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.

Service

Why is it so hard to serve other people? We can show love, or we can be selfish. We don’t even need to go out of our way to do it. Simply smiling at someone or doing one small act of kindness can turn their day around. Normally the problem starts when we are more worried about getting extra than we are about someone else getting enough.

However, we have the power to flip this dynamic on its head. When your focus moves to be about other people, you get to see their gratitude. When you see how grateful they are for the small thing you’ve done, you grow in appreciation for the things you have. We can’t get lost in deciding who deserves to be helped. God has called you to go out there and serve the whole world. Even the people you might not like. Even the people who might not treat you well.

We are called to follow the example of service that Jesus gave to us. In Mark 10:43-45 Jesus says, “it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We can love people even if they don’t like us. Twentieth-century priest and spiritual writer Henri Nouwen said, “That is our vocation: to convert the enemy into a guest and to create the free and fearless space where brotherhood and sisterhood can be formed and fully experienced.” When we put our own wants and desires aside to serve someone else, we show them the love of God.

Who can you serve today, tomorrow, next week?

Study

How much did you study in school? Across any class the answer to this question will vary widely. For some people school is easy so they don’t study much. For some people school is hard so they need to study a lot. And for some, school is boring so though they should study more they don’t study that much. What if I told you that you are actually studying all day every day? It may not be useful knowledge, but your head is full of facts and processes taking you through the day.

Shows, sports, fashion, food, directions to your favorite places, and on and on. It may not feel like studying since this is knowledge you came by naturally, but you still had to learn it. You still need to go through the tutorial. When it comes to the Bible, you can only learn so much from going to church. Church can usually be measured in minutes per week, even if you are dedicated, but being a Christian is a lifelong process of trying to learn more.

I want you to grow in your faith so much that I won’t even tell you what part of the Bible to read as long as you read it! In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we learn, “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

We can learn more about God, more about the church, and more about ourselves. Obviously, the best place to start in your learning and study is in the Bible. Sure, there are a lot of other resources that will help you with explanations, but we should start with the Bible before looking to things or people just talking ABOUT the Bible. If you’re just starting out read the book of John; he’ll tell you all about Jesus. There’s a table of contents in the front of every Bible that can help you find it.

Fasting

What’s the longest you’ve gone without eating? Maybe a couple meals because you got too busy. Maybe a few days because you got sick, and the thought of eating was disgusting. How did it feel to go that long? Eventually, the hunger pangs become too much to bear, and we need to get something in our stomachs.

When we fast, we intentionally put ourselves in a state of need and desire. A state we don’t often feel this time of year. We deny ourselves immediate relief because we need a reminder of our ultimate relief. When we feel the rumble of need, we should ask ourselves, “do I want God as much as I want the thing I am fasting from?” We can learn a lot about ourselves when we go without. God is our ultimate portion, and we when deprive ourselves of other things we can learn to appreciate all the God has given us.

The book of Ezra tells the story of the people returning to Jerusalem. The journey was not always safe. Ezras 8:21-23 tells us, “21 Then I proclaimed a fast there…that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, … ‘The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.’ 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.”

God is enough for us. God leads us down the good path, if we only have a mind to follow. One important note about fasting. Fasting generally refers to avoiding food, but you can fast from anything you use regularly. Fast from coffee, fast from your phone, fast from screens in general, fast from music, the list could go on forever. If you are someone who doesn’t have the best relationship with food, then fasting from it might not be the best option. But there are still plenty of ways to learn from intentional fasting.

Write That Down

How do you process when big things happen? Do you let your feelings out? Do you stuff them down deep? Do you do your best to ignore them? Do you yell at your friends and family for no apparent reason? What if there was another option? Journaling is the act of writing out your thoughts, ideas, and emotions. As you seek to put them down on the page you are forced to slow down to think at the same pace that you write.

Journaling is a circular way of finding answers and slowing down enough that you can hear from God. This isn’t like school where you must meet a page requirement or use a bunch of sources. Or, even correct; punctuation.

Journaling is writing between you and yourself, or you and God. These words can be kept private, you don’t need to show them to anyone else. However, as you write you create a personal history for yourself. You can see where you once were, you can see how far you’ve come, and you can see the patterns in your life that might need to be addressed.

Psalm 105:5-7 reminds us,
5 Remember the wonders God has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.

The shortest pencil can remember longer than the best brain. When we write it down, we can recall it more accurately. This is when it happened, this is how I felt, this is what happened next. When you journal, you can write about your hopes, you can write about your dreams, you can even write about your fears, you can write out your prayers to God. It doesn’t need to be long it just needs to be honest.

Write that down.

