Broken Things and Faith

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. (I Kings 18:30 ESV)

Broken Things and Faith

The invention of duct tape was amazing, particularly because duct tape flies in the face of modernity. Today, our civilization buys new, replaces, and upgrades. But duct tape repairs, reuses, and fixes.

My first bicycle was given to me by my parents when I was 9. It was a second-hand Schwinn. Before it became mine, it had already been repainted, rewelded, and straightened out. And for me, that process continued. I learned how to use a wrench on that banana seat. I learned how to clean rust off the wheels with elbow grease and extra-fine sandpaper. I learned how to patch tires, inflate tires, and reseal tires.

While many of my friends got new bikes each year, I grew to know and to love my broken and repaired bike.

I think God was preparing me to understand how He loves His broken and repaired people.

Elijah is about to perform the miracle of his age. The story is familiar… the Baal-priests being shown to be fools. The stone Baal altar being burned. The faith of Elijah bearing the fruit of God’s display of Himself that ended in a much-needed rainstorm.

But to me, the story begins with Elijah repairing God’s altar on Mt. Carmel. Elijah could have built a new altar (it seems the old altar had been pulled down many years before.) But instead, Elijah fixed the broken thing.

And God smiled.

Repairing the broken things in the lives of His people is what He loves to do. When we are made new in Christ, He does not recreate a completely new creature. He builds on the foundation of our broken past. He somehow loves who we were, even as He molds us into the image of His Son, our Savior. He reweaves our messed-up tapestry. He repairs our broken hearts… and we remember how broken we were so that we can have faith in today’s breakings.

Our potter, rather than cast our broken shards into the trash, reworks us… our past… our memories… our personalities… our character… into new beauty. Jeremiah describes it this way, “And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” (Jeremiah 18:4 ESV)

I am broken. Are you? Remember that God does not turn His back on the broken. He had Elijah fix the broken altar and used it with joy to fulfill His grand purpose. Have faith that He will do it again, with you.

Take the faith God grants you.

Work and Love

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Work and Hope

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:17 ESV)

Work and Hope

The worst thing about mowing the lawn is that the job is never done. The moment the lawn mower is on the way back to the garage, the grass is already growing. Other important jobs also seem to stretch before us. When will our children be all grown up and not need us anymore? When can we hang up our evangelism hat? Will we become God-trusters? Will we see more of the Kingdom before our eyes?

These kinds of tasks stretch even farther than our lawns, it seems.

But Archippus gives me hope. This man, only mentioned in this verse and in Philemon 2, was commanded by God to finish His work. And God is not the kind of boss who would give us a command that was impossible to fulfill. Archippus was going to be able to finish his task.

Archippus is not the best example of this hope. Jesus Himself, our role model, our example, our path-maker, also has a job that He brings to completion. (Philippians 1:6) We get to imitate Him.

When the job seems too long, remember that He finishes first. When our checklists of Godly duties seem to be more list than check, remember that He finishes first. When our eyes open in the morning already beset by fatigue, remember that He finishes first.

Archippus reminds of Jesus and the work HE completes.

Take the hope God grants us.

Work and Faith

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 ESV)

Work and Faith

I know two people who are enthusiastic about the idea of work. And I have reason to doubt both of them. For most of us, work is hard. For most of us, work is unpleasant. For most of us work causes physical, emotional, or even spiritual sweat.

Because of this: “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground. (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV)

Our work now causes us a lot of trouble. Work causes conflict. Work causes pain. Work causes relational difficulties. Work causes confusion. Work causes shortages of time, energy, and resources. All of which are covered under the “sweat of our brow.”

What can we do about it? We usually search for help through more work. We ‘try harder.’ We ‘work smarter, not harder.’ We attach things to our work like community, service, and love. And those can be helpful.

But God gives us something else.

God offers us faith in His Word. He describes work in these terms: The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15 ESV) Work was originally something that God gave to Adam… and it was not a bad thing, then. In fact, after describing in detail what keeping the garden meant, God declared that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31 ESV)

Sin wrecked everything. Even work. Especially work.

But way back there in the past, where God created work and gave it as a gift to Adam, it was a good thing. A very good thing. And faith allows us to look way back there and cling to that good thing.

We can choose to have faith in the very good work that God made.

