Galatians 4:1-7

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, " Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Adopted

Adopted

I'm glad when a philanthropist builds an orphanage for homeless children. I'm thrilled when that person gives even more and adopts one of them. Most orphans would be delighted merely to have a patron. But then to learn the sponsor isn't content merely to help me but also wants me. How must that feel?

If you're a child of God you already know, because it's happened to you. We couldn't complain if God had merely loved us enough to send His Son that we might " not perish but have eternal life." It would be an enough for us. But not for God. He " sent his Son....to redeem" us, not as an end itself, but " that we might receive adoption to sonship."

The apostle Paul refers to us as " sons" because in his day it was common for sons to inherit their father's wealth. His point is that now everyone who puts their faith in Jesus, whether man or woman, becomes a " son" of God with equal and full rights of iinheritance.

God does not merely want to save you. He wants you. He has adopted you into His family, given you His name, and proudly calls you His child. You could not possibly be loved more, or by anyone more important. You aren't merely blessed by God. You are the child of God. Your Father loves you.

Father, what a privilege to call You this! Thank You for saving me, and for wanting me.

You are more than saved. You are loved.

Job 37:14-24

" Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge? " You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind, can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze? " Tell us what we should say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness. " Should he be told that I want to speak? Would any man ask to be swallowed up? Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Therefore, men revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?"

Algae and Diatoms

Algae and Diatoms

" What's a diatom? I asked my friend. I was leaning over her shoulder looking at pictures on her cell phone she had taken through a microscope. " oh, it's like algae, but it's harder to see. Sometimes you need a drop of oil on the lens or they have to be dead to see them," she explained. I sat amazed as she scrolled through the pictures. I couldn't stop thinking about the intricate detail God put into life that we can only see with a microscope!

God's creation and works are endless. In the book of Job, one of Job's friends, Elihu, points this out to Job as he struggles through his loss. Elihu challenges his friend, " Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clods hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?". We, as humans, can't begin to understand the complexity of God and His creation.

Even the parts of creation we can't see reflect God's glory and power. His glory surrounds us. No matter what we're going through, God is working, even when we can't see it and don't understand. Let's praise Him today, for " He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted".

Lord, thank You for the detail You put into creation and for being at work even when we can't see it.

God is always working.

Isaiah 64:1-8

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, yo came down, and the mountains trembled before yo. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Rip the Heavens

Rip the Heavens

In a recent conversation, where a friend shared with me that she'd abandoned her faith, I heard a familiar complaint: How can I believe in a God who doesn't ever seem to do anything? This gut-wrenching question appears for most of us at one point or another, as we read of violence in the news and as we carry our own heartbreak. My friend's distress revealed her intense need for God to act on her behalf, a longing we've all likely felt.

Israel knew this terrain well. The Babylonian Empire overwhelmed Israel, crushing them with an iron fist and turning Jerusalem into smoldering rubble. The prophet Isaiah put words to the people's dark doubt. Where is the God who's supposed to rescue us? And yet from precisely this place, Isaiah offered a bold prayer: God, " rend the heavens and come down." Isaiah's pain and sorrow drove him not to pull away from God, but to seek to draw closer to Him.

Our doubts and troubles offer a strange gift: they reveal how lost we are and how much we need God to move toward us. We see now the remarkable, improbable story. In Jesus, God did rip the heavens and come to us. Christ surrendered His own ripped and broken body so that He could overwhelm us with His love. In Jesus, God is very near.

God, I like to pretend I can manage my life, that I can arrive at the answer. But I can't. I need You. Would You rip the heavens and come down?

What questions or doubts do you have to talk with God about?

Psalm 94:2, 16-23

Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve.
Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon dwell in silence of death. When I said. " My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Can a corrupt throne be allied with you-one that brings on misery by its decrees? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.

The Mood Mender

The Mood Mender

As I waited at the train station for my weekly commute, negative thoughts crowded my mind like commuters lining up to board a train-stress over debt, unkind remarks said to me, helplessness in the face of a recent injustice done to a family member. By the time the train arrived I was in a terrible mood.

On the train, another thought came to mind: write a note to God, giving Him my lament. Soon after I finished pouring out my complaints in my journal, I pulled out my phone and listened to the praise songs in my library. Before I knew it, my bad mood had completely changed.

