown man (Luke 2:49; 22:42). That should be our aim as well.
Back to the sheep/shepherd analogy. So often, we try to steer our lives from the Shepherd’s position, while forgetting that we are His sheep, and our only duty is to follow Him, not try to lead. Psalm 100:3 tells us that He is God, He is our Creator, and we are sheep in His pasture. So, whatever you have planned today, tomorrow, or in the distant future, remember that only the Lord our Shepherd is able to determine the path for us and direct our steps along life’s journey. Application: it might be time to switch seats and get back on the passenger’s side.
What’s that smell?
Most of you know that I travel for a living, delivering puppies. I would say at least one or two of the customers every week tell me I have the coolest job in the world. I often respond, “Yes…but sometimes it smells pretty bad.” Just as a lot of infants have their days and nights mixed up, most puppies haven’t figured out the difference between inside and outside, and they would rather go in one of my vehicles, then in the beautiful outdoors. Thankfully, I found a fairly inexpensive (because I’m cheap) body mist for dogs that many of the new puppy owners rave over—sometimes texting me later, asking me where they can obtain such an amazing fragrance.
For ten years, prior to going into full-time ministry, I delivered snack foods, which were packaged in cardboard boxes. Every day when I came home, my wife would tell me how bad I smelled due to the aroma of the cardboard. I also remember the guy who used to fuel our trucks at the gas station, and I can imagine that he constantly smelled like diesel fuel, even when he was at home. It kind of gets in your skin.
Since I was a young boy, I have always appreciated fragrances such as cologne and musk. Now that I am much older, I still make it a regular habit to spray a couple pumps of cologne before leaving for either work or leisure. My current favorites are Acqua Di Gio, Tommy, and Eternity. I also like to choose from the ever-changing lineup of men’s body wash that can be purchased from stores such as Burlington, Ross, or Marshalls. Now that I have bored you with unsolicited facts about my personal hygiene habits, let’s see how we can apply this relatable example to our spiritual lives.
While smelling presentable from a bodily standpoint is good for ourselves and others, it is much more important for us to give off the aroma of Christ. Paul wrote this truth to the Corinthians, contrasting the aroma of death with the aroma of life. Imagine how sweet it smells to a person’s soul whenever they encounter the life-changing love and grace of Jesus through our testimony!
When we make it a conscious habit to live out the two great commands: love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves, our lives will genuinely become a sweet-smelling savor (or, if you are in the UK: savour ;) So, let’s make it a point to smell good for God today, so that when people say “What’s that smell?”, it’s not a negative thing! Be like that guy in high school that smelled like he took a bath in cologne (his name was Chris)….only from a spiritual standpoint.
Detours
In my line of work, I depend very heavily on my GPS. If I had to use a map, things would definitely become more complex. Even if I had to use MapQuest, it would be extremely difficult. One of the advantages to using a GPS, even when you know the way, is that it will report closures, accidents, speed traps, and other events that could delay my arrival time. Because my schedule is so tight, finding the fastest route, which may not always be the cheapest way, is extremely crucial.
I’m sure I have shared this information before, but the navigation system that I use 97.2% of the time is Waze. I have over 1 million Waze points, but to my knowledge, you can’t spend them on anything. My wife absolutely hates using Waze because it will sometimes take you down a dirt path or what seems to be someone’s sidewalk in the middle of the woods. I guess I’m willing to take my chances and hope for the fastest route.
No matter which GPS app I am using, detours are inevitable. While we cannot prevent certain roadblocks, we can carefully navigate around them, even if it takes a little longer than expected. I feel a spiritual application just around the bend…
Sometimes God uses detours to take us off one path in order to show us things on another path that we may have not seen without that divine interruption. I cannot even recall all the times that I have seen amazing things by following a detour. I don’t think it was by any accident…well, it could have been because of an accident, but you know what I mean. God doesn’t have accidents or make mistakes—He has a purpose and does things on purpose and for a purpose (Romans 8:28).
Admittedly, I tend to get grumpy when I have to travel off the beaten path, but I have to remember there is a reason for the detour. I may not get to my destination faster, but I will get to my destination; and I will probably have learned something in the process, or have been exposed to different ideas and scenery that I don’t normally have the opportunity to see. So, I suppose the right attitude to have in connection with detours is one of excitement for what God is going to show us. This is antithetical to our normal desire to be in control, but it may be exactly what we need for us to get where we are going. Detour ahead!
A little R & R (Rest and Return)
I was recently in a conversation and the question came up, “What are some of your weaknesses?” Well, I have many, but one of the first things that came to my mind was the fact that I don’t know how to relax and rest. I feel like when I am resting, I am being lazy, but in reality, my battery needs to recharge by sitting still. It’s hard to come to grips with the fact that stillness is not the same as laziness. Rest is necessary insomuch that after God created the world in six days, He rested on the seventh day—not that He was tired, because He didn’t really have to work that hard; He simply spoke the word. He rested to enjoy what He had made.
While we are not bound to the Sabbath day, seeing as how it is a Jewish institution, the idea of rest is still very biblical. Just as our phones wouldn’t work on a dead battery, so also our bodies and minds need rest in order to recharge so that we can resume our busyness.
I want you to keep in mind that the text verses are found in the Old Testament, written particularly to the people of Judah. It was a stern warning through Isaiah in order that the people would return to the Lord through repentance and find rest in Him. I don’t care how much strength we think we have, we were not wired to handle life on our own. This Old Testament principle is very apropos for today.
Years ago, I would take on so many different things, to the extent that I told people I had so many irons in the fire, that I needed another fire. That was obviously the wrong approach because it led to burnout. Now, instead of trying to be everywhere and do everything, I try to realize my own human limitations. Sometimes the most spiritual word you can say is “No.” We often adopt this Superman complex and think that we can handle more than we actually can. This is when we find ourselves in denial. Please remember this: being busier doesn’t mean you are more spiritual, even if you are involved in 14 different ministries. It just means that you are stretched so thin that you can’t be very effective in any of them. That may be 13 ministries too many!
I’m not going to lie, this can be very difficult because I am sometimes met with great opportunities, but I simply have to say “no” to taking on this or that. It is going to mean that I have to draw that strength from somewhere else, making it even harder to be still and rest. This is where biblical discernment and godly counsel show up in real time in your life.
It is very easy for us to be critical of the people of Judah, or ancient Israel as a whole, but let’s be honest, would we really respond any better? Probably not.
I have certainly not mastered this method, but when choosing whether or not to take on more responsibility, first of all, seek God’s face in prayer. Second, look at the big picture to see if it is something of eternal value. Third, ask yourself if it is going to negatively affect your family or other relationships. Fourth, will what you are investing in outlive you? And finally, ask yourself, “Is this God’s best for me at the time?” If you are not getting sufficient rest, you will be less efficient and will effectively be ineffective.
The Purpose of the Bible.
Do you have knickknacks or antiques lying around your house collecting dust? I would say we all have something that takes up space but does not really serve a purpose. (Ladies, don’t say your husbands ;) For some items, their sole purpose is simply to be seen as a showpiece. In fact, these items can tell a lot about a person with a single glance. When one of my grandmothers was still living, you could tell that she loved teapots simply by walking into her home. It was obvious. Also, she was from England, so it was pretty appropriate.
What I’m trying to say is that for some items, being a display piece is fine, but when it comes to owning a copy of God’s word, it should be used as a tool on a daily basis. If you are like me, you have more than one copy of the Bible, and if you are really like me, you may collect them. I was talking to a gentleman several years ago, and he told me that he probably owns about 400 Bibles. I probably only have a tenth or less of that number, but I think that is still a lot when it comes to owning Bibles.
Each copy that I have is slightly different, and depending on what I am studying and the needs of that particular situation, I may choose this copy or that copy. This may seem a little shallow and vain, but today I chose my Bible based on the color of shoes that I wore to church. I don’t always do that, but when I do, I feel very color-coordinated. Your belt should always match your shoes, and why shouldn’t your Bible match your shoes and belt? Okay, enough of that nonsense… (but before we move on, it was a black calfskin minister’s Bible that I got a few years ago from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet for only $80. Based on the MSRP as of today, that was a steal of deal! Steal? Okay, maybe not the right language for discussing Bibles.)
Some Bibles have amazing aesthetic appeal, especially the ones that are gilded or embossed. However, a gift award Bible from Dollar Tree will serve the same purpose and is every bit as effective, if used properly. It doesn’t matter if it’s genuine cowhide, bonded leather, leather touch, hardback, or has a Lego shell—if you never touch it, it is not doing you any good (someone please tell me that they have a Lego Bible). Sometimes our Bibles are much like the owner’s manual for our vehicles. They have the answers we need for proper operation, but sometimes we let them sit in our glove box in the original plastic wrap.
God did not give us His word so we could simply put it in a museum and look at it through a glass case. He gave us His word so that we could wear it out by using it in our everyday lives. C. H. Spurgeon said, “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to a person that isn’t.” By implementing the truth of God’s word on a daily basis, we will save ourselves a lot of grief that we would have otherwise experienced. John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, is reported to have written in the cover of his Bible, “Either this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” I’ll be honest, I don’t love to read, but there is a wealth of knowledge in simply reading a few verses at a time and then applying those truths.
Comfortable or Content?
What do you consider to be your comfort zone? For some, it is financial security; for others it may mean being with friends and family; and perhaps, for some it could involve a nice, cozy recliner. While there could be a myriad of answers, did you give any thought to spiritual matters? I’m not judging you if you didn’t, because honestly, my first inclination was toward financial security being my comfort zone.
I have said this while preaching many times: “There is no such thing as the call to comfort.” While we all love comfort, sadly in America, many of us have worshiped comfort. But the Bible has a different approach—actually, it’s a word that starts with the same letter as comfort: that word is contentment. Today I have utilized the words of the apostle Paul, as our text passage. Not only are his words powerful, but his life was a testament to the fact that he was seldom comfortable, yet always content.
There are multitudes of people living in Third World countries that know nothing of the comforts that we enjoy, but many of them are far more content because they have Jesus and all the things that really matter in life. Most of us throw a fit when our Internet goes out for more than 30 seconds! Am I saying that I would rather live in a hut and sleep on the ground? Absolutely not! But what I am saying is that if that were my only option, I would still have the capacity to be content because I belong to Christ, and He will provide for all my needs, whether they be financial, emotional, spiritual, physical, or eternal.
Now, the idea of God, providing for all our needs, does not mean that He will always give us comfort. In fact, sometimes He uses the opposite of comfort to help us appreciate His presence more than our possessions. The former will never leave us, while the latter is here and gone in an instant.
The same guy who was able to find contentment in every situation—whether being rich or poor, free or enslaved, in good health or bad health—told Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). I’ll be honest, this is a hard truth for me to swallow, because when the funds get low, I don’t feel a lot of contentment. However, I can take comfort in the fact that Philippians 4:13 tells us I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!
In relation to whatever discomfort you may be experiencing, just remember what Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.” Let’s pursue contentment over comfort.
never stop learning
2 Timothy 2:15
Well, it’s that time of year again: no, not pumpkin spice season—my kids are back in school, and it’s hard to believe they are growing up so fast! The other day, my son made the comment that he “didn’t know why he had to waste his time going to school when he knows all that stuff already.” His little sister isn’t much better, because whenever I ask if they learned anything at school today, she says “No.” I know they are learning things, because they aren’t stupid.
