Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Both / And
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15

Consider the following sets of words:

Compassionate, communicative, kind, fair, long-suffering, patient, accepting, gentle, merciful, understanding.
Honest, holy, set-apart, stand-taking, consistent, dedicated, mature, righteous, unyielding, just.
Which set best describes you?

Sometimes it feels like we Christians divide ourselves into these two camps. Camp A rightly believes that "God is love," and as such they do a fairly good job of not alienating those they meet and know and care for. Of course, with every strength there's a weak side, and sometimes our well-meaning Camp-A brethren can become wishy-washy and overly accepting, even false.

Camp B, on the other hand, rightly believes that "God is holy," and as such they do a fairly good job of reminding those they meet and know and care for that sin is sin, and God can not tolerate it. Of course, sometimes our well-meaning Camp-B brethren can end up sounding a lot like gongs and cymbals, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. People know we're here, but they wish we'd quiet down for a bit. Perhaps all the conflict between our own camps has torn at your heart and worn down your spirit, too.

Now consider... which set of words best describes Our Father? Think about it before answering. We'll come back to that thought in a minute.

I have a close friend, a youth minister, who has served many years at his current church. Recently, he was summoned to a meeting with the personnel committee and several parents. The gist of their message was that he was teaching the students too much about discipline and truth and knowing what the Bible says and so on. The criticism apparently was that there wasn't enough about love and compassion in his messages.

Reading between the lines, it was clear that fear was at work: fear that these students weren't being prepared for college and a world that is more about tolerance and acceptance and where Christian students who literally believe the Bible are ostracized. After all, who hopes for their child to face unpopularity, embarrassment, and harsh criticism while they're already struggling to get ahead in the world? My friend would point out that he's not opposed to compassion and love, not in the least. But what kind of foundation do you want to build in the youth?

It's sad. Because at the end of the day... why can't we have both?

I'm not talking about vacillating. I'm not talking about compromise. I don't want to be lukewarm.

I am talking about balance; checks and balances. I do wish to be balanced. A position of balance is a position of strength. A balanced person stumbles less often. How much fun is a teeter-totter where all the weight is pushed to one side?

I am also talking about paradox. A paradox is a seeming contradiction that nonetheless contains truth. A paradox says an object or person or idea is both this and that. Jesus is the world's greatest paradox, being both fully God and fully man. With Christ as the example and the cornerstone, one learns to see that the whole Bible is full of paradox, including the fact that we can and should "Speak truth." "In love." Both/and. Just like Jesus.

He didn't excuse sins. But He did forgive them.
He was equal with God. But He didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.
He was sinless. But He refused to cast the first stone at the accused.
He demanded His followers take up a cross and follow Him unreservedly unfettered. But He was sad for those who weren't ready to do so.
Truth. In. Love. Both. And.

Don't forget, Campers, you have the Holy Spirit, which gives you wisdom, which instructs you as to which set of characteristics is needed in a given circumstance. Pull up the tent poles. Become nomadic. You can put on the armor of God, but if your feet aren't balanced beneath you? Ask any beginner student of martial arts what the result will be.

But even if you find yourself gravitating more towards one campsite or the other, that's okay. The same chapter that talks of the need to speak the truth in love also mentions, just a couple verses earlier, that, "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."

We're on the same team. And the goal is a "built-up body." One that won't stand unless balanced, unless level, unless unified. What's the result? Refer back to our verse today. When we "speak truth in love," we will "grow up." Bottom line, Campers, our body needs to mature.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Simply ask yourself the next time you proclaim the Word: am I being loving? Are my motives pure? Likewise, the next time you get those warm feelings about how fair and open-minded and communicative you're being with unbelievers and sinners, ask, "Lord, what truth do they need to know?" Love enough to tell the truth. Be truthful enough to not misrepresent how your Lord meets broken people where they are. It can be scary to think about doing, but remember that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and discipline."

Further Reading

1 Corinthians 13
Discovering the Value of Your Personality
Education and Relation - or - Truth and Love

[Judy Harder]

God's Unseen Glory
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Culture Editor

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

If I had to choose a favorite moment in the life of Christ, it would probably be the story of the blind man in John 9. Most Christians are familiar with the passage, it begins with Jesus walking through the temple with his disciples when they come across a man born blind.     

