The Table

Psalm 23:5 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Have you ever been invited to a banquet or a wedding reception where they pulled out all the stops? Tables lavishly decorated, food fit for royalty, centerpieces, place settings, and so many forks you don’t even know where to start. If done correctly it is a fun and engaging experience. This is the table that God is trying to invite us all to enjoy. He has provided for all our needs; we have all we could ever want.

However, we can be hesitant to participate at such a table. We can feel undeserving, or worse we could feel the presence of our enemies. It’s hard to eat and enjoy your food when you feel stressed out or surrounded. Soldiers on a battlefield don’t get to call a time out because someone set the table and rang the dinner bell. Any meal they eat is scarfed down quickly because they never know when they will be needed to defend the line.

Unfortunately, a lot of people live their whole lives eating in survival mode. We need to learn how to trust that God will take care of us and eat. The troubles of the world and your enemies will still be there when you’ve been fed, but you’ll be able to face them with more strength and assurance that you are on the right path.

The good Shepherd wants to provide us with so much that our cups overflow with the grace and love that he has given us. And as it overflows we can turn some of those enemies we once feared into brothers and sisters that we can love.

This verse points us to the refreshment that God wants to provide for us if we would only look towards the Shepherd and trust him.

Walk Through The Valley

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Have you ever gotten deeply lost in an unfamiliar area? You trusted the GPS a little too much and ended up in a part of town all the locals know not to drive through. It can be a harrowing experience. Or worse, you see the walls of the valley closing in around you emotionally; you feel alone or abandoned. What do you do?

The answer for both of those scenarios is that you keep going. If there is a path that led you to this place, there is path that leads out. Sometimes you need to backtrack and sometimes you need to forge on ahead. No matter what, there is always a way out of the valley. It takes effort, but we can remind ourselves that we are not alone because the Shepherd is always with us.

Even when we are afraid, we can look to the Shepherd to comfort us. When we look to him, we can see that he is not worried or afraid of what is to come. It may not be easy. It may not be fun. But any challenge that we face is a surmountable one because the Shepherd’s rod and staff are there to comfort me.

Most of us don’t have much use for a rod or staff in our daily lives. However, we can see these as all the tools a shepherd needs to care for his flock. The rod was likely an instrument to defend against predators. And the staff was the traditional shepherds crook you see that could be used to pull sheep back from danger or get them back on the path.

The good Shepherd has all that is necessary to keep us safe, even when we feel like we’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

Restoration

Psalm 23:3 says, “[The Lord is my shepherd] he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” As we embrace the Lord as our Shepherd, we can feel the restoration of our soul taking place. Much of life can feel so draining. Work demands, family demands, social demands, personal demands; each of these things pull us in various directions trying to take our time and attention. And no one would say any of those pulls are inherently bad, sure they can grow to unhealthy places, but for the most part meeting those needs is a good thing.

However, just as we recognize the things that pull us in multiple directions, we must also recognize our need for restoration. Have you ever been really thirsty, and that first cup of water just isn’t enough? What do you do? You fill it up again, and again, and again until your thirst is quenched. We need to take the time and allow God to replenish us at the soul level.

How? Maybe you read your Bible, maybe listen to some music, maybe you spend time with your community receiving encouragement. Whatever restores you the best, go out and do it. Most of the demands of life aren’t going away anytime soon.

When we keep our eyes on the good Shepherd, we can follow him onto the path of righteousness. When we are on this path, we can trust that the waters of restoration are planned to be ahead, and we can trust that we are going in the right direction. Even if we stray, we can see that the Shepherd is there to lead us back to where we need to be.

None of this needs to be earned. The Shepherd is not impressed by you being the best sheep you can be. The Shepherd loves you because you are one of his.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Resting

Psalm 23:1-2 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” I don’t know when the last time you lay down in a green pasture was—but it’s pretty nice to do. Notice the verse says, “makes me lie down.” There are some of us that will only rest when we are forced to do it. We are so work and industriously minded that any time not spent “producing” is time wasted.

Modern vernacular even has a term for it: Grindset, a combination of grind and mindset. The idea is that you always need to be pushing towards the goal of getting richer, of having more. But what good is it to gain the whole world if it means you forfeit your soul?

When we trust the good Shepherd, we can see that he has our best interest in mind. The Shepherd knows the path ahead might be arduous. He knows that you need to rest now because you might not have another chance to rest for quite a while. The sheep doesn’t always know what is best, so he/she needs to trust in the Shepherd.

