HEBREWS - Something SUPER!

Today is Super Bowl Sunday.

Today the New York Giants will be pitted against the New England Patriots in an epic pigskin battle. I don't care so much who's going to win the game.

But yes, I will be watching the game. (After I go to church, of course!)

I am a football fan.

But I've got to tell you, all the *hoopla* that surrounds the game nowadays is crazy. There's so much pre-game hype that the game itself has almost become an afterthought – anticlimactic in comparison to all the "festivities" of the week before.

Goodness!

The Super Bowl is bigger-than-life…or is it?

I can vividly remember an interview with Tom Brady (quarterback for the Patriots) that appeared on the TV show, "60 Minutes" – the link for that interview is here. At the time, he had just turned 30, was earning millions of dollars, and had already won three Super Bowl rings. And yet, something was still missing.

He seemed perplexed when asked what that "something" was.

He answered, "I wish I knew."

How sad.

I am reminded of this verse: "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

These are the thoughts rambling around in my head on this Super Bowl Sunday.

And it's rather wonder-full that today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" provides the perfect answer to Tom Brady's feeling that there has to something else – something more – to life:

"Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood – may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

These verses sum up the true meaning of life.

For one thing, they focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus.

THIS is the moment – the climax – the culmination of history!

And it occurred with no hype, no hoopla. The world wasn't watching, there weren't any commercials, and no one was handing out merchandise. No tickets were offered at exorbitant costs, and most people didn't stop their lives to sit and watch it take place.

But…it did happen.

And it DID change the world.

In these verses we can see three very significant results of God's work through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

One, God Himself begins a work within us. He starts an inner transformation that lasts our whole lives. We are turned into new creatures that become increasingly more and more like Jesus. God begins to change us into the kind of people who will please Him.

And second, God Himself equips us to do the kind of work that will please Him. I love that! God doesn't expect us to enter into the game of life without first being outfitted with what we need to play the game. To that end, we have been given the Holy Spirit to come alongside us, to empower and strengthen us, to give us both the desire and the will to obey.

Finally, God Himself begins to produce fruit in our lives. On our own, we can do nothing. But because of HIS work in and through us, GOD can accomplish big things. And He does. Look what He did with some of those otherwise *ordinary* people in the Bible! He takes our stories, and molds and shapes and weaves them for His glory.

He transforms – He equips – He produces.

It is all about Him, not us.

I would argue that the *something missing* from Mr. Brady's life – and from most people's lives – is actually Someone. The One and only, the Maker and Sustainer of Life, the Ultimate Reason behind everything – God.

And the *something more* that we all long for is a relationship with God. An intimate, personal, meaningful relationship.

God Himself made that possible through His Son – the Great Shepherd of the sheep –(don't you just LOVE that title??)

Oh yes, I want to do every good thing that is pleasing to Him.

I want to bring Him glory forever and ever.

But, we all have to start at His feet – those broken and bloodied feet at the cross. That's where life begins.

There must be something *more than this…*

Whatever that "THIS" is in a person's life – whether it's fame, fortune, or power – there IS something more. There is Someone bigger than life itself.

If Tom Brady wins his fourth Super Bowl today, then congratulations. But I have to wonder if he's feeling any more fulfilled than he did a few years ago. Or does he still feel empty inside?

I hope he finds an answer.

I pray he finds The Answer.

How has God fulfilled your innermost longings for *something more*?

Linked today with Peggy at SOAKING ON SONDAY

"When in doubt, search God out!"

THE BIBLE - Merry CHRISTmas!

In today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" the Word of God will speak for itself:

THE PREDICTION

Yet a ruler…will come.

And He will stand to lead His flock with the LORD'S strength, in the majesty of the name of His God.

He will be highly honored around the world.

And He will be the source of peace.

(From Micah 5)

For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

The government will rest on His shoulders.

And He will be called:

Wonderful

Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.

(From Isaiah 9)

THE FULFILLMENT

Look!

The virgin will conceive a child!

She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means "God is with us."

(From Matthew 1)

"Don't be afraid, Mary…for you have found favor with God!

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

And He will reign…forever; His Kingdom will never end!"

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.

She gave birth to her first child, a son.

Glory to God in highest heaven,

And peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.

(From Luke 1 and 2)

So the Word became human and made His home among us.

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

And we have seen His glory.

(From John 1)

THE ANTICIPATION

Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.

And He will send out his angels to gather His chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

(From Mark 13)

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

Then we will be with the Lord forever.

(From 1 Thessalonians 4)

I am coming soon.

Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

(From Revelation 3)

Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

(From Revelation 22)

THE CULMINATION

Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!

And He who sits on the throne will give them shelter.

They will never again be hungry or thirsty.

For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.

He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.

And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.

(From Revelation 7)

Praise the name of the Lord!

Praise Him, you who serve the Lord.

