Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

December 21, 2009

"Blessed are you among women!"

Sarah Jennings, Family Editor Crosswalk.com

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to the city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
Luke 1: 39 - 45,

You don't need me to tell you Christmas is fast approaching. Less than a week remains to prepare for the big day. Chances are, you're rushing around trying to get last minute errands completed. I have a mental list of "must do's" running through my own head.

So as I read this gospel for the final Sunday of Advent, I am struck by how Mary prepared for Christ's coming.  Mary received the biggest news of human history, the coming of the Messiah (through her!?), and what does she do? Mary sets aside her own agenda and "went with haste" to visit her cousin Elizabeth. At this point, Elizabeth's pregnancy is entering the final trimester and no doubt this older mother is tired and in need of assistance.

I imagine Mary must have had a lot of thoughts running through her head on the way to Judah. "Is Elizabeth really pregnant in her old age? She must be... but really? And how am I going to explain my situation to Elizabeth? Will she believe me?"

Mary's arrival is one of those great moments in history - a moment that reverberates throughout the ages that follow. This simple story of two pregnant women meeting carries so many implications. Some of the themes that stick out to me include:

1.     Mary's faith. Mary was obedient to God and put faith in him. She set aside her own comfort and questions to help Elizabeth. Mary's virtue shines through here, and God throws in a little reward - a miraculous and joyful greeting from Elizabeth.

2.     Elizabeth's selflessness. Elizabeth's news is a pretty big deal. Her husband receives a vision from an angel and she conceives in her old age after years of waiting. Yet, her first response focuses not on her big news, but on Mary's. This reveals Elizabeth's virtue and also adds emphasis to the reality that Mary's news holds even more profound implications for humanity than Elizabeth's miracle.

3.     The humanity of the unborn. In those days, pregnant women didn't enjoy the luxury of ultrasound technology. Yet, God makes the humanity of these little ones very clear here. Elizabeth exclaims, "And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Elizabeth refers to Mary as "mother" in the present tense and she refers to the growing baby inside of Mary (who probably wasn't even showing yet) with his proper title:  Lord. God was "with us" the moment Mary conceived, and even the unborn John the Baptist recognized this!

4.     God works through fellow human beings. God could have found any number of ways to communicate his message that day. He chose to speak through Elizabeth and John and the communion between Mary and Elizabeth. He also brought help to Elizabeth during her last trimester through Mary and comfort to the newly pregnant Mary through Elizabeth.

5.     God's love for women. How can there be any doubt that God has a special place in his heart for the fairer sex after reading of Mary and Elizabeth's stories? God could have arrived on earth in any form he chose... and while the rest of the world remained ignorant, two women basked in the presence and knowledge of the Lord.

I am sure great theologians can extract even more from this story, but I'll leave it here for today. As your schedule ramps up in these final days of Advent, imitate Mary who "treasured up" the mysteries revealed to her and "pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2: 19)

Intersecting Faith & Life:  How is God present in your life this holiday season? Think of the little ways God makes his presence known and brings you comfort and joy even in the midst of trials.

Further Reading

Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Hebrews 10:5-10
Women of Advent and Christmas: Elizabeth
Women of Advent and Christmas: Mary, Not Just a Womb

[Judy Harder]

December 22, 2009

Not What You Wanted?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?"
James 4:1

One segment of a recent holiday edition of the TV show "America's Funniest Home Videos" contained a montage of children opening presents on Christmas morning. My family sat together and endured clip after clip of responses that were just, well... downright childish. Apparently, the humor of receiving an unwanted gift is lost on most small children.

As soon as the ribbons and wrapping paper were torn off, a child now holding an unwrapped pair of socks threw her head back and erupted in uncontrollable sobs. A matching outfit given to another child produced an angry tantrum across the floor followed by stomping footsteps up the stairs. Other children glowered with sullen frowns and snarls. Some screamed and hurled the unwanted gifts back in the faces of the givers.

At the end of the dismal display of immaturity and ingratitude came a bright ray of hope as a little brown-haired girl in pink pajamas ecstatically jumped up and down with glee. She held in her hands a tiny chestnut and spun around to the camera exclaiming, "A nut! A nut! I got a nut! I don't know what kind it is, but I got a nut!"

