1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1 (ESV)

The Holy Bible.  There is no collection of writings like it.  No other volume you can pick up and hold in your human hands is alive and active.

And I do mean alive.  These are not merely the words of men who follow God:

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 competent, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

All of Scripture is God’s words, His Word, His revelation of Himself to humanity.

To His children.

To us.

For me, no book of the Bible shows the hand of God at work in words like the gospel of John.  Here we have a gospel that is unique among the four books of its genre.  And yet, despite its differences with Matthew, Mark and Luke, John’s gospel flows in absolute harmony with the “synoptic” gospels.  

Not only that, but consider this: the gospel of John was written to two divergent audiences, the Jews and the Greeks.  John uses metaphors that would ring loud in a Jew’s ears, while throwing in language that the Greeks would understand and appreciate.

Look at John 1:1.  The sentence echoes the very first words of Genesis, of the Penteteuch: “In the beginning…”  Only, instead of saying “In the beginning God…” we have “In the beginning, the Word…”  As we read on through the rest of John 1, we see that God is the Word, and Jesus is God Incarnate, the second person of the Trinity and, thus, Deity.  He was there and active in the creation of the world.  (No wonder God is referred to in the plural in the Genesis creation account.)

But John is not simply reaching out to Jewish believers.  He is sharing this message in terms the philosophical Greek Gentiles would understand.   The word “Word” is translated from the Greek word logos.  Aristotle taught that the logos was a force of reason.  It is what separated man from animals, giving us the ability to reason, to ponder, to think abstractly.

What John is showing us is that the logos is indeed very real.  However, it isn’t some force that enables humans to be humans.  The Logos is Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of man, Who has always been, Who was present and active in creation (including creating man separate and unique from the animals).  It is the Logos Who descended to earth, lived among us, gave His life for our sins, and rose again.

And all of this from the words of a simple, elderly fisherman with no formal rhetorical education?  No, this has to be the inspired word of God.  This is God meeting His people where they are, revealing Himself in terms we can understand through our own frame of reference.

This simply scratches the surface of the wonders of Scripture, the very living and active Word of God.

And some folks think studying the Bible is boring…

 

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:1-2 (ESV)

How did you sleep last night?  Please don’t say “like a baby”.  Babies are up every two hours, crying and hungry.

I hope you slept well and, whether you did or not, I pray you sleep well tonight.

I’m not sue what’s keeping you up at night.  Maybe it’s worries about life: family, home, job.  Maybe it’s uncertainty about the future.  Perhaps you’re facing a problematic situation and just don’t know how to approach it.  Whatever is giving you anxiety, you need to remember this: God is in control.

If you are a control freak like me, let met sum it up like this:

1. God is in control.

2. You are not God.  Ergo… (you connect the dots).

We worry about so much in life and let so many details hog tie us in knots we can’t seem to undo.  Junk from the past, stuff going on now, things that haven’t happened yet (and most likely never will)… this stuff all robs us of our joy, our peace, our rest.

But what if… what if we could realize that God loves us.

What if we could grasp that His grace is sufficient fo our every circumstance, our very lives.

What if we could understand that we don’t have to earn forgiveness or love.  God loves us because God is love and love bears no grudges or ill will.

What if we could let go of the need to control every little iota of our lives and let God run the show.  He is anyway.

I used to tease my friend’s son Levi when he was about ten.  I’d hold out my car keys and ask if he wants to drive.  “Really?!” he said.  “Absolutely.  As long as you can reach the peddles.”

He couldn’t.

And, honestly, neither can we.  This life is too big, too intricate, too much for us to drive on our own.

So, here’s what I want you to do.  The next time you’re anxious, or worried, or doubtful, stop. Pray.  Remember that God has it all under control, no matter how scary or unpleasant or painful things seem.  Quit trying to take the keys from God.  He’s not your co-pilot.  You aren’t qualified or licensed.

Trust God.  Stop toiling.  Rest in Him and sleep easy.

And, by the way, th day did come when Levi turned 16 and could reach the peddles.

