Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (I John 1:5 ESV)

Light

Eyesight seems to be on a continuum.  On one end are moles.  They see nothing.  On the other end are some dogs or cats, who seem to see light wavelengths that no one else can.  On one end are teenagers who cannot see dirty clothes on the floor, or dishes that need to be done.  On the other end are mothers and grandmothers who have eyes in the back of their heads.

I tend to be more blind than clearsighted.

Physically, yes… but also emotionally and spiritually.   I am too often unaware, insensitive, and blind.

But Jesus IS light.

Looking though Him, understanding my reality through the lens of His Word, considering how every tiny and gigantic thing is best known through and because of HIM, can enable me to see.

Basically, because He is the only One with perfect eyesight, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I can not see, but Jesus can.

Popularity

And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. (Exodus 11:3 ESV)

Popularity

In middle school, I was not popular.  But for a brief period of time, my star rose.  Objectively, my situation changed because I got to be lab partner with the most popular boy in school.  He was forced to spend time with me, and found out that I was clever, funny, caring, and not quite as nerdish as everyone had thought.

For a while, as Paul began to publicly include me in things, others noticed, too.  I was asked to parties, had actual conversations during recess, and my lunch began to be stolen less often.

It did not last.

In my middle school, to all appearances, Paul was the arbiter of popularity.

Whether we admit it out loud or not, we want to be popular. This part of the Bible reminds us, though, that finding true favor with the world does not come through efforts, haircuts, skills, or lab partnership.

The Lord is in charge of popularity.  And He bestows it for powerful reasons, salvific reasons, eternal reasons.  The Lord did that here.

The Lord raised funds for the travel needs of the wandering Israelites, for political expenses along the road to Canaan, and for the construction of the tabernacle. 

It is concerning that these days, Christians seek popularity with the world through compromise of principle, purposefully ignoring the unpopular parts of God’s Word, and being silent about who we are, and Who God is.

Those methods will not really give popularity.

At various times in history, however, favor has been strangely found through adherence to God’s Truth, to the Gospel.  Because then God often grants favor.  Consider the Emperor Constantine, the nations of the reformation, the pilgrims and puritans, the Great Awakening… and maybe even you in your life.

We cannot gain true popularity, but Jesus can grant it.

Return

Israel, come back! Return to your God!  You’re down but you’re not out. Prepare your confession and come back to God. (Hosea 14:1,2 The Message)

Return

The opposite of discouragement might just be ‘returning.’ 

I have ruined relationships with my unfaithfulness.  I have broken hearts with my errors.  I have twisted beauty into ugliness with my impatience.  I have hurt so many with my thoughtlessness. 

And going back to fix such things is difficult, even impossible it usually seems.

But there is one broken relationship that can always be redeemed.  In God’s eyes, we might be down, but we are not out.  He waits, always, repeatedly, eagerly, lovingly, for us to return. 

Because He never left us, in His eyes we never leave Him.

I have been slowly learning that the first step in repairing anything broken is returning to God, through Christ.

When we are discouraged because something is lost, ruined, hostile, or broken, Jesus holds out His arms and says, “come to me.”  He answers our discouragement with His presence.

Return to Him.

We can not fix much at all.  But Jesus can.

Useful

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel… (Philippians 1:12 ESV)

Useful

Cleaning the garage is a frustrating task for me.  There is so much clutter, so many piles of necessary things, so few empty places, and so little time. 

And when I finish moving things from one pile to another, and sometimes disposing of those things that I finally accept are not needed, and the job seems done… I usually wonder why I spent so much time on such an unsatisfying job.

And in a week, the garage will probably look just as untidy.

The rest of my life seems like that, sometimes, too.  It feels like I am spinning my wheels.  It feels like, because I rarely see the true end results, that I am wasting my (and everyone’s) time.  It feels like I do, and do, and do, but I do not get to see why.

That is when faith can help.    I might not understand why my Master guides me in certain tasks, particular paths, or various actions… but I know that He has a plan.  A masterful plan.  A glorious plan that leads to Jesus Himself, to heaven, and to eternal life.

I can not always know if I am useful.  But I can  know that Jesus knows that I am.

