Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

December 7, 2009

When the Fog Settles In
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction,
that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4


One of my favorite scenes in children's literature can be found in one of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy.

It occurs well into the story, when the main character -- an orphaned boy named Shasta - has endured many battles and adventures with his talking horse companion by his side. Now he arrives at a part in the journey where he must travel alone in order to warn a neighboring kingdom of impending attack. As he travels in the wilderness, fog settles in.

As the fog thickens into opaque clouds, Shasta suddenly senses another presence walking beside him. Heavy breathing, large paws...a lion is within inches of him and his common horse. Paralyzed with terror, the boy rides on for quite some time, awaiting his tragic end. Finally, the wait becomes too agonizing, and he cries out to the presence, demanding to know who it is and why he's there. What follows is a beautiful conversation between Shasta and King Aslan - who has been anxious to speak with him for some time.

But it doesn't end there. As Shasta reaches Archenland, he is able to complete his mission, and the reader sighs in relief. But when he looks back at the path he traveled, he is stunned to see what the fog concealed - a narrow and treacherous mountain pass with deadly cliffs on one side. Only then does it become clear to Shasta and the reader that Aslan's presence and encouraging words quite literally saved Shasta's life.

I may be young, but I know this journey. I know what it's like to look down a winding path that seems to stretch endlessly into murkiness. I know what it's like to feel alone, afraid, and confused and you probably do too. You question if you'll have the endurance to see the trial through, to make it to your destination.

We obviously don't have a Narnian lion to converse with and walk beside us when life gets tough (wouldn't that be nice?). But God does walk with us and speak to us in the real world, even when the road feels lonely and frightening.

In this second Advent reading, we see God gave us His Word as a source of hope and encouragement. He has not left us alone here, blind and fumbling through the fog. He has words of wisdom He is anxious to share with you.

God also reveals his steadfast and encouraging nature through fellow believers. The second part of the verse above reads: "May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus" (v. 5). I can't count the times I have received invaluable support during a difficult stretch from another believer's wisdom or love

Intersecting Faith & Life: Even when we feel alone, we aren't. If you're struggling, make time to find God in His Word and in the fellowship of other believers. If you're joyful, what ways can you reach out to someone who is going through a trial this holiday season?

Further Reading

Exodus 34:6
Hebrews 10:36
What Does God Sound Like?

[Judy Harder]

December 8, 2009

Forgive the Neighborhood Bullies?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
Matthew 6:12

My family is blessed to live on a cul-de-sac where our seven-year-old boy freely rides his bike and plays for hours without having to contend with busy traffic. The contention he faces most often is unfortunately the unkind words and actions of the other boys around the block.


Knowing that our little guy isn't perfect, my wife asked our son after one recent occurrence if he had done anything to provoke the attack. "No, mom" he replied as he held the little spot on the side of his head where a hardened dirt clod missile had made impact just a few moments earlier. "He's just mean. I'm never playing with him again." She commended him for walking away from the fray instead of taking matters into his own hands—an impulse which generally tends to make matters worse.

While we have tried to help our son (and ourselves) understand that we live in a sinful world in which things like this happen, we still struggle to respond in a way that demonstrates the grace of the Lord to neighbors He has called us to reach. One habit that seems to bring about the right change in our hearts is to talk to the Lord about it as a family during nightly prayers. We often close our time reciting "the Lord's prayer," which gently reminds us of our own sins as we say the line: "...and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

Thomas Watson, the great Cambridge scholar and Puritan preacher from the 1600s, wrote commenting on that phrase (in Matthew 6:12) "We are not bound to trust an enemy; but we are bound to forgive him." (Body of Divinity, p. 734).  Going further (p. 734), he asks: "When do we forgive others?"

Answer: "When we strive against all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemies mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to relieve them--this is gospel forgiving."