James 4:1-6 says that sinful responses erupt from hearts that are controlled by overwhelming desires. They don't have to be sinful desires necessarily. The degree to which "harmless" desires become sinful is shown by what happens when things don't turn out as you hoped or expected. Whether it is irritability, or an angry tantrum or a sulking frown; sinful responses show that something in the heart has replaced God.

Notice verse 1 where James asks the question (paraphrasing), "Why are you so upset? What's the real problem in your heart?" And then he answers with divine wisdom, "I'll tell you what the matter is: it's your pleasures—your desires—that are waging war within you. And the result is sinful fights and quarrels."

Certainly, there's nothing inherently sinful about simply having desires in life. God created us to have desires. There are many good things to desire in life: having adequate food, clothing and shelter, having a happy marriage, getting a promotion at work, buying a nice car. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of desires... nothing inherently wrong, that is.

The problems come when, in our hearts, those desires turn into something else. The word translated as "lust" in verse 2 is actually "desire" with the added element of "strong craving." Epithumeo is not a word that necessarily means "lust" in the sexual sense. The idea conveyed in the original text is "you are controlled by desire." In other words, some desire—perhaps, even for a good thing—has gotten so wrapped around your heart, that it has become more important than God to you.

Whenever this happens, the result is sinful behavior. And the sin of the heart that must be confessed first in cases like this is no less than the sin of idolatry. False worship occurs whenever worship of the true God is replaced with the god of "my way."

What a peaceful contrast is painted in verse 6. God gives grace to the humble. That is, those who humbly submit their desires to God and trust Him as the sovereign provider of needs are given grace. Grace here is the desire and ability to obey God and respond in a way that pleases Him. Such recipients of grace are able, then, to deal with whatever happens—whether the present under the tree is a pair of socks, a cool skateboard, the keys to a new car, or a tiny chestnut.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Does your situation today resemble what you expected or wanted in life? What is your response to this?

Think back to a recent outburst of anger, or incident in which you showed irritability. Trace it back to the unfulfilled desire that had control of your heart. What was it that you wanted?

Ask God to reveal any desires seeking to control your heart so that you can humbly submit them to Him and release them to His sovereign care. Repent of any lingering idolatry. Ask Him for grace to deal with whatever happens. Trust Him to provide for your needs.

Further Reading & Listening

Isaiah 40:12-31         

Listen to an example of what humility sounds like here
(Indelible Grace Acoustic "By Thy Mercy")

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer

[Judy Harder]

December 23, 2009

A Big Christmas
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.'" - Isaiah 12:4-5

My felt Advent tree gains one velcro ornament each day until Christmas. I love this new calendar, because each unique ornament tells a little bit more about the story of redemption from Genesis onward. A grey felt heart stands for the Fall into sin. A beaded crown reminds of the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor foretold in Isaiah. A fuzzy lamb represents John the Baptist's announcement of Christ's purpose.

The calendar is paired with devotional readings for children, which have surprised me in their simplicity and breadth. Like the ornaments, these readings tell a continuing story, in which Christ's life is not the beginning or the end, but the event that makes sense out of both. With this bigger context, an otherwise chaotic history becomes simple enough that a child can understand.

How often do we take time to contemplate the magnitude of this story, which began in the Garden of Eden and won't finish until Christ's second coming?

I think my Christmas cheer is too often confined to the stable. To use a loose analogy, I'm a bit like the dwarves in C. S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," who convince themselves that their dingy stable-prison could not possibly hold the miracle of a whole new Narnia. And so, the dwarves get left behind in their imaginary confinement with nothing to celebrate when everyone else begins to explore the beautiful new world. Like the dwarves, I can put my little Christmas story in a little room, and forget to see the whole miracle of redemption.

Sunday's sermon about Herod's massacre in Bethlehem reminded me why the grander picture is so vital. You'll remember the story - only a short while after the angels announced "peace on earth," Herod's blazing temper led to the mass murder of baby boys in Bethlehem. The arbitrary deaths of these little ones seems so disconnected from what we celebrate, so outside the realm of God's grace. That event - like so many other injustices - seems to overwhelm the baby sleeping peacefully.