Philip Keller (in A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23) writes that sheep do not lie down easily and will not unless four conditions are met. Because they are timid, they will not lie down if they are afraid. Because they are social animals, they will not lie down if there is friction among the sheep. If flies or parasites trouble them, they will not lie down. Finally, if sheep are anxious about food, or hungry, they will not lie down. Rest comes because the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies, and famine.

Some of us refuse to rest because we are afraid. We fear missing out on something. We fear looking like we’re lazy. Or we fear any number of things that are outside of our control. It is in these times that we must trust that The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Wanting

Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Other translations will say I lack nothing, or I have everything I need. For some reason it’s really easy to agree with the first part, the Lord being our shepherd. We love the idea that someone is looking out for us. We can graze, and be dumb, and walk straight towards danger because we trust that the good Shepherd will be on the lookout for us. The Shepherd will pull us back from oblivion.

However, we have a much harder time embracing the second half. It is easy to SAY I lack nothing. It’s a lot harder to BELIEVE that you actually lack nothing. I hope there is an honest part of each person that strives to be content, but we all know that there are trillions of dollars being poured out to make you feel discontent.

Every new car you pass, every aisle you walk down in the grocery store, half of the images you scroll past on social media exist to make you want to buy more stuff. How can you be happy if you don’t have the latest and greatest? How much better would your life be if you had our thing instead of our competitor’s thing?

In the midst of all these things that are designed to distract us we need to point our dumb sheep heads back towards the Shepherd. The Lord is our Shepherd when we can focus on him, we can see that all we truly need is found in him. If we can ground our identity in who we are in Christ, a lot of the discontentment will fall away. Who cares about what kind of stuff you have when you are loved by God? How can life get better when you know God is with you?

You will still need to survive with your feet on the Earth, but when you trust that God is with you each step can feel a little lighter. The burden on your back can be a little easier to carry.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Getting Even

In 1 Peter 3:8-9 we are told, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

Statements like this are there in black and white, ink on paper all throughout the scripture. We read them, understand them, and then we say, “nah.” We agree that things would be better if we could have unity of mind. But what we mean is “things would be better is everyone else was unified with MY mind.” We never want to take the risk of seeing things from someone else’s perspective. Many people you know can’t even entertain the hypothetical that they might be wrong about anything.

It's a hard place to live when our only focus is getting even. All the more so when it means repaying evil for evil. I was hurt, therefore someone else should hurt. This is not the life God ever called you to live—especially not a life you lived “in the name of Christ.” Jesus himself tells us in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So, what do we do? We fight! We fight our baser instincts to lash out. We fight the cynicism of thinking the people around us are a lost cause. We fight tooth and nail to show love to people who don’t deserve it.

Peter encourages us to keep our focus on doing good, 1 Peter 3:13-15, “13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”

Is your hope so obvious that people ask you about it?

Renewal

A few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to renew my driver’s license. With what I wanted to do I had to go into an office. We all know the reputation the DMV has. It takes forever, it’s inconvenient, and it’s always your fault for not having a form that feels like it might not exist.

When I arrived, there was a woman directing the initial traffic and pre-checking forms of the people in the line. I was honestly amazed by her patience. Places like this involve the full cross-section of humanity. From the smartest, most organized, prepared people (like you and me), to the dumbest person you’re afraid to see behind a wheel (whomever you just thought of you owe an apology).

No matter who showed up this lady was happy, and welcoming, and excited to help. I’m pretty sure I heard her speak at least three languages too. She knew her job and was there to help. She may have dropped a few, “Ay, Dios Mío,” when someone was wildly unprepared, and then did what she needed to help them reach their goal.

You make a million choices every day; not the least of which is how you treat the people around you. We need to remember the grace and love we have been given and then try and share that with the people around us.

Paul in 1 Timothy 1:12-15 says,

“12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

We’ve all had moments when we were the one who showed up unprepared. We were the ones that needed help. The grace we received should be an inspiration for the grace we are able to offer the people we meet even if they make us say, “Ay, Dios Mío.”

Check The GPS

If you are above a certain age, you have lived through the evolution of how we navigate when we are driving. In the long-long ago we had atlas books that had the major highways and some cities, or paper maps that never quite folded back the way you wanted. With the advent of the internet, we had MapQuest where you could put in your destination and print out your turn-by-turn directions to anywhere you wanted to go. With maps, you needed some basic knowledge for how to use them. With MapQuest, you needed to pre-plan your trip. But then came affordable GPS!

