Isaiah's Aslan

December 9th will be an important day. C.S. Lewis' classic story The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will be introduced as a film. There has been at least one version made of it, and well, it wasn't too great. But we live in the time of directors like Peter Jackson, who re-introduced us to the Lord of the Rings stories, and their crews of technological magicians. In anticipation of the opening of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, my husband and I have been re-reading the book at night. Even grown-ups need good bedtime stories! I thank God for my mother who read to me for many, many years and encouraged my reading beyond my childhood. She loved Lewis' works.

A shiny gem of scripture emerged from the text of Isaiah 31 this morning. For those of you who don't know (and I recommend you read the book before you see the movie--it's not long), Aslan is the name of the lion--a Christ figure--in Lewis' book. As you read the passage below, you'll see why I'm so excited to see the movie. And the fantastic thing is that this fantasy is real.

"'This is what the LORD says to me: 'As a lion growls, a great lion over his prey--and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, he is not frightened by their shouts or disturbed by their clamor--so the LORD Almighty will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.'" (Isaiah 31:4)

Just Rest

This morning I read Isaiah 30. God is beyond frustrated with His people. They don't want to listen to the prophets and hear what their future will be if they continue to ignore God. Despite God's frustration with them, He tells them how much He wants to do for them if they will only look to Him for their survival and protection.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...'" (Is. 30:15).

Isaiah further says, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion...How gracious he will be when you cry for help! Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Is. 30:19b, 21).

Yesterday I read an article about napping. Short times of rest can re-energize us and make us more effective in our work. Furthermore, taking time to relax and be peaceful can do wonders for our mental health. Similarly, if we will quiet ourselves and tune in to God and allow Him to take the stresses that weigh us down, we will find that He is in fact our salvation of, not only our souls, but also of our daily struggles and anxieties.

The holiday season is here. I urge you to take many chunks of time, even if it's just 15-minute snippets, to quiet your spirit and remember what Christmas celebrates. And while you're at it, make times of peace and quiet a New Year's Resolution for 2006.

The Process of Pain

In Psalm 22, David is in serious distress. This chapter is a wonderful example of what to do when we are feeling the same way.

He begins, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" (Ps. 22:1). God does not want us to try to hide our emotions from Him. After all, He knows our thoughts before we think them! He's a big enough God to handle your ranting, groaning, and complaining. But you must be prepared to quiet yourself in His presence, too, in order to perceive His response.

David goes on to say, "In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed" (Ps. 22:4-5). David reminds himself of God's track record. God saved His people from Egyptian captivity, among other bonds.

Therefore, based on his assurance of God's goodness and ability to rescue, David requests, "But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me" (Ps. 22:19). Because he has recognized what God has done in the past, David can now ask God for comfort and help.

David ends in praising God: "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help" (Ps. 22:22-24).

I pray that when you feel helpless and alone, you will follow David's steps of processing your pain.

The Worship of Rules...or the Rules of Worship?

Last night in church (our church added a Sunday night service, just like the morning service, this past August), the thought struck me that I seem to worship God more intently when I'm at home in my study reading His word or when I'm listening to worship music at home. At first, I felt somehow guilty about this, that I should worship God the most at church because, so the idea goes, that's where you do your worshiping. But then I thought about Jesus' words in John 4 to the Samaritan woman: "'A time is coming when you will worship neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem...Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks'" (John 4:21, 23).

When I read Isaiah 29 this morning, a verse with a related message stuck out to me: "The LORD says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men" (Is. 29:13). So, you see, the important thing is not where you do your worshiping; it is that you actually do worship and it's the condition of your heart when you worship. Our narrow human minds like to keep things in a neat little box. But God's ideas cannot be confined to such small spaces.

While church may not be your primary place of worship (mine is in my house), God wants you to be involved in a church family. We are called to encourage one another. It's hard living out in the world, so we need times of encouragement and refocusing so that we can effectively live for God in the world. Hebrews 10:25 says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."

Another verse I found amusing and significant was Isaiah 29:16. "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" How often do we think we know what's best for us better than God does? I like this verse because it's a silly but effective reminder that God is in charge and He knows best.

