Luke 21:25-36
December - 1
IMAGINE
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with . . . the anxieties of life . . . ." Luke 21:34
The New York Times carried the story of a miner who had been trapped for 16 hours deep under the mountains of Colorado. Tons of rock blocked his escape. Water was slowly filling the mine.
To keep from going mad, the miner said he began envisioning his rescue. Believing that his rescuers surely were working furiously to reach him, he imagined them driving a pipe into his dark chamber to bring in fresh air, and he imagined himself tapping a message on it to let them know he was alive. He imagined them breaking through and walking him out, and he saw himself embracing his wife and child, going home, calling up friends, and eating and dancing to celebrate his rescue.
The miner kept his head by envisioning his homecoming. The season of Advent calls us to live with the end in mind, to envision the day when the Son of Man will come with power and glory. Without this end firmly in mind, says Jesus, our "hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life."
No doubt, some of the people we know have already resigned themselves to life in the pit. They expect no rescue. But to them we can say, "Come with us to Bethlehem, listen to the good news of Jesus, and believe that your rescuer is in fact on the way, that Ôyour redemption is drawing near.’"
PRAYER
Dear God, stir our minds to imagine what you have prepared for us, whom you love. May the glory to which you call us strengthen us today in Jesus’ name. Amen.
"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here." Romans 13:12
When we read passages like this one from Romans 13, we may well be puzzled by the writer’s urgency, as though Christ’s coming is just around the corner. How can we maintain such an air of expectancy today, two thousand years later?
It’s been helpful to me to recognize how relative the word "near" is. I mean, if I told you my cousin is coming next summer, you probably wouldn’t say, "That is near!" or "That’s really soon!" But if I told you that my doctor said I was ill and would die next summer, you might well say, "Oh, that’s near!" On the other hand, if the doctor told me I’d live till the year 2055, no one would say, "That’s near!" But if scientists told us that the earth would disintegrate by 2055, the whole world would groan, "That is so near!" Clearly something is near if it makes an impact on the present. My cousin’s visit has no effect on my plans today. But my death or the end of the world -- well, that’s another story.
The coming of Christ, whenever it will be, is an event of such great significance that it affects us today. Already now its rays pierce our darkest days.
Our salvation is near. So let us understand this present time as the opportunity to be clothed "with the Lord Jesus Christ, and . . . Not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
PRAYER
Gracious God, with the psalmist we pray that you will "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem . . . ." Isaiah 40:1-2
We do not want false hope. For example, if a doctor says we have cancer and recommends treatments for a possible cure, we might say, "Be honest with me. Is there any hope of surviving this?"
I remember being 30 years old (not so long ago), and I remember people then who were as old as I am now -- and they have died of old age. Is there room for hope in this life -- even mini-hope?
In 1956 our family immigrated to California. My father was full of hope that he would one day own his own dairy. Eight years later he died.
The cynic says, "Don’t hope. Take what you can today. Tomorrow? Who knows?"
Our Scripture today gives a different perspective. In the midst of brokenness and exile, God says, "Comfort, comfort my people . . . . Speak tenderly . . . To her."
We may be like grass, but because God is in the field, the odds for hope increase exponentially. God has not abandoned us. God is faithful.
Isaiah is told, "Speak tenderly" -- that is, "Speak to the heart." It’s the voice of the lover wooing the beloved not to settle in exile, not to surrender to despair -- assuring her, "It will be good; it will end well." In this Advent season "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him" (Romans 15:13).
PRAYER
Gracious God, drive your promises deep into our hearts, that we may be encouraged and overflow with hope each day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsts. No other creatures besides human beings know this kind of thirst. The cow, chewing its cud in knee-high grass, is utterly content. Yet we thirst for God even in the midst of plenty.
In his autobiography, journalist Malcolm Muggeridge writes that throughout his life he had the notion of being engaged in a quest, seeking some ultimate fulfillment. As a young man he wrote in some hastily scribbled notes, "Is this God?
Some say we thirst for God even though we might not be aware of it. A poet writes,
Where the sun shines in the street
There are very many feet
Seeking God, all unaware
That their hastening is a prayer.
We want God, but not in some vague sense, especially when life is under attack. We long to know God as a young sailor did in World War II when he wrote to his anxious mother, "Remember . . . Even if I should be swallowed up in these deep waters, all the oceans in the world are but a tiny pool in our Father’s hand."
The psalmist longs to meet with God in worship, relieving the thirst of his soul in God’s presence. In our lives as Christians today we long to see Jesus, the living water that quenches our thirst (John 4:14; 7:37-39).
PRAYER
Merciful God, lead us to quench our thirst in you, to find relief for our souls in the work of your Son, who came to give us new life and power to serve you always. In Jesus, Amen.
"We continually remember . . . Your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 1:3
When they think about life, lots of people say they love the journey but aren’t much interested in the destination. Anna Quindlen, in her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life, writes, "Life is good. I don’t mean in any cosmic way. I never think of my life, or my world, in any big cosmic way. I think of it in all its small component parts: the snowdrops, the daffodils, the feeling of one of my kids sitting close beside me on the couch . . . . Life is made up of moments."
It’s good advice to enjoy the present. But this is only a half-truth. If you’re on a plane, your ability to enjoy the journey is greatly aided by your belief that there will be a smooth landing. But if the pilot tells you the plane’s landing gear is malfunctioning, you’ll care more about landing safely than whether they’re serving beef or salmon for dinner.
The Bible values both the journey and the destination. But because the journey is often arduous, the Bible constantly urges us to remember the hope we have in Christ. And this is no itsy-bitsy hope; it’s the grand hope of a new heaven and a new earth -- that in the end all will be well.
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul" (Hebrews 6:19). Indeed, it is this hope that frees us to relish our dinner today.
PRAYER
Lord, we don’t want to be ignorant of the present or tyrannized by it, as if nothing else mattered. Fill us with hope today in your promise of a greater tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Be patient, then . . . Until the Lord’s coming." James 5:7
The dictionary defines patience as "the capacity to endure without complaint something difficult or disagreeable." Patience is synonymous with forbearance and longsuffering.
Our patience is tested when a goal we desire or expect is threatened or delayed. A simple thing like being stuck in traffic or bickering around the dinner table can bring us to the end of our patience. More significant, the great disconnect we experience between God’s promise of peace-filled life forever and the life we’re actually living -- strife and turmoil -- can wear away our patience.
But let’s be patient. Impatience makes us vulnerable to great sin. Impatience nearly always comes with destructive anger. Impatience opens the door to pride ("I could manage this world better") and envy ("Others have it; why not me?") and sloth ("Who gives a rip anymore?"). James also links it to grumbling.
Let’s be patient until the Lord’s coming.
James urges us to imitate the farmer. The farmer tills the soil, plants, fertilizes, weeds, and waits for the rain. With patience we learn what we can do and what is out of our hands.
The secret to biblical patience is to know that what is out of our hands is still in God’s hands -- and those hands seek our good.
PRAYER
Dear God, we confess that we are often impatient. We are too easily irritated. Give us a quiet spirit that takes to heart your good timing, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
"We do not want you to . . . Grieve like the rest . . . Who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13
The dictionary defines grief as "a keen, mental suffering, or distress over loss." Philosophy teacher Nick Wolterstorff states that suffering occurs "when something prized or loved is ripped away or never granted."
None of us escapes suffering; all will know the grief of loss.
Yet there are degrees of grief. Some people experience a grief that’s intense, almost too much to endure. For others, grief is more like a nagging presence, a spoiler.
The Bible does not deny that there is much heartbreak; nor does it forbid us a sad face as though tears were a betrayal of faith. But it does warn against despair, the settled conviction that all will come to a bad end. The Scriptures dare to speak of hope even in the face of death.
There are many reasons for gathering for worship on Sunday -- some better than others. As we gather today, let’s do so in the desire to honor God and renew our trust in the Lord. Only in God can we be seized by the hope mentioned in our Scripture reading for today. This is a hope that believes, despite all devastating evidence to the contrary, that Jesus will one day restore every inch of this planet to live with us and reunite us with our loved ones.
When we are ignorant of this hope, grief wins.
PRAYER
Dear God, sooner or later we all experience death firsthand. Give us the sure hope that in Christ those who die are alive forevermore. In his name we pray. Amen.
"Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 3:10
Repentance has a negative side -- "the dying away of the old self." It means we stop running after sin.
Recently a policeman and I were talking about dogs. I told him how much I liked German Shepherds. He said he didn’t, and then he explained why. He had been called to a crime scene. When he got there, he saw the suspect fleeing on foot, so he ran after him. At that same moment, a canine unit arrived, and the officer shouted, "Dog loose!" Seconds later, a German Shepherd seized my friend the policeman’s leg and brought him down.
I sympathized and said, "They shouldn’t have let the dog loose; it was the unit’s fault."
"No," he said, "It was my fault. When an officer shouts: ÔDog loose!’ you stop immediately and put your hands behind your head. The dog is trained to leave you alone when you surrender. I continued running, so I was taken down."
John the Baptist stood on the banks of the Jordan River shouting, "The King is coming. He’s on the loose! Surrender!" John preached repentance, urging people to prepare for the coming of the Lord.
The reign of God is coming, and it does not depend on our repentance. We can either surrender and be blessed, or resist and perish.
Here comes the King!
PRAYER
Gracious God, may your Spirit compel us to stop our trivial pursuits, our foolish ends, and our sinful ways, and may we seek your kingdom only. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"'What should we do then?' the crowd asked." Luke 3:10
The changes John the Baptist was calling for do not appear radical. One commentator I know of thinks John’s counsel is rather commonplace. All we need to do, it seems to him, is to love a little, show a little kindness. No career change is required.
I think that interpretation goes too easy on many of us. After all, many of us are well-to-do. Many of us have far more than two sets of clothing; many of us also have two cars, two or more credit cards, and maybe even two homes. Our freezers are full. In light of our riches, John’s words become unsettling. They demand a radical generosity that few of us are accustomed to.
True, John does not order anyone to leave his or her job. But he does demand that we live out our faith by being honest and content and not abusing our power.
Clearly, discipleship is not something for after-hours only. We are not, so to speak, to moonlight for Christ. On the contrary, our allegiance to Christ rules not only our after-work hours but also our hours in the office, at the plant, on the road, in class, and at the sales meeting. We can neither leave Christ in church on Sunday nor let him wait for us in the parking lot on weekdays.
Here’s a question: How do we, who are dying to self and coming alive to Christ, do our work and other activities so that we honor Christ and respect our neighbor?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, too often after hearing the good news we go right back to business as usual. Forgive us, and make our every thought captive to you. In your name, Amen.
"Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." James 1:14
In the movie Vanished, there’s a showdown between a man who incarnates the devil and a man who wants knowledge. The man gives the "devil" a severe beating, and he asks, "Have you no weapons?" The "devil" replies, "I have no weapons but your obsessions."
James would agree. We sin because the heart wants what it wants. Our text refers to "evil desire," but in the original Greek text this term is simply "desire"; it’s the same word Paul uses in Philippians 1:23: "I desire to depart and be with Christ." James is not focusing on desiring bad things but on desiring things badly. In the Bible sin is never merely breaking a law; it is spiritual unfaithfulness to God. We long for the arms of a flourishing career, or a well-endowed portfolio, or plentiful leisure. And we sin when we desire these treasures more than we desire God and holiness.
The Scottish preacher Thomas Chalmers observed in a sermon: "There are two ways . . . To displace from the human heart its love of the world -- either by a demonstration of the world’s vanity . . . Or by setting forth another object, even God, as more worthy of its attachment." Chalmers concluded that the best way to rid the heart of one love is to replace it with another, far better one. He calls it "the expulsive power of a new affection."
May our love of God in Christ trump all other loves.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you are the joy of our hearts. May we not seek this joy elsewhere. Keep us faithful, and help us to open our hearts to no love but yours. In your name, Amen.
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness." Matthew 6:33
On our way home I made a quick stop at a convenience store. As I got back in the car, my wife, Carol, said, "I think I heard something fall out of the car." I opened the door, looked around, and spotted two pennies. "Just a couple of pennies," I said.
Later, at home, I noticed that my church key was missing. After looking in every place possible, and more than a little frustrated, Carol said, "Maybe that’s what I heard falling out of the car." "Not likely," I said. But since I couldn’t find the key at home, I got in the car and headed back to the store. I located the two pennies and then widened my search -- and there, not six feet away, was my church key.
When I’d found the pennies on the ground, I’d stopped looking for the cause of the noise Carol had heard. But those two pennies had kept me from the key.
It happens. You wonder about your life, what it should add up to; you look around and see a few accomplishments, a job, and maybe a family. And you explore no further. You spot the pennies, and you miss the key. If you feel restless, you figure it must be a midlife crisis. So you shrug it off and look no further -- and you miss Christ knocking at your heart’s door.