You didn’t need to know anything more than your desired destination. You had the GPS with you and just punched in an address. And now it is an app on just about every phone. We always have something that will give us step-by-step instructions on how to get from where we are to where we want to be. This service tells us where we are, where we want to be, and how long it will take to get there. It encourages (possibly makes worse) our go-go-go mentality. We also lose some of the adventure we might find by taking a wrong turn.

In Psalm 25 David says this,
“3 Indeed, none who wait for you [God] shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.”

Sometimes, instead of the go-go-go, we need to slow down and wait. Sometimes, we need to get off the fastest path to find what we need. Sometimes, we get so focused on where we WANT to go that we lose sight of where God NEEDS us to go.

We are pushed and emboldened to move forward, move faster, to always be making forward progress. When what we might need the most is to slow down and wait on the Lord to lead us to where we really need to be.

Worry Worry Worry

Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 says, 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

For many people, it is easy to scoff at those first six words. “Don’t be anxious,” why didn’t I think of that, as you put your palm to your forehead? There are many times that our anxiety is brought upon us by the feelings of being out of control. It is in those very times that we need to keep reading the rest of the verse. When we feel that way we should turn to God in prayer and supplication (supplication can be seen as making our requests known).

I’ve been going to church for a long time, and if there is one area I’ve seen that is a struggle for numerous people it’s prayer. We feel weird talking out loud alone. We feel like prayers only work if we use extravagant language or talk like Shakespeare. We feel uncomfortable naming our struggles. When naming our struggles might be exactly what we need to do.

If you don’t take the time to name or understand your struggles, how will you ever cast those cares on God? God wants to be with you, and you will feel his presence more if you let him sit with you. No one is impressed when you bear a burden alone. In fact, they are usually multiplied by our fear and isolation.

Prayer will rarely solve our problems immediately and on the spot. However, prayer can give your heart a peace that surpasses all understanding. Christ is with you, he goes before you and is behind you. He is on your right and on your left.

What do you need to pray about today?

Love Them Too

Who in your life would you do anything to help? Who makes the list, where no mountain is too high or valley too low for you to make every effort to support or rescue them? Unless you are literally Superman then that list is understandable short. Very few of us have the capacity to be rescuing force for more than a handful of people.

As we consider our capacity to be with and around other people, what if we scaled back the question a lot. Who in your life do you have the ability to help in some small way? Who in your life do you have the ability to show kindness? The answer to those questions results in a much longer list. It costs nothing to say good morning.

Unfortunately, many of us have decided that we only really need the shorter of these two lists to make it in the world today. We know what Christians are supposed to do. We know what God would have us do. We know the call Christ has put on our lives. And in response we just say “nah.”

We forget the words of Luke 6:33-35 33 “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

We are not called to help those who help us. We are not called to just be a positive force in the world. We are called to love our enemies. And that’s way harder! As we look at the world, it is easy to see that love is lacking. You don’t have to change your whole life today, but you can make strides towards being more loving to the people around you. Even the people you consider enemies.

Expertise

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last 10 years, then you know that we are surrounded by experts. Experts on everything. One person says eat these foods to live forever. While someone else says eating those same foods will LITERALLY kill you. If the team that lost the game had only done XYZ they would’ve won the game. From raising your kids, to medical advice, to a litany of life hacks it seems like far too many people are ready, willing, and able to tell you how to live your life.

Even in the church, a place where even if we have the same theology and trust in the same God, we can look at another body of believers and list off all the ways they are “doing it wrong” in our eyes. As something of an expert myself, I would like to join the rabble and offer my own authoritative solution.

What if we just let God be God? God’s been doing it longer and has more experience. What if we look to the way others do things (within orthodoxy of course) with hopeful expectation that we have the opportunity to learn something.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 puts it this way, 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

When we crown ourselves the experts on absolutely everything, we are telling the world, “I have nothing left to learn.” There is a phenomenon called the “trained incapacity of experts” wherein highly skilled individuals in a specific field become unable to think creatively or adapt to new situations due to their deep-rooted training and expertise.

God is doing new things around us all the time, if we have the eyes to see them. God is the expert. God is the authority. What would happen if you settled into place as the student?

Got Hard Times

There’s a passage in James that gets quoted a lot at people who are going through hard times. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Given the choice I think most of us would choose the lacking nothing part and skip the whole “learning to be steadfast” part. We want the glory; we just don’t want the work. We want the scars and the stories; we just don’t want it to hurt. Unfortunately, muscles don’t grow unless you work them, and this applies to physical, mental, or emotional muscles. There’s a good number of people who recently gave up on going to the gym because after a month they didn’t lose fifty pounds and have a perfectly defined six-pack.

