A Special Invitation

”Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?“ ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I’ve been reading the Bible for as long as I have been able to read. This was one blessing of growing up in a Christian home, connected to the church.  

In the Southern Baptist Church of my childhood, every year we would receive a new box of offering envelopes. On these envelopes, there was a checklist that apparently was tracked by someone keeping church records. As I think back on that, today I’d say that the checklist would feel a bit intrusive. But as I have always been a bit achievement-oriented, I am very thankful for that intrusion. I credit those little offering envelopes with helping me develop some valuable spiritual disciplines.

I can still remember the items on the checklist:

• Present
• Bible Brought
• Bible Read Daily
• Lesson Studied
• Giving
• Worship Attendance

As a child, I wanted to be able to check off every single box every single week. On some level, I still find myself checking that list in my head.  

I LOVE going to church. On the occasions that attending a Sunday morning gathering is not feasible, I feel so very out-of-sorts. 2020 really challenged me for this reason. While I am thankful for the availability of services to watch online, it’s just not the same. There is something very grounding in the act of going to a specific place to gather with other believers to worship God and to hear His Word.

I have the Bible app on my phone. I love that I can always have Scripture so easily accessible at any moment. But I love having my printed copies of the Word. I sometimes notice that I seem to be the only person still carrying a physical Bible to church, but I love having my Bible in hand. I don’t have a box on an envelope to check off anymore to get credit for having brought it. I bring It because it has become a valuable discipline.

Having been connected with the church since the “cradle roll,” I remember the little pink baby Bible with my name stamped on it. As I learned to read, I began to read that little copy of the Scriptures. I remember times where I would try to read through verses, chapters, and books of the Bible, underlining everything as I read it. I think I still have that little New Testament somewhere. It’s kind of a mess thanks to all of the underlining and highlighting I did, and at one time that bothered me. As I look back on it, though, those actions were so useful in building in me a habit of reading the Scriptures.

I completed my first journey through the whole of Scripture on my 18th birthday. I considered that my gift to myself. Interestingly, though I had professed faith in Christ as a child and been baptized, it would not be until the following spring that I would come to understand what that truly meant. My Christian walk through those first 18 years had been habit and obligation. An amazing shift occurred in my life when I moved from habit into relationship, and I believe that reading of Scripture was key in bringing me to that shift.

For many years, I looked to my experience as an 18-year-old college freshman as my “salvation experience.” Over the years, I have been able to see that my childhood profession of faith was an important part of my faith journey. I cannot say with certainty at what moment in time I became “saved.” To some that will sound like sacrilege. I know that both my childhood experience and my 18-year-old encounter were both vital to my spiritual development. (Throughout his writings, Paul speaks of those who are “being saved,” which is a theological discussion for another day.)

I’ve been reflecting on some of these things today, huddled under a blanket with a heating pad, just trying to get warm on this chilly morning. I’m nearing the end of my annual read-through of the Bible, preparing to start all over in just a couple of days. I’ve been considering how to turn this daily/yearly discipline into something deeper. I was talking with a friend just a couple of days ago about this very thing.

The Lord brought to mind a plan I’d heard about before, and as I’ve been investigating it this morning, I believe it is a direction that He is leading me to in the new year. Using a combination of resources, including the YouVersion Bible app, YouTube videos, and podcasts, I plan to work through “The Bible Recap” this coming year. I’m here today to invite you to join me on this journey in 2024.

That’s what I’m thinking about today - not just A THOUGHT, but a whole bunch of thoughts…

It’s Going To Be Okay

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.    Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Looking back on 2023, I wouldn’t say that it was an easy year, by any means.  But to be fair, I don’t ever remember an easy year.  Maybe in childhood…?

But this morning, a friend’s shared post on Facebook has me looking back on 2023 with fresh eyes.  

Certainly, this has not been the easiest of years.  

I started the year with an absolutely terrible job. 😣  I finished the year with a job that I very much enjoy, but which doesn’t quite pay the bills… 🫤

I started the year in Florida. 🥰🌞 I’m finishing the year in Texas. 🥴🥶

I started 2023 living in a fifth wheel at an RV park, dreaming of someday living in a house without wheels. 🏡 And I’m finishing the year living in a fifth wheel at an RV park, dreaming of someday living in a house without wheels. 