I still didn’t give him the keys.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ – Luke 15:17-19 (ESV)

One of my favorite qualities of the Bible is the economy of it’s writing.  There are no wasted words.

No filler.

There are passages so rich, so filled with God, that they reveal something new and wonderful with every reading.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is one such passage.  In 22 short verses, Jesus provides us with a story so full of wisdom and love that we can go back again and again – and again – and repeatedly mine gold nuggets from the same spot.

One could write a book on all the Prodigal Son and his family have to teach us.

I’m sure people already have.

Maybe I should.

This parable is the story of all of us in so many ways.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  We are all rebels in one way or another.  Every sin we commit is rebellion against God.  (If we stop for just a moment and truly allow that reality to soak into our brains, we should shudder at the thought.)

Consider this: The definition of a prodigal is one who has much and squanders what he/she is given.  And the younger son in Luke 15 clearly had no appreciation for what the material wealth of his father’s household.  Perhaps everything had come easy to him.  Perhaps he was spoiled or simply immature.  Perhaps he was just rebellious, wanting to get away from his dad and older brother and do life his way.

What is clear is that the younger brother had no desire to serve his father or work the fields with his older brother.  He wanted to party.  Wine, women and song.  Black limousines, hitting the clubs, picking up prostitutes…

The prodigal asked his dad for his inheritance a little early.  What a slap in his father’s face.  “I know you’re not dead yet, but can I have my inheritance now?”  And the father, who loves his child regardless of what he does, gives him his share.

This young, immature man goes off with his inheritance. Understand, this is the fruit of his father’s labor, not his.  He’s done nothing to earn this inheritance.  He certainly doesn’t deserve it.

And he squanders it all on what the KJV calls “riotous” living.

Things so bad.  The money runs out.  A famine hits.  And here is the Prodigal Son with no means of supporting himself.  He ends up feeding pigs and hungering for their food.  Therein lies one of life’s great lessons: sin only leaves you wanting more.  It’s insatiable, like a huge, immoral tapeworm.

A Jewish reader of this passage would probably understand the depth of this young depravation, for there is nothing filthier than a pig.  Swine are the ultimate in unclean animals.  For a man to fall from serving a loving a father to serving pigs – and lusting to feed from the same trough as them – is about as bad as a fall from grace can get.

The Prodigal Son just couldn’t go any lower.  He bottomed out.

We need to understand what we have been given.  To do that, we need to hit bottom.  We need to catch ourselves glaring hungrily at the slop in the hog trough.  We need to see the depth of our depravity.

And then we need to do what the prodigal did at the bottom.

We need to come to our senses.

We need to look around and say, “This is useless.  I’m starving.”

Then we need to humbly go home.  Go to our Father.  Understand that we do not deserve His forgiveness, but we ask for it anyway.  Be humble.  Be broken.  Be contrite.  Seek His forgiveness.  Seek to simply serve Him.

In other words, repent.

And, while none of us deserves it, look at how the father treated his young son upon his return:

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. – Luke 15:20-24 (ESV)

It’s never too late.  The grace, love, mercy and kindness of our Heavenly Father is limitless, boundless, unending.  You can do nothing to negate God’s love for you.

Don’t feel so ashamed that you think God won’t take you back.  Don’t feel such guilt that you can’t believe anyone else knows how you feel.  Lift your head up from the slop and look around.  We have all fed from the same trough.

If you need to go back home, begin your journey now.  The Father will greet you with open arms! 

If you’ve come back home, don’t look back at the pig trough.  Understand this: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2, ESV).  You have been set free!

And the one the Lord sets free is free indeed (John 8:36).  In other words, this isn’t merely some abstract religious teaching.  You are truly, with 100% certainty, fully and completely free from the sin you once lived, from the prodigal life, from the mistakes of your past and present.

Live free!  Revel in God’s love and grace, and love God and others.  And, yes, you may face naysayers and near-do-wells who knew you back then, knew you s the prodigal, and don’t want you to forget the old you.  Don’t worry about them.  Live free anyway!

But, that’s another lesson for another time.  See what I meant?  A passage rich with God’s wisdom and love.

