Jan 31

“Tell Me Another Story, Daddy”

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Last night as I approached the bed of my 2 year old son, I could sense his excitement for what was about to take place. Minutes earlier, before we took him to get ready for bed, I told him I would tell him a story instead of reading one to him before he fell asleep. As I crawled into his bed, he told me he was ready for me to begin. What happened next was a valuable teaching moment.

While I was telling my son the story of Joseph and his brothers, he laid there quietly, listening to every word coming out of my mouth, without moving. As I was wrapping up the story for the night, Caden rolled over and said, “Tell me another story, daddy.” Those precious words from the mouth of my 2 year old brought a huge smile to my face. He wanted to hear more.

As I laid there next to my son, I couldn’t help but think about what he had said, “Tell me another story, daddy.” I laid there thinking about how eager my son was to hear more. I pray this always will be the attitude he exhibits when it comes to scripture. So often I am afraid the older we get, the less eager we are to hear more. At times we all harbor that attitude, “Not again! I have heard this a hundred times.”

Paul said, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17).

The Psalmist wrote, “Oh how I love you law! It is my mediation all the day. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (Psa. 119:97, 103-104).

Last night when I thought I was teaching my son, he was actually teaching me. May God forgive all of us when we harbor any attitude other than one of eagerness and anticipation when it comes to hearing His word. Like my 2 year old son, may I always have a desire to hear more.

Now that’s Something to Think About!

 

Dec 31

What’s Your Bowl of Stew?

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Have you ever been hungry? I’m not talking about just feeling like it’s time to eat. No, I’m talking about really being hungry, even to the point of feeling sick and weak. Have you ever felt like that? Esau did, and it cost him dearly.

In Genesis 25:29-34 we read about Esau coming in from the field hungry. He was so hungry, he asked Jacob for a bowl of his stew. Jacob, seeing this as a prime opportunity, told Esau he could have a bowl of stew if he was willing to part with his birthright. What happened next was one of the biggest mistakes of Esau’s life. Esau, thinking he was going to die of hunger, traded his birthright for a small bowl of stew.

Esau was willing to give up his birthright (a double portion of his father’s inheritance) for something as insignificant as a bowl of stew. Friends, this is the same plague that affects our society today. How many people are willing to sacrifice something so special for something so trivial? Just think of the special things today people will trade in for a moment or two of something which will eventually pass away.

  • Pornography! How many men, and women for that matter, have traded in their happy families in order to fulfill a moment of lustful desire?
  • Adultery! How many people have traded in a long mature marriage in order to fulfill the fleeting desires of the flesh? (see 2 Samuel 11)
  • Workaholic! How many people have traded in precious time with their families, especially their children, in order to work long and unnecessary hours to gain an extra dollar?
  • Cheating! How many people are willing to trade in honesty and integrity in order to move up in the corporate world?
  • Man-Pleaser! How many people have traded in their obedience to God in order to gain the respect and approval of mere man? (see Galatians 1:10)

You see, friends, Esau gave up something that should have been special to him to fulfill a desire of the flesh, and people in our society do the very same thing. People today are willing to trade in their marriages, families, honesty, integrity and obedience to God for something as worthless as a bowl of stew.

What about you? Are you willing to trade something special for something of no value? Think about it…“What’s your bowl of stew?”

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Dec 23

What a Strange Way to Save the World

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Back a couple of weeks ago, toward the very end of the CMA Country Christmas on ABC, Rascal Flatts performed a song I had never heard before. The song was called, “Strange Way to Save the World.” I have to be honest, as I listened to that song I couldn’t help but be moved. Think about it for a minute. What if Jesus, the King of Kings, would have entered the world in the manner He deserved? Consider how different His birth might have been.

  1. He might have come from a different place (Lk. 2:1-4). Jerusalem was the holy city; it was the epicenter of Christianity and definitely the kind of place from which a king might come. Nazareth was an obscure, insignificant village, which did not have a good reputation (Jn. 1:46).
  2. He might have had different parents (Lk. 2:4-6). There was nothing special about Joseph or Mary. They were common, ordinary people from a common, ordinary place. Neither was from a royal family.
  3. He might not have been placed in a manger (Lk. 2:7). Jesus, when He was born, was placed in a manger because there was no room in the inn. A manger is the feeding trough of animals. I would suspect most future kings would not be placed in mangers but in fancy royal cribs within the walls of the palace.
  4. He might have had many more people waiting for his birth (Lk. 2:8-16). When royal babies are born everyone is watching and anxiously awaiting the arrival. Remember when the British royal family had their baby earlier this year? When the shepherds arrived they found Mary, Joseph and the baby. There was no media craze. Just a quiet little family.