Don’t settle for pennies. Keep searching till you find the kingdom of God. It’s the key.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, give us today a clear sense of what’s important and what’s not. May we seek carefully after the things that delight you. In your name we pray. Amen.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
There was a report in the news of a tiger roaming a neighborhood 40 miles outside of Los Angeles. The tiger weighed 600 pounds; that’s the weight of 10 good-sized dogs. The whole community was on high alert. Police and animal-rights activists were out in force, anxious to immobilize the tiger before it turned hungry. It’s a fearful thing to have a tiger prowling your neighborhood.
Peter tells us to be "self-controlled" (show good sense) and "alert" because our enemy the devil prowls our neighborhoods "like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." This lion is always hungry.
But we are often careless, unmindful of the prowler. We think a bad mood is only a bad mood, and a sin only a sin. In fact, these things make us vulnerable to our great adversary. Paul warns us, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and [that means] do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26-27). Remember, we are engaged in a great conflict.
We are to resist the devil by "standing firm in the faith." John Piper in his book Future Grace writes, "Faith stands or falls on the truth that the future with God is more satisfying than the one promised by sin [and the devil]. When this truth is embraced, and God is cherished above all, the power of sin is broken." Then Satan is disarmed; the lion is immobilized.
PRAYER
O God, teach us to be careful and help us to make the most of every opportunity. May we be strong in the Lord and resist the evil one, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." Psalm 23:1
We’ve seen idyllic pictures of a shepherd and his sheep. He sits on a knoll in a lush meadow, a bird chirps in a tree, a gentle stream flows by, the sun shines, and here and there some sheep calmly graze and rest.
But such a picture can be misleading. Most of the great sheep countries of the world are semi-desert. The ground around Bethlehem, for example, is brown and sunburned. It is neither easy nor common to find green pastures and running water. Instead there are ravines and treacherously narrow mountain passes. And everywhere lurks the danger of a wolf or a lion.
We are like sheep in a thirsty land, so our need for a strong, devoted shepherd is great. Being called sheep is not flattering. Sheep are helpless, timid animals. They have neither cunning nor speed. Without the shepherd they are at the mercy of every enemy.
We are like sheep -- this isn’t flattering, but it’s accurate. We might think we’re strong and cunning, and if armed with technology, we might put up an impressive fight. Still, we are powerless. Every doctor who helps with healing knows she is only postponing the inevitable, and we all know the sin that lurks at our door.
Only the shepherd is stronger than the roaring lion that seeks to devour us. Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11). Follow him.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we are no match for sin and the devil. But with you as our guide, we are strong; in your power we are more than conquerors. Strengthen us today, we pray. Amen.
"Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Matthew 11:3
Have we had it all wrong? This disturbing question can cut right to the heart of our faith.
When we’ve bet our life and eternity on Jesus as the only Savior, even the possibility of being mistaken is a terrible kind of suffering. John the Baptist had staked his life on Jesus, and now in prison he was agonizing and asking, "Are you the one?"
If we are acquainted with this agony, we must also follow John’s example and go to Jesus with our doubts and not sit alone, sinking into despair. Like John, we must give Jesus an opportunity to reply.
We may regret that Jesus does not answer with a simple "Yes, I am the Messiah." But note that he also doesn’t say, "No, I’m only a Jew who wants to revitalize our tradition."
Jesus answers John in a kind of code, familiar to those who were steeped in Scripture. By quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus was telling John, "Yes, I am the Messiah." Only by the Messiah would "the blind receive sight, the lame walk," and so on. It was a staggering claim.
Just as the first crocuses are clear signs that spring is coming, so Jesus’ work of healing and preaching were signs that the kingdom of God was (and still is) coming.
He is the One. Let’s spread the good news that the prophet’s hope is fulfilled in Jesus.
PRAYER
Dear God, we pray for all who are racked with doubts. Encourage them to continue their walk in faith as your light breaks forth more and more clearly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'" Luke 1:34
When the angel tells Zechariah that his wife will bear a son, Zechariah responds, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man." And because he doubts the angel, he loses his ability to speak. The same angel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son, and Mary replies, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" So the angel explains and adds, "Nothing is impossible with God."
Why is the angel so hard on Zechariah and so gentle with Mary?
In the Bible doubt is neither always bad nor always good. There is a bad doubt that raises questions to justify skepticism. It does not long for an answer. In fact, the question arises out of a worldview that makes no room for the possibility of an answer. Zechariah was one who believed that old folks do not have babies -- period.
On the other hand, there is a doubt that asks questions because it genuinely hopes for an answer. The question arises out of a deep humility: "Tell me how this can be." It recognizes that in a world as astonishingly complex and full of surprises as ours, neither God nor our salvation are simple.
We do not have answers to all the questions cynics raise, nor even to the questions our own hearts raise. But we know enough to stay the course.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we believe; help our unbelief. Fill us with a humble attitude that seeks understanding, and with trust in you when we do not know answers. In your name, Amen.
"Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be." Luke 1:29
In his book The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker says that we regularly engage in repression simply to cope with daily life. We repress both the astonishment of existing and the terrors of dying. We block them out in order to focus on the task at hand.
A similar kind of repression happens at Christmastime. We hear that a virgin will "be with child . . . . He will be great . . . Called the Son of the Most High. . . . His kingdom will never end" -- but this amazing news barely registers. We do not stagger under the weight of Jesus’ coming. Instead we shop till we drop.
Mary models the right response. Before she says, "I am the Lord’s servant," we’re told she’s "greatly troubled." What troubles her is the greeting, not the angel. In the Scriptures, this greeting is often addressed to people chosen by God for a special purpose in salvation history. The phrase "the Lord is with you" is spoken to assure them of divine resources and protection. But why would Mary need such assurance? What was in store for her? She was troubled. Life in the small town of Nazareth would no longer be safe or simple.
The challenge for us this season is to attend to the claims made all around us about Jesus, and to wonder: What could the coming of this Holy One mean for us? Clearly this life of ours is neither safe nor simple.
PRAYER
Dear God, we are so easily caught up in routines that we lose sight of the immensity of our creation, redemption, and future glory. Shine on us, Lord, and awaken us. Amen.
"He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble." Luke 1:52
A member of our congregation told me she was experiencing a reversal of roles on Sunday. She said, "During the week, I’m the supervisor; clients come to me with their problems. But on Sunday I’m the client; I’m the one who comes for help."
There’s something exactly right in this reversal of roles. Before the face of God, in worship, not only does the supervisor become the client, but the professor becomes the student, the lawyer the accused, the reverend the sinner, the potter the clay, the doctor the patient, the ruler the subject, the parent the child.
Before the face of God there’s a radical reversal of our roles. And what’s most important is that our role before the face of God is the truth about us. We have to admit that our roles in the world involve a lot of playacting.
When people complain about "Sunday Christians" and call us hypocrites, their complaint is that this reversal of roles in worship is also playacting -- that it doesn’t shape how we act in the roles we play on weekdays. In other words, the religious rich don’t really see their poverty, and preachers don’t really know their sinfulness.
We must learn to live the truth. The Lord is coming, and, just as Mary proclaimed it, he will scatter the proud, send the rich away empty, and fill the hungry with good things.
PRAYER
Dear God, may we come to our senses and recognize ourselves as debtors to your grace, made whole by your mercy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways." Hebrews 1:1
God has not been silent. God’s a talker. This truth is basic to the Christian faith. Had God remained silent, our situation would be desperate.
Our reading from Hebrews reminds us that God spoke through the prophets, but we also know that God speaks through the touch of a caring hand at a bedside, the voices of a choir, and the beauty of art. God also speaks through the cries of the hungry, the lonely, and the sick. God’s a talker.
Someone remarked that every person lives in loneliness. I don’t know what it is like to be you, and you don’t know what it’s like to be me. We talk to make connections with each other, to be in communion. When I ask couples why they wish to marry each other, they often say, "Because we can talk." It’s a precious thing.
If God is a talker, then we had best be listeners. Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once observed: "A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening."
Hebrews adds, "But in these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son." The "but" suggests a momentous shift. Yet this does not mean that what God said earlier is now false; rather, it means that all God said is now fulfilled. We know God, and he knows us. We can talk.
PRAYER
O God, may all that exists speak to us of your power and wisdom, and may Christ’s coming tell us of your great love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1
We often hear silly things said about the meaning of Christmas. Some years ago, for example, supermodel Christie Brinkley, surrounded by small children, said on the NBC news, "Christmas is really all about children’s bright, shiny faces."
That’s nonsense. People did not compose glorious music, build magnificent cathedrals, find hope in the face of dying, leave family and friends for the mission field, and lie prostrate in adoration because of children’s bright, shiny faces.
On the same day that I heard that statement, I attended a Christmas concert. The choir entered singing, "He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all." At the close of the concert, the choir slowly proceeded out of the sanctuary following a boy holding a large cross -- an executioner’s tool.
What is Christmas about? Our Scripture reading for today gives us an answer. Jesus came to make us children of God, offering us a future beyond imagining. And we are reminded that "he appeared so that he might take away our sins" and "destroy the devil’s work." Both sin and the devil had to be dealt with so that we might belong in life and in death to Christ.
These are the remarkable reasons that give rise to celebration and to holiness this season.
PRAYER
O God, may we not miss the true reason for the singing and celebration of Christmas. Please fill us with a wholehearted desire to do what is right in Jesus’ name. Amen.
"She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger." Luke 2:7
Why does the gospel writer Luke make a point of mentioning cloths and a manger? Note that later the angel says to the shepherds, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." What do the cloths and manger signify?
When Winston Churchill heard someone described as modest, he replied, "Yes, but he has much to be modest about." But that’s not the case with Mary’s child. He is called Savior, Lord, and Messiah. Each title signifies great dignity, worthy of royal purple and a gold crib.
The poverty of Jesus’ surroundings shows his solidarity with humanity. Despite all our pretensions, the truth about us is that we are poor. Like grass, we flourish briefly and then die. To be our representative, Jesus had to become like us in our poverty. (See Hebrews 2:17-18.)
Luke also describes the birth scene this way in parallel with Jesus’ burial scene. Here we are told that Mary "wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger." In Luke 23:53 we read that a man named Joseph took Jesus’ body down from the cross, "wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock." Later some Christian artists noticed this connection and portrayed the birthplace of Jesus like a sepulchre.
In his coming, Jesus shared not only our poverty but also our death. He was born to die for us.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you became like us in every way so that you might become a merciful and faithful high priest and cover our sins. We thank you. In your name, Amen.
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . . ." Luke 1:46-47
We all know there are different names for groupings of animals. We speak of a herd of cows, a school of fish, and a flock of sheep. Perhaps less familiar is a parliament of owls, a mob of kangaroos, and a murder of ravens. My own favorite is an exaltation of larks.
That name is also fitting for a group of Christians. Where Christians gather, we have an exaltation. And leading us in exalting the Lord is Mary. Her soul soars as she glorifies (exalts) the Lord.
You’ve noticed how much joy there is at the heart of the Christmas event. Of course, there are shadows -- Zechariah’s doubt, imperial Rome, murderous Herod and his soldiers.
Still, at the center there is rejoicing (exultation). For example, Elizabeth says, "The baby in my womb leaped for joy" (Luke 1:44). And later the angel says to shepherds, "I bring you good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10).
Behind all the festivities -- the parties, the family gatherings, the special church services and programs, the exchange of gifts -- is the yearning for joy. Our hearts long to leap for joy in the dark of winter.
Joy is at such a premium in this season that it heightens our awareness of the loneliness, sadness, and death that cling to us. We know life is no lark. Yet we exult; we exalt the Lord, who is mindful of our humble state.
PRAYER
O God, in the light of your grace, may we sing and make music in our hearts to you and always thank and praise you with joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
路加福音 1:46-56
December - 21
赞美，欢乐
「我心尊主为大，我灵以神我的救主为乐。」 路1:46-47
在英文中，我们会用不同的字来形容每一种动物的群体。一群牛用a herd，一群鱼用a school ，一群羊用 a flock；有些或许较为陌生，如一群猫头鹰用a parliament，一群袋鼠用a mob，一群乌鸦用a murder。我最喜欢的，是称一群百灵鸟为an exaltation (赞美)。
"When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman . . . ." Galatians 4:4
"God sent his Son." The verb "sent" means more than a commissioning; it assumes a previous state of existence. Many of us know this already; yet it deserves careful reflection. (See 1 Corinthians 8:6; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 John 1:1-3.)
This teaching tells us, for instance, that Jesus’ birth was an immense descent. When we were born, we came into being from nothing; that was an enormous ascent. But when the Son was born, he came from heaven to earth. The poet John Donne writes,
Immensity, cloister’d in [Mary’s] dear womb . . .
There he hath made himself to his intent
Weak enough, now into our world to come.
This descent steeps the Christian faith in amazement.