Joys of Kings

I read Psalm 21 this morning. King David praises God for all He has done for him. Two verses include "joy" in them, and that's what I'd like to share today. David must have been quite a guy. It's encouraging to hear a king with such power be humbled by his God and find his supreme joy in Him.

"O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!" (Ps. 21:1).

"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence" (Ps. 21:6).

God's Garden Take 2

I love that the major site of God's original creation was a garden. God enjoys enjoying what He has made. He must really like food. Should I say I must be a girl after His heart, in that way? ;) Think about it...He promises us a huge banquet meal when the earth is made new. He put His first children in a garden and told them it was there for them to enjoy it. He walked with them, so it seems natural that He would have hung out with Adam and Eve, plucking berries, slurping on honeysuckle, and biting apples so succulent that the juices must have run down His chin. (Note: The Bible says the infamous fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was "fruit," not specifically an apple. I think it's a shame that apples get a bad rap for that scandal.)

In Isaiah 27, there are some yummy verses about "that day."

"In that day--'Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it'" (Is. 27:2-3). Maybe we're the vineyard. Maybe He's preparing the vineyard for us. Either way, I like that God is tending it in anticipation of our homecoming.

God goes on to describe how things will be at the end of earthly time.

"'I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me'" (Is. 27:4-5). I'm not sure what exactly is going on here, but I'll take a stab at it. It seems to me that God is saying it would be easier if the problem of evil were simply briers threatening His creation. But unfortunately, souls are involved, so He has to provide for reconciliation. We are the briers. Specifically, our sinful, fallen nature is the briers. We must come to Him and make peace. God must be against sin because of His pure nature of holiness. And fortunately, He is a loving God, so He gave up His Son to die for us, to make our peace with God and His peace with us possible.

Other neat-o verses:

"In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit" (Is. 27:6). I think this further supports that heaven will actually be heaven on earth.

"And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem" (Is. 27:13).

Dwelling in the Dust

"For dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19b).

God created Adam from dust. We will become dust. Throughout the Old Testament, dust is used as an image of mortality. It is sometimes used to refer to death. Also, putting dust or ashes on one's self was a sign of mourning in biblical times. We are made of dust, we live in a dusty world, and we ourselves will return to dust.

This morning I read Isaiah 26, which continues to talk about what God will do "in that day." The first verses I highlight deal more with what He does on earth, but can also apply to what He'll do in at the end of earthly time.

"The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws (or "judgments," says the footnote), we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts" (Is. 26:7-8).

"[A]ll that we have accomplished you have done for us" (Is. 26:12b). I really like that verse. Without our God's support, we will accomplish nothing. Sometimes things may seem successful, but that is only a facade.

Here's the verse that really got me. It includes "my" word, "joy," and it's just beautiful.

"But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead" (Is. 26:19).

As I discussed in my post yesterday, the earth will be made new. There's a verse in one of Paul's (I think it's one of his) epistles (Romans?) that says the earth itself is in the pains of birth. One day the earth will be delivered of its pain. In that time, the bodies of those who have died will rise. It's important to note that their spirits live now. It is their bodies, the dust, that will be birthed anew.

Again, if you want more information on these ideas, check out the sermon series "Amazing Place!" on my church's website. I'm just passing along ideas that I've heard and have processed in my own mind, as I'm finding other verses that support them.

May God bless you immensely with His joy today. Remember that His joy is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10b)!

God's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

A few months ago our minister taught a series about heaven. My husband and I missed a few of the sermons due to my husband's hip surgery. So a couple of nights ago we accessed our church's sermons online and listened to the messages we had missed. One of the main ideas our minister discussed was the "new earth" that is described in the Bible. "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17a). It seems that earth, the "new earth" that God will restore, will be our eternal home. God originally walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Abandoning that perfection would be conceding defeat to Satan. God simply can't do that! So, He will redeem the earth as He has redeemed us.

I read Isaiah 16-25 this morning and found more verses that remind me of God's promises of restoration. The first one shows how our salvation is at all possible.

"In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it--one from the house of David--one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness" (Is. 16:5). Jesus, who became man, will reign finally. Earlier verses in Isaiah have prophesied about His perfect government.

