Loving Jesus

How does Jesus define love?

"If anyone loves Me he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. The one who doesn't love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me" (John 14:23-24, HCSB).

It is easy to fall into the trap of seeing love a warm, fuzzy feelings. But love is more than that. Love is accepting a person for who they are. It's about meeting them on their terms. If I approach someone with from the standpoint of self-interest (what they can do for me), I'm not loving them. I may be attracted to them. I may feel pity for them.  I may be genuinely concerned for them, but none of those things in love.

Jesus says, "Here I am. Love me." And we are to love him more than anything else. Why? Because he created us, and by his grace, he redeemed us. He is worthy of our utmost love. All of our life and desires should be prioritized beneath the Lord.

Yet, I find myself failing to keep his word, time and again. I struggle with some of the most basic things. I cling to him in faith. I am confident that his love is greater than mine, and greater than I can imagine. I try to remind myself of it often, not so I can do as I please, but so that I will be more apt to do as the Lord pleases.

How do we love Jesus? By trusting his promises, and pursing his will. May God bless you and keep you.

The Confident Heart

Do you think you can pass any test? Are you confident? Where does you confidence come from? David was confident that he could pass the test. He saw himself on solid ground. Psalm 26 captures David's confidence.

In Psalm 26:1, David asks for vindication. He wants the Lord to show others that he was right to trust in the Lord. David calls himself blameless. What does it mean to be blameless? David can't mean sinless, because only Jesus Christ was sinless. He must me mean something else. He clarifies his statement with the words, "I have trusted the Lord without wavering." David's righteousness rested in his faith in the Lord.

More amazing than David's claims is his request for God to test him. To paraphrase, he says check me from top to bottom. David is asking for a test. Most of us shy away from tests, but not David. He knew that his heart was prone to sinfulness, why ask God to search him. David wanted to where error was so that he could repent of it.

David was confident that he could stand up under God's scrutiny. But why? David's confidence wasn't in himself, but the Lord. As we read through Psalm 26:3-8, David tells us the reasons for his confidence. He kept the Lord's love before him. Whether David meant God's love was an ever-present reality in his life or that he continued to meditate on the reality of God's love for him, David was mindful of God's love. David walked in the Lord's truth. The truth here refers to God's Word. Walking in the Word, lead David to lead a holy life. David's life also centered on sincere worship of the Lord.

David's confidence was the work of the Lord in his life. He could see how God was working in him, and he knew God would continue. To that end, David asked God to keep him. Psalm 26:9-11 records David's prayer. In essence, he says, "Don't throw me away with the bad people."

David rested in the knowledge of God's faithfulness. He knew the Lord delights in showing mercy, so David trust in the Lord. That trust gave David the confidence to face any test? Are you trusting the Lord?

What Is Faith?

We talk a lot about faith in the church. We talk about "the faith," that is, the doctrinal truths of Christianity. We encourage each other to have faith. We acknowledge that we are saved by faith. But what is faith?

Here are some ways Baptists have defined faith:

• What is faith in Jesus Christ? Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone (Baptist Catechism).

• What is faith? Faith is the cordial belief of the testimony God has given us in his word (John Sutcliff, The First Principles of the Oracles of God).

• What is Faith? It is believing what the Bible tells us about Jesus, and trusting our salvation into his hands. Is this belief an act of the mind only? No; it is with the whole heart, so that we are led to love and obey Christ (James P. Boice).

• What do the Scriptures mean by faith in Christ? By faith in Christ, the Scriptures mean believing Christ to be the divine savior, and personally trusting him for our salvation (John Broadus).

• What is the meaning of faith? It is belief or confidence in the declaration of God (Henry Clay Fish).

The author of Hebrews says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). While these definitions help us to understand what faith is, that doesn't mean they make faith any easier to explain. Models can be helpful tools. They make it easier to grasp concepts more quickly.

Abraham is a great model of faith. The author of Hebrews points out, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Heb. 11:8). Hebrews 11:8-19 is an amazing picture of faith. The author of Hebrews uses three events in Abraham's life to flesh out faith. He recounts Abraham's call, God's covenant with Abraham, and Abraham's test.