That type of mentality doesn’t go away just because we become adults. In fact, many of us live in such a way that our lives tell others that we think we know everything. I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but we’ve got a long way to go! If there’s one thing we haven’t learned well, it’s how to be humble and teachable. Okay, maybe I don’t need to learn math anymore because I have an iPhone with a nice calculator. But we cannot afford to stop learning the truth of the Bible.
If I had a nickel for every time I said from the pulpit, “We never stop learning,” I’d probably have a couple rolls of nickels! It’s true though—we think we’ve exhausted God’s word, but the truth is, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Think about it: God is all-knowing, therefore, it’s going to take all eternity for us to explore the depths of His wisdom and love!
The reason that we are supposed to study the word of God is not to fill our heads with theological knowledge, but to become unashamed workers who handle the truth properly. This applied knowledge is called wisdom and it will cause us to shine the light of God’s love into this dark world. People don’t need more facts and statistics; they simply need to know that God loves them. Theodore Roosevelt said “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The reason that we are to never stop learning is so that we can bring others to the knowledge of the life-changing power of the gospel.
It’s not God‘s fault.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4
If you haven’t taken the time to look around at the condition of the world, you probably have your head in the sand, because it’s really looking bad out there! Now, this is no surprise, because the Bible tells us that the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more evil the world will become. However we can’t afford to be apathetic.
As much as we ought to hate sin, we should not be surprised when wicked people are doing what wicked people do. What should anger us is when the church is contributing to the evil in the world. While we have nothing to boast about on our own, the fact that we have been given God’s grace ought to cause us to act differently than the ones who are wreaking havoc in this world. But sadly, there is very little difference between the attitudes of those who know Christ and those who do not. We’re supposed to be different in order to point others to Christ.
Don’t let the inconsistent behavior of other believers skew your view of the faithful, unchanging God. That’s not what God is like. He is never bitter, never angry, never unkind, and never unfaithful. Let’s be honest, while we are called to be his representatives on earth, sometimes our lives look more like hell than they do heaven. I’m just calling it like it is! Sadly, the Jesus of the Bible is not what many Christians/churches are portraying these days.
Now, let’s be realistic, not a single one of us is anywhere near being perfect, so let’s stop pretending that we don’t have any faults of our own while we point the finger at others who are just…well…human! I have spent the last couple of years wondering where all the true believers are. I have also tried to be real and own sinfulness and inconsistencies that may have turned people away from Christ. Many times I gave in to doubt.
The bottom line is this: we need to show the world what Jesus really looks like, and as a whole, we haven’t been doing a stellar job. But it’s not too late to realize where we are wrong, confess our failures of the Lord, and commit to living our lives in such a way that others see the true God of the Bible evident within us. If we have made God look unrecognizable to others, it’s not God’s fault; we are the ones to blame. It’s time we stop bickering among ourselves and start loving each other, collectively pointing the world to hope and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Truth shouldn’t be controversial.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John v. 4)
There are certain truths in life that, whether we believe them or not, still remain true. These truths are unchanging, even if we believe them but don’t always like them. According to John chapter 17, God’s word is truth. So, whenever there’s a conflict in our lives, the fault is never with God’s word or His truth, it is with our refusal to fall in line with His standard.
Some of the most precious truths are: life is precious to the Lord, all humans have sinned and are in need of a Savior, and pineapple does not belong on pizza. Now, most of you would not argue the first two, but the last truth is one of the most heated debates in modern human history. I won’t tell you where I stand, but I will tell you that I prefer meat lover’s pizza.
I kind of get tired when I hear people say, “This is my truth”, or “As long as you believe your truth”. The proper term for these scenarios would be “opinion”. Our opinions change, but the truth is unchangeable. That’s why it’s called truth. God did not give us His opinions in His word, He gave us His true principles for life, and when we stray from them, we are not walking in the truth.
When John wrote his third letter, albeit at a short one, it packed a punch! He said that he had no greater joy than to hear that his children were walking in truth. While I certainly want to adopt that verse for my family, it goes beyond that to anyone over whom we have spiritual influence. Perhaps it is a coworker who has been watching your life and they decided to follow Jesus. Your spiritual influence pointed them to the truth, and there should be no greater joy in your relationship with that person than to watch them grow in truth and grace.
While truth should not be controversial, the fact that we have a sinful human nature, coupled with the worldwide influence of Satan, it has, in fact, become controversial. However divisive and controversial it becomes, we can find comfort in the fact that God has not changed His mind on all that He has written in His word. I’ll leave you with this today: Jesus told the truth (in fact, He IS the Truth! John 14:6), and He was despised and rejected by many, including the religious leaders of His day. That may be the case for us, but we know we are in the best of company if we are persecuted or ridiculed for standing and walking in God’s truth.
Finding your way
Proverbs 3:5-6
Do you desperately want to know God’s specific plan for your life? Do you long for direction and guidance? Is your heart yearning for fulfillment that aligns with God’s purpose for you? That’s a great place to be, but it gets tricky when we try to drive—basically without a valid license. If we could find our own way, we wouldn’t need God, but that would defeat the whole purpose of belonging to Him. News flash: it’s not about us and never has been.
I’m in the same boat as many of you. I’m not where I want to be; I know where I need to be, but I don’t know how to get there. Too often I think the reason for the delay in getting to our destination is that we’re trying too hard. Our effort is commendable, but our aim is off. We need to seek higher things, not temporary goals and pleasures.
This is where surrender of our will and submission to God’s are completely imperative. We sometimes think our key will fit His door, only to find out that we’ve been trying the wrong door. Or maybe it’s the right door, but the time for Him to unlock it hasn’t yet arrived. We have to stop striving and start embracing His steps. Even if God calls you to be a leader, you can’t do so without following His lead. It’s His show, not ours.
While you’re waiting, keep moving, praying, and seeking His direction. Pursue Him and He will pave new roads to get you where He wants you. Don’t let human odds or limitations discourage you. Be faithful in the process and the final product will be much greater than if you settled for anything less than God’s best. Fool’s gold may look real, but it’s a cheap imitation. Don’t rush God’s plan and concede to an imposter dream when He has an authentic, amazing path for your good and His glory. Just show up for duty and trust Him to direct you. The many steps along the way only make us stronger and more fit for service.
Surrender
Galatians 5:24-25
As human beings, we are not very good at getting our definitions right. For instance, we often confuse meekness with weakness. While the Bible tells us that Moses was the meekest person to ever live, he was anything but weak. I remember an older gentleman telling me countless times that getting old “ain’t for sissies”—likewise, surrendering does not equate with weakness. Real men and women submit to God; that’s where true strength is found. Surrender is the foundation of serving.
I know that we often seem to define surrender as weakness based on historical battles and other events, but the Bible has a completely different take on it. In fact, God is not going to use you to completely carry out His purpose for your life until you are completely surrendered. Too often, we try to get God to bless our plans for our own lives rather than obey His plan, which is far better.
While we may fool a lot of people, our proximity to God is based in the heart, not on external optics that others can see. You cannot lift your hands in praise until you first put them up in surrender to Christ. God is not going to share His glory with anyone or anything. Too many times, we treat the Christian life as an add-on rather than a complete remodel. God is not interested in adding a room onto the house, He wants to completely demo the old and build a new structure in which He can take up residence through the Holy Spirit.
Walking in total obedience to the Lord is completely impossible without first being fully surrendered to Him. As I said at the beginning, surrender is not weakness, rather it is relinquishing control that we were never designed to have in the first place. The point where we get into trouble is by somehow adopting the lie that we own ourselves. Nothing could be further from the truth, because we are not capable of running our own lives.
God may use different events to begin and end different chapters in your life, but the goal is always the same: to accomplish His purposes for His glory and for the benefit of others. If your life only benefits you and never touches anyone around you, you need to reevaluate things.
So, the bottom line is this: surrender does not mean that you are weak. Conversely, it means you are at the best possible place that you can be spiritually to allow God to use you, and God will use your life to the fullest when you are fully surrendered to Him. Finally, one sign of true surrender is that you are just as okay with God closing doors as you are with Him opening them. In short, give Him control because only He is qualified. The old song doesn’t say “I surrender some”; it says “I surrender all.”
Deception is in style
Please don’t be deceived by the title; I’m not saying I’m in favor of deception being in style, but facts are facts and we can’t deny that this is a fact. As a satirist (that’s not a weird religion; it means I write satire) I am well aware of deception, but the deception that I employ is obvious sarcasm for humorous purposes. The ones reading it understand this and it’s the same as a comedian who makes up stories and scenarios in hopes that the audience will laugh and enjoy life a little bit. We all can benefit from that!
Years ago, I wrote some articles for a small satire website (along with some really funny guys from around the world). Unfortunately, some of the content must have been funny enough to seem like a threat to the Babylon Bee because they sent the owner/editor of the site a “cease and desist” order, threatening legal action if we did not comply. They are essentially big bullies who don’t like competition. Of course, making a parody of their logo probably didn’t help our cause, but we changed our name and resumed business as usual, making people chuckle and roll their eyes, and not necessarily in that order.
I have since launched a new project, trying to bring laughter and mild chuckling to readers through brief news headlines that are clearly fake, yet from a satirical standpoint they may make people think (because satire includes some truth). Okay, so I’m not here to plug my new Instagram account that you can follow @the_dhihaka_gazette (insert shameless plug), or perhaps I am, but more than that, I want to present a biblical truth that we can all apply, whether we utilize the socials or not.
Beware of those attempting to deceive you. This deception is alive and well in the government, at your place of employment, in your school, and yes, even in many churches. This is why we need to be grounded in God’s word and know the truth. Paul told Timothy that evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13). The best way to combat deception and the lies of the enemy is to know what the Bible says and walk in God’s truth. That way you can discern truth from error and warn others about it. Just because deception is in style doesn’t make it right—just like a man bun or a murse.
A place of hope
Quite a number of years ago I wrote a song titled “A Place of Hope”, and while it primarily talks about living in the peace of God through salvation, it also alludes to heaven being a place of hope. I am sure you have heard the old say that goes like this: “Don’t be so earthly minded that you are no heavenly good; don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.” I believe there is a proper balance there, and we would be wise to live in that balance.
I have noticed something in recent years, and I think it’s stems from the fact that we all want to be as productive as humanly possible. While that is commendable, to often we lose sight of why we are doing what we are doing. We frequently forget that we are on our way to heaven, if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Children are much better at visualizing heaven and talking about it, and I believe that’s why Jesus equated entrance to heaven with the faith of young children. We try to over-analyze and reason things out, when we are called to simply believe, even when those things seem unbelievable.
Today’s text is very clear that Jesus went to prepare a place for all those who trust Him in faith. He told this to the disciples because their hearts were troubled, and I believe it is extremely apropos for us, especially given the chaotic state of the world today. And it is no surprise that it is only going to get worse.
For those who do not believe in Christ, they have nothing good to look forward to, and this world is the best that they will ever see. That’s tragic! But for those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, the best is yet to come! I know these are familiar, elementary truths, but it seems like we are living like we don’t believe in heaven because we are getting far too attached to this world. Remember, we don’t belong here; we are simply pilgrims passing through. Take a few minutes today and forget about everything else—just dwell on heaven. I pray that reality renews your hope. Being reminded of our future in heaven should give meaning and purpose to our time on earth.
That’s it!
