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Finally Done with Learning!

Finally Done with Learning!

It’s graduation season!  It’s that time of year when students, after a lengthy academic journey, formerly move on from elementary school, high school, or college … often reveling in the occasion of finally processing to the swelling sound of “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Many churches also celebrate “Confirmations” in the spring months, which is in essence a spiritual “graduation” of individuals within the Church after learning key truths of the Bible.

In either case, after reaching that point in the educational path, a typical response of the graduate or confirmand is to exult in the idea that he or she is finally done with learning. 

Speaking personally, after four years of Christian high school, four more years of pastor-training college, and then another four years of studying and “apprenticing” through the seminary … I was so done with school!  I definitely rejoiced that my learning seemed to finally be completed.

How wrong I was!  My education was just beginning!

That’s not to say that I didn’t learn during all those years in the classroom.  Rather, that is making the point that practical (and spiritual!) learning continues on a daily basis in the school of real life, the classroom of worship, and the textbook of the Bible.

It’s often been stated that when God is done using us here in this world, he takes us to heaven.  I believe that to be absolutely true.  When we have fulfilled God’s purposes for our lives, he brings us Home. 

In a closely related application, I suspect that when we are done learning … especially spiritually … God transitions us from this world to the next. 

I do understand that sadly sometimes some lose degrees of cognitive ability.  But that doesn’t necessarily affect their soul, or the increase of their spiritual growth.  Especially when faith is rooted in their heart and God’s Word continues to be shared with them.  Who knows what wonderful spiritual insights the Lord is giving them in those difficult days?  Perhaps they are transitioning from a somewhat skeptical mindset back to the childlike faith Jesus praises in Luke 18:17?

When I was a teenager, I rejoiced that I was so much wiser than my father and mother, not only academically, but spiritually as well.  The older I became, the more my ignorance seemed to grow and the smarter my parents seemed to become.  Now I wish with all my heart that my parents’ accumulated knowledge – especially their spiritual wisdom from a long life lived in the Lord – could somehow be transferred to me!  How much wiser I would be!

Are you desiring to be done with learning?  I understand, but please reevaluate!  The wisest man who ever lived devoted the majority of two books in the Bible to the importance of wisdom … not just practical wisdom, but especially spiritual wisdom!

Here’s a good synopsis of Solomon’s point of view and advice: “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:9-10).

The wise king also provides the source of ultimate wisdom: “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).  Despite the predominant point of view of much of the world today, there is indeed an absolute truth, and it is found in the Absolute Lord and the words he has provided for us (the Bible!).  Consequently, God’s absolute truth is also the basis for the highest wisdom.

And recognize this: spiritual wisdom isn’t merely academic or intellectual!  Spiritual wisdom goes deeper – to the very heart and soul of a person.  A growing understanding of God’s truths feeds one’s faith and fosters spiritual (and thereby emotional) peace.  Jesus himself states this clearly: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Finally done with learning?  May that never be the case for any of us while we live here in this world! 

No, today is just the first day of spiritual education for the rest of our lives.

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Psalm 78:1-4, 6-7
My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old — things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done … and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 1:15-19
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

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An Understood, but Often Unapplied, Truth

An Understood, but Often Unapplied, Truth

A year ago on June 6, on the morning of what was supposed to be Student Confirmation Sunday at the congregation where I serve as pastor, I tumbled down the bottom steps of the stairway from the balcony to the main floor of our church.  When I tried to pick myself back up, I couldn’t. 

Consequently, I experienced my first (and hopefully last!) ride in the back of an ambulance.  I was about to learn that I had a Grade 3 (severe) quadriceps strain in both of my legs.  In laymen’s terms, I had torn the muscle fibers of my upper thighs.

Through the years, I have been drilled by line drives on the baseball field, had my forehead split open in a car accident, and been achingly sore from long days of grueling physical labor in fields and factories.  I have broken bones and even had my left kidney removed via five incisions in my stomach.  But I have never experienced such excruciating … and lingering … pain in my entire eventful life!

I literally lost the ability to move my legs without extreme pain.  (Actually, they even ached when they weren’t moving!)  I was unable to take steps or even stand without the assistance of a walker.  I wasn’t only a “prisoner” in my house, but in my bedroom for well over a week before I trepidatiously, (and with strong support from my sons), attempted to navigate down and back up the stairs to our bedroom.

A year later I am still experiencing the lingering effects of the fall.  Though much better in every regard, I’m still not fully recovered.  My legs are still weak, which is rather frustrating for someone who enjoys being active in the outdoors. 

Three weeks ago, on the day before I was to lead worship and Bible study at two different congregations, I discovered I had COVID.  Once again, I was unable to carry out my pastoral responsibilities due to physical complications.

The most significant result of the virus, besides being fairly miserable for three days and being largely shut down in regard to ministry?  I lost my sense of taste for some wonderful foods (like, for example, ham and bacon)!  Thankfully I seem to be regaining this wonderful Sense.

The point of sharing these things is not to complain.  Nor is it to solicit sympathy from anyone. Rather it is to remind you and me that we take so many things – far, far too many things! – for granted. 

