Created in the Image of a Creator

Today is "Inspire Your Heart With Art" Day. I love that. I'm one of those people who finds all kinds of art inspiring, be it a beautiful painting, or piece of literature, or all kinds of music. Even film, when viewed for purposes beyond mindless entertainment, can be stirring.

You see, we have a Creator who loves creation. He loves to build, and He loves what he builds -- so much so that, when He created us in His image, He did not fail to make us, also, creative beings. He made us a people who love to create beauty, and to witness beauty in the creations around us.

Consider your own children. When they play together, my kids use their imaginations to create elaborate mini-plays. Sometimes, they're in "school." Sometimes, there's a wedding, or a concert, or a talent show. And in each of these cases, they go beyond the creation of a mere scenario and begin singing songs or creating drawings. Sometimes, they sing songs they already know, and sometimes, they sing songs they've just made up. And as their father who loves them, I delight in watching them and listening to them as they play. Sometimes, they sing, or put on a puppet show, or draw a picture specifically for their mom and me, which makes it even more special. But then there are those times they don't even know I'm watching, and I simply take joy in those candid moments of pure, unadulterated fun and creativity.

I think, as our Heavenly Father, God is the same way with us. After all, when you look at the wonders He created around us, when you study the simple beauty of the trees and grass and waterways or the majesty of space, you see the work of a Creator whose imagination is far above our own. And as a Father for whom creation is not only an act of joy, but a definition of self -- that is, Creator is not just what He does, but what He is -- He must also delight when we follow in His footsteps.

So, as David reminds us, let us remember our Creator by creating beauty for Him.

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)

Find Your Escape

Today is Escape Day.

Have you ever had one of those days when all you want to do is crawl back under the covers and pretend the world outside doesn't exist? Or that you wish you could simply fly away? To a warmer climate, maybe. To a place where nothing is expected, and you can just be you.

David reminds us that, when the armies rage around us; when no matter how hard we try, the world seems to batter down our doors; we can find our escape and our refuge in God.

Psalm 13

¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

Even David found he had trouble trusting God. When things were at their worst, and it looked as though he may not even make it out alive, he could not help but despair. For a second. But then, he remembered the character of God. He remembered we have a God who will do what He says He will do, and who will never leave the side of those who love Him. The world may have its way for a time, but in the end it is God who will have the last word. 

He is our provider, but He is also our comforter, our refuge, and our escape.

Puzzling Out God's Wisdom and Grace

We serve a mysterious God. We don't always know just what it is He is up to. We don't know why He put us on this earth. The self-sacrifice of Christ makes no sense to us. His great love for the often wretched humanity defies logic.

Paul makes note of this mystery in 1 Corinthians 2.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (vs 6-8)

Here we learn not only about the mystery of God's wisdom, but in some small part why He keeps it hidden. In short, we wouldn't know what to do with the knowledge if we had it. He allows us to act out of our own ignorance so that His glory may be fulfilled. As Paul says, if we knew -- if we understood -- what God understands, we would never have crucified Christ. But Christ had to be crucified to fulfill God's plan to free us from sin.

You see, from the very beginning -- with Adam and Eve -- God knew that mere knowledge wasn't enough. Indeed, knowledge could be dangerous. But God tempers His great knowledge with infinite love and grace. Love and grace of which you and I are simply incapable. So yes, he keeps the depth of His wisdom hidden from us, and yet, He also reveals pieces of this great mystery, little by little, through His spirit. To continue Paul's narrative...

However, as it is written:

"What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love Him. These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except by the Spirit of God." (vs.9-11)

So, because we have the mind of Christ, God reveals His plan, a piece of His mystery, through the understanding of His word.

And, until I have that full understanding, I praise God that He knows all, and sees all, and loves me anyway.

Just Punchin' The Clock

Yesterday was Punch the Clock Day. Have you ever had one of those days -- or one of those jobs -- where you feel like you're just, well, punching the clock? Phoning it in? Maybe that describes your job now.

We've all been there: the work is unfulfilling; you go through your days unappreciated, unnoticed, and underpaid, and slowly being drained of all semblances of motivation. But has it occurred to you that, even if it's the last place you want to be, God has you there for a reason?