We can compartmentalize Christmas so it remains untainted by such events, can't we? But that's just it - as the grey heart on my felt Advent tree me, Christmas has to begin with an understanding of sin. We have to see the world's desperate need for grace before we understand why a baby requires such a hullaballoo, and we have to look back at God's plan to see how a baby can redeem even those situations. Therein lies the astonishing glory of what happened at Christmas, and the beauty of what we proclaim to the world.

As the days go by and my calendar grows fuller with symbolic ornaments, I get more and more excited about Christmas Day. Into this world with so much baggage came a child who remained in it and not of it, who knew what we are and loved us anyway. By God's grace, my understanding of Christmas keeps getting bigger - and with it, my reasons to "let [it] be known to the all the world" what he has done, is doing, and will continue to do!

Intersection of Faith and Life: Christ's incarnate birth makes little sense if we forget why he had to come and what he came to do. As you focus on the manger scene with your family, encourage each other with the bigger story of Genesis to the end of time, knowing that this little baby redeemed every moment in time. May your Christmas be big as your consider the grandeur of redemptive history on both sides of the manger!

Further Reading:

The Forgotten Chapter of the Christmas Story & the Women in Jesus' Family Tree
White Christmas
John 1:1-18

[Judy Harder]

December 24, 2009

It's Delightful
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4


Today's verse is one of the first I ever learned as a Christian. You probably know it by heart, too. Seems like everyone quotes it. When I learned it as a kid, I couldn't help but thinking it sounded really good, with overtones of blessings and whatever my heart desired, which in later years came to be symbolized in my own mind as a Corvette... even though I would always be one of the first to tell people that's not what it meant.

But it wasn't until the last few years that I came to understand it on another level. Fatherhood will do that to a guy in a lot of ways. When my kids were infants and dependent upon me and my wife for absolutely everything, I saw our own dependence upon God in a whole new light. Now that the kids are four and two, I'm getting a new take on what it is to "delight" in the Lord.

I of course recognized there should be joy in following God, and that He was in all ways wonderful. But never did I come into His presence like my children now regularly come into mine, especially when I come home from work. The screaming, the jumping up and down, the laughing. The rush to tell me everything about their days, both the triumphs and the things they got in trouble for. The hugs, the requests to be tossed in the air or chased, the search in my briefcase to see if any treasures have found their way home with me, it all comes with a priceless gleam in their eyes as they search me to know themselves better.

That's delight.

And the Bible says that's what causes God to give us the desires of our heart? Honestly, that kind of delight, that kind of amazing high, is kind of a euphoric state of its own. I mean, what more does one need but to feel like that about God? Most days, I'd give anything to feel that kind of rush it seems my kids must feel.

It's almost like that's my heart's desire.

And it's like this verse is saying that desire is right here for the very taking, that all I have to do is act on it. I'm a child of the King, and He's never away at work. I don't even have to wait for him to come home. I'm welcome to come boldly into the throne room and praise the wow out of Him. To marvel, wonder, and laugh giddily at His handiwork and what He's done for me. To rush to tell him everything about my day, both the triumphs and the spots where I got myself into trouble.

Admittedly, though, we do have other desires, such as physical needs being met, love, etc., and I don't mean to suggest that they're unimportant. Just that on the eve of another new year, I'm thinking about what the desires of my heart have actually been, and almost unilaterally, they've been about freedom. At various times in my life, I desired to be free... from depression, from sinfulness of all kinds, from lack of understanding, from loneliness, from fear. And looking back at how God set me free in each circumstance, I honestly see that I never even had to enter in to those places of searching to be filled or delighted in the first place. He was all I needed, I just wasn't seeing Him as one to delight over.

This year is going to pose more challenges for me and my family, but also more growth, more freedom, and more delight. It's like they are all interwoven and dependent upon each other, just like the two parts of this verse.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Today, consider what your own definition of "delight" involves, and meditate on how that meshes with the truest, deepest, most meaningful desires of your heart.

Further Reading

Isaiah 58:10-14
Sacred Delight
Does God Really Give us the Desires of Our Hearts?

[Judy Harder]

December 25, 2009

What We Want vs. What We Need
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son.
She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."

1 Samuel 1:20

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas today? Or did you get what you needed?

What we want and what we need do not often go hand in hand. I should know. There are things that I have wanted in my life for a long time now, that apparently the Lord has not seen to be necessities. At least not yet.