Before careening down the stairs, I never once bothered to thank God for the ability to stand or walk.  Before the virus, I never considered the simple gift of taste.  I used to take these abilities completely for granted; never even thought about them.  Now I count them as profound blessings!  In fact, there hasn’t been a day since my fall that I haven’t been filled with gratitude for the capacity to take steps.

The expression, “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone” is absolutely true.

I am certain that we all recognize this concept on an intellectual level.  But do we approach our lives embracing the realities of this principle?  I would suggest that fully appreciating our profound blessings is an understood, but usually unapplied, truth.

Frankly, I believe it is beyond our ken.  As humans impacted continuously by our sinful natures, it is not only difficult for us to do, but virtually impossible.  Until a loved one, or an ability, or an opportunity, or a possession, or whatever it may be is no longer available to us.  Then we recognize with regret what we used to have, and that we failed to properly value it.

I stated that continually rejoicing in our countless blessings is virtually impossible for sinful humans.  We tend to simply assume they will always be ours.  But that is not to say that we should abandon the fight.  Rather, a goal of building and maintaining an attitude of gratitude for everyday blessings is a goal worth pursuing! 

Certainly the Lord encouraged this approach to life.  Speaking to the Israelites as they were preparing to inhabit Canaan, the Lord urged them to remember their great gifts and the source of those gifts.

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God … Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God …  You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth …”  (Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 17-18).

In short, God’s message was, “You will be tempted to forget the Source of your salvation and the Source of your bounty, and to take it all for granted.  But don’t!  Because you wouldn’t have it without me.”

This is a critical message, not just for the people of Israel, but for you and me as well!  We wouldn’t have any of the boons we enjoy … even the simplest and most unappreciated ones … if God had not given them to us.  Wise ones recognize this fact and act and think toward God and about life accordingly.

Which is why the psalmist writes these encouragements:

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:2-5).

In other words, realize what you have while you have it … and Who provided these blessings to you … and give thanks to your gracious God and praise him for his goodness.  Then God’s provision becomes not only understood, but our gratefulness is properly applied!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few weeks after my fall, I shared this list on my blog.  It seemed appropriate to include it in this post as well. 

Things for which I’ll always be thankful and will never take for granted again.  (Or at least I shouldn’t!)

The guiding, blessing hands of our loving God.

The powerful protection of God’s guardian angels.

The professionalism of medical responders.

The kindness and caring of God’s people.

The blessing of gracious, giving friends.

The unselfish love of family.

The applicability of God’s Word to all situations at all times.

The significance of a little bit of human encouragement in difficult situations.

Self-sufficiency.

The blessing of everyday freedom of decisions.  This list is long and includes such things as roaming the house at will, stepping onto the deck to grill, ambling around the yard to look at the flowers, running out on a whim of an errand or attending my son’s ballgame.

The importance of leg muscles in almost everything one does, and the necessity of a strong base.

Legs that don’t constantly ache.

Walking!  Walking upright.  Walking without pain.  Walking around.  Taking a walk.  Just walking.

The ability to take stairs.  (I say this in reference to mobility, not falling down them!)

Taking a shower.

Working from my desk.  (As opposed to working from a card table.)

The capability of standing up unassisted after falling down.

The ability to get into and out of bed without help.

Sitting down, and rising back up again, without pain. 

Stooping down to put on socks or pick items up off the floor.

WIFI, television and a restroom in our remote bedroom in the house.

Godly leaders and workers who don’t hesitate to step up and into the gap for God.

Leading worship on Sunday, and the privilege of preaching God’s Word to God’s people.

The preciousness of time, and how quickly it can potentially be taken from you.

“Wake up calls” from God, teaching us lessons we should have already known.

All of which seems to be summarized beautifully by the Apostle Paul.  “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

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An Obnoxious Noise

An Obnoxious Noise

It seems I experience it at least once a day as I’m out and about around Tacoma.  Someone parked at a gas station or quick-stop has their music from their car stereo cranked up to 120 decibels and their windows down.

Generally, it seems to be the same type of music that is bomb-blasting from vehicles.  And generally that type of music includes lyrics of disgusting morals and despicable language.  (I don’t appreciate being compelled to hear words like that.)  However, other genres of music occasionally make an audible appearance as well. 

Call me old-fashioned and out-of-touch, but it doesn’t matter to me what type of songs are being broadcast for all to hear for several blocks around, (not to mention the unfortunate individual purchasing gas on the other side of the pump!), to insist on sharing one’s music with everyone in the vicinity is blatantly rude.  To assume that others are fine with your music preference and the volume of said preference strikes me the height of selfishness and incivility. 

But there is an even worse offense, in my opinion.  (I apologize in advance to everyone whom I am about to offend.)  To my mind, an even more despicable transgression is blaring one’s music in God’s great and generally soothingly-quiet natural settings. 

Like in a campground.  Loud enough for several loops to hear.  At 7:30 in the morning while most are still in their sleeping bags or at 10:30 at night during campfire time.  Or any time!

Or at or on the lake, with a volume sufficient for the lyrics to be discerned on every shore.  While some are resting in lawn chairs longing to hear the waves while watching their fishing tackle, or simply trying to relax in their cottage or on their dock.

