Podcast: The Trouble with Teenage Rebellion

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
-Exodus 20:12

You know, I wasn’t real impressed with my parents when I was a teenager. Most of my friends weren’t very impressed with their parents either. I liked them fine, but in general I really thought I knew a lot better.

I think that’s a pretty typical reaction at that age. It’s really too bad. Just because it’s the typical reaction doesn’t mean it’s the best one. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I was wrong in almost every confrontation I had with my parents. And even in those few times I was right, it still wasn’t really worth it.

I could not be reasoned with at that age. If someone claimed to know what I was thinking, what I was feeling, I would have scoffed. Just like teenagers would do if I were to say those words to them now. But here’s the truth of it – it’s all empty pride. I knew nothing then, but I thought I knew it all.

It took me a while to figure out that leaving my parents’ authority only meant that I fell under someone else’s. Even today, I work in a place where more than a handful of people with more authority than I work within smacking distance of my desk. I can (and hopefully will) move up in the company, but that will only mean that different people are above me. And even if I reach the top of my trade, the government – local, state, and national – is in authority over me.

The difference between me now and me then is that now I realize that it’s probably better that way. I’ve gotten myself into more troubles than I can count, only because I acted rather than listened. I wish I had paid more heed to this commandment back then. Maybe I would have learned some lessons a little faster and suffered a little less grief.

A good parent acts for the good of his child. Sometimes that good is not what the child wants. Sometimes it means punishment. Sometimes it means his child is going to get angry at him. But he’s still going to act for the good of that child, because that’s what love does.

And what this commandment is merely saying is this – if you have good, loving parents, have faith in them, that they are working for your good. Trust them. If they are following God, then follow them, because you know where they will lead you.

There’s a reason that God set things up like that, and there’s a reason that God tells us to call Him our Father. Like a good earthly father, He is worthy of our trust, even if following Him doesn’t seem immediately like the best idea. He is worthy of your faith.

There are probably some of you who didn’t have trustworthy parents. Your parents may not have acted in your best interest. They may have hurt you. Maybe the name “Father” does not conjure up images of love and support in your mind. I wish it did. I wish you could know immediately the relationship that God wants for you when He bids you call Him “Abba,” which is best translated “Daddy.”

Well, our Father in Heaven showed us a love you may not be used to when He sent Jesus, His Son, to the earth to die for us. You may be used to a father who takes, but God is a Father who gives. In our sin – our pride, our selfishness, our hatred, and our lust – we are not worthy to be called His children. We deserve much worse. But Jesus died in our place, taking on our sentence on Himself. In repentance and faith we run home to the Father, and God welcomes us with open arms, as a loving father should with a child who may have gone astray, and yet returns repentant.

My parents and I have a very good relationship now, despite the way I acted as a child. That’s the way it should be. I turned away from that foolishness, and I came home. That’s exactly what it’s like with God.

Balance

“by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.”
-Proverbs 3:20

Have you ever wondered at the balance of this world? Have you ever wondered at the comfort of this place? We are perfectly set at a certain distance from the sun so that the temperature is typically nice. Even in summer, though I may complain of the heat, I am still able to go outside and walk around freely with combusting. The rain, in most areas, falls enough to water plants, animals, and people alike, yet not so much to dominate the weather.

The ground is such that it can produce enough food for all. Now certainly not everyone is getting the food, but that’s our fault, not the fault of creation. It has long been shown that there is enough food, but only that politics and greed keep it from getting to those who need it.

The world’s orbit does not cause it to fall into the sun, nor shoot off into the stars. The moon too is perfectly weighed and set upon its course. The air is mixed expertly, and a recycling system is set in place between us and plants to keep oxygen flowing.

The balance was in place when there were two people on the earth, and it still works just fine with billions. Have you thought of that? Any of us could design a system for two, but to set it in motion and have it still active for billions is astonishing.