Watson, being the biblical scholar that he was, did not derive his answer from thin air. Each part of it comes straight from Scripture:

Resist thoughts of revenge: Romans 12:19, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
Don't seek to do them mischief: 1 Thessalonians 5:15, "See that no one repays another with evil for evil..."
Wish well to them: Luke 6:28, "Bless those who curse you."
Grieve at their calamities: Proverbs 24:17, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles."
Pray for them: Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."
Seek reconciliation with them: Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."
Be always willing to come to their relief: Exodus 23:4, "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him."

Today, there was peace in the neighborhood. All the boys were getting along again climbing up the tree fort and playing on the rope swing in our backyard. This side of heaven, our battle with unforgiveness may continue to wage; but Watson's biblical counsel and God's grace form the right strategy of gospel forgiving.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

In what situations are you tempted to harbor unforgiveness?

How does God look upon unforgiveness? (read Matthew 6:15).

Is there a situation in your life today in which you can apply "gospel forgiving?"

Further Reading

Psalm 73

Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer

[Judy Harder]

December 9, 2009

An Eternal Moment
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." - John 1:1-2

The very concept of time fascinates me. Add the prospect of eternity, and I get as dizzy as anyone. Still, I can't help contemplating the mysteries of my little life running parallel to a greater human history, running parallel to a universe that doesn't measure time in rotations of the earth but by the speed of light. And then - no longer running parallel to, but encompassing that straight line of history into some greater sphere - comes eternity. Or rather, there is eternity. Or will be. Or... well, you can see why my head starts hurting when I try to visualize this mystery.

A lot of my fascination with time and eternity centers on the eternal God (Isaiah 26:4) who allowed himself to be constrained by that which he had created - time. The tangled and complex poetry of T. S. Eliot best expresses my fascination with the Incarnation:

"Then came, at a predetermined moment, a moment in time and of time,
A moment not out of time, but in time, in what we call history: transecting, bisecting the world of time, a moment in time but not like a moment of time,
A moment in time but time was made through that moment: for without the meaning there is no time, and that moment of time gave the meaning." (from "The Rock, VII")

Consider that last line again: "... time was made through that moment: for without the meaning there is no time, and that moment of time gave the meaning." The first step of redemption began when the Jesus, who was "with God in the beginning," stepped into time and allowed himself to be bound by it for a time.

I wonder if that act of limiting himself was how he began to enter into our suffering with us. He stepped into a world where the end point is death, and after that - a meaningless eternity away from any outside purpose. It took divine intervention - a breath of eternity - to change that.

As I ponder these high and lofty mysteries that go way beyond my comprehension (Psalm 139:6), it's tempting to let my head run away in the clouds with no practical application. But Ephesians says something very different:

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16)

There is a parallel from eternity to our days. Christ provided time with meaning, and modeled what it means to "redeem time" quite literally. All of the prophets and apostles lived with the light of eternity in their eyes, and that made their days all the more valuable. Instead of dropping off into nothingness away from God, we are galloping toward the moment when time becomes so full of meaning that it bursts into eternity. Let's follow their example, shall we?

Intersection of Faith & Life: How do you treat your time? Do you use it wisely, deliberately, for a purpose? Or do you still treat it as if it has no value? A former professor once said that leisure time is important because it shows us where our hearts are, and what we value most. What does your leisure time say about you? Make a commitment with me to live deliberately this coming year, in the joy of what Christ has done for all time.

Further Reading:

Ecclesiastes 3:9-14
Eternal Instants
A Supernatural Faith

[Judy Harder]

December 10, 2009

Peace on Earth?
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7


Our Adult Bible Fellowship class just finished a study of Rick Warren's The Purpose of Christmas. First, I'd like to tell you that I highly recommend this material, especially the DVD for families or groups who will have Christmas visitors. It's easy to watch and delightful to follow as Pastor Warren - as always - delivers the gospel in such a warm and welcoming manner.

But speaking of the angst and dis-ease in the world, here is one of the claims Warren makes in Part 3 of The Purpose of Christmas DVD:

"There will never be peace in the world until there is peace in nations.
There will never be peace in nations until there is peace in communities.
There will never be peace in communities until there is peace in families.
There will never be peace in families until there is peace in individuals.
And there will never be peace in individuals until we invite the Prince of Peace to reign in our hearts.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace."