Or the most contemptible offense of all – jamming one’s music in what should be the peacefully serene backdrop of a backcountry trail!  (I have personally experienced this a number of times, and every time it has been a challenge to maintain my Christian demeanor.  I’m not proud of this; simply stating the truth.)

A good friend is a caretaker of a Christian retreat center in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and she has shared with me that it is not uncommon for folks from the city to be out in the extreme stillness of the center … and be “freaked out” by the quiet.  Maybe that is why some insist on projecting their tunes even … perhaps especially … in the calmness of God’s creation.

How sad to insist on listening to the squawking of people when the loveliness of God’s creation hums a soothing natural melody.

I suspect that a least some of you can relate to what I’m sharing, and you find unsolicited music from strangers obnoxious as well.

However, it occurred to me the other day while being inundated by yet another blaring stereo, that we as Christians hold the God-given and challenging task of broadcasting a message that is also often ill-received.  Our God instructs us, “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done” (Psalm 105:1).  That would be not only giving us life, but giving us a Savior!

Sadly, that’s an “obnoxious noise” to many who hear it.

Here’s how the Lord described it through his prophet Jeremiah: “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it” (Jeremiah 6:10).

The Holy Spirit provided a similar message through Paul: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. … For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:18&21).

Most don’t want to hear the gospel.  They find it “offensive” and “foolish.”  Yet the Lord instructs us to share his truth with them anyway.  (However, I recommend doing so in a kinder and more thoughtful manner than the boom-blasters.) 

The Lord concurs.  “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect …” (1 Peter 3:15).

Just a verse earlier, the Lord also acknowledges that we might catch some flak for sharing an “obnoxious noise” with unbelievers.  Still he encourages us, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened’” (1 Peter 3:14).

So I urge you and me and all Christians everywhere … be lovingly obnoxious!  Share the soul-saving, life-changing, self-esteem-altering, hope-giving message of Jesus.  It’s infinitely better than the message most stereo speakers are broadcasting!  And though some will find your “music” obnoxious, there will be others who will thank you forever in heaven.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Romans 10:12-15
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone [talking] to them? … As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 18-21
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

‘All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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Before They Call

Before They Call

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sheer brilliance was blinding.  It radiated from the three thrones; the glory of God emanating everywhere and illuminating everything.  No forms or figures could be discerned at its source; just billions of twirling, multi-colored, needle-sized beams exploding outward while pulsating waves of glory rotated rapidly around the thrones’ inhabitants.

Meanwhile ranks and ranks of angels in tidy rows circled the Lord, barely discernable in the brilliance – sheer shadows of white in the brightness.  They were arrayed in ascending rows, as in a massive amphitheater, though there was no structure beneath them. 

At the Lord’s command, an angel would drop through the “floor” and streak away on the Lord’s task.  Shortly thereafter another would fill its spot, the ranks being continually depleted, resupplied and reshuffled.  Their numbers were beyond count, yet each had a unique name – every angel’s name and current location known by the Lord.

Hundreds of thousands of silent and personal commands were issued simultaneously from the throne, evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of angels simultaneously dispatched.  The entire process presented a dazzling display of heavenly choreography.

While the Lord’s messengers carried out a multitude of different tasks, at least some of them were sent in answer to prayers.  They awaited the King’s commands and carried out his will immediately and perfectly.

“Leonine, Candice’s car broke down in a rough part of town and she has asked me for help.  Go!  Protect and provide for her!”  Leonine uttered a “Yes, Lord!” as she sped away at an unimaginable speed.

“Semptor, Brian has a long drive and a tight timeline to arrive at his destination.  He is praying that all goes well.  Ensure that it does.”  “Gladly!” replied Semptor as he rocketed to the freeway.

“Bronho, Jim is praying for the extra funds to pay for his unexpected vehicle repair.  Make it happen.”  “Of course, Lord!” as he dropped from the “arena.”

“Sosooth, Liz is heartbroken and begging for comfort.  Bring her some.”  “On my way!”

Occasionally the dispatches involved more than lone angels.  Then the discourse sounded more like this: “The entire congregation at Amazing Grace Church is praying earnestly for a revival in their ministry.  Satan is working against them furiously.  Level 4, positions 45 to 245, bring the counter-attack, drive back the demons, and smooth the path for my people there!” “To the battle!” they roared as 200 angels swooped in impressive synchronicity from the arena, their blazing swords already drawn.

But not every situation was quite as straightforward as these.  Sometimes God’s instructions were a bit different.

“Savrath, Tammy is pleading for a certain ‘door’ to ‘be opened.’  Keep it securely closed.  It would be disastrous if she went through it.  We will address her need another way – a better way.”  “Certainly, O King!”

“Aaolor, Sheila continues to beg for an answer to her dilemma.  As you know while awaiting my instruction, she has been praying for weeks now.  She hasn’t yet gained the full insight she needs, and circumstances aren’t quite right yet.  But we are much closer now.  Be prepared to bring her long-awaited answer!” “Absolutely, Lord.”

“Brixon, Ben is about to experience an accident.  When it occurs, he will be praying for help.  You will go when he calls.”  “I’ll be ready, Lord.”