Through Abraham's example, we learn what faith is. Biblical faith, saving faith, is a trust that produces obedience without regard to the cost. Abraham had to walk away from his family (and inheritance), he had to face the weakness of his aging body, and he had to offer up his son. Yet, he was willing to do this because he was confident in the One who was making these demands on his life.

Abraham understood that the LORD is a holy God. He is a faithful God. He is a God with the power to do as He wills. Abraham rested in that knowledge. God's promises cannot fail. Since they cannot fail, they will not fail.

I heard it said, "Faith is taking God at his word." Can we trust God? Yes, without question. We may not understand the circumstances in which we find ourselves, but we can always trust God's providence. Have faith, friend. God is worthy of such trust.

Seeing Beyond a Day

Some days pounce on you like a tiger springing forth from the jungle.  They land with razor sharp claws and teeth tearing and biting.  Those days maul you without mercy, and leave your limp, mostly lifeless body in a heap.  It's hard to pick yourself up after a day like that.  It is easy to give into fear. 

Other days, blessings rain down on you with monsoon like force.  On days like this you feel invincible.  The world is wide open to you.  It feels as if every step brings you closer to seeing all of your dreams fulfilled.

However, the vast majority of our days fall somewhere in between the savage attack and the grace flood.  That is not to say that we do not experience pain and pleasure daily.  But most days we are neither ravaged by pain, nor raptured by joy.

I think Jesus warned us to take each day one at a time, because he knew that knowledge of our future would tend to make us apprehensive or arrogant.  The blessed life is not one absent of pain, but one in which God is present with us through our pain.

We are like leaves borne along by the current of God's grace.  He moves us so swiftly, so deftly that we don't often perceive his unseen hand in our circumstance.  It doesn't matter if our day holds a tiger or a treasure, God holds us in that day.  It's his presence and power that enable us to persevere.  Hold fast, dear friends.  Don't fear the tiger or love the treasure.  Set your hearts on the Treasure-Giver and the Healer of hurts.

How Do You Respond to the Word of God?

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe" (1 Thes. 2:13, NIV).

Here Paul teaches us that there is two basic responses to the Word of God.  We can treat it like it is a word from men, merely a man's opinions.  Or we can treat it like it actually is the Word of God.  Now specifically, Paul is addressing the gospel proclamation, but his statement can be taken in a more general sense to refer to the whole of God's Word.  Paul makes it clear in his other writings that his message wasn't something he dreamed up, but it was a direct revelation from Jesus Christ.  Peter says,

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God, as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:16-21, NIV).

Not everyone recognizes God's Word.  Some hear it, but fail to grasp its meaning.  Jesus teaches this in the parable of the sower in Mark 4.  He relates three ways people treat the Word as if it were merely the word of men.  He tells us:

• They ignore it, often with the devil's help (the seed on the hard path)
• They rejoice over it without commitment (the seed on the rocky soil)
• They all other things to drive out the word (the seed in the weeds)

When we respond to the Word of God in these ways, we are treating it as a word from man.  James warns, "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (Jas. 1:21, NIV).

Other, like the Thessalonians, receive the word as it actually is-as the Word of God.  These individuals are like the good soil which receives the seed and bears fruit.  Only when we receive the Word with obedience that comes from faith, can we really say we are receiving it as the Word of God.

In fact, Paul's gratitude for and confidence in the believers in Thessalonica rests in the fact that he is witnessing fruit in their lives.  Paul saw how the Thessalonians responded with faithful perseverance in the face of opposition, and he commended them.  What is more, Paul found in their endurance the evidence of their faith, and he praised God for it.  He went on to explain that those who did not receive God's Word, like the Thessalonians, were under God's wrath.  Their enemies were God's enemies first, but God would take care of them.

The passage, 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, can teach us many things.  I want point out four implications of this passage.