 

 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

We all have days when we look around – at our lives, our jobs, our surroundings – and we think, “Why am I here?  What purpose could I possibly have?”  For those of us who have our struggles with anxiety and/or depression, those thoughts can take us in a direction that is unhealthy.  

The truth of why we are here is so simple that we easily – and often – miss it.  God is so complex, far beyond our full comprehension.  How often do we tie ourselves up in knots of complexity when our Heavenly Father, in His great love, grace and mercy, has already provided us with what is really a very simple answer?

We are called to good works.  We are called to love God first and love others as ourselves.  We are called to live for something greater than ourselves, to stop our inward navel gazing and focus on God and His will and His ways and His word and His kingdom.

Say you are a widget salesman.  Maybe you’re the best widget salesperson to ever invest in a career dedicated to selling widgets and whirligigs and whatnots.  Or, conversely, maybe you are the worst widget salesperson in the whole history of widget manufacturing.  Maybe you couldn’t tell a widget from a whatchamacallit in the ground.  Maybe you’ve tried to get out of the widget business and just can’t seem to break free.

Here’s the deal: it’s not about the widgets.  Or the whatsits.  Or the thingamajiggers.  It is about what you do with what God has given you.  How do you impact others?  How do you show love, or compassion, or encouragement to others?  How are you salt and light at work?

At home?

In traffic?

At the dentist?

In the drive thru line at the local Biggie Burger?

How you take who you are – the amazing creation of God, unique and individual, perfectly fitted and gifted to His plan –  and serve others?  What good works do we perform in the name of Jesus?  That, friends, is where we find meaning.  That is how we discover our purpose.  It isn’t so tough as we sometimes make it.

So…who are you?  You are loved.  You are worthy.  And you are created with a purpose: to do good works in Jesus’ name.

Love God.  Love others.  Be who God created you to be.  And focus on the Lord and the people He places in your path.

I am from a small Indiana town of around 8,000 people.  That number has fluctuated plus or minus a few hundred every decade since 1940, but has stayed steady at that 8,000 mark for over 75 years now.  (I fact checked these figures on the internet for accuracy.  And, since I found this information on the internet, it must be right.  Right?)

8,000 people does not a big city make.  It seems especially small now that I live in a large metro area of around 1,000,000 citizens.  (No, I did not fact check this number, but I heard it on the news once.)  Still… 8,000 people gathered in one place makes quite a crowd.

Especially when this crowd is following you around, seeking miracles.

Matthew 14:13-21 records the scene where Jesus fed a throng of 5,000 men.

Plus women and children.

In other words, that crowd most likely exceeded the population of my hometown.  It was probably closer to 15,000-20,000 people.

Tired people.

Hungry people.

15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. – Matthew 14:15-20 (ESV)

This place on the shore of the Sea of Galilee had no restaurants.

No inns.

No supermarkets or convenience stores.

Not even a fruit stand.

It was getting dark.  They were getting hungry.  And the disciples felt it best for all involved that Jesus send the crowd away to buy themselves something to eat.

Think about that.  I don’t believe the disciples thought their plan through.  My hometown has two fine supermarkets and numerous mini-marts.  But if all 8,000 showed up at once, I don’t think the bread and fish supply would hold out.

But what was Jesus’ solution for the disciples, the soon-to-be leaders of the first church?

“You feed them.”

Five small loaves of unleavened bread and two kippers were all they could gather.  Dinner for one is served.  Now what about the remaining 14,999 hungry and tired seekers?

Then Jesus did what nobody thought possible.  And – with that small morsel of food – not only did everyone have his or her fill, there remained twelve baskets of leftovers.

Of course, if that happened today, the media would start up a scandal.  I can see the headlines now: “Messianic Figure Eschews Suggestion of ‘Disciples’; Cheats Local Merchants Out Of Huge Revenues By Feeding Local Mob Himself”.

The disciples saw the only solution that seemed logical.  Or possible.  “Send them away to fend for themselves.”

But that isn’t Jesus’ plan.

