⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:4-11 (ESV)

The word “discipline” doesn’t exactly bring us a warm, fuzzy feeling. I remember as a teenager being disciplined – and it wasn’t pleasant. My dad’s preferred method was the parent-imposed house arrest so flippantly called being “grounded”. And – trust me – it worked. Take away my freedom, my driving privileges, my social life? To my underdeveloped teenage mind, you may as well throw in a little waterboarding and denial of nourishment while you’re at it.

Being disciplined was unpleasant. But it was also effective.

The word “discipline” can have negative connotations. Nobody likes being punished. But God’s discipline isn’t intended as mere punishment. Rather, our Heavenly Father chastises us to bring about growth, to spur spiritual maturity, to make is perfect (as in spiritually whole, as opposed to flawless).

When we consider God’s view of discipline, it should fill us with hope, not dread. We should view our troubles with joy in the Lord, not dread or avoidance. Our loving Father uses our trials and problems to draw us closer to Him and deliver us to a better place, a holy destination.

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. – Romans 8:28-30 (ESV)

When we see God’s discipline as course correction as opposed to mere punishment, we get a deeper understanding of what it means that God works all things out for our good. The goal is not simply punitive. Our troubles – even / especially when self-inflicted – bring an opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t wallow in self-pity. Embrace the education and opportunity God provides by leaning into Him, gleaning His wisdom through His Word and prayer, and submitting to God and His perfect will.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. – James 1:2-4 (ESV)

Well… looks like I chose an easy topic for a nice little blog post.

I’m a mere human. Flawed. Sinful. A cracked pot (not to be confused with a crackpot, but more in the damaged jar of clay line if thinking). Along with that, I am created by the Creator – God – Who is inconceivably greater than me in every conceivable way. And, while I am created in His image, that doesn’t mean I

You see, I’m fallible. I can and do make mistakes. God is infallible. He is absolute perfection.

I’m limited in knowledge. I only know what I know, and even I’m not sure of the accuracy of anything I’ve learned apart from The Lord and His Word. God is omniscient. He knows all that has happened, is happening and will happen.

I can only be in one place at a time. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere, all the time. He even lives within those who trust Him via His Holy Spirit. Go ahead – figure that one out using nothing but human logic (see above paragraph).

I am weak, with plenty of kryptonite around to sap me of my strength. On my own, I cannot move a mountain. I am prone to illness and troubles and can do nothing apart from God. God is omnipotent, meaning He can do anything. Anything. Absolutely anything.

God is love. I’m still plagued by petty jealousies and temptations to angrily hold a grudge.

God is holy. I still struggle with temptations and sin that draw me away from Him.

You see, if you want to know God, you have to start with The Bible, His book to we His people. The Bible reveals to us Who God is. Here you will discover Who the Lord is. He shows Himself to us so graciously.

But there’s more to it than this. God doesn’t just want us to have a scholarly knowledge of Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants us to trust Him continually, in all things and at all times. Which means knowing God is more than learning about Him.

There has to be an experiential component to all this, a place where we see Him beyond the religious. It’s easy to try to pack up God in a nice, simple, easy to contain box. It’s not for us, the weak vessel, to define God solely by our personal experiences or tightly held dogmatic beliefs. Rather, we need to dump our misconceptions about the Lord and seek Him – daily – with fresh eyes.

Take time to develop the relationship with God. Read the Bible, paying close attention to what it says about the Lord – what He says, what He has done, and why. Take time to nurture a relationship through prayer and reflection. Think about all He has done for you – big and small.

And trust Him. Take God at His Word. Relationships are built on trust.

So, who is God? It is way out of my pay grade to fully describe Him. Especially when you consider His perfect vast awesomeness and our personal sin, imperfections and flaws. We have to learn to reframe our view to match how God sees us and our situations. We beed to give up control. We have to consider anything that comes between us and the Lord – anything that serves as a barrier between us and Him – and remove it from our lives. Just like weeds must be pulled from a garden, or unruly branches pruned from our trees and bushes, so must we find God’s strength and guidance to remove from our lives that which comes between us and Him.

Who is God? He is Our Father, Creator and Sustainer of all. He is far and beyond us in every way. He is holy, trustworthy and deserving of our devotion. But at the same time, He is beyond human description.

When Moses asked God, “When the people ask Who You are, what should I tell them?” God’s response: “Tell them I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14). God doesn’t jus exist. He is existence. He doesn’t just love ius, He is Love. He has no opinions for He is Truth, and truth is absolute.

Today I want to encourage you – urge you – to get to know God. Draw closer to Him, knowing He will draw closer to you. Pray. Talk to Him. Get to know Him. It is through strengthening your relationship with Him – continuing to grow as a disciple of the Lord – plus soaking in His Word that you will come to know God, more and more every day.

If you’re around my age or older, you probably remember Madge the Manicurist from a particular dishwashing soap commercial. Ladies would come into her shop, complaining about the ill treatment their workaday housewife hands endured in the struggle to cut through grease and removed baked on cheese from their cookware.

Come to find out, Madge had a secret: a bottle of bright green cleanliness that not only made your dishes absolutely gleam but also possessed magical curative powers that worked wonders on one’s overworked skin and cuticles.