“Tomtor, Greg is really struggling.  He knows he needs help and is exhausting every avenue he can find, but still hasn’t turned to me.  He should know better, and he will eventually realize he needs assistance that only I can provide.  Stand by.”  “Of course, Lord.  When will he finally pray?  “Two weeks from now.  Be prepared.”

“Zuzang, as promised Amy has finally prayed about her broken relationship.  You have been waiting a very long time to bring some resolution there.  I am finally able to answer her prayer.” “How long have I been waiting, Lord?” “We have both been waiting, Zuzang.  And the answer is 65 years.  Still, you have waited patiently and faithfully.  Now go!”  “At last!” the angel shouted as she finally left her place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How does the Lord answer believers’ prayers?  Does he sometimes miraculously intervene from heaven independent of the angels?  Undoubtedly!  Are there other times he utilizes the angels?  Again, I say, undoubtedly.  Can we fully understand the process?  Of course not.  The Lord answers our prayers as he sees fit in his timing and in his manner.

Consequently, I recognize that this story is over-simplistic.  For example, I suspect that when the Lord sends angels to bring answers to his people, he gives them much more specific instructions.  But then, perhaps not.  Perhaps the angels don’t need more details; they already understand what the loving Lord wants done.  Or perhaps the Lord guides their ministrations.  But finally it’s not important.  We trust our trustworthy God to care for us.

The primary point of this presentation is this: Our God is always eager to answer our prayers.  He has commanded us to bring our prayers to him and promised he will answer them.  (Sometimes with a “Yes,” sometimes with “No,” and sometimes with “Wait.”)  But God always answers every prayed prayer! 

How unfortunate that God’s people don’t bring their requests to him more regularly (and more quickly!) so that he can faithfully answer them.  Because he will when we do.  In fact, he already has answers waiting for prayers we haven’t even lifted to him yet. 

So pray, God’s people.  Pray!  And rejoice that the Lord responds to every single request in infinite wisdom, boundless power, and unending love.

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(Psalm 17:6)
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

(Psalm 34:15)
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

(Psalm 62:8)
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

(Psalm 145:18-19)
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

(Jeremiah 29:11-13)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

(Jeremiah 33:2-3)
“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you …’”

(Matthew 7:7-8)
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

(John 16:23-24)
“Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

(Philippians 4:6-7)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Pray continually,

(Hebrews 4:16)
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

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Picking Up Pennies

Picking Up Pennies

I always pick up any pennies I see.

Technically they are not pennies, but cents.  (If you dispute this, look at the back of the coin.  There you will see clearly printed, “ONE CENT.”)  Indeed, numismatists (coin experts) will insist on the proper term, but most people still call them pennies.

Just as most people don’t care what the coins are called, most also don’t care to have them.  If the change after a purchase happens to be pennies, it’s not uncommon for customers to toss the coins in the spare change containers on the store counters, or to tell the clerks to keep them.  If a penny is dropped, many leave it where it falls.  If a penny is sighted on the ground, few will take the effort to bend over and retrieve it. 

At least, that’s my observation from years of picking up pennies in parking lots and retrieving them from the ground with my metal detector.

Why does it make sense to me to retrieve cents?  In short, picking up pennies is always a joyful reminder to me of my faithful God, and of a number of comforting spiritual truths he shares with me in his Word.

The most obvious reminder is actually cast into the coins themselves: “IN GOD WE TRUST.”  Despite an atheist petition to the Supreme Court in 2019 to have the phrase removed from our currency, as well as the current American malaise toward God, the phrase remains stamped into our cents.  (As well as our other currency.)

Yet to someone like me who does trust in God, every penny I pick up is a reminder that I have a loving Lord who takes wonderful care of me.  In fact, almost without fail as I pluck a penny off the pavement, those words flow through my mind … “IN GOD I TRUST.”

Which is a blessing to me, as the Bible attests, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him” (Jeremiah 17:7).

There are actually multiple aspects to this slogan and this concept.  I don’t reflect upon them all every time I retrieve a cent, but I am certainly aware of them.

For example, there are Jesus’ thought-provoking and comforting words, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).

There is also the poignant example of the poor widow and her offering.  Mark records the event. 

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on’” (Mark 12:41-44).

Did the widow trust the Lord?  Implicitly!  Did she give to God gladly and generously despite her poverty?  Absolutely!  Can we be confident the Lord provided for her?  Undoubtedly!

Will he also provide for all his people?  He already has, and he always will!  The Apostle Paul states the obvious: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31).

Furthermore, I have often recognized this simple truth: little blessings add up to great blessings.  5 pennies equal a nickel and 10 a dime.  And between scanning parking lots and retrieving buried coins while metal detecting, I’ve picked up literally thousands of pennies.  Those add up!

And some of those pennies … even many of those pennies … were worth more than 1 cent.  A few much more.  Seemingly insignificant, often disregarded “trinkets” by many sometimes might be treasures.  Some rare cents found in circulation can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  So I check my change and I pick up dropped coins.  Even pennies.

Every time I spot another cent on the sidewalk, I consider it just another blessing from God.  An unexpected reminder that God loves me and provides for me.  A beneficial reminder that “my God will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:19-20).  

So I pick up pennies.  Always have; always will.  They remind me that IN GOD I TRUST!  And that’s always a smile starter and a morale booster.