“You feed them.”  You step out in faith and do what seems impossible.  You care for them.  Don’t worry about the details.  Just do what Jesus said to do.

Sometimes we look at our own resources – our abilities, our strengths and weaknesses, our finances, our situation – and we say, “It isn’t enough.”  Either we aren’t good enough, or we feel we have nothing to give.

But, the simple truth is, the results are not our concern.  Bring what the Lord has given you to the table and watch Him multiply what you have to contribute.  Watch Him work through you to reach others, to nourish others (physically and spiritually), to help others.

When the disciples looked only at their own contribution, they saw lack.  Who could possibly do so much with so little?

Today I want to encourage you to step out in faith.  Do something for somebody else.  Use the gifts God gave you.  Encourage someone.  Bless someone.  Don’t worry about failure.  Don’t ponder success.  Give of yourself to someone else today.  Seek to bless (not to be blessed).  Pour yourself out in Jesus’ name with great abandon.  And, in doing so, experience the exhilarating joy of Jesus!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to run to the store before they sell out of sardines and pita bread.

 

 

 

 

⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. – Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV)

Nothing trumps “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus”.  There is nothing on this earth greater, no calling higher, no motive purer, than knowing our Lord and Savior.  There is absolutely nothing better.

There is a boldness, a peace, a joy that knowing Jesus brings.  This is because – I believe – we begin, in faith, accepting the true definition of reality.  The reality of our eternal lives.  The reality of who we are.  And we are not what the world tells us we are.

At one end of the spectrum lies those who have been built up in ego and stature.  The apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a part of the Jewish ruling class, and a legalist.  He evidently took great pride in prosecuting Christians, who followed a Better Way than the letter of the law.  He was a man blinded to God in his pursuit of legalism.

And the Lord literally blinded Paul to get his attention.

I think of so many high profile Christians who have been built up by people, and who fall.

Hard.

Before anyone is harsh on any brother or sister, we must remember that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  Sin is truly the great equalizer.  It is the plague that infects every human – and always has.

At the other end are those who are not so bold, who live in fear – fear of loss, fear of people, fear of life.  Life lived under a rock is no life at all.

Here is my point in all this: there is nothing on this earth, good or bad, positive or negative, that is going to have any eternal staying power.  At the end of our lives, all the prestige is useless.  All the worry is vain.  All the financial gain or loss is immaterial.

The things we view as important on this earth – success, career, wealth, status, 3.18 kidlets in a beautiful four bedroom rambler with a nice SUV (well, it was nice until those 3.18 little ones littered it with fast food wrappers and dumped milk on the floor which has left a permanent stink in the carpet) – in the end will be useless.

All of our successes, and all of our failures, stay behind when we leave this earth.

Think about it: if we believe in Jesus Christ, then we believe in eternal life.  And if we believe in eternal life, then we realize that this material portion of that life is temporal, and temporary.  And that means that all the stuff of this life – money, position, etc. etc. – is ultimately useless.  And, therefore, of no eternal value.

So where does that leave us?  If all the world has taught us to value in the end has no lasting worth, what do we do?  We follow Paul’s example: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:13b-14, ESV).

We see our successes and failures for what they are, and we move on.  We refuse to let them take hold of us.  Instead, we pursue God.  We follow Jesus.  We strive to seek His will first and foremost.

Only God – and His Word, His Will, His Ways – is eternal.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

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. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 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. – John 1:1-18 (ESV)*

And there it is.  This is Truth.

“I am the way, the truth and the life” Jesus said (John 14:6)+.  Jesus is the way to eternal reality.  Not the stuff that grabs our attention on this earth.  It is Jesus.  It is the love we share in His name, and what we do with the stuff we have, that matters.  It is faith not sight, love not selfish ambition, mercy not harshness, truth not false belief, grace not legalism.

When we begin to follow Christ, we find the folly in our worries and doubts, the guilt in ourselves as we judge others, the freedom to live life in the light of Truth.  We see ourselves, and those around us, for who God says we are (which is to say, who we really are).

And we begin practicing the fine art of letting go of the unimportant while pursuing that which has true eternal worth.