"As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?' Jesus answered, 'It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him." – John 9:1-3

For a long time I believed the "works" Jesus talked about meant healing the man's blindness. That's what the story was all about, wasn't it? Jesus performing a miracle to prove he was the Son of God? Actually, no. In fact, the real message of John 9 turned out to be something much different.

After receiving his sight, the man is brought before the Pharisees to be questioned. The religious leaders are torn: this Jesus performed a miracle, so he must be some kind of prophet, but he did so on the Sabbath, a true man of God wouldn't break the Sabbath. Eventually they just decide to pull rank (We are the Pharisees, We decide who gets credit for this miracle!) Listen to how the once-blind man responds,

"The man answered and said to them, 'Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.' They answered him, 'You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?' So they put him out."

If Jesus had wanted to be recognized for his power he would have ridden into Jerusalem as the conquering hero the Jews expected him to be. Instead he came quietly, touching the lives of the lost and overlooked. His "works" were the restoring of hearts and souls, not just physical bodies. By doing so, he gave a blind man the ability to see truth, where the Pharisees became blind to it. Let us make sure the Church doesn't become blind as well.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Ask questions. Don't be like the Pharisees, who were so wrapped up in their legalism they failed to recognize God. Seek to grow your faith at every opportunity. 

Further Reading

John 10 

[Judy Harder]

Overcoming the Past
by Stephen Sanders, Audio/Video Editor at Salem Web Network

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
Philippians 3:12-14

Last night, I went to a college basketball game with my wife and kids. For the first time in a really long time, I was overwhelmed with a sense of not fitting in with those around me. As we sat and waited for the game to begin, my discomfort level steadily increased with every college kid that filled that arena. The clothing trends, the blaring hip-hop music and the comradery between the students took me back to a place in time that I tend to block out. As I drove home, I couldn't help but ponder all the pressures of my teenage years.

Now don't get me wrong, I love to reminisce about the good ole days just as much as the next guy. I think we all have at least a few fond memories that cause us to close our eyes and think about the things that we really miss. For example, if you are anything like me, there will never be a better era for music than when I was in high school.

Grunge bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots were still cranking out mainstream hits. Bands like Incubus and Rage Against the Machine were at the forefront of what would soon be called the Nu Metal movement. And I was still faithfully rockin' that same green flannel shirt from middle school. Yep, those were the days...

The good memories are something that I revisit quite frequently at this point in my life. After all, I am in my 30s now, and I am getting a gray hair or two in the old beard. I even noticed the other day that I'm starting to make strange grunting noises when I sit down or stand up, like I'm in pain or something. What's up with that?!?! I also have a teenager living in my house, which never fails to take me back to all that teenage drama. My point is: it's fun to think about the fun stuff, but usually not so fun to relive the not-so-fun stuff.

For me, the not-so-fun side of high school was being the loner. Now I'm not talking about that super cool James Dean or even that Arthur Fonzarelli kind of loner/rebel. See, I was always the guy in high school who didn't really fit in with anyone; at least, I never felt like I did anyway.

It's funny because I don't tend to be that way anymore. Since I became a Christian in 2002, I feel like I've slowly become more confident in who I am. I don't tend to be so concerned about how other people perceive me, but rather try to understand that everyone has been created differently; that all we have control over is ourselves and how we choose to interact with the other 7 billion people on planet earth.

So, last night as I drove home from the game, I asked God to help me learn from what I was feeling. Why was I so uncomfortable and so bitter towards these strangers? What was it about this event that made me so judgmental towards people who I knew absolutely nothing about? It's funny because I didn't get a direct answer from God. All I can tell you is that I had a peace about what I was feeling. The sin within myself that had stunned me just a few hours prior had now been covered by the promise of my Savior. It was no more a part of my life than that hideous green flannel shirt my wife threw out years ago.

Intersecting Faith and Life: The difficult things in life, past, present of future, all pale in comparison to the joy we have found in Jesus Christ. In Philipians 4:11-13, Paul said, "...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Today, my hope is that, no matter how good or bad our circumstance is, that we choose to focus on the strength that is available to us in Christ.