When we face hard times, we will rarely look at our situation in the moment and say, “I’m so happy that I get to learn and grow from this important life lesson!” More often, we just hate it for a season as we weather the storm of life. It’s only when we make it through to the other side of our situation, and maybe a time of rest, that we can reflect and see how God used a hard time to make us stronger.

But this passage seems to be a strong encouragement to keep going, don’t give up. No matter what you’re facing there will be an opportunity for joy again in the future. The hard times are going to be difficult and challenging, but God wants to use them to help you grow and become more resilient. If we know that hard times can’t be avoided; we can use them to learn more about ourselves and grow. Otherwise, we will have experienced them for nothing.

Snow Away

I have decided that I don’t like snow. Or at the very least, I believe snow should be a choice, or a destination that you move towards. It should not happen to me. Yes, it can be beautiful, and I recognize the serene quality of looking out over a landscape covered in freshly fallen flakes. Unfortunately, I also recognize the hassle it causes and the way it causes too many people to forget how to drive.

Even though there are things about it I don’t like, I am also open to seeing the lessons we can learn from snow. It gives the world outside your window a strange uniformity. You can feel a sense of purification as everything looks crisp, and clean, and white. It will eventually get driven over, piled up, and turn that weird dirty snow color, but for a moment, everything feels pure.

It is those moments of purity in our lives that we have such a hard time remembering. God made the world and everything in it, and as believers we can lean into that as we learn how to trust God more. Our God is the God of all creation; of water, earth and sky.

Psalm 104:24-25 tells us
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great. —

And John Calvin, sixteenth-century theologian, wrote, “The creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite and the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells us of God.” God made the world for us to live. God made the world for us to learn.

How have you seen God in the world around you this week?

Need Somebody

We’ve reached the point in January where we transition from looking back at the year that was and start looking forward at the year that will be. We recognize that all those resolutions we set during the fireworks might have been a little too lofty. We start to look at what we want to do with our feet back on the ground. We can set real goals and start to affect real change. Looking at your life and recognizing the things that are going well and the things you want to improve is important. We should all have goals that we are working towards. Even if sometimes that goal is to do less.

I ran across a quote recently that said, “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” And we hate to hear this. We can’t just think really hard about it and win the lottery, but that seems to be the “plan” we often choose. We give up after counting a fraction of the cost to get from where we are to where we want to be.

To reach some of those goals, I want to encourage you to do the hardest thing in the world: Ask for help. Even the most personal goals can be supported and sustained by asking for encouragement from other people. If you know how easily you would help someone close to you, you know how quickly you would be there to answer THEIR call. I hope you also know that there are people who would do the same for you.

1 John 3:16-18 says, 16 By this we know love, that he [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees their brother or sister in need, yet closes their heart against them, how does God's love abide in them? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

You are not a burden. Your goals are important. People want to join you in the journey of self-improvement. Set a goal and make a plan to reach it together. You can get by with a little help from your friends.

Nu Thang

A week ago, we kicked off a new year. Coming off the joy and celebration of a holiday season starting with Thanksgiving, we have a month of celebrations, decorations, and special little treats. We can end December with so much optimism for what is to come. We can reach January first thinking 2025 is going to be my year! And then January starts to January. Lights come down. Trees come down. All those things you “pushed off to the new year” come back and hit you all at once.

It’s easy to get discouraged. Your celebratory-self made some pretty lofty goals on New Year’s Eve. And a week in, it’s easy to think, “we gave it a good try but 2025 isn’t the one. We’ll see how things go in 2026.” But one thing God has shown us, and told us repeatedly, is that until the day we stop breathing we have another opportunity to start fresh.

Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or just a habit you want to change, you have the chance to start fresh right now. Even when it feels like three-steps forward and two-steps back, don’t give up on moving forward. God will always provide a way for us to find the path again. Nothing can separate us from that love. The only way we lose is by giving up.

Isaiah 43:16-19
16 Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 “Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.

What new things are you allowing God to do in your life? Are you looking for God to make rivers in the desert?

Immutability

Can you believe it is the year of our Lord 2025? Where has the century gone? The older you get the faster time seems to fly. You go to bed one night in High School, and wake up with a spouse, a kid, and a mortgage. You have a grown-up job and grown-up bills. And we can get hit with waves of nostalgia, waves of wanting to go back to the way things were.