Notes:

*In John 1, the references to John are about John the Baptist, not John the apostle.

+Humorous side note: when I was on an internet search engine checking the verse reference for John 14:16, I began typing “I am the w…”  At this point autofill kicked in and gave me several options to choose from.  First was “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  The second option: “I am the walrus”.  I am glad I chose correctly.

 

I have some good news for all of us.  As of the time of writing this, we still have 354 shopping days until Christmas.  This fact thrills my nine-year-old none at all.  In fact, in the interim between Boxing Day and the ball dropping in Times Square, my son has already began his Christmas 2016 wish list.

My guess is, come November, he won’t want a bit of it.  His wants and interests will have changed.  Something else will glitter and shine and supersede his current interest in Star Wars and all that is popular with his fellow third graders today.

Truth be told, even we adults suffer from the same malaise.  The gifts under the tree are wonderful and fun and very much appreciated.  But, after the beautiful wrapping is torn and crumpled, the bows tossed (or recycled – I think my mom still has bows from 1973, but I can’t swear to it), the mess cleaned up… Well, the feeling of exhaustion is more like a hangover.

We all love gifts – both giving and receiving.  The look in my child’s eyes when he unwraps a toy he has been anticipating for weeks is unmatchable, and fills me with such joy.

But, now that the Christmas tree is down and the holiday music on the radio has finally stopped, and life begins to return to a rhythm of normalcy once more, we can look back with great fondness on Christmas just passed.  However, (hopefully) the gifts under the tree weren’t the highlight of the holiday.

The greatest gift we have each received wasn’t found under a Christmas tree.  He was found in a manger.

Okay… I realize that may sound cliché, and that’s a shame if it does.  There is absolutely nothing trite about God sending His own Son to save us.  You see, by definition, a gift is something freely given to you.  You cannot earn it.

And, the truth is, none of us could earn our salvation if we tried.  We are all too utterly lost (in and of ourselves, that is).  The Law sets the guide posts of how to live.  It defines morality.  But it cannot save us.

The Pharisees are the perfect case in point.  They believed they were the holders of right.  But what they possessed was self-righteousness, which is no righteousness at all.  They coveted power.  They wanted to be right.

But they had not love.  They knew right from wrong.  But they couldn’t turn their knowledge of right into righteousness because they simply did not love.  And, without love, “righteousness” is a façade, a farce.  Today, the Pharisees have become synonymous with hypocrisy and all that is wrong with religiosity.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. – Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

There is a word in verse 25 that truly defines our gift from God: propitiation – appeasing God.  Sin requires atonement.  We need forgiveness.  We need to be able to get back to right relationship with the Lord.

We can never be good enough to do it on our own.  Without Christ, there is no love.  Without love there is no salvation.  None of us deserves forgiveness.

Thankfully, Love trumps the Law.  And God, filled with grace and mercy and love for us, stepped in, becoming the perfect – and only acceptable sacrifice – for our sins.

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate Who walked upon this earth and showed us how to live, how to love, how to relate to one another and to our Father.  We celebrate the coming of our Savior.

The gift of Jesus is one we should unwrap every day, hearts filled with great anticipation and humility and thanksgiving.  We should be filled with joy, realizing all the Lord has done – and continues to do – for us.

Good enough?  We’ll never be good enough.  Thankfully, we don’t have to be.

I’m sitting at the car dealership, waiting while they perform an oil change on my car.  And I figured, since I have an hour or so to hang around and the place has free Wi-Fi, I’ll send out a little encouragement to all of you.

And, as I pondered what to write tonight, the thought of oil came to mind.

Of course, oil in the Bible is nothing like the petroleum-based stuff they’re putting in my engine.  (At least it better not be.  EVOO makes a great salad dressing, but does it protect the valves in my engine like 5W30?)

Olive oil was originally used by shepherds to keep bugs from getting in their sheep’s ears.  They would pour it over the animals’ heads, making a surface too slippery for bugs to climb.  In doing so, shepherds were protecting – even saving – their flock.