I don’t know about you, but I get tired of political ads running 24/7/365 (plus an extra day on leap year). Do we ever get a break? What is sadly hilarious is the lengths that some people will venture to expose the opposing candidate with useless and irrelevant information from their childhood in order to “disqualify” them. It’s like, “When little Johnny was 5 years old, he pulled a girl’s pony tail when they were playing at recess, so inevitably he’s a threat to women; particularly females or those who identify as female, under the age of 5 and who are athletic or attend school.”
Obviously I made up that scenario, but I’m not going to lie, it’s not that far-fetched, especially given the mudslinging and slander being used these days. Every election cycle, we have to hear from one side about how candidates on the other side have human flaws and that they must drop out. Guess what—unless you’re Jesus Christ, you’re going to have flaws and sin. But He’s not running for office because He’s already the King!
Today our example is Daniel. At this point in his life, he was likely around 80 years old. I know all the flannelgraph boards show a young dude sitting with lions, but I’m not going to even make that an issue—I suddenly miss flannelgraph though :) Anyway, this guy was promoted by King Darius to be one of 3 presidents to reside over the entire kingdom of Babylon. Remember, he was a Hebrew who was taken captive as a young man and was found faithful throughout His entire career in public office. In fact, the Bible tells us he was preferred above the other presidents and officials because “an excellent spirit was in him”. (I know which Spirit it was ;)
Let the smear campaign begin. The other officials were jealous and hated that Daniel got promoted and they didn’t (sounds like the current day). So they did some digging, trying to slaughter his reputation, and this is all they could come up with: “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God” (6:5). That’s a great place to be. Was Daniel sinless? No. But like Joseph, was he above reproach? You betcha! His character was consistently God-honoring.
Let’s determine to live our lives in such a manner that if someone were to try to ruin our reputation and dig up dirt from our past, this would be the end result of their research: “We can’t find anything against him/her, other than they were faithful to their God.” If any accusations against us need to be true, that’s it!
Healing for the hurting
Normally, I like to be lighthearted before I try to apply a spiritual truth, but today I am saddened by hearing the news from some good friends that they are experiencing turmoil in their church. My efforts may be futile, but I have tried to encourage them and comfort them the best that I can, but I know it still hurts. Believe me, I’ve been there and it’s no fun!
I am sure you will understand what I mean by this analogy, but I would rather them suffer from a broken bone than to have a broken heart, which takes much longer to heal. The church should be like a hospital, where hurting people come to get healed; not where people who are focused on Jesus get blindsided and end up leaving injured.
If people would spend as much time following Jesus and worshiping Him as they do tearing other people down and trying to flex whatever power they have, whether a little or a lot, the church would actually be able to fulfill its biblical commission and reach the world for Christ. However, there is so much infighting that there is virtually no outreach.
Some of these friends, which are more like family, have been through hell over the past couple of years, yet they have remained faithful to the Lord, despite the attacks of men. Sadly, they are getting to see a little bit of what I experienced as a pastor for a decade. The things I saw but could never talk about, are coming to light. The devil is as much at work within the church as he is out in the world, and the energy and resources of everyone in the church should be aimed at evil, not at each other.
I have offered my help and support in any way that it is needed, but above everything else, they need prayer for healing, discernment, and strength to stand firm. Perhaps you are dealing with the very same thing, and my heart goes out to you. The single greatest thing that you can do is remain focused on the Lord, knowing that He is in control, even though it appears that evil men are getting away with their sin. Remain faithful and focus your eyes on Jesus, knowing that He is always faithful. He is the Healer!
The purpose of prayer
Matthew 6:6-8; 7:9-11
Question: Do your children remind you every day that if you don’t feed them, they will starve? Another question: Do they have to tell you every day that if you don’t buy them clothes and they are naked, they will be arrested for indecent exposure? Final question: Do they constantly nag you about making sure they are enrolled in school so that you don’t go to jail for failing to educate them? Obviously these are silly questions, but hear me out in the next couple paragraphs and maybe my reason for asking you all of this will begin to make sense.
I’m sure you know that the definition of prayer is simply “talking to God“. However, we have made it into so much more—or perhaps less—than what it was actually intended to be. Some things we have made it into are: telling God our wish list; asking God for selfish things in the name of blessings; reminding God how we feel, like He doesn’t understand; and most popular of all, asking God to bless our plans rather than seeking His will.
Okay, now take your mind back to a few moments ago when we talked about those silly questions that kids likely never ask. Of course we are going to feed them and not allow them to go hungry. Naturally, we are going to clothe them, even if we can’t afford name-brand attire. And yes, we are going to make sure they get the best education we can afford.
So, if we as human parents know how to provide for our children, why would the Perfect Father neglect us or not have a clue of what we need? Answer: He wouldn’t! Now that we have established this principle, let me get to my point and try to land the plane.
Too often, we make prayer something that it was never intended to be, but what God expects from us is nothing more than a conversation, just like we would have with our children. You don’t have to need or want anything every time you talk to Him, but just like in our human relationships, we love to hear our children talk to us and express their dependence on us. In the same way that we are content to simply be in the room with our children, our Heavenly Father simply wants us to talk to Him. Obviously, He will provide for all our needs, but more than anything, I believe He wants us to come into His presence and simply say, “Hello father, I love you.” Let’s get back to the profound simplicity of prayer.
Don’t minimize the small stuff.
Because I travel for work, I find myself in convenience stores all the time. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just plain ugly…especially the restrooms. Sometimes I think it would be more sanitary to just go in my pants, but that’s another subject for another time. Just the other day, it was lunchtime, so I decided to grab something fast from the minimart. It was so cool because they had my favorite: a roast beef lunchmeat and cheese sandwich. Not going to lie, I was pretty excited about it! Then, I looked over and saw one of my favorite types of candy: the “only grape” sour patch kids. I felt like I was on cloud nine!
As I approached the register to pay for my lunch and my gas, I said to the cashier, “I feel like I just won the lottery!” referring to the fact that they had both my favorite type of sandwich and a favorite candy of mine— all under one roof! I’m thinking that my jovial attitude may have broken up the monotony of her shift, because she genuinely seemed pretty happy for me. Some days it doesn’t take much for me to be happy, while other days it doesn’t take much for me to be a grumpy old man. This particular day was a mixture of that, but I found delight in simple comfort food.
My take-away from all this is that we often only thank God for the big things or the major breakthroughs, but how often do we thank Him for the “small” blessings. When you think about it, they are really not small at all, because every blessing comes from Him, so they all have the potential to be a big deal. It really has to do with our perspective and appreciation for the gifts.
What are some items or areas in which you have dropped the ball, so to speak, in your appreciation for the simple things? Of course we should thank God for that job, that faithful spouse, those beautiful children, and all these other major items; but perhaps we should also take a few minutes and thank God for those little moments that make a big difference on our level of joy. Just food for thought (see what I did there?).
Wake-up Call
In light of recent horrific events, what I’m writing may come across as white noise, but I felt compelled to publish my thoughts. Normally at this point, I would write witty, sarcastic, and maybe even borderline-irreverent scenarios to capture your attention and drive home a spiritual truth. However, today is a little different. There is a lot less joking going on in the world right now. Many are seeing the fact that a man’s life was nearly taken on purpose, and in fact, another man’s life was taken in the crossfire, as a moment to take personal inventory of their own lives. Someone did indeed lose their husband and their father in his heroic, selfless effort to protect them.
So before you swipe out of this, let me make it very clear that this will not be political— rather, a condemnation of evil, and a clarion wake-up call to pursue and promote righteousness. Such is a biblical stance to take because God is holy and hates evil. It is obvious that such a heinous act of terrorism is never okay, for any reason whatsoever, therefore, this cannot be a political subject; it must be a morality issue. The Bible clearly states in the 10 Commandments that we are not to murder (“Thou shalt not kill”). Then in the NewTestament, Jesus takes it a step further and says that if you hate your brother, you don’t love God, rather, you are a murderer in your heart. So again, what we are dealing with are not political differences of opinions; it is the difference between right and wrong, and there are no gray areas in God’s word on this subject.
Now that we have condemned the evil, I want us to think about how our lives will change as we reflect on the “what if” and the “what did” happen. I’m not really concerned about grammar at this point, so please try to overlook that and focus on what I’m trying to convey. Whether you consider yourself to be political or not, the attempted assassination of President Trump was a blatant attack on a human life. The Bible has a lot to say about the value of a human life. For instance, Psalm 139 tells us that the Lord designed us even before we were born, and in Jeremiah 1:5 the Lord told the prophet that He had called him before he was even in this world!
My point is this: you matter to God and your life has value. With that truth and mind, what are you doing to use the gifts with which He has equipped you? I have been considering this very deeply, even before the events of July 13th. There are things that matter and there are things that are pretty insignificant, but somehow we seem to elevate the insignificant things and neglect those things that are of eternal importance.
I don’t think I need to tell you this, but life is very fragile. Each day, we may brush with death and not even know it. The greatest thing we can do is live every day to the fullest, serving God with every breath that we have. That looks a little different for each person, depending on your gift, but if you allow Him to show you, God will reveal exactly what He has called you to do. Last of all, please hear this: life is too short to lose focus of what really matters. C. T. Studd is remembered for saying, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” Perhaps this is your wake-up call.
Reversing Discouragement
Several years ago, when I was still a pastor, I had an interesting event happen while I was in the middle of preaching a message. Let me preface the rest of the story by saying this: anyone who had ever heard me preach, knew that I almost always opened my sermons with a joke or humorous anecdote and then interjected humor throughout the message. That’s just my personality and I never meant anything disrespectful by it. I’m not going to say that people came to expect it, but it was going to happen 100% of the time and they were not surprised.
So, there was an individual, and for the sake of anonymity, we will call him Howie. As I was waxing semi-eloquent and sharing a funny anecdote that was not original with me, 98% of the listeners were chuckling along with me and soaking up the spiritual application, but not Howie. And not Mrs. Howie either. They sat there with bigger frowns on their faces than Christians are supposed to wear, and then I heard it: Howie said, “What is this, Johnny Carson?” What he meant for evil was one of the biggest moments of encouragement and unintentional compliments that I would ever receive. It gave me street cred for humor.
OK, I will admit that I was fuming on the inside, and bit my tongue very hard. I wanted to say something, but I knew it wasn’t the right time. To make a long story short, Mr. and Mrs. Howie left the congregation, and the church lived happily ever after. By the way, I found out later that Howie demonstrated the same behavior with his former pastor, so I wore the insult as a badge of honor and I haven’t looked back yet. I may even add it to my résumé!
Here is the simple lesson we can take away from this true story. Even when someone dislikes you, insults you, and even tries to dislodge you from your position, you can still be encouraged to keep on keeping on. I knew I wasn’t hurting anyone with my humor; in fact, I believe it helped many people to remember the subject I was teaching. So, thanks to Howie‘s glum outlook on life, I can laugh a little harder and hopefully make others chuckle as well. Howie wasn’t a bad guy, he just needed to find another place to get plugged in that was more his speed; somewhere that could help him nurture his spiritual gift of criticism (totally kidding). Don’t get discouraged when others oppose you if you are doing what God has called you to do.
Don’t overthink it.
