Crushed One-a-Day Tuesday 12/7/21

Posted on by December 7, 2021
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A life worthy

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  (Psalm 51:8).

Sin hurts.

See, that’s why you come here—the deep theological truths.

When you belong to Christ, you can’t live in sin.  OK, I guess you can, but it takes a serious toll.  That new heart of yours is designed to live in faithfulness; sin puts it under serious structural stress.

David is in sin as he writes these words.  That sin is weighing him down. It’s crushing him.  It has taken the joy and gladness from his life. David is crying out to God, asking God to forgive him and lift him out of this depression.

Whaddaya say, Beloved?  Are you in danger of violating the warranty on that new heart of yours?  Are you living in a way that you weren’t designed to live, and is sin robbing you of the joy and gladness of your life?  If so, I know how you can get free of the pain and reclaim your right relationship with God.

But then…so do you.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

Clean One-a-Day Monday 12/6/21

Posted on by December 6, 2021
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A life worthy

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).

Lady Macbeth knew.

Most of us can recall little of our high school Shakespeare, but we remember the murderous queen who walked and talked in her sleep.  Night after night she got out of bed, still asleep, and tried to scrub the blood of her crimes from her hands. There was nothing visible on her skin, but she knew the blood—the sin—was there.

“Out, out, damn spot!” she cried, but she could not make herself clean.  When the doctor saw her somnambulistic scrubbing, he commented that she did not need a doctor—she needed the Divine. This man knew his stuff—most doctors in that time period would have prescribed leeches.

Bad news—no one can cleanse your heart except God himself.  Few would be willing, and none would be able.

Good news—God is more than willing, and he is more than able. Whiter than snow, Baby. Whiter than snow.

Put down the Boraxo, Beloved.  Lift your heart to Him.

Happy Monday

Inner Parts One-a-Day Friday 12/3/21

Posted on by December 3, 2021
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Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place (Psalm 51:6).

Why can’t God leave well enough alone?  He has the surface—I look the part, act the part—anyone on the outside would think I’m a reasonably-well-functioning man of God.

Does he really need the core of my being?

It seems a little extreme, don’t you think?  I mean, a man deserves his privacy; this, “Openness with your feelings” thing only goes so far.

Nope

He wants it all.  He wants me

and you

and us

to reflect his wisdom and his love and his very nature all the way to the bone.  He wants us, in our very essence, to be like him. And he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.  Not if it takes all eternity.

Thank God, Beloved.

Happy Friday

From Birth and Before One-a-Day Thursday 12/2/21

Posted on by December 2, 2021
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A life worthy

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5).

Well, there’s a comforting thought.

As if this week wasn’t  hard enough,  I‘ve gotta get hit with the concept that I’ve been sinful for as long as I’ve been me.

Still…there it is.

It’s not like sin is just a one-time, or even sometime, thing.  David can’t say, “Oops, I slipped.  Apart from this episode, I’ve pretty much been perfection.”  Even David—giant killing, Psalm writing, man-after-God’s-own-heart David—knows that sin seems to be woven into the very fabric of his nature.  He doesn’t stand a chance of standing on his own. It’s like fighting cancer with cough drops.

Poor David.

Poor me.

Poor us.

And yet God, because of who he is, loved us anyway.

And so God, because he loved us, didn’t want us to die in sin, as we were born in sin.

And then God, because he didn’t want us to die, died in our place.

And now God, because he died for us, raises us to life in him.

And this God, who has raised you to life, calls you Beloved.

I guess it’s not such a bad week, after all.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Only You One-a-Day Wednesday 12/1/21

Posted on by December 1, 2021
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A life worthy

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and righteous when you judge (Psalm 51:4).

So, that driver you had the little road rage incident with, you know, the one who obviously saw that you were there but cut you off anyway, the one you chased for three miles so you could give him the evil eye and the fancy finger—the one who turned out to be an octogenarian grandma totally oblivious to your righteous wrath?

Yeah, that was Jesus.

The cop you lied to to get out of that ticket for multiple unsafe lane changes that you made in order to catch up to the aforementioned Granny-Who-Cannot-Drive?

Also, as it happens, Jesus.

The supermarket checker who got written up because her drawer didn’t balance because you kept the money she gave you because she can’t count and gave you seriously inaccurate change?

That would be the Lord of the Universe.

The scores of freakish folk you mocked on the “People of Walmart” page?

Your savior…each and every one.

I’m assuming that you’re not in David’s league here, that adultery and assassination are absent from your repertoire of iniquity.  It doesn’t really matter. Every sin—big or small in your perception—is ultimately committed against Jesus. He said as much in the parable of the sheep and the goats:

Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me….whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me (Matt 25).

Is it really such a stretch to say that whatever we do to the least of these we do to him?

David realized this—eventually.  It got his head straight so that he was ready for real repentance.

Fortunately, Beloved, you have no need for repentance today.  This is merely an academic exercise for you, as your conscience is clear.

Well, you know, except for…

Hmm…

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Mercy One-a-Day Monday 11/29/21

Posted on by November 29, 2021
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A life worthy

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).

There are two kinds of people in this world:

those who need forgiveness, and…

oh, wait—I guess there’s only one kind of people in this world.

Look, your sin may not be on the epic scale of King David’s—adultery, abuse of power, conspiracy to commit murder—but it’s still sin.

And you still need forgiveness.

And you still don’t deserve it.

David realized this.  He claimed no special privileges as God’s anointed.  He made no appeal based on his previous devotion. He expected no “do-overs” because of the mighty deeds he had done in God’s name.

He asked for mercy, not because of who he was, but because of who God is.

Oh, but Michael, we have something David didn’t have.  We have the Cross.

Yes, we do, Beloved. And we don’t deserve that, either.  The Cross stands as the ultimate evidence of God’s selfless love and great compassion.

Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t expect forgiveness.  If you belong to Christ, the grace purchased at the Cross is yours for the taking—every day, all the time.  But don’t demand it–not with your words, or with your actions, or with your attitude.

Receive it with joy, a gift from the One who knows you best and loves you anyway.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Still Thankful? One-a-Day Friday 11/26/21

Posted on by November 26, 2021
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A life worthy

…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 until next Saturday for eighteen 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.

Thanks One-a-Day Thursday 11/25/21

Posted on by November 25, 2021
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A life worthy

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16: 34).

Busy day today.

You’ve got a turkey to burn, cranberries to sauce, potatoes to mash, tables to set, dishes to break, shards to sweep up, relatives to endure/enjoy/escape…

Beloved, take a moment, right now, before the craziness descends.  Offer your heart and your mind and your day and your life to Him in thanksgiving.  If you don’t do it now…

Breathe deep, and thank him that he chooses to be good

That he chooses to love you

That he chooses to love you forever, not until he gets bored with you or until you mess up in some way and displease him

Because…no offense…but I’m sure that’s already happened.

He could choose to stop loving you, but he won’t.

It’s in his power, but it’s not in his nature.

His love endures forever.

You are his Beloved.  

Forever

Happy Thanksgiving, Beloved.

Prepositions Matter One-a-Day Wednesday 11/24/21

Posted on by November 24, 2021
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A life worthy

…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In all circumstances

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, yougottabekiddingme events overtake us, our lives and selves remain rooted with Christ in God.

Uncrushable

Unsinkable

Unshakeable 

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