While twisted, tainted, and torn apart by sin’s effects… just like all of creation…just like dolphins, apples, knees, and mountains… work is at its created core, a very good thing.

And in the same way that we see good in dolphins even when they splash us, apples even though they rot, knees even if they hurt, and mountains despite their harsh weather, we can, in faith, see good in work.

We can make work unselfish, because of how it was created. We can make work loving, because of how it was created. We can make work joyful, because of how it was created.

Take the faith God offers.

Anger and Love

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (I Corinthans 13:4-7 ESV)

Anger and Love

Love and anger are opposites. Discounting that rare beast, righteous anger, which we actually rarely wield notice how many of Paul’s descriptors of love help us understand and reject anger.

Paul’s examples of love cut at the core of most of our anger. We are angry because we are impatient, insist on our own way, are resentful and are unwilling to bear all things.

We are angry because we choose not to be kind, are arrogant, are willing to be rude, and believe the worst instead of the best concerning the target of our anger.

We are angry because we compare ourselves to someone else and find envy, boast, and an unwillingness to endure anything less than ideal.

We are angry because we can see nothing but our own definition of what really is.

We are angry, much to our later shame, merely because we are irritable today.

We are angry because we have clung to too much false hope in someone else’s ability to change, someone else’s ability to keep promises, someone else’s character, or someone else’s righteousness. Remember, hope only is found in Christ.

Love, Christ’s love, offers a counter to anger. Love, Christ’s love in us, offers us a counter to anger. Love, Christ’s love lensed by us, offers us a counter to anger.

Take the love God grants us.

Anger and Hope

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 ESV)

Anger and Hope

We become angry when we choose to become angry. Anger does not happen to us… we get angry and then usually justify it. Foolishly, we think we deserve to be angry. We think that it is our right. We think that we need to be angry.

But anger is a desire of the flesh.

While we like to cling to the idea of righteous anger, rarely is our anger of that sort. Our anger usually is the result of selfishness. Our anger usually is the result of greed. Our anger usually is the result of frustration.

And Paul, looking ahead, gives us hope of getting rid of anger.

He writes that if we ‘walk by the Spirit’ we can walk away from our selfishness.

Since anger is a common issue, it is worth noting how to follow Paul’s instructions.

I believe, in this case, walking by the Spirit involves these concepts.

a) Remember your salvation. Like the man who was forgiven much, (Matthew 18:21-35) we need to be constantly aware of our humble state before God. Remembering what God has forgiven us nudges us away from anger, and towards forgiveness.

b) Be open to the Spirit applying God’s Word. Particularly regarding loving others (I John 4:19-21) and patience. (I Thessalonians 5:14) God’s Word provides guidelines to assist us in overcoming anger.

c) Admit that our anger is unrighteous. We spend too much time convincing ourselves that sin is not sin. To overcome our anger, admit the sin in it. (Isaiah 5:20) Even if it is not wholly sinful.

d) Ask daily to see things God’s way. He is the definer of all reality. Lining up with HIM is exactly what wisdom is. (James 1:5) Since He poured all of His wrath on Jesus, we can choose to dismiss our anger, too.

If you are mired in anger, God gives hope that your anger can be overcome.

Take the hope God gives you.

Anger and Faith

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. (Isaiah 12:1 ESV)

Anger and Faith

One of the angriest men in American history was Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was angry at the Yankees, angry at his family, angry at his nation’s leadership, and angry at himself. Once, laying in a hospital bed barely conscious, he jumped out of bed to hunt down the man who had shot him a few hours before. Reportedly he said, “I’ll shoot the man who killed me.” He failed, and reportedly, somehow, the two became friends.

Forrest tried to overcome his anger on his own for many years. In fact, his anger was one of the things about which he was most angry at himself.

Nothing overcame his anger.

Until he turned to Jesus Christ. According to Jack Hurst, in Nathan Bedford Forrest: A Biography (Knopf, 1993), at the end of his life, Forrest finally learned that God’s anger against His Son on the cross was a good reason to stop being so angry himself. Forrest was able to look back at God’s wrath poured on Jesus. With Christ’s work against sin, including anger, Forrest didn’t really have all that much to be angry about.

Looking back to Christ’s work on the cross allows us to have faith that God will take our anger, too. Unrighteous anger is something that many of us struggle against. God got rid of His righteous anger by killing Jesus. So He has no anger left.

We do not need to have anger left, either.