If you follow me on social media, I want thank you for not not blocking me yet. If you already have, you don’t know what you’re missing. Actually, I’m kidding because I’m not that interesting of a person, but I do have a strange mind and I like to share that gift with others through humor. I recently posted a question in the form of a meme, and the joke was not original with me. However, I was actually surprised at how many people had never heard it before. The same day that I posted it, I gave it a trial run with almost the entire staff at the office. OK, it was four people, but for dramatic emphasis, it was the “entire company”. Hey, it’s my story, so I can tell it however I want to! I could even end my sentences with a preposition this time around.
The question that I posed was: “When geese fly in V formation, why is one side longer?” I wanted to interject a helpful hint that said “don’t overthink it,” but that would not have been as fun. I will let you think about it before I give you the answer. (Hum the Jeopardy song to yourself.) OK, that’s enough time. The answer is, “Because there are more geese on that side.”
Surprisingly, that very dry and basic joke got a pretty good response. By the way, none of the four people at the office got the answer correct…you know who you are.
Now, you are probably thinking that there is no possible way on planet earth that I could come up with a spiritual application for this. That is where you would be incorrect. One of the things that we are very good at as Christian is overthinking things—and that is not a compliment. Thinking things over is very wise before making a decision, but overthinking can be a curse more than a blessing.
One of the results of overthinking things is that we have devised rules and regulations and set them up at standards in our lives, when they are nowhere to be found in the Bible. Now, no way am I condoning that we dumb down the word of God, but I also do not think that we should create environments of fear based on things the Bible doesn’t actually say. This is simply due to the fact that we as humans like to build on things and add complexity to that which was designed to be clear and simple.
There is nothing wrong with studying theology. In fact, I have a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a doctorate degree in theology, but it has very little to do with the daily Christian life. You can reach more people by loving the Lord with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself than you can by quoting all the ins and outs of systematic theology. Again, there is a place for that, but I really really do believe that God wants us to K. I. S. S. (Keep It Simple, Saints). When people around us see that we are not trying to be so technical over minuscule issues or non-issues, they will be more open to hearing the simple, yet powerful truth that we are supposed to be demonstrating from God’s word. Don’t overthink it!
What defines you?
I think I’ve probably written about this before, but it’s on my mind, so I wanted to pass it along. As a guy (because I am of the male persuasion), it is common when meeting other men for us to ask each other what we do for a living. It’s kind of the standard icebreaker when meeting new people. It can also be kind of a scary situation because if you ask someone what they do for a living, they might actually tell you…in great detail…and it may bore you to tears, or just be really strange to the point that you were sorry you even asked.
If you find out that someone you just met is a computer programmer that sits in a room and types on a keyboard all day, that could be a very boring conversation. No offense to computer programmers, because your house is probably way bigger than mine. Being a nerd used to be a derogatory term, but now it’s what most people call their boss (who is probably 20 years younger than them). Don’t get me wrong, people do some very fascinating things to pay their bills and support their families, and occasionally I stumble across someone whose career path blows my mind. There is nothing wrong with asking about this part of someone’s life, but it’s a very limited and narrow fraction of a person‘s entire being.
The better question would be “So, who are you?” (as opposed to “what do you do for a living?”) because that can change frequently. These questions can obviously intersect, and for many people, they do. However, some people’s livelihood is nothing more than just a job that they can clock out of before returning to the more meaningful parts of life. Some folks have jobs that we would consider to be menial, but not everybody can be a TikTok influencer and pay the bills. Sorry for that little reality check. While our jobs and careers are a critical part of who we are, we often forget that we are far more multifaceted than what’s on the surface. In fact, sometimes our hobbies can tell much more about ourselves than our jobs would ever be able to!
The Bible defines those of us who are believers with a much more vivid and eternal definition. When we come to Christ, we become a brand new creation and we are considered to be “in Christ”. It’s not that God always discards our talents and things from our former life, because sometimes He sanctifies them and multiplies their impact, but sometimes He creates something much bigger! But in any case, the Lord is more concerned with who we are, not just what we do. When we belong to Him, who we are determines what we do with our lives.
I guess some sample questions could be: “So, what is God doing in your life?“ Or, “Tell me a little bit about your family.” Or maybe, “What makes you tick and who ticks you off?” If you get to the job thing, that’s cool because we should be extremely thankful for God‘s provision, but I think you’ll find out that people are so much more about who they are rather than just about what they do. You’ll never go wrong taking your conversation in the direction of spiritual and eternal things.
We’re His Kids
I’m sure 100% of you know that I travel for work, so I am very dependent on my communication via phone to stay in touch with the family. Whenever my wife has to leave the children at home briefly to run an errand, we both depend on our phones as our line of communication with our children. I’m sure you can relate to this scenario. The teenager/adult children have actual phone service with the ability to make phone calls, while the younger children use our old phones which are able to connect to the internet and use iMessage and video calling features.
One day, not too terribly long ago, the children’s mother, who doubles as my wife, was away from the house for a short time. I sent my children a group text stating my expectations. I wasn’t worried about the formality, so I just did voice-to-text, telling them that they needed to fold the blankets in the living room and straighten things up to help mom out. Like, this is probably the easiest thing they’ve ever been asked to do. At that point in the day, I was not really happy with them for their lack of participation in basic chores. So I texted this phrase: “Fold the blankets and try to straighten up a little bit” and then I sent it. This is how my nine-year-old responded: “Let’s how about we use punctuations 😮” Okay, so I can overlook her horrible grammar, but I couldn’t stop laughing at her response. And that emoji sends me!
Normally, my rebuttal to her would have been stern, but I couldn’t seem to stay mad at her. For some reason her sassiness struck a cord with me and I found it humorous rather than disrespectful. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because that is totally something I would’ve said, but when I was growing up, we couldn’t hide behind distance and a text message—we had to backtalk in person, and that usually didn’t work out so well for us. My butt was always sore.
Here’s my point today: I don’t go around disciplining other people’s kids, but if you ask my children, they would probably say I’m mean because I don’t tolerate a lot of nonsense. That’s fair. I’m not a big karma guy, but I do see some of their behavior as payback for what I must have put my parents through. Sadly, unlike God, I am not a very patient person. But I am glad that He is patient, because I am one of His children and I love that He doesn’t fly off the handle whenever I do something wrong. He simply convicts me, corrects me, and challenges me to get it right next time.
The author of Hebrews (maybe Paul, maybe not) explains how God deals with those of us who are His children. If He punishes us, that means we belong to Him. If a person continues in sin and never gets punished, they can assume that they are illegitimate, or as the King James puts it: a b@$tard (but my kids would be a deep trouble if they casually used that word). Once upon a time several hundred years ago, apparently it was commonplace, but I digress.
Since God is the perfect Parent, He does not excuse our disobedience, but neither does He condemn us. He forgives us and lovingly commands us to not do that thing again. We see Jesus, who is God the Son, illustrating this method in the account of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery (I still want to know where the guy was, but that’s another topic for another day). Jesus did not condemn her, but instead He told her to go and stop sinning.
When, not if, one of our earthly children makes a mistake, we do not love them any less, although we are understandably disappointed. We want them to stop their disobedient habits, but they never stop being our children. That’s exactly how God deals with us, and we should model our human relationships after the one that is foundational: our relationship to Him as our Father.
Unchanging
Change is not a curse word, but after talking to some people, you would think it is. While I don’t welcome a lot of change, some change is inevitable, and some change is absolutely necessary for our personal growth. If you don’t change the water in a fish tank, it could lead to the loss of your goldfish and having to deal with unexpected funeral expenses for that poor little guy, or girl, we can’t tell.
The fact that you change your clothes, hopefully on a daily basis, is very positive and it is good for morale. If the seasons didn’t change, we would be stuck with the same weather all the time, and as much as I love Spring, it would probably get old…or maybe not. Changing lanes on the highway is a must for me to make progress when I am stuck behind a tractor-trailer going uphill 30 miles per hour below the speed limit (hypothetically speaking, of course).
A change of scenery is always nice, and that’s one of the reasons we like to go on vacation. We like to see new things and sometimes it even changes our perspective on life. Needless to say, change can be a very positive thing and even an exciting thing, especially for someone starting out on a new journey, or flipping over to a new chapter of life.
Obviously, I can’t mention positive change without also mentioning the negative. If you remember last time, there are two sides to every story (if you don’t remember, simply scroll down the page just a bit). This type of change can come in the form of a job change, the loss of a loved one, dealing with a disease, or a child growing up and moving out of the home. So, while not all change is bad, some is.
While God uses change in our lives to mold us and shape us, He never changes, and that truth gives me comfort. Now, I’m talking about God’s character not changing, not people’s ideas of who He is. There are some that will say that since God doesn’t change, we should not change with fashion or any kind of cultural or societal deviation from their preferred standards. When the Bible tells us that God does not change, too often we misinterpret that to fit our template or belief system. In fact, I would venture to say that if you are not changing in some areas of life, you are not growing in your faith.
This is what it does mean when it tells us that God does not change: His power has not weakened, His truth has not wavered, His plan for the redemption of humanity has not been amended, and His love has never failed. The way we do church is constantly evolving, and most often not for the better. But even in the midst of all the man-made corruption and our mismanagement of Christianity, God never changes, His ways are always pure and holy, and we can take great comfort in that truth!
Only hearing half of the story
Whenever I drive, I wear my AirPods in one ear. This serves a dual purpose: first of all, because I need to have one ear alert at all times for traffic, engine noise, emergency vehicles, etc. Also, while I am using one, the other AirPod is charging—that way I always have audio at my disposal. Especially when dealing with the noise-cancellation technology, these devices were designed to be used as a pair, primarily for the stereo feature. Mono is trash! My point in all of this is that you don’t get the full effect unless they are working in tandem.
Wearing one earbud essentially only gives you half of the story. As a guy who enjoys mixing audio recordings, I appreciate the placement of the instruments across the spectrum. When I was in recording school, I even had the privilege of mixing in 5.1 surround. It was a neat experience to be able to place guitar on the rear left so it sounds like it’s behind you, or a piano on the front right. For me, the bass always stays in the center because those low frequencies are not really directional. Interesting factoid: I like to mix the drums from the drummer’s perspective so that the hi-hat is on the left, and the ride cymbal is on the right, with the toms descending from left to right, and of course, with the kick drum in the center.
In life, it seems like we always only hear half of the story. This is mostly due to the fact that we are biased in most areas of life. If we are friends with someone and another individual does them wrong, naturally we are going to side with our friend. It reminds me of the song by BBMAK that says, “Anytime, day or night, don’t care if it’s wrong or right, I’m still on your side.” While I love that song, I don’t really want to go to jail because a friend or family member did something illegal. In that case, I’m like, “Nah bro, you’re on your own!”
Perhaps we take sides based on political positions, denominational differences, social stances, or just plain aesthetic appeal, but no matter what, we all have different biases. In K-Pop music, that means your favorite singer. (Just a little tidbit for you there).
Too often, we only hear the part of the story that we want to hear. This is a form of being in denial. We need to hear the entire matter and make wise judgments based on the whole picture. When going back and revisiting a situation, even if you listen to both sides of the story, your conclusion may still be the same. But at least you know that you have all the information in order to come to that decision. It also may end up that you or I were wrong and judged something or someone based on our biased opinion. It’s possible!
So, the moral of the story today is that we need to hear the stereo story so that we can know and follow the truth. Sometimes it hurts, but it’s always the right thing to do. It’s hard to check our opinions at the door, but humility and wisdom will make it possible.