“Praise the LORD.  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

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Prioritizing Priorities

Prioritizing Priorities

We all recognize that priorities are important, but few of us actually prioritize our lives.  At least, that’s the way it seems to me.  (And I count myself among the guilty!)

If asked what is truly important in our life, we could provide excellent answers: God, family, health, home, security, freedom, etc.  Yet often our day-to-day decisions don’t line up with the top items on our self-proclaimed priority list.

Why is this so?  We’re logical, practical people; why are those key items we deem critical so commonly neglected and even downright disregarded – overshadowed by so many lesser things?

There are many factors, of course.  But ultimately the root causes are brought on by the unholy trio of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature (flesh).  Satan enthralls our sinful natures with the wonders, pleasures, and responsibilities of the world, leading us effectively and easily away from pursuing the truly significant things.  Satan is the ultimate deceiver and distractor, and sadly we are easily dissuaded.

Consequently, we are constantly chasing after the “urgent” in our lives instead of devoting ourselves to the “important.”  Typically the “urgents” overwhelm us, receiving tremendous attention, while the “importants” quietly recede into the background.

Or to say it another way, we focus a tremendous amount of time and energy on “nick-nacks” rather than on true “treasures.”  And this leaves us frustrated and somewhat discombobulated.  We realize innately that our focus is misplaced and our emphasis off.

Thankfully, our Lord never mixes up his priorities.  And we are one of his top treasures!  The One who created the cosmos and orchestrates the world’s events – both great and small – made our salvation a top priority.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Furthermore, our loving Lord is with us every second of our lives.  He provides for us, protects us, guides us, and blesses us (Jer. 17.7).  How fortunate we are to be at the top of God’s priority list!

So how do we recognize the highest priorities in our lives?  And a more challenging question: how we do we live properly prioritized lives?

Here’s an exercise to evaluate our top priorities, and the order of those priorities.  It’s a variation of a process someone shared with me once.

Think of your priorities as personal treasures.  Now imagine yourself ruled by a king.  The king is powerful, and he is greedy.  He demands all your treasures … except for 10 items. 

What 10 treasures would you keep?  Take your time and think this out.  You must be specific, and you can only retain 10.  Recognize that treasures can also be spiritual or non-tangible.  Write your choices down.

Now imagine that this greedy king decides he wants more, so you have to give up another treasure.  Now you’ll be down to 9.  What will you give up?  Record your decision.

Repeat the process until you whittle your treasures down to one item.  (This process becomes increasingly agonizing as you go along!)  But after making your final decision, you are left with the top priority in your life!  The rest of the order of your treasures/priorities has also been established in descending order by the choices you made along the way. 

I trust that the Lord, his Word, and your faith rank highly on your list in some manner!  As Jesus himself reminded us, “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

If you don’t care for my suggested approach, do an online search for setting priorities.  You’ll find many other alternatives.  The key is that you identify what your top priorities are.

Well done!  Your priorities are established.  But now the real challenge begins.  How do you live your life properly reflecting your top priorities?  How do the treasures you identified receive the daily recognition they deserve?

Here are a few suggestions to maintain course:

1. Print your list of priorities and display it in prominent places where you will see it and be reminded of what is truly important to you.

2. Commit to necessary changes. Simply noting your priorities won’t automatically translate into keeping those priorities; deliberate adjustments are needed.

3. Organization and self-established structure will help safeguard your priorities. Ranked sub-categories under your main points will help clarify your focus even more.

4. Set a schedule and routine that incorporates and supports your top priorities. Set times for specific key tasks, and hold to them.

5. Routinely address the most important things (your “treasures”) first. If less important things don’t get done, they don’t get done.  But you will still have given due attention to what’s most important to you.

6. Share your priorities with others who will encourage you and will hold you accountable.

7. Recognize that priorities can change over time, so reevaluate occasionally.

Establishing priorities … and living according to them … really should be a priority for all of us.  Because our “treasures” need to be properly treasured!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here are some wise Biblical words from an exceptionally wise man named Solomon.  The point of sharing these words is not to demonstrate that everything in this world is meaningless, but that many of the things to which we devote our time and energy are actually not so important.

Ecclesiastes 1:12-14
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:22-26
What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness …

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Always in View

Always in View

For the first time in my life, I was on the jumbo screen at a major league ballpark!  It happened just a week ago.

It’s not like this was a “bucket list” accomplishment – a crowning achievement I always dreamed of doing – but it was a first nevertheless.

To be fair, my son was also on the screen.  In fact, he has already argued that the focus of the camera was on him, and not on me.  (He may be right.)  Though we were both clearly and closely displayed as the 30,000 or so fans in attendance sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the “seventh inning stretch” at the Seattle Mariners game.

If you have ever been at a stadium for a professional game, you have seen the shots of different fans on the huge “jumbotron.”  Almost without fail, as soon as the people displayed on the screen see themselves, they lose all semblance of self-control – typically jumping up-and-down, yelling at their companions, pointing wildly at the screen and waving hysterically. 

For the record, I did none of those things except yell at my son, “We’re on the screen,” and wave calmly.  (Okay, I guess technically that is actually some of those things.)