In the novel Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, an elderly preacher describes how he imagines heaven: "Mainly I just think about the splendors of the world and multiply by two. I’d multiply by ten or twelve if I had the energy. But two is much more than sufficient for my purposes." So he multiplies the feel of the wind by two, the smell of the grass by two, and so on.
But let’s try multiplying by 10,000 or more as we think of the Son leaving heaven to live with us. Perhaps, when we enter heaven at last ourselves, our first words will be: "I had no idea! He left all this for me!"
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you were rich, yet for our sakes you became poor so that through your poverty we might become rich. May our gratitude overflow into holy living. Amen.
"My dear children . . . I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you." Galatians 4:19
G. K. Chesterton observed that true contentment requires the power to get the most out of any situation. Doing this, he said, is both arduous and rare. Too many people, he noted, go through trials and come out on the other end unchanged. Chesterton stated that a person might go ‘through’ a plum pudding as a bullet might go through a plum pudding. . . . But the awful and sacred question is, ‘Has the pudding been through him?’ Has he tasted, appreciated, and absorbed the solid pudding, with its . . . tastes and smells?" In other words, has the person gotten out of the pudding all that was in it?
Similarly, we will soon be through another Christmas, but the awful and sacred question is "Will Christmas have gone through us?" -- or, better, "Will Christ have been formed in us, or will we come out on the other end unchanged?"
The word form means "to fashion." Originally it referred to artists who shaped their material into an image. It also described the formation and growth of an embryo in a mother’s body. As a spiritual leader, the apostle Paul explained that he was in labor until Christ was born full-term in the Galatians who followed him.
To take full advantage of Christmas, we are to be formed into the likeness of Christ. Anything else is a disappointing Christmas.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, we know that if you were born a thousand times in Bethlehem but not in our hearts, it wouldn’t help us. Make our hearts your home, we pray. Amen.
"My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people." Luke 2:30-31
Do you recall this nursery rhyme?
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I chased a mouse from under her chair.
The cat goes to visit the queen, but it’s business as usual -- the cat chases a mouse. She has no eye for the queen.
We go to Bethlehem to visit the Christ child. But what do we do there? Is it business as usual -- things and more things under the tree -- or do we see the newborn king?
Simeon bursts into praise when he holds the Christ child: "Sovereign Lord . . . . My eyes have seen your salvation." Seeing this salvation is what gives us peace both in living and in dying.
When the painter Rembrandt died in October 1669 at age 63, they found his unfinished painting of Simeon holding the Christ child. It was a work in progress.
Rembrandt painted Simeon as an old man, like himself, and blind. One historian writes, "The old man’s cradling hands are immense, held rigid as in deepest prayer. His face . . . Glimmers with unearthly brilliance. Behind the heavy eyelids he has, at last, seen the light of salvation," and he is able to say, "Lord . . . Now dismiss your servant in peace."
PRAYER
Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts to see our great salvation in the coming of Jesus, the light of your love for all peoples. In his name we pray. Amen.
"And they will call him Immanuel" -- which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23
In the publishing world, it is sometimes said that a particular book is a definitive work. In other words, the book is a standard by which all future work will be judged or compared.
Jesus is the definitive revelation of God, the standard for all time. If someone asks what is revealed in this definitive revelation, we could say, it’s all in that little preposition "with." He is God with us. It’s more than being simply present.
Philosopher Alvin Plantinga quotes a writer who says, "A man looks upon nature, sees its sublimity and beauty, and his spirit gradually rises to the idea of God. He does not see the Divinity, nor does nature prove to him the existence of that Being, but it does excite his mind and imagination until the idea becomes rooted in his heart." But we want to know, does this Being care that we fall and die?
I was once asked to visit a young woman. She was dying of cancer. I asked, "Are you afraid?" And she said, "Of course I’m afraid."
Of course. Fear is not irrational. We’re under siege. No one gets out of here alive.
Yet in Jesus we have a sign, an astonishing reminder, that God is with us. God loves us passionately. It is this love that "drives out fear" (1 John 4:18).
PRAYER
Gracious God, may the love you showed us in sending your Son, Jesus Christ, drive us to our knees and drive out all fear. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us . . . ." Titus 3:4-5
Politicians sometimes make an appearance among the nation’s troops to show their support. The visit becomes a photo-op, and it’s a nice gesture, but of little consequence. It’s only an appearance.
As teenagers, we may be told to make an appearance at a family gathering. It need not be for the whole evening -- just for half an hour or so, to say hello.
Or let’s say there’s an event at church and we feel an obligation to attend, but there’s so much else on our calendar. Still, we promise we’ll make an appearance. The appearance is an appeaser.
Not all appearances are trivial. Pope John Paul II’s appearance in his beloved Poland in 1979, when Poland was still under the heel of the Soviet Union, ignited a movement that helped dismantle the communist empire.
The appearance cited in our reading for today was the greatest of all time: "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us." The word for "appeared" in the Greek text simply means "to show oneself openly, to come forward." God did not remain aloof, hidden. God came forward not just to boost our morale but to save us, to dismantle the evil empire, so that "we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."
God would rather be in a barn with us than in heaven without us. He came to save.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, may your coming to save us never cease to astonish us. Let the wonder of your appearance melt all resistance and give us the unceasing hope of eternal life. Amen.
"Through [Jesus] we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." Romans 5:2
Someone said to me that succeeding in business is all about access. You may offer the finest services, but if there is poor access, you will fail.
This is true in politics as well. Having access to the right people makes a huge difference. People who are not socially connected to those in power find it nearly impossible to gain access to them.
When there is lake access, property value shoots up. Many beautiful lakes are off-limits to most people because the property around them is privately owned.
Of course, being on the outside and wanting access has a long history. After Adam and Eve sinned in Paradise, they were expelled, and an angel with a flaming sword denied them access.
Through Jesus Christ, however, we have gained access to the realm of God’s grace. It is Paradise Regained.
We have access into this grace by faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior. We enter it not on our own strength but by piggyback. We cling to Christ, and he carries us into this grace.
As Scripture puts it, this is the "grace in which we now stand." It’s not an occasional encounter that we have with God. We do not fall in and out of God’s grace. We stand in it. Imagine a lake of grace, and we’re in over our heads. What access!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, once we were lost, alienated. You brought us home and have given us ready access to the Father of all mercies. We thank you and rejoice in hope. In your name, Amen.
"To all who . . . believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
John’s gospel tells us that to receive Jesus is to believe in his name.
To believe in Jesus’ name is to acknowledge that Jesus is the Word become flesh. Others may pass him by, think him a stranger, or worse, call him an impostor and blasphemer -- but believers see his glory.
John wants us to look on the face of Jesus until the conviction becomes rooted in our hearts that we are looking into the human face of the living God. Perhaps this face of God comes most into focus when it wears the crown of thorns. As Nicholas Wolterstorff writes, "It is said of God that no one can behold his face and live. I always thought this meant that no one can see his splendor and live. A friend said perhaps it meant that no one could see his sorrow and live. Or perhaps his sorrow is his splendor."
Believing is more than seeing. It also involves following and even carrying on a sort of love affair. Believing is a verb, and in our Scripture reading it is followed by the preposition "in," suggesting that it unites us to the one in whom we believe. It is through this union that we are ushered into the family of God.
Though our Christmas decorations may soon be coming down, we’ll go back to our everyday living a different way because of what we have seen and believed.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, may we not be guilty of passing you by, or be so distracted by the lights of the world that we miss you. To see you is to love you. We long to see you. Amen.
"Neither death nor life . . . Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:38-39
When someone dies, it’s common to hear people say, "We’ll miss him." Even many years later a family member will say, "I miss her so. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t grieve her absence."
To miss someone is a great sorrow, but not to be missed is worse. Sometimes people will complain that no one missed them when they hadn’t been to church for a couple of months. It can be so distressing that they begin looking for another church.
Not being missed means not being well knit with others; leaving should cause a painful tearing or brokenness. Ultimately not being missed means not being loved.
In Genesis 3 we find that after Adam and Eve sinned against God, they hid from God. And we’re told, "But the Lord God called . . . 'where are you?’" (3:9). Most of the time I’ve heard anger in that question. God is calling them on the carpet. But perhaps it expresses sadness as well: "Where are you? I miss you." The whole Bible -- and Jesus’ coming, in particular -- is the story of God seeking us, making peace so that he’ll not have to miss us again.
Love wants to hold the beloved forever. Our love is weak; all sorts of enemies can rip the beloved out of our arms. But God’s love in Christ is powerful, able to hold us forever against all challengers.
PRAYER
Almighty God, it is not our hold on you but your hold on us that saves us. With cords of love bind us to your heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? . . . Surely God will bring you down." Psalm 52:1, 5
Max De Pree, a Christian businessman, observed that the first task of a leader is to define reality. The leader communicates what is important and what is not.
Worship defines reality; it communicates what matters. In Isaiah 6, for example, King Uzziah had died, and life seemed fearfully unstable. When Isaiah entered the temple, he saw a vision of the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted. It was a reality check. Life was not out of control after all. There was the Lord.
In Psalm 73 the psalmist says he was confused that the wicked could prosper so well, and he envied them, he said, "till I entered the sanctuary of God . . . [and] understood their final destiny" (73:17).
Doing a reality check is also very much at work in Psalm 52. A mighty man is a most imposing figure in the world. He has wealth and grows strong by destroying others. But in worship before the face of God the psalmist sees the truth. The mighty man is a fool, his strutting a joke, and his strength an illusion. God will bring him down to ruin.
While the fool may say in his heart, "There is no God" (Psalm 53:1), the wise person knows there is a God, trusts in his unfailing love, and lives accordingly.
Today, before we set out to worship, let’s do a reality check and be wise.
PRAYER
Lord God, may our eyes ever be on you, so that we may see all things in life as they really are. Help us to trust in you and live faithfully for you each day. In Jesus, Amen.
"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God." Psalm 25:1-2
To lift up our souls to God is to confess: On you, O Lord, we depend; in you we trust, on you we wait and in you we take refuge. O Lord, unless you bless us, we perish.
To lift up our souls to God sets us apart from all who lift up their souls to idols, who look for happiness and refuge from dread in their own wisdom or strength or riches.
We lift up our souls not to these vanities, but to you, O Lord, because you are the center of life. You are the great King over all; you are the creator of all things. This very cosmos that can so astonish us is the robe of glory with which you have clothed yourself. You are good and very great. We lift up our souls to you.
From this foundational stance spring two requests. The first is that we not be put to shame. We ask that God not abandon us, leave us disgraced, lost, but that instead he prize us and remain always committed to our future for the sake of his name.
Our second request is that we be shown the Lord’s ways. We plead not only for mercy but for power and wisdom to live holy lives.
If the first request asks God to stay with us and be committed to our future, the second request asks that we stay with God and remain committed to his future.
PRAYER
Lord, as we look back on an old year and anticipate a new one, may we look to you at all times to uphold us and make us strong, that we not go down to defeat. In Jesus, Amen.
"Do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
On the first day of a new year many of us wish each other a "Happy New Year!" But as we begin a new year, we need more than a hopeful greeting from the people around us. We need to listen to what God told Joshua about 3,400 years ago.
As Joshua was about to lead God’s people into the promised land, he had reason to be afraid. He had an enormous task ahead of him, and he was well aware of the dangers that he and the people would soon be facing. He needed God’s encouragement.
A new year brings lots of questions: Will our health hold? Will our marriage last? Will I be able to hang on to my job? Will I get into the right school? Will I live to see the end of this year? Will the economy improve? Will there be a terrorist attack or some natural disaster that takes me or my loved ones?
The Creator of the universe comes to us and says, "Don’t be afraid; don’t be discouraged." What happens in this coming year is not left to chance. God is in charge, and he promises to stay close: "The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Many years later, the Lord Jesus made the same promise when he said, "I am with you always" (Mat¬thew 28:20). That’s the reason we can wish each other a "Happy New Year!"
PRAYER
Father in heaven, thank you for the gift of a new year and for your promise to stay with us. We ask for your guidance and wisdom each day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
The LORD himself . . . will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8
While visiting in the Philippines, my wife and I spent some time on Corrigedor Island. We toured some old tunnels that were dug there at General MacArthur’s headquarters during World War II.
I wasn’t sure how stable those tunnels were, but our guide assured us they were safe. He had been there before, and he was going to walk ahead of us. With a flashlight in one hand and a walking stick in the other, we made it safely through.
That tour was just a simple illustration of what God invites us to do as we begin a new year. We don’t know what’s ahead. We can’t look into the future. But God can! God assures us that he knows what’s ahead. The entire year is spread out before the Lord. He knows our future. And the same God who knows all about the year ahead promises to go with us every step of the way.
God himself will be our guide, and he will guide us through. He knows the challenges that will face us, the obstacles that are before us. He invites us simply to follow him. And to help us on our way, God offers us the light of his Word. As the psalmist puts it, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105).
All we have to do is keep our eyes on the Lord, listen to what he says, and follow him.