Make sure it’s plugged in
Because I’m in the car a lot, I do most of my device charging while I’m driving. Recently, I looked at the battery life on my phone and it said it was at 75% and the charging indicator was not on. It literally just had a 100% charge not long before that, but obviously my GPS app drains it fast—but not that fast, especially if it’s plugged in! Okay, now here’s the problem: while the phone end of the charger was plugged in securely, the USB was not plugged into the cigarette outlet. It looked legitimate on the part that I could see, but way down near the floor is the plug for the USB end. It was just kind of hanging there, not fulfilling its intended function. It literally had one job to do.
So, while my phone appeared to be legitimately set up to charge, it was not connected to the power source. The application today is pretty basic, yet simultaneously profound. There are many people who appear to be Christians, but it is all superficial. The part that everyone can see on a daily basis looks authentic, but they are not plugged into Christ with their heart. That is, they don’t have access to the power of God because they don’t have that connection. Once that connection is made, they will be joined spiritually to the Lord, but prior to this, it is all optics.
Perhaps you have been fooling everyone by appearing to be a Christian, but you’re depending on your own morality to save you. Or, it could be that you “think” you are a Christian, because you belong to a church or have been baptized, yet you don’t have a personal relationship with Christ. It doesn’t matter if you look like you’re plugged in if you are not first plugged into the power source: Jesus Christ. Check your connection today to make sure you have the right source. BTW, my phone battery is now at 85% after just few minutes of being connected to the charger for real.
Imitation is the best form of flattery
I’m sure you have heard the saying about children being little sponges, and it is absolutely true! They say there are two things that don’t lie: children and yoga pants. While I’m not going to speak to the latter, the former is extremely accurate. They see it how it is, and they say it how it is. Kids soak things up, and in some situations that’s really good, while in other situations that’s really bad—sometimes even embarrassing. In the first example, I’m going to give you today, it’s a good thing.
My son, Isaiah, recently started using the same graphic design app that I use to design all of my memes and devotional artwork. I know this because there are papers that were recently printed, indicating that he has an architecture and fencing company with a logo, and he also showed me really creative posters he made that show that both he and his sister are wanted by the law, being armed and dangerous. He even offered a reward—the kid is hilarious! (He also told me he was going to get that app, so I was not surprised to see him using his creative mind to design things).
It’s cool when children copy their parents in constructive, positive things, but it’s quite the opposite when we see them mimicking our negative behavior. It’s like they are miniature impersonators! Probably the most popular person to impersonate would be Elvis, and if you are really good at it, that gig can be quite lucrative!
Sometimes I feel like they copy everything we do, good or bad, and sadly, in my case, anger is no exception. As polite and sweet as my son is, he is just like his father when something doesn’t go his way, and it breaks my heart to see that. That’s an indicator that I need to work on myself. But back on a positive note, I love the fact that he loves Legos, knives, archery, riding his bike, riding his scooter, and doing stuff that I also take an interest in doing. He is very smart in school, and has no problems memorizing his weekly scripture verses. That sure makes me proud!
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, the apostle Paul tells the readers to follow him as he follows Christ. In other words, they were to collectively imitate Jesus; and so are we. The other side of the coin is that if Paul was not following Christ, he would not want others following him. His behavior affected more than just himself. He even passed this principle down to Timothy when he told him to be an example to the believers in word and deed.
They say “Imitation is the greatest compliment,” but that’s only true if they are imitating something good. I want my children to imitate my godly behavior, not the bad things I do when I operate in my own human strength. If they imitate my sinful behavior, that’s actually an insult, but it ought to be a wake-up call for me. Let’s be deliberate about the fact that we live in a glass house and someone is always watching our life.
It just flows naturally
I would like to believe I am pretty self motivated, but it’s more out of obligation than any skills that I possess. For the past 20+ years, I have not had a boss looking over my shoulder, but I still feel the pressure of getting the job done and doing it right, no matter what it is. Okay, there was that short period, sandwiched in between my self-sufficient history, where I had a boss breathing down my neck; we’ll call him “George”. It wasn’t my fault that the guy was a slave driver, he just had a crappy life and took it out on everyone else. Wait, did I turn into that guy? I mean, I have a good life, but the older I get, the more comfortable I am with grumpy.
Other than that little stint, I never had a list of chores or things to do that I had to check off, other than what I made personally for myself in order to stay motivated. I think this method causes our brains to work harder, because we are not just checking off a list, we are conscientiously performing tasks that we have to think about. Even when I was a pastor, I was the only person who worked within the church facility, so there was no one breathing down my neck. But if I wasn’t doing my job, it would come to the surface on Sunday. Everyone would know if I had slacked off during the week. (For those who think pastors only work one day a week, I’ve got a couple words for you…just kidding, I’ll be kind :)
If you’re married and you are of the male persuasion, you may be familiar with what society labels a “honey-do list”. This is a list of chores and other manual tasks assigned by your wife that no human being in the history of the world could ever get accomplished in one lifetime. Stupid stuff, like: put the seat down, don’t track mud in the house, and throw your trash in the garbage receptacle. Okay, so that’s a different list, but I think you’re picking up what I’m putting down.
In our scripture text today, we see a list of qualities that should be very natural for us as followers of Christ. The problem is, we tend to adopt habits contrary to these qualities, making them seem difficult, and forgetting to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish them. If we’re doing it right, this is not a tedious list of undesirable tasks, it is a lifestyle of joyful obedience that comes fully equipped with God’s peace.
Now, I don’t want to insult your intelligence, because you can read the passage for yourself, but the foundation is faith, and the overall result is love, which clearly points to the glory of God. If you are not sure how to live a faithful Christian life, just follow the progression outlined in 2 Peter 1, and the more obedient you are, the more natural the process will seem.
Disclaimer: please don’t use this as a doctor’s excuse to throw your employers list of job responsibilities out the window. But hey, it’s worth a shot!
Let God Decide What’s Good
Have you ever taken a bite of food and told others how good it is? One of my daughters recently ate peas, two times in the same day, and I was questioning if she was really my daughter. I hate these, and if you ask me, they are not good. But that’s just my opinion. It could be a certain flavor of ice cream, or it may be that you don’t like ice cream at all. The fact that I don’t eat pig stomach doesn’t mean it’s not good (or maybe it does), it simply means it doesn’t sound good to me. but I will eat the bacon part of the pig all day!
How about automobiles? Some people are loyal to a specific brand and will argue that all other cars are inferior. While it is okay to favor one over the others, that doesn’t mean the others are necessarily bad. It also doesn’t mean that their pet brand is automatically good. Anything created by humans comes fully equipped with problems.
We see the good/bad debate a lot with musical tastes. You might prefer a certain genre, and that’s fine, but to tell someone else their taste in music is bad is merely your opinion. You might prefer something that is more piano-based, while I might like something that is more guitar-driven. Different styles appeal to different tastes. I can respect a certain type of music without enjoying it. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, especially if the musicianship shines through.
We define “good” by our own metrics, using our own prejudices to determine if it is good or not. Prejudice literally means to pre-judge, and we often form our opinions before we even give something a chance. This is most often seen in generational conflict. I remember dealing with this slightly in the church scene, and I literally had a disgruntled church member tell me that we needed to cater exclusively to the old people and advertise our church as “old-fashioned”. Now, there’s nothing wrong with old-fashioned as long as you don’t worship tradition, but there is everything wrong with writing off an entire generation as not being good enough. Needless to say, that fellow left the church and was as though the Holy Spirit was allowed back in.
God is the only one qualified to define what is good. In the beginning, He declared that His creation was good. His very essence and character is nothing short of good. In the New Testament, we see that His perfect will is good. In that very same verse in Romans 8, we see that He causes all things to work together for good. But here’s the tricky part—it doesn’t mean that everything is good, but that He has a good purpose for us, even in the darkest of nights.
I am glad that we have differing views on what is good to us in terms of the less important things in life such as a pair of shoes, or a hairstyle, or even worship styles. All that stuff is personal preference. In the book of Micah, the Lord tells us what is truly good and what really matters in this life: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God. Fads and trends will come and go, but what the Lord declares is good will last forever. In fact, His goodness and mercy will accompany us as long as we live (Psalm 23). That’s good news!
Coffee grounds and grounded theology
Anyone that knows me sort of well, knows that I like coffee. However, I’m not a fan of black coffee. If you were to look inside my coffee mug, it would look very blonde. If I were to let you sample my coffee, which I’m not going to, it would taste extremely sweet. So, basically I like a little coffee with my cream and sugar. Now, I don’t like just any old cream; I prefer French vanilla. A shot of caramel doesn’t hurt either, but that’s only if I’m feeling really fancy.
If I order an iced coffee from Rachel‘s Soft Pretzels, I ask them to put caramel and whipped cream on it to make it look really pretty. The presentation is just as important as the taste. With no aesthetic appeal, it’s just blah. And don’t get me started on decaf; that’s like having a car without an engine—what’s the point?
My wife and I like to try out different coffeehouses, especially if they offer flights. That way, if we don’t like one of their flavors, we’re not committed to 16 or 20 ounces; just a shot. I have a friend who drinks coffee religiously, and he and I exchange pictures of ourselves on Snapchat drinking coffee every day. His favorites are Starbucks and Scooters, where he loves to drive away with a nice mocha latte.
My favorite coffee on-the-go is Dunkin’, and where I travel in the Northeast, Dunkin’ is king—especially in Massachusetts, where the successful chain is headquartered. My coffee order is simple: a medium hot French vanilla coffee with three cream and five sugars. It’s basically poor man’s cappuccino without the froth.
A few weeks ago, I got my coffee late in the day, and as I was trying to get into my vehicle, my entire cup of coffee spilled on the ground before I even took a sip of it. Seeing as how I was at a travel center, I paid a dollar more than I normally would have, so that was a lovely treat down the drain. That is, until my wife suggested that I go back in and tell them what happened. I offered the young lady money for another one, but she gave me a replacement for free!
There are certain coffee mugs that seem to fit right in my hand, and I tend to favor those over the others. I even have a travel mug from a famous actress, but I will not mention her name, in order to respect her privacy. One of the items on my bucket list is to open a small café, but right now, I have neither the time nor the money. It would be really cool though, because all the little coffee shops that I patronize are making some serious bank!
Okay, enough about coffee grounds. What is far more important is that our theology is grounded in the word of God. I’m not talking about our preferences or prejudices, but the principles that are settled for all eternity. You don’t have to be a judgmental elitist to have a solid, working knowledge of the Bible. In fact, ordinary people who live by God’s truth are the ones who make the greatest impact for Christ. Being studious and diligent with God’s word is a very biblical concept which will help us become grounded in the truth so that we can guard ourselves against the wicked schemes of Satan.
Blessed even when I’m stressed
I’m not going to lie, I don’t handle stress very well. In fact, I tend to overreact over little things that I refer to as “stubbing my toe” issues. These things are nothing earth-shattering, and at the end of the day, I will probably forget all about them, but in the moment, I sometimes lose it. I would love to not be like that, and I know I need to pray harder and lean into God more, not on my own understanding.
I know that the reason for this kind of behavior is partly due to the fact that I like to be in control, and when something threatens that, I react hastily more than responding properly. Simply put, it’s spiritual immaturity. I am not trying to throw myself under the bus or have a pity party, but sometimes I’m a hot mess, and I’m sure you are as well. It’s okay, as long as we don’t stay there.