For Further Reading

Philipians 3 & 4

[Judy Harder]

The Gifts of Easter
Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

"While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy." – Luke 24:51-52

My Grandfather has always been a generous man. Every Easter when I was young, he would go out to the local candy store and return with bags upon bags of candy for me and my cousins. Of course, we couldn't just eat the candy then and there. To make things more enjoyable, the children would all go into the basement to play while he and my Grandmother hid the candy in nooks and corners of the house for us to find throughout the day. The big prize in the game was always an enormous, solid chocolate bunny hidden somewhere in the house, and my grandfather loved to walk about giving vague hints as to where it might be.

To be honest though, what I loved most about my early Easters was actually what came afterward. You see, my Grandfather always bought so much candy that we kids couldn't find it all. So when our family came to visit a few weeks later, you might find a caramel egg while rummaging through the bookshelf or stumble on a bar of chocolate while playing in the study. These unexpected blessings always reminded me how much my Grandfather loved his grandchildren, and how he always spoke of God loving us. Looking back on it now, I can't help but see a resemblance between those unforeseen gifts and Christ's work through the resurrection.

Look at the verse below,   

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'" – John 20:19-23                             

One of the most amazing, wonderful messages of the gospel is that it's not over. Just like my old Easter-egg hunt, which didn't end with the capture of the giant bunny, Christ's work didn't end at the resurrection. Instead, he gave us the Holy Spirit. The unexpected gift, that continues to remind us how much he loves us, and the sacrifice he made so that we could be together again. So this year, celebrate Easter with a grateful heart, and remember the love Christ has for you.       

Intersecting Faith and Life: Take a moment to meditate of Jesus life, death, and resurrection.

Further Reading

John 20

[Judy Harder]

Deconstructing David
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

The first time I read the story of King David, it was from a small, animated Bible my parents had bought me as a boy. As I flipped through the pages of that little book, I can remember looking on David as something of a superhero. Think about it: he defeated Goliath with nothing but a sling and five stones. After that, he became King of Israel, replacing Saul, who had done a pretty terrible job to begin with. He was referred to as a man after God's own heart, and nothing could touch him.

After a while, I began to see the life of David as more of a fairytale. I still believed it to be true, but a part of me resented God for showing David so much favor. Why had his life been so perfect when the rest of us had to struggle? Why did God allow so many people to suffer pain, but always seem to step up for David? It wasn't until I was a teenager that I stumbled onto this psalm written by David:                       

"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you." – Psalms 69

Now that I'm older I realize David's life wasn't perfect; in a lot of ways it was actually pretty lousy. He was hounded by Saul for years, he lost loved ones to sickness and war, and he even committed some pretty serious sins. Being a man after God's own heart didn't mean David would be shielded from harm, and being a Christian doesn't guarantee us prosperity. The thing that made David a great man, and the thing that makes our lives as Christians meaningful, was that he never turned away from God. We will all experience trials and tribulations in our lives, but by trusting God we can overcome them.

That is how we become people after God's own heart, and in the end, that's all God really wants.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Take a moment to look past your troubles and consider what can bring you closer to God.

Further Reading

Psalm 69

[Judy Harder]

Being Quick to Listen in a World of Talk
by Mike Pohlman

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires." –James 1:19-20

We live in a world of talk. Talk, talk, talk. Speak, speak, speak. Ours is the age of talk radio (news talk, sports talk, money talk, self-help talk, car talk, I-just-want-to-talk talk), podcasts and cell phones. Everyone, it seems, wants to be heard. 

Speaking of cell phones, the other day I was in line at one of my local Starbucks and the gentleman in front of me was ordering a caramel macchiato while talking to a buddy on his iPhone. The barista was more than gracious as the customer stopped and started his order apparently not able to put his other conversation on hold (I like what one coffee house in Bellingham, Washington has done by posting a sign that says, "We'll serve you once you hang up the phone").

But it's not just at Starbucks. After arriving home recently from a business trip, I left Los Angeles International Airport in one of those shuttle vans. I shared it with seven other passengers that were making the 40 mile trip north. While most of us were quiet, preferring to read or look out the window at the sea of cars that had us moving at a crawl, there were two college-age men who had to talk. They made call after call on their cell phones to chat with friends about all the amazing things that must have happened during their several days away. I got to hear about the party later that night, the car that broke down, the lonely girlfriend and the overbearing parents. Let's just say they were conversations I didn't need to be a part of.   