Irony

Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. (Genesis 48:10 ESV)

Irony

When Israel (Jacob at the time) sought his father, Isaac’s blessing, Isaac had poor eyesight.  And Israel (Jacob at the time) took advantage of that to steal from his brother Esau, and trick his father, Isaac.

And now, many years later, Israel’s eyesight is just as poor.

But Israel’s son, Joseph, perhaps remembering his father’s tales, does not take advantage of him.  In fact, in a way, he uses that physical failing to bring Israel’s grandsons close to Israel… Israel blesses them, kisses them, and embraces them.

Same faulty eyes, but what a difference in result.

I wonder how often Jesus takes our failings and wonderfully turns them into blessings.

Maybe a Christian liar gets to save a relationship with truth.  Maybe a fearful Christian gets to inspire courage in the church.  Maybe a greedy Christian gets to save a family with generosity.  Maybe a timid Christian gets to stand and preach.

We can not overcome our failings, but Jesus can.

Home

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3 ESV)

Home

God was bringing Jacob home from the moment Jacob moved away.  Jacob needed a wife, a bunch of children, a herd or two of sheep, some capital, and some maturity.  So God moved Jacob north, God gave Jacob necessary experiences, God gave Jacob a family, and when God was ready, God led Jacob home.

Along the way, Jacob did not receive a letter from God filled with explanations.  God lovingly did exactly what Jacob needed.  

Even when Jacob arrived ‘home,’ there was more movement to come.  Jacob had to have peace with his estranged brother, Esau.  Jacob had to lose his beloved son, Joseph.  Jacob had to endure a draught.  All so that God could move his family to lush and fertile Goshen, where that family would thrive.  And then Jacob’s family, after 400 years, would finally move back home, to the land promised, again.

And even then… home for us is still ahead.

And God is at work bringing us there.

Every thing that happens, whether it seems good or bad, is happening to move us towards Jesus, and towards our eternal home.

Because that is what Jesus does for His people.  He brings us home.

We can not yet be home, but Jesus takes us there.

Strength

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. (Ephesians 6:10 ESV)

Strength

It was a huge concrete cube, half buried next to our home, originally housing a well pump.  And we wanted to move it. 

I attempted to do so with ropes and my muscles.  I attempted to do so with chains and my lawn mower.  I attempted to do so with straps and my pickup.  I attempted to do so with a bigger pickup, a  skidsteer, a large group of teenagers, and wishful thinking.

I could not find enough strength.

Finally, we hired a piece of earth-moving equipment, and the job was done.

But notice, even though I did not provide the strength, I still had a part to play in the task.  My will was necessary.  My cash was necessary.  I had to point to the old location and the new location. I even think, if I had asked, that the driver would have let me sit in the seat and pull the levers.

Asking someone to provide strength does not mean being passive.

When our tasks are overwhelmingly heavy emotionally, spiritually, and maybe even physically, we DO have a source of strength that enables us to do the heavy lifting… of course I am referring to our King, Jesus.

But we still have a part to play.  Not that He needs us… but whatever it is, it is still our task.  But He is eager to provide the necessary strength.

We cannot do the heavy lifting in our lives, but Jesus can.

Majority

The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. (Acts 24:9 ESV)

Majority

One morning, my family wanted to spend the day goofing around, but my father had work planned.  In a spurt of reasonableness, I asked for a vote… and the ‘goof around’ party defeated the ‘responsibility’ party 4 to 1.  I was overjoyed, until my father reminded me, “this is not a democracy.”

It startled me, because somehow, I had felt that the democratic ideal was THE foundation of society!

Years later, some students attempted to persuade me that it was time for a ‘game day’ instead of a ‘recite Latin paradigms day.’  They voted, and the tally was 7 to 1 in favor of fun.   I smiled, as I quoted my father, “this is not a democracy.”

Full democracy actually frightens me.  The Jews in Acts 24 are one of the reasons why.  They tried to persuade a magistrate that Paul was wrong in his presentation of the gospel because they ALL said so.  The vote was ‘some huge number’ to 1. 

But that did not change the fact that Paul’s truth, because it was God’s truth, was THE truth.

Maybe majority is a grand idea.  But if so, we have to remember that Jesus’ one vote on ANYTHING outweighs everything else.

