Happy Thanksgiving

Readings for today: Titus 1-3, Psalms 23

I love Thanksgiving. I love to take time to reflect on all the blessings God has poured into my life. Truly I am a wealthy man by any standard. I am rich in relationships with family and friends. I am rich in my work, being blessed to serve an incredible congregation of people who passionately serve the Lord. I am blessed with a strong marriage to one of the most godly women I have ever met. I am blessed with four wonderful children and a daughter-in-law whom I love dearly and enjoy great relationships. I am blessed with leadership positions and influence in my church, a local seminary, a mission organization, and my denomination. I am blessed with an abundance of health, both mentally and physically, and financial provision, having more than enough to meet my needs.

Most of all, I am blessed to have a saving relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Perhaps that’s why I love Paul’s words to Titus today, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for humankind appeared, he saved us  —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy  — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.” (Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬) I still remember exactly where I was when Jesus Christ first revealed Himself to me. I was walking from my dorm room to the student center up at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I had been at a Bible study the night before and the young men there talked about Jesus like He was real. Like He was still alive. After a lot of reflection, I realized I believed that as well and it stopped me in my tracks. I knew in that moment that everything in my life needed to change. I have never forgotten the kindness of God in reaching a poor, lost college student who was headed down the road of alcoholism and failure. God saved me, not because I was worthy or had done anything to deserve it, but because He was merciful. He washed me and regenerated me and renewed my soul through the Holy Spirit. And He gave me the gift of eternal life. I am who I am today because God is who He is…a merciful, kind, loving, faithful Savior.

What are you thankful for? When was the last time you counted all the blessings in your life? As you gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving, take a moment and go around the table to offer thanks for all God has given you. I imagine it will lead to wonderful conversation and great joy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Readings for tomorrow: Philemon 1, Psalms 24

The Blessing of Loving God

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 28-29, Psalms 62

Two things are required if you truly want to understand the Bible. First, you must read it as a cohesive whole. The sum is greater than the parts. It tells an integrated story that you cannot understand if you try to read one section apart from the others. Second, you must understand your self. You are not a blank slate. You introduce bias into the equation every time you open up the book to read. You are a product of your environment. Your worldview is shaped by your circumstances. As such, you have a filter that you run all that you are reading through and it can often lead to misunderstanding. 

Today’s reading is a classic example. If you try to read Deuteronomy 28 apart from the larger story God has been telling up to this point in time, you will completely miss the point. The point is not to obey God in order to gain the blessings. Our obedience is not a form of manipulation to get God to give us what we want. This is not a step by step process to health and wealth in this world. This is not a guarantee that life will always be easy or a way to avoid suffering. Unfortunately, far too many people read it that way. They flatten out the Scriptures. Dis-integrate this text from the larger context. Atomize the Bible into bits and pieces in order to support their own selfish desires. A lot of us in this group come to the text as Americans. We are raised on the premise that if one works hard, one can succeed. We define success in terms of money made, possessions acquired, health maintained, etc. We view suffering as the ultimate evil. Something to be avoided at all costs. So when we come to Deuteronomy 28, we see a text that naturally fits our worldview. It endorses the American Dream. It fits the American way of life like a glove. But then life happens. We experience failure. We get hurt. Our hearts get broken. We struggle through trials and temptation. And this leads us to doubt God. What happened to His promises? Why doesn’t He deliver? Is He not faithful? We would do better to examine our own false assumptions.

God is faithful. He has declared Himself to be good. He loves us with an everlasting love. His great desire, expressed in the first and greatest commandment, is that we would love Him in return. Love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And if we make the love of God the great end of our lives, we will quite naturally follow His commands. We will find ourselves authentically seeking His ways. We will define our lives according to His terms. And the result will be blessing. Not in every single instance because that is not how life works but on balance, on the whole, we will find ourselves living in peace and contentment and the blessing of God. When a person who loves God in the way He deserves looks back over the course of their lives, they will see the life Deuteronomy 28 describes. Does that mean you will live in a large house? Drive a fancy car? Live off a flush 401k? Does it mean your marriage will never struggle? Your kids never suffer? Your relationships will never break? Of course not. In this world you will face trials. In this world you will suffer temptation. In this world you will experience brokenness. But those who love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength overcome the world. They see their trials in light of the eternal glory God is revealing in and through them. And it is more than enough. 

Friends, there is no greater freedom than living wholly and completely for God. There is no greater joy in this life or in this world than giving all you have to God. There is no greater peace than trusting God to meet every need according to His wisdom and the riches of His grace. There is no greater love than laying down our lives for the cause of Christ. All that you desire is within your grasp. All you need to do is deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. The way to true fulfillment in this life is the way of total relinquishment.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 30-31, Psalms 63 (No devotionals on Sunday)