If you are anything like me, you are regularly receiving notices that certain bills have increased. This happened to me recently, and it bummed me out for a couple days. There was nothing I could do about it, but in my mind, the whole world was crashing down upon me. But God has a way of providing, and He did just that the other day, and it was a great reminder of His provision for His children. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Lord has been extremely generous to us, but I’m one of those people that live like I’m poor, even if I have money in the bank.
As the provider for my family, I think it’s just my natural instinct to be prepared in the event that there is a financial crisis or shift in stability, but too often I let it consume me. That’s a burden that we were never meant to bear. While God does not promise that we will be rich in this life, He does take care of us in ways that remind us that He is in control. Listen, if you have clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and money to pay the bills, technically, you are rich! It’s when we play the comparison game that we get into trouble. I am regularly in homes that cost 10 to 20 times what my home cost, but every time, I am thankful that I don’t have that mortgage. I’m content with my small mortgage.
So, the next time you want to write “theft by deception” on the memo line of your check when you send it to your mobile phone carrier for all those hidden fees, pause to thank God that you are able to afford it, and maybe just settle with putting your account number on the memo line. I am totally preaching to myself right now, so please don’t think I’m picking on you. Take a few minutes to thank God for all the blessings and upgrades that He gives you every day. We deserve nothing, but He is truly the greatest Provider ever!
Open your eyes, ref!
A few days ago, our family decided on a whim to go to a local high school basketball game. Little did I know that I could have borrowed a Foot Locker employee‘s shirt, closed my eyes, and officiated that game 10 times better than what was going on. It was bad! In fact, our team was so scared of getting called for fouls, that they barely even got near the ball. If the other team went up for a layup and our team was even in the vicinity, the whistle would blow, and they would get two shots. One of our coaches was doing a very good job of keeping his cool, while another one of the coaches got ejected after the game for simply questioning the horrible judgment of the arrogant, seeing-impaired referees.
In order to officiate a youth sport, you don’t have to actually know what you’re doing, you just have to be available that evening to work for 30 bucks. One of the referees must have been dealing with some emotional issues, because when one of our players questioned a couple bad calls, he ended up getting two technical fouls. Now, I don’t care what team was winning or losing, the calls were so bad that even a blind 100 year-old woman would drop her beer and say, “What kind of call was that, Zebra?”
It got so bad that when the opposing team charged into our players, our team received a foul. It was so backwards that everyone was scratching their heads and wondering whether or not this one particular ref was actually watching the same game that we were. I’m not exaggerating, it was that bad!
After receiving a litany of verbal criticisms from the parents and players, the referees quickly went to the locker room, grabbed their belongings, and were escorted out by a security guard through the side door, avoiding any and all accountability for their actions. They obviously knew that this whole sports thing was probably not their niche. I’m not gonna lie, I joined in the banter, but it was so pathetic that it was laughable. At one point, I wanted to take a pair of glasses out to the court and ask the referees if they needed them to see what was going on, but I refrained myself and just sat there in disbelief at the level of cluelessness that was taking over the entire gymnasium.
I felt bad for the kids, because they were making very good plays and playing a very solid, clean game, but every time they tried to make a good play, they were penalized. Anyway, what was supposed to be a leisurely family event left us with our blood boiling over the athletic injustice that was so obvious. As I was walking to my car, I asked the security guard if he got the referees safely to their vehicles, and he gave me two thumbs up as I said “That was rough!” I am pretty confident that those officials will not be taking anymore assignments at our local high school, because they probably thought they were going to get jumped.
Jesus addressed the attitudes of the Pharisees quite often, and today’s verse is no exception. They thought they were right about everything and their arrogance was continually escalating. In His loving, yet forceful way, Jesus knocked them down a couple pegs by telling them that if the blind lead the blind, they both fall into a ditch. On a much more insignificant scale, I witnessed the blind referees leading others to the point where a team legitimately lost a game merely based on bad calls. I will admit a loss if it is fair, but I wish you could have been there to witness the Olympic-level of incompetence.
The principle is pretty simple today: our influence will inevitably affect others, possibly even to the point that they miss opportunities to do great things. Let’s not allow our negligence and lack of attention to detail affect others, and cause them to stumble. If we can’t see, let’s step out of the way until we get a clearer vision. There are too many people leading masses of others in the wrong direction, even in the spiritual realm, and this could be catastrophic!
Time to stand
I know I’m going back in time a little bit with this reference, but you may have seen the episode of Duck Dynasty where Willie got all the guys adjustable tables so they could work standing up. I think it was supposed to increase productivity, but I’m sure you know how that went. It seems like those fellas spent a lot of time sitting down on the job. As an individual who drives for a living, I sit down on the job all the time. Maybe I should get a vehicle that has an option to stand while driving; that would be really cool!
Whenever I stand for even a few minutes, it messes with my legs, because I must have really bad circulation. If my memory serves me correctly, it began many years ago at Disney World when I carried one of my children for about 10 or 12 hours because they didn’t want to walk. Some days are worse than others, so it’s fitting that I should be sitting (pretty cool rhyme, huh?).
I am one of those suckers who got an Apple Watch because I thought they were cool, but they are actually not that great. I’d much rather wear a watch that has some bling to it. For a “smart watch“, my Apple Watch is not that smart in terms of fitness, because occasionally I will hit my “move goal” simply by riding in a moving vehicle. But the thing that really annoys me is that every so often it says “time to stand”. I bet people who work standing at a table never get this notification, but I get it many times a day. You would think my watch would be smart enough to figure this out. So, every time it tells me to stand, I say, “no can do!”
While physical standing is neither here, nor there, taking a spiritual stand is the responsibility of every believer in Christ. Society is so messed up, but we can’t pin it all on society, because many Christians are not taking a stand. I am just as guilty as anyone else. This is nothing new, however, because even back in Old Testament times, God had a hard time finding a man to stand up for Him.
This world needs us to shine a light into the darkness. We can do this in love without compromising. People will be very surprised to find out that God is nothing like many Christians portray Him. While He is a God of justified wrath, He is also a God of unconditional love and forgiveness. He does not desire that anyone dies in their sin, but that all come to saving faith in him. Unless we take a stand for the truth, how will the world hear the good news? It’s time to stand!
Everybody worships
I’m going to start with a blanket statement: everybody worships something. There are no exceptions whatsoever. Maybe it’s your job, maybe it’s your kids, maybe it’s your spouse, maybe it’s your boyfriend or girlfriend (if you’re married, that’s probably going to be a problem), maybe it’s sports, maybe it’s Taylor Swift (some singer no one’s ever heard of), maybe it’s yourself, and maybe (hopefully) it’s the Lord. There’s nothing wrong with any of these categories, but the Bible tells us that anything that takes the place of God is idolatry. In fact, it’s the very thing that got Lucifer booted out of heaven (that, and he probably listened to rock music; j/k ;). He was very good at his job as the worship leader, but the object of his worship changed to “self” and God would not allow him to continue. I didn’t mean to hit you with the deep spiritual stuff in paragraph one, so let’s back up a bit.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s for me was simply amazing when it came to the world of sports. Some of the greatest athletes to ever grace the planet were alive and thriving during that time. I got to experience the entire basketball career of Michael Jordan, who is the greatest player of all time. I got to see Shaquille O’Neal shatter backboards, watch Cal Ripken break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record, witness Olympic history as the Dream Team slaughtered the competition, and watch in disbelief as a figure skating star took a knee—literally! (IYKYK)
As a young boy, I was amazed by the things that athletes were able to accomplish, especially when I saw Air Jordan fly! It would have been very easy for me to worship certain individuals, and possibly at times I did, but I was aware of what the Bible said about worshiping anyone or anything besides God, and so I did try to be careful. While “sports” can be one area which we worship other humans, it is certainly not the only one. We often worship rock stars, social media influencers, and even people in our own lives that we interact with on a daily basis. I think even PeeWee Herman probably has a fan club—very disturbing.
The Bible tells us that God is a jealous God, and it’s simply because He can be. He deserves 100% of our worship, not only because He created us, but also because He loved us to the point that He provided the perfect sacrifice for our salvation when He sent His perfect Son to die for our sins. Keeping in step with Him and growing in His word is far better than keeping up with the Kardashians. In fact, I’m still trying to figure out why they are famous, other than the fact that they are simply famous. Anyway, we can enjoy the fun and fine things of life without worshiping them. We were wired by our Creator to worship; worship Him!
Be Authentic
I am sure you have been out to eat with someone and you asked them how their pizza was, and they said, “Praise God, it’s a slice of heaven, hallelujah! Glowray!” Perhaps, you ask someone if their back is feeling better and they respond by saying, “God is good all the time, and…”, well, you know the saying. Don’t get me wrong, these are true statements, well, at least the second one. I guess if we were being honest, we could say “Thank you, Giovanni, that was an amazing pie!” Or maybe, “Thank you, Mr. Chiropractor, I needed that adjustment.” It’s okay to give credit to whom credit is due, and you are not robbing God of glory.
I have experienced individuals answering the phone with such a premeditated religious response that they could probably say it in their sleep—and maybe they do. As a pastor for quite a few years, I would hear this a lot whenever I called on someone to pray. I could almost tell exactly what the next word was going to be. Don’t get me wrong, I was guilty of this as well. I still remember being in high school whenever our science teacher from India offered up her daily prayer to begin the class. I would usually mouth the words because I knew exactly what she was going to pray. It’s not that she didn’t mean it, but it was more of a habit to commence the class than a heartfelt conversation with God (and we needed all the prayer we could get in that class. It was hard)!
Please don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to judge anyone’s sincerity or lack thereof, but I experienced this for years, even into my adult life. Contrary to popular belief in some circles, being a Christian doesn’t mean you walk around all day speaking Christianese or spouting off random churchy clichés. While there certainly should be reverence in our tone and a seriousness about the things of God, we can’t be fake. Not only do people outside the church see right through it, so does God, and that ought to alarm us! I wonder if God cringes at our religious superficiality like human beings who are searching for truth do?
Am I advocating that you stop saying “Praise the Lord!” when you get that front parking space at Walmart (well, the first one after the 25 online order pick-up spots)? Absolutely not! Everyone knows that’s a statistical miracle. What I am saying is this: don’t be like the Pharisees who sounded all religious and pious, while inwardly, they were a hot mess spiritually. There’s enough fake stuff in this world to go around, so be real, be authentic, and walk humbly with God. Oh, and let me know if you want me to get you a fake Rolex the next time I’m in New York City. fr
You are not alone
I remember a few decades ago, one of my cousins had the goal of becoming a hermit. Apparently he liked being alone, but his plan was foiled when he got married and had kids. Many years ago, my wife and I lived in a town called Enola, which is the word “alone“ spelled backwards, and there’s a whole story behind it, but since I don’t know it, I won’t bore you with a manufactured version. In a way, we felt alone as a newly married couple, but then we started having kids, and after a couple of moves, we put down roots and now there’s a couple people that we tolerate, and that keeps us from being lonely.
In my line of work, I am alone about 90% of the time, and at times I struggle with this because loneliness causes a person’s mind to wander, and often it stumbles upon negativity and depressing thoughts. When I use this time to brainstorm about new sermons and craft new devotionals in my mind, I don’t feel as lonely or depressed. But whenever I rotate through more than 1,000 songs on Apple Music that I’ve heard 1,000 times, my mind gets a little wonky. Nothing is usually wrong, it’s just how I’m wired I guess.