Take the faith God grants us.

Memories and Love

The memory of the righteous is a blessing. (Proverbs 10:7 ESV)

Memories and Love

I am a wee bit sentimental. I enjoy looking at photo albums. I enjoy reading my old journals. I enjoy looking at my children’s old school papers and artwork. I enjoy discussing old vacations, trips of yesteryear, and important events.

My memories are tightly bound to my experience of love.

But some memories are not. When I remember the times I was unfair to my family, it is not connected to love. When I remember my purposeful rebellions, it is not connected to love. When I remember my pride and my arrogance and my selfishness, it is not connected to love.

But the memories I have stored about righteousness are precious. Those memories cause joy. Those memories cause peace. Those memories are a blessing.

One of the ways that God loves us is through giving us good things to remember. He then further blesses us by letting us remember those things. He then continues to bless us by letting us see that those good things that we remember are examples of love.

Take the love God grants us.

Memories and Hope

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 ESV)

Memories and Hope

Who takes pictures of sad times? I have never seen a photo album made about chicken pox, food poisoning, or getting lost on vacation. We do not want to remember those things. We want to forget them.

Parents worry about creating bad memories for our children. When courting, we want good memories, not embarrassing situations. We try to forget bad jobs, bad cars, and bad haircuts.

I do not understand exactly how memory will work in heaven. I believe we will be so amazed at the new present, and so overwhelmed at the glorious future, that we will not be doing a lot of remembering the past. This life will be shady and gray compared to the full color life of heaven!

But somehow, when we do remember, our memories will be healed. We will not mourn them. We will not weep about them. They will not hurt. Jesus will wipe away every tear.

God does not remember His people’s sin. (Isaiah 43:25) Our sin will not be talked about in heaven, thought about in heaven, or remembered in heaven.

Our mistakes and troubles will not be remembered in heaven. (Isaiah 65:16) Since our ticket into heaven is paid by Christ’s life, our miss-steps, errors, failures, and troubles will not matter anymore.

We will remember Christ’s love. We will remember Christ’s grace. We will remember the faith, and hope, and love that He has granted us. And that will fill our memory banks.

I look forward to those memories. I hope, because God has said so, that the memories of my sin will be wiped out or changed. I hope, because God has said so, that the memories of my rebellions will be wiped out or cleaned. I hope, because God has said so, that the memories of my slips, slides, and falls will be wiped out or fixed.

Take the hope God grants us.

Memories and Faith

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. (Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV)

Memories and Faith

I was absolutely sure the store was on the North side of the street. I could see it in my mind’s eye. But when I neared the location, I discovered I was wrong.

More specifically, my memory was wrong.

I do not like to admit that my memory is often wrong. I miss-remember exactly what I was told, often turning the statement into insult, where no insult was intended. I miss-remember exactly what I said, often turning my rude statement into merely describing facts. I miss-remember intentions, thoughts, words, and deeds.

When God led the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness, He knew what He was doing. He was teaching necessary lessons. He was disciplining because He loved (Deuteronomy 8:5)

But the Israelites remembered things differently. They remembered things incorrectly. Before God made His clear explanation, they said, “Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:12 ESV)

They either miss-remembered how bad things were in Egypt, or they miss-remembered God’s leadership in the wilderness, or they miss-remembered God’s goodness. God offered them, in place of their faulty memories, faith.

As fantastic as those tiny neurons that store memories and allow recall of information are, God’s memory is better. Our memories fail, but not God’s. Our memories become twisted to our selfish purposes, but God’s is Truth. Our memories, while useful, are not useful enough.

And so God asks us to have faith in Him. God asks us to believe that He IS always working for our good. (Romans 8:28) And so God gives us the faith we need to remember HIS ways.

And find peace.

Let your faith instruct your memory.

Take the faith God grants us.

Weather and Love

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater. (Isaiah 55:10 ESV)

Weather and Love

The idea of Love Languages(suggested by author Gary Chapman) makes a lot of sense to me. We show love in different ways. Some show love better by giving gifts, some show love better by acts of service, some show love better by speaking meaningful words… And we are often better at showing love in certain ways than we are at other ways.

But God is fluent in every Love Language.

It seems that weather is one of the ways He says, “I love you” to His people.