We have become a culture full of talking heads regardless of where we find ourselves. And the chatter is deafening.

Into this noise come the words of James: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak. This exhortation is almost unintelligible to a culture intent on talking. We have it backwards: we are quick to speak, slow to hear.

But God would be the primary voice heard in the universe. He is the One who has much to say. He speaks, in the Bible, of the riches of His mercy in Christ. He broadcasts His forgiveness and love. He heralds the wonder of redemption. He calls us to repent and beckons us to draw near.

Am I listening?

Do you remember the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42? Luke offers us a helpful contrast in speaking and listening. Martha was frantically trying to make dinner preparations for Jesus and the disciples. I envision her running around the house uttering things under her breath like, "I can't believe Jesus is here on such short notice—not to mention all his disciples—and I have to pull this dinner together." And, "Why doesn't Mary get in here and help me?" Unlike Martha, Mary "sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching" (10:39).

Not surprisingly, Martha gets a bit frustrated at Mary's lack of effort with the event. So Martha does what we probably all would do under similar circumstances—she starts talking: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me" (10:40). We are not left to wonder which course of action Jesus commends. We see it in his gentle rebuke: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Mary was quick to listen and slow to speak. She knew when to be quiet. In a culture full of chatter I want to learn the discipline of silence so I can hear what the Lord wants to teach me. He's speaking; am I listening?

Intersecting Faith & Life: What radical measures can you take to help you listen not only to God but to other people? What things in your life are blocking out the voice of God?

Further Reading

Psalms 46:10

[Judy Harder]

The Corinthian Man-Creed
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Be on your guard, stand firm in faith, be men of courage, be strong; do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Today's verse hangs on a board on the wall of my son. But years ago, long before my son was even an inkling, I came across that verse as I was sending my own father one of many letters I composed over the years to share with him the importance of salvation, and the value of life in Christ. My sister, mother, and I came to know the Lord in 1980, but it took another 17 years, seven months, and 26 days worth of praying, heart softening, and brokenness for Dan McEvoy to surrender.

And it wasn't this letter or the above verse that pushed him into it. No, this letter I was writing simply to tell him how blessed I was to have begun dating a woman (who eventually became my wife) for whom faith came first, and I was giving God all the glory and credit and all that good stuff, and probably telling him how God delights in blessing those who trust in Him.

With the letter I enclosed a quick-and-dirty page of graphic art involving the aforementioned verse from Corinthians in some fancy font, with a clip-art picture of a sailboat, kind of as a visual aid to my letter, indicating, I suppose, what it was like for the man of God to live in this world under the Captaincy of Christ.

Well, so. After he died in 2001, I found that letter and piece of "art" in my father's desk, looking as if it had been read and glanced at often. Something in me knew then that if I were ever to have a son, I'd commit to raising him to manhood under these same five principles:

Be on your guard. Be ready, be alert. Expect God to be involved, expect Satan to attack. Let the wonder of creation still catch your eye.
Stand firm in faith. Be unmoved because you know intimately that of which you believe in. Become biblically literate.
Be a man of courage. Fear is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7), so go your way boldly. The worst that can happen – even death – still ends in victory and glory for the Christian.
Be strong. Physically, yes, let's take care of ourselves, and present our bodies as holy. But remember that the Lord is the strength of the strong (Ephesians 6:10), and that "when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Do everything in love. Here's your motivation, because he that doesn't love doesn't know God (1 John 4:, and the world shall know you by your love (John 13:35).
So when Jordan was born, and we had the dedication service at our church, that's the verse we selected to have read. When he was about two-and-a-half, he started reciting it by memory and making up arm/hand motions to go with it. We call it our "Man-Creed."

But here's the secret: these couple verses from the closing of Paul's first letter to Corinth aren't first-and-foremost for Jordan... they're for me.

When I first realized that, it caught me, ironically enough, "off my guard." I had been more than happy to tell my own father how to "be a man," and was perfectly willing to raise my son to be one according to the Word. How, I wonder, did I intend to do so without living out the credo, making it my own?

The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible comments upon the 1 Corinthians passage thusly: "[Paul] shows that they ought to make their hopes of salvation to depend not on Apollos or any other teacher; that it rests with themselves." Yes, and on how I am willing to live, or better, whether I am willing to let my life be of greater worth than my words.

