What Gutenberg meant for profit, God meant for prophets. Gutenberg meant to make some money and God used it to make disciples. As the Bible was rediscovered in the days of Josiah, it was rediscovered in the days of Luther. God preserved it and in plain sight and then provided a prophet to read it and a printing press to reproduce it. The history of redemption is always marked by a return to the Word of God. He keeps it safe in its purity and then unleashes it in its danger. God gives us world changers as He raises up Word keepers. The Word changes the world and it always will until the world is conformed to the commands of Christ and delivered by Him to His Father.
Showing posts with label Providence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Providence. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2025
day no. 17,177: world changes and Word keepers
“God raised up a ne’er-do-well tchotchke-maker to pave the way for a spiritually tortured monk, and his successors, to reclaim the word of God and reset the history of redemption.” — Rick Segal, The Accidental Reformer
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
day no. 16,052: systemic sin
Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way:
but the LORD directeth his steps.
We must make more room for margin. When we wring everything out, we often end up stressed out since something inevitably takes longer than we planned or something unforeseen springs up and spoils our plans. Since God's plans are superior to ours, it should not require a Herculean effort to delight in His interruptions instead of kicking against them.
We must plan, but we must not fail to plan for God's plans. There are few better ways to live a frustrated life than to live without margin. Organize every square inch without any room for wiggle and then live exasperated in all the inevitable wiggling. We need faith to plan and faith to roll with audibles. It is faithless to refuse to plan and it is faithless to refuse to change your plans. There will be planning, that much is inescapable. The question is whether or not your plans will account for God and whether or not having done so, you will count His interruptions superior or inferior to your instructions.
God have mercy on me, a well-organized, systematized sinner. May Your plan of salvation take fully into account my failed attempts to account for everything.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
day no. 15,444: the fatness of Thy house
Psalm 36:8
"They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house."
"Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore. Though the host that feed at Jehovah's table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied, nay, more "abundantly satisfied;" and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God's own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings. I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God's back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, "The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table;" but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king's own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin's mess--we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
When we consider the amount of grace that is required merely to keep us, it is staggering to imagine that our God has that much grace and that He gives it freely to us for our benefit. That reality is further compounded by considering that God does this for all His elect and additionally is kind and generous in sending the rain on both the elect and the wicked. He has grace in aces. His storehouses are never-ending. There is no end to His ability to bless. There is no cap on grace. There is always enough and there is always some left over, enough for all of you, enough for all God's people and still He does not run dry.
"They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house."
"Sheba's queen was amazed at the sumptuousness of Solomon's table. She lost all heart when she saw the provision of a single day; and she marvelled equally at the company of servants who were feasted at the royal board. But what is this to the hospitalities of the God of grace? Ten thousand thousand of his people are daily fed; hungry and thirsty, they bring large appetites with them to the banquet, but not one of them returns unsatisfied; there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore. Though the host that feed at Jehovah's table is countless as the stars of heaven, yet each one has his portion of meat. Think how much grace one saint requires, so much that nothing but the Infinite could supply him for one day; and yet the Lord spreads his table, not for one, but many saints, not for one day, but for many years; not for many years only, but for generation after generation. Observe the full feasting spoken of in the text, the guests at mercy's banquet are satisfied, nay, more "abundantly satisfied;" and that not with ordinary fare, but with fatness, the peculiar fatness of God's own house; and such feasting is guaranteed by a faithful promise to all those children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Jehovah's wings. I once thought if I might but get the broken meat at God's back door of grace I should be satisfied; like the woman who said, "The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table;" but no child of God is ever served with scraps and leavings; like Mephibosheth, they all eat from the king's own table. In matters of grace, we all have Benjamin's mess--we all have ten times more than we could have expected, and though our necessities are great, yet are we often amazed at the marvellous plenty of grace which God gives us experimentally to enjoy." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon
When we consider the amount of grace that is required merely to keep us, it is staggering to imagine that our God has that much grace and that He gives it freely to us for our benefit. That reality is further compounded by considering that God does this for all His elect and additionally is kind and generous in sending the rain on both the elect and the wicked. He has grace in aces. His storehouses are never-ending. There is no end to His ability to bless. There is no cap on grace. There is always enough and there is always some left over, enough for all of you, enough for all God's people and still He does not run dry.
