Search Me

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I was at the Dermatologist today when the above verse came to mind.  I find it necessary to visit the Dermatologist on a regular basis.  It seems my bald head and Irish complexion attract nasty sun rays, and this makes me a prime candidate for skin cancer.  My appointments are usually the same, I arrive and ask the doctor to search me, and try me, and see if there is any wicked cancer in me.  The doctor thankfully is very diligent in the searching, and when something suspicious is found, she brings out a device that looks like a blowtorch and burns it away.  I've never been a big fan of these doctor visits, but I make the appointments because the stinging of the blowtorch is much better than cancer.  In Psalm 139 David does an important and scary thing, he invites God to be like a Dermatologist and search his heart, and try him, to see if there is any wicked way in him.  David knew what we all know, that we are all prime candidates to fall into sin.  He also had a clear understanding of the danger and deadliness of sin, and thus he boldly asked God to examine him and remove any trace of the cancer.  We all know the wisdom of regular check-ups at the doctors that can detect a deadly disease.  How much more than, do we need to invite God and His blowtorch, to search, and try, and cleanse, that we might be free from the deadliest of all diseases.

Guide With The Eyes

A sure sign that you know someone well, is that you are able to communicate with them without speaking.  My wife and have known each other long enough to become pretty adept at "speaking" non-verbally.  It comes it handy in telegraphing from across rooms or tables, or most especially from the front row to the pulpit!  The eyes are key in communicating without words.  How amazing that sentences can be found in a glance or a wink.  A lecture can be given in a scowl, or a poem in a twinkle.  I'm sure you will agree with me that it is hard to properly define the words coming from ones mouth if you can't see the persons eyes.  In Psalm 32:8, the Lord says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."  Don't you find it amazing that the Lord desires to establish non-verbal communication with us.  He wants our relationship with Him to be such that we might be able to discern His will by just looking at His eyes.  Now, clearly He is not calling us to stare up toward heaven, looking for a big eye in the sky.  But He is calling us to set our gaze toward Him, through spending time in the word, through communion in prayer, and intimacy in worship.  What a privileged call we have, God has invited us to be such friends with Him, that He can guide us with His eyes.  There have been too many times that the Lord has had to flick my ear or pull out a megaphone to get me to move.  Oh how I desire that my friendship with the Lord would be such, that at the slightest glance I'm able to discern His heart and amen His will.

Count Those Days

I always get a little sad when I take down Christmas decorations.  I'm not one who puts things off, so if the decorations make it to New Years day that's pretty long for me.  I'm not a Grinch or anything but when Christmas is over its over, and when Christmas is over the decorations should come down.  Is there anything as sorry as a house still decked out for Christmas around Valentines day?  I've gone through a fair number of holiday seasons, and one consistent thought I have while "un-decorating", is how quickly I'll be putting this stuff back up again.  Isn't it amazing how rapidly time takes us from year to year, and from Holiday to Holiday?  The other day as I was putting away decorations and pondering the speed of our years, I was reminded of the words of Moses in Psalm 90.  He said, "So teach us to number or days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom".  Moses lived to be 120 years old, and in this psalm he speaks of how quickly life goes by, wow!  We should learn that our days are few, and each is a gift from the Lord.  Time seems to have accelerated, so let's make the most of each day.  What a powerful 2010 we can all have, if we count every day as dear, and use every day to love and serve the Lord.

World's Worst Wrapper

Once again this Christmas I have realized that I am probably the world's worst gift wrapper.  It's not that I choose ugly paper or ribbons, it's that my hands don't work properly.  I can't seem to fit or fold or cut just right, thus the gifts I wrap don't look nearly as appealing as the others around the tree.  I'm not really ashamed of being the world's worst gift wrapper, because we all know spiritually speaking that the gift inside is always much more important than the wrapping.  The paper that wraps the gift is torn up and tossed out, while the gift is treasured.  In Jesus, God has given us the greatest gift of all time.  I wonder how much time was spent in wrapping this most precious gift?  Scripture actually indicates that Jesus' "looks" or His "packaging", were not very important at all.  The latter part of Isaiah 53:2 says: "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."  This is amazing to me, Jesus being God could have chosen to be the most incredibly handsome dude ever, with cut abs and great hair!  But God in flesh chose to wrap Himself so simply, that man would hardly take note of the package.  The application of this is evident and convicting.  How much time do we spend on our outward adornment, versus the inward gift of Jesus?  How much thought and worry over that which will perish while neglecting that which is eternal?  I am convinced of this, that our spiritual lives will be so much richer if we would give greater priority to the gift than the wrapping.