PRAYER
Lord, help us to keep our eyes on you, and teach us how to listen as you call us to follow you. Give us your wisdom and grace, we pray. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Faith is being sure of what we hope for . . . . Hebrews 11:1
At the beginning of my work in ministry I used to call on a friend who’d been in bed for more than 10 years. Because of a debilitating disease, he could not move a muscle. In spite of his condition, though, he would often say, "God is so good!" I sometimes asked myself how he could say that, and how he and his wife were able to keep going.
The answer to those questions is in Hebrews 11. The recurring refrain throughout this chapter is ". . . by faith." It was the gift of faith that kept God’s people go¬ing even under the most difficult circumstances. They were ordinary people, like us, with the same kinds of weaknesses, feelings, and emotions. They too gave in to temptations. They too must have had their doubts at times. They too must have wondered at times where God was.
But it was because of God’s gift of faith that these ordinary people were able to live extraordinary lives. It is by faith that you and I will be able to keep going this year. Receive God’s gift of faith, and through the eyes of faith you will be able to see the One who is "the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
Make sure you have received the gift of faith by turning to the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s the only way to keep going throughout the coming year.
PRAYER
Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of faith. Help us to look at life through the eyes of faith; help us as ordinary people to live extraordinary lives. In Jesus, Amen.
You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5
God is where we are! Psalm 139 makes this clear to us in one of the most beautiful passages of the Bible.
From the moment we get up in the morning until we go to bed at night, God is there. As the psalmist puts it, "You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." God knows when we sit and when we rise. He knows our every thought and hears our every word. God hems us in and even lays his hand on us.
This may seem like an invasion of privacy to some of us, but to the psalmist it was one of the most beautiful things imaginable: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain." The psalmist could say this because he had a close relationship with God.
To reach a point where we can say with the psalmist, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me" and to experience God’s presence in our lives every step of the way, we need to do at least four things. We have to come near to God; we have to confess; we have to communicate; and we have to commit our lives to the Lord. Only then will we be able to celebrate the fact that God is where we are!
Let’s note carefully over the next several days how, in God’s strength, we can make these things a reality in our lives.
PRAYER
Lord, our God, thank you for your closeness to us. Please help us to draw near to you and live faithfully for you. Keep your guiding hand on us, we pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8
It sounds so good on paper: God is where we are! But what do you do when you can’t find God? What if God doesn’t seem to be there for you? Some Christians struggle with that question.
A high school senior wrote to me and said, "What do you do when God seems far away, and you’re praying to an empty chair, and you’re reading the Bible for your devotions, but you do it because you know you should, and it does not mean anything to you?"
What do you do if you feel like that high schooler?
Here’s one idea: read and reread Psalm 139, and let it sink in. Then come near to the God who loves you and knows everything about you. That’s what James says: "Come near to God and he will come near to you."
Throughout the Bible God invites us to come. The Lord invites us to come and reason together (Isaiah 1:18). Jesus invites the weary to come to him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-29), and he promises that he will never drive us away (John 6:37).
We have to come just as we are—empty-handed. Come and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died to save us from our sins.
Before you go to sleep tonight, ask Jesus to come into your heart. If you really want him to, he will respond. The One who died for you will never drive you away.
PRAYER
Lord God, give us the grace to respond to your invitation to come. Accept us as we come to you, just as we are, and assure us of your love shown for us in Jesus. Amen.
I acknowledged my sin to you . . . . and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5
Someone came to talk. He was upset and angry. I had preached on Psalm 139, saying God is always there for us. This person said, "On Sunday you keep on telling us God is where we are. Well, he’s not there for me." Then he shouted, "Where is this God you talk about?
We talked for quite some time. During our conversation it became clear that one of the reasons he did not feel God’s closeness was that he was intent on living in sin. He refused to admit and acknowledge that he was caught up in a sin because he did not want to give it up. He refused to confess.
In Psalm 32 David makes clear that unconfessed sin builds a wall between ourselves and God. David was speaking from experience. After his affair with Bath¬sheba he’d tried to cover his tracks by having her husband killed. The story, recorded in 2 Samuel 11, reads like a soap opera. David had to learn the hard way that we distance ourselves from God when we try to hide our sins or refuse to confess them.
If for some reason you feel far from God, take inventory by asking yourself, "Is there unconfessed sin in my life?" Perhaps it happened years ago, or perhaps it’s something you did today. The Lord invites you to come clean and confess, and when you do you will experience the loving arms of the waiting Father.
PRAYER
Lord, please keep us from sin and keep sin from us. Help us to be willing to confess our sins, and help us see where we’ve gone wrong. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Nathan said to David, "You are the man!" 2 Samuel 12:7
Sometimes we are almost completely blind to our own sins and shortcomings. It’s so much easier to see the faults and failures of others. And sometimes it takes someone else to make us see our sin.
That’s how it was with David. When the prophet Nathan told him a story about a rich man who stole a poor man’s lamb, David was outraged. He could clearly see what the rich man had done, but he failed to see his own sin. The prophet needed to confront David before he realized that Nathan was talking about him.
In the book Caring Enough to Confront, David Augs¬burger talks about the importance of confronting people who live in sin. Sometimes we need to confront, and sometimes we need to be confronted.
It’s not easy to confront a family member, a friend, or a coworker. Sometimes it’s easier to look the other way. Besides, we ourselves don’t like to be confronted. When someone cares enough to confront us, often our first response is "Who do you think you are? You’re not perfect either!"
God calls us to confront others who are in sin, and we need to learn to do so with gentleness (Galatians 6:1). We must also be willing to be confronted when we are blind to our own sins. God wants us all to help remove the barrier of sin that keeps us far from God.
PRAYER
Father in heaven, make us caring enough to con¬front someone who is living in sin, and give us the grace to accept those who confront us. We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6
In a made-for-TV documentary on marriage a wife says to her husband, "We live together, eat together, and sleep together, but we have nothing to say to each other. We’ve become intimate strangers." Of course. Without meaningful communication there can be no closeness.
What is true in our relationship with our spouse or other family members is even more true in our relationship with God. One of the reasons some of us don’t feel close to God is that we’re not communicating with God on a personal level.
We need to learn how to communicate with God. We need to take time to listen to what God is saying to us through the Bible. We have to listen to God as he speaks to us through circumstances and things that happen to us. We have to learn to ask, "What is God saying to me through what happened, and what is God saying to me through my spouse, my parents, my children, my friends, and other Christians?"
After we have listened, we have to talk with God in prayer. We can’t expect to feel God’s closeness unless we talk to him. Make sure you come to God and listen to him. Make sure you take the time each day to talk with him. Otherwise God will seem like a stranger. Imitate the Lord Jesus, who spent time alone every day to communicate with his Father.
PRAYER
Lord, help us to take time to communicate with you. Teach us how to pray, and teach us how to listen to you as we pray. Help us to follow Jesus’ example each day. Amen.
Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God . . . . Romans 12:1
"It’s not about you!" This is the opening sentence in Rick Warren’s best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life. At the beginning of a new year we need to remember that in this coming year it’s not about us. It’s about God and his purpose for our lives, and it’s about discovering that purpose.
To experience God’s closeness, we have to understand that the reason God gave us another year is so that we can live for him. As Paul puts it in Romans 12, we need to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. This is how Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message: "Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering."
God’s closeness requires surrender. We have to be willing to turn the controls of our lives over to God. We have to turn our hopes, our aspirations, our wants and our needs over to God. We have to learn to say, "Not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).
It takes grace to reach that point. For most of us, it’s a lifelong struggle to allow God to take complete control. We prefer to pretend that we’re in charge. It takes the Holy Spirit to make us willing to commit our lives to God. But it’s the only way to truly experience God’s close¬ness. Ask God today for the grace to surrender.
PRAYER
Lord, please help us surrender our lives to you. Give us the grace to see that life is not about us but about you and your purposes. Help us live each day to your glory. Amen.
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. . . . He . . . prayed that he might die. 1 Kings 19:3-4
Some years ago I said in a sermon that more Chris¬tians struggle with depression than many of us realize. The next day someone called to tell me that I was wrong. "A real Christian won’t get depressed," he said. Isuggested he read 1 Kings 19 and Psalm 42.
The Bible makes clear that believers do struggle with depression, sometimes even to the point where they want to die. Elijah, who only a few days earlier had seen a great miracle from God on a mountaintop, reached a point where death seemed better than life. He cried out and prayed that God would let him die.
Depression can be real and frightening. A woman in her early twenties described her depression to me as be¬ing in a black hole from which she could not escape. Be¬cause of it she could not see a trace of God’s presence.
If you suffer from depression, read Psalm 42 and reread 1 Kings 19. Remember that God is where you are, even when you can’t sense his presence. Cry out to him. Ask him to send someone to offer you a lifeline. Ask a close friend to help you find a Christian counselor, and if you suffer from clinical depression, don’t be afraid to use medication, which can be a gift from God.
And if you have never suffered from depression, thank God and ask him to let you be his presence in the life of someone who can no longer find God.
PRAYER
Lord, you understand the anguish of people who are depressed. Reach out to them and give them a sign of your presence. Thank you for always being with us. In Jesus, Amen.
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:8
I was visiting someone whose close relative had taken her own life. "Was God there when it happened?" I was asked. "And could she be saved?"
As we were talking, the words of Psalm 139:8 came to mind. We opened our Bibles, and together we read the first part of Psalm 139, which says God is where we are, no matter what.
The God of the Bible, the God who has become our Father because of Jesus Christ, does not leave us, not even in our final desperate moments. Says David, "If I make my bed in the depths, you are there!" God is ¬present even in the darkest moments of our lives, also for those who have reached a point where death seems better than life. We must be careful not to draw unwarranted conclusions. Our God is a God of mercy and of grace. He understands when life becomes unbearable for his children.
Of course God wants us to live. He does not want us to take our own lives. According to John 10:10, Jesus came to give us full life. If you feel you have reached the end of your rope, cry out for help. God is there!
And if you have experienced the pain of losing someone who took his or her own life, be assured that God is present even in the depths of life. He has promised never to leave us.
PRAYER
Lord, please give your comfort to those who have lost someone they love. Assure them of your everlasting presence and love as well, for Jesus’ sake. In his name we pray. Amen.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Pslm 139:16
Some years ago a young man on his way to the funeral of a family member was killed in a car accident. A local newspaper quoted a state trooper as saying that the young man had been in "the wrong place at the wrong time."
That comment raises an important question: Is the outcome of our lives in this new year just a matter of being at a certain place at a certain time? Is my life no more than a matter of chance or of making sure I don’t take the wrong turn?
Thank God that the outcome of my life is not determined by such things. Of course God does not want us to be careless or reckless. But when all is said and done, life is not a matter of chance, and whether I live or die this year is not determined by being in a certain place at a certain time.
According to Psalm 139:16, the number of my days is carefully determined by God himself. The Lord Jesus says that not even a sparrow falls "to the ground apart from the will of [our] Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:29-30).
With that assurance I can enter into a new year, travel when I have to, make plans, and do all sorts of things trusting that God is watching over me. God himself has determined the number of my days.
PRAYER
Thank you, Father, that you have set the number of our days. Help me to live in that assurance and to be faithful in using the time you have given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
A recent newspaper article carried a picture of a one-year-old praying in a high chair with eyes closed and hands folded in front of her face. The caption below the picture said that her dad used to hold her on his lap, read the Bible, and say, "Time to pray." Now she won’t eat unless they’ve prayed.
Of course. This is God’s promise to parents: Train up children in the way they should go, and when they have grown they will not turn from it. Commenting on the fifth commandment (about honoring father and mother), Lewis Smedes says that parents are "God’s storytellers." God shows his presence through believing parents, and it’s up to parents to make sure that children sense the presence of the Lord.
Some parents try to give their children the best things money can buy while neglecting to bring them into a relationship with Jesus. Billy Graham once told a story of a teenage girl who was in a fatal car accident. As she lay dying, she whispered to her mother, "Mother, you taught me everything. You taught me how to smoke and how to drink, but you never taught me how to die. Mother, teach me quickly, because I’m dying."
It’s up to parents to train their children so that they learn to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and strength. It’s the greatest gift we can give them.
PRAYER
Lord, make us parents and grandparents faithful in training our children in your way. Help us to show them your presence. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
The book America Out of the Ashes, written after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, asks the question, "Where was God?" Millions of people asked the same question after the tsunami disaster that devastated parts of southern Asia on December 26, 2004. Where is God when nations are torn apart by civil war, when disaster seems to strike at random, when children die of AIDS or hunger or poverty every single day?
Psalm 46 gives the answer. God is right where he says he is: "ever-present" with us. Sure, "nations are in up¬roar," the earth gives way, "waters roar and foam," and "mountains quake" even today. But in spite of all that happens, "the LORD Almighty is with us."