Life does not always go as planned.  I’d say that life does not often go as planned - almost never, in fact.  At least, life does not go as WE plan it.

In truth, life goes EXACTLY as planned.  My big God has planned my life.  He has not been surprised or anxious about anything that has happened in the course of this year.  None of 2023’s happenings caught Him off guard at all.  And nothing that felt out of my control was out of His control.  Not for a moment.

And so, as 2023 is drawing to a close, I don’t want to spend these last few days in worry or anxiety.  I am so, so grateful for the blessings of this year.

I’m choosing not to enter 2024 with fear and trembling.  I’m not going to dread the days ahead, though, no doubt, many of those days will not go smoothly.  My goal for the coming new year is to walk with greater faith, trusting the Author of my story.

On Christmas Eve, my pastor brought up a quote from C.S. Lewis that I’d never heard before, and it has gotten me thinking…

“If Shakespeare and Hamlet could ever meet, it must be Shakespeare's doing. Hamlet could initiate nothing.”

The ramifications of this concept - Christmas, literally, was the moment the Playwright entered as a relatable character in the storyline - the God of the universe revealing Himself to frail humanity that could not fully comprehend Him in His Sovereign Deity - it blows my mind!  And it brings me great comfort.

I don’t have to know the details of 2024 in advance in order to be able to walk into the new year with confidence.  I know the Author of the story.  He’ll get it right.  I’m sure of it!

And so, this 28th day of December, 2023, I’m taking a few minutes to look back at some precious moments tucked in amongst stressful circumstances.  I’m remembering how truly blessed I am, and how wonderful it is to know a trustworthy Savior.

I encourage you to do the same.  Open up that picture roll on your device and allow yourself a few minutes to scroll.  Remember where those smiles came from, those really bad selfies, and the rainbows that came after the storms.  That same God who brought you through 2023 is ready to walk you into 2024.

It’s going to be okay.

…Just a thought…

 

Mean Girls

...And Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram... and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.  And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah...     Matthew 1:3,5-6 ESV

I heard that they are releasing a remake of the movie Mean Girls.  I find most remakes unnecessary at best, and it is doubtful that I will watch this one.  The original, though, my kids and I found greatly entertaining.  It was not so much the movie itself that we enjoyed.  Rather, the introduction always found us laughing.

The movie told the story of a girl who was entering the public school system in high school after having been homeschooled up to that point.  The introduction to the film highlights some common misconceptions about homeschool families in a most hilarious fashion.  We found that segment highly relatable.

As I read through the Scriptures each year, the genealogy of Christ always stands out to me.  This is particularly true around Christmastime.

Genealogies in the Bible are generally a list of men's names: so-and-so fathered so-and-so who fathered so-and so...  

The genealogy of Jesus, interestingly, contains the names of four women.  And these are not just random women, nor are they women who immediately come to mind as examples of Proverbs 31 women.  And while they weren't necessarily "Mean Girls," they were not good girls, by any means.  

I believe there is an important truth to be learned from the inclusion of the "bad girls" in the genealogy of Christ.  These women serve to remind us of the redemptive nature of our God.  "Redeemer" is perhaps my favorite of the many titles given to Jesus, as it reminds me that He is the One who can turn ashes to beauty and bring a message out of the mess.

Tamar

Matthew identifies Christ as a descendent of Judah by Tamar.  Tamar was Judah's daughter-in-law, not his wife.  She became pregnant with Perez, Jesus' ancestor, through prostitution and deception.

Rahab

Just a few generations later, another prostitute is named in the Savior's ancestry.  Rahab's unseemly profession placed her in a unique position to come to the aid of the children of Israel as they were entering the Promised Land.  And apparently, having been saved in the fall of Jericho, Rahab changed her ways and was granted a husband and family of her own.  