This is the origin of anointing, the act of applying oil on one’s head as a sign of God’s blessing.  When we accept Christ as our Savior, we essentially are anointed.  The Holy Spirit – Who is symbolized by oil – indwells us, inspires us, comforts us, guides us, strengthens us, intercedes for us…

But oil is also important in Scripture as a source of light (just like Jesus, Who is the Light of the World). It is important that we don’t let our oil run out.  How can we be salt and light if our lamps have no oil?  

Consider Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish virgins:

 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 25:1-12 (ESV)

Why did the five foolish virgins miss the bridegroom?  They weren’t prepared.  They brought no oil for their lamps.

They were facing an oil crisis.   

When we are overly busy, overly stressed, overly worried, overly preoccupied, overly anxious… We can easily let our lamps run low on oil.  So low, in fact, that we may not be able to easily get our lamp relit.  Without the Light, we miss the blessings of God.  We view our struggles as disasters instead of what God can do with them.  We can’t see the Lord working in and through our pain, our troubles, our trials.

Keeping our oil level right is vital – in our vehicles as well as our lives.  Stay focused on Jesus.  Rest in the Holy Spirit.  Trust God at all times and in all things.  Don’t let your lamp run dry.  Let it shine the light of the Lord on this dark world.  Be a beacon of love, peace and joy in the Lord!

Hmmm…. now that I think about, I understand why the exhaust from my car smells like a Caesar Salad.

“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” – John 17:25-26 (ESV)

I do not know Teddy Roosevelt.

I know he was an asthmatic child who grew to become a poster child for strength and macho.  

I know he led the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill during our short war in Cuba.  

He was governor of New York at the end of the 19th century, then vice-president under William McKinley until, a few months after the election in 1901, President McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo NY.  After that, Roosevelt was President of the United States for nine years – the youngest man (at age 42) to ever hold the post.

Roosevelt stood up to bankers and captains of industry, saw to it the Panama Canal was dug, and established the National Forest Service, creating many national parks, monuments and forests.

At a campaign stop in Milwaukee in 1912, he was shot by a would-be assassin while making a speech.  Refusing immediate medical attention, Theodore Roosevelt – wounded and bleeding – stood and gave his 90 minute speech, telling the crowd that “it takes more than (a bullet) to kill a Bull Moose.”

He was the inspiration for the teddy bear.  He had a great, tooth-filled grin, a fantastic mustache, and used terms like “bully” and “deeeeee-lited!”
I also know Robin Williams portrayed Roosevelt in the “Night at the Museum” movies.

I know a lot about Theodore Roosevelt.  I have read a couple of biographies, watched Ken Burns’ excellent PBS series on the Roosevelts, and have Wikipedia to fall back on for quick facts while writing this (and, if it’s on the internet, it has to be true.  Right?)

But… while I possess knowledge about our 26th president, I cannot make any honest claims to have known the man.  He died nearly half a century before I was born.

With this being advent season,it is a time to prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of our Savior.  It is a wonderful opportunity to build fresh habits to draw nearer to God, to get to know Him better.

Unfortunately, so folks believe knowing God requires a theology degree, or is based so,sly on studying the Bible.

Yes, there is an intellectual role in knowing God.  But that alone won’t do it.  Relationships require time and attention.  They require investment.

I may not know TR, but I know my wife.  We’ll be married 25 years next summer.

She deserves a medal.

I didn’t read about my beautiful bride to get to know her.  I spent time with her.  I listened to her, watched her, hung out with her.

It is the same with us and God.  Reading and knowing His Word is important – vital – because this is where God reveals Himself to us.  But we also need to invest time in prayer, listening to Him, watching for Him, hanging out with Him.

So, today, find some time to invest in your relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Talk to Him.  Wait on Him.  Listen to Him.  Revel in the fact that you have the attention of the God of the universe.  Study His Word.  Seek His guidance.  Love Him.

And see how greatly He loves you. 

Relationships take time and patience and love and nurturing.  And there is no better investment than Jesus Christ.  After all, Heinvested everything in us.