C.S. Lewis
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In the moral sphere, every act of justice or charity involves putting ourselves in the other person’s place and thus transcending our own competitive particularity.
Focus
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To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:2-7
Well the New Year has begun and as I discussed in the last post of December (“Joy Mixed with Sorrow”), the year is already shaping up with a mix of ups and downs. God has blessed me with new opportunities to serve Him, traveling mercies, daily provisions that meet spiritual and physical needs as well as celebrations with family. However, we have already had some stressful situations as well as being concerned with significant challenges facing family and friends. One concern is that we must decide what to do with our dog who has outbursts that prevent us from trusting her to be good-natured (if interested, see “Animal Instincts and Obedience School”) and present concerns for liability. I really love this dog, but she snarls and snaps for no apparent reason. Further, in the back of my mind is an upcoming visit to a new doctor. There is the hope that after 28 years of significant illness there might be an answer which helps manage my health issues more effectively. However, past history suggests that it is likely another vain attempt. The mantra that I apply to difficult situations and uncertainties is “God remains on His throne and is in control”. I don’t say that lightly as it reminds me of both where hope lies and that my experiences have ramifications beyond my finite ability to understand. As helpful as that is, I also need to work on how I react to the ups and downs of life. So as I progress through the year, my goal is to focus on four things: a soft heart, discernment, joy and gratitude.
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It is good to renew ourselves, from time to time, by closely examining the state of our souls, as if we had never done it before; for nothing tends more to the full assurance of faith, than to keep ourselves by this means in humility, and the exercise of all good works.
John Wesley
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A Bit of Background
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“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26.
I’m taking it easy this week. Due to the the holidays, traveling and my normal responsibilities, my body, mind and soul need a rest. Consequently, I thought I’d use the opportunity to provide some personal background for this blog, and for those who are unaware, share my passion. It’s not my norm. My history tells me not to trust, but my Lord says to be transparent to help others. Further, I prefer to focus on the positive to keep me from dwelling on the negative. With those disclaimers in place, let me open up a bit for you.
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Joy Mixed With Sorrow
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“They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.” Ezra 3:11-13
New Year’s Eve is the time when we tend to evaluate the past year and look to the new one with a hope of great things to come. Our best New Year’s Eve was December 31, 1981. That night our younger daughter was born and there was literally a party atmosphere in the delivery room. In addition to my wife and me, there were two doctors, three interns, a couple of nurses and an anesthesiologist. Rather than waiting for a ball to drop in New York City, we were awaiting the arrival of a child. While it was mostly a joyful event, there was also pain as my wife would have to recover from the surgery. While we like to label each year as good or bad, the reality of this life is that most years are a mixture of joy and sorrow. That was the mood as the exiles from Babylon viewed the foundation of the new temple. Those that remembered the former glory of Jerusalem wept at over the loss of what once was. However, there was also the joy of Jerusalem being rebuilt. It’s a good lesson in life…how to gracefully accept the joys and sorrows of life understanding that God has orchestrated our lives with purpose so that in the end we may be blessed with a joyful eternity.
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The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity–hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory–because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.
J.I. Packer
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The Worship
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“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7
In a few days, much of the world will celebrate Christmas. For many this holiday has no meaning as they are either unaware of or opposed to faith in Christ. For others who are vaguely aware of Christ’s incarnation, it is a time to focus on fellowship and gifts, but has no soul altering significance. However, for those of us who have encountered God, accepted His invitation, and understand the background of Christ’s incarnation, there is depth to the celebration that comes from understanding. We know and have experienced the love, joy, peace and hope that demands jubilation and worship. As we move from Advent to Christmas day, we transition from introspection and meditation to worship. Hopefully it is joyful unbridled worship of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace for who He is and what He has accomplished for us.
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Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.
Corrie ten Boom
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The Background
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“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:2-3
Backstories can add significant depth to the words of a song. Similarly, factual biographies can help us understand historical figures. In order to facilitate some introspection as we approach Christmas, the last two posts have discussed The Encounter with God as well as The Invitation that Christ offers. To fully appreciate what it means to encounter God and invitation that Christ presents to us, we need to also consider the background of Christ’s incarnation and all that it entails. To get a complete grasp, one must read the entire Bible. However, one of the most concise summaries of Christ’s life was written before He was born. God gave this particular account through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53. This depiction gives us insight into the Lord and Savior that: asks us to forfeit our entitlements to all that we hold dear in this life for the Glory of God; offers the promise of a reconciled and blessed eternity; and asks us to come to Him no matter how sordid our background so that we may enter into His rest. The goal is not to put a damper on the celebration, but rather to afford a focused understanding of Christ’s sacrifice,we can draw near and worship Him more fully during the Christmas season.
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God’s grace is not given to make us feel better, but to glorify Him… Good feelings may come, or they may not, but that is not the issue. The issue is whether or not we honor God by the way we respond to our circumstances.
Jerry Bridges
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