Many will say that this balance is a result of evolution, that chance and time caused this world and its inhabitants to grow accustomed to one another. And yet the very foundation of evolution is change, and with change is balance hard to come by. To me, it all seems a little too perfect for it to be the result of chance. The very orbit of the earth, set at exactly this place, the only place that could have supported life, is too unlikely for me to credit to anything but planning.

Evolution does not seek balance, but superiority. Survival of the fittest – the best. Its very claims do not lend themselves to such balance. They do not lend themselves to working just as well with two as with billions.

It takes more than chance. It takes wisdom and understanding. It takes the hand of someone greater than us, greater than this place.

The Bible tells us that the world was formed through Jesus, the Son of God. In wisdom He made this place, even you and I. But He did not leave us to ourselves, but guides us through life. In love He came from Heaven to earth to teach us and die for us, taking our place in death which we earned because of our sin. And He rose again and prepares for us a place in heaven.

And one day He will reform this place and make a new Heaven and a new earth. Not as a result of chance, but in careful and loving consideration.

Darwin is interesting, but Darwin won’t get you to that place. Only Jesus can. He’s worth looking into.

Podcast: The Trouble with Weekends

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. . . . For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
-Exodus 20:8-11

I usually record these podcasts on Saturday, the traditional Sabbath. I won’t be going to church today. I do that, mainly, on Sunday, like most Christians do. There are massive debates in Christianity about this still today. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve read online lately that say, in essence, I’m going to hell because I don’t celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

It was the same way in Jesus’ time. From this commandment came a lot of boggy tradition, and that tradition, in the minds of the people, became law. When Jesus’ disciples were getting some grain on a Saturday, the Pharisees were horrified. When Jesus healed on a Saturday, they flipped out. They didn’t care a whit that some guy with a withered hand was healed. All they could say was, “Couldn’t that have waited until Sunday?”

And honestly, I can understand the point of view of the Pharisees here. I don’t agree with it, obviously, but I understand it. Because when you have a wrong view of the Sabbath, you’re going to go in an extreme direction on it. Either you are going to ignore it completely, as many Christians do, or go overboard in legalism with it. Either you’re going to say, “Oh, that’s part of the old Law we don’t follow anymore,” of you’ll say, “You’re not of God if you answer the phone on Saturdays.”

Both approaches are wrong, and if we look at Jesus as our example, we will see how. First of all, Jesus remembered the Sabbath. He didn’t ignore it as part of the “old ways.” The Gospels specifically record that He would teach at a synagogue on the Sabbath.

On the other hand, He scoffed at those who would impose wild restrictions on the Sabbath. He constantly mocked the Pharisees when they would frown on Him for healing or on his disciples for gathering grain on the Sabbath.

So what is the Sabbath for? First of all, it’s for us. Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is like when the government makes labor laws, dictating that companies have to give employees breaks at certain intervals. In this case, God is telling us, “It’s good to work hard, but I want you to rest too.” The trouble comes when some zealot comes and tries to force us into rest, as though we were made for the labor laws and not the other way around.

Secondly, it is a time for worship. God knows me pretty well. He knows I love to worship, but that stuff at work keeps piling up, and I get distracted. While I should worship in all I do, this day is reserved for specifically that. So we go to church on that day of the week, every seven days, and we try to never miss.

Thirdly, it is a time to worship Jesus. Jesus tells us, “I am the Lord of the Sabbath.” The Sabbath is about Jesus. He established it, and we should use it to celebrate Him.

Lastly, it is to tell us of what is to come. Like this week will end, this life will end too. We toil in life, we work hard, and then it is done. The Sabbath is a way to remind us of the rest that is to come if we have faith in Jesus. As Hebrews tells us, “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”

That rest, that final Sabbath, can only come through the Lord of the Sabbath. Only through His death can we be saved from the death that awaits us because of all the sins we have piled up in our lives – the hatred, violence, lying, selfishness, greed, lusts, and ambition. It is through His Blood that we can be forgiven. If we repent and have faith in Jesus, we will find that rest, though this life may be toilsome indeed.