Saturday, January 30, 2021
day no. 15,440: progress is providence without God
"Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle. If there be no purpose, or if the purpose permits of human free will, then in either case it is almost insanely unlikely that there should be in history a period of steady and uninterrupted progress; or in other words a period in which poor bewildered humanity moves amid a chaos of complications, without making a single mistake." -- G.K. Chesterton, What I Saw in America
The modern sense of progress in the absence of a providential God assumes that the accident of our existence is fated to perpetually advance in the right direction although unguided by any overarching principle other than pluck and luck. This agnostic optimism asserts that things will continue to improve without any reason to expect that outcome other than a blind assertion of hubris. The arrogance of atheistic evolution is the assumption that chaos is inerrant, never making a mistake and always advancing without any accountability or supervision.
The modern sense of progress in the absence of a providential God assumes that the accident of our existence is fated to perpetually advance in the right direction although unguided by any overarching principle other than pluck and luck. This agnostic optimism asserts that things will continue to improve without any reason to expect that outcome other than a blind assertion of hubris. The arrogance of atheistic evolution is the assumption that chaos is inerrant, never making a mistake and always advancing without any accountability or supervision.
Saturday, November 28, 2020
day no. 15,377: daily bread
"A daily portion is all that a man really wants. We do not need tomorrow's supplies; that day has not yet dawned, and its wants are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in the month of June does not need to be quenched in February, for we do not feel it yet; if we have enough for each day as the days arrive we shall never know want. Sufficient for the day is all that we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink or wear more than the day's supply of food and raiment; the surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of watching against a thief. One staff aids a traveller, but a bundle of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as good as a feast, but is all that the greatest glutton can truly enjoy. This is all that we should expect; a craving for more than this is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with his daily allowance. Jehoiachin's case is ours, we have a sure portion, a portion given us of the king, a gracious portion, and a perpetual portion. Here is surely ground for thankfulness." -- C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening
Like manna, God provides for our daily needs daily. Also, like the manna, trying to hoard today's provision in order to provide yourself with tomorrow's needs often goes rotten. God gives daily. He could give us a lifetime's worth today and make it enduring enough to last all of our days, but He chooses instead to be intimately involved on a daily basis, providing us with our needs, serving us daily.
Like manna, God provides for our daily needs daily. Also, like the manna, trying to hoard today's provision in order to provide yourself with tomorrow's needs often goes rotten. God gives daily. He could give us a lifetime's worth today and make it enduring enough to last all of our days, but He chooses instead to be intimately involved on a daily basis, providing us with our needs, serving us daily.
Friday, November 1, 2013
day no. 12,793: a purpose-driven vs. promise-given life
Oswald dished up a hearty breakfast this morning when he said,
Jesus’ parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 was a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our capacities. This parable has nothing to do with natural gifts and abilities, but relates to the gift of the Holy Spirit as He was first given at Pentecost. We must never measure our spiritual capacity on the basis of our education or our intellect; our capacity in spiritual things is measured on the basis of the promises of God. If we get less than God wants us to have, we will falsely accuse Him as the servant falsely accused his master when he said, “You expect more of me than you gave me the power to do. You demand too much of me, and I cannot stand true to you here where you have placed me.”
...Never forget that our capacity and capability in spiritual matters is measured by, and based on, the promises of God.
We have the peculiar penchant of ignoring God's promises in preference to focusing on our performance. Then when our performance falls short or flat of where we thought we could go, we lash out at God for making our purpose so lofty and well, perfect.