I don't know about the other guys out there, but it definitely helps me to have something to live by, to recite, to write on my heart, ponder the meaning of, and connect to other scriptures as I strive to be a man after God's own heart. And it doesn't hurt that this creed I now try to follow is affecting its third generation in my family.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Allow me to recommend teaching your child – no matter how young – to recite Bible verses that reflect who they are and can be in Christ, and make it real in their lives. But while you're doing it, "be on your guard." One of them may just become your own credo.

Further Reading

Ephesians 6:10
Creed: More than Words
Why Memorize Scripture?

[Judy Harder]

Christianized Karma
by Katherine Britton

"...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..."– 1 Peter 3:15

Christians give really good hugs during trials and tragedy. As my own family has experienced recently, the body of Christ has long arms to embrace those in need, easing the burdens of bad times. The church at work offers silent – and strong – evidence of grace when we pick each other up off the ground.

Now, imagine for a moment that your community didn't provide any support during a trial. Imagine that instead of offering encouraging words and providing meals or other support after a tragedy, the whole community pulled away. Imagine if they acted like you were a disease they didn't want to catch while you shouldered the burden alone. And not only that -- they believed that your problems were your own fault, pure and simple.

That's karma at work. And it's a lonely road.

A missionary couple recently visited our church before heading to London, where they planned settle in an immigrant community that's mostly Hindu. The wife expressed her desire to see people set free from the bonds of karma. That caught my interest. I'd slipped into viewing karma through an Americanized lens, as a pseudo-Christian philosophy of reaping what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Faithfulness and selfishness often have their rewards in this life, after all, and good deeds are often repaid with a smile and expression of gratitude if nothing else. Karma may not be the full picture, but it seemed like an innocuous truism to me.

The missionary went on to describe the ugly side of karma, in which the community pulls away from its members who are suffering. Lose a job? It's a karmic effect – you must have cheated your employer or at least talked badly about him. Did you – heaven forbid – lose a child? Somehow, that's your fault too, as the universe balances out some evil you've done. If such horrible things are somehow your fault, it would also make sense for people to pull away. That's the bond of karma.

Christians rely on the promise that "all things work for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). We fight to believe that, while "no discipline seems pleasant at the time... later on it produces a harvest of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11). Like Job, we may never know the reason for our earthly suffering. But we know that, because of grace, suffering is not a quid-pro-quo retaliation for our sins. Even our suffering has been redeemed by God's grace through Christ's supreme act of love.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Unlike the Hindu system of karma and its effects, we know even our pain is used by a loving God. Because of that, we have real hope for tomorrow – because our future doesn't depend on us! No matter what trials we experience, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we are not good, God is. That's mercy, and that gives hope. Are you ready to give an answer for that hope?

[Judy Harder]

Keeping the Faith
by Carrie Dedrick, Editor, ChristianHeadlines.com

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

To the left of my computer, there sits a purple heart-shaped rock inscripted with one simple word: Faith.

This rock is nothing out of the ordinary. My husband bought it for me from Ten Thousand Villages as a birthday gift. I believe it is intended to be a paper weight, though no paper lies beneath it. It is just a rock that takes up about two square inches of space on my desk at work.

Just a few months ago, I didn't have much of the Faith that my rock reminds me of. I was searching for a job, as many Americans are, and had given up that any worthwhile company wanted to hire a young adult with a lot of passion but little experience. I had sent applications complete with thoughtful cover letters and organized resumes to about 60 organizations, without a bite.

I had never faced rejection before; success had always come naturally to me and the change was hard.

Though I was still attending church, I hadn't realize my lifelong faith had gotten lost somewhere along the way.

Looking back, it does not seem strange that I didn't notice my faith was missing from my life until after the fact. It was like losing an old favorite t-shirt. I hadn't worn it in awhile and assumed it had made its way deep into the bottom of the laundry basket; when I finally went to look, it wasn't there.

During this time, I should have reached out to God for peace and solace. Instead, I buried my feelings of incompetence and my fear of failure until they overcame my mind and I broke down in sobs that could last for hours or I uncharacteristically lashed out at my husband.

It wasn't me and I knew it. There was a turning point around this time when I knew it was time to "get help," as they say. I discovered a local Christian counseling organization and I attended a few sessions with a counselor.