It's a lesson it took me far too long to learn, that no matter what I'm doing, ultimately, I'm doing it for Him. Consider Ephesians 6:5-8...

 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Now, Paul was talking to people in a position of unpaid servitude. People who had no choice about calling in sick. People who got no benefit from their position except, maybe, a bit of food and a roof over their heads. And his call to them? Serve, as though you were serving the Lord, and not people.  

Be encouraged! You don't labor for these men and women who may or may not appreciate all you do. You don't work for the paltry benefits and praise presented by earthly businesses. We work -- we strive for excellence -- because we are serving a God who loves and gives and rewards. 

So strive for excellence in your work, whether you're pumping gas, or managing a business, or chasing toddlers around the house -- because you're doing it for Him. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." And shouldn't we give God our very best?

Opposite Day: I Do Not Understand What I Do

Doing the right thing can be hard. Even when I truly want to do the right thing, some part of my nature still wants to resist. This is a truth, whether a person believes in Christ or doesn't: on some level, we know right from wrong, and, unless there is something wrong with us, we really do want to do what's right. But we still lie, cheat, sometimes steal. We still gossip, or say hurtful things to those we love.

Paul puts it this way in Romans 7:15: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

The question, then, is why? Why do we do that which we do not want to do, and fail to do what we know is right? Paul asks the question, and answers it:

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:17-20) 

Jesus put it this way: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) 

Man is born into sin. We are born unable to attain perfection, even by what we would consider our own standards. You never, for example, have to teach a child how to lie. She's born with the knowledge. We don't need to teach selfishness, or greed, or disobedience. These things come naturally. Only virtue must be taught. And even then, on our own,  we fall short.

So what can we do? Here we are, left doing the opposite of what we want to do; more importantly, the opposite of what God wants from us. Can we do anything to come back within the will of God, and please Him? 

Well, no. But then, as Paul reminds us, we don't need to: "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25a).

We have a God who not only wants to forgive us for falling short, but wants His Spirit to live in us, so that, through Him, we can learn to be holy. 

I've found that, when I really want my kids to do what I want them to do -- clean their rooms, for example -- it helps if I physically help them do it. I show them by example what I want from them, and break down my expectations into smaller tasks. 

This is what Christ does for us. Rather than berate us for falling short, he gets in there and guides us. He showed us by His example what He expects, and, knowing we still can't accomplish His perfection on our own, moves in us, renews our minds, and helps us to do what is right. 

Be Excellent To Each Other

When people think about you, what do they say? Are you an uplifting person? A positive, happy person that makes others feel good to be around you? Are you somebody who lifts others up in the eyes of your peers? Can you be counted on to have a good word for the people you work with.

Today we're celebrating "Compliment Day," a day to, well, compliment others. And not in that sort of fake way we can sometimes do, when we feel like we should say something nice, but don't really mean it. But to really try to see somebody as Jesus sees them: a person of beauty and quality who just needs grace.

Proverbs 12:25 says, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

Indeed, kindness is one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. 

When you take on the name "Christian," when you identify yourself as a follower of Christ, your actions are a reflection to the world of who Christ is. So who do the people around you see? Do they see the office sourpus?

Or do they see somebody who always has a kind word? A positive, upbeat individual who reflects the Joy of the Lord? A person who lets them know that, when the world is pressing down with all its negativity and worry and stress, they are loved?

Take the time out today, and see somebody the way God sees them. See a child of God, or a sheep He desperately wants to bring back to Himself. And let them know: God loves them.

Hey, you. Yeah -- you! You're a pretty doggone awesome person. Thought you should know.

God's Handwriting

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

It's often said, "we are the only Jesus some people will ever see." Jesus is no longer walking the earth in physical form. We can no longer talk to Him face-to-face, share a meal with Him, hear Him speak with human tongue. But He makes Himself known, through His word, and through His followers. 

That's why I love Paul's words to the church in Corinth: you are a letter from Christ. Your own life is evidence of the work of Jesus. When people hear about God; when they hear about the Grace and Love and Mercy of Christ, the only place they can turn to see that about which they are hearing, is to you and to me: those who claim to serve Him. 