The other verses I read this morning describe the earth's curse and its purification as well as the gifts God will give us after the "makeover" of the earth. Two years ago my husband and I bought a house that had not been cared for by its former owner. For years, it had been mistreated and left to ruin because of the hard hearts of its occupants. But we bought it and have restored much of the house (such things take time for mere mortals) to be a home of enjoyment and comfort. The same can be said of our earth. When Adam and Eve sinned, humankind was not the only one lost. The earth was cursed as well. "The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth" (Is. 24:4-6a).

But then, when the earth has been made new, we will celebrate. "On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken" (Is. 25:6-8).

If you're interested in hearing more about heaven, I recommend this series. Click on "My Church" on the right side of this page. Once on my church's website, click on "Sermons Online" on the left side of the home page. The series is titled "Amazing Place!" and began on April 3. I believe there are 11 sermons total.

I can't wait till the makeover is complete and the time for the revealing has come!

Calling for Heavenly Back-up

When a police officer needs help with a situation, he calls for back-up. Similarly, in a difficult battle, a military officer may send for reinforcements. Sometimes in this life, we need help in dealing with frustrating situations. We need back-up.

King David understood the need for additional support. More than that, he knew that God's reinforcements were best. He said, "May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion" (Ps. 20:1-2). When you're having trouble with a situation, call for heavenly back-up. Request divine reinforcements. God has made his troops available to us.

Furthermore, David recognized that God was to be given glory for His works on man's behalf. "We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God" (Ps. 20:5). Notice in this verse that God is praised for victory, not humankind.

As a king, David had to consider military tactics and political strategies. It was his job. But he knew where real strength lies. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm" (Ps. 20:7-8).

When you are feeling overwhelmed, pause a moment, collect your thoughts and emotions, and make that request for God's back-up.

Words of the Skies

My mother loved clouds. Really, she loved nature in general. But in recent years, she was particularly fascinated with clouds. Subjects of her photography were as often clouds as they were family and friends.

So this morning as I read the opening lines of Psalm 19, I naturally thought of her.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." ~Psalm 19:1-4a

Perhaps King David was enjoying the simplicity of a glorious sunrise, and his thoughts turned to the simple joys of following his God. After describing the beauty of the heavens, he said, "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes" (Ps. 19:7-8).

Perhaps David was awake before dawn because he couldn't sleep, worried about a decision to be faced. Or perhaps the weight of his position made rest impossible. Sometimes you have to find wisdom in the simple before you can find wisdom in more complicated and confusing matters. I imagine that he found comfort in the knowledge that God's laws of nature as well as those of morality are perfect. Even without a proper amount of sleep, I think David probably felt very rested that morning. Drawing on God's strength provides much more energy than an ordinary night's sleep.

I myself was awake before dawn this morning. The window of our study faces east and is calling me to just sit and watch. I think I'll go listen to the skies talk.

Running Through Walls

A few lines from the Jimmy Buffett/Mac McAnally song "Coast of Carolina" declare, "And the walls that won’t come down/We can decorate or climb or find some way to get around/Cause I’m still on your side/From the bottom of my heart."

As I read Psalm 18, verse 29 stuck out to me with a similar thought. It says, "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall" (Ps. 18:29). The footnote tells me that in the original language, the first part could be "With your help I can run through a barricade." I love that. We've all watched movie scenes in which a character tries to break down a stout door. Oftentimes, he can't do it, and yet, even when he can, it usually takes a few tries or a handy battering ram that is nearby. What if he just ran through it? With God, that is possible. And, recalling the story of Jericho, God has demonstrated that sometimes walls will fall just by yelling at them...in a God-prescribed fashion, of course.

Sometimes, though, the walls don't come down. Instead, God shows us how we can decorate them (accept them and find the good in the situation) or climb them (overcome our struggle with the circumstance) or get around them some way (find a resolution other than what you'd thought of originally). Why? Cause He's still on our side, and He loves us from the bottom of His heart.

Here are a few other verses I enjoyed in Psalm 18:

"The LORD is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Ps. 18:2). This morning I read a bit about the Scottish clan from whom my family comes. Descriptions of old castles and sites of battles peppered the narrations. A photo of Caithness, Scotland, showing the cliffs near the sea, captured my attention. If you want to see it, go to http://www.clangunn.us/. The cliffs look strong and immovable. They've been there for centuries. Yet God made them. And He is infinitely stronger than any rocky terrain.

