“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21

Having just heard the song, ”Count Your many Blessings,” I was doing just that when I received a ding from my phone. The ‘ding’ was a notification that I had just received an email… so I opened it. The effect it had upon me made me wish I had just left it alone. Someone had just ‘opinionated’ me!

Counting blessings is generally done through a rear-view mirror. In looking back over my life I have multitudinous reasons for being blessed beyond my wildest, old dreams for myself. I have a wife that there are not enough adjectives to describe, a family of 4 AMAZING adult children and 11 grandchildren that are beyond ‘WOW’ according to today’s standards. Then there’s the STUFF!

Having been blessed with 2 houses, one is used as a seasonal rental listed on a national rental site. The descriptions, amenities, features, benefits and even pictures are out there for anyone to see so they can make an educated choice to stay there. The descriptions are exhaustive and clear. After getting the ‘ding,’ I guess they are up for ‘opinionated judgment’ as well!

TV service there is limited for a number of reasons. But THAT is no secret because I state it clearly on the listing. “Premium TV is NOT available. Please use your own accounts and passwords or go for a kayak ride!” Pretty simple, right? Or so I thought. Yet the number 1 complaint I get is, “location does not have premium TV service!” But the latest comment REALLY blew me away. One renter stated the house was “Dated!” AFTER he had seen pictures of the place and booked it ANYWAY! It shouldn’t bother me… but it does!

“The difficulty in life… is the choice,” is one of my favorite sayings because it is true! In the information age, I am OVERLOADED with facts, figures, suggestions and OPINIONS! It’s to the point now that if I don’t like even my OWN opinion, I can surf the web to find OODLES of data supporting even my most errant of choices! All, naturally, to make me feel good about myself! BUT GOD!

I don’t believe God has opinions! Being the ultimate authority on every EVERY subject means He has FACTS! Oftentimes, my opinions crash unrepentant upon the solid rock of His facts! When that happens, HE is not to blame for ANY carnage. Today’s verse is CLEAR! Whether the opinion comes from others or is my own, I am NOT excused from KNOWING what GOD has to say about ANY area of my life. He even makes the effort to whisper it in my ear!

What’s YOUR opinion?

“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5

The Jigsaw Puzzle was out on the coffee table where Katie and I could ‘puzzle’ at our leisure. Last night we were anticipating a WONDERFUL evening with our daughter Calah and her family of 5. Spaghetti was on the menu and all was right with the world. We even figured that Calah and Charles would probably like to tinker with the puzzle as well, since that is also one of THEIR hobbies. Little did we know!

My 3 grandchildren through Charles and Calah are SUCH a joy and a blessing. From ages ‘almost 5’ down to 6+ months old, their laughter filled the house. Toys were pulled from the closet and noises that accompany each item… from Race Car driver to Cowboy Gunslinger… filled the house! Just LISTENING to them play brought smiles to my heart.

They’d been here for over an hour and dinner was over. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. And what he was doing was so shocking, it didn’t even register at first. Case, my 3 year old protege, was pretending to be a front-end loader as he shoveled all the puzzle pieces together into 1 pile! When I realized what he was doing, I hollered out his name! The look on his face was priceless.

I had written before that a puzzle is only enjoyable WHILE it is being put together. Except for a few sections that remained intact, Katie and I were going to have to start our ‘fun’ all over again… from the beginning. The whole thing was so shocking as to be hilarious. Correcting him, while we were all snickering, Calah tried to convince him that what he had done was wrong.

About 20 minutes later, as Charles and I sat 4 feet from him, Case reached over to UN-puzzle one of the only remaining sections. I called his name…’Case!’ He never looked and kept pushing. I called a little louder…’CASE’ as his dad started the countdown…’ONE’! His face reflected his actions, and when he didn’t stop… I whistled LOUDLY to shock him into reality! His dad grabbed him! He was a portrait of rebellion!

Where does evil come from and at what point in life does it show? I believe that what we believe about the answer to that question, actually matters! I KNOW what God says about it, as it is written in the Bible. Man’s heart is evil from birth. And being evil, man DOES evil. Even from a tender age of 3 (or 6+months). If we know that, we can start the process of redemption with our children EARLY.

Now before you cry foul, understand that Case KNEW what he was doing. But he CHOSE to keep DOING IT! And here is the thing that convicted me… I do the VERY same thing! EVERY TIME I SIN!

Do you?

