My Favorite Verse

Quick, what’s the first verse that comes to mind if I ask you to tell me your favorite verse? John 3:16? Ephesians 2:8-9? Romans 8:28? Or maybe you’re one of those quirky Christians who have a favorite verse in Zephaniah or II Chronicles. Whatever your answer, the verse you chose probably has a special meaning for you. The verse may be well known, or obscure, but to you, it’s special. Maybe it was the favorite verse of one of your parents, or maybe you were able to get through a tough time in you life because you relied upon the comfort of one particular portion of Scripture. Whatever your answer is, and for many people it changes from time to time, I think it’s a good thing to have a favorite verse, passage, or book of the Bible. We all have favorite movies, songs, and (hopefully) books; why not favorite Scripture too?
You might be wondering, what’s your favorite verse? Well, my answer may have changed over the years, but it always seems to return to Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” That is of course the favorite verse of most distance runners; we know what it is like to grow weary on the long miles. I certainly don’t run as much as I used to, my creaky knees see to that, but I hope I never stop thinking of myself as a runner, and I hope I never forget to put my hope in the LORD.

The Simple Things in Life

The simple things in life, do we really appreciate them? I know that a hike in the woods isn’t everyone’s idea of a peaceful activity, but have we as a society become so enamored of our gadgets and gizmos that we can’t enjoy nature and the company of friends anymore? Let’s hope we haven’t. I’m as much of a fan of my computer as the next guy, but I also know that I need to get away from cell phones and instant messages and just have time by myself reading a good book or riding my bike. If you watch the television commercials you’ll be convinced that only the newest toy or electronics gear can lead you to an entertaining afternoon, but let’s not forget that God created some pretty amazing sights to see. Here in West Michigan we’re only a few short hours from amazing beaches, with plenty of lakes and forest around us. If that’s not your idea of relaxation, the Tigers are winning again (amen to that); nothing connects two generations together quite like a nice day at the ballpark. I’m not saying you have to appreciate the same sort of things that I do, to each his own, but don’t let yourself be convinced that big expenditures of money are the only way that you can feel fulfilled; often enough, it’s the simple things in life that leave the most lasting impression.

Ed Dobson lives a year like Jesus

It is somewhat of a running joke in our society to make resolutions for the New Year and then a half-hearted attempt to keep them. We don’t take seriously our failure to keep our “oath” to ourselves, to lose weight, or save money, or stop smoking. Ed Dobson, the former pastor of Calvary Church (Grand Rapids); who is fighting an ongoing battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, spent the past year following up on a resolution to live 2008 as Jesus would. For Dobson, this meant taking much of the Old Testament (kosher eating, grooming and clothing regulations, Sabbath observance) seriously in a way that most Christians never do. We know from the writings of Paul (and his opposition on this issue of Peter’s wrong stance in Acts) that the church is NOT under Law but under Grace. As such, the requirements that were laid upon the Jewish people under the Old Testament Law are no longer applicable. I’m not finding fault with Dobson (a man I’ve always respected, esp. his brilliant sermons), but rather using this time of making resolutions to give us a chance to ponder what WE should do in this coming year to live more like Jesus. What do I need to STOP doing in my life? What do I need to do MORE of? How can I change my attitudes, my feelings, my words, and my actions to be more in line with the Son of God?
The first place to start any such contemplation is the Gospels. If you want to be more like Jesus (and God has told us we must), you need to know what Jesus was like. For Dobson, that meant re-reading the four Gospels every single week (52 times!). We’re not all prolific readers, but we certainly need to be in the Gospels in our Bible reading at least on a regular basis (that’s why one of the Gospels is always in my sermon rotation). Once you’ve discovered something in the Gospels that you should be doing or not doing; put it into practice. Not just a half-hearted attempt, but a real commitment to putting the life of Jesus into practice. That’s a New Year’s resolution that will pay dividends long after you’ve given up trying to lose weight again this year.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Familiar words to those familiar with the Easter story, but also not all that far removed from how we feel when we lose our sense of connection to God. For Jesus, it was the harsh reality of not being connected to the rest of the trinity for the very first time that caused him to utter that cry of despair. Our situation is rather different, although the emotion is in many ways the same. We’ve never had the close relationship with God that Jesus had until that moment (and renewed upon his resurrection), we walk with God by faith not by sight. We speak to God in prayer, God speaks to us through the “still small voice” of our conscience, through his Word, or through other people.
It’s the nature of this relationship that can allow us to feel abandoned or forgotten. We cannot see what God has planned for us, can’t feel how he’s moving in our lives, can’t always hear the reassuring words telling us that it will be ok. We can drift away from God, slowly, through trauma or disappointment, but also through success and triumph. We wake up one day, and we can’t pray, we don’t have the words anymore; we’ve told God how broken and beaten down our heart is, and we don’t see any response. Where is God now? How am I supposed to get through this alone? God, why did you leave me when I need you the most?
It’s in those moments of hopelessness that we can remember that God stood by while Jesus made that same cry for help. He had to, Jesus was dying for our sins; had God rescued him in that moment, how would we have a relationship with God now? God will never abandon you, God will never leave you. He is the God of compassion; even when you’re mad at God, even when you’re full of doubt or regret. Come to God, turn to him and you will see that he is where he always was, at your side, watching over your life, watching over mine.

Leave the Judgment to God

The winter doldrums; a time of fleeting sunlight, persistent cold, and long nights. For many, this time of the year can be very depressing. As a Christian, we should not discount the difficulties that those around us are having, nor feel somehow guilty to be struggling ourselves. Christians are not immune to depression, nor can we simply “pray harder” or “have more faith” to overcome problems that are rooted in our physiology. God created us as complex beings with a myriad of needs both physical and spiritual. It always bothers me when Christians decide to dispense a quick diagnosis of someone else’s problem, especially when that diagnosis involves a snap judgment on the status of someone else’s faith. Our faith is NOT judged by the circumstances we’re facing in life. Only God knows the purpose behind the good and bad “fortune” that life brings our way, and last I checked, he hasn’t told any of us about it. If a Christian has cancer, it’s not because he/she is a sinner or because he/she lacked the faith needed to be healed. And yet, we always seem to be ready to jump to conclusions, to judge first. Or, if the problem is in our own life, we seem quick to look for the lesson that God is trying to teach us (perhaps in the hopes that it’ll end quicker if we can prove to God that we learned something). The mind of God is far higher than the mind of man, let’s just let him handle the hard thinking. Why don’t we focus on our responsibility? Do the right thing, obey God when times are good, and obey God when times are bad. Oh yeah, don’t forget to be the first one to lend a helping hand, and leave the judgment to God.