If you want to know what the Apostle Paul was all about, you read his letters to the various churches. Those letters provide evidence of his ministry and his life. What he did, what bothered him, what brought him joy. We don't have Paul; we do have his letters.

In the same way, a hurting world wants to know about this Jesus. Who is He? What does He want? What does He do? They can't look to him in person; but they can read His letters. 

What, then, are they reading in you? Are they reading hypocrisy and self-righteousness, or are they reading grace, peace, and joy?

God Values Life

Forty years ago today, The Supreme Court of the United States handed down a decision that would directly lead to the deaths of millions of pre-born children. The Roe V Wade decision did not end the abortion controversy, but legitimized the procedure in the eyes of the law and, ultimately, our culture.

But the reality is, no matter what our culture believes, God values each and every life, has a plan for every life, and mourns the death of every child lost to abortion.

Psalm 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

Psalm 51:6 tells us that indeed God not only formed us, but was in fact with us from conception:  

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

God revealed His plan to Jeremiah in Chapter 1; and in verse 5 tells him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 

So, God knows you before He even forms your body in the womb. He is with you in the womb. And He wants to remain with you for your life on earth and beyond. Today I thank God for His care, His will, and His love for me and for each of us.

But today, I also lament the lives still being lost to abortion, and I pray for God to soften the hearts of the people.

Life matters. Each and every human life means something to God. Scripture reminds us, His eye is even on the sparrow, and when it comes to you and I, He knows even the number of hairs on our heads. We have an attentive God who can only be grieved by the wholesale slaughter of the unborn at the hands of a billion-dollar abortion industry.

It is up to you and me to speak the truth about abortion in His name, and to remind the world that every life matters. 

Remembering MLK -- and honoring the example of our Lord!

Today, we honor Martin Luther King, who fought for equality among the races of man. That it had to be so hard-fought -- that we still fight the battle on many fronts today -- tells us something about our culture. Perhaps we are not so pure, so upright, as we like to believe. 

To put it bluntly, you can't be a Christian and hold one person in higher or lower regard because of his or her skin color. God didn't create His children in a melanin-based hierarchy. This isn't even, for most of us, a new lesson. We learned it in Sunday school:

"Red and Yellow, Black and White, They are precious in His sight." This isn't just a fun verse, but a profound statement about the truth of the Gospel. God's love is for each of His creation. Man -- all Man -- was created in His image. 

Adam and Eve were probably not Caucasian. Jesus certainly was not.

In fact, Ephesian 6:9 reminds us that, even where there was a slave-master relationship, God Himself sees no difference from one man to another:

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

Equality isn't just about race. It's about money and privilege, too. Man may care about these things: who has the most money, the most toys, the most power over other men. God sees only two distinctions: those who are His children, and those He still wants to bring to Himself.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Unfortunately, even among those of us with the best intentions, we have a culture that demands, one way or another, we pay attention to race. That we give deference, one way or another, based upon the amount of melanin in somebody's skin. Martin Luther King's dream was that one day all men would be based "not on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character." How often we fall short!

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tells a story of a man who, though he was hated and looked down upon by even the religious of the day, was an honorable person. With this story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus was explaining not merely that we ought to take care of strangers, but that our neighbors -- those we are to love just as much as we love ourselves -- could be and are every single person. Even those our cultures teach us to hate.

The great thing about Jesus is that His love transcends culture. His command, implied in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and in His words about love and grace and mercy, and in His further command to "Go and make disciples of all nations," is that we do the same.

Describing An Indescribable God

Today is Thesaurus Day. Being a word guy, an entire book of synonyms and new ways of expressing things is a fascinating and wonderful thing. But it occurs to me, that even with a Thesaurus, I still don't have the words in my vocabulary to sufficiently describe the wonder, the love, the grace, and the glory of our God. But then, because I believe everything we do, we do for the Glory of God, Thesaurus Day seems like a good day to try.

My God is...

Holy (Revelation 4:8): Sacred, Blessed, Devoted, Righteous, Uncorrupted, Perfect.

Just (Deuteronomy 32:4): Fair, Impartial, Blameless, Even-handed, Upright, Virtuous, Trustworthy

He is Majestic. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our protector and provider. Our friend. Our father.