1. How we respond to the Word of God reveals the true nature of our heart.  We are called to trust and obey the Word of God, because the God, who spoke it, is trustworthy and true.
2. We are to accept the Word of God with both deep conviction and deep affection.  Some people want to over-intellectualize faith, and other want to over-emotionalize it.  True faith combines the best efforts of our (sanctified) hearts and minds.
3. When one tries to take a "middle of the road" approach to Scripture, he usually ends up rejecting it as the Word of God.  When some suggests that the Bible is spiritual book, but not a work of the Spirit; or suggests that it contains the Word of God, but also has the erroneous thoughts of man, they are on a slippery slope towards rejecting most of the truths of the Bible.  The right response to the Word of God is whole-heart trust.
4. Confidence in the Word usually generates faith.  Even when we don't fully understand something, our default position should be to trust the Scriptures because they are not the words of men, but the Word of God.

A Leap of Faith

This article was originally published here, on August 28, 2009.

Many struggle with the idea of taking a leap of faith. They assume that taking a leap of faith is the same as taking a leap in the dark. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (see Heb. 11:1).  Faith does not exist without cause.

There are many evidences that could be given that would demonstrate the reality of God. However, these evidences are never accepted as definitive by skeptical minds. There is an agenda to the doubt--truth suppression (see Rom. 1:18-20). They don't want to take a leap of faith, because it will be a leap into the light, and they love the darkness (see John 3:19).

Taking a leap of faith requires repentance and trust. It requires that we truly believe that Christ died in our place, was pierced for our transgressions, paid our sin debt, was buried and was raised again to life on the third day. It requires that we have a holy hatred toward sin, because the Spirit brought into our consciousness, through conviction, God's hatred toward sin and the pending righteous judgment that we face.

I used to believe having "faith" was the same thing as having an opinion, but now I know that isn't the case. As a professing atheist, I was arrested by the gospel. The Spirit brought conviction of sin into my heart. I knew that I had offended a holy and righteous God, and I trembled at that reality. The Spirit also brought a hope to life in me, even in the midst of that conviction, that through Jesus' death and resurrection I could be forgiven of sin and be welcomed into the family of God.

I felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I loved my sin: the sin which was destroying me, the sin which had made me by nature an object of wrath, sin which had separated me from my Creator in this life and the sin that would condemn me in the next. Yet, I needed to be cleansed, to be forgiven. Hope called me to take a leap of faith. By the grace of God, I leaped into the light. Have you taken a leap of faith, yet?

A Leap of Faith

Many struggle with the idea of taking a leap of faith. They assume that taking a leap of faith is the same as taking a leap in the dark. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. While faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (see Heb. 11:1), it does not exist without cause.

There are many evidences that could be given that would demonstrate the reality of God. However, these evidences are never accepted as definitive by skeptical minds. There is an agenda to the doubt--truth suppression (see Rom. 1:18-20). They don't want to take a leap of faith, because it will be a leap into the light, and they love the darkness (see John 3:19).

Taking a leap of faith requires repentance and trust. It requires that we truly believe that Christ died in our place, was pierced for our transgressions, paid our sin debt, was buried and was raised again to life on the third day. It requires that we have a holy hatred toward sin, because the Spirit brought into our consciousness, through conviction, God's hatred toward sin and the pending righteous judgment that we face.

I used to believe having "faith" was the same thing as having an opinion, but now I know that isn't the case. As a professing atheist, I was arrested by the gospel. The Spirit brought to pass a conviction of sin in my heart. I knew that I had offended a holy and righteous God, and I trembled at that reality. The Spirit also brought a hope to life, even in the midst of that conviction. The hope brought to life in me was simply that, through Jesus' death and resurrection, I could find forgiveness of sin and welcome in the family of God.

It felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I loved my sin: the sin which was destroying me, the sin which had made me by nature an object of wrath, the sin which had separated me from my Creator in this life and would condemn me in the next. Yet, I needed to be cleansed, to be forgiven. With hope awakened, I was called to take a leap of faith. And by the grace of God, I leaped into the light. Have you taken a leap of faith?

Too Little, Too Late

"Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not died'" (John 11:21).

The implication of Martha's words is that Jesus' arrival was too little, too late. The tiny word "if" presents a big challenge. If only Jesus would have arrived sooner. If only he cared enough to come right away. If only he would have commanded the sickness to leave. How could he not rescue Lazarus? Where was he? Why didn't he come sooner? Martha must have wrestled with these questions when the Lord tarried and Lazarus died. I have heard it said that people in the first century believed the soul lingered around for three days after death. John states that Lazarus had been dead four. It would seem that all hope of rescue was gone. Case closed.