Thank God we have a HEAVENLY Father!

The following is actually a sermon preached by John Piper over 30 years ago.  It sounds like it is from this week!  It is about political correctness and HOW the world is working our minds to either believe a lie, or to scare us into shutting up! Don’t do EITHER!  We ARE the light of the world… and the world, the flesh and the devil are working OVERTIME to put our light out!  Pastor John gives examples of slogans in his day — Orwellian slogans used to bias interpretation and you can see just how successful they became.  They are STILL used TODAY!   

Let me read you a text from the teachings of Jesus that is a clarion call to you this morning to be courageous in speaking unpopular things. 

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”  Matthew 10:24–25:

In other words, expect to be maligned in the world. Don’t assume, when you are called a name, that you’ve suddenly made a big mistake and have said something inappropriate. “Oh, I must go back and find another way to say it so they won’t malign me.” It says you’re going to be maligned. They spit on him. They crowned him with thorns. They called him names. They laughed at him… to scorn. Shall we be above our teacher? That’s the point here.

Expect Hostility

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:26–31)

Now, the point of that text is unmistakably clear because of the threefold repetition of the command. Verse 26: “Have no fear of them.” Verse 28: “Do not fear those who kill the body.” Verse 31: “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jesus does not want any of you to be afraid. And the issue about fear here is what comes out of your mouth. He is asking His disciples (AND YOU) to speak clearly — that is, in the light, and forthrightly, and publicly (“on the housetops”) — things that will get you killed! Before your life is over, it is in all likelihood that you will be in jail for saying some of the things that I’ve said in this room in these past two days, or if not in jail, you will be the victim of random violence from certain communities in society. One of our pastors was shot at on the way home from church last Sunday night, just randomly, out of the towers across the street from the church. He heard the bullet go zing! as it hit the ground beside him.

“I want you to be unafraid, in spite of what it’s going to cost you, to say things that are unpopular or dangerous.”

Now we have no idea. What was this? Why is this person doing this? Was it intentional? Police don’t have anything to say about it, but that doesn’t surprise me at all. Our church is known for a few controversial things. There are people who live in those towers who don’t like what we say. Guns are easily available. Some of them are not mentally stable. Now, if you decide, “Oh, I’m not going to live in a place like that — no way,” what are you? Who’s your master? What is this? Are you American, or are you Christian? Do you choose your house for safety, or do you choose your house for ministry? Jesus is real clear here: Be courageous. Be fearless. So, I want you to be unafraid this morning, in spite of what it’s going to cost you, to say things that are unpopular or dangerous.

Mature in Thinking

Now, in order to do that, you need to really exploit your time here at Church (and in your study time) to become strong in the truth and strong in the word. “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature,” Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:20. He wants you to use your time grow more and more mature in your thinking, to send your roots deeper and deeper into the objective evidences of God’s truth, so that when you walk out of this place and scatter all over the nation and around the world, you go with a profound conviction about a few things in the world. You will always see through a glass darkly. You will never be totally comprehensive and have all the knowledge that God has. But there are a few things that you will know.

Let me give you some examples, now, of the kind of thing I think you need to be really shrewd about. I called this talk “Lovers of Truth in a Politically Correct and Gender-Leveling World,” because I’ve lived now in Minneapolis in these past couple of years, watching the way language is so manipulated by politically correct people to get their ideas into students’ minds by circumventing reasoned argument and using clever language.

Just a few examples. My son goes to high school in Minneapolis, and I go down there sometimes to see him or to do whatever. I went down a year ago and saw two posters. They were over every doorway leading to the stairwells, so every student had to pass under these posters. They were school-sanctioned posters — and they were politically correct, and they were gender-leveling and homosexuality-endorsing. But the way they did it was oblique, and remarkably shrewd, and clever, the kind of thing that students by and large in the ninth through the twelfth grades have not been trained to discern, and spot, and unpack, and make distinctions. That’s why you are here, to learn to do that.

‘One in Ten Gay’

Here was one of them — a big, beautiful poster with color, a rainbow kind of decoration: “One in ten people are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. They could be your brother, sister, parent, or friend.” That’s all the poster said. What’s that? What’s that message? It’s crafted in such a way so that if a parent went into a principal and said, “I don’t like that,” they’d say, “Well, what don’t you like about it? It doesn’t teach anything.”