I think he's right. One criticism unbelievers often have about Christ is that if he was supposed to bring peace, why do we have wars, why is there strife? The answer, as well as the question, is summed up in Warren's quote above.

But one question remains - how to achieve peace? The angel did say, after all, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). Yet the world is in conflict! What to do? Do we need Compromise? Tolerance? Conquest?

None of the above. We need Reconciliation, the catalyst of peace.

Warren's DVD cites 3 kinds of peace that begin with a person reconciling their sin with God, which can only be done through Christ:

Peace WITH God, which is Spiritual peace, and brings...
Peace OF God, which is Emotional peace, and fosters...
Peace WITH OTHERS, which is Relational peace.
Interesting how that works - from the inside out. It's something we all know about the peace Christ brought, but perhaps we don't always feel or apply.

That's why today's verse struck me in a new and interesting way today. Not only is God's peace mind-boggling ("beyond comprehension"), and calmly assuring (minds and hearts at rest), but it is also its own gate-keeper.

That's right. Paul writes here that such peace - once reconciliation is achieved - serves as the very GUARD against the agents and circumstances of unrest. That's a pretty amazing thing when the very bridge you hope to erect is self-sustaining and the very wall you seek to build is self-defending!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Follow Paul's charge to young Timothy, and "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. 2:22). Start with reading the verses below. Merry Christmas! Peace on Earth, good will toward men!

Further Reading

Hebrews 12:14
1 Thessalonians 5:13
Psalm 34:14

[Judy Harder]

December 11, 2009

Tell Your Story
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

"Everyone has a story to tell."

I have heard, seen and read this statement many times in the past year. In the pulpit, in books and on-screen. 

On of those times was in the over-the-top movie Australia, the Baz Luhrmann epic starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Jackman's character, Drover, says this in reference to the process of finding out who you are. He implies that in order to have a story, you have to live, take risks and discover what makes you YOU. 

Our stories are what we share with others. And to them we say:  "This is my story.  This is who I am."

I also have heard a pastor reference our individual stories at church during a sermon series. In his case, though, he discussed the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20 and what story they had to tell:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The shepherds sought what they had heard about. They wanted to discover more about this baby, this Christ. And when they did, they didn't sit on what they had experienced. They didn't keep their story hidden from their daily lives or in their interactions with others.

No, they LIVED this story! They were "glorifying" and "praising" God for what they had heard and seen. The greatest story ever told had now become their story.

I was really challenged while hearing the pastor preach through this passage in Luke, because I have a story, too. When I was three years old, my life took an entirely new direction. It was then that I understood what Christ had done for me. I accepted him into my life, and he took over and began writing my story. He is the author of my life, and it is he who has made it more satisfying than I could have ever imagined.

Each day, you and I have the opportunity to share the stories of our lives with others. If we have given our lives to Christ, then we must tell them that Jesus is Lord. He is the One, the Savior, the Divine Rescuer! And this is why we celebrate his coming to earth. It is Good News! And as we surrender to him, we yield our lives so that he may write our stories.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Choose one person with whom you will share your story this weekend or sometime this month. Schedule a time over coffee or a meal when you can meet and speak from your heart. Tell him or her what makes you YOU and what Christ has done in your life's story.

Further Reading:

Mark 16:15

1 Timothy 1:8-10

[Judy Harder]

December 14, 2009

Rejoice!
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor


I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. Isaiah 61: 10


"Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel / nascetur pro te, Israel." (English translation: "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel / Shall come to thee, O Israel.")

I've been privileged to be a part of two weddings this month. One occurred last weekend and the other will take place this coming weekend. These weddings hold a particular joy for me not only because all four individuals are my friends, but also because each spouse gave their hearts to God before they ever gave their hearts to one another. Their marriages are truly callings from above, and I am excited about their futures.

Surprisingly, the typical hubbub surrounding wedding preparations has not detracted from my holiday season but added a new layer of meaning. There is much I have learned from the joyful anticipation of planning a wedding that applies to our anticipation of welcoming our Savior on Christmas day.