The Bible often uses a metaphor of rain to describe God’s blessing and love. (Leviticus 26:4, Job 5:10, Psalm 72:6, Hosea 10:12, Joel 2:23, Matthew 5:25 et. al.) Unless rain ruins your picnic plans, rain is usually understood as being both a blessing and a necessary thing.

After Isaiah describes the value of a good rain, he also describes our expected reaction to God’s love. He writes, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12 ESV)

It is a grand thing to be obviously Loved! That is probably why I enjoy rain so much.

Take the love God grants us.

Weather and Hope

So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lordand Samuel. (I Samuel 12:18 ESV)

Weather and Hope

God does nothing randomly. He has purpose, and reality manifests what He has in Mind.

Even the weather is not a random event.

The first example of God’s use of weather to accomplice His purpose occurred in the Flood. Sure, it was a lot of rain. But God made it rain for a reason. At that time, not a happy one! He said, “For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 6:17 ESV)

Graciously, God has promised not to use rain like that anymore.

Now, He uses rain to bless His people, and through us, the world. (Acts 14:17)

When it comes to the weather, what does the future have in store? God will use the weather to bless His people. He will use the weather to provide, to bless, to help, to teach, to nurture, to mature, and a myriad of other good reasons.

Obviously, we do not always understand how today’s weather blesses us. Sometimes it seems harsh, hurtful, and scary. But if God is Godly (and He is…) He is always at work for the good of His people. (Romans 8:28)

Whatever weather comes tomorrow, it will be what He knows we need. When it comes to weather, we can hope.

Take the hope God grants us.

Weather and Faith

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22 ESV)

Weather and Faith

Weather is one of the most talked about subjects.  We discuss good weather, bad weather, weather forecasts, weather memories, weather worries, and weather hopes.

At least partially because we are insecure about weather.  Weather can be scary.  Weather can cause financial collapse.  Weather can ruin our plans.  Weather can affect history.

And weather is one thing over which we have no control.  We can not make it rain and we can not make it stop raining.  We can not raise the temperature and we can not lower the temperature.  We can not move a hurricane, a tornado, a cold front, or a drought. 

God made a promise long ago.  He promised that weather would reliably continue.  And it has.  On a large scale, weather is predictable.  Seasons occur every year. Weather cycles happen.  And while we might not be able to set our watches by the weather, we can set our calendars.

When things like the weather are obviously out of our control, we might become afraid.  But God has given us a pattern that reminds us that He is reliable.  He is steady.  He might even be predictable.

That pattern has lasted since the days of Noah.  And that pattern gives us the opportunity for faith.  We look back and recognize the seasons stretching into history… the pattern well established… the past securely in place.

So we can be at peace about things that are out of our control.  Because God has shown that He has been in control.  Even the weather has followed His plan.

Take the faith God gives you.

Threats and Love

Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife. (Ruth 4:10 ESV)

Threats and Love

The story of Ruth and Boaz is not a typical Hollywood love story. Boaz is not seduced into ‘feelings’ by mere physical attraction. Boaz does not fall helplessly into an emotional love at the mysterious power of Ruth’s beauty, inward or external. Boaz does not ‘need’ a Ruth in his life, and finally find one.

Instead Boaz chooses to love Ruth. He decides to end the threats to Ruth (Ruth 2:8,9) NOT based on Ruth herself, but based solely on Boaz’s character.

Since Boaz is a metaphor for our Redeemer, Christ, this is a good thing.

The love of Christ ends every threat we face, too. Solely, wonderfully, and necessarily because of who our Redeemer, Christ is. NOT because of our loyalty, goodness, or value.

The love of Christ is the complete answer to every threat. Consider the three enemies of God that threaten us. Christ’s love ends the threat of the flesh, our sins nailed to the cross, and physical creation’s redemption guaranteed. Christ’s love ends the threat of the world, as His resurrection ends the evil hope of every other kingdom. Christ’s love ends the threat of Satan, binding him and ending his futile attempt to usurp God’s position.

Even on a day-by-day basis, the threats we face are beaten by the love of Jesus Christ. Are you lonely? He can solve that. Are you financially troubled? He can solve that. Are the effects of your sin overwhelming? He can solve that. Are you afraid? He can solve that.

The love of Christ is the absolute and greatest answer to whatever threatens you.

Take the love God grants you.