Well, there are several problems with that simple little quote. Number one, the statistic is inflated — 10 percent. What’s the point of that? The point is to create a feeling in these students, “My goodness, every tenth person in the hall is gay!” And that is the feeling they want to create, because once you feel that, you have to say, “It just can’t be as bad as I feel it is. Something must be wrong with me.” That’s the thought.

Now, it’s inflated; the numbers aren’t 10 percent. No, the National Center for Health Statistics says 3, William Simon and the Kinsey Institute say 2 to 3, the Chicago study recently says 1 percent, maybe. Nobody knows for sure. But 10 percent was one of those inflated figures.

Then here’s the second thing wrong with it. There was no moral assessment of the behavior. It’s an emotional appeal. Your parent might be gay or bisexual. Now, when that thought enters a ninth grader’s mind — “My daddy might be a bisexual” — what’s he supposed to do with that? No teaching. No standards. Just the thought sown in the kid’s brain. I’ll tell you, what happens is that he might say, “It just can’t be,” but if it keeps coming back, he’ll say, “Well, if it were, he’s okay, and it must be okay.” And so you reduce the whole moral dimension of something being right or wrong. This is politically correct manipulation of language, to put ideas into minds by short-circuiting clear, critical thinking. And it happens in every newspaper almost every day, and on almost every television advertisement, and virtually all kinds of media efforts.

‘Respect Sees No . . .’

Here was the other poster. It was even more tricky, shorter. The poster said, “Respect sees no color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability.” That’s all it said. How could you complain about that? What do you have against respect? What are you, homophobic? What are you, against disabled people?

All on the Same Level

There are several problems with it. One is that it puts homosexuality in the same category with sexuality. Gender and sexual orientation are side-by-side. Respect sees no sexual orientation, and respect sees no gender, and no color. So, once you’ve got sexual orientation listed beside whether you’re male or female, and whether you’re black or white, then you can’t feel any more strongly about this distinction than you can about these distinctions.

Nobody feels that it’s right or wrong to act black or act white. Nobody feels that it’s right or wrong for a woman to act like a woman and a man to act like a man. And therefore, obviously, nobody should feel that it’s right or wrong for a person who has a homosexual orientation to act that way — and one who has a heterosexual orientation to act that way.

That’s the message of the poster. As soon as you line up those things without any distinction — gender, color, religion, sexual orientation — you’ve told the students, “Treat them on the same level.” They’re not on the same level. To be a male or a female is a holy and good thing created by God, and endorsed by God, and in God’s image. To act out a homosexual orientation and to act out a heterosexual orientation are profoundly different than that category. That’s the first problem.

No Positive Foundation

The second problem is the statement, “Respect sees no . . .” All that the public schools can do, since they have forsaken virtually all truth and all normative reality, behavior, and God-talk. So, they don’t have any positive foundations for respect. They can’t say to a student, “Respect somebody because you see in them this . . .” They say, “Respect sees no . . .” and then list off things that respect doesn’t see. So it leaves a big void underneath. Well, why should we respect anybody? Which is one of the reasons why there is so little respect among students for anything. The schools can’t provide them with a positive foundation.

“There’s a way to respect somebody no matter what they’ve done, because they’re created in God’s image.”

The foundation for respecting black and white, and male and female, and people of other religions, is that God has created all human beings in his image. There is a way to respect a murderer. There’s a way to respect a rapist. There’s a way to respect somebody no matter what they’ve done, because they’re created in God’s image. They are not snakes. They’re not frogs or horses. They are human beings. No matter what they’ve done — no matter their sexual orientation, no matter their sex, no matter their religion — there is a respect that one can accord them even if it might mean putting them in jail. You don’t put snakes in jail.

But you can’t say anything like that. You can’t provide a foundation for respect in the image of God. And so students are left with a groundless call to respect, and they say, “What’s the deal? Why shouldn’t I shoot him? He mouthed off to me.”

Respect Does See

And the third problem is that, in fact, respect does see gender and religion. And it makes a difference. There are courtesies and forms of respect that men owe to women that they don’t owe to men. The one I could get most agreement on is that you don’t go in her locker room; you go in his locker room. To tell these students that respect sees no gender is terribly destructive. It sees she’s a woman, and I will treat her differently than I treat these guys that I’m always treating in certain ways. I will offer certain courtesies. I will offer certain respect. I will acknowledge sexual differences that will mean I don’t take liberties with her that I might take with him. To tell them, “You don’t see it,” is wrong.