My friends do not have perfect lives or perfect circumstances. Both faced frightening and unexpected medical emergencies, and both couples endured periods of unemployment during their engagements. On top of these major hurtles, they also tackled the normal challenges that come with uniting two lives. Both couples weathered the ups and downs of dating. Both attended intense spiritual retreats and prayed over their life-altering decisions. Both tried on countless wedding garments, stressed over guest lists, and fought over finances.

But both couples glowed with an unquenchable joy throughout the process. They knew these hardships were worth it, and would ultimately be used by God for good. They had confidence their joyful wedding days would come, and they lived accordingly. They also maintained faith that they could overcome any trials their future married lives might hold. They oriented their days of preparation around the "Big Day," taking great care to be ready to enter into a profound union.

As believers, we too are anticipating a profound union. This past Sunday, our pastor pointed out that Jesus' arrival as a vulnerable baby was a marriage between divinity and humanity, a day when "the two became one." On the first Christmas, Christ's sanctifying presence built a bridge between a sinful world and a holy God, opening the door for you and I to become part of His family.

As we prepare to celebrate that momentous occasion, we also look to the future when an even greater marriage will take place: Christ's second coming. Scripture refers to this day as the great wedding feast of the Lamb, when Christ, the Bridegroom, comes for His Bride, the Church, never to be separated from us again. Death, sorrow, and sin shall be no more.

From start to finish, the Bible tells the greatest love story of all time: the love of God for His people. The truth of God's unfailing, eternal love for us - greater than any earthly spouse -- should fill us to the brim with joy.

The big question remains -- do our lives reflect joyful preparation for the "Big Day?" Or have distractions, life circumstances, or despair diverted us away from God's profound love ?


Intersecting Faith & Life: This past Sunday was the "pink" Sunday of Advent, traditionally called Gaudete Sunday. Gaude is Latin for the word rejoice, found throughout Scripture. Set aside any unnecessary holiday preparations this week that sap you of your joy in Christ and replace them with preparations that focus on the truth of Christmas.

Further Reading


Is 61:1-2a, 10-11
Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54.
1 Thes 5:16-24

Jn 1:6-8, 19-28

[Judy Harder]

December 15, 2009

Francis Schaeffer and the Struggle for Spiritual Reality
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...be filled with the Spirit... singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always
and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:18-20 ESV

Among the unread good books I've had sitting on my bookshelves for years there is one five-volume set that recently seems to be calling out: "When are you finally going to make time to really read me?" Yes, I partially read The God Who Is There some ten years ago. And I've dipped into True Spirituality here and there as well as The Mark of the Christian, Art and the Bible, and How Shall We Then Live? But I've never actually sat down and given the five-volume set: The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer the comprehensive reading it deserves.

I don't like to be rude to anyone, and particularly not to people offering good things. But I feel that I've been rather rude to Dr. Schaeffer since buying his complete works some years ago. It's as if I've been keeping this prominent thinker standing at my doorstep, patiently waiting for me to journey with him closer to the heart of God while I run off to another urgent meeting.

For those not familiar with this man, a helpful overview can be found here. A recent, very interesting biography can be found here. In short, roughly fifty-five years ago, Francis and Edith Schaeffer began a ministry in the Swiss Alps called L'abri (French for "the shelter"), which was and still is greatly used to bring many to God. The ripple effects from their life and ministry will certainly be felt throughout the world for generations to come, especially in light of the rich contributions to Christian thought and life being produced by the alumni of L'abri (case in point, Nancy Pearcey's Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity).

What was attractive about the Schaeffers?
Part of what attracted people to the Schaeffers and what attracts me as well is the authenticity with which they were reputed to have lived. A deep and abiding spiritual reality was apparently present in their everyday lives that others attested to again and again.