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters" (Ps. 18:16).

"[M]y God turns my darkness into light" (Ps. 18:28b).

"For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?" (Ps. 18:31).

God Will Take Care of It

Psalm 17 reveals a man who needed help. Men were after David, and he had every right to fight back. But David knew his place.

"Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry...May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right...I have kept myself from the ways of the violent" (Ps. 17:1a, 2, 4b). David knew that it was in his best interest to leave vengeance to God. He knew the permanent damage that bitterness and anger could do to his heart. Instead, he turned to God to take care of his enemies and to comfort his spirit.

"Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes...hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me" (Ps. 17:7, 8b-9a).

David also understood that this life is not the end. He said, "O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life" (Ps. 17:14a). He understood that chasing after power in this life is worthless.

I'm not sure how much David understood about the coming Messiah. But he revealed some wisdom (could it be divinely given wisdom?) when he said, "And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness" (Ps. 17:15). This verse echoes the verses in the New Testament that talk about how Jesus is our righteousness and about how we are clothed in His righteousness and, therefore, look like Him.

I also read Isaiah 13 this morning. Isaiah 13 describes an oracle regarding Babylon that the prophet Isaiah saw. The Scripture says, "I have commanded my holy ones; I have summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath--those who rejoice in my triumph...The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war. They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens..." (Isaiah 13:3, 4c, 5a). It is hard to tell if God is summoning His people or if He is calling His angels to war. At any rate, this passage reminds me how much God hates evil. He is a God of justice, and He will conquer evil. In fact, He already has--at Calvary. We can claim that victory, but evil still slithers around us in the world. But one day, evil will be permanently crushed.

Wells of Salvation

"'Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation'" (Isaiah 12:2). That last part reminds me that Jesus became a man in order to become my salvation.

"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Is. 12:3). This verse reminds me of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. He offered her living water, water that would satisfy her endlessly, water that would allow her to never thirst again (John 4). I am also struck by the first phrase--"with joy." We Christians often lose our joy in our day-to-day tasks and frustrations. Let's not lose our joy, but reclaim it every day. We are the redeemed children of God!

"Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you" (Is. 12:6). This verse reminds me of my favorite name for Jesus--Emmanuel. It also excites me to think of the Christmas songs we'll soon be singing, celebrating Jesus' birth.

Hope these short musings have renewed the power of God in you today.

Real Security

Sometimes, even when things are going fine, I feel that life is so uncertain. And that is why in times like that I go to the Psalms. David was a man of great power, yet he went to God for comfort and counsel regularly. He knew that God could give him what no one or nothing else could. We often think other people or other things will give us comfort, and sometimes they do. But that kind of comfort will not last or will not be as complete as we need it to be. Only God can provide the deep nurturing and assurance that our souls need.

Here are highlights from Psalm 16.

"Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge" (Ps. 16:1).

"I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me" (Ps. 16:7).

"I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Ps. 16:8).

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Ps. 16:11).

Next time you feel anxious or blue, open up the Bible and allow God to remind you that He is right there with you. Listen to some good worship music, too.

From the Stump of Jesse

A stump is not a very inspiring image. It is dead, lifeless, and quite ugly. But sometimes stumps are not really dead. Isaiah 11 begins with the prophesy of someone great coming out of a stump. It reminds me also of people in the New Testament saying that nothing good could come out of Nazareth.

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him" (Is. 11:1-2a). The last part reminds me of the Spirit of the LORD coming to rest on Jesus like a dove when He was baptized (Luke 3:21-22).

Jesus showed deep compassion while He was on earth. Isaiah says, "He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth" (Is. 11:3b-4a). Because Jesus is God, He can see into people's hearts. He knows the purposes of our actions and words.

The next parts of the chapter seem to reveal what will happen some day. "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them...They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will by full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Is. 11:6, 9). There is so much hatred and selfishness in this world. This verse encourages me and reminds me that someday Jesus' government of peace will rule.

And we will all be gathered together. Where there have been divisions unification will bring the broken pieces together. "In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for all the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious" (Is. 11:10). "United in Christ." Maybe someday we'll really understand what it means to be the body of Christ.