Same thing with religion. Respect looks at a Satanist who’s involved in ritual satanic abuse, and he looks at a Jewish person who’s trying to keep the Ten Commandments. Neither of them knows Jesus Christ. And he will respect this Jewish person more than this Satanic person. I’d stand up in any group and say that. Respect does have eyes for gender. It does have eyes for religion. They make a difference in the kind and form of respect that you give to a person.

Learn to Discern

Well, I just plead with you, take advantage of your years on Earth to become discerning men and women, so that when you read in the paper, or when you see a poster, or when you look at a billboard or you hear an advertisement, you are not blown about — they don’t insinuate ideas in your mind that don’t come through the critical filter of biblical thinking.

Be the kind of Christian who can go to a principal and explain to a PTA group or a principal just what I’ve explained to you — why those posters or thoughts are destructive — even if they don’t agree with you. The world is dying for want of people to stand up and speak that kind of truth.  But realize… you WILL be judged for speaking! Do it anyway!

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Providence.

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29

One of my wife’s favorite hobbies is to shop at Thrift Stores. One of her favorites is Goodwill. She goes there because it is right around the corner. If she is coming home and has a few moments, it isn’t much effort to pull in and run through the store to look for a bargain. For the last week we have been working on one of her finds.

She was proud of her purchase, a BRAND NEW 1000 piece Jigsaw puzzle for only $2.99. While the box HAD been opened, it was still lumped together like new puzzles typically come. So it was obvious to both of us that no one had tried to put it together. But as we have been working on it, one sentence keeps popping up. And in the Jigsaw Puzzle world, those words are MOST horrific! ”I think we may be missing a piece!”

I must confess that I have more of a propensity to look toward the negative side of things than she. I’m not sure whether that makes me more of a pessimist, or a realist! In either case, I have already concluded that, “Hey… we’re missing more than just 1!” And how did I figure that? BECAUSE I’VE LOOKED! And if I can’t find it, it doesn’t exist! That’s how my weak, arrogant, fleshy brain tends to think! Which CAN be a problem!

I remember the time years ago when my brother’s family and mine were together on vacation. To kill time a Jigsaw puzzle was started. As usual, ‘The Sentence’ kept coming up. When we got done, there WAS a piece missing. Which really kind of dulled the victory mood. That is, until my nephew produced the final piece and popped it into place… WITH A SMILE! How he lives is STILL a mystery!

As we were working on the puzzle last night, I started to think… which is typical! “Why DO people do this?” And while there are LOTS of good answers, one that NEVER comes up is, “we just want to look at the picture!” Nope! The PURPOSE of a Jigsaw Puzzle is the JOURNEY and NOT the destination! Katie and I quietly share time, a goal and putting our heads together to accomplish… well… just that!

Today’s verse can be kind of puzzling, because it looks at BOTH sides of the Christian Life. While I am looking toward a perfect end product, the day to day focus is to be on the Journey as well. Struggling, laboring, expending powerful energy to ultimately present that one perfect picture. Which, in my mind, begs another question. Which should I be most concerned with? Today? Or tomorrow?

I am NOT perfect. I just listed some of my character flaws that I drag through life on a regular basis. As far as I can see in The Word, I will NEVER be perfect… THIS side of Heaven. But Jesus and I are kind of like this Jigsaw Puzzle. We hang out, spend time together, and work on completing it with perfection. All the while enjoying the journey. And when I question if I’m ever missing something, He lets me know… HE holds the final piece in HIS hands.

How do YOU see Life’s puzzle?

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

It just so happened that the order for our new kitchen faucet and drain arrived the same day my daughter Cori got the new bathroom vanity for the church. What THAT meant… was PLUMBING! AND it meant I had to go through all the tool drawers to collect my plumbing tools. But discovery discovered some things missing! So it appeared I was going to have to head to the hardware store.

I’ve done LOTS of plumbing jobs over the years. But that doesn’t make me an expert. Every time I put in a new faucet, or have to reconnect a drain, it’s hit or miss as to whether it will leak or not. I guess it’s kind of like the odds at a casino! To improve those odds, old standards NORMALLY found in my tool area are Plumbers Putty and Teflon Tape! Neither of which I had! Then I read the directions!

The directions didn’t mention I needed them, and when I went online to look at more detailed instructions, I read, and HEARD in a video, that “Plumber Putty is OLD SCHOOL” and not really needed anymore. Trusting this new ‘time saving’ knowledge, I quickly installed the faucet and drain, turned the water on and… drip drip drip! Eh… I was heading to the Hardware Store anyway!