Yes, it was a strange way to save the world, but it was also the only way. Most kings don’t live anything like the people. Jesus did. Jesus, the King of Kings, entered the world in a humble, ordinary way to show us He understands. That’s why Jesus is able to identify with our struggles (Heb. 4:15). He understands. When you think of it like that, it’s not such a strange way to save the world after all.

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Dec 19

The Most Unlikely People Pt. 2: The Shepherds Were Overlooked

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Yesterday, I asked the question, “Why would He pick them? Of all the people in the world, why would God pick some of the most unlikely to be a part of some of the most amazing news?” If you did not have an opportunity to read that article, click here.

One of the reasons I believe God picked the shepherds was because they were overlooked. I know this may sound like an oxymoron, but consider this with me for a moment. The shepherds were overlooked because of who they were…shepherds. I know there have been many respectable shepherds throughout Jewish history, but at the time of the birth of Jesus, shepherds were anything but respectable. They were looked down upon because of their occupation. Shepherds were considered simple, uneducated and most often poor. They were definitely not the kind of people one would expect God to use to reveal such amazing news.

Not only were they overlooked because of who they were, the shepherd were overlooked because of what they did not have. Remember, a lot of shepherds were poor. Think about a lot of the nativity scenes you see this time of year. Most of them do not even have the shepherds present at the manger. Instead, most nativity scenes have the wise men present with their gifts. The problem with this is the wise men never went to the manger. They went to see Jesus in a house at a later time (Matt. 2:11). If this is the case, then why would a lot of nativity scenes have the wise men at the manger instead of the shepherds? Perhaps the reason is because unlike the wise men, the shepherds had nothing to offer. Jesus was the King of Kings, the expected one who was to come. He deserved the very best people had to offer. Sadly, for those shepherds, they probably had nothing to offer to the great King of Kings.

You see, the shepherds were overlooked because of who they were and what they did not have. And yet, God chose them anyway. Why? Why not choose people of greater importance?

By picking the shepherds God was demonstrating the importance of such people in his plan.

Remember what the angel told the shepherds? “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

God chose the shepherds to teach us a valuable lesson. God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). We are all the work of His hands (Job. 34:19).

Like the shepherds, there is nothing special about most of us. We are just common, ordinary people who have nothing to offer the King of Kings. And still, we have a place in God’s story. No matter who we are, what we do, or what we have or do not have, we all have a place in the story of the savior. The savior came to bring good news of great joy for ALL people, including people like you and me.

Praise be to God for His decision to choose such unlikely people!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

 

 

Dec 18

Why God? Why Such Unlikely People?

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Really? Why would He pick them? Of all the people in the world, why would God pick some of the most unlikely to be a part of some of the most amazing news?

“8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

In the age of social media, anyone can break important news. It is no longer famous newscasters bringing breaking news into our homes, it is anyone who has access to social media. This can be both good and bad. It is good from the standpoint we receive news quicker than ever before, almost immediately right after it happens. However, the bad side of this is that sometimes the breaking news is not really true. Just think back to last week and all the “breaking reports” about Nick Saban accepting the head coaching position at the University of Texas. Someone broke the news and sent the state of Alabama in a panic. Fortunately, for all the Alabama fans in the world, it was not true.

When news breaks it is important to have a credible and reliable source. Thus, since this is the case, why would God choose to reveal some of the greatest news in the history of the world to some of the most unlikely people? Why didn’t He reveal it to the religious leaders in Jerusalem? Why didn’t He choose to tell someone of more social importance? Why reveal it to and through shepherds.

Over the course of the next few days I will write about why I believe God chose such unlikely men like the shepherds to reveal some of the most amazing news the world has ever known. See you tomorrow!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

QUESTION: Why do you think God chose such unlikely people to break such an amazing story to the world? Leave your answers in the comments section below.