We accuse God of making the measure too great all the while ignoring the promises of God in the revealed righteousness that comes in receiving Christ on our behalf.
We dishonor Christ's accomplishments by refusing to believe that they are enough on their own without our assistance.
Jesus doesn't need our help.
For anything.
2 Corinthians 1:20
Jesus’ parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25:14-30 was a warning that it is possible for us to misjudge our capacities. This parable has nothing to do with natural gifts and abilities, but relates to the gift of the Holy Spirit as He was first given at Pentecost. We must never measure our spiritual capacity on the basis of our education or our intellect; our capacity in spiritual things is measured on the basis of the promises of God. If we get less than God wants us to have, we will falsely accuse Him as the servant falsely accused his master when he said, “You expect more of me than you gave me the power to do. You demand too much of me, and I cannot stand true to you here where you have placed me.”
...Never forget that our capacity and capability in spiritual matters is measured by, and based on, the promises of God.
We have the peculiar penchant of ignoring God's promises in preference to focusing on our performance. Then when our performance falls short or flat of where we thought we could go, we lash out at God for making our purpose so lofty and well, perfect.
We accuse God of making the measure too great all the while ignoring the promises of God in the revealed righteousness that comes in receiving Christ on our behalf.
We dishonor Christ's accomplishments by refusing to believe that they are enough on their own without our assistance.
Jesus doesn't need our help.
For anything.
2 Corinthians 1:20
For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory.
Friday, October 25, 2013
day no. 12,786: daily bread
Psalm 68:19-20
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
Bodily training may be of some value in this life, but it is for this life only.
Godliness is of value BOTH today and FOREVER.
I love you my family.
God daily bears us up by His Spirit anchoring our hearts in the completed work of Jesus Christ
19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation.
Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
We are daily upheld by God in Christ by grace through faith.
He is our daily bread.
May your heart today be nourished by Christ in reflecting upon His generous love and provision for us, His children.
In no other place is there safety from death.
Mere bread will not protect men from their inevitable demise.
Exercise and good nutrition will find everyone one day dying.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Bodily training may be of some value in this life, but it is for this life only.
Godliness is of value BOTH today and FOREVER.
I love you my family.
God daily bears us up by His Spirit anchoring our hearts in the completed work of Jesus Christ
Thursday, November 29, 2012
where there is a will, there is a way depending on whose will and what way
Hebrews 9:16-17
16 Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in force while the one who made it is living.
If you leave me your house in your will, I do not take over as its rightful owner until you die. If you are not dead, it is not mine.
In order for me to inherit that which is God’s, He has to die. If my desire is to have that which only God can give me, I have to wait for Him to die to receive it. If I am in His will, I am waiting upon Him.
The Good News of God is that Jesus Christ died.
26b …But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.
Because He died, we can live. It was in His will. Upon His death, the transfer was made by its Executor. You now have what was His if by faith you are seeking what is His.
As long as the aim is merely to get yours, yours is all you will get.
You are living only to accrue that which you will one day be forced to leave to someone else.
You are living only to accrue that which you will one day be forced to leave to someone else.
When you die, your earthly treasures will be distributed to earthly inhabitants.
When you die, your eternal reward will either be a room prepared by Christ or one prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Are you in God’s will?
Have you inherited that which is given by Christ’s death?
It is only gained by grace through faith.
Have you inherited that which is given by Christ’s death?
It is only gained by grace through faith.
Are you in God’s will?
Are you living in a way that demonstrates you actively desire to know, love, and obey Jesus today?
Not yesterday.
But today.
Do you have faith in God today?
Would you day today look any different if you did not have faith?
How so?
Are you living in a way that demonstrates you actively desire to know, love, and obey Jesus today?
Not yesterday.
But today.
Do you have faith in God today?
Would you day today look any different if you did not have faith?
How so?