I used to hate going to church, but that was before I understood what Jesus had done for me. Now I find great peace there. It is a reminder to me of what He is preparing for me, and hopefully for you.

Creation by wisdom

“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;”
-Proverbs 3:19

I had a friend point this verse out to me a year or so ago, and ever since it has not ceased to stun me. The implications of it make my mind quake with the possibilities.

By wisdom He founded the earth. He measured every curve, every orbit, every weight, and every pull, set this place upon a divinely ordained path, perfectly set for His creation. Every mountain He built, without error, down to every electron that spins within an atom. The weight and makeup of the air He created, flawlessly. It is His hand that guides history, turning everything toward the good for His children. He draws people to Him, even when their entire beings seek rebellion. Each person He knows from the womb and before, and He knows each hair on a man’s head. He provides for the birds and causes the flowers to bloom. All of this in magnificent balance He controls: all for His glory.

I am listening to Wagner as I write this, and I am amazed at how much musical understand it takes to compose a prelude as he did. The understanding of tone, of rhythm, and emotion. Where to swell and where to hold back. How to draw a heart into a piece of music.

This particular prelude is about eight minutes long (from the third act of Tristan und Isolde). In these eight minutes Wagner has done something that I have not the understanding to do. I have studied music my whole life, and I cannot compose like this. It is wondrous. And yet Wagner merely holds an orchestra together for eight minutes. How much greater still is He who holds all of history together for all of eternity!

I wonder how much wisdom I really bring to my own life. Am I coming to my marriage in wisdom, or in something else? What about my friendships? My job? I can hardly hold my own life together, I fear. How much greater is He who holds together even the cells in my body?

It’s strange how we follow our own wisdom in life, that same wisdom that has so often failed us. It’s strange that my default mode is to fix it myself instead of turning to God. In this, perhaps, I show how little wisdom I truly have.

By wisdom God created all that there is, and by wisdom He created me too. Perhaps the most wondrous thing of all is that He still loves me. He still hears me. He still speaks to me.

He died for me.

This verse is a pun. I’ve been reading it closely for a year, and I only now just got it. We’ve been talking a lot lately about how Wisdom, as depicted in this section of Proverbs, is a symbol for Jesus. So when it says that God founded the world by wisdom, it means that literally, but it also means that God founded the world by Jesus. And that’s exactly what we find is true in Hebrews 1:2: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

It was through Jesus that the world was created, and it is also Jesus that we can be saved. In my own wisdom, I have ruined nearly everything I’ve touched. I have no right to claim anything from God. And yet He has given me the right to be His adopted son through Jesus. How are we so stubborn as to not make Him to focus of our every breath? How is it we think we know better than Him? Does it not make sense to seek His way in our every turn?

By wisdom God founded the earth. By love He chased me, even into death. By grace He gives me life. By awe, wonder, and love I am brought time after time to Him.

The tree of life

“She [wisdom] is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.”
-Proverbs 3:18

The tree of life. Do you remember this one? The tree of life only makes an appearance in three books of the Bible. It’s right at the beginning of Genesis, that is at the beginning of the Bible, and at the very end of Revelation, that is at the end of the Bible. The only other book to mention it is in Proverbs. This is the first of four times we will look at it here.

The tree of life is first found in the Garden of Eden. Before Adam had sinned, there was no prohibition against eating from this tree. The fruit of this tree did exactly what its name suggested – it granted life.

Adam sinned by disobeying God. You know, a lot of people think that God sets rules to ruin our fun. He doesn’t. The Garden is a great example of this. He provided a paradise, a place without pain and without death. But in disobedience, it was Adam who brought darkness into that place. And in doing that, Adam ruined everything.

Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden then, not again to eat of the tree of life. Obviously, we do not have this tree around now. We don’t have the fruit of the tree to put on our cereal in the mornings. In sin we have brought about death.

It’s sometimes hard to describe just how important this concept of sin is. So many people just blow it off, thinking God will just pass over it. Which in and of itself is sin. Can you imagine your children blowing off your commands like that? Let’s say your children rebel against you in the same way you have rebelled again God (God forbid, but let’s talk about it a moment). Say they ignored every word you said, and refused to speak with you. Their lives were spent chasing pride, lust, greed, and hatred, all against your heartfelt pleas for them to change. There would probably be a time when you would just let them go make their own fate.

I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and yet we do this to God every day. He wants to guide us in wisdom, to provide for us as a Father should, to protect us, to love us, and we go our own way, not even speaking to Him at all!

A good father says things to guide his children to a good life. The children do not always see this, but the father does. How much more does our Heavenly Father see all? How much more can He guide us along the right paths? It’s not to ruin our fun, but to bring us completeness, forgiveness, and life.

We have lost the right to the tree of life, and yet God still wants us to repent of that rebellion and come back to enjoy it.

In sin we deserve death, but Jesus came to provide another way. In chapter 1 of Proverbs, we spoke of how “Wisdom” is really Jesus. So it is in this verse. Jesus came and, though He was perfect, He died on the Cross on our behalf. Think of this as when a young man gets in trouble with the law. He doesn’t have the money to pay his fine, so his father comes and pays the fine for Him. That’s what Jesus did. He paid our price for us.

If we repent and believe in Jesus, we can still find eternal life, even though we don’t deserve it. Out of love, God has provided another way to life, since we’ve already messed up the first way.

And then we see the tree of life again. In Revelation 2, Jesus tells us that those who follow Him will have the right to eat of the tree of life again. And then in Revelation 22 we see it. It sits within a garden in the New Jerusalem, God’s perfect city that He will build for us. In paradise it stood in Genesis, until sin took Adam away. In paradise it will stand again, but in that time there will be no more sin, no more death, and no more tears.

If you lay hold of Jesus, you will be given the fruit of the tree of life. Seek Him rather than seeking your own pleasures, for in Him you will find sweetness that you could never find in pride, lust, and anger. Though this whole world stand against you, still will you stand, for you will have life.

What ways are these?

“Her [Wisdom’s] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
-Proverbs 3:17

I had rather mixed emotions coming into this section of Proverbs. These early Proverbs teach as general rules. You know, it’s like when you get a boss who tells you, “Come every day, work hard, and you’ll do just fine.” Well, as a general rule, that is true, but come to work wearing flip-flops and a Speedo, and you’ll quickly find that you’re the exception to the rule.

So I want to come to this verse and tell people, as with all Scripture, this is completely true! And it is. Proverbs, by definition, give us wisdom to guide us to desired goals. But chance has a hand in it too. For instance, obeying God may NOT bring us long life if following God means martyrdom.

But I also don’t want to tell you something that isn’t true. I’m not going to tell you that Jesus is going to give you flowers and sunshine all your days. The Christian life can be trying. In fact, there are several places in the Bible where it practically guarantees us trials (James 1, as an example). The walk itself takes us on a higher road than a normal man would walk. We are striving always to be more and more like Christ, and sometimes that means standing for the truth when a little lie would have gotten you out of the situation, standing up for morality when others laugh at you, answering His call away from everything that was comfortable, listening while your family complains that you have changed.

Sometimes His calls takes you somewhere you didn’t want to go. For many Christians, it meant going into death.

I am reminded of Jesus, praying and weeping in the Garden of Gethsemane. So much stress was He under that He literally sweat blood. After that, He was taken, beaten, scourged, tortured, and nailed to a Cross to die.

I don’t know how I would handle that. It’s hard enough telling a friend that he is seeking his own gain instead of God’s and He needs to stop it. That’s an awkward conversation, and yet one that love has to make. If you love someone, you have to tell him these things.