And what did one have to do to experience the wonder of shining pots and pans and hands? Simple: soak in it. Soak in this amazing soapy liquid and your hands would be as good as new.

The same principle applies to how we approach our everyday lives. What are we to do when we find ourselves troubled with worrisome, baked-on cares? How do we cut through the greasy mess of anxiety?

Don’t grab the dish soap. Grab God’s word.

And soak in it.

Look up passages dealing with what you’re facing. Read about His love and mercy and grace. Pray. Trust in what He says. Believe.

I realize I often sound like a broken record. But repetition is what we need. We need to be reminded on a daily basis that we are God’s children, and He loves us. He is sovereign over everything – even our problems.

But, while God can use our troubles to draw us nearer to Him, we must remember that seeking comfort and solace and solutions for our lives is not what our main goal should be. Rather, we need to seek the Lord for Who He is as opposed to merely what He can do for us.

It’s about building a relationship with our Father through Jesus Christ. Building a relationship takes time and purpose. It means spending time with the one you’re getting to know.

And the best way to get to know God is by spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer. As Madge might say, soaking in it.

So spend time with Jesus. Seek Him daily. Get into His Word, and soak it in. He will take away even your toughest, grimiest mess and leave you with a sparkling clean you can feel. He will change your life!

Some passages of the Bible cry out to be read in the King James version. With all its “thees” and “thous” and “thines” and “beseecheths”, the language of the KJV is often quite majestic. The words make for a wonderful exclamation or “thus saith the Lord!”

Psalm 139 is, in my humble opinion, one such passage that benefits from the richness of the 400+ years old English. In this psalm, David – a man who knew all too well how it felt to run for one’s life, hiding from murderous enemies – shows us much about God’s character. We see how He relates to us.

David testifies to the sovereignty of God. The Lord is omniscient (all-knowing). He even knows our thoughts before we can fully form them!

God is omnipresent. There’s no place we can go where he isn’t already there. (After Adam and Eve’s fateful choice to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and thus introduce sin to all humanity – and, by the way, thanks a lot for that – God was in the garden looking for Adam. Do you really think the Lord didn’t know where Adam’s shame led him to hide?)

God is omnipotent (all-powerful) and not only created each of us, but designed us each individually

Uniquely.

Per His specifications.

Not only did God lovingly create us, He protects us. He hems us in, as David described it, What a beautiful picture of God’s care for us. We are fully sewn in by Him on all sides.

David recognized God is our judge, and a compassionate one at that. David started out well, the young shepherd boy who took out Goliath with a slingshot and a smooth stone. The Lord had a plan for David. And, accordingly, David ascended to the role of King of Israel. Quite the achievement! But David had a weakness, and he gave into it. He would pay a hefty price for the whole sordid episode with Bathsheba. But David found forgiveness and restoration from God. And, as we see from the end of Psalm, David clearly realized and repented from his sin, and found the right path. As Paul so aptly sums it up: Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).

Psalm 139 reveals to us much about Who God is, and by comparison, who we are. And from it we can glean so much hope! We can fully trust in God, despite our situations. Despite our past. If God can turn around an adulterous, murderous king, do you suppose He can forgive and restore and take care of you as well?

CHAP. CXXXIX.

1 Dauid praiseth God for his all-seeing prouidence, 17 And for his infinite mercies. 19 He defieth the wicked. 23 Hee prayeth for sinceritie.

1 [To the chiefe Musician, A Psalme of Dauid.] O Lord, thou hast searched mee, and knowen me.

2 Thou knowest my downe sitting, and mine vprising: thou vnderstandest my thought afarre off.

3 Thou compassest my path, and my lying downe, and art acquainted with all my wayes.3

4 For there is not a worde in my tongue: but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind, and before: and laid thine hand vpon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderfull for me: it is high, I cannot attaine vnto it.

7 Whither shall I goe from thy spirit? or whither shall I flie from thy presence?

8 If I ascend vp into heauen, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.8

9 If I take the wings of the morning: and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea:

10 Euen there shall thy hand leade me: and thy right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, Surely the darkenes shall couer me: euen the night shall bee light about me.11

12 Yea the darkenesse hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darknes and the light are both alike to thee.12

13 For thou hast possessed my reines: thou hast couered me in my mothers wombe.

14 I will praise thee, for I am fearefully and wonderfully made, marueilous are thy works: and that my soule knoweth right well.14

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret: and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.15

16 Thine eyes did see my substance yet being vnperfect, and in thy booke all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned: when as yet there was none of them.16

17 Howe precious also are thy thoughts vnto me, O God: how great is the summe of them?17

18 If I should count them, they are moe in number then the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20 For they speake against thee wickedly: and thine enemies take thy name in vaine.

