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Showing posts from September, 2017

Worthy

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace." Ephesians 4:1-3 After what seemed like an eternity, the minister finally declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." I was (and continue to be) so filled with joy. "I'm a husband ... how cool is that!?", I thought to myself. It wasn't long after that day where another thought hit me, "I'm a husband ... how scary is that!?" I fumbled that ball for years until I was finally humbled and turned to God and cried out, "Help!!"  Living up to who we are is a big deal. It's one thing to be called a husband, it's something completely different to live up to being one. Similarly, it

Hidden?

"What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! 'The Lord can't see us', they say. 'He doesn't know what's going on!'" Isaiah 29:1 "Hide and Go Seek" is a great game. It's a timeless game of mystery and creativity unless you're playing with a two year old. They hide in the same place over and over and over again convinced to their core that you have no idea where they are. They'll even help you find them. All you have to do is ask.  I have to believe Isaiah had two year old Hide 'n Seek in mind when he wrote our verse for the day. It was so sad to him that people would actually think they are out of God's view. "I'm hidden. God can't see me now!" It's incredible how lobotomizing sin is. He's God! He sees everything! Isaiah warns that justice delayed is not justice avoided. Sin leads to sorrow.  What finally happens to a ch

Someday

"In that day, the wolf and the lamb will lie down together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all." Isaiah 11:6 I was looking into the face of my new granddaughter the other day and ended up lost in thought. Someday, I'll be able to have a conversation with her. Someday, I'll get to make up crazy stuff to tell her. Someday, I'll spoil her and then send her home. Someday, I'll cheer when she takes her first steps, rides a bike by herself, and walks across the stage to receive her diploma.  There is an inevitability to "someday." It shows up when we least expect it. As a prophet, Isaiah was well acquainted with someday. God revealed to him what was to come and many things, like our verse for the day, that are still yet to come. Isaiah's someday conversations were meant to, among other things, encourage the discouraged, discipline the u

Conclusions

"Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person." Ecclesiastes 12:13 Life is full of conclusions. We conclude high school, college, and apprenticeships. We conclude jobs, projects, and programs. We conclude childhood, our youth, and if we're blessed, our children's childhood and youth. These conclusions are bitter-sweet by any measure. They beg the question, "What's the conclusion behind all the conclusions?" After all, there is one last conclusion for us all ... death. Solomon was a big thinker. He pondered. He examined. He weighed. He observed and he reached, you guessed it, many conclusions. He ultimately came to one and only one final conclusion. Revere God with a holy fear and obey him with an unwavering determination. In so doing, we fulfill our obligations to him. Putting our faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins which makes us right with God is the only way to properly fear