An interesting sidenote – and this is the absolute truth – I had already decided that evening that this week’s blog post was going to be about being on the big screens in ballparks.  And then we were actually on it ourselves!  I took that as an affirmation from the Lord that this should indeed be my focus this week.

The first thing we need to agree upon is this: people are always incredibly excited when they appear on the video screen at a stadium.  Without exception, the people displayed respond excitedly, joyfully, and animatedly. They beam; they preen; they smile; they gleam!  They strut and bounce and gesture excitedly.  They laugh.  It’s like they have never been happier; their day is made!  In fact, it almost seems as if their life is now fulfilled.

I realize those are some radical descriptions, but if you have ever watched the people displayed on the jumbo screen – and if you have ever been at a ballgame, you have indeed watched – then you recognize my descriptions are apt.

In fact, organizations realize that showing fans for all to see is one of the favorite parts of the ballpark experience.  Don’t do it and people would miss it.  Probably miss it badly.  Don’t do it and the team itself is missing out on a major fun factor for the crowd.

If you doubt the importance people put on the fans pictured on the giant monitor, consider this.  I found it nearly impossible to find any pictures of jumbo screens displaying people waving.  Locating pictures of almost anything usually isn’t difficult.  But I found virtually none of fans on stadium boards.  There were plenty of shots of players, but hardly any of fans.

I wondered why this would be.  My conclusion: everyone is watching the screen devotedly to see if they make it onto the screen, or to watch the antics of those who do make it, so no one ever takes the time to take any pictures of people on the screen!  (I’m not sure if that’s actually the reason, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.)

So why are we even discussing this at all?  Why did I decide to center this post on the huge video boards at stadiums?  What struck me during the recent Mariners game is this thought: we are always on God’s jumbo screen!  We are always in his view!

What does that mean to us?  It means we can be extremely excited.  Animated even.  Joyful! 

No matter our situation, God has us in huge-screen focus.  Even if we are alone or lonely; troubled, struggling or discouraged; beaten down, exhausted and weak; uncertain, scared or in danger, the loving Lord has us in view.  And he doesn’t just watch us, he actively intervenes in our lives!

As the psalmist clearly states, “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him [that is, honor him], on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them … We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.  In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (Psalm 33:18-21).

The concept is repeated throughout the Scriptures.  (See 2 Chron. 16:9, Ps. 34:15, Prov. 15:3, and 1 Pet. 3:12.)  The Lord’s loving eyes are always on us; we are constantly displayed on his personal “big screen!”

So wave to Him.  Jump up and down excitedly!  Overflow with obvious and abundant joy … always!  Because our loving Lord has you and me always in view.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Psalm 139:1-18

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.

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Trust Me

Trust Me

“Trust me,” the Lord says.

“I do!” we answer.  But we don’t.  Not really.

Oh, in theory we do.  We think we do.  We certainly intend to; we want to!  In heartfelt words we will attest to our trust in our God.  And to some degree we do lean on the Lord. 

But our actions, our thoughts, our anxiety and our worries betray us.  Our tossing and turning in bed at night and our frantic efforts in the day tell a different tale.  True trust shows itself in mellow minds, peaceful hearts, and calm demeanors.  Those attributes don’t apply to many of us … at least not all the time.  Probably not even most of the time.

Totally trusting God is so difficult to do!

Trusting God doesn’t come naturally.  And especially in this world roiling in uncertainties!  If  we only knew in advance how the Lord would handle the situations in our life, we could relax – we would “trust.”  But knowing the answers in advance is not trust.  Rather, trust is knowing that the Lord will provide the answers … even when they are still hidden.

Not many of us excel at true trust.

There are several significant reasons we struggle to rely completely on the Lord’s provision and protection.  First of all, we are physical creatures existing in a physical world.  Consequently, relying upon a spiritual and unseen God to handle events in this physical world is challenging for us.

Secondly, we tend to desire control over the factors influencing our lives.  (After all, only we truly understand what we need and what needs to be done!)  Abdicating that control to God on crucial matters is … difficult.  (Even if he is God!)

The Bible actually provides a lengthy list of things in which people place their trust, but should not.  Specifics mentioned are nations, the number and might of their soldiers and weaponry (Is. 31:1), and their fortified cities (Jer. 5:17).  Leaders or any humans are poor choices as well (Ps. 118:8-9).  Nor should anyone trust in themselves (Ps. 49:13), in their personal wealth (Ps. 49:6) or their personal accomplishments (Dan. 4:30-31).  And certainly no one should place their trust in false gods (Is. 42:17).  Repeatedly these focuses of trust are shown to be empty, and ultimately to lead to destruction.

And repeatedly, the Scriptures urge us to trust in the almighty, all-knowing, and filled-with-love-for-us God, and assure us God will work everything out.  Solomon the Wise urges us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God’s message to us is, “Trust me!  I created the cosmos in all of its vastness and complexity; I am everywhere and know everything; I control all things.  I have already blessed you abundantly.  And, most importantly of all, I love you so much that I provided for your greatest need by sending my own Son to save you!  So why wouldn’t I care for all your other needs?  (Romans 8:32).  I am worthy of your trust.”