However, John informs us that Jesus tarried in order to display the glory of God in the situation. When Jesus is confronted by Martha, she seems torn between confusion and hope. Her statement, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not died," is followed by the statement, "But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give to you" (John 11:22). She is confused by Jesus' lateness, but knows that he is able to do something (although the rest of this passage makes it unlikely that she thought Jesus could bring her brother back to life at this time, see John 11:23-24).

Jesus tells her that her brother will "rise again" (John 11:23). Martha doesn't see this as an immediate event. She responds, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day" (John 11:24). Again, in light of her initial statement, she doesn't appear to be comforted by this. The resurrection seems so far away in light of her pain and grief. She wants relief now (and of course at the resurrection). It seems that even the resurrection is "too late" to be of any use.

Listen to Jesus' response. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). His verbs are all present tense. He says, "I am the resurrection and the life," not "I will be the resurrection and the life." He says, "whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," not "whoever believed in me, though he has died, he will live." The use of the present tense expresses the present reality of the resurrection. Those who walk with Christ in faith, shall always walk with him. They have been buried with Christ in death and raised to walk in newness of life.

Jesus also stresses faith. He asks, "Do you believe this?" In other words, he wants to know if Martha is trusting him to raise the dead to life at the end of time. Does she believe he can get the job done then? He seeks to draw her toward trust. The implication of Jesus' statement and question is that if he can do something about Lazarus' problem in the long run (through the resurrection), then he can be trusted to do something about Martha's grief in the short run. If she can trust him to raise the dead on the last day, why is she giving into despair at this moment?

Martha responds in faith, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world" (John 11:27). In this confession, Martha is expressing her trust in Jesus to do something now (you are the Christ), since he will do something at the resurrection (who is coming into the world). Although she can't imagine what Jesus is going to do, she believes he can do it.

Many of us will be in situations where it feels like God's presence comes too late. It may even feel like what he is doing is too little. Most of us have been trained well enough not to voice these opinions, but God hears our hearts. This passage teaches us that God's response to our situations is never too little, nor too late. His timing is not ours, nor are his ways, our ways. If we can't trust him to work in our situations now to bring about in eternal purposes, how can we say we trust him to raise us out of the dust on the last day? The key is trusting, even when we can't see what he has in store around the corner. He has shown us how it will all turn out for those trust him. He has demonstrated his faithfulness throughout history. Caught between the past faithfulness of God and his future faithfulness, we must trust him to remain faithful in the present. We must remember what he has told us, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

Let It Be

"And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word'" (Luke 1:38).

I began reading through the Gospel of Luke again today. I am always amazed at the contrasting responses of Zechariah and Mary. Zachariah is a older gentleman, who has made his living by serving the Lord. After being chosen by lot to serve at the altar of incense, he is visited by the angel Gabriel during his service. His response to Gabriel's message? Doubt. Mary is a young woman, probably around 15 years of age, with no formal theological training. She is visited by Gabriel as she goes about her daily chores. Her response? Faith. I don't want to be unduly harsh toward Zachariah, but which one receives the harder message?

Zachariah is told that he would go home, be with his wife, and they would have a son. Yes, they were older, but so were Abraham and Sarah. Yes, they had probably hoped to and tried to have children for years, but so did Hannah and Elkanah. Zachariah was discharging his priestly duties in at the altar of incense during the time of prayer when he is visited by an angel. He is told directly that his prayers were heard. He wasn't walking down the street and stopped by some wild-eyed stranger. Zachariah's fear demonstrated his understanding of the nature of his visitor. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to trust the message.

Mary on the other hand was a young girl. She was informed that she would be with child without being intimate with a man. What historical figure could she turn to for encouragement? She wasn't in the place of prayer discharging priestly duties. She was just going about her daily life. And yet, she trusted the message. She said, "Behold, I am the Lord's servant; let it be to me according to your word." Or to paraphrase, "If this is God's will, I am ready to do as he pleases."

