day no. 16,251: the sway and the swing

"The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe because its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them." ~ Turkish proverb

An axe may win over the forest by appealing to what they have in common while laying waste to the forest with what they don't. Do not let shared interests blind you to the ulterior motives for sharing them. The axe leverages its shared values against the trees. Its handle is what gives it power to fell the forest. It provides the sway and the swing.

2 Corinthians 11:13–14

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan puts on a costume of light in order to conceal his darkness in the company of the lit. He cuts down the orchard by first brandishing bark.

2 Corinthians 2:11

Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

This should not require any of us to haul out our shocked faces. We know he is doing this. It is his modus operandi. The only way this works is if we aren't paying attention or are incentivized to look the other way because of darkness we are already giving quarter to within.

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The armor of God enables us to withstand the wiles of the wicked. We are not caught up in them or caught off guard by them. We are ordered to suit up. There is no reason to be unaware.

Proverbs 25:19

Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble

is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

Be careful who you rely upon. A broken tooth can be tolerated, but not when trying to eat and a twisted ankle may be endured until you try to put any weight on it. 

Proverbs 25:26

A righteous man who falters before the wicked

is like a murky spring and a polluted well.

It is disappointing to discover that some who stood by you have fallen by the wayside. It is like the waste of good water. A spring that once gave refreshment is now spoiled and soiled. It is not only the loss of something helpful, but the introduction of something awful.

day no. 16,250: know your enemy

"This is the way men deal with their enemies. They search out their plans, ponder their goals, and consider how and by what means they have prevailed in the past. Then they can be defeated. This is a most important strategy. If you do not utilize this great strategy, your warfare is very primitive." -- John Owen

We must know our enemies. We must know why they oppose us and how they plan to do so. We must know why we oppose them and how we intend to do so. We must consider how they've attempted to overcome us before, what they want, and how they have tried before to obtain it. 

James 4:1–2

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

All quarrels and fights are caused by someone wanting something that they do not have. You must know what that thing is, how they intend to get it, and what you can do, when in warfare, to prevent them from doing so.

2 Corinthians 2:11

Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

There is no reason to be caught flat-footed. There is no excuse for not seeing this coming. God has placed the antithesis into our story (Gen. 3:15). The enemy seldom, if ever, forgets that they are fighting us. Sin doesn't get distracted. It stays on point, in our way, and on its mission. Sin is subtle, but that said, it only has so much to work with. It cannot create ex nihilo and must work with pre-existing materials. It can only corrupt what's in front of it. That is why we must study how it often works and where it often attacks.

"Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness who walks not over the bellies of his lusts. He who doth not kill sin in this way takes no steps towards his journey’s end. He who finds not opposition from it, and who sets not himself in every particular to its mortification, is at peace with it, not dying to it." -- John Owen

To be at peace with sin is to be caught in it. There is no excuse for not fighting it. We know what it wants and how it often tries to get it. We must fight back and we must seek not merely to wound, but to kill it. We begin with the sin that lies closest by confessing it and crucifying it with Christ and only then do we seek to confront it in our homes, churches, cities, and nations.

day no. 16,249: pride loves merit, envy despises it

"Gratitude is not pride, and this is a nation of sinners, prone to do what sinners in this position have always done -- which is to interpret blessings as rewards, to see the milk and honey as 'best in show' indicators." -- Douglas Wilson, Empires of Dirt

Pride considers its blessings as its reward, while envy considers your blessings its bane.

Pride wants to take credit for grace and envy wants to do away with all credit.

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Envy rejoices when others weep and weeps when others rejoice. It is grieved by the success of others and excited by their failures. 

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little." -- Gore Vidal

Pride and envy lead to death.

They both kill a person's ability to receive anything.

Pride wants to flaunt its wages while envy wants wages without any effort.

Pride loves merit; envy despises it.

day no. 16,248: cask strength Christianity

“Christianity even when watered down is hot enough to boil all modern society to rags.” 

— G.K. Chesterton

Christianity is so concentrated that even in small, watered down doses it can burn the throat of society. Just imagine the glorious warmth cask strength Christianity will achieve.

day no. 16,247: the kind that accompany conquest

“The viewpoint to maintain is that we are here for one purpose only, viz., to be captives in the train of Christ’s triumphs. We are not in God’s showroom, we are here to exhibit one thing — the absolute captivity of our lives to Jesus Christ. How small the other points of view are — 'I am standing alone battling for Jesus'; 'I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold this fort for Him.' Paul says — 'I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.'” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Whatever happens to the Christian, it is all part of winning. However hard it may be, it is the kind of hard that is worth it. Whatever difficulties we may encounter in tracking Christ's footsteps, they are the kind that accompany conquest.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Christ has conquered and we are caught up in His train. Wherever He leads, it is a triumphal track. However dark it may seem following behind in His shadow, it is always, only, ever-increasing light before Him.

Ephesians 4:4-8

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

He liberally distributes gifts as He marches ever onward and upward in victory. Grace is generously given as the parade rolls on.