Ruth

While Ruth is held up as an example of love and faithfulness for the way she cared for her dead husband's mother, there is more to her story.  Ruth was a Moabite.  The Lord had commanded the Israelites to keep themselves separate from the Moabites.   Nonetheless, Naomi and her husband had left Israel to live in Moab, and Naomi's sons had married Moabite girls.  That Boaz would consent to marry Ruth knowing her heritage gives added nuance to his role as kinsman redeemer...

Bathsheba

Matthew does not even call Bathsheba by name but refers to her as "the wife of Uriah."  Her affair with David led to the murder of her husband.  Yet of all of David's wives, she was the one through whom our Savior would be born.

These bad girls were not excused.  They were REDEEMED!  And isn't that the point?  

If it were up to me, I would have done things differently.  I think I would have at least put Abigail, David's more heroic wife, in the lineage of Christ.  I would have made some tweaks down through history to build a solid and respectable ancestry for the Messiah.  Thankfully, it was not up to me.

Our God is a patient and forgiving God.  He is the One who can turn our failures into victories.  He does not require that we always get things right, and He does not hold our mistakes against us - even the really big mistakes.  Rather, He redeems those shortcomings, giving us second (third, fourth, fifth, five-millionth, etc.) chances.

In this Christmas season and beyond, let's give thanks to the God who did not exclude the bad girls from the heritage of His Son, and let us find hope in His redemptive nature.

...Just a thought...

Praising God in the SOMETIMES

Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.     Philippians 2:27 ESV

My daughter, her husband, and their home came through a terrible storm over the weekend, safe and unharmed.  I have been praising the Lord for this!  After seeing the devastation caused by the tornado that went through their town on Saturday and being unable to reach them for several hours after learning of the storm, it was truly wonderful to hear Millie's voice when we were finally able to get through very late Saturday night.  

As pictures and videos have continued to post showing the destruction caused by this tornado, as related deaths have been confirmed and funds have been set up to assist those who have lost their homes, my heart has broken for the victims all while rejoicing at Millie and Jacob's blessing.  And so I have been at odds with my own self with regard to my response to this event.

Many years ago, we received a letter from a pastor in whose church we had recently ministered.  He wrote to shame us for publicly praising God for His protection through a horrific accident where we'd been hit by an 18-wheeler in our bus.  It was unkind and insensitive, he said, for us to give glory to God for sparing our lives and providing for us since other people's loved ones did not survive their accidents.

Was he right?  I pondered and prayed on the matter for quite some time after reading that letter.  My conclusion was that it is NEVER wrong to praise the Lord.  Clearly, though, that experience has lingered in my heart and mind and still sometimes leaves me second-guessing my responses.

And so, as I was reading Paul's letter to the Philippians this morning, I was once again reminded of this incident from years ago.  And I was reminded that praising God for healing, protection, and provision is most definitely an appropriate response, as Paul shows us.

Epaphroditus was evidently a member of the church at Philippi who had been sent to minister to Paul during his imprisonment.  Epaphroditus had been quite ill, but as Paul stated, "God had mercy on him."

So then, if Epaphroditus had not recovered, would that mean that God had NOT had mercy on him?  Other people that the Philippians knew had probably succumbed to illness around the same time that Epaphroditus was ill.  Did God love them less?  Should Paul have kept his gratitude to the Lord to himself?

I would have to say a resounding NO to all of the questions above!

Our perceptions and understanding of the ways of the Lord are so very limited in our humanity!  The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to grasp.  But questions related to sovereignty call us to deeper faith.  These questions bring us face-to-face with the SOMETIMES nature of God.

SOMETIMES...

The Lord protects us in potentially deadly situations like accidents and storms.

SOMETIMES...

People die in accidents and storms.

SOMETIMES...

People recover from life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

SOMETIMES...

People die from illness and injury.

SOMETIMES...

We get the raise.

SOMETIMES...

We get the lay-off notice.

Life is full of SOMETIMES situations.  Our prayers are sometimes answered in exactly the way we hope.  But sometimes, it seems that we get the exact opposite of what we've asked for.

Hannah asked the Lord for a child, and not long after, Samuel was born.  Sarah prayed for a child, but Isaac was not born until Sarah was well advanced in years.  Did God love Hannah more than He loved Sarah?  Of course not.  