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
fear both in failure and forgiveness
Daniel 10:17-19
17 How can someone like me, your servant, speak with someone like you, my lord? Now I have no strength, and there is no breath in me.”
18 Then the one with human likeness touched me again and strengthened me.
19 He said, “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!”
As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Praise God for His grace in allowing us to be devastated before Him. It is only by His Spirit that we see ourselves for who we are in light of seeing Him as He is. This unequivocally puts to death and dispells the divorce of humility and holiness and marries them perfectly. Our response to God's holiness revealed is devastation. We lose strength and breath. In God's mercy He imputes strength to stand and serve in response to Him.
He lifts up the knelt down.
If you are standng in your spirit, you are prime to be knocked over.
If God has given you strength, you have that which empowers you to be before and receive His Word. If we merely hear His Words, we are destroyed and despairing of our inability to be in His presence and do what He commands. If He provides that which He demands, we can stand confident.
In Christ, God has lifted up the broken to serve before Him in confident humility. We succeed because He succeeded. We live because He lived perfectly. We die to sin because He died once for all.
"Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me."
The only right response to our Lord's kindness is to ask Him to speak more. The Good News unstops our ears to hear more from Him. It is not imposing or unyielding in its severity, but delightful and liberating in its delicate resurrecting of our fragile persons. As violent as the stroke is that strikes fear into our soul, is the gentle kindness that lifts the frightened corpse to life.
We are given fear to repent and fear to revere.
19 He said, “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!”
As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Praise God for His grace in allowing us to be devastated before Him. It is only by His Spirit that we see ourselves for who we are in light of seeing Him as He is. This unequivocally puts to death and dispells the divorce of humility and holiness and marries them perfectly. Our response to God's holiness revealed is devastation. We lose strength and breath. In God's mercy He imputes strength to stand and serve in response to Him.
He lifts up the knelt down.
If you are standng in your spirit, you are prime to be knocked over.
If God has given you strength, you have that which empowers you to be before and receive His Word. If we merely hear His Words, we are destroyed and despairing of our inability to be in His presence and do what He commands. If He provides that which He demands, we can stand confident.
In Christ, God has lifted up the broken to serve before Him in confident humility. We succeed because He succeeded. We live because He lived perfectly. We die to sin because He died once for all.
"Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me."
The only right response to our Lord's kindness is to ask Him to speak more. The Good News unstops our ears to hear more from Him. It is not imposing or unyielding in its severity, but delightful and liberating in its delicate resurrecting of our fragile persons. As violent as the stroke is that strikes fear into our soul, is the gentle kindness that lifts the frightened corpse to life.
We are given fear to repent and fear to revere.
In Him we have BOTH reason to remember and reason to forget our sin.
At first, His words disarmed.
At first, His words disarmed.
Now in Christ they empower.
The lifeless receives life.
The breathless gets breath.
Life to live unto God.
Breath to breath His Gospel.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Book Review: "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
I recently read this book and took note of several passages that communicated (presumably without intention) with precision and profundity a template of God's love for us and ours in response to His.
"Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time. This he had never experienced at Judge Miller's down in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley. With the Judge's sons, hunting and tramping, it had been a working partnership; with the Judge's grandsons, a sort of pompous guardianship; and with the Judge himself, a stately and dignified friendship. But love that was feverish and burning, that was adoration, that was madness, it had taken John Thornton to arouse. This man had saved his life, which was something; but, further, he was the ideal master. Other men saw to the welfare of their dogs from a sense of duty and business expediency; he saw to the welfare of his as if they were his own children, because he could not help it."
We have experienced relationships that were purposeful, productive, protective, and pal-around (had to keep the "p" thing going, I apologize). We were created for relationship. But only one relationship provides that which our heart and soul find complete. It is in the passion of responding to God's amazing love that we find overflow of joy and dignity and charity and levity with regards to ourselves. Being joyfully indebted to one who has served you is one thing. To have this same One also be intent on further serving and loving you is another. We have experienced the generosity of time, energy, money, or service of another and felt indebted. How much more so when that same One does so without a implication of repayment and further continues to pursue and provide for you as though They are the one acting to repay you continually for something you cannot remember or imagine you are owed?