Romans 8:37

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

We will see His kingdom come, not go. We will watch our prayers come true. He did not instruct us to pray for something neither He nor His father want to answer. He did not beg the question in order to say, "No!" He leads us in triumph. Our rule and reign with Him is as secure as His rule and reign, which is to say, very.

Acts 14:22

Through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

There will be tribulations, but they lead to a place where Christ is honored as King. Tribulations are promised, but so is the destination and admittance upon arrival.

day no. 16,246: you cannot crowdsource morality

Isaiah 45:19-20

I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge 

A moral standard requires a moral standard Giver. Contact sports require a Referee, if you will. There must be someone who defines and enforces the moral order. Without a moral Orderer, you do not have morality. It is immoral to call something moral without a standard by which you can measure it. 

In an effort to maintain a moral standard without God, western civilization has created the myth of secular neutrality. But, as it turns out, you cannot crowdsource morality. If you make public opinion your standard, you are married to a measuring stick that must be constantly redefined by whatever the crowd is currently into or against.

If you crowdsource a standard, what you get isn’t morality and it isn't orderly. It isn't clear or consistent. In other words, it is chaos. And you cannot measure anything in an ever changing world. Stability and order are qualities of goodness and the crowd cannot have goodness as their communal source of integration and determination without appealing to Someone superintending the crowd.

Morality is a standard that comes from eternal transcendence not local preference.

You cannot create a standard that can hold from people who don't hold still, Societies ebb and flow as fads come and go. And the standards they set are as fickle as the fashions on their racks. What's in season is often at enmity with what was en vogue at last year's fashion week.

“Our Lord never nurses our prejudices, He mortifies them, runs clean athwart them. We imagine that God has a special interest in our particular prejudices; we are quite sure that God will never deal with us as we know He has to deal with other people. 'God must deal with other people in a very stern way, but of course He knows that my prejudices are all right.' We have to learn — 'Not a bit of it!' Instead of God being on the side of our prejudices, He is deliberately wiping them out. It is part of our moral education to have our prejudices run straight across by His providence, and to watch how He does it. God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him; there is only one thing He wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender.” — Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Morality and stability either come from without or they do not come. We cannot muster enough resolve to build anything upon. Our collective merits cannot hold anything up and the next generation will reveal just how unstable mere sentiments can be. 

Moral order is achieved through our surrender, not our insistence.

day no. 16,245: juniper is FOUR

Happy 4th Birthday, Juniper!!!

You are such a joy. You LOVE sitting on my lap and look for every opportunity to do so. Even sometimes while I'm still eating you will make your way over to my chair. You also like sitting by me when we watch at night. I suspect part of the reason is that you like to ask for sips of my coffee and it's just easier if you're already within arm's length of it. 

You like asking people to be your best friend and as a result you have more best friends than most people. You like to add that this makes it possible for you to "call them 'buddy'" 

You are a lead foot. You cannot sneak up on anyone and everyone always knows where you are. You are not easy to ignore.

You still love your chewy. Even though there is less chewy left to love, you make sure to keep what's left of it near you, especially when you're not feeling well or when it's nap time.

You have been staying dry most nap times and even some evenings and are getting ready to be a big girl who goes without diapers altogether. You still get M&Ms for staying dry, but soon enough you won't need the incentive of chocolate to stay dry.

You have the sweetest voice. You have a big of gravel in your delivery that is so cute. Add to that your penchant for growling anyways and you've got quite the combo. You like to sing and bring us down a whole octave... in a good way :)

You love dresses and like to wear your princess jammies as often as you are allowed. 

You always ask for the music to be louder. Without fail if the volume is turned down, you will ask for it to be louder. You, like Dr. Bill's phone app, prefer to live your life at "maximum volume."

You look forward to meals and always ask what's for breakfast before you go to nap. By breakfast, of course, you mean dinner, but nevertheless, you want to know what you'll be eating later. When I joke that it will probably be pants, you do not find it funny. 

You like "Behold Bless the Lord Day." You look forward to Lord's Day Lauds and eating good food before going to church. You also love the bread and wine and often ask at various points during the church service if it is time for bread and wine. You're getting the hang of the service now and will often say, "big sermon, then sing, then prayer, then bread and wine," just to remind me of what's to come. Who needs bulletins when they could just sit next to you?

You are Lissy's little crony and love following her around. Like all little friendships, you find yourself in little frays, but you always return to each other's sides and find something else to eventually fight about :)

You lose your glasses a lot. You take them off and then don't remember where you left them. It's like living in a Where's Waldo book where you're trying to complete all the little side missions.

You love watching family videos of all of us, especially when your siblings were babies. You like babies in general and often go, "ahhhh.... so cute!" 

You always think your seat belt is too tight.  

You knock at my door throughout my workday and come in asking for a "hug/kiss." You always have to give me a hug if I come out to get a drink of water or to say something to your mom.

You are a sweet little girl and I can't believe it's been four years of having you in our lives. What did we ever do without you, little lady?

I love you and I'm so excited to see what the next year has in store for you.

Happy Birthday, Juni!

Love,

Dad