Little did I know that I was following a pattern set by the writer of Psalm 94. The psalmist first poured out his complaints: " Rise up, judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve....Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?" He didn't hold anything back as he talked to God about injustice done to widows and orphans. Once he'd made his lament to God, the psalm transitioned into praise: " But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge."

God invites us to take our laments to Him. He can turn our fear, sadness, and helplessness into praise.

Lord, I pour out my heart to You. Take my hurts and my anger, and grant me Your peace.

Praise has the power to lighten our heaviest burden.

Psalms 119:33-48

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things, preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness. May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word. Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statues before kings and I will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.

Free from Frostbite

Free from Frostbite

On a winter day, my children begged to go sledding. The temperature hovered near zero degrees Fahrenheit. Snowflakes raced by our windows. I thought it over and said yes, but asked them to bundle up, stay together and come inside after fifteen minutes.

Out of love, I created those rules so my children could play freely without suffering frostbite. I think the author of Psalm 119 recognized the same good intent in God as he penned two consecutive verses that might seem contradictory: " I will always obey your law" and " I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." How is that the psalmist associated freedom with a spiritually law-abiding life?

Following God's wise instruction allows us to escape the consequences that come from choices we later wish we could undo. Without weight of guilt or pain we are free to enjoy our lives. God doesn't want to control us with dos and don'ts; rather, His guidelines show that He loves us.

While my kids were sledding, I watched them blast down the hill. I smiled at the sound of their laughter and the sight of their pink cheeks. They were free within the boundaries I'd given them. This compelling paradox is present in our relationship with God-it leads us to say with the psalmist, " Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight."

Dear God, give me a love for Your ways like the psalmist had. I want to worship You with the choices I make every day.

Obedience flows freely from a heart of love.

1 Peter 2:1-10

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living stone-rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: " See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who who do not believe, " The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," " A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for. But you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The Wide Shot

The Wide Shot

During the television coverage of the inauguration of the first African-American president of the US, the camera showed a panoramic view of the enormous crowd of the nearly two million people who had gathered to witness the historic event. CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer remarked, " The star of this show is the wide shot." Nothing else could capture the multitude stretching from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol.

Scripture gives us a glimpse of an even larger throng, united by their faith in Jesus Christ: " You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

This is not an image of the privileged few, but of the ransomed many from " every tribe and language and people and nation." Today we are scattered across the globe, where many feel isolated and suffer for their allegiance to Jesus. But through the lens of God's Word we see the wide shot of our brothers and sisters in faith standing together to honor the One who redeemed us and made us His own.

Let's join together, in praise to the One who brought us out of the darkness and into the light!

We are in agreement, Lord, that You are worthy of all praise! We, Your people, are in awe of You.

What praises do you have to give to God?

Isaiah 58:6-10

" Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. " If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

A Big Deal

A Big Deal

A family member needed help with his December rent. To his family, the request felt like a burden-especially with their own unexpected expenses at year's end. But they dug into their savings, grateful for God's provision-and blessed by their relative's gratitude.

He handed them a thank-you card filled with grateful words. " There you go again...doing nice things, probably passing it off as no big deal."

Helping others is a big deal, however, to God. The prophet Isaiah made that point to the nation of Israel. The people were fasting but still quarreling and still fighting. Instead, said Isaiah: " Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you....Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help."

Such a sacrifice, said Isaiah, shares God's light but also heals our own brokenness. As the family helped their relative, they looked hard at their own finances, seeing ways they could manage better all year. This was God's promise for being generous: " Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind." In the end, giving to their kin blessed them more. And God? He already gave His all-with love.

Lord, light the path of generosity, helping us to give like You.

God gave His all. Let's follow as He leads.