Praise the Lord, for He is good.

Your name, O Lord, endures forever!

(From Psalm 135)

AMEN! Come, Lord Jesus!

May the wonder of a starlit night,

The power of our Savior's might,

The glories of His merciful love,

Bring blessings to you from above.

Wishing each of you and yours a very Merry CHRISTmas!

"When in doubt, search God out!"

JOB - Hope Lives

HOPE.

Can we really live life without it?

I love the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption" – such a great story, and it has one of my favorite quotes:

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

The word hope can be both a noun (thing) and a verb (action word). The dictionary defines it this way:

Hope (noun) – desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment; expectation of fulfillment or success; someone or something on which hopes are centered

Hope (verb) - to desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence; to trust

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is a resounding statement of hope:

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27)

Yes, the statement comes from Job. And it is remarkable in several ways. I would love to share with you the things I learned while studying this passage.

What did Job's original readers (and Job himself, for that matter) believe about life after death?

Well, when the book was written, Israel did not have a well-developed doctrine of the resurrection. Job became one of the first people to talk about the resurrection of the body. Later readers of the book based their views on the Old Testament. Writers in the OT described the realm of the dead as a place beneath the earth's surface to which people descend.

In the OT, the afterlife is generally regarded as a gloomy, hopeless place of no return.

However, there were occasional hints of deliverance from the grave. And it is these intimations that gave Job the hope that death might relieve him of his troubles, and that a redeemer might justify him even after death.

This is remarkable faith!

This stirring affirmation of Job's confidence comes right at the *heart* of the book –smack dab in the middle of his terrible suffering, his unmitigated pain, his endless trials.

He sees a Redeemer – (with a capital "R"!!)

In ancient Israel a redeemer was a family member who bought a slave's way to freedom or who took care of a widow. In other words, the redeemer volunteered to take responsibility for someone else.

Anyone out there remember Blue Chip Stamps? We would save those stamps, stick them in a book, and then go to a store and redeem them for merchandise. The stamps bought us something else in return.

This passage, of course, foreshadows Jesus. Those of us on this side of the cross, know that He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Redeemer, who traded His righteousness for our sin.

But Job!

Without knowledge, without proof, without any reason to believe in the goodness of God – still he trusted that God would rescue him. And that even if he died, God's justice would triumph – even if it took a miracle of resurrection to accomplish this.

Oh, what faith that man had!

So…how about me, how about you?

Are we exhibiting this kind of faith in our lives? Remember, Job never knew about the conference between Satan and God – he never knew the "reason" for his suffering. How are we doing when we don't understand? When we're in the midst of struggles, and pain, and trials? When we are discouraged and despairing almost beyond belief? Are we willing to trust God in spite of unanswered questions?

I'll speak for me. I have moments of strong warrior, moments of cowering coward.

Oh Lord, I want to live by this faith, this confident faith – faith in what I KNOW is true. I have met the Messiah – He is my Savior, He is my Redeemer. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

He is my hope – the best hope – my only hope – and though He died, yet HE LIVES!

And I know that someday I will see Him face to face…

… I am overwhelmed at the thought!

How are you living in the hope of Jesus?

(I'm linked today with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. And please feel free to visit me during the week at my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

GENESIS - Light of the World

In the beginning, God…

Do those words thrill you like they do me?!

GOD.

The Ultimate Cause.

The Great Creator.

The One Who Rules The Universe.

God's work of creation was an amazing, awe-inspiring, majestic, supernatural miracle. God made something – God made everything – out of nothing. His Wisdom stretched out and filled time and space with Himself.

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" focuses on the beginning of His incredible creative plan:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good."

(Genesis 1:1-3)

Here, in the beginning, God's Spirit hovered over a dark world.

The image of the Spirit of God hovering over the earth's surface is similar to a mother bird caring for and protecting her young (see Deuteronomy 32:11, 12/Isaiah 31:5). Don't you love that?

And in much the same way, the Spirit of God hovers over a dark world today. A world full of sin – a world full of people trapped by the darkness – in their lives, in their relationships, in their hearts.

Dark.

Several years ago, I visited the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. They are fascinating. A myriad of shapes and colors – intricate, massive – a wonderland. A most interesting combination of water, and minerals, and lots (and lots) of time.

At one point on the tour, the guide turned out all the lights. And it was dark – pitch dark. So dark that I could not see my hand less than one inch in front of my face. At that moment, a great truth dawned (!!) on me.

Darkness is not an entity in itself.

Darkness is the absence of light.

It is the light that defines the darkness.

God saw the darkness, and He said, "Let there be light."

And it was good.

The Light of God makes its appearance in our lives in so many ways.

There is redemption Light – when the Light of God shines into the dungeon of our sins,and sets us free. The chains of slavery are removed by salvation – salvation that was bought by the death and resurrection of the Light of the World, dear Jesus. We are freed from eternal darkness – a hell of separation from God – and walk into the light of eternity.