He is forgiving, and merciful, and comforting.

He is El Echad - the One God
El Emet - the God of Truth
El Shaddai - the All-sufficient God
El Elyon - God Most High
El Olam - God Everlasting
El Roi - The God Who Sees Me!

He is Adonai Elohai - The Lord, My God.
Adonai Nissi - The Lord, My Miracle.

Jewish tradition has so many names for God -- simply trying to describe who He is -- I don't have time to find, let alone print, them all. But I know this: this wonderful, awesome, indescribable God wants a personal relationship with me. Wants to forgive me for the wrong I've done against Him, and even sometimes in His name. He wants to draw me near. And some day, my paltry words will no longer be necessary, because I will be surrounded in His glory!

Ditch Your Resolution - Or Let God Give You Resolve?

Today is Ditch Your Resolution Day. If you made a New Year's Resolution, it's officially time to evaluate yourself on how you're doing and then... simply make the decision to keep ignoring it.

Now, I admit, I'm really not a "resolution" guy, for exactly that reason. I don't keep them. Maybe I'm lazy, or just unmotivated. Or maybe my resolution simply doesn't get to the real heart of whatever the problem is I'm trying to change.

Nevertheless, when we make that crucial decision to turn our lives over to Christ, we do so with the expectation that we will, actually, turn over our lives. This doesn't mean an overnight change. We don't kneel in prayer and rise Super Christian. Rather, the change is a process: God shows us things in our lives He wants us to strengthen, add, or remove in order to live better, fuller lives more worthy of His name (Romans 12:2 says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God").

But it isn't just a list He gives us, a collection of New Man resolutions. He doesn't simply ask you to change your life and then wait for you to do it.

Philippians 4:13 reminds us, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

God doesn't expect us to walk this world alone, yet when we decide to better ourselves -- be it a resolution to lose weight, or quit smoking, or get organized, we most often try to go it alone. And fail.

But 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

So, if we're working to better ourselves to be better ambassadors for Christ, we can rest assured He will bless our efforts, if we ask only ask him.

Rather than ditch your resolutions, why not ask God to strengthen your resolve?

Nothing!

Today is Nothing Day. Ostensibly, it is a day to sit around celebrating nothing at all. So, in honor of this, today I choose to celebrate every single thing that limits God. Which is, of course, Nothing At All.

The word "nothing" is used more than 320 times in Scripture. Sometimes, it's used for mundane purposes. Very often, it is used to compare the trappings of this world with the Glory of God (they are as Nothing). And sometimes, it is used as a comprehensive list of all the things of which God is incapable (Luke 1:37 KJV).

We have a God so great, nothing will be impossible even for us, as tiny as we are, if He is our strength. 

And because Nothing can limit God, Nothing can limit His love for us. And because nothing can limit His love for us, nothing can separate Him from His children. Only we, in our sinfulness, can remain apart from Him. But, when we turn to God, Psalm 103:12 tells us, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

He doesn't merely bury our sin, or sweep it under the rug. He lifts that burden off us as though it were nothing and throws it away; so far away it can never be found. 

There is nothing you can do to make it impossible for God to love you. No sin is so heavy He can't remove it. You and I are weak, He is strong, and in Him, all things are possible!

Are You A Humanitarian?

Today is Humanitarian Day -- one of three days in which we honor Dr. Martin Luther King: January 15th happens to be the day the civil rights activist was born.

But what is a "humanitarian?" Put simply, it is somebody who makes the needs of others a priority. It might be somebody who gives money to charity, or who runs a homeless shelter. We know the word largely because of all the coverage given to celebrities every time they do something nice for somebody. And that's all well and good, but the generosity of Spirit that God expects goes far deeper, and almost never receives national televised coverage.

James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Jesus takes this even further:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

There's a credit card commercial right now claiming, "we'll treat you like you'd treat you." It features a customer calling the company help desk and, basically, talking to him or herself.  Which is funny, but not entirely accurate. For example, I wouldn't charge me interest. 

And in fact, Jesus isn't referring merely to the way we treat one another, but to our attitudes toward one another. What does love look like, through Jesus' eyes?