"Thornton alone held him. The rest of mankind was as nothing."
In a world where many may have influence for better or for worse, the reverance of one above all others ought to be reserved for God so much so that any and every other is regarded as nothing. Jesus commands a devotion so focused that all other commitments could be considered "hateful" in comparison to the love of Christ. This is not Christ asserting any should hate their mom, dad, son, or daughter; but rather asserting by hyperbole the degree to which your first priority in Him is above and beyond that of any and every other priority that would follow (even that secured as second priority).
"For Thornton, however, his love seemed to grow and grow. He, alone among men, could put a pack upon Buck's back in the summer traveling. Nothing was too great for Buck to do, when Thornton commanded."
Buck would do anything for Thornton. Nothing was too much to ask. If it was Thornton asking, the answer was always, "Yes." I hope my heart would be as this towards God and thank God that His Christ was so devoted to His Father as to secure my eternal hope by His perfect obedience and devotion to God on my behalf.
"He had caught the contagion of the excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for John Thornton."
It is a natural response to endeavor to do a great thing for God in response to the greatest thing imaginable He already has done for us. It is a beautiful thing to observe in another when you know its sincerity is not seasoned with penance. There is a beauty in those, who have fully accepted and realized the love of God in Christ for them, working so hard to make the most of the evil days in order to make so much of Him in them.
There is a reason this book makes the top 100 for men HERE. It does document and capture the desire to lead and survive among a world of "kill or be killed" (or perhaps more literally dog-eat-dog *ba-dum-dum-chi*). It is a half-time speech to the men of the world to rise up and take something (which exists by nature an impulse easily prodded), but I found its most poignant power in the themes of love begetting love and selfless sacrifice begetting selfless sacrifice (which exists in Christ an impulse that cost Him everything to impute).
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Now I lay me down to sleep
Ecclesiastes 5:12
Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
People who are hungry tend to be highly motivated to work. Work = food.
Those who are rich, full, puffed up, self-sufficient, and satisfied in themselves will never find solace. I think the philosopher P. Diddy said it best when he said, "Mo money, mo problems." Although I believe when he said it he was going by Puff Daddy.
People clamor after the luxury of full stomachs and then find restlessness at night. In our sinfulness, we always desire by nature that which cannot satisfy. We wish for rest while chasing anxiety. We invite our stomachs to be our god and then curse our god for robbing us of sleep. We ask of the creation that which only the Creator can provide and get frustrated when it falls short. We create the environment of our own dissatisfaction by requesting divinity of banality.
Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
People who are hungry tend to be highly motivated to work. Work = food.
Those who are rich, full, puffed up, self-sufficient, and satisfied in themselves will never find solace. I think the philosopher P. Diddy said it best when he said, "Mo money, mo problems." Although I believe when he said it he was going by Puff Daddy.
People clamor after the luxury of full stomachs and then find restlessness at night. In our sinfulness, we always desire by nature that which cannot satisfy. We wish for rest while chasing anxiety. We invite our stomachs to be our god and then curse our god for robbing us of sleep. We ask of the creation that which only the Creator can provide and get frustrated when it falls short. We create the environment of our own dissatisfaction by requesting divinity of banality.
1 Corinthians 6:13a
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Inheritance Tact
2 Corinthians 12:14b
...for children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
Children grow up to leave the home, cleave to another, and have children of their own. Children are tomorrow's parents. Much of what my children pass on to their children will be inherited from me: possessions, wisdom, folly, virtue, vice, habit, tradition, etc...