Threats and Hope

… so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10,11)

Threats and Hope

Macbeth listens to three weird sisters (Shakespeare’s description) and is intrigued by their promises. He makes major important political decisions based on their forecast. For him, it does not end well. He listens to the wrong source of hope.

Even in our modern enlightened society, fortune tellers are popular because people want to know the future. Not only would such knowledge assist in financial decisions, but most of us would sleep better.

We tend to worry about the unknown parts of our future.

But Paul’s words here tell us a LOT about our future. Paul’s words tell us the most important thing that is going to happen. Paul’s words tell us the eventual end of any threat against Jesus’ people.

Jesus is going to win.

We face some serious threats. God’s enemies (the flesh, the world, and Satan) are very threatening. The vocal church today is threatened by legal actions, financial trouble, sinful habits, strong temptations, angry media, and an ever-strengthening centralized government.

But Paul is a true fortune teller. Better than the weird sisters.

He declares the hope that every knee shall bow. Some knees will bow joyfully… some knees will bow fearfully, and some knees will bow regretfully.

But every threat will fall.

Take the hope God grants us.

Threats and Faith

“But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:15-18 ESV)

Threats and Faith

Charles Blondin was an American acrobat who made a name for himself crossing Niagara Falls on a hi-wire. By the time he retired, he had crossed the Falls over 300 times, walking nearly 10,000 miles with his wheelbarrow on a rope stretched over the Falls.

I like to think about him on his 299th trip. Clearly, he faced a threat of death. Wind, muscle twitches, an unexpected slippery spot, and the unpredictable nature of gravity (at least in MY back yard) all combined to threaten Blondin. But while he might have been afraid the first few times, eventually, according to his journals, he was barely aware of the threat. Blondin’s history let him face threats with calmness.

Likewise, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They knew the history of God’s dealing with threats against His people. They would remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would remember the threat of famine during Joseph’s time. They would remember the threat of Pharaoh. They would remember the spies who feared the threat of the Canaanites. They would remember the threat of a giant, Goliath.

And even more.

When Nebuchadnezzar threatened them, they had more than a history, they had a HISTORY. God defends His faithful people against puny threats. A fiery furnace, to God, was no big deal.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose the faith that God enabled them to wield.

Threats today might seem intense. But we have even more history of God’s protection than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remembered. We can remember what happened at the fiery furnace and the lion’s den. We can remember what happened to Babylon. We can remember how the People of God were returned from exile. We can remember what happened as the temple was rebuilt. We can remember how Jesus dealt during His earthly ministry with the threats of illness, political turmoil, jealousy, hatred, temptation, fear, and crucifixion.

And even more.

We have more reasons to choose the faith that God enables us to wield. Whatever threats are in front of us.

Choose the faith God grants us.

Food and Love

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (Genesis 9:3 ESV)

Food and Love

Few things say, “I love you” as obviously as food.

Mom packs lunch for Bobby and Jenny.

A couple’s first date is usually a meal together.

Chocolate… anytime.

A meal delivered to a recovering patient.

God demonstrates His love for us with food, too. As Noah’s family begins to repopulate the flood-ravaged Earth, God reminds them of the love-gift of food He gave to Adam, and then expands the gift. More love displayed.

Food reminds me that I am loved. Whether it is DeAnne’s cooking, an invitation to a meal, a celebratory restaurant experience, or a Christmas cookie extravaganza, food is a sign of love.

The next time you eat, remember the ultimate giver of all food, and realize again His sacrificial and salvific love for you, His child.

And no, I am not just being sentimental.

Jesus Himself directs us to think of this when we eat a very special meal. The New Testament manifestation of the Old Testamental Passover Feast is SHOUTING that God loves His people.

Notice the salvation (the ultimate Love) that Christ connects to the Last Supper: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. (John 6:51 ESV)

The unconditional love of God is noticed in food. Whenever we eat, but ESPECIALLY at the Lord’s Table.

Take the Love (and its signs) that God gives us.

Food and Hope

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. (II Corinthians 9:10-12 ESV)

Food and Hope

A stage magician once promised me that I would amaze my friends if I purchased his magic trick. I was hesitant to make the purchase. I doubted his prediction would be accurate. Even though I yearned to be coordinated, entertaining, and amazing, my clumsy attempts to perform acts of prestidigitation had not gone particularly well in the past.

Laughter, yes… rolling of eyes, yes… ‘back to the drawing board,’ yes. But a successful trick? Not likely.