To which we reply, “I want to trust your better and more, Lord!  I need to trust you better and more!  How can I grow in this area?

I’ll offer a few suggestions that might foster greater trust:

1. Examine God’s Word and recognize God’s wonderful promises to provide for you (which are impossible for him to break! – Hebrews 6:18), his encouragements (commands actually) to trust him, and his promises to follow through for you.

2. Realize that all of the Bible is actually one huge training session on trusting God.  His demonstrations of his power, his examples of caring for his people, and his encouragements to his people to trust him, reverberate throughout Scriptures pages.  Faithfully read God’s Word and you will read repeatedly of God’s faithfulness.  The more you read, the more you will trust.

3. Look back on your life and note how wonderfully the Lord has cared for you, guided you, and worked everything out for you to this point.  Especially those times when you seriously wondered what God was doing, only to discover later he absolutely knew!

4. Deliberately pause and take note, mentally and perhaps even physically in a journal, of every new time God works matters out for you yet again.

5. Discuss God’s faithful care with your family or Christian friends. This reemphasizes the truth to you, and shares the truth with them.  Then listen to how the Lord’s faithfulness has impacted their lives as well!

6. Make a “Trusting God” playlist on your iPod or phone, and fill it with songs that remind you that our God is trustworthy. (Mine is 163 songs!  That’s 10 hours and 46 minutes of music about relying on Him!)  Play it when you are struggling to lean on the Lord.

7. Instead of hashing and rehashing situations in your mind, strive to develop mental and spiritual toughness. Deliberately turn the matter over to your God in confidence, and refuse to anxiously dwell on it in your thoughts.  “Give it to God … and don’t grab it back again!”  Then relax and let him handle things.  He is thoroughly capable!

“Trust me,” our loving Lord tells us.  And in both the Old and New Testaments, he describes the blessings he brings us when we do!

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

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A Fully Invested Savior – His Body and Blood

A Fully Invested Savior – His Body and Blood

For the six weeks of the church season of Lent, as well as for “Maundy Thursday” (the Thursday before Easter), I have tried to explore how fully invested the Lord Jesus was in regard to securing our salvation.  The penalty for our sin was no small thing, and it exacted a huge toll on him.  Yet he was determined to be our holy Substitute. 

Each week I’ve shared some thoughts on yet another part of Jesus’ body which he committed to the cause.  I’ll do so once more.  This final “Fully Invested” post will form the basis of our Maundy Thursday evening worship discussion.  I pray all of these posts have provided wonderful food for thought, and blessed encouragement to all of us!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To state that our Savior, Jesus, was fully invested in winning our forgiveness and salvation would be an understatement.  He literally sacrificed every part of his body to accomplish the task.  His mind, head, back, hands, feet and heart were all engaged in the process.  The torture they endured in turn caused significant physical stresses to his organs and the rest of his body.  There was no portion of his body unaffected; no part uninvolved, and none unimportant.

Jesus, his entire body, and the blood that coursed through that body, were fully invested.  And they had to be!  Jesus was the holy fulfillment of all of the Old Testament Passover lambs and sin offerings, in which the living sacrifices were slain for the sake of the people.

The Lord explained the necessity of shed sacrificial blood in the Old Covenant in Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Yet the writer to the Hebrews in the New Testament/Covenant makes this remarkable statement: “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

The Holy Spirit inspires the writer to then quote from Messianic Psalm 40 where Jesus (through David) says to his Heavenly Father, ‘“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am — it is written about me in the scroll — I have come to do your will, my God.’” (Hebrews 10:5-7). 

In other words, Jesus was saying, “Father, I obediently offer my own body and blood to make atonement for sin in place of the countless and ineffective animal sacrifices, as you planned and desired all along.”  

The book of Hebrews then summarizes this significant truth; Jesus, God’s Holy High Priest, offered his physical body as the once-and-for-all Sacrifice for us.  So he was in effect the Sacrificer and the Sacrificee!

“We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But [then] this priest [Jesus!] offered for all time one sacrifice for sins … By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:10-12, 14).

What did the fully invested Jesus offer in his sacred Sacrifice?  His entire body and his divine blood. 

The Apostle Peter explains:

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).  “Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

It took a fully invested Savior to save you and me; a Savior fully invested in enduring the ordeal of crucifixion and all that it entailed.  Archeologist Kristina Killgrove writes this about the process:

“Like death by guillotine in early modern times, crucifixion was a public act. But unlike the swift action of the guillotine, crucifixion involved a long and painful – literally, excruciating – death. The Roman orator Cicero noted that ‘of all punishments, it is the most cruel and most terrifying,’ and Jewish historian Josephus called it ‘the most wretched of deaths.’ So crucifixion was both a deterrent of further crimes and a humiliation of the dying person, who had to spend the last days of his life naked, in full view of any passersby, until he died of dehydration, asphyxiation, infection, or other causes.”

Yet despite the trauma Jesus’ body endured, it was not his wounds that killed him.  No, the eternal, almighty, God-Made-Man surrendered his life (“gave up his spirit”) at his own time and of his own accord.  When all was “finished,” the Lord Jesus simply shut down his body. (Matthew 27:50, John 19:30).