It is not my chldren's duty to shape my life. By God's grace, our children do contribute and shape us greatly as to our understanding of parenthood and love and sacrifice and santification. However, this is as a result of us fulfilling our duties to them. When we provide for, lay down our lives for, sacrifice for, and give what we have for them, we fufill our Biblical responsibility. There is great joy and satisfaction in so doing as well as great difficulty and expense.
I pray my children grow up to love me and desire earnestly to honor me as their dad. But I pray I would always have the opportunity to provide for them and save up for them and that the order and direction of provision would always come from me and go to them.
Much of what I have has been given to me by my two dads. My earthly father has given me much by way of provision. My Heavenly Father has given me everything by way of grace through in Christ.
As much as God desires me to love Him in return and seek and desire ways to show love back to Him, the direction of provision is always top down. He gives and I give back. It always is initiated by Him. He initiates; we respond.
It is mirrored in earthly parents and children. My wife and I will make sure to pass on as much as we can to our children and hope that they find grace through faith in Christ to inherit everything. My greatest joy would be to see my own children adopted out of my family and into God's through Jesus.
May it be always that we love because He first loved us, give because He first gave to us, share because He first shared with us, and provide because He first provided for us.
It begins with the one who has and is given to another in need for whom that one takes responsibility.
My wife and I brought our chidren into this world and as such it begins with us and is aimed at them. God has brought us as adopted children into His family by faith in Christ. He sent His Son, sent His Spirit and now provides us with everything we need. God neither gains nor receives from me anything that was not first His.
Top-down.
I will inherit nothing from my children.
I will give everything as an inheritance to my children
God will inherit nothing from me.
God, in Christ, has given everything to us.
Inheritance works one way.
...for children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
Children grow up to leave the home, cleave to another, and have children of their own. Children are tomorrow's parents. Much of what my children pass on to their children will be inherited from me: possessions, wisdom, folly, virtue, vice, habit, tradition, etc...
It is not my chldren's duty to shape my life. By God's grace, our children do contribute and shape us greatly as to our understanding of parenthood and love and sacrifice and santification. However, this is as a result of us fulfilling our duties to them. When we provide for, lay down our lives for, sacrifice for, and give what we have for them, we fufill our Biblical responsibility. There is great joy and satisfaction in so doing as well as great difficulty and expense.
I pray my children grow up to love me and desire earnestly to honor me as their dad. But I pray I would always have the opportunity to provide for them and save up for them and that the order and direction of provision would always come from me and go to them.
Much of what I have has been given to me by my two dads. My earthly father has given me much by way of provision. My Heavenly Father has given me everything by way of grace through in Christ.
As much as God desires me to love Him in return and seek and desire ways to show love back to Him, the direction of provision is always top down. He gives and I give back. It always is initiated by Him. He initiates; we respond.
It is mirrored in earthly parents and children. My wife and I will make sure to pass on as much as we can to our children and hope that they find grace through faith in Christ to inherit everything. My greatest joy would be to see my own children adopted out of my family and into God's through Jesus.
May it be always that we love because He first loved us, give because He first gave to us, share because He first shared with us, and provide because He first provided for us.
It begins with the one who has and is given to another in need for whom that one takes responsibility.
My wife and I brought our chidren into this world and as such it begins with us and is aimed at them. God has brought us as adopted children into His family by faith in Christ. He sent His Son, sent His Spirit and now provides us with everything we need. God neither gains nor receives from me anything that was not first His.
Top-down.
I will inherit nothing from my children.
I will give everything as an inheritance to my children
God will inherit nothing from me.
God, in Christ, has given everything to us.
Inheritance works one way.
Friday, August 3, 2012
For richer or poorer for reals?
Proverbs 30:8b-9
...Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.
9 Otherwise, I might have too much
and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord?”
or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
Our tendency is to get comfortable and forget God or get desperately anxious and break His commands.