God never intended for his creation to be ravaged by disaster. We don’t know why he allows it. But one thing we know: God is in control. The writer William Faulk¬ner had it wrong when, in his Requiem for a Nun, he said that after creating everything, God lost control.
In response to the question about where God was on 9/11, or when a tsunami or earthquake strikes, or when war breaks out and brings so much suffering, we can answer with Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble"!
Pray for eyes of faith to see God’s presence even in times of disaster.
PRAYER
Lord, sometimes it’s hard for us to see you. Help us to sense your presence and see how you care for us even when things seem to be falling apart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
诗篇 46
January - 14
神在灾难中
「神是我们的避难所，是我们的力量，是我们在患难中随时的帮助。」 诗46:1
一部于二零零一年九月十一日美国受到恐怖袭击之后写成的书America Out of the Ashes（意译：《走出灰烬的美国》），提出了一个问题：「神在哪里？」二零零四年十二月二十六日，当海啸导致部分南亚地区生灵涂炭后，亦有数以百万人提出同样问题。当内战造成国家分裂；天灾横祸骤然发生；每天有无数小孩子死于爱滋病、饥荒或贫穷时，神在哪里？
"I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Some years ago the well-known author James Miche¬ner wrote a book called The Drifters. It’s a story about young students traveling aimlessly through Asia and Europe, drifting from one day into the next, without plan or purpose.
Lots of people today are drifters too. Even if you have everything life has to offer, you can feel unfulfilled and without purpose, drifting from one day to the next.
Or maybe you feel as if you’ve been cut adrift. For example, maybe you’ve lost your job and you don’t see much of a future. Or maybe you’ve lost your spouse through death or divorce, and you feel as if you’ve reached the end of the road. Or maybe you just retired and you feel as if you’ve been put on a shelf. Or perhaps you’re permanently disabled and you’re not sure how you can go on.
If you’re feeling adrift for one reason or another, take heart from God’s words to us through Jeremiah: "I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and . . . to give you hope and a future."
God does not want us to drift through life. He has a purpose and plan for each one of us. Whoever you are, ask yourself, "What does God have in mind for me? And how does God want to use me today so I can have hope and a future?"
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for your promise to give us hope and a future. Help us to see your purpose for us and to take comfort in you each day of this new year. In Jesus, Amen.
耶利米书 29:11-13
January - 15
神在我们的意念中
「我知道我向你们所怀的意念……要叫你们末后有指望。」 耶29:11
数年前，名作家 James Michener写了一部小说，名为《流浪者》。这个故事是讲述数名年青学生漫无目的地浪迹亚洲和欧洲的经历。他们毫无计划，毫无目的，日复一日地过着流浪者的生活。
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6
During the Second World War an elderly man was arrested for hiding Jews in his home. Because of his age his captors were willing to release him if he would promise never again to hide anyone. This was his answer: "There is no safety outside of God’s will." He was convinced that placing himself outside of God’s will was far more dangerous than facing death at the hands of Hitler’s Nazis.
As we begin a new year, we need to know that the most dangerous place in life is outside of God’s will. But how can we know God’s will? How do we know what God wants for us this year? How can we know if God approves of our choices? How can we know what God has in mind for us at this time in our lives?
We have to learn to listen carefully as God speaks to us through the Bible. God does not tell us whom to marry, but he does tell us we are to marry in the Lord. God does not spell out what job to choose, when to retire, or how to invest, but God does tell us we are his stewards. God makes his will known through open and closed doors and through many of the circumstances in our lives. He wants us to look closely at the opportunities we have and the gifts he has given us.
As we make our choices, we do well to remember that there is no safety outside of God’s will.
PRAYER
Lord God, help us to acknowledge you in all our ways. Show us your will, and make us willing to live your way. Give us faith to trust in you and wisdom to serve you. Amen. Lord God, help us to acknowledge you in all our ways. Show us your will, and make us willing to live your way. Give us faith to trust in you and wisdom to serve you. Amen.
"I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31:34
"Will God accept me when I die?" A member of our congregation asked me this question shortly before she died. Her past was catching up with her, and she was afraid that God would refuse to have anything to do with her. All through her life she’d been taught that God forgives, but now that she’d reached the end of her life, she wasn’t sure.
Some Christians struggle with that question. They live in fear that because of their sins God won’t be there for them. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God assures each one of us that he does far more than forgive: God even forgets our sins. God declares, "I will . . . remember their sins no more."
Through the covenant God has made with his people, God vows to forget our sins. He will not allow our sins to separate us from him. That’s the good news throughout the Bible. Isaiah 1:18 says that even though our sins may be like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. And Romans 8:1 says, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
That’s the reason we don’t have to look back over our shoulders, afraid that our past will catch up with us. That’s why we can be sure God will accept us when we stand before his judgment seat. God promises, for Jesus’ sake, to remember our sins no more!
PRAYER
Lord, we thank you for your forgiveness and the promise that you will not hold our sins against us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving your life to set us free. In your name, Amen.
"Test me in this . . . and see if I will not . . . pour out so much blessing . . . ." Malachi 3:10
God’s people living in the days of Malachi were in for a surprise. They felt that God had left them, but they could not understand why. The prophet Malachi ex¬plained: God had turned his back on them because they were stealing from God by withholding their resources.
Some of God’s people living today wonder why they don’t experience God’s presence and closeness. Some wonder why God does not seem to bless them the way he has promised.
The answer may be found in Malachi 3. Perhaps they have been stealing from God by refusing to return to God a small part of what he has entrusted to them.
Some people feel that the church has no business talking about money. Some people think that whether or not we give back to God has nothing to do with our relationship with God.
The Bible tells us, however, that the way we use our money and resources has everything to do with our relationship to God. By refusing to give back to God from what he first gives us, we push God out of our lives, and we deprive ourselves of some of the greatest blessings God has in store.
Let’s make sure we return to God by giving back from all he has given. And God will "pour out so much blessing that [we] will not have room enough for it."
PRAYER
Father in heaven, help us to be good stewards this year. Keep us from taking what belongs to you. Help us give faithfully for the work of your kingdom. In Jesus, Amen.
"Martha . . . you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." Luke 10:41-42
"If all the rubbish in my soul were cleared away, I would see God." That line from a poem says it all. Things clutter up our lives. Life is busy; we have appointments to keep, e-mails to send, meetings to go to, parties to plan, kids to pick up. And if we don’t do these things, who will? Sometimes it’s all up to us.
In the busyness of life, however, we sometimes fail to see God. That’s what happened to Martha. Of course she knew that Jesus was right there in her house. That’s the reason she was so busy. She wanted the best for him. But in all her "fussing," she failed to see that sitting in her family room was God himself, speaking to them. So she missed out on what was most important. This is how The Message puts it: "Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing."
It happens all the time. And we excuse ourselves by saying that if we don’t do it right now, it won’t get done. But in the process we sometimes walk right by our Lord without even noticing.
Don’t let it happen to you this year. Make a list of your priorities. Make some changes in your schedules. Don’t get yourself worked up over nothing. Only one thing really matters: To live life in the presence of the Lord each day, seeing his work and listening to him.
PRAYER
Father in heaven, help us to keep our priorities straight, and keep us from getting worked up over nothing. Help us to focus on you and how we can live for you. In Jesus, Amen.
"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever . . . ." John 14:16
Jesus’ disciples were upset. For three years they had been with Jesus. They had walked with him and talked with him. And now he was about to leave.
How could they possibly go on without him? How could they face the challenges of life without his daily presence?
In his farewell address the Lord Jesus put the disciples’ minds at ease. He told them that his returning to the Father was for their good (John 16:7). He promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would live in them and teach them about living for God. And through the Spirit they’d be able to enjoy God’s presence always.
Through the Holy Spirit you and I can experience God’s presence every moment of the day. All we have to do is ask. As Jesus says in Luke 11:13, "If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
The most important prayer we can pray each day is to ask for the all-powerful presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit guiding us each day, we will not only experience God’s presence in our own lives, but we’ll also be able to show God’s presence to others as we live God’s way, displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
PRAYER
Lord God, please fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us to show in our lives the fruit of the Spirit. We ask all this for Jesus’ sake and in his name. Amen.
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us . . . . Romans 8:26
"Pray continually," says Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. And James 5:16 reminds us that the prayer of a righ¬teous person "is powerful and effective." Most of us be¬lieve this, but what if you have reached a point in your life when you can’t pray?
Some of the Christians I’ve met have told me that at times they could not pray. Sometimes people simply have no energy to pray. Sometimes life deals people such a blow that they can’t even talk, much less pray. Some¬times there’s too much pain, or a person’s depression is too deep. Sometimes praying seems impossible.
Thank God that he is with us even when we cannot pray. In those dark moments we can trust that Someone else is praying for us. As Paul says, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." The Holy Spirit who knows what’s going on in our lives takes over for us.
Because Jesus became one of us, we can also be assured that we have a great High Priest who knows what our lives are like, and he sympathizes with us in our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). Even in our most desperate moments God has us covered. If you meet someone today who cannot pray, pray for that person and assure him or her of the Holy Spirit’s presence and prayers.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you that the Holy Spirit prays for us, helping us in our weakness. Thank you that the Spirit knows our hearts and minds through the work of Jesus. Amen.
You created my inmost being; you knit me to¬gether in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
In 1973 the United States Supreme Court made what has been called a "landmark decision" by legalizing "abortion on demand." Since then millions of unborn babies have been put to death legally, some through the cruel method of so-called partial-birth abortion.
Some people have defended this as no more than the removal of bodily tissue, but the Bible calls it murder. Between the moment of conception and the time of birth, according to Psalm 139, God’s own hand is busy shaping and molding a new human life. Says the psalmist, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. . . . Your eyes saw my un¬formed body." And God himself told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you . . ." (Jeremiah 1:5). God is present even before we are born!
Abortion is a defiant act of interfering with God’s creative work. It’s a human attempt to push away God’s hand. It tells God, "You’re not wanted." Abortion is a sin we must stop.
If you’re thinking about having an abortion, consider keeping your child or giving your child to people who are eager to adopt. Abortion always leaves an emotional scar. And when we talk to someone who has had an abortion, we have to lead them to repentance, assuring them that God forgives even the sin of abortion.
PRAYER
Lord, help us as a nation to repent of the sin of abortion, and help us as your children to guard and celebrate the sanctity of life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Matthew 18:14
One Sunday afternoon after I had preached a message on abortion, I found a letter on my desk. It was written by a Detroit police officer who had been in our church that morning. He wrote, "I was disappointed by your sermon this morning. I thought your time and that of your church could have been used more profitably. Don’t abuse my time telling me that abortion is wrong. Instead, talk to me about alternatives and what you are doing to promote them."
I kept his letter, and I have quoted from it often. Of course we have to speak out against abortion. But how active are we in doing something about it? In what ways have we helped a single mother who is faced with an unwanted pregnancy? How much do we support agencies that provide alternatives? How many of us try to become foster parents or even consider adopting a child instead of having one more of "our own"?
What are we doing to provide alternatives?
What share of our income do we set aside to care for one of the little ones Jesus talks about in Matthew 18? How much of our church budget goes to support agencies that are not satisfied with merely speaking out against abortion?
Ask God to help you find a way to keep even "one of these little ones" from being lost.
PRAYER
Father in heaven, open our eyes to the needs of your little ones. Keep us from merely pointing out what is wrong, and motivate us to act, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
"Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5
While I’ve been writing these devotions, my wife and I have been eagerly looking forward to joining our daughter and her husband as they go and pick up their adopted daughter in Korea. It’s been a slow, costly process, and there are lots of unanswered questions.
Especially in the past some people looked at adoption with a lot of skepticism. Others rejected any notion of adopting, choosing instead to remain childless. Still others considered adoption as a last resort. And some children who have been adopted have lived with resentment, because they are treated as second-rate.
But adoption is not second-rate! According to the Bible, each one of us has been adopted. Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 tell us clearly that through the honor of adoption you and I have become part of God’s family. Any¬one who puts down or thinks little of adoption needs to be reminded that God loves us so much that he wants to adopt us all.
Matthew 18 tells us that each time we welcome a child in Jesus’ name, we welcome him. Parents and families who have opened their hearts and homes through adoption have welcomed the Lord Jesus into their homes.
Thank God today for your adopted children and grandchildren. Thank God for adoptive parents. Thank God also for adopting us as his own children!
PRAYER
Father, thank you for adopting us as your children. Thank you for adoptive parents and adopted children. Help us all to welcome you into our hearts. In Jesus, Amen.
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these . . . you did for me." Matthew 25:40
Back in March 2005, Time magazine featured an article on "How to End Poverty." Inside were pictures of children sleeping on city streets and of a woman scavenging for food on a huge pile of garbage. According to the article, more than 20,000 people die each day because they are too poor to stay alive. At least 1.1 billion people in our world live in extreme poverty.