There are many conversations like that one that I haven’t had the strength to make. I’ve had enough people angry at me for simply talking about God, and yet so often I must, because I’m not at peace unless I do, because their lives depend on it.

Only conversations. That’s all they are. What then if I am called to death? Is that a path to peace as this verse offers?

We are not compelled to these things to earn for ourselves heaven. Only Christ can earn heaven, for the price of it is perfection – a price we cannot pay. It is only through His sacrifice that we can be forgiven, for He paid the penalty of death we deserved. So it is not for reward that Christians leave all they have to serve. It is for love. How can we claim to love anyone if we do not try to save them from destruction?

Like Isaiah, we know that most often we will fail. We know that most will reject Him. And yet we speak, we write, we go, we serve, we love, and we die.

I have wept for those who have denied Him. I have wept for them. But you know, it’s strange. The only time I weep for myself is when I did not try, when I said nothing. If I have spoken what I could, spoken truth in love, then I am content with what Christ is doing in me. I am at peace if I have tried.

Huh. Turns out this verse is true after all.

True riches, true life

“Long life is in her [Wisdom’s] right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.”
-Proverbs 3:16

Sometimes you sort of wish Solomon would make up his mind. He just finished telling us that we should seek wisdom more than money, and now it seems like he is saying to seek wisdom in order to get money.

These are the sorts of verses that the Prosperity Gospel latches on to, and we can see why. It seems to be saying to follow God and you’ll get rich, doesn’t it? That’s pretty much what the Prosperity teachers tell us, that faith will bring God’s blessings, and God’s blessings usually come in the form of cash.

But is that really what’s going on here? If so, we would have to assume that Solomon is a moron, because he seriously did tell us a couple of verses ago that wisdom is better than gold. To make the claim that he is primarily talking about worldly wealth is to claim that Solomon is saying, “Forget about money! Money is for suckers. Get wisdom, because that will get you money!”

If you take the verse more in context you’ll see something else. In the following verses, you’ll find that the gifts of wisdom are spiritual in nature. Peace, eternal life, and blessing.

Does that mean that these two, long days and riches, are also eternal? Not necessarily. After all, it was when Solomon asked God for wisdom that God gave him riches as well. In a very literal sense, Solomon’s quest for wisdom made him rich.

And yet it was not his goal; it was not what he sought. The motive here is very important.

We have mentioned before that the Christian life is conducive to healthy living. Wise and honest business practices will often produce great wealth. Following God, in fact, can lead to worldly blessings. Sometimes they don’t, but sometimes they do. And these are not necessarily bad things. There is nothing wrong with wealth, so long as you keep your focus on God.

And so the gifts of wisdom certainly can be long life and wealth. And they can also, and more wonderfully, be something else.

If you remember from Proverbs chapter 1, this personification of Wisdom found in the Proverbs is a symbol of Jesus, and the promise of Jesus is greater still than a load of cash. Long life? What about forever? Wealth and honor? What about a house built by Jesus and rewards bestowed by God?

Here is wisdom: The things of this world will pass away. they may be useful for a time, and they are not inherently evil, but they are temporary. We, however, are eternal. We should spend this life seeking our provision for forever, not just for these seventy years.

It is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, for once you cast your eyes beyond death, you will begin to understand the importance of answering the question of eternity right now. Will you find favor with God upon death, or will you be judged wanting?

We have all fallen short of His glory. We have all sinned in our ambition, selfishness, lusts, hatred, and pride. We do not deserve a place in His kingdom.

But Jesus came to pay the price that we have earned. We deserve the death penalty, and He took our place there. If we repent and believe in Him, we will be saved. In that wisdom, we will have found long life (eternally) and riches in heaven.

This is what Solomon knew. Money is pretty cool to have, but what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?