Matthew 15:1-11, 16-20

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, " Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, " And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, " Honor your father and mother and Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God, he is not to honor his father with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " ' These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. Jesus called the crowd to him and said, " Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him ' unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ' unclean.' "

     " Are you still so dull? Jesus asked them. " Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ' unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ' unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ' unclean.' "

Trying to Impress

Trying to Impress
When a college class went on a cultural field trip, the instructor almost didn't recognize one of his star pupils. In the classroom she had concealed six-inch heels beneath her pant legs. But in her walking boots she was less than five feet tall. " My heels are how I want to be," she laughed. " But my boots are how I really am."
Our physical appearance doesn't define who we are; it's our heart that matters. Jesus had strong words for those masters of appearances-the super-religious " Pharisees and teachers of the law." They asked Jesus why His disciples didn't wash their hands before eating, as their religious traditions dictated. Jesus asked, " Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" Then he pointed out how they had invented a legal loophole to keep their wealth instead of caring for their parents, thus dishonoring them and violating the fifth commandment.
If we obsess over appearances while looking for loopholes in God's clear commands, we're violating the spirit of His law. Jesus said that " out of the heart come evil thoughts-murder, adultery,sexual immorality," and the like. Only God, through the righteousness of His Son Jesus, can give us a clean heart.
Lord, we are so prone to rely on our own efforts to impress You and others. Help us to be authentic in all our relationships, and to enjoy the restored heart we can have through Your forgiveness.
When our motive is to impress others, we're not impressing God.

Romans 8:9-17

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry " Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share his sufferings in order that we may also share his glory.

Always a Child of God

Always a Child of God
During a church service I attended with my parents, according to the usual practice we held hands while saying the Lord's Prayer together. As I stood with one hand clasped to my mother's and the other to my father's, I was struck by the thought that I will always be their daughter. Although I'm firmly in my middle age, I can still be called " the child of Leo and Phyllis." I reflected that not only am I their daughter, but I will also always be a child of God.
The apostle Paul wanted the people in the church at Rome to understand that their identity was based on being adopted members of God's family. Because they had been born of the Spirit, no longer did they need to be enslaved to things that didn't really matter. Rather, through the gift of the Spirit, they were " heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."
To those who follow Christ, what difference does this make? Quite simply, everything! Our identity as children of God provides our foundation and shapes how we see ourselves and the world. For instance, knowing that we are part of God's family helps us to step out of our comfort zone as we follow Him. We can also be free from seeking the approval of others.
Today, why not ponder what it means to be God's child?
Lord God, help me to live out of my central identity as Your child. Release me to live by Your Spirit, that I might share Your love and hope.
Those who follow God are His children.

Psalms 19:1-6

     The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run to his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other, nothing is hidden from its heat.

Creation's Song

     Using acoustic astronomy, scientists can observe and listen to the sounds and pulses of space. They've found that stars don't orbit in silence in the mysterious night sky, but rather generate music. Like humpback whale sounds, the resonance of the stars exists at wavelengths or frequencies that may not be heard by the human ear. Yet, the music of the stars and whales and other creatures combine to create a symphony that proclaims the greatness of God.
     Psalm 19:1-4 says, " The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
     In the New Testament, the apostle Paul reveals that in Jesus " all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible...all things have been created through him and for him." I response, the natural world's heights and depths sing to its Maker. May we join creation and sing out the greatness of the One who " with the breadth of his hand marked off the [vast] heavens."
     How great You are O God! Open my eyes to see You in creations majesty and open my heart to offer the praise You deserve.
    Let us praise the nae of the Lord, for at His command we were created.

Psalms 121:1-2

I lift my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Where Are You Headed?

     What determines our direction in life? I once heard an answer to that question in a surprising place: a motorcycle training course. Some friends and I wanted to ride, so we took a class to learn how. Part of our training dealt with something called target fixation.
     " Eventually," our instructor said, " you're going to face an unexpected obstacle. If you stare at it- if you target fixate- you'll steer right into it. But if you look above and past it to where you need to go, you can usually avoid it." Then he added, " Where you're looking is the direction you're going to go."
     That simple-but-profound principle applies to our spiritual lives too. When we " target fixate"- focusing on our problems or struggles- we almost automatically orient our lives around them.
     However, Scripture encourages us to look past our problems to the One who can help us with them. In Psalms 121:1, we read, " I lift my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from?" The psalm then answers: " My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth....The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
     Sometimes our obstacles can seem insurmountable. But God invites us to look to Him to help us see beyond our troubles instead of letting them dominate our perspective.
     Father, help me not to " target fixate," but to look to You whenever I face fearful obstacles as I seek to follow You along life's road.
     Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The Beauty of Love