The majority can be easily swayed.  The masses are often incorrect.  Group-think does not equal reality.

But we Christians have a source of truth that is absolutely reliable.

In fact, if it comes to a vote, Jesus’ vote always counts more than the rest of the world combined.  That’s why the world so often does not like Jesus.

We cannot make a reliable majority, but Jesus can and is.

Only

But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, and besides Me there is no savior. (Hosea 13:4 ESV)

Only

I do not like driving in Orlando, Florida.  Recently, while traveling from the Airport to a Conference Center, I was overwhelmed with the multitude of reasonable choices before me.  The built-in Navigational Aid in the rental car was beeping, “follow THIS path!”  My own GPS, stuck to the inside of the windscreen was uttering, “go THIS way!”  The road signs clearly, absolutely, without doubt instructed me to either take the next left, the next right, or go straight ahead.

So many options, ALL of which seemed reasonable.

I still do not know how I endured the trip, survived, or arrived at the destination.

Life seems like that sometimes.  So many reasonable, or desirable, or understandable options arise at every point of decision.  And our minds, acting as deciders, can feel overwhelmed.  Accept this job offer?  Vote for that candidate? Read those books?  Pray for these things? 

But there is only one way.

While there are MANY ways that seem right to a man, they are not the right way (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).  There is only one way, and remembering THAT will clear the cobwebs from our roadmaps.

We can not make decisions based on our experience, our hopes, our knowledge, or our needs.  But we can listen to Jesus, and let HIS principles guide our way.

Confidence

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (II Peter 1:21 ESV)

Confidence

I forecasted the result of a college football game last week.  And I was wrong.  I foretold a new economic condition earlier.  And I was wrong.  I saw a young couple together and uttered, “They will be married soon!” And they were not.  Looking behind at how often I look ahead, I have been wrong far more often than I have been correct.

Really, that is to be expected.

As complex and brilliant as my brain might be, it is flawed.  As elaborate and trustworthy as a predictive algorithm might be, it is flawed.  As deep and compassionate as our understanding of someone’s situation might be, it is flawed.

Theologians make mistakes.  Modern prognosticators err.  Teachers can be inaccurate.  Preachers can be simply wrong, however Godly their intentions.

But we have prophecy that is always true.  We have words that are always accurate.  We have a description of reality that is inerrant, true, perfect, reliable, and dependable.

We have the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ.

Our understanding of that Word might be flawed, but not the Word.  Our application of that Word might be tainted, but not the Word.  Our use of that Word might be questionable, but not the Word.

We can not have confidence in self, but we can have confidence in Christ.

Errors

I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5 ESV)

Errors

Often when I try to fix something, I make it worse.  Folk who eat with us at our JubiWednesday dinners know what I am talking about.  My soup was too soupy so I added mashed potato flakes, which made the soup too pale, so I added tomato sauce, which made the soup too salty, so I added rice, which made the soup too thick, so I… well, you get the idea.

We are not experienced enough to understand every consequence of our efforts to solve problems that we have caused.  Sometimes we get it right, but even so, we know that we usually cause other problems with our solutions. 

But Christians have a wonderful master who not only fixes our errors, He brings great goodness through them.  Joseph’s brothers learned through Joseph that the sins of the brothers had been fixed by God, and multiplied into blessings that were about to save their very lives.

When we are overwhelmed by awareness of our errors, mistakes, and sins, know that Jesus is at work.  Our errors are part of what He is doing in our lives, and the lives of His people, Christians.

We can not fix our errors.  But Jesus can.

Justice

And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  (Genesis 39:20-21 ESV)

Justice

Because of sin, ours, others’, and Adam’s, life is not fair.  That is more than a simple overstatement.  We, and others, do not always get what we deserve.  While justice seems to require order, often justice is coated instead with chaos.

But justice does not come from a court, a judge, or Joseph’s master.

Justice comes always, only, solely from THE Judge of the Universe, Christ Jesus.

He uses earthly national courts, earthly leaders, earthly circumstances.  But justice, fairness, and ‘just desserts’ always, only, and solely come from Him.