Unfortunately, science hasn’t made that machine just yet. We must move forward one way or the other. Thankfully as we start a new year and set new goals, we can go forward knowing that Jesus is with us. He doesn’t change like the years. Hebrews 13:8-9 says, “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by [ritual] foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”

In theological circles call this is called the immutability of Jesus, that is, the unchanging nature of Jesus. This makes our faith reliable because the Jesus we read about in the scripture is the same one we have access to today. Jesus doesn’t follow any fads. Jesus doesn’t change with the times. Jesus is Jesus; yesterday, today, and forever.

Since Jesus DOESN’T change it means you CAN. As we head into a new year it’s a great time to assess how things are going for you. What areas need improvement? What areas need shoring up? And don’t forget to recognize the areas where you might be crushing it and keep up the hard work. Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost. Jesus came into the world for the benefit of all humanity.

We can celebrate the New Year while also remembering that every day is a new opportunity to return to the God who never changes.

Luke 2

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The Magnificat

In Luke 1 Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Both were expecting children who would go on to make big strides in the faith. When Elizabeth hears Mary, we’re told the baby in her womb leapt for joy, and she says, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

And Mary responds with a song of praise we call The Magnificat, (Luke 1:47-55)

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Throughout this song of praise, there are multiple allusions to the Old Testament, and it celebrates God’s goodness, faithfulness, and sovereignty. It calls us to recognize the pointlessness of trusting in our own power, the pointlessness of trusting in political power, and the futility of earthly wealth.

God has done great things. We can rejoice in the work that has been done in the past, the work that is happening now, and the work we have yet to see. We know of all the work that only God can do.

The calling out of earthly futility has actually caused the Magnificat to be banned in a few countries because it was seen as too revolutionary. As we barrel into Christmas let us keep Mary’s revolutionary hope alive.

Thanks I Guess

What’s the weirdest Christmas present you’ve ever received. Maybe you got a weird sweater that you would choose freezing over wearing. Maybe you got a perfume/cologne that made people say, “why does it smells like my grandpa in here?” when you wore it that one time. Whatever your weird present may have been (if you’re mature) you’re thankful for the sentiment with which it was given. Someone thought enough about you that they took a stab at picking something you would like.

When Jesus was born, he was visited by the wise men. They came from far away and followed a star to find Jesus. They brought with them three gifts. Gold, whose usefulness is obvious. No new parent would turn down the gift of gold because kids are expensive. Frankincense also had value but was also a symbol of purity and cleanliness since one of its uses was as a disinfectant—beautiful, valuable, and symbolic. And finally, myrrh.

Myrrh had some value and a few other uses, but it had its strongest ties to its use in burial customs. I don’t think any parent of a young child would be particularly happy with the uncle who shows up with a gift that says, “glad you were born, here’s something you’ll need because you’re going to die.” Happy birthday, here’s your headstone.

It was nothing so simplistic, however it was a good reminder for us of why Jesus entered the world in the first place. He knew the plan, he knew where he would end up, and he knew why he would do it. The cross could not happen without the crib. Jesus took on full humanity to live among people.

At Christmas we celebrate the actions described in John 1:14,16-18, “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”

Jesus came to earth and received some gifts that would be considered pretty weird to give a baby. However, we can look back now and see that they were perfectly suited for the gift he would give to all of us.

Letting It Go

I had a friend who was hosting his family for Christmas, and it was a packed house. So packed that the best place for their 4–5-year-old son to sleep would be in a sleeping bag on the floor at the foot of Mom and Dad’s bed. Thankfully, he was at the age where anything presented as an adventure felt like something cool to do. Other than the normal stress of a very full house, things were going pretty well.

On the third or fourth night my friend is lying on the floor putting his son to bed, and trying to keep the experience of the floor fun says, “you got a real sweet setup down here. Are you having fun?” His son responds, “Yes! I like my sleeping bag. Teddy Bear can sit right here. And over there is where I can wipe my boogers.” As he happily points to the horror show on the bottom of the bed. It’s amazing what a kid can do after a couple nights of digging for gold.

Under the stress of accommodating houseguests, holiday plans, and now another mess to clean up this was not what he needed before bed. But in what he’s described as “God’s intervening wisdom” he decided to let this one pass. He just said, “that’s pretty gross, bud. Let’s not do that anymore,” and everyone went to sleep.

This time of year, you’re going to be around people you might only see a few times a year; people are going to run out of things to talk about, so they delve into opinions; and we all know that one person who is always looking for a fight. Don’t give in. Paul says, that is not what you learned from Jesus!

It’s okay to not engage, it’s okay to not take the bait, it’s okay to let minor things go uncorrected. Paul ends Ephesians 4 by saying, “31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

We can be kind because it’s Christmas.