When I got to the church to check on Cori, I saw that SHE had purchased the EXACT SAME Plumbers Putty and Teflon tape as I had. We only chuckled at the coincidence, because plumbing issues are no laughing matter! HER first attempt at installation yielded the same unwelcome ‘drip’ as well. When I got home, I disconnected the drain, applied a generous glob of plumbers putty, wrapped the connections with tape, and VOILA! No runs, drips or errors!

EVERY Bible I have ever owned has 2 Timothy 2:15 marked. And YES… you can call that old school! Over the years, different versions have changed the KJV word ‘STUDY’ to, ‘Be diligent,’ ‘Hasten,’ ‘Make every effort,’ ‘Work hard’ and even ‘Do your best.’ I dislike that last one because it can become easy excuse for failure! The POINT is that growing up as a Jesus Gal or Guy TAKES WORK! It just doesn’t come by osmosis!

Being a Christian as long as I have, I have discovered that, like plumbing, there are some basic old school methods that cannot and SHOULD NOT be avoided. Like teaching a child multiplication without flash cards, trying to gain the ‘abundant life’ Jesus promised WITHOUT putting in the effort does NOT end well.

So when it comes to your walk with Jesus, are you working… or dripping?  

Ahhhhhh… Having preached on this very subject yesterday, I found this in my inbox.  I’m going to share this today because I need to work on this very thing.  

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/in-love-with-the-life-you-dont-have?utm_campaign=Daily+Email&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=201564473&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_M1rLxbKc9ENVEZ2vaCXIW1Sbt3pfk7aujm0Z5KZ1kjuKY0QkbevasmJ_4EqaMffowLLCnNN0lrahUYjXul_mseGBwvw&utm_content=201564473&utm_source=hs_email

JANUARY 30, 2022

In Love with the Life You Don’t Have

The secret to happiness, some have wisely said, is to want what you already have.

How many of us can truly say with C.S. Lewis’s character in Shadowlands, “You know, I don’t want to be somewhere else anymore. I’m not waiting for anything new to happen . . . not looking around the next corner and over the next hill. I’m here now. That’s enough.”

Instead, unhappiness finds us wanting a life we don’t have. If this, this, and this happens, then I’ll be content. The easiest loves are the ones we don’t have. Our neighbor’s grass grows greener as we keep staring at it. If our desires could remain on our own property, we would be happier. We would better love the life we have.

This secret to happiness is not a new one. Centuries ago, puritan Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) wrote in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment that “A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction” (45). He meant that the Christian achieves happiness not by adding more to life to satisfy his gaping desires, but instead by subtracting from his desires, bringing them down to the situation God has placed him.

Paul practiced this when he sought to curb young Timothy’s desires for money, reasoning that we come into the world and leave it with nothing and that many have apostatized by this love. The apostle gives us a window into his own happiness, saying, “If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). With just the basics of what we need for an adequate human existence, Paul will find what many kings with lavish palaces could not: contentment.

You Shall Not Covet

Long before Burroughs, the great Architect of man’s happiness wove this happiness principle into creation itself. He etched instructions for his creatures’ gladness in stone, saying, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). In other words, keep your desires at home, want what you have, not what your neighbor has.

And he reiterates this word to the Church, yet adds something we cannot afford to miss. The writer of Hebrews begins with the command,

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.” (Hebrews 13:5–6)

Here again, want what you already have. Don’t slave to make your bank account rise to match your desires, but bring your desires down to match what God has put in your bank account. He reminds us that the answer to happiness is not bigger and better, but simpler and more grateful. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.”

Be Content with Who You Have

But the verse continues:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

You might need to read the verse again. Did you see the shift?

God changes the focus for the Christian from what he has, to who he has. God tells us to do more than match our desires to our circumstances; we reconsider our circumstances based on the promise of enduring relationship with our God: I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Dissatisfaction has a voice. You should have that car. . . . You would be happy with his job or her husband. . . . If only you made double what you make now. . . . To this internal proposal, God means to add his own voice: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

When discontent suggests, Your current job is okay, but you would be happier to have one that grants more recognition. . . .

God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Your car does fine, but imagine how you would look if you had that one. . . .

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This church is technically faithful, but the pastor could be more entertaining — and the children’s program . . . .