After rereading that article the other day, I turned to Matthew 25, where Jesus says that the nameless millions who die each year represent him. He says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you [do] for one the least of these brothers [and sisters] of mine, you [do] for me." Jesus himself comes to us in these poor billions. He expects us to care, to help.
What can we do? We can acquaint ourselves with some of the realities of poverty. We can find out about shelters in our immediate communities. We can set aside a part of our income to give for those who are poor. We can find a trusted organization to send donations. We can designate a part of our church budget to help the poor. Caring for the poor is not an option. As families and as churches, we may have to adjust our priorities. Someday Jesus will ask us, "Did you see me as you looked into the eyes of these brothers and sisters of mine? And what did you do for them?"
PRAYER
Lord, forgive us if we have been living in abundance but have failed to reach out to poor people. Help us to see you in people who are in need. For your name’s sake, O Lord, Amen.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Last spring a woman named Ashley Smith seemed to find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Early one morning she went to a nearby convenience store. When she returned, an escaped convict, who had shot and killed four people during his escape, took her hostage and held her in her apartment for about nine hours. He tied her up and threatened to kill her unless she did what he said.
But instead of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she was exactly where God wanted her to be. While most of us might panic, she began to talk to the man who was holding her hostage. She read to him from the best-selling book The Purpose-Driven Life, and slowly but surely something happened in the criminal’s heart. A secular magazine called it "an encounter with God." The convict himself called her "God’s angel, placed there by God himself." God had directed her steps that morning so that Ashley could become God’s presence in the life of someone who had reached the end of the road.
We might plan our course, but it is God who determines our steps. Remember this as you stand next to a stranger in the store today, or sit next to a stranger on a train or airplane. God has a way of getting us into the right place at the right time.
PRAYER
Lord, give us the grace to understand that you are the one who directs our every step. Help us to make the most of every opportunity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion . . . . Philippians 1:6
One day a mother whose 25-year-old son had turned his back on God was telling me she had given up on her son. After years of praying for him and trying to convince him that he needed the Lord in his life, she was sure that God had written him off. She had decided no longer to pray for him.
It was one of the saddest things I’d ever heard: a parent giving up on a child.
I told her how glad I was that God never gives up on us. If he did, you and I would not stand a chance. If I would have had to hang on to God throughout my life, I would be hopeless. The only reason I am who I am today and the only reason I am where I am in my walk with the Lord is that God refused long ago to give up on me. If it were up to us to stay close to God when things fell apart, we would be lost.
Thank God for his assurance in Philippians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
God never gives up. It’s the most beautiful assurance we have. Even when we are tempted to let go, God refuses to give up. And because God never gives up on us, we may never give up on the people around us as long as we or they live. Each day offers a new opportunity for grace and for turning back to God.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for hanging on to us even when we want to let go. We love you, Lord! Help us, in your name, to hang on to others who still need to turn back to you. Amen.
What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. Philippians 1:12
Recently I reached a milestone: my 70th birthday! It caused me to reflect on my life and ask myself some questions. How did I get where I am today? How did someone who grew up in a small town in Europe happen to marry someone born in California? Why did I have the privilege of preaching for almost 40 years?
To some people, the answer is quite simple: we are where we are because of our choices. We choose where we live, whom we marry, and what we do with our lives. If we make good choices, things work out well, and if we make bad choices, things work out poorly.
Some people might also say that Paul was in prison because of the choices he made. He could have refused to become a Christian; he could have turned down the challenge of becoming a missionary for Jesus. He could have been more careful and compromising. It seems that some of the early Christians even felt that Paul’s being in prison was a mistake and was never meant to be.
Paul responded by saying that it was God who put him there. God had Paul where he wanted him. Through his imprisonment Paul was able to bring the gospel message straight to the seat of government in Rome.
Thank God that in spite of our good, bad, or even sinful choices, when all is said and done, the Lord always gets us where he wants us.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, that you make no mistakes and that you always get us where you want us. Help us to live wisely and look for your direction each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
"Anything to get me through the night." According to one story, these were the words of Frank Sinatra after many long nights of tossing and turning. The man who seemed to have it all, who had fame and fortune and sang, "I did it my way," lacked one of the most important things in life. He had no peace of mind.
Millions of people, both rich and poor, go through life without God’s gift of peace. Some search nearly everywhere and never find it. Others try almost everything imaginable—without success. No amount of alcohol or pills can help us obtain it. No measure of fame or pleasure can guarantee it. Only God himself can give it.
In Philippians 4:7 Paul tells us where and how to find this peace. We need to know the Lord Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with him. Says Paul, "In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
God’s gift of peace is available for the asking. Turn your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in him as your Savior. Commit to living for the Lord each day and ask for the Spirit’s guidance. When you do, you have the guarantee that the peace of God will flood your heart and mind. Don’t go another day without it.
PRAYER
Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of peace that we can enjoy because of Jesus Christ. Help us to live for you and to help others find your peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
When Paul wrote the words of Philippians 4:19, he was speaking from experience. Ever since he’d become a Christian and a missionary for the Lord, he had faced almost every need imaginable. He’d been thrown in prison, he’d faced persecution, and he’d suffered at the hands of those who hated him. But God had faithfully met Paul’s needs every step of the way. God had never let him down. Whether in plenty or in want, hungry or well fed, Paul had experienced God’s providing hand.
At the beginning of a new year God promises to meet our every need. God already knows what we’ll need, and he promises to meet our needs. God will be with us every step of the way, providing for us in ways that only God can. It’s guaranteed!
Make sure you don’t misinterpret these words of Paul. God does not promise to give us everything we want. Sometimes God’s answer to our prayers is "No." Some¬times God will answer our prayers in ways that we don’t want or expect. There may be lots of things God will withhold from us. But he does promise to give us what we need in order to fulfill his purpose for our lives. We have been given a new year to serve God.
As God meets our needs, he also asks us to help meet the needs of people around us. This is one way in which God shows his presence through us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your promise to meet our needs. Help us to see the needs of others, and move us to be willing to help meet those needs in your name. Amen.
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them." Revelation 21:3
In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn paints a fascinating picture of life on the new earth. Based on his interpretation of several Old and New Testament Bible passages, life for God’s people is not some ghostlike existence. People will have real, physical bodies, will recognize each other, and will be able to relate to each other in meaningful ways. In keeping with God’s promise to make all things new, Alcorn envisions a creation that will be restored and renewed.
As beautiful as that will be, the most amazing thing about life on the new earth will be the perfect presence of God. Says John, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." As The Message puts it, "God has moved into the neighborhood."
Today we experience God’s presence imperfectly. Some days we feel God’s closeness, and some days God seems far away. Some days we talk with him, and some days he seems to turn a deaf ear.
On the new earth, when Christ has come again, as a familiar song says, we "shall see him face to face, and tell the story, ‘Saved by grace.’" Make sure you know him as your Savior, and pray that we will soon be able to experience his perfect presence.
PRAYER
Lord, we thank you for your promise to make all things new and for the promise to live with us on the new earth. Come soon, Lord Jesus! Amen.
啟示錄 21:1-5
January - 31
神完全的同在
「看哪，神的帐幕在人间。他要与人同住。」 启21:3
Randy Alcorn在他的著作《天堂》中，描绘了一幅在新世界中生活的动人图画。据他对旧约和新约圣经某些内容的理解，神的子民在天堂并非如鬼魂般生活，他们会有实实在在、真实的肉体，他们能辨认对方，而且可以互相接触和沟通。由于神应许叫万物更新，所以Alcorn在书中展现了一个将会获得再造和更新的世界。
"I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way . . . ." Acts 24:14
A fourth-century desert father named Sarapion once traveled from Egypt to Rome, where he visited an elderly believer known for her reclusive ways. This Christian woman seldom left the small room she called home. Sarapion loved to travel and was skeptical about her way of life. He asked, "Why are you sitting here?" She replied, "I am not sitting; I am on a journey."
She was right, of course. You may not have the means or the inclination to cruise the high seas or visit faraway places, but if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are a traveler.
During the Middle Ages, spiritual writers often re¬ferred to believers as "wayfarers." That language reflects one of the earliest descriptions of New Testament believers. As described by Paul in our reading for today, they were called "followers of the Way."
Followers of the Way don’t set down permanent roots. They move through life with greater destinations in mind. They are always stretching and growing. They are always "on the Way" with Jesus Christ—who identified himself as the only way to God (John 14:6).
There is much coming and going in Scripture. The people of God are always going places. They refuse to get stuck in a rut. This month let’s discover what lessons we can learn from them for our own walk with God.
PRAYER
Father, our lives run the risk of spiritual stagnation. Put us on the road with Jesus to learn new lessons about faith and discipleship. In his name we pray. Amen.
The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:2
The first journey recorded in Genesis is not a pilgrimage by our spiritual ancestors across rugged terrain in response to God’s calling. That kind of journey did occur at times, but the first journey recorded in Scripture is undertaken by God. The Spirit of God hovered over a world that was "formless and empty." The Spirit of God descended into the darkness that covered "the surface of the deep."
We shouldn’t find this journey surprising. Through¬out the Bible we discover that God often had to step into the picture to bring order out of chaos and to shine light into dark places.
But we tend to forget that. Instead we think we can wrestle with the raw material of life and bring order out of anarchy. But we typically make a mess of things. We don’t have the wisdom or strength to shape the raw materials of life into something wondrous and beautiful.
God does, however. That’s why the first journey in Scripture is about God. God’s Spirit hovers over the world like a bird hovering over her nest, protecting and feeding her young (see Isaiah 31:5). And as the psalmist reminds us, God continues to send his Spirit to "renew the face of the earth" (Psalm 104:30). The Lord’s creative and sustaining energy nurtures us for faithful obedience in our own lives.
PRAYER
Lord, spread the wings of your Spirit and hover over our lives with your care and love. Bring order to our lives so that we may respond to you in trust and obedience. Amen.
[They] heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden . . . . Genesis 3:8
small wooded area.
Sometimes in the summer my wife and I saunter there in the cool of the evening. We go not just for the park’s beauty but for each other’s company. It’s a time for us to talk about our day and catch a glimpse of God’s imprint on creation.
You and I are created to enjoy similar rambles with God. Of all God’s creatures, we alone have hearts that can open to God’s heart. Of all God’s creation, we alone can share God’s joys and intentions for this world.
Our brokenness is displayed in our reluctance to keep God as our walking partner. God knows too much about us. God’s gaze is too penetrating. We feel naked when God is near.
But God has an answer to our shame. He has garments that cover our nakedness.
Ultimately our shame is covered as we are "clothed ... with Christ" (Galatians 3:27). When we’re covered with the sinlessness of Christ and forgiven for his sake, we are prepared again to have God as our walking partner on life’s journey.
PRAYER
Father, forgive us when we cower in the bushes, afraid to be seen by you. Help us to come out of the shadows and put on your garments of grace through Christ. Amen.
[God] placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword . . . . Genesis 3:24
The Heidelberg Catechism, a historic creed of the church, describes our core problem as misery. But what does it mean to be miserable? Is misery a matter of living in a squalid hut in a poor country? If so, many of us are anything but miserable. Some drive new cars, others eat in good restaurants, and a few take cruises on the Caribbean every January. Yet none of these things really satisfies. Deep inside, no matter where we live, we sense we are out of synch with life’s design.
The original German word for "misery" in the Cate¬chism literally means "homesickness." That names our problem. Our true misery isn’t an inability to amuse our¬selves with the best the world has to offer. Our true misery is that we have become a people without a country. We are cut off from our native land and are longing to go home. Meant to dwell in God’s Garden, we’ve been banished "east of Eden."
"East of Eden" is not a pleasant place to live. "East of Eden" is a place filled with "thorns and thistles." "East of Eden" we work hard but find that the problems of life still choke our joy and satisfaction.
We need to get back to the Garden. We need to go home to God. And the only way back is by way of Christ, the Savior, who now rules from God’s throne (Ephesians 1:20-23; Revelation 22:3).
PRAYER
Lord, we desperately want to go home. By your Spirit, make us citizens of your kingdom. Help us show each day our true commitment to Christ. In his name, Amen.
"Come, let us build ourselves a city . . . so that we may make a name for ourselves . . . ." Genesis 11:4
Edward J. Smith was captain on one of the most famous sea voyages of all time. His reputation had suffered a setback in previous years, but his new commission was guaranteed to restore luster to his name. Smith was determined to make the first Atlantic crossing with a speed that would impress his harshest critics. That’s why he ignored weather conditions. That’s why it wasn’t really an iceberg that sunk the Titanic on its first voyage. It was the pride of Edward Smith and his employer, the White Star Line.
Many of us are in the business of making a name for ourselves. Who can blame us? Who wants to be discarded on the ash heap of history? Life’s winners are those who at least get a footnote in history books.
But our attempt to make a name for ourselves revisits the plains of Shinar. The game plan at Babel was to build a staircase to heaven. But the effort was doomed. The pride that separates us from God separates us from each other. The babbling at Babel is a fitting punishment for people who refuse to hear God’s unifying speech. People scatter out in all directions—a clear sign of sin’s power to fragment and divide.