I know he knows what is best for me, but it is still hard to wait. And it is difficult not to look longingly at what others have received and wonder why I, too, cannot be the recipient of such things in my life.

This kind of struggle is not new to any of us. And Hannah, who we read about in the first chapter of 1 Samuel, is a great example of how to live when what you want is not yet something God says you need. 

For years Hannah had wanted to become a mother. To bear a child. To give her husband, Elkanah, a son—just like his other wife, Peninnah.

Being barren was considered a disgrace for a woman in those times, so Hannah most likely felt ashamed and alone and perhaps like a societal outcast. Instead of turning away, though, Hannah took her sorrow and her request for what she wanted to the Lord. 

We don't know for sure how long she waited (perhaps years)—and we don't know the exact purposes of God's timing in her life—but we can still learn a great deal from Hannah's example ...

She was persistent and continually sought the Lord. She did not give up and stop asking the Lord for what she wanted. Like clockwork, Hannah kept bringing her request to God, year after year at the temple in Shiloh (v. 7). No doubt her want continued to drive her to the Father and most likely deepened her relationship with him.

She was blessed with a lifeline. I am quick to forget that the beauty in the midst of Hannah's pain is that Elkanah loved her very dearly (if not more than Peninnah). I am sure this buoyed Hannah to make it through the years when she may have wondered if God would ever answer her prayer for a child. God was gracious in giving her a loving husband (v. 5, .

She did not give in to ridicule or naysayers. Even when Peninnah (who was fruitful and had children) provoked her and taunted her because she was barren, Hannah did not add insult to injury (v. 7). She did not become nasty and retaliate when ridiculed for her condition or her faith. 

She shared her "want"  and was encouraged by others. When the high priest Eli observed Hannah praying in the temple and inquired as to her condition (he thought she was intoxicated because she was praying silently, but her lips were moving—v. 14), she shared with him what she was asking of the Lord. When Eli saw what was really going on, he encouraged her and asked God to answer her request (vv. 12-17).

She gave back to God what he had given to her. When God blessed Hannah with a child, she did not cling tightly to him. She kept her promise, let her son go and dedicated him to the Lord (v. 11, vv.21-28). How unbelievable is that? To accept and then release back to God something he has given to you that you have prayed and prayed and prayed for? That is model faith!
Like Hannah, are you waiting on the Lord to give you something you want in your life today? A new job? Reconciliation in your marriage? Blessing in your finances? A cure from illness? To find your soul mate? Victory over an addiction? A baby? 

Each of us has something we want in our lives. But is up to God to decide if this is something we really need. May we continue to come to him with joy and thankfulness, as we acknowledge that he knows what is best for us in our lives.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Do you know that God has already given you what you need for this very day? Ask him to help you accept his plans and timing for your life—even when you don't understand. Then, make a list of all the lifelines he has given you while you wait (people, circumstances, things, etc.). Post this somewhere you can see it, while you continue to lift your requests to him.

Further Reading:

James 1:17

Matthew 7:11

[Judy Harder]

December 28, 2009

Divine Love
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. ~ Colossians 3: 14 - 15

"To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux
 

When I was still an undergraduate, the home group leader at my student church assigned us a special New Year's exercise. She told us to write down one prayer request for the year and to put it in a self-addressed envelope. The following year, she would mail the envelopes out to us, and we could reflect on the past year in light of that request.

Being the ambitious young lady that I was, I wrote, "Lord, help me to love people more like you love them." Love is a beautiful thing, right? Who doesn't want more love? Especially the perfect, divine love of Christ?

Well, I've since learned that this prayer can be as "dangerous" as praying for patience. Because not only will God answer it - every time - but at least in my case, he answered it not by filling me with warm, fuzzy feelings of love towards others but by putting people in my life I found very difficult to love. People who required me to draw from the love of Christ because I simply didn't have enough natural love within me to offer them.

I've been reflecting on that prayer request lately because even ten years later, there are still a few people in my life I find very challenging to love.

I think we all have one or two challenging people in our worlds. Those who seems gifted at pushing every emotional button. Those one who, time and again, leaves us feeling sad, mad, frustrated, or disappointed. Those we walk away from feeling like a failure, a bad Christian witnesses, or even struggling from the pride of "knowing" you're right or "better." Sometimes the struggle is with a fellow Christian and on top of the relationship tension, spiritual strife ensues. (There's nothing like getting into an angry, scripture-quoting match to make you feel like a complete failure as a believer).