During one session, my counselor looked into my eyes with sadness in her own. "Carrie," she said, "Do you know how much God loves you?"

Such a straightforward, and yet incredibly deep question startled me.

Suddenly, I understood what I was missing. It was that moment when I looked for my lost t-shirt and realized it was really gone.

I thought I knew God loved me, but I didn't really know. I mean, I have been going to church since I was a baby. You learn that God made you and loves you when you are a little kid. I'm pretty John 3:16 was my first ever Sunday school memory verse.

"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."

I've had that verse memorized for years, but when was the last time I truly thought about it?

God has such unconditional love for us that it is truly beyond our human comprehension. Do I now feel like I should have reached out to God when I was struggling? Yes. And for awhile, was I angry at myself for not seeing that God was right there with me the whole time? Definitely.

But God's love is so infinite that I should not feel like a failure as God's child because it took me awhile to see him there. I do not need to punish myself because Jesus already served as our ultimate sacrifice. Now no matter how many sins we commit in this life, God is always loving us, waiting for us to step back and realize that he never really left.

In time, I regained my faith. It was not painful or difficult to resume the relationship with my Lord that I had put on pause. Instead, it was like wrapping myself in the most warm, comfortable blanket imaginable, but I also had an overwhelming sensation of pure joy.

My whole world is changed.

Every once in awhile, I look to the left and see my purple rock. And when I do, I am reminded that every day, every hour, minute and second of my life, I am not alone. God is with me. Always. Forever. Amen.

Intersecting Faith and Life: When have you been so distracted by your life that you have forgotten that God gave you the gift of life? What can you do to renew your faith?

Further Reading
Romans 8:35-39

[Judy Harder]

High Infidelity
by Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"...you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."

Romans 7:4 NASB

Usually, we think of "having faith" as simply "trusting, believing." And while that is true, it can be incomplete if we forget that, as Christians, we are also joined to Christ as our Bridegroom. In other words, there is a real relationship with Him—the living Christ—that is at stake. It is not just a matter of possessing correct content of what we believe about the person and work of Christ. And although we never have a legitimate cause to do so, we often break faith with and betray our faithful Bridegroom.

Francis Schaeffer talks about this in chapter seven of True Spirituality where we continue our journey with him this week. Citing the passage above, he notes that since we have been rescued from the tyranny of the devil and placed safely in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ—we are now positioned to bring forth His fruit.

Schaeffer expands upon the simple, yet remarkably powerful word picture in Romans 7:1-4 to make the point plain:

"Imagine a married couple both of the one color of skin. Suddenly the wife brings forth a child clearly of another race [sic]. All the world would know that she has been unfaithful to her proper mate. So it is with us."

When we do not bring forth His fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (per Galatians 5:19)—but bring forth immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these (Galatians 5:19), it is because we have broken faith with Him and are in the state of infidelity of the highest order.

What generally causes us to distrust Christ and leads us to break faith with Him and run to the arms of another is the fact that we often think that we have a better way. We think that, somehow, God really doesn't have our best interests at heart. I know for me, personally, this happens mostly when I am "Law-minded" in a way that discounts or obscures the gospel. One writer, Milton Vincent, in his a gospel primer for christians provides a helpful counter to this erroneous and sinful way of thinking (p. 18):

"...when I begin my train of thought with the gospel, I realize that if God loved me enough to sacrifice His Son's life for me, then He must be guided by that same love when He speaks His commandments to me. Viewing God's commands and prohibitions in this light, I can see them for what they really are: friendly signposts from a heavenly Father who is seeking to love me through each directive, so that I might experience His very fullness forever." (see Deut. 5:29)

Not only are they friendly signposts, they are friendly love letters from our faithful Bridegroom who has done nothing to warrant our distrust. By His life-giving Spirit, He is actively seeking to love us and bring forth His fruit in us today. What is the state of your union with Him?

Intersecting Faith & Life: In light of today's devotional, contemplate afresh Schaeffer's summary of the life of faith: "The how of the Christian life is the power of the crucified and risen Lord, through the agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, by faith moment by moment."

For Further Prayer & Study:
If repentance for spiritual infidelity is in order, reflect on Isaiah 30:15 "Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, 'In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'" For further study, read Romans 6:1.