There are many who waver between these two responses. Let me say quickly, I believe both Zachariah and Mary were believers in the Lord. I believe both trusted the Lord for salvation. However, their faith does not appear to be of the same depth. Everything about Zachariah's context would lead us to believe that his faith would be unwavering (and in the end it is), but he stumbles when he should have stood firm. Every thing about Mary's context would lead us to believe that her faith would be immature, but she stands firm where others would stumble.

Without diminishing the reality that faith is a gift from God, and one which is given in various quantities to different individuals, I would suggest that Zachariah could have been better prepared to respond in faith. His example calls us to prepare our hearts for the Word of God. We are to be ready to respond with Mary, "I am the Lord's servant, let it be to me according to your word." This passage does not tell us why Mary believes and Zachariah doubts. There are no steps listed for preparing the heart to believe. However, I think we can draw a few ideas from the Scriptures.

First, we need to meditate on the character and attributes of God. When we draw close to our holy, faithful, loving, merciful, righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, eternal, unchanging God, its hard to doubt him. Next, we need to anchor ourselves in the Word. We need to do more than memorize verses and passages from Scripture; we need to memorize the storyline of the Bible. As we read of God's faithfulness to our spiritual forefathers and foremothers, we grow in confidence of his continued faithfulness to us. Finally, we need to act on what we know. It is not enough to hear the word, we must be do it. People actively walking in obedience to the Word have less time to question it. May the Lord increase our faith in him.

God is in Control

Many of you are wondering if we have heard any news concerning our reunion with Sophia. Unfortunately, we have not heard anything definite. We know she is our daughter, we know we are going to go and get her, but we just don't know when. Dear friends I know that your frustration is mounting like ours, but we must continue to entrust ourselves and this situation to the Lord. Frustration is the result of unfulfilled expectations. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that the Lord is in control and things will work out in his timing. Some of you may be wondering what good it will do to think this way, so let me offer a few ways this line of thinking can help us:

1. The Lord Jesus is to be the focal point of our lives, not our desires. We should desire Jesus above all other things and people. This is what David meant when he said, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4, NIV). To delight ourselves in the Lord is to desire him above all things, and the promise is that the Lord will not withhold himself from us. Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26, NIV). The focal point is Jesus; he should be our all consuming desire.

2. There is comfort in the knowledge that we rest in the One who is in control. There is so much of our lives that we cannot control. We don't know if someone will run through a red light and hit us in an intersection. We don't know when we sit down to a meal if we will get food poisoning. We don't know what person will pass us and infect us with some contagion. There are no guarantees that hard work will pay off in this life. However, we do not despair because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28, NIV). God is not set on destroying us, but on conforming us into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ. His purposes and plans for us will not fail.

3. Anxiety never made anything better. Jesus chided, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Luke 12:25, NIV). He later stated, "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:31-32, NIV). We are called as Christ's followers to trust his intentions as well as his actions. We cannot see the end of all things, but God knows the ends even as he knows his appointed means. Worrying about it doesn't make a positive impact on the circumstances.

4. It offers greater testimony to the faithfulness of God. There is a difference between saying we believe that God is faithful to his promises, and living out our trust in that faithfulness. Anxiety says to the world that we believe our God to be fickle or faithless or incapable. It reveals a deep seeded mistrust in our Sovereign. Our actions and attitudes are often better reflections of our true beliefs than our statements and confessions. We all understand this principle. We are all leery of a person who feels the continual need to "convince" us of his honesty, but give us a person who has consistently proven his honesty in his dealings and we know we can trust him. Likewise, a believer who consistently lives out his life with confidence in the Lord is more readily believed than someone who is always trying to convince the world that they believe. Or as we say in my native Missouri, "Show me!"

May God grant us the wisdom to live in complete trust in him. He alone is the only one worthy of absolute trust, because he alone is absolutely trustworthy. May he be glorified by our confident faith, as we seek to walk in obedience to his will and purposes. And know this, dear friends, as soon as we hear about our appointment we will let you all know. Until then, continue to trust the wisdom of our Lord.

Overcoming the Fear of Hope

"Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will never believe" (John 20:25).

