Before the foundation of the world, the members of the Trinity committed to bring about the creation and salvation of a people that God would claim as his own. Part of this eternal, divine commitment included something we seldom consider. The members of the Trinity committed themselves to grief. While it is impossible to fully know the mind of God, he does with gracious compassion disclose some intimate details to us. When God committed to save a people for himself, that commitment included grief. Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, would be treated with cruelty, rejection, hatred and indifference by men. He would know pain and betrayal. He would know grief. Part of God’s commitment included that Jesus would […]
Monthly Archives: April 2017
15 posts
On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds. Five days later the same crowds shouted for his crucifixion. When Christ met the expectations of the crowd, he was their king. When he did not, they swore allegiance to Caesar. How often does your heart replay this scene? When life follows the script that satisfies you, God is good and worthy of praise. But when God has written a different narrative, one that disappoints or brings pain, he becomes distant and praise is a stranger to your heart. You cannot understand the purposes of God by listening to the praises of men, or to the desires of your flesh. Man’s praise is fickle. The affections of your flesh change in […]
Your 13 year old daughter, whom you think could gain a few pounds, has just announced to you, “I’m fat.” You are really puzzled so you say, “No way, you’re fat. Why would you even say that?” With eyes that show grim determination, she says, “Mom, you don’t get it. Compared to everyone at school, I’m fat. I need to lose weight. I can’t keep going to school like this. Look at me, I’m all puffy!” “Sarah, that’s ridiculous! You’re not fat. You’re healthy. Don’t be controlled by such silly ideas. There is nothing wrong with your weight, in fact, I think you could gain some.” “Ugh! Mom you don’t get it. I knew I shouldn’t have talked to you. […]
Would you go to church if: you couldn’t go to the mountains, you couldn’t go to the beach, you couldn’t go on vacation, if the weather is not too bad, if your favorite team is not playing on TV, if you don’t have tickets to see your favorite team play, if this weren’t your only chance to catch an important film or fine arts performance, if the weather is too rainy for a hike or picnic, if you weren’t too tired, if you weren’t feeling bad, if you didn’t have yard work to do, if you didn’t have an important book to finish, if things were going better at work, if you didn’t feel so far from God, if you […]
Is God distant, maybe not as close as you would like? Is he an idea, a fleeting abstraction that when you use his name it sounds hollow? When you talk to your kids about goodness of God, do they either literally or figuratively roll their eyes? Is the idea of showing Christ to those you an illusive dream? So how do we clear the vision? How can we make God vibrant in our own eyes — so vibrant that our kids know we are genuinely compelled by our love for him? Solomon helps bring things into sharper focus. He says to find intimate knowledge of God, you must be passionately committed to seeking him, you must be all in. In […]