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:12-13)

God willing, you may never have to die for another human being. But if you're willing to do that, would you not also be willing to help a friend in need, to do what you can with your limited resources to lift a neighbor out of poverty or distress?

 Jesus personified love by laying down His own life. What he asks of us is often to simply lay down a little time, maybe some of our material possessions, for the sake of others. It may never get you on television, but it sure looks good in God's eyes. 

Setting His House In Order

I've heard it said "God is not a God of disorder, but of Peace (1 Corinthians 14:33a)." Or, put another way, "God is a God of order."

The statement comes from 1 Corinthians 14, a chapter in which Paul is reminding the church to maintain order during worship; to give everything, from prophecy to teaching, its place.

But right from the beginning, we see our God is indeed a God of order.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

So, as God started to create the world, it was at first without shape. It was chaotic. But we can see from reading and from experience, that's not how it stayed. God set the Universe in order, placed planets around a star called the Sun, built on one of those planets a habitat for life, put together that life, set the moon, established times for day and for night.

As the world seems to spiral out of control around us, as war and sin and death surround us, we can praise God because He will not let this chaos last for long. 

Before Jesus was crucified, He was tried. As He was being questioned, they asked Him outright: are you the Messiah?

 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)

Satan may have the reigns of this world for now, but God is coming, we are promised, to set His house in order. He ordered the Beginning, and He will reset that order in the New Beginning. We know this, not only because Scripture tells us He will, but because it is in His nature to do so.

Red Meat, With a Tall Glass of Milk

When it comes to teaching the Scriptures, both Paul and Peter talk, in their letters, about spiritual milk. Of course, as babies, milk is the only sustenance we can consume. Sure, there are substitutes, but medical science has shown time and time again, that when it comes right down to it, there is nothing better in those first days than mother's milk (seems like God may have known what He was doing after all, right?).

Even as we grow and are able to consume solid foods, we continue our consumption of milk because it strengthens our maturing bones. Into adulthood, we find we need those solid foods to stay fit and healthy -- but if you drop milk from your diet, you need to find another source of calcium or risk the deterioration of your bones.

In the same way, Paul tells us when we're growing in Christ, we start off needing milk: the basics of the faith (1 Cor. 3:1-2). But it isn't enough to sustain us as we grow. At some point, we consume the solid food of deeper teachings and theology. Or at least we should (Hebrews 5:11-14).

But, even as we grow in Christ -- even as we learn those deeper lessons and increase our understanding -- it is good to remember the basics. Christ, as Paul said, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

I'm nearly 35 years old, and I still crave milk. Don't get me wrong: I love solid food. Red meat, breads and vegetables. But sometimes, nothing will do but a tall glass of cold milk. It's true for food, and it's true for Scripture. 

As an adult Christian, I love the deeper aspects of our faith. I love learning theology and discovering the mysteries of God as I grow in my walk with him. But sometimes, nothing satisfies my hunger for God like a refresher in the basics. To start my day with the milk of His majesty and great love for even somebody as small as I am. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you the red meat of deep theology is unimportant. As children of God, it is our duty to understand His words and works. But at the same time, don't ever get so caught up in the red meat of philosophy that you forget to drink up the Milk of His love and grace.

Well, THAT's Peculiar

I am not a normal person.

Okay, yes. That can be taken in several ways. My friends, my parents, and even my wife would probably agree with even the face value of that statement. And it's true, but allow me to add to it: By the grace of God, I am not normal human being.

Okay, you may not consider this a good thing. After all, when one is strange, they stand out -- and not always in a good way. Especially in this world today, with its pressure to normalize, to go with the flow, to accept social definitions of beauty, to accept political correctness as a replacement for morality, standing out isn't always pleasant. But I'm going to take this a step further:

We -- you and I -- not only stand out, but as children of the King, we are actually called to do just that.

1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, ^"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

That word, "but," means there's a difference. We are different from those spoken of in the previous verses, who "stumble because they disobey the message (vs 8)." 

But back for a second to verse 9. I actually like how the King James version puts it a little better: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people..."