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Why don’t I have a husband or children like she has?

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

When we hear temptations to desire more and better, which voice do we listen to?

Shallow Wells

Now, getting a new job, a new car, or even a new church — or longing to be married and have children — these are not the issue. The issue is the internal restlessness and misguided search that leads us to climb from hill to hill expecting happiness just atop the next one. As we ascend the hill called “prestigious career,” or “beautiful wife,” or “bigger house,” we keep climbing, keep mumbling, keep searching for what we haven’t found.

“God gives himself as the grand punctuation to end our search for more.”

And while the world, the flesh, and the devil tempt us to chase and chase, God offers himself as the end of our satisfaction. He gives himself as the grand punctuation to end our search for more. Wonder of wonders, God does not merely say to his child, “The secret to happiness is to want what you already have.” He says, “The secret to happiness is to want what you already have in me.”

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,” Jesus promises, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (John 4:13–14). The only search that remains is to go deeper in communion with him.

All We Could Want

As sons and daughters of Adam, we ache under the dim memory of a forgotten past. A time when man walked with God, communing with him in perfect fellowship. Of gardens full of fruit, of a mission bestowing purpose, of pleasure and delight and satisfaction — none more than in the King of that realm.

“God says, ‘The secret to happiness is to want what you already have in me.’”

And though we have exchanged such knowledge and such glory for mere trifles of earth, for a life elsewhere, it has not worked. We look this way and that in vain for the kind of happiness our sin and Satan promised. In such condition it is not enough to scale back our desires to our circumstances. The darkness, the thirst, the sense of something else, the lost stare out the window will not subside on their own.

Jesus himself must be the Vine to withering branches, Living Water to parched places, Bread of Life to starving souls, Resurrection to lifeless bodies, the Way to lost wanderers, the Truth to deceived minds, the Shepherd for missing sheep, our Light in this present darkness. The secret to happiness is to be in union with this Christ, forgiven by this Christ, welcomed and forever belonging to God in this Christ. A Christ who promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us nor ever tire of being all we could ever want.

Greg Morse is a staff writer for desiringGod.org and graduate of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He and his wife, Abigail, live in St. Paul with their son and daughter.

“The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.” Proverbs 13:25

This morning, like EVERY morning, reminded me that things have come a LONG way from where my mornings USED to start. From the automatically timed coffee maker, I grabbed a cup for my wife and I, then sat down to start my devotional quiet time. Opening my cell phone, I immediately saw 2 texts and at least 3 mails that told me I was going to be starving soon…or something worse! I reached for my Bible!

It USED to be that world news only came through the newspaper, radio or TV (with only 3 channels). And it was just that…information. Now, with Social Media as it is, ANYONE can be their own news channel! After seeing only a brief introduction about how we were all going to starve due to a coming lack of food, I turned off the video link and thought, “who is THAT guy anyway?”

I’m smart enough to see that ALL of us are engaged in a VERY serious war right now. And the ammo is not bullets and bombs, but something MUCH more powerful. WORDS! Words are being manipulated to form ideas and thoughts which, when used effectively, can easily lead to fear and anxiety. I’m smart enough to see that THIS war will produce a DEVASTATING number of casualties. So…I turn to my Bible.

I have a VERY STRONG and RELIABLE FAITH in JESUS CHRIST! I’m not bragging… just stating facts! It SHOULD and had BETTER be strong… since I’ve been working on it for well over 50 years! For all the work I have put into following Jesus Christ, should I be worried that starvation, disease or an organization with letters for a name will take me out of His hands or care? Excuse me while I snicker!

The Bible tells LOTS of stories that proved life to be FAR worse than where we are. Then God! I have HEARD stories of terrible suffering and pain. Then God! I myself have gone through difficulties I will NEVER forget. Difficulties that could have easily been used to write my downfall. Then God! As a 66 year old man, who often has days where I FEEL like I’m 86…I’m too TIRED to work up fear!

If you have personally known Jesus and followed Him for any length of time, you know what I am saying. If you’re new to this walk, may I just say…remain calm! The guy who wrote Proverbs may have been a loser in many areas of his life…but he got THIS point DOWN! God Wins!

So….. what have YOU heard?

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14

Today I have the honor of meeting Grandson Cash at the shooting range. About 3 months ago, Cash expressed interest in learning how to shoot. That being a hobby of mine, I was honored to have the opportunity to teach him how to safely handle, and properly discharge, a firearm. But boys being boys, I saw an opportunity to take full advantage of his interest. Then I called in a friend!