     The " Jarabe Tapatio," also known as the Mexican hat dance, celebrates romance. During this upbeat dance, the man places his sombrero on the ground. At the very end, the woman grabs the hat and both hide behind it to seal their romance with a kiss.
     This dance reminds me of the importance of faithfulness in marriage. In Proverbs 5, after talking about the high cost of immorality, we read that marriage is exclusive. " Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well". Even with ten couples dancing the Jarabe on stage, each person focuses on his or her partner. We can rejoice in a deep and undivided commitment to our spouse.
     Our romance is also being observed. The dancers, while they are enjoying their partner, know someone is watching. In the same way, we read, " For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths". God wants to protect our marriages, so He's constantly watching us. May we please Him through the loyalty we show each other.
     Just like in the Jarabe there is a rhythm to follow in life. When we keep the beat of our Creator by being faithful to Him-whether we are married or unmarried-we find blessings and joy.
     Dear Lord, You know all my ways. Help me to honor You in my relationships with others.
     Faithfulness brings joy.

Worshiping With Questions

     It's not uncommon during a long ( or short!) trip for someone in a group of travelers to ask, " Are we there yet?" or " How much longer?" Who hasn't heard these universal queries coming from the lips of children and adults eager to arrive at their destination? Beut people of all ages are also prone to ask similar questions when wearied because of life challenges that never seem to cease.
     Such was the case with David in Psalm 13, four times in two verses, David-fely
t forgotten, forsaken, and defeated-lamented " How long?" In verse two, he asks, " How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?" Psalms that include lament, like this one, implicitly give us permission to worshipfully come to the Lord with questions of our own. After all, what better person to talk to during prolonged times of stress and strain than God? We can bring our struggles with illness, grief, the waywardness of a loved one, and relational difficulties to Him.
     Worship need not stop when we have questions. The sovereign God of heaven welcomes us to bring our worry-filled questions to Him. And perhaps, like David, in due time our questions will be transformed into petitions and expressions of trust and praise to the Lord.
     Lord, thank You that I don't have to stop worshiping when I have questions; I can worship You with my questions.
     Bring your questions to God.

What Can't You Give Up?

     " What's one thing you can't give up?" the radio host asked. Listeners called in with some interesting answers. Some mentioned their families, including a husband who shared memories of  a deceased wife. Others shared they can't give up on their dreams, such as making a living in music or becoming a mother. All of us have something we treasure dearly-a person, a passion, a possession-something we can't give up.
     In the book of Hosea, God tells us that He won't give up on His chosen people Israel, His treasured possession. As Israel's loving husband, God provided her with everything she needed: land, food, drink, clothing, and security. Yet like an adulterous spouse, Israel rejected God and sought her happiness and security elsewhere. The more God pursued her, the further she drifted away. However, though she had hurt Him deeply, He would not give her up. He would discipline Israel so as to redeem her; His desire was to re-establish His relationship with her.
     Today, all God's children can have the same assurance: If we've wandered from Him, He yearns for us to return. When God disciplines us, we can be comforted that it's a sign His pursuit, not of His rejection. We are His treasure; He won't give up on us.
     Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love that never gives up on me. Help me to love You wholeheartedly.
A child of God is always welcomed home.

Sharing More Than Stuff

" But I don't want to share!" wailed my youngest child, brokenhearted that he would have to part with even one of his many LEGO pieces. I rolled my eyes at his immaturity, but truthfully, this attitude is not limited to children. How much of my own life, and really all of human experience, is marked by a stubborn resistance to freely and generously give to others?
     As believers in Jesus, we're called to share our lives with one another. Ruth did just that with her mother-in-law Naomi. As a destitute widow, Naomi had little to offer Ruth. And yet Ruth connected her own life to her mother-in-law's, vowing that they would press on together and that not even death would separate them. She said to Naomi, " Your people will be my people and your God my God". She freely and generously gave to the older woman-showing love and compassion.
     While sharing our lives in this way can be difficult, we should remember the fruit of such generosity. Ruth shared her life with Naomi, but later she bore a son, the grandfather of King David. Jesus shared His very life with us, but was then exalted and now reigns at the right hand of the Father in heaven. As we generously share with one another, we can be confident that we will experience greater life still!
     Jesus, as we share our lives with others, may we reflect Your loving heart.
Sharing God's love=caring for others