Gratitude

Someone gives something to a little kid, and then the parent says, “What do you say?” They’re trying to teach their child to say thank you—to show gratitude. Unfortunately, saying thank you often becomes being polite rather than being truly grateful. Living a life of gratitude for what you have requires intentional effort. It’s far too easy to think everything you have is just a given. Of course there’s going to be running water. Of course I’m going to sleep safely in my bed tonight. Of course I’m going to be surrounded by people who love me.

While most of these might be true for you, they aren’t true for everyone. There are people in this world who dream of living a life as blessed as yours. There are people who pray every day that there will be water available tomorrow. Gratitude is all about perspective. It is looking at your life and realizing many things that you think are normal are actually a huge blessing.

It is an exceedingly difficult lesson to live out, but it is important to remember where our hope comes from. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 says, “15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

If you never slow down to appreciate all that you have—whether it was given to you, or you earned it yourself—you can get lost in the endless pursuit of more. When we are grateful, we look to God and say, “you are enough for me, and everything else is a blessing.” We know that there are people in this world who go without their basic needs, and that adds perspective to the life we live now. Last year’s phone works just as well as next year’s phone, when we are grateful for having a phone at all.

Worship

How do you show your love for other people? You spend time with them. You talk to them. You listen to them. You recognize all the good things that they have brought into your life. This is not different than how we can treat God. A lot of times we think worship is only the singing we do when we are at church. But worship is so much more.

We worship God with our whole heart, mind, and spirit. This means we bow down before our king. We don’t do this because we are conquered. We do this because we are thankful. God has shown so much love to us that we just want to give some of that back to him in worship. God loved us so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. We get to join in the loop of adoration: God loves us, and we love God.

Hear these words of Psalm 95,
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Worship is all about love. When we feel lost and desperate we can reach out and worship God because God is always with us. Through Jesus we receive salvation and connection. In worship we can pour out our whole heart to God. All our hopes and dreams. Our fears and insecurities. All our thanks and adoration. Worship is something that starts in your heart and doesn’t require anyone else around. Worshipping in private can be better and more freeing than worshipping with a large group.

Move it

Have you ever had a day when you literally did nothing? Maybe you walked to the bathroom or the kitchen, but for the most part you sat still in front of various screens? If it’s relaxing by choice, then by all means the occasional nothing day is okay. However, if this is a regularly occurring lifestyle, it might be time to examine what you’re doing.

God gave you a body, and from where science is today, you’ve only got the one. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6, our body is a temple for our spirit. He says, “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” This chapter is mostly referring to the sexual immorality of the Corinthians, but I believe the message still stands for us today and can be applied more broadly.

As you treat temples with respect, you should treat your own body with respect. God does not care about how fit you look or how fast you can run. God wants you to be able to use the gift of your life. Don’t waste the gift of your youth (if you can still read this and move by choice, you’re still young). We can learn about God by getting up and moving around. Go for a walk. Play a game. Dance while no one is watching.

It is for freedom that Christ set us free. We are not called to be bogged down by shame. Moving a little bit today helps you move a little more tomorrow. We should rejoice when we get out there and can see one another. But that can never happen if we hide ourselves away. Use your gifts, it is through God’s compassion that we are able to live. Let us use what we have for the glory of God. It can all start with a walk around the block.

Confession

Have you ever messed up big time? It’s easy, the answer is yes. We all have. Making mistakes is just a part of life that will eventually find you. However, the choice comes in what you do next. Our gut reaction is to hide the problem and deny it for as long as possible. We think, “if no one knows what happens, I won’t have to face the consequence of my actions.”

When that stuff is out there, we can live in the fear that it’s only a matter of time before we get found out. We spend time worrying about getting caught. We feel the weight of lying to our friends and loved ones. God has not called you to bear the burden of guilt. God has called you to set yourself free through the act of confession.

In 1 John 1:7-9 we are reminded, “7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confession requires us to live in community with God and other believers. We need people who will walk through the hard times with us in love. While we may need to face some real-world consequences for our actions, we can’t start the healing process until we have been open about our actions.

It is good judgment to be honest with those closest to us, even when we make mistakes. The other side of giving confession is receiving it. There will be times when people come to you to seek forgiveness, they will confess some wrong they’ve done. When we hear this confession, we should hope to lead them towards healing and (if safe and possible) reconciliation.

Simplify

What do you NEED to have access to every day to live your life? Food, water, shelter, and clothes are probably the most obvious things people need. But each of us probably have a few more things on the list if we’re honest. What else is on that list for you? Is it your phone? Your Starbucks order? Your comfort show? What are the things that you love to have but aren’t necessary for human survival.