Equally humbling is the realization that the very person you find difficult to love may feel the same way about you.

Yet, our calling to love does not go away just because we encounter a person who challenges us. Christ came for all - even the worst of sinners. It is his will that we experience his peace in our hearts and in our interactions with one another, and thankfully, his divine love is available to you and me to help us grow beyond life's imperfections, sins, and petty hurts.

Whenever I get discouraged, I think about St. Therese of Lisieux, who spent her young life in a convent with sisters she struggled to love. When she felt incapable of loving a difficult soul, she chose one small act of love to perform for that person. Even if that person did not recognize her act of love for what it was, she was one small step closer to healing that relationship and just a little bit more open to the transforming love of Christ in her own life.

It also helps to remember that Jesus' life wasn't void of personal hurts and relational pain. His life didn't resemble a Norman Rockwell painting any more than yours does (although, I am sure Mary and Joseph offered him a good start). Yet, God bravely entered the world as a human being - with vulnerabilities, feelings and desires capable of being trampled on. He "gets" your pain, too. He empathizes when you're misunderstood or treated unfairly. And he loves you enough to help you change the areas that really do need to change.

One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to persevere with that prayer from long ago. I now know that my prayer was not a one-year prayer but a prayer for a lifetime... a prayer God answers slowly as he refines our characters, our faith, and our families.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If you're struggling with a difficult relationship, ask for God's help in 2010. 

Further Reading

1 John 1:5 -- 2:2
Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8
Matthew 2:13-18

[Judy Harder]

12/29/2009

Resolution #1 for 2010
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been
acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise
for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:14-15

To know God well, we must know His Word. It seems just about as obvious a statement as, "To live well, we must breath air and put food and water in our mouths each day." Yet a recent survey about how different generations view and use the Bible found that 59% of the people who profess to be followers of Christ admit that, during a typical week, they are not spending even 15 minutes of time completely alone with God to read the Bible and pray.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to crack the whip or pile on legalistic guilt trips. The motivation to dig into God's Word cannot and should not come from sheer grit and determination to keep up a merely external standard of righteousness. In fact, for a great review of what should motivate our pursuit of God take a look at the December 24th Crosswalk Devotional by my friend Shawn McEvoy.

But something's wrong with the church in America if only 41% of professing Christians are engaging God in regular Bible reading and prayer. Just imagine the all-out panic and health crisis our nation would experience if 59% of its citizens only fed on cotton candy and popcorn.

By God's grace in 2010, let's resolve to grow deeper in relationship with God this year through regular times of prayer and grace-dependent Bible study. For those of us with the responsibility of leading families, let us seek to give our children the heritage that Timothy had in the opening passage of Scripture above. From childhood, he had been acquainted with the sacred writings. These ancient words are still able to make our children wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 

"You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Deuteronomy 6:7

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
How would you be able to respond if a survey question about your Bible reading and prayer habits were posed to you?

What do you delight most in?

If you have children, how well are they becoming acquainted with Scripture because of your efforts to "teach them diligently?"

Further Reading

Psalm 119

"An Urgent Message on Family Worship"

Recovering the Lost Treasure of Family Worship

[Judy Harder]

December 30, 2009

Faith Worth Remembering
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." - Matthew 26:10-13

The woman with the alabaster jar knew something that I don't fully grasp.

She knew she didn't belong with Jesus. She knew that he had every right to shun her, to see her life of sin, and turn away. Comparing Matthew's account with other gospels, she was probably Mary Magdalene, the fallen woman. Even by our cultural standards, her lifestyle barred her from polite company; in her day, her gender prevented her from coming too close to the honored guest. She had no right to enter that dinner, and she knew it. So why does this woman win such a place in Jesus' narrative?

I tried to unravel her story in one of my few stints as a short story author. Picture a woman entering a room full of men, all of whom notice her impertinence. Perhaps she second-guessed her intentions for a moment. But I bet that once her eyes settled on Jesus, she never looked away. Not this woman, Mary. I can't think of any other compelling reason for her to walk forward, break a jar that cost a year's salary, and pour it over the head and feet of Christ.