Joseph was apparently treated unjustly and unfairly.  But God knew what God was doing.  And the result was the salvation of God’s people, from Joseph’s family down to the church today.

We will not find justice in any form, in fact, here and now.  Imbalance, impropriety, bias, and ulterior motives (whether good or bad) will always creep in and taint our justice.

But Christ clears the deck with an act of amazingly unjust justice.

He takes all blame Christians deserve on His own back.

And now, we live under HIS honest, reliable, orderly justice.  It is hard to see sometimes, like it was for Joseph, but we can trust our King’s justice to be just.

We can not find true Justice, but Jesus brings it.

Hated

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. (Genesis 37:4 ESV)

Hated

I hate to be hated.  When I find out that someone dislikes me, it hurts.  So, I resonate with Joseph, whose own brothers hated him.

When people hate me, it can be overwhelming.  I do not really know how to take it.  Usually, I become even more self-centered in response.  But Joseph seems to have done ok.  While we do not find recorded Joseph’s every emotion or word, we do know that He saw God’s hand in even the most unjust hatred (Genesis 50:20).

And of course, Christ, even more than Joseph, was hated.  He was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).  In fact, He is hated by the world with more hatred than we have ever experienced (John 15:18).

And Jesus does know how to take it.  He endured it.  He bears it.  He looks hatred in the eye and defeats it on the cross.

When I am hated, Jesus takes that hatred for me.  Particularly when I am hated because of things I might say or do regarding Him (Matthew 5:10-12). 

I cannot bear hatred, but Jesus can.

Speaking (or Writing)

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since You have spoken to Your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” ( Exodus 4:10-13 ESV)

Speaking (or Writing)

It was almost a year ago that I stopped writing about “fear not,” and began to write about “peculiar people.”  As time has gone on, I have found it easier and easier to find Bible verses that speak of how Christians are unique.

It has become a back burner kind of thing…

And now, I find myself writing about something else.

Considering how Jesus CAN do what we CAN NOT, is not that far from considering how peculiar we are… but it is different.

And I found myself struggling, wishing I could go back to the old theme.

When I expressed that to a friend, he wisely said, “I guess if you cannot write them, Jesus can.”

And I thought of Moses.

Everything

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3 ESV)

Everything

I have become far too dependent on my phone, my television, and my internet.  It is how I know things, I seem to think.  But even with all that knowledge at my fingertips, I occasionally discover that I was wrong about something.  I do not have knowledge of everything.

Further, living rurally, at times my internet fails.  At times my phone has poor connection. At times my television does not receive my channels.  I do not have access, always, to all knowledge.

What do I do then?

I remember that I will not know everything, even when I think I need to.  I remember that I can not know everything, even when I think I need to.  I remember that I should not know everything, even when I think I need to.

But the Lord knows everything.  And that is enough for me, when I wake up.

I can not know everything.  But Jesus can.

Holiness

… He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. (Ephesians 1:4 ESV)

Holiness

When I was a youth, I worked for my uncle’s plumbing business.  I was assigned a remodeling job, and I was quite proud of the work I had done.  I learned to measure twice and cut once, I learned to ask when I was unsure, and I learned to look before leaping.

But recently I found out that my work, of which I had been so very proud, was ultimately not mine.  My uncle and my father, unsure of my ability and experience, at first checked my work, unknown to me.  I am sure they found this to correct, particularly in the early days.

I could not be a plumber on my own.

Holiness is like that, for us.  We strive to obey, we yearn to obey, we try to obey… and some days we are able to do righteous things.  But ultimately, it is not we are holy.

Christ is holy for us. 

Paul later writes that this salvation by grace stops us from bragging.  (Ephesians 2:8,9)

But it is also simply a wonderful thing.  We can not be holy.  But Jesus can be holy in us.

Rest

Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. (I Kings 8:56 ESV)

Rest

Once when I was teaching, I informed the students that they could have a weekend without homework. 

When the students arrived on Monday, a few of them were upset with me.  Because some had entered the weekend behind in the homework, their parents made them study on Saturday.  Another was planning a few days off from school, and had requested the homework ahead of time, and felt obligated to do that homework during the promised work-free days.  And even worse, a couple of the students saw me at a school event, and we ended up conversing about school things.  In hindsight, they accused me of making them do homework against my promise.