One who spent extensive time with the Schaeffers is Professor Jerram Barrs who served for 16 years as director of the L'Abri Fellowship in England. Barrs' long and close association with Dr. Francis Schaeffer gives him a unique perspective as director of Covenant Seminary's Francis A. Schaeffer Institute. According to Jerram Barrs' free online lectures about the Schaeffers, which I've been listening to over the past several months,

"[They] sensed a tremendous urgency for prayer and they acted on this urgency as if it mattered, as if it would make a difference in history... they saw real answers to prayer and the power of God seemed to rest on them in perceivable ways—both small and large—every day..."

Author Cal Thomas endorsed Schaeffer's posthumously published The Finished Work of Christ: The Truth of Romans 1-8 (©1998 Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois): "[They] was God's gift to a generation of doubters and questioners. The power of his mind and the greater power of God's Spirit in him continue to draw thinking men and women, not to religion, but to Jesus Christ" (italics added).

This spiritual reality in their lives might never have happened apart from crisis.

In True Spirituality, Dr. Schaeffer explains that the spiritual reality at the core of their lives and ministry would not have come about if there had not been a great time of crisis first. Prior to the time that L'abri began, Francis went through a period lasting several months during which he resolved to honestly work through a problem he could no longer ignore. The problem was the disturbing disparity he saw in himself between the large amount of Bible data he claimed to believe and the lack of genuine spiritual joy in his life on a daily basis.

Over those months as he walked in the mountains, Francis rethought his reasons for being a Christian and at last

"...saw again that there were totally sufficient reasons to know that the infinite-personal God does exist and that Christianity is true.

"In going further, I saw something else which made a profound difference in my life. I searched through what the Bible said concerning reality as a Christian. Gradually, I saw that the problem was that with all the teaching I had received after I was a Christian, I had heard little about what the Bible says about the meaning of the finished work of Christ for our present lives.

"Gradually the sun came out and the song came. Interestingly enough, although I had written no poetry for many years, in that time of joy and song I found poetry beginning to flow again—poetry of certainty, an affirmation of life, thanksgiving, and praise. Admittedly, as poetry it is very poor, but it expressed a song in my heart which was wonderful to me."

(from True Spirituality, p. 196 in The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, vol. 3 © 1982 Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois).

That time of crisis served to settle the issue of spiritual reality for the Schaeffers. Francis saw and believed that the finished work of Christ really is the source of the Christian's life. He grew deeply convinced that the Christian life is not just about conversion, but about moment-by-moment living out of the grace of God today, in the present by the power of the Holy Spirit.

What if the Holy Spirit and prayer were removed from the Bible?
A significant and challenging question that Francis thought long and hard about came up in conversation one day with his wife Edith (she later recounted the words on p. 356 of her book, The Tapestry)...

"I wonder what would happen to most of our churches and Christian work if we woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible?

I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?"   

How much difference would it make? Personally, I find this extremely convicting to think about as a pastor of worship who can all too easily become consumed with selecting and arranging songs, and with sorting out musicians' schedules and running rehearsals. As a music team, we open and close our times together in a time of prayer as a matter of course. But there seems to be too great a tendency (in me, at least) to forget the mindset of being dependent on Christ amid all the busyness of pulling together the details of an upcoming church service. I want the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to be obvious and necessary and truly central in my life and in our church's gatherings. Since this was a hallmark of the Schaeffers, can it not become mine as well?

Long walks in the Alps with Francis:
I was a high school sophomore when Dr. Francis Schaeffer died (May 15, 1984), so I never would've had the opportunity to be personally mentored by him. But Schaeffer's convicting question rings down fifty-five years later and calls me away from sporadic dependence on the Holy Spirit. At the same time, it kindles my interest to learn from one whose life exuded spiritual reality. Here, at my fingertips, I have the opportunity to be drawn into a living dialogue with someone who can help me if I will just listen.

So by God's grace, I embark on this intentional journey through the complete works of Francis Schaeffer. It's a daunting mountain of words, but a climb that has inspired thousands and should continue to inspire countless others. Will you be one of them? If you care to come along, please join us on Tuesdays here at Crosswalk the Devotional beginning with True Spirituality on January 5, 2010. We begin there because in Schaeffer's own words: "This book was published after a number of the others, but in a certain sense it should have been first. Without the material in this book, there would have been no L'abri."