We work so hard and plan so diligently that when things go well we naturally assume that we must have done something right and in the process nearly break our backs with the myriad congratulatory pats we give ourselves. It sounds ridiculous to say, "Who is the LORD?" but when we have too much we often end up making this statement in our attitude. Our hearts generate independence and pride in our accomplishments. We sow the seed forgetting that God provides the seed, sends the rain, grants the growth, and faithfully provides the sun. We high five ourselves all the way to hell over our success.
If you want to see a person get nasty, take away their comforts. Watch how fast someone gets unChristian as all get out once they lack sleep, food, money, health, friends, success, etc... I am the least Christian when I am anxious about unchecked boxes. I am very strong "J" type personality and as such am actually quite weak in that it does not take much to throw me off balance. In those moments, I become more of an animal than a Christian. I get grouchy and react as an organism more than a soul. I hate that about myself. I know Jesus had to die because of my crappy attitude. It deserves to be crucified.
May our prayer today be that God would give us enough to meet our needs, but not so much as to spoil us. May He guide our hearts to greater and greater charity that His blessings upon us might increase and produce more fruit from our hands - the works prepared by Him beforehand; and that they might be fulfilled in His power and grace. May we not look over the works of our hands and think we have accomplished too much like Nebuchadnezzar and "his" kingdom.
Without the Holy Spirit we either neglect God or curse God. We are not just having issues with God or mad at Him in those moments. We hate Him and His ways and think we'd do a better job.
Is it possible that we have too much? Is your love for God as such that you would ask Him to take away anything extra? Especially if that anything would lead your heart astray from Him?
Is it that you do not have what you need? Is your love for God as such that you would honor Him even in seasons of despair? Do you get greedy the moment you feel in want?
The proverb appeals to God's grace to give us what we need: a desire to love Him no matter circumstances into which we find ourselves today or tomorrow. Without Him, riches and poverty are occassions for rebellion. With Him, riches and poverty are occassions for providence.
...Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need.
9 Otherwise, I might have too much
and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord?”
or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
Our tendency is to get comfortable and forget God or get desperately anxious and break His commands.
We work so hard and plan so diligently that when things go well we naturally assume that we must have done something right and in the process nearly break our backs with the myriad congratulatory pats we give ourselves. It sounds ridiculous to say, "Who is the LORD?" but when we have too much we often end up making this statement in our attitude. Our hearts generate independence and pride in our accomplishments. We sow the seed forgetting that God provides the seed, sends the rain, grants the growth, and faithfully provides the sun. We high five ourselves all the way to hell over our success.
If you want to see a person get nasty, take away their comforts. Watch how fast someone gets unChristian as all get out once they lack sleep, food, money, health, friends, success, etc... I am the least Christian when I am anxious about unchecked boxes. I am very strong "J" type personality and as such am actually quite weak in that it does not take much to throw me off balance. In those moments, I become more of an animal than a Christian. I get grouchy and react as an organism more than a soul. I hate that about myself. I know Jesus had to die because of my crappy attitude. It deserves to be crucified.
May our prayer today be that God would give us enough to meet our needs, but not so much as to spoil us. May He guide our hearts to greater and greater charity that His blessings upon us might increase and produce more fruit from our hands - the works prepared by Him beforehand; and that they might be fulfilled in His power and grace. May we not look over the works of our hands and think we have accomplished too much like Nebuchadnezzar and "his" kingdom.
Without the Holy Spirit we either neglect God or curse God. We are not just having issues with God or mad at Him in those moments. We hate Him and His ways and think we'd do a better job.
Is it possible that we have too much? Is your love for God as such that you would ask Him to take away anything extra? Especially if that anything would lead your heart astray from Him?
Is it that you do not have what you need? Is your love for God as such that you would honor Him even in seasons of despair? Do you get greedy the moment you feel in want?
The proverb appeals to God's grace to give us what we need: a desire to love Him no matter circumstances into which we find ourselves today or tomorrow. Without Him, riches and poverty are occassions for rebellion. With Him, riches and poverty are occassions for providence.
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