I appreciate that some people have a fear or loathing of guns. I also know that the feeling comes from ignorance. As the old saying goes, “guns don’t kill people, people do!” Too often, accidents of ignorance about how to handle a gun have led to tragedy. Though I believe EVERYONE should know HOW to properly handle a gun, I don’t have influence over everybody. I DO over my grandson. So, it was time!

At 10+ years old he’s at the perfect age for me. He doesn’t poo his pants, can hear, understand and speak. He can also walk and doesn’t drool! The way I see it, we have about 7 years to prepare him for the world. So let the fun begin. Because FUN can ALSO be used as a tool to learn OTHER things. I figured if he wants to shoot, I can also teach him manners, how to write and how to treat people in the process.

When we started, I told him I wanted him to write at least a 50-word paper, 6 days a week, on any subject he wishes. When he comes into the range, he must bring his journal and greet other instructors and adults with a clear voice, a look in the eye, a handshake. His agreement to these terms at the start constituted a precept, or standard. It also initiated a promise!

2 weeks ago, after school had gotten back from Christmas break, Cash came in empty handed! The look on his face was priceless! HE KNEW that no excuse would be acceptable to me. Having taken a break, he just didn’t remember that he was supposed to write. Handing him a broom and a task, he was about to learn!

So, a question needs to be asked… is Cash a ‘promise breaker’ or a ‘liar’?  After all, he hadn’t kept HIS end of the deal! After reading Charles Spurgeon’s thoughts on the difference between a ‘promise’ and a ‘precept,’ the answer is emphatically ‘NEITHER!’ The terms we have are a standard code of conduct that overrides everything else. When there is a variation, it is only used to strengthen the precept AND his character.

The Bible is FILLED with PROMISES of God’s protection and provision. But those promises don’t extend to EVERYONE ALL THE TIME! Often, precepts or conditions must be met or applied FIRST. Like Cash, I am God’s son in training. I have learned that demanding God’s promises, without following or understanding His precepts, can be more dangerous than waving a gun around! Something Cash will NEVER do because, my friend and I will see to that! As for the mullet…Cash is trying to get ME to grow one!

Are YOU expecting God to supply you a car without first learning to walk?  

“But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Matthew 12:48

When my phone rings and my son Clint’s name and face appear on my ‘incoming call’ list, I have already started to smile. The first thought that comes to mind is, “’THIS’ could be a good one!” As a Harbor Pilot for Tampa Bay, he is licensed to pilot ships up to 650’ long…alone. He has a Training Pilot for anything larger, until he reaches the next level. He called the other day and had me ROLLING in laughter!

He was taking a ship out into the Gulf of Mexico through a narrow channel with 1 ship a mere 50’ to his one side (port or starboard he didn’t say…nor does it make a difference). Heading out into a basin where several other ships were docked, the unthinkable happened…the engine simply shut down! With this monster ship now ‘DARK’ yet underway, with NO way to power it, he told me the mental process that took place.

“Hmmm… this is unexpected… what do we do now?” That thought was echoed by the Captain as he asked, “What are you going to do now?” When all this happened, and in single digit SECONDS…it hit him, “I’m the guy who HAS to DO something…NOW!” And he did! I don’t have the right or capability of telling the story properly. That is HIS-story. But when HE told ME…I couldn’t stop laughing!

Naturally… it COULD have gone badly, making the news with pictures of failure and embarrassment splattered all over the media. Even though HE hadn’t caused the engine to fail! But it didn’t… and it didn’t! All remained quiet and under control because THAT is his JOB! No bells, awards or applause. Just doing what he signed up to do. Under pressure. Everyday! Even when he’s not piloting a ship. You see, he’s a husband and father too!

The verse today is HIS life verse! HE picked it…not me! He well understands the weight and pressure of what that verse means, as do ALL of my kids. We are children of ‘The King’…and ‘The King’ EXPECTS us to behave and serve like we are princes and princesses! ROYALLY!

Katie and I didn’t spoil our kids. You can ask them! I mean they never suffered poverty, ate regularly and had stuff of their own. But they learned like most of us learn…the hard way! Being their dad, I even made sure the hard way was delivered to the doorway of their lives! Just like MY Heavenly Father does to me REGULARLY!

What have YOU signed up for and what does God expect from YOU?