For many people this list is way longer than it should be, the goal in life is to add more and more and more. I need to make more money so I can have the best stuff. I need the best stuff so people can know how important I am. What if you were called to simplify? As one artist put it, a song is not done when you can’t add anything else; a song is done when nothing else can be taken away. Time and again we get caught in the trap of MORE, and the things we own end up owning us.

This is not the life you were called to live. Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:12-14 reminds us, “12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, … 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand…that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

Our goal should be to live in such a way that having God is enough to make us happy. According to one study nearly 90% of Americans look at their phone within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning. What if we liberated ourselves from the ropes that bind us? What single small change could have echoes of growth that reverberate through your life?

Solitude

What is the difference between being alone and being lonely? Many of us are surrounded by noise and people all day long. Finding a moment to yourself to think a single thought or breathe a single breath is so hard to find. This is why we need to intentionally make time for solitude. You don’t need to journey off into the woods or a mountain top to find alone time. You can go to your room, take a long shower, walk the dog, or walk yourself. You can communicate and set boundaries with the people around you.

It's easy to feel lonely, even in a crowded room, but when we practice solitude, we learn that we are never alone because God is with us always. God wants to spend time with us, but we have a hard time hearing what God is telling us if we never make time to listen.

In his preamble to the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gives us this instruction in Matthew 6:5-8, “5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

When we feel lonely or abandoned, we can look back on our intentional times of solitude to remind us that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. God is with you, even to the end of the age. We can have great and blessed days spending time with our friends and loved ones, but we can grow in new and unexpected ways if we spend time alone listening to God.

Tell ‘Em

What is the last show, song, movie, or book that you HAD to tell someone about? Sharing the things we love with the people we love is one the best parts of the human experience. There is little better than seeing someone else feel the same joy you did. If someone shows you something new that you love you feel seen and understood. They’ve tapped into something that is deeper than your preferences.

Hopefully, this is our goal when we share the good news of Jesus with other people. We are sharing something that we love and is important to us. And we do it in the hope that they will experience God the same way we do. It’s okay that evangelism can sometimes feel scary. You are taking a vulnerable position and can fear rejection, but that is when we remember that this is God’s calling on all our lives. We share the truth we have in our hearts because we want the people we love to have the joy and comfort that we do.

Jesus, in Matthew 28:19-20, gives us what is called the Great Commission. “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus doesn’t say, “just tell your best friends,” or “tell anyone who you think deserves it.” Jesus commands us to tell ALL nations.

The best part of this is that their response isn’t up to you. When you share the truth of the Gospel you can’t make anyone believe. As one pastor put it, “you can’t argue anyone into heaven.” Our job is just to open the invitation. Let them know what God has done in your life. Demonstrate the truth about what you believe with your life.

Show love, show kindness, help the people around you.

Choices

How do you make the best choice? If you’re choosing between pizza and burgers, it’s hard to go wrong. Both are delicious and can fully cater to your preferences. What about the bigger choices like where to live, what job you want, or who should be your friends. For all these there can be multiple correct answers that lead to a blessed life.

This is where we meet discernment. Discernment is a Christian skill that is easy to understand but is difficult to master. Unlike a normal choice between right and wrong—if your choice is cheat or not cheat it’s obvious which is wrong—discernment is choosing between what is right and almost right. Our days are filled with decisions and each one could range from zero consequence to long-lasting, life-altering consequences.

This could easily lead to decision paralysis. “There are so many things to do, WHAT’S NEXT?” Instead of getting stuck, just ask yourself, “what is the next right thing I can do?”

Paul, in the beginning of his letter to the Philippians (1:9-10) says, “9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

As we act in love, we learn and grow. We won’t make perfect decisions every time, but we will always have the opportunity to learn more. When we are only looking for the next right thing, we can find ourselves on a path that takes us closer to God. We turn away from worthless things because we have God’s law in our hearts. We can follow Jesus and discern the best path for our lives and that helps us make a lot more right choices.

Ruminate on God

Did you know that some animals have multiple stomachs? Cows, goats, giraffes, and many others go through a process called rumination where they chew their food and send it to their first stomach. Then it pops back into their mouths, and they chew on it some more. And this cycle continues for as many stomachs as the animal has. They do this so that they can get every last bit of nutrition out of their food.

We unfortunately, only have one stomach, but we can still ruminate—only we do it with our thoughts. There are times when something is on your mind, then you get distracted, and it will pop back up and you’ll think about it some more, and this will keep cycling. If we do this on purpose, we can call it meditating.

Meditation is something that has taken on a lot of meanings for a lot of groups. For our purpose here we will use it to simply mean intentionally taking time to think about Jesus and the scripture. One writer said when we meditate, we grow in our familiar friendship with Jesus.