This word, peculiar, has a couple different meanings, but they are related. Listen to the progression of definitions from dictionary.com: Strange. Odd. Uncommon. Unusual. Distinctive in nature or character. Belonging characteristically. Belonging exclusively. 

We -- you and I -- are peculiarly God's. Nobody else has us. We don't belong to anyone else. We belong exclusively to God, and are therefore uncommon, unusual, strange, to a world that does not. 

And because we are His, He calls us out of the mediocrity of common existence. You are a peculiar person, and you are called, as a child of the King, to peculiarity, to strangeness, to distinctiveness, and even to greatness, in His name.

Playing God

God's Wheel, art and poetry by Shel Silverstein,
from his book "A Light in the Attic"

Today is Play God Day. I am reminded of the poem "God's Wheel" by Shel Silverstein.

God says to me with a kind of smile,
"Hey how would you like to be God awhile
And steer the world?"
"Okay," says I, "I'll give it a try.
Where do I set?
How much do I get?
What time is lunch?
When can I quit?"
"Gimme back that wheel," says God.
"I don't think you're quite ready yet."

 I am reminded daily that it is by God's grace alone that I have occasions of being a good man. I can know God, but in knowing Him know also that I am unworthy of Him.

God reminded Job of His majesty and power, beginning in Chapter 38:

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels shouted for joy?
(Job 38:4-7)

I can, however, by His grace strive to be more like Christ.

So today, being Play God Day, I want to invite you to celebrate the glory and wonder of God, who steers the world. Celebrate a Savior we can only begin to comprehend. Celebrate the fact that you and I are not Him -- and better still, that He is not bound by our petty differences and desires. That He can give grace and love and joy and life abundantly, because He is the author and perfecter of those things and more. And celebrate, too, that He gives us those things, not merely for our own benefit, but to share with the world. Celebrate that, while we can never be as great as God, He chooses us to walk with Him, to be Holy as He is Holy (Mt. 5:48), and to be His hands and feet on this earth.

God's War on Poverty

Today is War On Poverty Day -- a reminder that on this day, January 8, in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a "War on Poverty."

Now, depending on your political persuasion, you may have your own opinions on that, but as a Christian, I think he might well have been onto something: that man is, indeed, to care for the poor. This is not a political statement, and I'm not talking about the government here. No, this is instead a deeply spiritual issue. God cares very much for the poor, and expects His Church -- His Bride -- to care as well. In fact, as God's children and heirs, we have all the more reason and responsibility to care for the less fortunate among us. After all, weren't we poor in our sins until Christ in his grace and mercy lifted us up?

God's view on poverty is clear in the book of Proverbs.

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (14:31)

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. (19:17)

One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty. (22:16)

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. (28:27)

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (29:7)

And those are just a few examples! God cares about what happens to the poor and, what's more, he wants you and me to do something about it. So what do we do? Do we take it to the halls of government and shove it off on their shoulders? Or do we be the bride of Christ and do as He has commanded? 

It's so easy, in this world, to lament that the problem is too big. To give the problem to others to deal with, and hope it works out. It's easy to declare that others aren't doing all they should, while at the same time keeping our own resources close and tight. Or even -- and I am just as guilty of this one -- to declare a man's poverty is his own problem, built of his own doing, and as such is not our concern. 

How blessed are we that Jesus didn't have the same attitude about our sin!

I'm not talking politics here. I'm talking about doing what's right in the eyes of our Savior and Lord. He is clear in His expectations:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:34-36, 40)

For those who did for the least of these, the King has eternal reward. For those who did not, judgement. 

Washington's War on poverty may or may not be political posturing. But God's war on poverty is serious indeed, and He expects His children to fight it.

The Rocks Will Cry Out

Here's something to think about: The whole of God's creation was created for the express purpose of worship. In Luke 19, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He was confronted by the Pharisees about the joy with which He was received. “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40).”

There is a real temptation to think He was being hyperbolic here; that Jesus was merely poetically relaying the sense of joy felt in the city. I don't believe that to be the case, however. Psalm 65:8 says, "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders." Not merely the people of the earth, but the Earth itself. 

Psalm 96:13 declares, "Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness."

Even Paul -- not known for poetry, reminds the church in Rome that Creation itself testifies to its Creator. 

