Happy Birthday, Carissa!

Nazareth

Nope, not Nazareth in Israel, but the comedian of the same name. Enjoy a bit of his comedy for a Friday laugh.

A life

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV

It seems to me there is a lot of talk about pro-choice and pro-life matters these days in the midst of the primary elections. It's difficult to hear anyone say that pro-choice is anything but pro-death, or pro-abortion, or pro-murder. That may sound a bit harsh, but reference what God says about a life and its value. God inspired David to pen these words, clearly remarking that as God fashioned him in his mother's womb, the years of his life were already planned by God before David was even conceived.

I find this an especially interesting topic as I am expecting a niece or nephew in the next few weeks. I have felt this baby rumble around in my sister's womb. I can clearly see a picture of him/her and observe the same features that newborns have. I can hear its heart beating and watch it move and suck its thumb through an ultrasound. Now, how can anyone say that it is not killing to take an unborn life?

How great is Your love?

Recently, I have been thinking more about the magnitude of God's love for us, the things that He has done to wash us of our sin and reunite us with Himself. Even as I have asked God to show me more of Himself and His love for me, He has been faithful to answer. God's ways are so much higher than ours, His purposes divine and far beyond what I can comprehend, though I know more will be revealed to us as we bow at His feet.

Here is a verse from a great song that expresses but a few things that Christ has done in His death and rising for those who trust in Him.

"You knew darkness that I might know light
Wept great tears that mine might be dried
Stripped of glory that I might be clothed
Crushed by Your Father to call me Your own."

How Deep by Stephen Altrogge - listen to a clip here

Christianity

As posted on the blog "of First Importance" http://firstimportance.org/:

“The essence of the Christian religion consists in this, that the creation of the Father, devastated by sin, is restored in the death of the Son of God, and recreated by the Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God.”
- Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol 1

Fear of man

Proverbs 29:25

"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Daily, there are approximately 273 thoughts that run through my mind about what other people are thinking: Are these kids listening? What is their teacher thinking? Does my outfit look professional enough? Should I call so-and-so or will I seem a nuisance? How can I ask this question without sounding dumb or awkward? I hope they notice my attention to this detail...and the list continues. The problem with these thoughts is that they come from a sinful heart that is at times more concerned about what others think, rather than what God thinks. I can be tempted to fear other people, which hinders my service to God.

Trusting in God is the solution, but how do I get there? This can only come from active pursuit of His word, storing up His promises for us, and seeking to "put on" that which He tells us. It's also helpful to read what other godly folks have to say about the subject, such as Jerry Bridges in Trusting God or Edward Welch in When People are Big and God is Small.

Dreaming...

...of other places today, as my office bulletin board suggests.