Podcast: The Trouble with Swearing

This is a transcript of our current podcast. To subscribe to the podcast using iTunes, please click here. To listen to the podcast without iTunes, please follow this link.

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
-Exodus 20:7

I’m sure you know the story of the boy who cried wolf. I’ll repeat it in brief. There was a shepherd boy who was bored one day in the field, and so he ran into the town, crying out, “Wolf, wolf!” The people of the town, anxious to rescue their sheep, hurried out to the field, but there was no wolf. The next day the boy did it again, and again the townspeople ran into the field to find the sheep peaceably grazing. But on the third day, there really was a wolf, yet when the boy went to town for help, none would help him. He returned to the field alone and was himself killed by the wolf.

It is a very strange habit we have, taking the Lord’s name in vain. Can you imagine if we started cursing by using a loved one’s name? If every time you got angry, you said, “Mom fix it!” or “Dad’s car!” It doesn’t even make any sense, and it would certain annoy the person whose name we are using.

Yet we do it with God. We call upon His name and power without meaning it. We say, “Damn it” of “Bless you,” but we say them not as a loving and heartfelt request to the Lord to do these things, but as a burst of frustration or just out of habit. We are like the boy who cried wolf. We keep using God’s name, and yet we don’t really want Him to come.

And let me clarify here. Using the Lord’s name in vain is not talking about using four-letter words. That can be offensive speech, but it’s not this. Using the Lord’s name in vain is to either use or imply God’s name without meaning it. So something goes wrong, and you say, “Damn it!” Are you really requesting God to damn something? Or is it just something you say? When someone sneezes, and you say, “Bless you!” are you really asking God to bless that person, or are you just saying it? By all means, pray for someone’s blessing! But mean it when you say it. Finally, when you’re in an argument or something, and you may say, “God knows the truth,” are you truly requesting God to come bear witness for you, or are you just making a statement you think will help you win?

This is called blasphemy, which is simply disrespect against God. And I know a lot of you are thinking, “Who cares? I mean, it’s just something I say. I don’t mean it to be disrespectful.”

If you are thinking this, I understand you. I used to think the same way. But consider this for a moment. What if the people around you, who said they loved you, started using your name as a curse word? How much would you like it if you son used your name to vocalize his anger and frustration?

God gave us life. He created this world and everything in it, from the clothes you have on to the breakfast you had this morning. He guides your every step. And we respond by using His name as a curse word.

This is exactly why Jesus drove the money-changers out of the temple. In their greed, they had brought disrespect to the Father by using His place of worship to make money. Jesus saw their blasphemy and drove them out. He was likewise stern with the Pharisees, who showed off their righteousness, calling upon God at all times, and yet their hearts had no love for the Father. They used His name in vain.

Which is something Jesus never did. In all ways did He show His love and respect for the Father.

I am guilty of this sin. We all are, save only Jesus. And it is through Him we can be forgiven. In repentance and belief we can be saved from ourselves and restore our relationship with Him.

It’s not worth it

“She [wisdom] is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”
-Proverbs 3:15

It would be difficult for me to explain the last twelve hours of my life. Last night, I was convicted suddenly by some things I had done recently that hurt my wife very badly. She is extraordinarily gracious, and she forgave me immediately, and I was immediately sorry for the whole thing. That was a few weeks ago, but last night everything came back to me. I really couldn’t tell you why, but I was just astounded at the selfishness of my heart at times.

This morning I was listening to John Piper speak about Christian couples who were living together. I have several friends who are doing just that (some in separate rooms, some in the same), and most of my morning was spent in sadness over what we are doing to each other, and what we are telling the world.

Sometimes, when my wife and I start to get agitated with each other, we will tell each other this: “It’s not worth it. Whatever it is we feel we need to say, whatever right we feel we must protect, whatever desire we feel has to be sated – it’s not worth it.”