When God is calling Joshua in Joshua 1:8 we read, “8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

There’s going to be a time in your life that you feel like you’ve been laid low. It is during these times that we will appreciate the effort we’ve taken to meditate on the promises of God. This all goes back to hiding God’s word in your heart, so you have it available when you need it. As we meditate/ruminate on God’s promises we can get every last bit of truth out of them.

God Knows

Sometimes it feels weird to pray. You’re just talking (out loud or in your head) to someone who you cannot see about the deepest parts of your life. It can feel weird to find the words. Let’s simplify it. If you’ve been in certain churches, you’ve heard people pray with long elegant words and phrases, their prayers sound impressive, and it can feel like they know some secret code that makes God hear them. But you don’t need any of that. God knows your heart.

There is nothing you can say in your prayer that is going to shock or surprise God. So, instead of giving a long list of requests just talk to God like you would the most loving parent of all time. I’m talking classic TV sitcom, all your problems will be solved in 22 minutes, parent. If you went up to the best parent in the world and asked for protection (something they always do their best to give you), they would smile at you and say of course I will that is why I am here. Talk to God instead about what’s going on in your life. I’m scared about this. I’m worried about that. I’m so excited I get to.

God knows what is on your heart, and like that good parent, is excited to hear you talk about your life in any way that helps the two of you grow closer. A great way to start praying is opening up to any Psalm and just read it to God as if you wrote it. Treat it like the Psalmist’s words are your words. Try it with the verses below. Most of all, know that prayer is like a muscle. It gets stronger and is more comfortable to do the more you use it.

Psalm 63:1-8
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Hidden in the Heart

How often do you face temptation? Sometimes it feels like it’s an all-day, everyday kind of thing. How do you react? If you are a normal human, sometimes you give in and sometimes you resist. And we’re not always talking about life altering, relationship ruining temptation. We face the temptation to lose our tempers, take more than our share, or any number of small nicks and scratches to our integrity. When we are faced with these hard questions, we must rely on what we’ve learned to find our strength.

We read the scripture to make a home in our heart for the word of God. Whatever you put in your mind and heart is going to be what comes out of your mouth and is seen in your actions. Think of all the slang terms you used growing up that your parents and teachers had no clue how to use. They weren’t exposed to them because they consumed different media than you and had different friends than you (and they weren’t as cool as you).

The author of Hebrews 4 tells us, “11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Where you put your priorities will be seen in your life. If you can take time each day to study the word of God, you will see a change in the way you view and treat other people. You will react differently when you face the temptation of life. You can start by reading one verse a day. You can start by reading huge chunks at a time. There are a million Bible apps with a million reading plans, you can listen to the audio version, you can get a picture Bible, you just need to find a way to start.

Dig In

What is the first thing you do when you want to learn how to do something new? If you’re anything like me, you check the internet! The internet holds the wealth of human experience, and it’s usually right in your pocket. You can learn how to fix your car, how to do your makeup, how to make a cake, and just about anything else you could possibly think of.

One of the great defining features of humanity is our ability to share knowledge. We look to the people that came before us for ways to make it through our modern world. This is especially true for Christians. We look to the early church mothers and church fathers for ways to grow closer to God.

And while they may have some wise words for us, nothing is better than going back to the source. We read the Bible today for instruction, for inspiration, and for comfort. All of these things work together to help lead us down the path God wants us to travel.

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible is a twenty-two stanza love letter to the word of God. I had one pastor comment that it could address every aspect of our life on earth. It asks hard questions and gives hard answers. Throughout the chapter it encourages us to live into our calling as children of God.

Psalm 119:9-11
9 How can a young person keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Where do you meditate all day? Where are your eyes fixed?

Thumbs Out

I got a really bad boo-boo on the side of my thumb a while back. It hurt a lot when it happened and looked a little gross. But after the initial shock went away it was mostly just sore. That is until it gently bumped something while I was walking, or I tried to tie my shoe, or I was typing a lot. Do you know how often your thumb taps the phone in your pocket while you’re walking? I didn’t either, then it started stinging every time it happened.

There are things in our lives that don’t matter at all until they suddenly matter a lot. There are things that we are perfectly fine ignoring until they show up and demand our attention. When we are faced with these things our natural instinct might be to try and ignore it even harder, but too often this leads to a problem becoming worse rather than going away.

As followers of Christ, we should be ready to confront the discomfort in our lives because we know that we don’t need to face it alone. God is with you. Your community is with you. It is rarely easy. It is rarely simple. And it may take all that is within you to seek out the help you need, but the help is available.

Ephesians 6:10-13 tells us, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

God has a plan to protect you, whether you are fighting against the problems of this world, or the problems in your own heart. We just need to stand strong and courageous, trusting in the promises of God.