God’s answer to Babel is Pentecost. By the power of God’s Holy Spirit, peoples of many nations drew together under the banner of God’s name (see Acts 2:21).
PRAYER
Lord, our arrogant name-building isolates us from you and our neighbors. Place your own name upon us, we pray, and give us unity in bearing the name of Christ. Amen.
创世记 11:1-9
Feburary - 5
追求名声的人
「来吧，我们要建造一座城……，为要传扬我们的名……。」 创11:4
Edward J. Smith是历史上其中一次最著名的海上旅程的船长；在过去几年，他的名声虽然受挫，但他这个新的航海任命必能保证能挽回他的名声。Smith决心要以最高的速度首次横过大西洋，好叫那些批评得一点都不留情的人也侧目。基于这个动机，他不理会当时的天气，而第一次下水的铁达尼号沉没的真正祸首，并非冰山，乃是Smith和他的雇主白星游轮公司的虚荣心。
It’s difficult to see why God sometimes doesn’t make things happen right where we’re planted. We might have our life worked out: a career on the fast-track, a new home, good schools for the kids. And then God changes the game plan.
Abram may well have wondered about God’s instructions to him. His father, Terah, had intended to move to Canaan but never made it that far. When he got to Haran, he settled there instead. Abram lived long enough in Haran to make himself at home. His business ventures had prospered, and he had become "very wealthy" (Genesis 13:2). Living the life of a desert sheik and already 75 years old, Abram wasn’t the most likely person to go looking for new adventures.
Abram and his wife, Sarai, were also childless. In spite of their prosperity, their future looked bleak with no descendants. Then God showed up and told Abram to go to the land God would show him.
Abram wasn’t being called to retire in a villa on the Mediterranean. He was called to a faith journey that was part of God’s plan to gather his people. Abram obeyed, and he was blessed in ways he never imagined.
God’s faith journey for you may lead in directions you think are impossible or unreasonable. But in your obedience God will also bless you and others around you.
PRAYER
Lord, just when we have life all figured out, you shake us up with something new. Overcome our hesitation. Help us trust in your wisdom on the journey you give us. Amen.
"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go . . . ." Genesis 28:15
Jacob had messed up and was running for his life. It’s not surprising that he’d be exiled from his home. Jacob’s name means "deceiver," and he had lived up to it—swindling his brother and hoodwinking his father. Now he was on the run to Haran, where he would later learn to deal with the deceptions of his Uncle Laban.
Jacob spent the night in no-man’s land. Even God seemed to have forsaken this place. But here Jacob saw a vision of heaven’s gate. God showed him a ladder, or stairway, that reached from earth to heaven. Jacob also saw the Lord, who promised to give him this land and to bless all the world’s peoples through him. Out in the middle of nowhere Jacob was promised full life and a future with God. So he called the place Bethel—"house of God"—and, as we might expect, Jacob made a vow that sounded more like a deal than a promise. But that didn’t nullify God’s gracious promise to Jacob.
It’s disturbing the way God can catch us on the run—and keep on loving us. Some of us are on the lam from our past, even today. We’re in a tight place, trying to slip out from under some major mistakes. But at this moment God is showing us the way out. Did you know that Jesus describes himself as Jacob’s ladder, the gateway to heaven? (See John 1:51; 10:9; 14:6.) He is the bridge by which we can enter into the presence of God.
PRAYER
Lord, we thank you that no matter how badly we mess up, you keep coming to find us. Help us to trust ourselves to Jesus, knowing he can make all things right again. Amen.
Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh . . . ?" Exodus 3:11
Have you ever tried to fix something only to make it worse? Some of my forays into the world of plumbing have achieved that kind of result.
Moses understood that feeling. That’s why he was out in the wilderness tending sheep. His high-handed attempt at executing justice some 40 years earlier had forced him to beat a hasty retreat out to the desert (see Exodus 2:11-25; Acts 7:20-30). There Moses had plenty of time to think about the mistakes he’d made.
But in the wilderness Moses met the God who intended to turn him from a keeper of sheep to a shepherd of God’s people Israel. Moses didn’t like the plan, however. He had learned about his limitations. He wasn’t fit for the job—or so he thought.
Many of us have also discovered our limitations. We’ve lost our idealism in the school of hard knocks. We’ve grown pragmatic, even jaded, about life. No gran¬diose plans for us! Leave the tough jobs for the person sitting next to us in the pew. Why risk failure?
Why? Because Someone is beside us to catch us when we stumble. Remember that God said to Moses, "I will be with you." In the Hebrew text that promise is related to God’s name: I AM. That’s the same name Jesus claims for himself (see John 8:58; 10:30). And just as he has promised, he is with us always (Matthew 28:20).
PRAYER
Lord, you’ve found us hiding away from you, wallowing in self-pity. Shake us out of our stupor. Enfold us into your plans and empower us to go where you send us. Amen.
"Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today." Exodus 14:13
In the eyes of Pharaoh, the Israelites were like sheep fit for slaughter. His former slaves wandered about "in confusion, hemmed in by the desert."
As Christians, we sometimes feel in a daze too. Financial pressures push from one side, health problems push from another, and relationship problems charge in from before and behind. Which way do we turn? A sense of panic grips us. In despair some reach for an overdose of sleeping pills to end the misery.
There’s another alternative, though, as we can see in this amazing promise: "The Lord will fight for you." Have we overlooked the Lord, who stands at our side? Have we forgotten God is ready to do battle for us?
And what is our task? "You need only to be still." This is no small matter! What a challenge it is to keep our focus and trust that God will rescue us!
Some of us may be in despair today. Sinful patterns of life may be pinning us down. Temptation easily crumbles our resolve. Problems stagger us. But God has gone on the offensive for our sake—ultimately on a hill called Calvary. God’s own Son engaged the armies of the devil and triumphed over them by giving his life for us.
Today we share in his victory, for he is still on the move for his people. Stand strong in the knowledge that the battle belongs to the Lord.
PRAYER
Lord, "greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world." By your grace, give us the victory today over the pressures that threaten us in our journey of faith. In Jesus, Amen.
"I will rain down bread from heaven for you." Exodus 16:4
I have friends who have ridden bikes across North America. How do they prepare for such an adventure? They bike 20 miles a day after work, and they take longer jaunts on weekends. But does that prepare them for the grueling demands of a daily hundred-mile grind? Not fully. Cyclists build stamina in their first days on the road. And stamina comes with time. You can’t give up as you build muscle tone.
The people of Israel learned that lesson while they traveled in the desert. They thought the worst part was getting out of Egypt. They discovered later that it took more stamina to stick with the program while scrambling through wilderness ravines.
Are you surprised? The daily grind of obedience often wears us down too. We begin to think that the "grass was greener" before we began journeying with God and before he made demands on our time, our finances, and our priorities.
In the desert God offered his bone-weary people extraordinary provisions. God fed his people on "bread from heaven." The gift of manna to ancient Israel was a sign of the sustaining gift of Christ Jesus to us. He is "the true bread from heaven" (John 6:32). Sustained by Jesus on the journey, we find that our spiritual muscles grow strong as our complaints shrink away.
PRAYER
Lord, we know that most of our discipleship is "on the job" training. Help us be your faith¬ful apprentices. Prepare our hearts for the lessons you want to teach us today. Amen.
I know that . . . our Lord is greater than all gods. Psalm 135:5
Poet Wendell Berry has observed that when we are young, our lives are all time and little memory. As we grow older, we discover that our lives are almost entirely memory and very little time. That’s why, in visits with older family members or acquaintances, we often talk about the past and the roads they have traveled.
Conversations like that are not mere reminiscing about "good old days." They are crammed with evidence of God’s grace and faithfulness. Our memories of the past give us courage for the road ahead.
Israel practiced a similar faith dynamic. The psalmist in our reading for today offers memories of the Exodus. Why remember things that happened centuries earlier? Because such memories inspire hope for tomorrow.
Alistair MacGrath has compared the Christian to a trapeze artist who has let go of one bar and is soaring through the air to catch the other bar swinging toward him. There’s a moment when the trapeze artist is suspended in midair—caught in an act of faith.
That’s the nature of the Christian life. We journey by faith. Often the insecurity of the moment overwhelms us. That’s why we cultivate a spiritual memory. God’s grace is woven into our own personal stories.
Consider your own life. What stories might you share with family and friends about God’s goodness?
PRAYER
Lord, memories of your guidance inspire our confidence for the future. Help us remember the grace moments of life that assure us of your continued presence. In Jesus, Amen.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14
The greatest journey of all time cannot be measured in miles or kilometers. The magnitude of this journey leaps the gulf between the divine and the human. The eternal Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, "became flesh." God went on a camping expedition. Literally, he "pitched his tent" in Jesus Christ among people sunk deep in hopelessness.
Why did God do this? Author Garret Keizer tells a story about his father, a foreman for an electric company. On a miserably wet night, Garret’s father received a call about a power outage. He and young Garret drove out to the pit that housed the power equipment. His father’s men had already arrived, uncertain of what to do next. Garret’s father stripped off his overcoat, jumped down into the pit with his men, and set to work on the wires. Half an hour later, Garret’s father emerged from the pit wet and dirty—but with the power running. His father had turned on the lights.
For Keizer, that episode became a model of the incarnation. For centuries God had spoken through the prophets about what needed to be done in this dark world. But that wasn’t enough. God himself showed up on the scene and got down into the dirt. He did the work no one else was able to do. God turned the world from darkness to light.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, shine the light of the gospel into the dark places of our lives. May we walk your paths with the certainty that comes from knowing you are always with us. Amen.
He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. Matthew 3:16
Why could Jesus do what he did during his ministry? What gave him power to heal the sick and raise the dead? What gave his teaching such power that it went beyond anything other rabbis taught?
Well, first of all, we might say that as the Second Per¬son of the Trinity, Jesus could do anything. But we must remember that Jesus set aside the privileges of divine glory to fulfill his mission as our incarnate Savior (see Philippians 2:6-8).
So where did the power for his unique ministry come from? The Spirit of God made a special descent to equip Christ for his calling. As the Spirit hovered over the waters of creation, so the Spirit hovered over Jesus to prepare him for his work.
We shouldn’t minimize the cost of this spiritual anoint¬ing. The Father’s voice from heaven identifies Jesus, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love." These words recall prophecies from Isaiah about the Lord’s Servant who would fulfill God’s promise of salvation. God’s Son, honored at his baptism by both the Father’s voice and the Spirit’s presence, would be "led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7).
The Spirit’s anointing did not spare Jesus from a road of suffering. The Spirit’s anointing is for service. We who follow Jesus in this world do well to remember this.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for equipping us with the Spirit’s power. In our call to costly obedience, may we take courage from the Spirit who dwells in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A few years ago while visiting New York City, I made a trip up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. It struck me that if Jesus were being tempted today, the devil could have brought him there.
The devil could have nodded toward Wall Street—a banking district that controls 21 percent of the world’s assets. He might have offered control of a communications center that houses four major TV networks. He could have pointed to the United Nations building, with its international ties that reach throughout the world.
That observation deck offers quite a view. It’s almost enough to make us believe the world’s kingdoms offer the real action.
It’s tough to resist the devil’s lies. Even if we’re offered mere tidbits of worldly power, our moral fiber can easily crumble. A lucrative but shady business deal suddenly doesn’t look so bad. Neither does a chance to cheat big-time on our taxes—or on our spouse. Temptations like these are enough to trip us up. And we can always come up with good reasons to justify what we do!
In turning down the devil’s offers, Jesus shows us how to maintain our ethical stamina. Jesus quotes God’s truth in the face of the devil’s lies. We need the truth of God’s Word to keep us strong when we journey out into the wilderness.
PRAYER
Lord, in the face of temptation we have a tendency to play games. But your Word keeps us honest with you and with ourselves. Mold our lives to your will. Amen.
"Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9
In the ancient Roman world, tax collectors weren’t government officials. They were members of syndicates that financially devoured ordinary citizens. After they had prepaid taxes to Rome, the tax collectors were free to gouge their own people. Their take far outstripped their initial investment. So we can assume that Matthew was reaping a vast fortune as a tax collector. Only when we understand this can we imagine the cost of Jesus’ invitation to follow him.
Some of us may likewise have to face tough decisions about the cost of discipleship. Some of us are making money in ways that dishonor Jesus. We may be engaged in business practices that the world considers smart, but we know down deep that we are doing wrong. Our busi¬ness practices may even influence us to keep our dis¬tance from other believers.
Christ came into the world for people like us. He came to restore us to spiritual and moral health. Don’t be upset with the surgery he may need to perform in your life. And it may help to know that while Jesus calls us to sacrifice, he also offers an amazing investment policy: "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29).