A lot of times whenever we come down from a spiritual high, we tend to entertain thoughts of depression. I remember a few years ago, during the height of Covid, the church that I was pastoring grew significantly. Sadly, many other churches were shutting their doors, but we took our service to the parking lot, drawing in many more people than those who attended previously. The Lord blessed that endeavor, and I’m not going to lie, it was a ton of work. Afterwards it seemed to get back to “normal”, so naturally, negative feelings kicked in.
If you read the selected verses from 1 Kings 19, this experience in the life of Elijah came right on the heels of when he humiliated and destroyed 450 false prophets of Baal who were mocking God. It is one of the most amazing events recorded in the Bible, yet the prophet became glum and put in a request for God to take his life since he was all alone, running from a nasty woman named Jezebel. In all fairness, I would probably make the same request. Jonah found himself in the same boat (pun intended) when he was running from God and asked for the Lord to take his life. But in both instances, God had a massive plan for each of these men that He had called for a purpose.
There used to be a time when I was critical of both of these individuals, but now I am not. Loneliness and depression are very real, and even following a major spiritual victory, anyone is susceptible to falling into the low depths of feeling useless and alone. If you are dealing with loneliness, ask the Lord to put people in place who can help you cope and become less lonely. If you are battling depression, ask the Lord for guidance to lead you to the right person/people who can help you get the treatment that you need. And finally, if you look down on people who struggle with these things, ask the Lord to change your cold heart and replace the apathy with empathy. Listen, you are not alone!
Flipping Out
As I write this, I’m in a hotel, extremely tired after a long day of driving in snow, sleet, rain, and ice. The first part of my day was plagued with challenges ranging from people to weather issues, and let’s just say, my bad attitude wasn’t my best look. I’m ashamed to say that I had an adult brat fit, but as I settle down for the night, I’m not okay with my behavior, so it’s time I continue talking to God and letting Him know that I’m sorry for flipping out; especially over frivolous matters. Looking back over this day, I want to say to myself, “Man, you are one pathetic loser! No offense.” (Lloyd Christmas, 1994).
All in all, it actually turned out to be a pretty good day, even though the below-freezing temps made the roads fairly treacherous. Unlike the state that I live in (Pennsylvania), MassDOT has their snow stuff together. They didn’t just sit on the exit ramps and watch the white powder fall while peoples’ cars were sliding all over the place; they actually blocked the highway with rolling roadblocks of snowplows and treated the roads. Wait, that was Connecticut, the worst state in the nation, but still, they did something to help. At the time, as I was creeping along in my car, I was a bit upset about that too, so I have included that in today’s writing on anger. But their slow-go was actually intended for my safety. Thanks tortoises!
Since I was up at 3:00 AM this morning, I’m going to try to get to the point, so I can rest my red, tired eyes. So, here’s the application: The Bible tells us we are not supposed to go to bed angry, and whether it’s anger aimed at another individual (spouse/child/parent/weatherman), or just general anger at the world (my issue today), we should not let it fester to the point that we don’t deal with it on the day that it happened. The Lord knows my heart and that I trust His plan, but when I struggle to release control of my life, I end up getting angry, and it is never justified. I couldn’t write this stuff when I was a full-time pastor, because people would think that I wasn’t perfect. Newsflash: I wasn’t perfect then, and I’m not perfect now, but I want to be honest enough to admit that I struggle with anger.
The next time that you fly off the handle, ask God to forgive you, but then also ask Him to help you not do it again. The best practice when dealing with sin in our lives is to not let the sun go down before we deal with the issue at hand. And it’s not just with anger, the principle is the same for any sin with which we struggle. But the good news is that God is powerful enough to overcome these strongholds in our lives and forgive us when we come to Him in contrition. Let’s all try not to flip out over silly things—I’ll go first.
Silence is Golden
Back before Elon Musk paid over $40 billion for Twitter just to change the name and run it into the ground, it was fun. Nothing against Elon, but it was definitely not his wisest business decision. I had a pretty good run with a satirical persona, but in recent days, Twitter/X has become rather boring. My account consisted of a primarily snarky fictional character that posted almost 100% satire-based content. However, not everyone read the bio, therefore people thought some of the sarcastic jokes were actually serious facts. In some cases, I would offer a silly response, hiding behind the anonymity, but in another cases, I gave no response at all, seeming to let their ignorant responses go unnoticed.
I remember a number of years ago when I was writing for a small satirical outfit based in the UK, that the Babylon Bee threatened us with a “cease and desist or else get sued” scare tactic. To this day, I don’t care for them or their leadership, especially for threatening a small, harmless publication, because our articles were probably funnier than theirs; and I’m convinced that they ripped us off, not vice versa. But that’s water under the bridge and now I look back on it and chuckle.
If wisdom and maturity have taught me anything, it’s to keep my mouth shut in situations where a response would only make me look worse. Sometimes people shoot themselves in the foot with their own foolish comments and it kind of takes care of itself. Plus, the Bible tells us that revenge is not for us, but the Lord will repay accordingly. I have found that most people react based on emotion and usually have very few facts in order before crafting their response. No doubt I will see this with my newly-launched ministry. And that’s okay, actually to be expected, but I will not be responding, because it is not profitable for any party involved.
The Bible clearly tells us in the book of Proverbs that if we answer a fool like a fool, we become a fool. Mr. T says he pities the fool, and elsewhere, the Bible states that the fool has said in his heart “There is no God”. I would rather grow in wisdom than lose spiritual stature due to my foolish words or actions. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a long way to go, and in some ways it’s a gradual process. Let’s resolve together that we are going to seek wisdom in our responses to foolish individuals/situations. One of my favorite quotes is “silence is golden; duct tape is silver”, and while I wouldn’t go that far, there is definitely something commendable about staying silent at the appropriate time.
Pure as the driven snow
I hate snow. I know that seems like an abrupt way to begin writing, but in my world, sn@w is a four-letter word, so I just needed to get that out there. Back in the early 2000s, the job I was working didn’t shut down on a snow day. Then, while I was a pastor, I didn’t like snow on the weekends because it was a mess trying to figure out what to do about services. If I cancel, people would think I was a wimp. If I kept the scheduled service time, people would think I was insensitive and inconsiderate of those who didn’t enjoy driving in the snow. Not to mention, I always hated shoveling the sidewalk and salting the parking lot. I definitely don’t miss that!
In my current line of work, driving several thousand miles each week, I dread wintertime because of all the possible snow in the forecast. And it’s not exactly something I can do sitting at a desk. I just have to bite the bullet and pray for a bubble of protection around my vehicle to keep me safe from the people who forget how to operate an automobile at the first sight of a snowflake. If I ever end up living the American dream (working from home in my pajamas and making millions while drinking coffee all day) I will gladly welcome the white, fluffy stuff. But for now, I hate it because it messes up my plans.
On the other hand, my children love playing in the snow and they don’t seem to mind the bitter temperatures, but I guess I didn’t either when I was a kid. It was definitely a lot of fun, making tunnels in the snow, making snow angels, and sledding down big hills on a car hood while I was standing up (oh wait, I was in my 30s when I did that). Okay, I will admit that some of the places in Vermont, Maine, and New York that I drive in are very beautiful when the snow falls, but they actually own snowplows, so they kind of know how to take care of the roads.
The Bible uses snow as a metaphor to describe how pure we become once Jesus forgives us of our sins. Freshly fallen snow is bright white, thus symbolizing how clean He makes us. Just the other day, I was shoveling out the dog run, and that particular batch of snow was anything but clean—it was, we’ll say, “off-white”. But if you can picture the majestic Rocky Mountains covered in beautiful snow, you get the idea of how white and clean snow looks, which translates to the reality of being cleansed from our sin. If you have been forgiven, take a few moments and thank Jesus for His blood that washes us whiter than snow!
Our Protector
Last week as I was driving in Connecticut (the armpit of the Northeast), I found myself in an interesting situation. I had just left the home of a client and was sitting at a stop sign, and just before I proceeded to make the turn, I saw a car flying over the hill. So I waited…then came another car over the hill. When I thought the coast was clear, I turned onto the road that I needed to be on and proceeded to the next stoplight. As I was sitting there waiting for the light to turn green, several cars came up around me and started trying to run the red light. Their brakes were smoking like a barbecue grill, and they looked like they were running from something. Apparently they were.
These speed demons were literally crossing the double yellow lines and driving directly head-on into traffic coming from the opposite direction, weaving and swerving to get where they were going. As the intersection was full of people trying to get through on a red light, as well as people who legitimately had a greenlight, I heard sirens and saw flashing lights. I sat there patiently in my vehicle, watching the drama unfold and cheering for the police officers as I said, “Go get ‘em!” By the time my light turned green, they were all long gone, so I have no idea what the outcome of that situation was.
What I took away from that brief, yet sobering situation was this: the Lord must have been looking out for me, because I could have easily gotten smashed and mixed up in the stampede of vehicles. Let’s just say that I was very thankful! If you have ever seen any of the 27 Fast and Furious movies, it was kind of like that, only in real life. Looking back on the situation, I kind of felt like I was in a bubble, watching a show of idiots nearly killing other drivers. My hope is that no one got injured and that the people that were breaking the law were brought to justice.
I think we would all be wise to take just a couple minutes and thank the Lord for keeping us safe thus far. We live in a very scary world, and the fact that we are still alive reminds us that God still has a mission for us to carry out. While I could tell you about other events in my life where I feel that God put His angels around me to protect me, I won’t go into that today, but just know this: His angels watch over us and He protects His children until it’s our time to go home where we will be forever safe with Him!
The power of faithful friends
Not surprisingly, the max number of people that I have ever had at one of my pity parties is three: me, myself, and I. Now, I know that there are many people in this world that love me and that I love as well, but sometimes I wonder how many people will show up for my funeral. I guess as long as they have nothing better to do, don’t have to take a day off work, and like free food, it could be a pretty good day.
I think we throw the term “friends” around pretty haphazardly. Perhaps you have thousands of “friends” on social media, or maybe even some “friends” from work, but are they really good friends? Statistically, they say you only really have five close friends in your entire life, and the older I get, the more I think that number is a little high. I know the Bible says that if we want to have friends we need to be friendly, but my problem is “me”: I’m just too busy.
My real friend(s) know what makes me tick and what ticks me off. A couple of my friends are internet exclusives—I have never met them in person, but I’m pretty confident that they would give up 45 minutes to watch a live stream of my memorial service when that day comes. I’m talking about dying too much, but that’s how I gauge someone’s level of friendship. Kinda morbid, I know.
One of the reasons that I love this account in Mark chapter 2 isn’t just because this guy got lowered down through the roof and then got healed. I like the fact that he had at least four people that cared enough to see him get help. These guys chose to carry their friend’s sick bed rather than his casket, believing he could be healed. Not only did these four friends want to see their buddy walk again, they also had the faith to do all they could do to see that he had access to the Healer—like front row access! Real faith produces action.
So, as you analyze who are/are not your friends, consider that the faithfulness of a few is of far greater value than the vague company of a crowd. Your friends may not be rich, and I guess that’s okay, but if they love the Lord and are rooting for you, that’s a powerful bond to share. While we cannot personally piggyback off the faith of our friends, our affiliation with certain people can speak volumes about how important our faith is to us. Don’t miss this: Jesus said because of “their” faith (including the paralyzed dude) the man was forgiven and made well. Surround yourself with faithful friends.