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Today's celebration is Old Rock Day: A day to go out and explore God's creation by looking at the beauty of the ordinary rock. Embedded in some we'll find fossils: evidence of the wondrous variety of Life God has given to this world. In others, simple beauties of crushed and packed treasures. Gems, quartz, even the stones in your driveway can all speak to the wonder and the glory of God, who created the Universe. 

The stones themselves will cry out in testimony to God, if you have ears to hear.  

Trivial Pursuits

January 4 is Trivia Day! I love trivia: random little bits of knowledge about subjects ranging from pop culture to science to history, and beyond. My wife and I enjoy playing trivia games with friends -- or even just sitting at home together, bragging about our useless knowledge, and delighting in learning new facts.

But celebrating Trivia Day? How about this: I'm worshiping God this morning, in the knowledge that nothing is too trivial for Him. That nothing escapes His watchful and caring eye. This morning, I'm celebrating that His eye is on the Sparrow, as the hymn says:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Mt. 6:26-29)

Today I'm celebrating the fact that God, the Creator and Keeper of the Universe, knows me better than I could ever know myself. God told Jeremiah (1:5), "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

God knows even the most trivial aspects of our lives, and He reminds us daily of His love. His love for us is so great that nothing about us escapes His notice. Your every freckle, the way your nose wrinkles when you smile... God sees it all, and as your Creator and Father, loves ever inch.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7)

Praise God that nothing is too trivial for Him. That, as small as we are, He knows us, and loves us, and always will! 

 

Celebrate Humiliation?

I'm a prideful man. It actually takes quite a lot to wound my pride, but when it happens, I have a harder time recovering from it than I do actual physical injury. Partly, it's human nature. From the time we're small, a fall, for example, is always made worse when somebody is watching.

So, no. I don't like to be humiliated. And yet, there's Jesus, telling us to go against human nature and not only embrace humiliation, but celebrate it!

 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:11-12)

Jesus has a way of doing that, doesn't He? Reminding us that, in Him, we are different creatures than what we've always known? Of calling us, instead, to excellence and holiness, and then, of all things, providing us the perfect example in His own life!

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads. (Psalm 22:6-7)

As Jesus watched from the agony of the cross, soldiers cast lots for his clothes. A crowd of people mocked him through his pain. And His response? "Father, forgive them."

So yes. Jesus asks you to celebrate humiliation. It was by His humiliation that you and I can call ourselves Sons and Daughters of God. And it is in our humiliation that we recognize our Heavenly inheritance is greater than the temporary pains of this world.

Run It Up The Flagpole

There's a good chance you've heard the expression, "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes." It means to float a thought or idea and see whether it gains any traction. It's an expression used often in media, which is more or less built on doing exactly that.

As a broadcaster, it's part of my job to come up with ideas for promotions and gimmicks, not only for my show, but for the station as a whole. It's actually an important part of a lot of jobs.

When I was first back working in radio, I remember asking a co-worker about an idea I had. "I like it," she said, "you should bring it up to [the General Manager]."

"What if he hates it," I countered.

She shrugged. "Worst he can say is 'no.'"

And from that point, I was bold in presenting ideas, good and bad. Because, after all, the worst anyone could say was, "no."

So the question is, where is that boldness when it comes to telling others what Christ did for me? What is it, exactly, that I'm afraid of?

2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 

Remember when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples hiding in the Upper Room? They were emboldened. They came out of hiding and preached the Gospel of Christ and, yeah, some people said no. Some people even said they were drunk. But three thousand said Yes! That's three thousand people who came to know Jesus Christ in a personal way, who were saved from sin, and death, and Hell, whose lives were changed, all because of a group of men who were unafraid to speak up. 

So, why not run the Gospel up the flagpole and see who salutes? You may discover a brother or sister you never knew you had. Or, more importantly, you may even be the one who plants that seed in the life of another, and introduces him or her to the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ. The worst they can say is "no." 

But, if you pray for them, and ask God to grant you boldness and clarity, maybe they'll say "yes." 


This is the second in a year-long series, "Celebrate Today." A collection of devotions based on celebrations, serious and silly, throughout the year.