‘Tis the Season…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
Before the tomb
Before the Cross
Before the trial
Before the betrayal
Before the garden
Before the temple
Before the mount
Before the desert
Before the river
Before the wise men
Before the manger
Before the star
Before the angel
Before the prophecies
He was.
And he was God.
Happy Monday, Beloved
…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).
Are you still thankful today, Beloved? Or has the Christmas to-do list already kicked aside your “Things I am thankful for” list? Look, I’m not judging; I know you’ve got a lot to do. Myself, I’m looking at a garage that needs to be cleaned–I’ve been putting it off for eight months now–just so I can get to the Christmas lights, most of which are broken, if I remember correctly. I have a vague memory of an entire string of lights falling from the roof last January, resulting in a string of mini-explosions and a decision that I would replace all the lights “Next year,” when finances would undoubtedly be better, except they’re not. So I’ve probably gotta buy lights, and garland, and maybe a lawn elf–but no inflatables, I’m passionately against inflatables–before I can even start decorating, and the neighbors are pretty much done already…
Yeah, so I get it.
But, for those of us in Christ, the One we were thankful for yesterday is the same One we celebrate at Christmas. It’s pretty much the same holiday; you just have to swap funny hats.
Of course, you know that already…you’re a bright one.
So, take time during the craziness–like today, like right now–to stop and breathe and give thanks.
For him
For you and him
Happy Friday, Beloved.
I thank God every time I remember you (Philippians 1:3).
As I think over all the ways God has blessed me and has filled my life with his love and his grace, my heart comes to you. You, who enter my digital den and read my ramblings. For some of you it’s a One-a-Day; for others it’s a Once-in-a-While. Still, you come, and you read, and you allow me to share the bits and bobs that rattle around inside me. Look, your time is important. You could go anywhere in cyberspace and read any of thousands of devotions written by people wiser and better trained than I. But you spend a few moments here, with me. You do me great honor.
So, as you give thanks today, please know that there is someone clacking away at his Chromebook who is very thankful for…you.
Happy Thanksgiving, Beloved.
…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
in
Not “for”
but
“in.”
Beloved, there are things that occur in our lives that only a deranged person would be happy about.
Hey, I can’t pay my mortgage and I’m about to be homeless. Thanks, God!!
Wow, I just lost seven of my toes in a tragic rollerblading accident. Thanks, God!!
Gee, the dog just vomited up half of Kentucky on the carpet. Thanks, God!!
Feel free to add to the list.
Point is, trying to be thankful for the horrible nastiness of life is something best left to the truly psychotic,
which you are not.
I hope.
But God is not calling you to be thankful for these circumstances.
Only in them
See, being thankful in all circumstances is an acknowledgement that your circumstances do not define you, that they are not the end goal of your existence. No matter what awful, dyspeptic, 2020ish events overtake us, our lives and selves remain rooted with Christ in God.
Uncrushable
Unsinkable
Un2020able
Whatever this world rolls your way, you can be thankful that God remains God, and you remain his, and that remains everything.
So, be thankful, Beloved.
Happy Wednesday
For he (God) chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:4).
So, as we move through Thanksgiving week, here’s a little something else to be thankful for:
You are the chosen one.
Well, maybe not the chosen one, but certainly a chosen one.
Consider this: before he made the world, God had you in mind.
Yeah, you.
He knew who you would be, how you would be. He saw your “We are the Champions” moments, your happy times,
your foolish choices
your many sins
your epic, seemingly endless failures.
And he loved you.
And he chose you.
Wow.
Now consider this: God is not bound by time, right? Past, present, future—it’s all kind of now to him. So when he looks at you he sees you not only as you are, but as you will be.
Holy
Blameless
Complete
His
Now, if only you could learn to see yourself as he sees you, hmm?
In the meantime, color yourself thankful and go forth in joy.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
TIme for a week of Thankfulness–even if it is 2020!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).
God is good.
He doesn’t have to be.
He chooses to be.
God loves us.
He doesn’t have to.
He chooses to.
Look, we can get into a theotechnical debate about whether God is bound by his own nature to be what he is, or whether he possesses self-determinative power
and that would be fun
but until you convince me otherwise, I’m gonna go with the fact that God is…you know…God, and he could have done it any way he wanted to.
There is an image that comes to my mind as I write these words.
It’s Calvin and Hobbes.
Not the theologian and the sociopolitical philosopher, although…
No, I’m talking about the kid and the tiger.