Listening to God’s Voice
I have a special treat for you in this edition. As our family was sitting around the dinner table eating way too much food at one of our Christmas functions, our oldest daughter was talking about her recent trip to South Korea. She then informed us that while she was away, she found comfort in the fact that the Lord was always with her, and she wrote down some thoughts which are going to be used in today’s devotional.
When Rachel was a little girl, I told her that she wasn’t allowed to start dating until she was 35 years old, and that lasted until she was about 16. Her mom and I also told her that she was welcome to live at home as long as she wanted, as long as she was productive and responsible. Obviously, she didn’t like either of those options, so her dream now is to move to South Korea and marry a K-pop singer. Hopefully he’s rich, because she likes nice things.
So, this Spring she is moving halfway around the world to attend a university in Seoul. Needless to say, as much as we are going to miss her, we are very proud of her for pursuing her dream. Now, without further ado, here’s Rachel’s devotional:
As I'm on an international flight right now from Washington, DC to Istanbul, Turkey, we have four hours to go and it sounds like it is raining pretty hard. I was asleep and had my headphones on. I had fallen asleep watching a movie. I took my headphones off and that's when I took notice of the rain. I feel scared. I'm aware that there's a danger and I worry.
I feel as if that's just like how we are with God—we should have the headphones on. God's voice is the metaphorical set of headphones in this case—when we are focusing on Him and what He's saying, it drowns out the world. It drowns out the fear, the worry, and the doubt. We want to take the headphones off just to see what's going on—what's happening around us—but it only instills fear and worry. Let's put the headphones back on and focus on God's voice only!
Oh, we’re going!
My wife and I have toyed with the idea of going somewhere fancy for our anniversary. I keep saying Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Maldives, the Keys, etc. We’ve been saying for the past decade or so that we want to take a big trip. Ten years came and went, then 15, then 20, and now we’re looking ahead to 25, and guess what? We still have not been to any of those tropical getaway destinations. For our 25th anniversary in 2027, we will probably just end up going to a waterpark in the Poconos, or out to some fancy restaurant that sells subpar seafood. But since we eat out every single day of our lives, that seems kind of boring. But we’re going…somewhere! It may only be Chick-fil-A (I literally just passed a billboard for that yummy place).
The reason we can’t go some fancy villa in the water is a combination of not enough time and lack of money; but mostly it’s the money part. Plane tickets to some of those bougie islands are pretty salty, and I’ve got boring things to pay for like a mortgage and three car payments. Not to mention: gas to go in each of those cars and electric to power the house. Man, being responsible is such a buzz kill! A little anniversary excursion comes with a price tag of five figures, and I’m not willing to go into debt when I could land a sweet deal on a Jacuzzi suite at Econo Lodge for only double digits. For some reason, I feel like they would throw in complementary boxed wine or at least bottled water from Costco.
Speaking of going places, my favorite son (my only son) reminds me on a regular basis that I always promise him that we are going to do things, and yet we never do them. He is right, and I feel like a failure of a dad. Time is scarce when you’re in my line of work, and when I have time, my energy is even more scarce. So, it’s a catch 22, because life costs money, but money takes time to earn. Adulting is so overrated! But in all seriousness, for once in my life, I would just like to say “we are going to this place or that place” and then actually follow through.
If you read the attached scripture, you saw that Jesus prefaced the voyage by telling His disciples that they were going over to the other side of the lake. Since Jesus is God, and God cannot lie, there is no way that He would have told them this if He didn’t actually have a plan to get them there. He didn’t say “we might go”, or “we will try”—He was like, “Oh, we’re going!” Then He took a nap. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be God. First, He speaks the world into existence in six days and then rests on the seventh day. Then, He cues up a wicked storm at sea and goes and takes a nap. Do you know what that tells me? Answer: He has it all under control. There’s a method to what we perceive as madness.
Two significant things happened that were designed to be teachable moments for the disciples. Jesus began by calming the storm, proving that He is in charge of nature. Then, He calmed the fear in the hearts of His followers. This time, He didn’t rebuke them for having “little faith”; no, it’s worse! He told them they had “no faith”. That’s how I know this story is packed with lessons for me. Now, if you were to read beyond our passage to the first verse of chapter 5, you would see that they collectively arrived at their destination unscathed.
You may be running on “empty” in terms of your level of faith, but if God said He is going to do something, He will get you there, whether you see the path or not. He didn’t say when, and He didn’t say how, but He did promise to take each of us to the other side. Don’t worry, He’s not going to let you drown.
Trinkets and Traditions
You don’t have to be Captain Obvious to know what I’m going to write about this time. Obviously, since it’s the Christmas season, I’m not going to be a weirdo and write about something unrelated. If there ever was a time of year to practice traditions and invoke nostalgia, this is that time. Perhaps you have long-held traditions that have been handed down for generations, or maybe you have started some of your own. Whatever the case, there are certain things that make Christmas feel like, well, Christmas!
We have a tradition of decorating our artificial pre-lit tree pretty shortly after Thanksgiving. Well, the kids and I decorate it while my wife takes pictures and videos. She landed that gig a bunch of years ago, so kudos to her for her ingenuity. One of the things I like to do is hide a pickle inside the tree and see which child can find it first, and then see which one cries first because they didn’t find it before the others. Now, it’s not a real pickle; it’s a very breakable pickle that we have managed to keep intact for at least a decade. I’m not Polish, and I don’t like pickles, but it is a fun tradition, nonetheless.
About a dozen years ago (give or take), we picked up one of those stupid Elf on the Shelf dolls. For the first few years, we lied to our kids and told them that it was magical, and if they touched it, the magic would be gone, and it would be some big ordeal, like going to the principal’s office. They obviously knew better, but they played along and had a blast, waking up each morning and finding out what kind of trouble our elf had gotten herself into. Oh yeah, our elf is a girl named Elfina. Well, just like anything else, it got to be a lot of work, so now it’s just a doll that my youngest daughter plays with. The magic is gone. Flushing her down the toilet like you do with a fish that you’re tired of wasn’t an option—hypothetically speaking, of course.
While we don’t go to Koziar’s Christmas Village every year, it’s still a fun place for us, even though they haven’t changed anything in years. But our family never misses going to see Santa at Bass Pro Shops, where you get a free picture with a guy playing Santa that has an actual authentic beard. Just like us, I’m sure you have traditions that are staples in your family.
All of the things I mentioned above are geared more towards the fun, secular traditions of Christmas. In all the craziness of the season, however, we always make it a point to remember why we celebrate. In fact, when I was very young, I wrote the song called “Why Do We Celebrate Christmas?”, and as you can imagine, it places the focus on the true meaning of this time of year. I can speak for my entire family when I say that we are truly grateful that God gave us the greatest gift the world has ever known: salvation through Jesus Christ. Without Christ, Christmas would just be “mass”, and I’m not Catholic, but I’ve heard it’s extremely boring. Take a few moments today to reflect on what that gift means to you.
A Parable About Patience
When it comes to having patience, I have about as much as a kid on Christmas morning trying to wait for the rest of the family to get up in order to open his presents. Even Alvin and the Chipmunks didn’t want Christmas to be late. I’m not proud of it, but if something doesn’t go my way, I can go from zero to escalated in a matter of seconds. I’m one of the least patient people I know. I can’t wait until I have patience—I want it now! Now, I’m not blaming anyone but myself, but our microwave society certainly doesn’t help things. I remember back in the day when we had to wait a couple minutes for the dial-up to connect. It literally felt like hours! In fact, I remember the days when we didn’t have the Internet, much much less a computer. These days, if my phone doesn’t load a page and 3/4 of a second, I’m about to fly off the handle. Not really, but you get my point.
If I text someone and they don’t respond within five minutes, I immediately think they’re mad at me, and I mentally go down the list of things that I have possibly done to offend them. Then I consider the fact that maybe they don’t keep their phone attached to their hand like I do; maybe they are doing something constructive. When I order something from Amazon, I will pay a couple extra dollars in order to get it the next day instead of in two days.
I still remember when I was 18 years old, waiting three or four months to have my Pearl Master’s Birch Recording Custom drum set (color: Platinum Mist, so gorgeous) made and shipped to me. This was long before I had a smart phone to check the status, so every UPS truck I saw, I wondered if my drums were on there. Perhaps that’s where my anxiety started. Actually, scratch that; I’m pretty sure waiting in a line of 20 people at the 1 out of 35 open registers at Walmart is the source of everyone’s anxiety. Pro tip: Amazon doesn’t have lines, and you can stay in your pajamas instead of getting all dressed up to go to Walmart—wait, who am I kidding? It’s always pajama day at Walmart!
Hopefully these feeble examples highlighting my lack of patience will help set up today’s lesson. While God operates in time, He is not bound by time, since He is eternal. But since we live in time, we don’t always think in terms of eternity and how brief our vapor life stint on earth really is. The things that irritate and annoy us will only last a couple seconds in the big scheme of things.
Even if it’s frivolous matters that we get impatient about, such as wondering when justice will come to those who defy God, or being anxious for wars and poverty to end, we must still keep in mind that God’s timing is perfect and we would have much more peace by submitting to His plan, rather than trying to rush our own desires that may end up derailing us from His bigger purpose. I know it’s easier said than done, but let’s learn to wait on the Lord; His agenda will prevail.
Take a chill pillow
My wife and I were in Dollar Tree recently, and I’m not telling you that to flaunt our wealth—I’m still trying to process the whole $.25 price increase, as it does not sit well with me. If inflation keeps rising, they’re gonna have to rename the store “Tree Fiddy”. Anyway, the entire time we were in the store shopping, a small child, I estimate to be about two years old, was screaming his head off because he couldn’t get something that he wanted. It created a bit of tension throughout the entire store. Now, my kids are not angels, but if they acted like that in public, we would’ve been taking a trip to the car or the restroom to straighten things out. Oh, and they wouldn’t be getting their “prize”; but they would be getting something!
As we were walking through the store pushing our cart, my wife joked with me and said, “This is stressing me out.” Well, some old lady, that just couldn’t help herself, inserted her two cents ($1.25) into our conversation. She said, “You need to relax.” Neither my wife nor I were worked up, rather the entire situation was comical, because everything is a joke to me. Annoying, but pretty funny! However, if we would’ve been worked up, telling us to “relax” is not exactly the way to get someone to relax, in the same way that telling someone to “calm down” has never actually calmed anyone down in the history of calming down.
So, we finished up our shopping spree and proceeded to the register, and that lady was nowhere to be found. She virtually vanished! I told my wife that she was probably an angel sent to test us to see how we would respond, and we obviously failed the test. That incident, among other peculiar happenings, made it one of the most interesting and memorable Dollar Tree visits that we have ever had—definitely one for the books!
I’ll take just another minute to tell you my take away from the whole situation. People are stressed and dealing with a variety of emotions this time of year. I think we could all take a lesson from the annoying angel lady, but especially from Jesus when He went to sleep on a pillow in the bottom of a boat while a powerful storm was raging all around. The reasons He could do this were because 1.) He was God and 2.) He told His disciples that they were going over to the other side of the lake— not maybe, but for sure. The same goes for us: if God told us that He would be with us, we can relax and know that even in the most violent storm, He is with us. And He has a name for that: Emmanuel. Relax, and take a chill pillow; He’s not going anywhere!
Contact email: devotions@john-mallonee.com
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