Joyful News

"Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."   Luke 2:10-11  

The heavenly messenger had come to the shepherds with a wonderful announcement, he called it good and joyful news for everyone.  God was now going to meet every man's greatest need, by sending a Savior.  Notice He didn't send an economist to fix our financial woes, nor an inventor so we could have more gadgets to make life easy.  The good news wasn't the coming of a doctor to cure every disease, nor an administrator to make every government run right.  No, this news of great joy is that God sent His only Son as Savior of all mankind.  What a wonderful marvelous God we have, who has not left us to drown in our sin but has sent one to rescue.  Good tidings of great joy, indeed!  May the love of our Father fill your heart as you ponder His great mercy.  Merry Christmas!

Around and Around

One ride I've never been a big fan of is the Merry-go-Round.  There are several reasons for my dislike of the ride. The fact that the animals on the ride all appear angry tops my list.  As a little kid my fear of these animals was right up there with my fear of clowns.  If they just had horses on the ride I think I'd been alright, but they throw in all kinds of other animals, like lions and tigers and bears, oh my.  I was at an outdoor mall that has a Merry-go-round with a rabbit all saddled and ready to ride.  Tell me that's not a nightmare waiting to happen.  The thought of being chased by an angry rabbit is frightening, good grief I might find it hard to sleep tonight.  Another reason I'm not a big fan of the ride, is the ride itself; there is nothing to do except sit there going around and around.  The first couple of laps may not be so bad, but it certainly doesn't take long for it to get pretty old.  The only thing that makes the around and around bearable is the really cool music they play!  So, why am I making such a big deal about a silly ride I don't like?  Well, I've had a young guy on my heart who is discouraged because he said he feels like his life is stuck on a Merry-go-Round.  If you know the ride you know how he feels.  Another disheartened individual described his life as a stationary bike, he was expending a great deal of energy but getting nowhere.  I have also had others describe life as a treadmill or a car spinning its wheels, I think you get the idea.  A classic Biblical example of this is in Deuteronomy 1:3 which states: "It is eleven days journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barrnea."  This is an astounding verse because it speaks of an eleven day journey that took Israel forty years.  Now that's a Merry-go-Round.  God had not intended for Israel to wander for forty years, yet that is what they brought upon themselves because of their own disobedience and rebellion.  They tested God and refused to go into His promised land and God pretty much said fine, you can just wander.  We best learn from Israel's mistake.  Remember God knows where you are, and He doesn't just have you wandering around until you die.  It may appear to you that He has got you going nowhere, but rest assured that isn't His way.  He is sovereign in your life and desires to bring meaning and purpose to every single day.  Don't ditch the ride just yet.  If you set your heart to learn and mature, to trust and obey and to walk in faithfulness to the Lord, He will be faithful in guiding you.  I pray you will soon look back and see that you were not on a Merry-go-Round after all, but moving in the Lord's will at His perfect pace, while being transformed into the glorious image of Jesus.

Saving Christmas

Don't tell anybody this but I'm sort of a sucker for those made for television Christmas movies.  I know the storyline is corny, the script is weak, and the acting is less than stellar, but there is something that draws me to watch them.  I'm sure its that weird instinct in all of us where you can't help but look at a car accident sort of thing.  There is a common theme that runs through these movies its the idea of saving Christmas or recapturing something that is missing from Christmas.  Of course the hero of the story saves Christmas or gets everyone to rediscover the missing joy of the season.  There are many a hero starting with Rudolph with his nose so bright all the way to Slater from Saved by the Bell (but I forget how he saved Christmas).  I suppose this common theme of saving Christmas is because most people have a longing for Christmas to be more than what it has become, I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit has a hand in planting that craving, for that craving is for a true Savior.  If indeed hearts are ripe and looking, then let us have ready lips to speak forth the name of the only true hero of Christmas our precious Jesus born that blessed day.