God of Justice and Mercy

God is definitely mad at Israel in Isaiah 10. He has allowed other rulers to oppress them. (The funny thing is one of those guys thinks he did it all himself, not understanding God allowed him to reign. See Isaiah 10:12-16 for more about that.) Yet God does not like to see oppression. He says through Isaiah, "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and rob my oppressed people of justice, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless" (Is. 10:1-2).

However, God is a God of pure goodness; no sin can be associated with Him. Despite being oppressed by others, God's people are not sinless. Therefore, "yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised" (Is. 10:4b.

What then can be done? Can we do anything to change our sinful state? Nope. We can't. But as God told the Israelites in this chapter, "Very soon my anger against you will end" (Is. 10:25a).

Can God ignore sin? No, He can't. But God is a generous and creative God. He has always had a few tricks up His sleeve to trump what Satan intends to do to us. I glanced at the title for Isaiah 11. It looks like tomorrow holds some good, encouraging reading! Stay tuned....

Christmas Is Coming

You don't have to go far to know that Christmas is fast approaching. Holiday decorations are in retail stores, and commercials on TV are advising you on what to purchase for family members this holiday season. I have always loved Christmas. But in the last couple of years, I have been pained at observing our society's misguided use of it. I want Christmas in my home to be first and foremost about God's ultimate gift of love for us--sending His Son to become a fellow human being in order to save us.

This morning I picked up where I last left off in Isaiah. I was thrilled at seeing the title of chapter 9--To Us a Child Is Born. Chapter 8 painted a bleak picture for Israel. Things didn't look good for God's chosen people. He had given them chance after chance to redeem themselves and repent of their evil ways. But they did not, not fully anyway. So, what will happen?

Chapter 9 opens this way: "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Zaphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan" (Isaiah 9:1). One has the sense of a new dawn breaking the horizon, a new sun unlike one that has ever been.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest" (Is. 9:2-3a). We are people walking in the land of the shadow of death. The result of sin is death--eternal death. But...God presents us with hope....

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (Is. 9:6-7a).

What joy! We were completely without hope. We could never save ourselves because none of us is blameless (Psalm 14:1-3, Ps. 15:1-2). We were meant for the grave. But God sent a Redeemer, His Son, a part of Himself, to pay the cost of our sins. One of my favorite Christmas songs is, of course, Joy to the World. When you understand the significance of Christ's birth, His death, and His upcoming return, joy seems to be the only logical choice of responses. And can you imagine a government run by God? Talk about compassion in politics! A ruler who rules with peace--only God could effectively pull that one off.

As the holidays draw closer, make a point of reading about Jesus--the prophesies about Him, the narration of His birth, the stories about His life in the gospels. Yuletide stresses may melt away as you bask in the glory of our "newborn King."

None of Us

Proverbs is a great book to read, but I'm glad it's over. It's nice to have a little variety in one's reading material! :)

This morning I read Psalm 15. It's only 5 verses long, and often when I run across a chapter that short, I'll go ahead and read another. But I didn't need to do that this morning. The psalm opens like this: "LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless" (Ps. 15:1-2a). Ouch. "Blameless"? That doesn't include me. Reading the next few phrases hurts even more. "He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman" (Ps. 15:2-3).

The last few days I have not been very disciplined in my prayer life. And I can tell. You can read the Scriptures all you want, but if you don't ask God to bless your application of it and give you the strength and power to follow what you read, then you're headed for trouble. Conversely, if you pray but aren't reading your Bible, you're shutting yourself off from many of God's responses to your prayers. Anyway, it's easy to know what you're supposed to do, but it's another thing entirely to do it. And here's the thing: we cannot live up to God's standard of our own accord. It's simply not possible. James said, "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check...No man can tame the tongue" (James 3:2, 8a).

Only one human was ever perfect. And thankfully, He made up for our sin. In fact, He erased it completely, once and for all. We will stumble all our lives. We will never become perfect in this life. But we are called to follow Christ's example, and the way to do that is to ask God to empower the Holy Spirit in us to develop the fruits of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23a). Another thought: When you ask God to purify your heart, you'd better be prepared for it to sting.

I'll close with this verse that I ran across in James that talks about heavenly wisdom--quite appropriate after finishing up Proverbs. "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:17-18, emphasis added).