Silly examples, but the fact is, that we cannot guarantee each other rest.  In fact, anyone who plans to spend Saturday afternoon watching football, but finds home maintenance necessary knows that rest is not assured.  Anyone who realizes that a relaxing evening is usually interrupted by laundry, dishes, or mowing knows that rest is not assured.  Anyone who plans a vacation knows that work is always involved.

Rest only comes from Christ.  Christ bought our rest via His work on the cross, and it is eternal.  Christ offers us rest through faith in Him.  Christ guarantees and assures us of rest that only comes when we lean on Him.

We need rest, ever since Adam broke everything.  We can only get rest, though, through Christ.

Names

And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26 ESV)

Names

I have usually been glad that my name, Thomas, is usually understand to mean, “twin.”  I do not have a twin.  So my name meaning, “twin” does not give me anything to live up to.

Maybe it is harder for those of you with names like, Grace, Hope, or Joy.  Every time someone calls your name, perhaps it reminds you of a trait that you desire to display more fully.

Or perhaps your name is like William, which means strong protector.  Every day Williams are challenged to be strong, and to protect.

Maybe your name is like Susan, which means Lilly of the Valley.  Susans might feel pressure to be beautiful, peaceful, and adorning. 

It is hard to live up to a name.  And often we are aware that we cannot.

But Christ’s people have one name that someone else fulfills for us.  That name is “Christian.”  Language differences being what they are, “Christian” means little Christ, Christlike, or belongs to Christ.

That might seem as intimidating as William or Susan!  But it is not.

Because being a Christian means that Christ fulfills the meaning of the name FOR us.

His sacrifice makes us perfect in God’s eyes.  His obedience makes us obedience in God’s eyes.  His life, and death, and life make us little Christs.

We can not live up to our name… other than the name of Christ, which He lives up for us.

Second Best

So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. (Genesis 29:30 ESV)

Second Best

From Leah’s perspective, this is one of the saddest verses in the Old Testament.  Jacob loved Rachel more than Jacob loved Leah.  And it was an obvious and well-known fact, so much so, that the fact ended up in the Bible.

We can criticize Jacob for his decision to marry two women.  We can criticize Jacob for loving one wife more than he loved the other.  We can pity Leah for her situation.

But we can also note with joy that while Jacob was apparently unable to truly, unconditionally love, Jesus does love us that way.

He has more than two recipients of love, yet Jesus loves His beloved unconditionally, sacrificially, and without comparison.

Jesus does not love some sinners more than others.

And so, we are never second best.

Leah needed to be loved by Jacob, but Jacob did not love her correctly.

We need to be loved, and we ARE loved by our savior.

Bless

Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Genesis 27:37 ESV

Bless

Jacob tricked Isaac, and Jacob found himself with not enough blessings to give his other son, Esau.  Scripture does not reveal a lot about Isaac, but anyone can hear his anguish in his words to Esau, his beloved but unblessed son.

Later, he does pronounce somewhat of a blessing to Esau, but it is hesitant, and ultimately far less than the inheritance Isaac gave to Jacob.

Certainly, this blessing incident is informed by God’s salvific plan, establishing the line of Jacob through which the Messiah, Jesus, would come. 

But this story displays Isaac’s inadequacy.  He was limited in his ability to bless.  Isaac was limited by his resources, the traditions of his time, his emotions, and his own foolishness.  He was able to help Esau a bit, but he really did have only one birthright and blessing to dole out.

We, too, are limited.  We do not have enough resources to help everyone we wish to help.  We do not have enough time to help everyone we wish to help.  We do not have enough emotional energy to help everyone we wish to help. We do not have enough life to help everyone we wish to help.

But Jesus does.

He blesses our children on our behalf, keeping His promises to us.  He blesses His church, even when it seems there could not be enough blessing to go around.   He blesses all of the spiritual descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, where Isaac was unable to even bless both of his physical descendants. 

Even observe what Jesus has done to fix Isaac’s problem.  All of Esau’s heirs can receive the full inheritance of Jacob, though Jesus Christ!

Do not despair when your ability to bless is hindered, instead lean on Christ’s blessings.