But I bought the trick. And it worked! It was a mechanical trick that allowed the performer to appear to levitate small items. And the wide eyes surrounded me. No one could figure it out. The promise was fulfilled!

I admit, though, that I am still often cynical about promises.

When God promises something, we do not believe. When God declares a blessed future, we wonder. When God gives hope, we seem to prefer to doubt.

Paul reminds us of God’s promise, oft made, to supply our needs. (Philippians 4:19, Malachi 3:10, Psalm 23:1, Matthew 6:31, et. al.)We doubt that promise. We ponder questions that seem reasonable to us concerning God’s provenance. What if He needs to discipline us? What if someone else needs more than I do? What if I am not ‘helping myself’ enough, so God will not help me? What if He knows what I am REALLY like? What if He did not really mean it?

Paul gives us a reason to hope, though. Because while God does give His children what we need for the simple reason that He loves us… there is a beautiful facet that lets us better expect hope to be fulfilled.

It is not just for US that He provides… it is also for HIS glory.

If God would only grant us physical blessings (like food) because WE need those things, we might at times doubt, worry, and fear. Because we really are not gift-worthy. But God ALSO grants us physical blessings so that we see again, and again, and again how gracious He is. We see how kind He is. We see how merciful He is.

And then we say those words that He deserves, that He enjoys, that He loves to hear… and that we actually learn to love to say: Thank You.

God enables us to hope so that we can be thankful now and tomorrow.

Take the hope that God gives us.

Food and Faith

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:26, 27)

Food and Faith

My grandmother ALWAYS gave me King Peppermints.  These are a Dutch treat, and Gramma was a reliable traditionalist.  Go to Gramma’s.  Get candy.  Depend on it.

She had established a trustworthy pattern that led me to count on her generous kindness.

Jesus would have my attention already if He pointed out that God has provided for the needs of His people.  We eat.  We drink.  We are fed, ultimately by HIM.  He has fed me my entire life.

If I decide NOW to worry about my foodly needs, I look either silly, very negative, or too hungry.  I can have faith about tomorrow’s meals because He has established Himself as a reliable traditionalist. 

Of course, there MIGHT be a situation where, for the good of His people, I might need to be hungry.  But that is not the kind of anxiety Jesus is warning against. (He warns against THAT kind of urgent emergency anxiety elsewhere.) 

God has taken care of you.  And He will tomorrow, too.

We can cling to that faith not only because He has proven Himself regarding His provision of US.   But He also provides for flighty, non-industrious, silly, carefree, happy-go-lucky birds.

If He provides for them (and He does…) He obviously will provide for US, too.

God is not only concerned about the rise and fall of Kings, the rise and fall of Ideas, the rise and fall of Civilizations, and the rise and fall of Atoms and Stars.  He is also concerned about the tiny meals of tiny hummingbirds, the tiny needs of lazy snails, the tiny plans of carpenter ants, and the tiny actions of electrons changing orbits.

Comfortably in the middle of that array of God’s interests is us. 

He also proved it by providing for us through His sacrifice of His only begotten Son. (John 3:16) On the one extreme, the birds.  On the other extreme, His Son.

So don’t worry… God will take care of us.

Take the faith God gives us.

Happiness and Love

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord! (Psalm 144:15 CEV)

Happiness and Love

Love makes me happy.

Weddings are happy days. Baptisms are happy days. Birthdays are happy days. Christmas is a happy day. Postcards received make me happy. Some lovey songs make me happy. Of course, all of those days are ‘manifestation of love’ days.

Both loving and being loved make me happy.

And while we might consider, ‘happy’ a shallow thing compared to joy, or ecstatic worship, or the depth of our future experience in heaven… happiness is still a grand thing.

Most of all, happiness is a balm when unhappy things are happening around us. When our circumstances are worrisome and dark, happiness is wonderful. When our mornings and evenings remind us of sin and sin’s effects, happiness is comforting. When our eyes are bathed with tears, happiness helps.

And the shortest road to happiness is paved with love. When we know we are loved, even in the midst of sorrow, we find peace. When we find ourselves able to love someone whose suffering is as bad as ours, our attention is pulled towards the light of happiness.

And no one loves us like the Lord!

His love towards us empowers happiness.

Our love towards Him empowers our attitudes.

Take the love He provides, and be happy.