PRAYER
Lord, help us not to be put off by free grace that calls us to costly obedience. Heal our moral brokenness. Lead us to confess our sins and live faithfully for you. Amen.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46
Many of my memories from being in college some 30 years ago have become a blur. But I remember well a chapel talk once delivered by my sociology professor. He reminded us that whenever we pray "Lord, forgive my sins," we are really asking our Savior to "go to hell" for us.
Is grace cheap to God? One cynic on his deathbed has been quoted as saying, "I love to sin. God loves to forgive. Truly the world is admirably arranged." The hellish cry of our Savior on the cross, however, calls such arrogance to account. Only his journey through the agonies of hell makes our forgiveness possible. As Isaiah 53:6 reminds us, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
But Christ’s journey into the pit strengthens my resolve to follow him. I can no longer be careless about my disobedience when each cutting word and selfish deed cost Jesus so much. My petty anger and constant selfishness had staggering consequences for Christ.
For Jesus, the words "Lord, forgive me" meant a terrible journey. But because Jesus made that journey for me, I will not have to take that road. Regardless of how tough life gets, hell is not on my itinerary. My life is lived in my Lord’s embrace.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for overlooking how much it cost you to bring forgiveness. Your grace is not cheap. Inspire me to be thankful for all you have endured for me. Through Jesus, Amen.
She turned around and saw Jesus standing there . . . . John 20:14
If you had been standing in the Jerusalem cemetery on Easter morning, you would have seen an odd sight. In a place where most people saunter quietly, on this morning folks were dashing about with perplexed looks on their faces. A woman raced down the road back to Jerusalem. Then two young men come sprinting down the same path to a tomb that stood strangely open.
One person standing in the garden that morning saw all these things. Christ Jesus had stepped out of his tomb. His quiet stroll through the garden to tell Mary the news of his resurrection is the most amazing garden walk ever taken.
Christ’s meeting with Mary turned her world upside down. It upends our world too. After all, this wasn’t just Christ’s personality or his spirit that was raised on Easter morning. And it wasn’t just hopes and aspirations. Christ rose bodily from the grave. Christ had defeated the powers of evil, and death lost its grip on him.
This is the good news of Jesus. Mary ran forth from the cemetery again, but this time not with news of a tampered grave. She ran with glad tidings: "I have seen the Lord!" And Jesus’ disciples have been running ever since to tell everyone that Christ Jesus is risen—he is risen indeed!
PRAYER
Lord, with Mary we have a message to tell. Our walk with Christ has assured us that he is risen. Fill us to witness boldly for you in our conversations with others. In your name, Amen.
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns. . . ." Psalm 96:10
Whenever we see something unusual, we tend to stare. It’s not always polite, but it seems to be human nature to gawk. Necks crane at the scene of an accident or fire. People stop and stare when they notice a breathtaking panorama. So who could blame the disciples for "looking intently up into the sky" as Jesus ascended?
It took a couple of angels to shake them from their stupor. They reassured the disciples that although he had gone up into heaven, he would "come back in the same way" someday. In the meantime, as Jesus had taught them earlier, he would be ruling over all things at the Father’s right hand. Jesus’ kingdom reign had begun. In that reality Jesus’ followers still live today.
Preacher and author Fleming Rutledge notes that when South Africa was struggling against apartheid, there was something peculiar about the songs the black South Africans sang. The people sang as though their liberation from racism was already won. For example, they’d sing, "We have cleansed this land," as though the dirt of apartheid had already been washed away.
Some people might have called them naïve or even foolish for singing such songs. But perhaps they understood something about the kingdom of God that we sometimes fail to see: the Lord is establishing his kingdom of justice and peace, and its coming is unstoppable.
PRAYER
Lord, help us live each day knowing that "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Amen.
"Go and make disciples of all nations . . . ." Matthew 28:19
Among the missionaries my church supports are missionaries to many different cultures. Why have these missionaries left behind family and friends and gone to work and witness where customs are so different and people often live in dire poverty? Because Jesus said, almost 2,000 years ago, "Go and make disciples of all nations . . . ."
Many of us believe the power of mission should be centripetal, drawing things powerfully toward a center, like a whirlpool. We often set up our evangelism efforts that way. The doors of our churches are always open, we say, and God will draw in the people he chooses. But while the church needs to be open and welcoming to all, we often fail to get out of our comfort zones and away from our pews to seek people who are lost.
Jesus’ command calls us to a mission that mainly operates with centrifugal force, spreading out to bring the good news of Jesus and establish new churches all over the world. That’s the power of Christ’s mission. Whether it means walking through our backyard to talk to a friend on the next street or traveling to a land on the other side of God’s world, the power of the gospel pushes us out to meet with people everywhere who need to hear and live by the good news.
That’s the mission Jesus calls us to.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive our spiritual cowardice. Help us move out on your behalf to let the world know you call disciples from every nation under heaven. In your name, Amen.
"He has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24
About 50 years before the birth of Christ, a Roman general stood with his army near a mountain stream in northern Italy. The Rubicon wasn’t one of the land’s great rivers. But at that moment no river was more important. The Rubicon divided Gaul from Italy, and the general, Julius Caesar, had orders to keep his armies stationed in Gaul. To defy Rome, cross the Rubicon, and march south would change his life forever.
Ever since Julius Caesar crossed over that stream, "crossing the Rubicon" has meant making a life-changing decision. Every person who hears the gospel of Christ faces such a decision. The good news declares that the Savior, Christ, is King and calls us to follow him. What will our response be?
Jesus says a commitment to him literally brings heaven to earth: "Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Jesus tells us that when we place our trust in him, eternal life isn’t mere¬ly in the future; our new life in him begins here and now!
Some of us are standing beside our own Rubicon and are still toying with making a commitment to Christ. But why would we want to linger on death’s shore when we can cross over into new life in Christ today?
PRAYER
Father, we believe Christ has come to make all the difference in our lives. Kindle in us the desire to cross by faith into your eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
"I will set out and go back to my father . . . ." Luke 15:18
G. K. Chesterton tells the story of an English sailor who miscalculated his course and thought he’d discovered a new land in the South Seas. Ready to plant the British flag and claim the land as New South Wales, he’d actually landed back in his homeland. In search of the new, he had discovered the old. And for the first time he saw what he had left behind.
Jesus tells a parable about a young man who made a similar discovery. He headed off to a "distant country" where he thought life would be great. Wine, women, and song looked more attractive than plowing his father’s fields. But one day the prodigal son came to his senses. He returned home to discover the amazing welcome of his forgiving Father. Prodigal means "lavish," and what we discover is that the love of our heavenly Father is more prodigal—more lavish—than our sin. God’s children come home to discover that life in the Father’s house is what they’ve craved all along.
Some of us are in a "distant country" today. We’ve wandered far from our spiritual home. We’ve sailed far from the land of grace, and it’s time to turn our ship around and head home. When we do, we’ll discover that our heavenly Father has been waiting and watching for our return. He has the lights on and is calling us to come home.
PRAYER
Father, we know you are watching and waiting for us. Forgive us for wandering so far away. Thank you for calling and receiving us back again into your family. In Jesus, Amen.
路加福音 15:11-32
Feburary - 21
归家
「我要起来，到我父亲那里去…。」 路15:18
G. K. Chesterton 讲述一个英国水手的故事，该水手把他的航程算错了，所以他误以为自己在南面的海洋发现了新的土地；他准备把英国旗插在那里，以示这块土地属于英国，并且称这地为新南威尔斯，殊不知他只是回到了他的家园。他本想寻觅新的领土，但结果竟找回旧地，这时候他才第一次知道他的国家原来还有一块美好的土地。
"It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Acts 26:14
Saul was making a strange trip. He was heading away from Jerusalem, away from the temple, away from everything he loved. Why? He was on a search-and-destroy mission against the church of Christ.
Then Saul met the one he thought was still back in Jerusalem. God showed up on the road—or, to be more specific, Christ showed up! He reminded Saul that you can no more fight the ascended Savior than an ox can fight the will of the farmer who guides the plow. "It is hard for you to kick against the goads," Jesus said to him. If you do, you succeed only in hurting yourself.
We all face decisions about the direction our life should take. As a young man, I wrestled for years with whether to enter the ministry. My preference was to teach mathematics or explore the realm of physics. But God had other plans. Only when I stopped kicking against the goads and pursued the gospel ministry did I have peace.
Where is God leading you? Maybe you know, but you are fighting his plans. Maybe God’s intentions seem too hard, too difficult. But Jesus made a promise to Saul. And he makes that same promise to us. He reminds us that his burden is light (Matthew 11:29). Does that sound possible? You’ll learn the truth of those words as you hear his voice and obey.
PRAYER
Lord, how stubborn we are! Help us submit to your hand at the reins of our lives. Bless us with the knowledge that your Spirit bears the burden of discipleship with us. Amen.
"I appeal to Caesar!" . . . "To Caesar you will go!" Acts 25:11-12
Vermont television produced a popular video a few years ago. It was about an ordinary farmer named Fred Tuttle who went to Washington, D.C., to spread a little wisdom around the capital just as he’d been spreading a little manure over his fields for 50 years. The fictional story was so popular that in the next election, the actor who played Fred received write-in votes for senator!
There’s something attractive about ordinary people bringing wisdom to the great places of the world. But can that happen? It depends on the nature of the wisdom! Paul’s demand for an audience with Caesar was not motivated by a desire for personal justice. Later, those who held him captive said that if he had not appealed to Caesar, he could have been set free (Acts 26:32). But Paul appealed to Caesar because the gospel had business in Rome. Paul would speak the claims of Christ before the greatest power structures of his day!
Few of us may have the opportunity to speak the gospel in the world’s great halls of power. But it’s good for us to remember that the gospel speaks to the culture of every country and the government of every nation. Christians do not need be embarrassed to speak of Christ and his claim on society. After all, everyone in government receives authority ultimately from Christ himself.
PRAYER
Lord, forgive us when we think our faith is private and we forget that your rule extends everywhere. May the truth of the gospel give shape to a culture that honors you. Amen.
使徒行传 25:1-12
Feburary - 23
在君王面前的见证
「『我要上告于该撒。』…『可以往该撒那里去。』」 徒25:11-12
数年前美国佛蒙特州电视制作了一个很受欢迎的节目，故事中有一个平凡的农夫，名叫 Fred Tuttle，他前往华盛顿首府，在那里传播智慧之言论，就像他在过去五十年把肥料散播在他的耕地上一样。这个虚构的故事非常受欢迎，以致在下一次选举中，扮演Fred Tuttle的演员竟然被人临时提名竞选议员！
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . . . . Psalm 23:4
Recently I visited an aged member of my congregation who was receiving hospice care. She was nearing the end of her life’s journey. Gathering with the family, we read Psalm 23, and while we read that psalm, the good Shepherd ushered that dying Christian into the presence of the Father. It was an awesome moment.
Psalm 23 is such a familiar psalm that we sometimes forget its richness. It’s a psalm that defines the shape of the Christian life.
The good Shepherd leads us throughout life. He strengthens and nourishes us in places where we can grow strong on his grace. He disciplines us when we need correction. And when shadows grow darker and lead into the territory of death, he leads the way beyond and into the presence of the Father.
Some of us are in the valley of shadow right now. Maybe we struggle with a serious illness that threatens to take our life. Maybe we feel the advance of years and find that just making it through the day is a chore. May¬be we experience an emptiness caused by the death of someone who was a big part of our lives.
Whatever it is that may be troubling you today, trust that the Shepherd who leads in sunshine also leads in shadow. His presence will sustain you. His care will never fail.
PRAYER
Lord, some of us are walking in sunshine today; others of us are in shadow. Care for us, provide for us, and teach us lessons to enrich our journey with you, we pray. Amen.
"I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." Revelation 3:3
When I was a little boy and we were planning a family vacation, I would sometimes lie awake at night and wonder whether we’d get to go on our trip before Jesus returned. I wanted Jesus to come again, but I also wanted to see the Grand Canyon. So I thought it would be nice if he’d just hold off awhile so we could enjoy our vacation too.
Years later I discovered that we adults have similar notions.
We aren’t opposed to Jesus’ return. When we worship, we speak in hopeful terms that Jesus will come soon. Most of us tend to be quite certain that Jesus will return within our lifetime, or at least in this century.
But for the immediate future, many of us like things the way they are. We have some pretty good business deals in the works. We’d like to enjoy a few years of retirement. We’d certainly like to tidy up some loose ends to our discipleship before Jesus comes. No wonder it’s easy to put off preparations for the bridegroom’s coming until it’s too late (Matthew 25:1-13).
Jesus reminds us that the timing of his return doesn’t yield to our desires. Our responsibility is to prepare now for his return.
What would change for us if we heard Christ preparing to open the gates of heaven today?
PRAYER
Lord, we so easily lose track of time. With all the entries in our datebooks, we forget that your coming is near. Find us faithful stewards at your return, we pray. In your name, Amen.