We often label Thomas "the Doubter," but I have often wondered if that was a fair nickname. Surely this one event in his life should not be the defining one. Why don't we call him "Worshiping Thomas" since he also said to Jesus, "My Lord and My God!" If we were fair we would acknowledge that Thomas' response was the natural one. He watched them take his Master away, crucify him, and place him in the grave. Men just don't come back from that kind of thing.
Even as his friends tried to encourage him with the news of Jesus' resurrection, Thomas wouldn't believe. Many would say that Thomas' response was that of a realist. He just took the facts, crunched the numbers, and drew the only logical conclusion. However, when we are tempted to be "realists" we better make sure we are dealing with reality. Resurrection, while difficult for Thomas to accept, was a reality. Thomas knew that Jesus had raised people from the dead. He had witnessed it, but when he was told that Jesus had been raised he doubted. He wasn't crunching all the numbers; he had not collected all the facts.

The Scriptures don't say why Thomas didn't believe Jesus had risen. I choose to believe that it was because of his grief. Often grief is accompanied by bitter despair. Grief can make one cynical, even skeptical. I believe that Thomas' response is the response of the discouraged, the broken-hearted, the bereft. His response demonstrates his fear of hope. If he should let hope ascend in his heart and believe that Jesus was alive, and it be proven untrue, then he would be crushed beyond repair. Yet, without hope, he was already crushed. He took what he thought was the safe road.

But there is no safety in a hopeless road. The trials we face in this life are meant to stir hope in our heart. When I stated that I thought Thomas' response was the natural one, I did not mean that it was a good one. We have a God who can do the impossible. He is a God who can do beyond what we can even imagine. And while many of us are just as afraid to hope as Thomas was, most of us are not as honest about it. Scripture teaches us that God is faithful to his promises. God's faithfulness never changes, it never lags, and it never expires. When we truly rest in this knowledge we find hope kindled. Circumstances which are often beyond our control are never beyond His. Things that occur in our lives that the enemy meant for evil, God means for our good.

The burdens you are enduring right now may have you saying, "Unless I see God do a good thing (like removing this trial) I will never believe." However, we must remember when Scriptures tell us that God is always faithful it does not mean he is faithful to our agenda. God is faithful to his plans and purposes. His plans for us include our salvation, our sanctification, our perseverance, our obedience, and our glorification. His plans are for us to be conformed into the image of His Son. He will faithfully, and without fail, bring his plans to completion. If we are to imitate Thomas, let it be his worshipful attitude, not his skepticism. As God speaks to us through His Word, revealing his nature and character, let us fall down and proclaim, "My Lord and My God." I pray we become those who say, "Until I see . . .I will believe," instead of those who say, "Unless I see . . . I will not believe." For we are waiting for the day when we will see Christ face to face, and until that that day we must press forward in faith.

A Watched Pot

We all have heard the old expression, "A Watched Pot Never Boils." We Delia coined a new expression, closely related, "A Watched Email Never Arrives." We had hoped to here something Friday concerning Sophia's passport, but as of yet, we have not heard anything. Now I could complain (and want to), but as I was reminded by my lovely wife, complaining is really an expression of distrust toward God.

When I complain about a situation, at best I am saying that God is not fair. At worst, I am saying that God is not in control. If I believe that God is truly sovereign over all things and that he is always righteous in his judgments, then to question the validity of a circumstance is to question God's character.

When thinking through this truth an image popped into my mind. It was from the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In one of the early scenes Frodo (one of the main characters) addresses a newly arrived Gandalf (an elderly wizard coming to visit Frodo's uncle Bilbo). Frodo tells Gandalf he is late. Gandalf says something like "a wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he ever early. He arrives precisely when he means to."

I am not implying that God is a wizard, but the words reminded me of a truth. God does not operate on human time tables. He has a plan and a purpose and we must submit to him, not the other way around. As Peter reminds us, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day" (2 Pet. 3:8).

Please continue to pray for us and for the foster family, as well as the birth mother. Pray that we will trust the Lord's purposes for this time of waiting. Pray that we will uphold the glory of his name through humble submission to his will, and that we will not slander his name by complaining. He is faithful and true and in control. Also pray that I can learn how to humbly submit and rest in his sovereign hand. And, please pray, we get Sophia home soon. God Bless.