The first step of our Tuesday expeditions begin 1/5/2010 with chapter one of True Sprituality "The Law and the Law of Love." I hope to see you then.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
What would happen to your life and Christian work if you woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. How much difference it would make in the way that you live your life?

Is there anyone who knows you well who would testify of the presence of spiritual reality in your life? What evidence might they give?

Spend as much time as you need to rethink through the reasons why you became a Christian. Reflect on what it means to have an authentic relationship with the infinite-personal God who is there.

Further Reading
John 6:68
Ephesians 4:17-32
Ephesians 5:1-21
Psalm 16

[Judy Harder]

December 16, 2009

A Revealed Savior
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

I wish I could ask the Magi what it was like after they returned to their homeland. After watching the skies for years, journeying for weeks, and seeing Jesus with their own eyes, how did they return to the life they once knew? Did they ever hear about the rest of the Jesus's life? Did they realize the Jew who was killed on the tree was the same child to whom they offered gifts befitting a king? Did they understand that his birth was a precursor to a far greater event?

We don't know much with certainty about these men. They brought three gifts—gold, incense, and myrrh—but there may have been dozens of Magi who went on that journey. These wise men were certainly Gentiles, probably from Persia. They acted as something close to astrologer-priests in their homeland, we think, marking the movements of the heavens to find out its impact on man. Judging by their gifts and their titles, their status and wealth came close to royalty.

Now consider what we definitely know about them: these Magi considered it worth their time, efforts, riches, and worship to come worship at a Bethlehem house.

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." - Matthew 2:10-11

These pagans searched for the Messiah as no one else did. Their adventure is an extraordinary tale of God's grace mixed with man's hunger, as they followed the star God set up in the heavens with a single-minded devotion. They were on a search for God, who had given them the signs to find him. I think these men, who knew so much less than I do about the Messiah, sought him harder than I ever have.

Consider Matthew Henry's commentary on what transpired:

"They might have said, 'If such a prince be born, we shall hear of him shortly in our own country, and it will be time enough then to pay our homage to him.' But so impatient were they to be better acquainted with him, that they took a long journey on purpose to enquire after him. Note, Those who truly desire to know Christ, and find him, will not regard pains or perils in seeking after him."

Personally, I don't think the Magi were ever the same after their encounter in the Bethlehem house. They invested themselves to finding the King of the Jews, and he revealed himself to them. I think all other stars must have paled in comparison.

Intersection of Faith & Life: Like the psalmist sings, the "heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm to each one of us. Those signs are God calling us to seek him with our whole heart, so he can reveal himself to us more and more. This Christmas season, I want to follow the Magi's example. I want to find the mystery of the Gospel so incredible that I pursue it with all my heart, and all my strength, and all my soul. I pray this mystery captivates your heart this Christmas!

Further Reading:

Matthew 2
Why Did the Wise Men Search for Jesus?

[Judy Harder]

December 17, 2009

Care Casting
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7, KJV

Peter was a fisherman. It's little stretch to imagine that his livelihood affected his ministry and his writings. At least, that's what I notice when I read one of his most-quoted verses, the one about "casting" our cares.

The word Peter uses here for "cast" is a less-usual one. The only other time the word epirrhipto is used in the New Testament is in Luke 19:35: "they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon." Epirrhipto means "to throw upon, or place upon."

Keep that in mind now as you imagine...

You are Peter. You're in a boat, afloat upon a vast body of water. Your method of fishing is not the rod-and-reel. Instead, you have this tangled, twisted mass that is your net. It's heavy, burdensome. Hard to work by yourself. Even so, you take this soggy, cumbersome thing... and you fling it away from you. Give it up. Let it fall trustingly upon the sea. Leave it to Providence.

The net represents your "cares," your anxieties... whatever is weighing you down. Don't carry it in your boat; that's not what it's for. Believe it or not, it has a purpose. That is, your own twisted mass of cares exists for the sole reason of trusting it to the very mighty arms that are supporting you.

And what happens then?