What did she know that today's Christians, me included, miss?

I think that answer lies in where she looked. She kept her eyes trained on Jesus, refusing to look at her own moral standing and flaws. It's not that she wasn't aware of them - that's the very reason she loved Jesus so much. But she didn't allow herself to dwell on the laws she had broken and the time she hadn't spent loving him. She was too caught up in his face to notice anything about herself.

When I approach God on Sunday mornings, I must admit that my heart drags its feet, coming with eyes downcast. What I consider most often are the ways I fail—how I didn't read my Bible enough or I wasn't patient or loving or whatever enough. And yet, my focus is still on... me.

The woman with the alabaster jar died to herself long before she entered that dining room. She had denied herself and decided to focus only on Jesus. Her self faded into the background as focused on delighting in her Lord. She was one of the first people to understand what it meant to take up the cross and follow Jesus. For that, Jesus promised that her story would be told "wherever this gospel is heard." That's faith worth remembering.

Intersecting Faith & Life: How hard is it to enjoy your best friend's company? Or do you focus on all the ways you could be a better friend but fail? When we're in the presence of people we love, the meeting becomes less about us and more about enjoying their company. How would our lives be transformed if we took that same approach to our faith? In 2010, I pray that we will remember the woman with the alabaster jar and follow her example. Let's train our eyes on the face of Jesus.

[Judy Harder]

December 31, 2009

Free Radicals
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

"Woe to you when all men speak well of you..."
Luke 6:26


How deep does my arrogance run? Put it this way: you didn't ask, but I'm going to tell you anyway. The biggest reason I've not yet written the book I've got jangling around in my brain is that deep down I still actually believe a complete impossibility: that hidden between my mind and my keyboard are the magic just-right words that will get everyone to agree. On everything. Or at least, on everything as I have interpreted it. The words that will get Christians to start treating sinners as they treat themselves, and sinners to stop sinning. Phrases that will be so beautifully turned that neither liberal nor conservative will have aught to say about them. A book that will bring everyone together and that, most importantly, will not cause anyone to write me nasty letters, claim I am deluded, or call me an idiot.

The irony, of course, is that my goal is already shot. The ideal itself is delusional, and pure idiocy. And as the saying goes, if you want everyone to like you, nobody will.

So what should be the goal? Well, truth, sure. And being obedient to just be the vehicle through which God wants to impart a particular take on His Truth.

But why is that so hard?

I think it's because Jesus, Who already lived here before me, Whose words are already recorded for anyone to read, and Who called Himself 'the Truth,' gave us a version of how to walk on this planet that is so contrary, so impractical, so frustratingly (if I hope to be honest about it) radical.

Beginning with what I already admitted at the top of this devotional, bear with me as I turn Christ's Great Sermon from Luke 6 into something of a dialogue...

Jesus (vs. 26): Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.

Me: Ew. Cut to the chase, why don't You. So I've set myself on the path of the false prophet, have I? Swell; I knew I couldn't trust myself. But Lord, anything else I say or write or do is going to lead to having enemies, people who are upset with me. What do I do about that?

Jesus (vs. 27-28): Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Me: Oh. So it's an action thing. Pretty mind-boggling concepts. I can't help but notice You didn't say, "bash those jerks' heads in with rightness." Because that feels more natural, Lord. But assuming You're on to something, what does that look like?

Jesus (vs. 29-30): Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

Me: Yeah, ya see, the thing is, Lord... there's a lot of people who might take advantage of that. And what in the world are You saying that there might be people who want to hit me on the face? Is that what I signed up for in following You? I gotta be honest, it doesn't sound like a very comfortable, or even practical, way of living in this day and age, this country, this world. Can't you simplify it for me?

Jesus (vs. 31-33): Just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Me: Wow, that just blows my mind, Lord. Of course You're right... what is there to separate me at all from anyone else, even the most vile of sinners, except how I react to situations and treat people? But don't You know how hard this would be? What am I saying... of course You do..., but... please forgive me for saying so, Lord, but it just feels like giving some bully my coat, shirt, or other cheek is somehow crazier, tougher, more insane in 2009 America than first-century Jerusalem. I hate asking, but if I'm gonna commit to this, I gotta know... what's in it for me?