 It was two men from the Jewish Ruling Body, the Sanhedrin … both secret followers of Jesus … who removed the Lord’s body from the cross to bury it in a new tomb.  The corpse they claimed looked very different than it had just days earlier in life.  It was battered and bruised; pierced and torn and bloody – nearly unrecognizable from the pleasant, loving, thought-provoking Rabbi they had seen and heard before.

Little did they know that just a few days later, this dead body they deposited in the tomb would return to life again and walk victoriously back out of that sepulcher.

Our fully invested Savior had invested his entire body to redeeming us.  He did everything he needed to do, using every part of his body and shedding copious amounts of his blood. 

Yet he gave us something more.  The body and blood he brought into this world to offer as the holy sacrifice for the sins of all people he now offers to us as a testimony to all he has accomplished for us, and as a recurring gift, bringing faith and forgiveness to his own.  Jesus gave (and gives!) us his special Supper.

Most are familiar with Paul’s words regarding this gift. 

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

How astonishing that our Lord would wrap himself in a body of flesh and blood, and specifically so that this body could be tortured and killed, and this blood could be spilled. 

Equally astonishing is the fact that our Lord offers this same body and blood to you and me to eat and drink, and thereby joins together with us in an exquisite union.  It’s an earthly communion that will continue until the Lord calls us out of this world and into his perfect presence in Paradise where we will commune with him face-to-face in glory. 

Jesus’ body and blood.  Just another example of our fully invested Savior, offering his everything to bring us everything.

How to Interact on This Blog

To Comment – Please share your thoughts!  (Commenting is the fun part!)  To do so, click on the “Comments” tag under the title.  I, and many others, would love to benefit from your insights!

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A Fully Invested Savior – His Heart

A Fully Invested Savior – His Heart

For the six weeks of the church season of Lent, as well as for “Holy Week” (the week before Easter), I will try to explore how fully invested the Lord Jesus was in regard to securing our salvation.  The penalty for our sin was no small thing, and it exacted a huge toll on him.  Yet he was determined to be our holy Substitute. 

Each week I’ll share some thoughts on yet another part of Jesus’ body which he committed to the cause.  These posts will form the basis of our Wednesday evening worship discussions.  I pray they provide wonderful food for thought, and blessed encouragement to all of us!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The heart.  It is one of the most crucial organs in our bodies.  Heart problems equal health problems.  Consequently the word “heart” has come to symbolize significance (e.g. the heart of an issue).  In the same way, the word “heart” has transcended the physical to both the emotional (e.g. heavy or happy hearts) and even spiritual (e.g. devote your hearts to God).

And when we speak of the heart of Jesus being fully invested in us and our salvation, we are speaking of all of the above.  Or more accurately, we are referring to what the Bible tells us about the heart of God.

Already in the Old Testament, we hear of the love the Lord has for his people, demonstrated by his promise to send the Savior.  “He has raised up for his people a horn, [that is, a strong victor], the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart” (Psalm 148:14).

Yet we also hear, in strong poetic language, the grief the Lord feels when his people turn away from him.  Written by the prophet Jeremiah describing his own heartache over the Jews being carried away into captivity, by extension it also reflected the Lord’s heart:

‘“Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you. This is your punishment. How bitter it is! How it pierces to the heart!’” Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. Disaster follows disaster; the whole land lies in ruins” (Jeremiah 4:18-20)

Of course, this heart of God was embodied in Jesus as God took on flesh.  Speaking of Jesus, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Isaiah to write, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11)

Perhaps nowhere in the Gospels do we see this more clearly than in Luke’s account of this remarkable situation:

“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. (Luke 7:11-17)

This heart that beat inside Jesus’ human body and which loved all people unconditionally and grieved as they grieved, brought him to earth and eventually took him to the most unlikely place on earth for the Son of God – a Roman cross.  But it was specifically because his heart loved us and grieved over our situation that he allowed himself to be nailed there. 

There was no other way for us to be saved; no other atonement sufficient to pay for our sins; no other Sacrifice sufficient.  So Jesus offered himself as our holy Substitute. 

He gave himself to our suffering, and when the payment had been made, he gave himself over to death.  His loving heart stopped beating as he gave up his life in love for you and me on the cross. 

John records the events of Jesus’ final moments, and of what transpired following his death.

“Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. [A common practice which resulted in death within moments.]

But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ [like the Passover lamb – Ex. 12:5, 46] and, as another scripture [Zech. 12:10] says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced’” (John 19:31-37).

The heart that was pierced with grief for those who rejected him was pierced with a spear after he died.  This final abuse of his body wasn’t an additional suffering Jesus had to endure.  Rather it was the proof of his words, “It is finished.”  The perfect Sacrifice for the sins of the world had been offered and accepted.  The payment for iniquity was completed.

How incredible!  How wonderful!  How full of love was the heart of Jesus, even after emptied of the physical blood and pooled water following his death.

Which brings us to another comforting passage regarding the heart of Jesus – spoken by Jesus himself.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”  (Mathew 11:28-30)

Thankfully, Jesus’ fully invested heart moved him to fully invest the rest of his body to the process of redeeming us.  In the end, it demanded the investment of even his heart itself.  It was an investment he was very glad to make.

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