And though we’ve been doing that for a while, I’m beginning to understand the truth in it better today with this verse. When I get upset over something that was done to me, and I feel like I have to assert myself and make things right for myself, it always seems to make it worse. Whenever I seek my own advancement, I am disappointed. Whenever I start to shout out my rights, those rights are never as sweet as I wanted them to be.

We have all sorts of desires that we think will fill us, and they never do. To address the other situation that has been on my mind today: Moving in with a girlfriend seems great for a time, until, twenty years down the road, your daughter decides to follow your example.

The truth of the matter is this. The world tells me I need and deserve a lot of stuff, and none of it is really worthwhile in the end. It falls apart, it complicates things, it destroys, it traps, it fades.

On the other hand, God never does these things. He never weakens, never tires, never fails. I never regret those days when I hold my tongue at home, even though I want to tell my wife all about the ways I deserve something. I only regret the days I do say something.

Jesus tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). As always, He’s right. I have needed His grace for those times I’ve ruined everything to keep my relationship with God intact, just like I need my wife’s grace in order to stay married. Without it, I’m lost. I’ve needed that grace to steady myself when life gets rocky. I’ve needed it to ground me when I’m on top of the world. I’ve needed it more than bread, water, and air, for even those come from grace.

I don’t always follow after that wisdom. I hope I do not make Jesus look bad when I don’t. More than that, I lose something when I don’t, for whatever I start chasing isn’t nearly good enough to replace when I’m giving up.

Silver and gold

“for the gain from her [wisdom] is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”
-Proverbs 3:14

Are there more important things to you than money?

There are few people who would answer no to this question, unless they are honest with themselves. Those same people often neglect their own families to put in a few more hours every week.

It is the chase of something that rules our lives. It is the quest for something. It may not be money. For me, money has never had a huge allure, though there have been many times when I wanted more. And yet I’d like to pass over that to get to something a little different, because this one was a bigger issue for me.

I was always very lonely. I sought companionship and acceptance everywhere I went. It was one of my main missions in life, on my heart and mind everywhere I went.

The gain of God is better. My old loneliness does not compare with what He has been in my life.

We spend our lives chasing something. And sometimes we catch it, but it never lasts longer than the grave. We can never take it with us. At best our name is remembered for generations afterward, but a lot of good that does you when you are dead. More often than recognition, we seek wealth and comfort. There are whole theologies based on this. They tell us that Jesus died so you can get a sweet ride.

And it makes me wonder if those preachers have ever experienced God at all, because if you do, that stuff really starts to fade away in the light of something greater.

This is wisdom, that there are more important matters than the things of this world. There are more important issues than the size of my house. There are more important relationships than those with business associates, customers, or even a spouse. There are greater things to be gained than silver and gold.

Jesus, though He had everything in heaven, gave it all up out of love for us. He died on the Cross for us, because we have sinned and therefore do not deserve life. In that death, He took the punishment that was meant for us. He gave it all up, even His life, to show us something worth more than silver and gold.

If we repent and believe in Him, we will find that life. It is something that does not end when we are put into the ground. It is something that will keep us going for all time.

Go ahead, be nerdy

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,”
-Proverbs 3:13

How often do we really seek understanding? How often do we make any sort of attempt to find wisdom? I am constantly amazed by the flippancy with which we greet any sort of quest for truth.

I’ve had two conversations very recently that come to mind. One with a friend who is constantly thinking about new ways to approach church and new ideas to reach the world, and yet, to my knowledge, has never sought the counsel of God in this quest. And by that, I mean that he does not look to the Word of God for insight. Theology has become a secondary concern to the more social aspect of the question.

Surely that is important, and yet how often do we throw out understanding for lights and sound? How much sermon time to we dedicate to stories rather than the Word? We stopped seeking wisdom at some point because it wasn’t cool anymore, and we started looking out for success.

The other conversation was about a book that depicts God in a rather distorted light. This person did not recognize the problems, and honestly didn’t seem to care. And you know, not recognizing the problems isn’t a big deal. It only means we need to study more. Not caring though . . .