Jesus (vs. 35, 37-38): Love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men... Do not judge and you will not be judged... pardon, and you will be pardoned... Give, and it will be given to you.

Me: Man... and here I was thinking that I was the one who needed to come up with the words that helped us treat sinners as ourselves, and to what ends. You truly have covered all things and lived all things, Lord. Now, I just wonder, Lord, if I can really do this, even for the rewards You promise.

Jesus (vs. 46): Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord" and do not do what I say?

Me: Because it's so contrary, upside-down, and radical that it's seriously hard to trust... even to trust You, Lord. It just seems like there's so much to lose. Help me to be free. Help me to take this risk, to think not of myself, my safety, my comfort first, to love people as You love them. It's almost like You were fortunate to "have no place to lay your head." But still, despite my handicaps, I want to try, Lord... I want to try.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Now here's a challenge -- but it's straight from the mouth of Christ: the next time you are wronged, hurt, or had something taken from you... can you give the person responsible even MORE of what they took? And believe you'll be blessed for it? And if not, why not?

Further Reading

John 12:25
Rich Man, Poor Man
Faith and Assertiveness

[Judy Harder]

January 1, 2010

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

During the holidays, I have used my oven quite a bit.

Because it is electric, it automatically has a mind of its own.  It heats up very quickly and will char whatever is baking much faster than the time required for completion.  That means I have to adjust the times for any recipe that I'm attempting to follow. 

So, as you can imagine, for the home cook this is extremely frustrating.  It means I must constantly be monitoring whatever is inside the oven.  Putting on the potholder gloves.  Opening up the door.  Pulling out the rack.  Checking the top of whatever's baking to make sure it's not burnt to a crisp.  Closing up the oven.  Waiting a few minutes.  Putting back on the gloves.  Opening up the door again.  Covering with foil to protect as needed.  Waiting some more.  And then testing with a toothpick near the center to check for doneness, while hoping that the bottom isn't blackened and ultra crispy.

Ugh.  What ... a ... pain!

One of the recipes I made was for some bar cookies called "Brandied Cranberry-Apricot Bars."  Dried fruit, brown sugar, vanilla, butter, pecans ... what's not to like?  The instructions called to bake the crust first (flour, sugar, butter).  And of course my oven baked it much faster than the 20 minutes ("or until golden") that was required.  It was actually more like "or until darkest brown" by that point.

Still undeterred, I pulled it out and then poured in the filling (fruit, eggs, pecans, vanilla and more flour and sugar).  Next, I baked it for another 35 or so minutes. All the while, though, I was worried that the already partially-baked crust would be blackened by the time the cookies were done.  I couldn't see it (since it was on the bottom), but I kept thinking maybe I should take out the pan before the time was up (Was my oven baking at warp speed or not?  How annoying!  And what to do?).

Eventually, I decided to let the cookies stay the course.  And thankfully, they weren't scorched beyond recognition.  But they were done.

Despite the small culinary victory, situations like this always frustrate me.  Why?  Because the heat is on!  And I need it in order to complete what I'm baking.  But, it also forces me to make adjustments while it's doing its thing.  And that isn't something I'm clamoring to do.

Maybe it's how a lot of us feel in our walks from day to day.  We probably don't go out in search of fiery trials to bring into our lives.  But rest assured, they will find us anyway.  And when the heat is cranked up in any given situation or relationship, this means we can either get a little crispy or get the heat that we need (and is actually for our good!) in order to continue on our way toward spiritual maturity.

When life seems to be feeling "hot, hot, hot," we can either refuse to make adjustments in our attitudes or choose to find the joy in knowing that the Lord is at work.  As his children, we know that he is always checking on our conditions.

It's what it means to be loved by God.  He cares too much to leave us alone, to be burned up.  And he wants to move us—even through allowing fiery trials—toward completion as part of his eternal plan.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  You've heard the saying, "If you can't stand heat, get out of the kitchen," right?  As Christians, though, our God is with us—no matter the intensity of the heat of our circumstances.  He is asking us to "stay in the kitchen," to persevere and to look to him.  Whatever is baking you to a crisp today, know that nothing is impossible for God.  If you ask, he will help you find joy as you are maturing in your faith.

Further Reading:

1 Peter 1:6-7

Hebrews 10:35-36