21 Doe not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieued with those that rise vp against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and knowe my heart: trie mee, and knowe my thoughts:

24 And see if there bee any wicked way in me: and leade me in the way euerlasting.

from The 1611 King James Bible. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-Chapter-139_Original-1611-KJV/

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.” – Psalm 91:1-2 (ESV)

I’ve been reading Psalm 91 this morning. What absolutely amazing promises it contains! Imagine… God – the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, The One Who gives us life, our Heavenly Father Who is Love itself, Whose love we cannot be separated from, Who is sovereign over everything – is Himself our place of protection. He is our trustworthy refuge and fortress, our place of safety from our enemy.

It is in God we need to put our trust. He will deliver us from all variety of evil, day and night, removing our fear. He promises protection in the battle. (v.3-8).

When we make God our place of refuge, He promises “no evil shall befall you.” He sends His angels to guard and guide us through the troubles and trials we face. The strength we are provided by the Lord sees us through every situation. We are to rely on God for everything, not ourselves. He is faithful, even when we are not. His love in genuine – not a reward to earn but a gift of selflessness to accept and treasure with thankfulness.

Jesus put it this way:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. – John 15:1-11 (ESV).

Full. Abundant. Life overflowing with joy and peace in the assurance of God. Free from the need to worry. Devoid of any reason for fear.

Even when the storm is raging around us, we are to have peace rooted in the faithful promises and assurance of our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. We can rest in Him.

We should rest in Him.

We need to trust Him.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). Just like Peter walking on the stormy sea, we can choose the temptation to stare at the storm and drown. Or we can call out to Jesus and be saved. We can find our refuge and strength in the Lord, or let the enemy steal the joy we are promised in the Lord.

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.” – Psalm 91:14-16 (ESV)

G. Conti La parabola del Buon Samaritano (The Good Samaritan). 1850. Messina Chiesa della Medaglia Miracolosa Casa di Ospitalità Collereal. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

• Psalm 34:15-19 (ESV)

I wish I could take away all your troubles.

I wish I could alleviate all your pain. I see it in your face. And I wish I could remove it completely.

I wish I could rid you of all your worries, all your doubts, all your anxious thoughts. I see it in your eyes. And I wish I had the means to erase your cares.

I wish I could remove your sorrow. I hear it in your voice. That hollow, cold, lonely grief is so painful. And I wish I could fill you so full of joy that the sadness would completely lift away.

I hope you know I love you, dear friend. I hope you know a lot of people love you.

Most of all, I hope you realize how much the Lord loves you. And just what that really means.

It’s too easy to take stock in our circumstances, our pain, our sorrows, and focus on them. Our world is a dark place.

But remember what Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12, ESV). In the dark, we stumble around, unable to see. We are flesh: imperfect, flawed, and – without light – blind. We require light to illuminate our path.

If you want to see the reality of your life, you need the Perfect Light of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Bible. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, ESV).

Notice this: the darkness is still there. But Jesus is “the true light, which gives light to everyone” (John 1:9a, ESV). And, I promise you, whatever you’re going through – no matter how painful – has a God given purpose.

Your situation may be God’s way of growing you.

Your confidence through your storm may bring hope to someone who feels they are drowning.

Your pain can give you empathy, the understanding to help others in the same boat as you.

Your acts and words of faith and mercy, despite your situation, may be just the gift someone needs to find the strength to carry on.

We are called to be salt and light – a light upon a hill, a shining beacon for Jesus Christ. We are that when we follow Him, loving those the Lord put in our path.

I wish I could take away all your troubles. But, more than that, I hope you follow the Light Who will lead you through the darkness, bring you comfort, fill you with His peace as you see God is with you every step of the way – never abandoning you.

Love God. Love others. Love first. Trust the Lord wholeheartedly despite how things may appear in the dark.

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all remembered to set your calendars forward at midnight last night.

My beautiful wife and I saw the new year come in the same way as usual: at home, relaxing, watching the ball drop in Times Square at 11:00pm CST (being from Indiana – an hour ahead of Minnesota – we celebrate with our fellow Hoosiers).

Then we go to bed.

Party animals.

I went to bed last night with thoughts of hope for 2025. I mean, let’s face it: 2024 was what the Grateful Dead might have called “a long, strange trip”. Ugly and mean on a global scale. Hatred working overtime.

Maybe the New Year will see some of this ugliness abate.

I woke this morning and turned on the television to see that, while most of us slumbered, a terrorist drove a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 10 (up to 15 as of last count) and injuring another 30.

So much for hate easing in the new year. Life just isn’t a 1970’s cola commercial.

Apple trees.

Honey bees.

Snow white turtle doves.

Kumbaya, my Lord. We need you more than ever.

I don’t think most of us who follow Jesus are naive enough to believe the world will suddenly be harmonious just because a new year has dawned. And, if any of us puts our hopes in hatred on earth being dispelled, we’re delusional or misinformed.

(Jesus said) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 (ESV)

Our hope is not to be found in this world. It never has been. Our hope is found in God through Jesus Christ. He is The One Who is sovereign over all – past, present and future. He is Love. He is Truth. He is our Father. He is far above and beyond any and every situation on this earth.

This year, put your hope firmly on things above. Set your eyes on Jesus Christ. Stay in God’s Word. Pray without ceasing. Trust Him completely. None of us needs to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Just remember God is with us every second.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. – from St. Patrick’s Prayer

Keep hope in Christ for 2025!