Whenever someone finds out that I regularly study the Bible and actually enjoy it, more often than not, they scoff at the idea. Sometimes, I am openly mocked by those who say there is no God. Which I find rather funny, since here’s someone who has lived a tiny fraction of the history of time, who has seen a tiny fraction of one world that is a fraction of a star system which is a fraction of the universe, and that person is making absolute declarations about Who may be out there. That sort of arrogance borders on insanity.

I’ve regretted much in my life. I’ve regretted wasting so much time on certain activities. I’ve regretted dating certain women. I’ve regretted some classes I took. I’ve regretted about a fourth of the things that come out of my mouth. I’ve regretted eating at certain restaurants. I’ve regretted eating too many sweets in my past, because I’m having to diet now! I’ve regretted NOT seeking out wisdom. But I’ve never regretted one minute that I have spent in the Bible. I’ve not regretted one minute I’ve spent in prayer. I’ve not regretted looking up a single Hebrew word, a single time I’ve pulled a commentary off the shelf, or a single theological book. I don’t regret listening to sermons on my iPod or going to church.

I only regret that I don’t do it enough.

The people around me call me nerdy. Okay. I am pretty nerdy, so I’m cool with that. But I don’t do it for any other reason than I love God.

A husband who loves his wife seeks to understand her. He studies her: What does she like? What does she not like? What does she like to be called? What does she like to do on the weekends? And then that husband will do those things the wife likes in order to please her.

I love God, and He has given me a Book about Himself. Why would I not study it? Why would I not try to follow Him? And if I didn’t, could I really say that I love Him?

God, in the form of the man Jesus, came to earth to show His love for us. He died and rose again to restore us with the Father. He bids us confess our sins and follow. Do you believe that? I tell you the truth, your life depends on your answer. Wouldn’t it be rational to seek out wisdom on this subject?

Or do you think it’s too nerdy to seek Him out?

So we begin our walk again

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,”
-Proverbs 3:13

How soon we forget the very titles we give to things. My wife and I have been working through some things, which is why I took some time off from the blog. I began to wonder what place this blog and the podcast could have in such a process.

I think sometimes I forget that this page, this blog, this mission is about a process, not a completion. It’s about a journey through Christian life. It is about the “pilgrimage” part of the title and not just the “Christian” part.

It is in trial most often that we find wisdom and understanding. It is in these times that you learn what is really important, and Who will stand beside you in all things. And these things, just as Solomon will tell us in the verses following, are more valuable than anything this world can give.

So my wife and I, through debate and prayer, decided to start the blog up again, God willing. I have much to tell you about, much that I have learned lately.

Here’s just about the most important thing I’ve learned. God chose us for an incredible gift, one that we did not deserve. He chose us for life, though we deserve death. And we so often repay that divine gift in sin, which is willfully disobeying our Lord. Such disrespect we show Him, even after He died for us. This realization shocked me, and it horrified me. I began to think about this as though God were here. Say my mother gave me a lavish gift for my birthday, and then, right in front of her, I did something I knew would make her sad or even angry. What if I mocked her right there? What if I showed distain for the gift?

This is what we do with God. We take His gift, and then we run off immediately to disobey His commands.

The depth of my own depravity astonishes me. The darkness of my heart goes much deeper than I had thought.

And yet He loves us. Isn’t that strange? Isn’t it wonderful? And He still accepts us, not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. I suddenly thought of myself as a young student, in the principal’s office in school, in trouble again. I’m about to be punished harshly when Jesus, like a well-respected and well-behaved older brother, comes in and says, “I’ll vouch for Paul. I’m with him, and I’m helping to guide him, and we’re making progress.”

Yes, the darkness in my heart runs deep, but it is more shallow today than it was yesterday. We’re making progress.

So we begin the pilgrimage anew.