Because God is sovereign - knowing all and seeing all through time and space - He always does what is right and best.  There was purpose in Sarah's waiting.  And there is purpose in our waiting.

Paul himself had some malady from which the Lord did not deliver or heal him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10), but God healed Epaphroditus.  Did God love Epaphroditus more than He loved Paul?  Not at all.

The point is that no matter which side of the SOMETIMES we land on, our great God is worthy to be praised.   As Paul said in this same letter to the Philippians:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (Philippians 1:21)

And so today I will both praise the Lord for delivering my loved ones, and I will pray for those whose outcome was different.  I will praise the One who sees the big picture that I cannot see and Who is ALWAYS worthy to be praised - even in the SOMETIMES.

...Just a thought...

Messy Christmas!

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.     Galatians 4:4 ESV

I have been so longing for Christmas!  

It has been a year of change.  And change - even "good" change - produces stress.  Or at least that's what I learned in a psychology class many years ago.  And it is what life has confirmed.

So as a lot of things in my life have been changing this year - good, bad, and indifferent - I have looked forward to all of the holidays with a different kind of longing.  Something about the constancy of Christmas itself just feeds my need for stability and familiarity.  And so, my playing of Christmas music and watching of Christmas movies commenced a bit early this year.

I am so, so blessed.  But I am not on any level "living the dream."  It's not that anything in my life is bad.  It's just not anything like what I thought my life would look like at this juncture in history.  

Maybe you can relate.

I'm just living my life.  I like my job well enough.  I'm happy in my church.  My marriage is solid.  My children and grandchildren are happy and healthy.  My dog seems appreciative when I feed her.

But life just feels... different.

Out here in west Texas (or the wilderness, as I like to call it), the wind blows.  A lot!  The wind has blown our grill across the drive more than once, and it completely flipped the neighbor's grill last week.  It rocks my little house on wheels, sometimes to the point that I wonder if we're just going to topple over one day.   It is an unsteady feeling that has become a bit of a metaphor for my life.

There just seems to be so much uncertainty in life and in the world around me.  And it seems like the Lord just doesn't show up in the ways that I hope and expect.

And isn't that EXACTLY what Christmas reminds us? 

God came down to earth in a most unexpected way.  It should not have been unexpected, as it had been prophesied centuries earlier, but it did not happen in the way the Jewish people had hoped.  When the Jews were looking for a powerful King who would rescue them from Roman oppression, God sent a helpless baby to a poor young couple at the most inconvenient time and place imaginable.

Every Nativity set I've ever seen is so neat and tidy!  Everyone is neatly dressed in clean clothes.  They're all smiling and serene in this clean little barn with all of those quiet, well-behaved animals.  The hay is clean and soft.  It's just so peaceful!

But as I'm thinking about that first Christmas, I have a feeling that it looked nothing like my nice porcelain manger scene.

For starters, a baby had just been born.  There is nothing neat and tidy about childbirth!  Without getting too graphic on the specifics, I can't imagine that anything in the barn was very clean to start with.  But after a woman just gave birth there, I'm sure it was even less clean.  And Joseph and Mary's clothing?  Probably not very clean before the birth since they'd just traveled a long way on dirt roads, and they probably hadn't bathed for quite some time.  But those clothes could not possibly have been clean after the birth...

A more realistic scene at the Nativity would probably be of a messy and exhausted young couple holding a messy baby in a messy barn where there might have been some messy animals (or at least some messy evidence that they'd been there).  Some messy shepherds found their way on dirty feet through messy fields and dirt paths to come see the messy family in the messy barn.  And all this happened at a messy time in history.

But right in the middle of the mess lay our Redemption.

So, if your house is looking a little messy this Christmas season, and if life is not going exactly the way you had dreamed that it would, perhaps that is exactly what you need to celebrate.  Neat and tidy may be what we long for, but it all starts with a mess.

And perhaps the constancy I'm seeking in this season is really just this simple reminder that God moves in unexpected and often inconvenient and uncomfortable ways.

Messy Christmas to you all!

...Just a thought...