If you aren’t familiar with the famous comic strip by Bill Watterson, I weep for your ignorance and encourage you to avail yourself of the great riches to be found before you continue here. For the enlightened among you, I’m thinking of the strip in which Calvin imagines himself as God, “but Calvin is no kind and loving god…and the puny inhabitants of Earth displease him!”
What follows is destruction on ohsomany levels.
Beloved, we need never ever even for a moment fear that God will decide to stop being good, or stop loving us, or restructure the foundation of the Universe to reflect darkness rather than light.
He has chosen to be good, and it is so.
He chose to be kind and loving and giving and gracious and merciful.
And it is so.
Forever.
Give thanks, Beloved.
Happy Monday
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
We are called to remember.
So…remember.
Remember the One who died that you might live,
who was bound that you might be set free.
And remember those who have followed His example, leaving their homes behind to travel to foreign soil, where they give their lives that you and I might be free.
Right now, as I write this, some warrior shoulders a rifle, or climbs into a chopper, or races toward a bomb blast, knowing that today could be the day that they are called to give “the last full measure of devotion.”
They may be terrified.
They go anyway.
For you
and me.
Remember, Beloved.
Happy Monday
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever (Psalm 145:1-2).
So
Easter’s over.
It’s Monday.
I hope yesterday was very special for you. I hope you worshipped and prayed and rejoiced and felt especially close to Jesus as you celebrated his resurrection.
And now there’s today.
Monday
Mundane
As we move into our week, as all the stuff and garbage that we put aside yesterday comes flooding in with a power that only Monday can muster, can I ask you to do something?
(And by you, I mean me, too.)
Let’s try to approach Monday with the same joy and reverence and celebration that we felt yesterday.
The tomb is still empty.
He is still risen, indeed!
The One who made you and knows you and died for you and rose for you still loves you more than you can possibly imagine.
Walk in that love today, Beloved.
Happy Monday
…because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10).
But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15).
For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave (Psalm 86:13).
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14/1 Corinthians 15:55)
Lost
Alone
Confused
Empty
These words describe what I imagine the disciples felt on that Sunday morning. They must have figured that, after all, Jesus had failed.
Has anyone ever been more gloriously wrong?
On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went with some of the other women to make sure that the body of Jesus was properly cared for. Oh, the surprise they got! The tomb was empty, the body was gone, and an angel announced, “He is not here; He has risen!”
Can you imagine?
Seriously, can you imagine it? Imagine going with Mary and seeing the stone rolled away. Imagine hearing the angel’s words. Imagine being with the disciples when she brings them the news. Imagine running with Peter and John to see for yourself, and finding the tomb empty, the grave clothes neatly folded. Imagine standing with Thomas, the doubter, as he touched the wounds on his living Lord.
Imagine.
His death satisfied the requirements of the old covenant—a perfect sacrifice to cover all sin always.
His resurrection broke the power of Death forever, and ushered in the New Covenant—a promise of grace and hope and peace.
His return will bring the fulfillment of history, as he gathers those who put their trust in him and takes them home forever.
He is risen, indeed!
Walk in joy today, Beloved.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones (Zechariah 13:7b).
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 (Isaiah 53:6).
Everybody loves you when you’re winning.
What happened to the crowds? Was it just last Sunday that the people were lining the streets, cheering for Jesus? Now where are they?
Gone.
When the soldiers came for Jesus, the disciples scattered. John followed, but at a distance. He needed to know what was happening, but he couldn’t bring himself to intervene.
Peter, like John, followed at a distance. He mingled with the crowd, where he could blend in and, hopefully, go unnoticed. While he was standing with a group, a servant girl recognized him. Here was Peter’s chance to stand tall for Christ. Here was his golden opportunity to proclaim his loyalty to Jesus and stand with him—die with him, if need be. After all, that is what he had promised Jesus.
What did he do? You know what he did. He denied his Lord. Big, strong Peter couldn’t stand up to the questions of the lowliest servant girl.
What of the rest? All we know is that they ran for it.
Don’t be too hard on the disciples. I’m convinced they genuinely believed that they were up to the challenge. When Peter said he would never betray Jesus, I think he meant it down to the marrow of his bones. He didn’t have the courage, because he was only human. Like us. We know that John, and Mary, and a few others came to the cross before Jesus died; Jesus even spoke to John from the cross. But in the end, Jesus had to fulfill his purpose himself.
In the end, Jesus went to the cross alone.
He went to the grave alone.
He rose from the dead alone.
Because he had to. That was the point—if anyone else could have done it, if anyone else could have helped, we wouldn’t have needed the perfect Son of God.
Jesus stood alone so that you will never have to.
Because he loves you.
You.
Walk in thankfulness today, Beloved.