Well, let's check in on those cares. Go ahead, haul up the net. Chances are, it may just be full of fish. Has the simple act of tossing away your cares brought an abundance back upon you? Did humbly offering your net up to the one keeping you afloat bring back a yield of met needs? What would have happened if you had kept hold of that heavy mass and fretted over it yourself in your little boat? Yeah, nothing.

What's got you in a tangle? Finances? Marriage? Singleness? A dried-up spiritual life? All of the above?

Let it be so. Take that twisted thing from off your shoulders and huck it out upon the sea. You can trust God. This is your act of submission, surrender. Peter tells us this is a path of humility. Admit that all your net-mending isn't doing a thing to bring in any fish, you fisher of men. So really chuck it out there. Let it land "upon Him. And don't even ask why, because Peter tells us why: God cares for you. You are His own "care." He will bear you up for His own purposes.

And when He calls you to check in on those cares again, just be prepared for what comes to the surface.

The very things that entangle may become a snare for blessing and sustinence instead when given to the Lord.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you ever handled a real fisherman's net? I haven't, but I intend to get my hands on one and see just how big, mended, and heavy it is. To see how it works. To ask how one knows where to set it down in the water, and how many fish it can bring up. Make a net of your own cares and anxieties and physically fling it out upon God's ocean of grace.

Further Reading

Getting Acquainted with Peter

[Judy Harder]

 

The Devotional
 
December 18, 2009

Is It Really the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

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.

Isaiah 9:2

My birthday was earlier this month, and then Christmas is just next week.  So, like the song says, it should be "the most wonderful time of the year."  Right?

Well, it's not.  In fact, right now it stinks.

For starters, at the beginning of this week I had to turn off the news.  I just couldn't take it anymore, and the state of the world, the downward spiral of politics, the pervasive greed and corruption of society and the indiscretions of public figures were just upsetting me too much.  So I filled my thoughts with Christmas music instead.

But initially, even that didn't help as much as you'd think.  Nor when I performed in a few evening Christmas concerts with a civic chorus, and we did indeed sing the Andy Williams classic:  "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"... 

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all ...

Those are nice sentiments and all, but it's just fluff.  Really.  So I scoffed at them as I was singing.  What about the real-life, bring-you-to-your-knees situations that are happening beyond the parties, the hosting and the ridiculous marshmallow toasting?  How wonderful is that?

I thought of a friend who'd just received word that a much-hoped-for job opportunity would not be going through as planned.  I thought of others who are undergoing physical ailments—some who have a long way's to go (though healing is in sight) and then others who don't yet know what their diagnoses will be.

I thought of a family in which ongoing adultery has just now come to the fore and is threatening to tear a long-standing, influential marriage apart.  And then still another who are now facing difficult obstacles in an adoption process that's underway overseas.

No, on the outset this is not the most wonderful time of year for any of these friends.  In many cases, it's heartbreaking, painful and hopeless.  More like the opening scene of "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" ...

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago

That depicts the chill of life right now for many of us who are down in the valley.  For those who feel no warmth.  For those who are in the shadow of death.

But then, the carol takes a hopeful turn ...

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain:
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty
Jesus Christ

In the midst of the "bleak mid-winter" circumstances of the world, a child was born.  The son of God.  Born to a virgin.  In a lowly manger.  What an unbelievable, miraculous and supernatural event that broke through!  The world would never be the same.  Love had come.

Lyrics such as these have helped me try to focus on Truth and not on the bad news and difficult life circumstances this week.  I've reminded myself that the only way to know what is truly "wonderful" about this season is to continually give myself over to God who, because of the gift of his Son, is now with us.  In him alone, do we find our peace, our hope and our eternal rest.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulder.  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.  He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Intersecting Faith & Life:  You may feel less than wonderful today, and your situation may seem bleak.  If you feel like you have nothing left to give, you can still give what you do have:  your heart.  A Savior was born for YOU.  Immanuel.  God with us.

Further Reading:

"Love Came Down at Christmas"
Words:  Christina Rossetti, 1885
Music:  Irish melody

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.