There is wisdom Light – when God's Word becomes a light on our paths, and a lamp to our feet. We are guided in our faith journeys, even when the way seems dark, by the sure and steadying guidance of His Word. We are corrected, and challenged, and encouraged, and inspired by Scripture. It enlightens our thinking, and brings illumination to our souls.

There is encouragement Light – when into a dark and lonely season, God's Light shines. Sometimes it bursts forth in glory, like the sun beaming through the clouds – and sometimes it's just the hopeful flicker of a candle, that lets us see His presence again.

God's Light.

Not the opposite of darkness – for the darkness is not equal to the light.

No, all the darkness of the world, and of our souls, is only the absence of the Light – the true Light of God's radiant Presence.

Could we take a step without it?

"Jesus spoke to the people…and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8:12 – NLT)

"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light."

(Psalm 36:9 – KJV)

Take some time, and search your Bible for its many references to Light.

They will wash over your spirit with refreshing rays of warming SONlight.

And it will be good!

Where do you need the Light of God to shine in your life?

(I'm linked today with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. And please feel free to visit me during the week at my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

OBADIAH - Road Trip Home

Ever been on a road trip?

Well, I have – several! But the one that sticks out in my mind is the one I took with my family in 2002.

It all started with a random remark from my banjo-playing youngest son – "Hey, wouldn't it be fun to visit Nashville?" Well, the rest was history. We planned a trip that took us 5,445 miles in 9 days – (I know, because we recorded every single mile on the odometer!)

We retraced Route 66 all the way to St. Louis, Missouri – and then we dropped down into Tennessee, and made our way west through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona – until we reached sunny California again.

I remember that last stretch home. We decided around 9:00 PM one night in Arizona that we were done…finished…kaput. My oldest son and I felt wide awake. So, we looked at each other and thought – why pay for a night in the hotel? Let's just get on the road and get home…

It was a very, very looooonnnggg overnight marathon!

I think we single-handedly cleaned out every Starbuck's Frappucino in every gas station along the way! Caffeine was our best friend. We arrived home early the next morning – none the worse for wear – though a bit bedraggled…

Life is like that, isn't it?

We travel a long journey, logging many miles on the experience odometer – enjoying the ride – but always heading to a final destination. We're all headed home.

Today's "Bible Pick ‘Ems" reminded me of this road trip.

"But Jerusalem will become a refuge for those who escape; it will be a holy place. And the people…will come back to claim their inheritance…Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem…And the LORD himself will be king." (Obadiah 17, 21)

Obadiah was bringing God's message of judgment to the land of Edom. But he was also talking about the restoration of the people of Israel. He acknowledged that the journey would be long, and bumpy, and fraught with suffering and trials. But, he also assured them that they were heading to a final destination.

They were headed home.

We are, too.

Things aren't much different than they were in Obadiah's day. We wonder how much longer evil will continue. We long to be released from the effects of sin. We want to arrive at our final destination – where we can rest in the eternal blessings of our heavenly home.

We'll get there, my friends.

God has promised that.

He has promised a destination – a home with Him forever.

He has promised a refuge for those of us who will escape eternal judgment. A holy place – a place set apart, a place prepared. A place where we will claim our inheritance bought by Jesus on the cross.

We who have been rescued, are making our way to Jerusalem.

And once we get there, we will reach the feet of the LORD – we will be home.

"And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven…I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, 'Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." (Revelation 21:2-4)

Yes, I'm a bit exhausted from the long haul home! And these last miles, toward the tail end of my journey, are the hardest at times. But I have my eyes fixed on my destination.

I'm headed home.

And what a glorious home it is!

A home with the Lord…forever.

Are you making your way to Jerusalem?

(Please join me with Peggy at Super Sunday, and Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays. And feel free to visit my daily blog, Sharon Sharing God, during the week!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

HOSEA - God is Like a Tree

Years ago on a family vacation, as we were driving on the highway, we saw a sign:

“FRESH FRUIT – HOMEMADE PIES”

One quick look at each other, one fast U-turn… and we were off into parts unknown.

It was a quaint country road – mostly dirt and gravel – bumpy, twisty – the four miles took about 40 minutes to navigate!

Around one more bend, and there was an adorable little farmhouse, nestled next to a fruit tree orchard!

The people were the nicest people ever…and the pie???

The MOST DELICIOUS I have ever tasted! YUM, YUM…

Today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” reminded me of that little orchard:

“[The LORD says] ‘I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.’ Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.” (Hosea 14:8-9)

What a lovely picture!

God demonstrates His loving care – He listens to our prayers, and He answers them.

He is the source of our nourishment! He is a tree that never dies – His fruit is all we need!

I have this picture in my mind of myself sitting under a giant tree, relaxing in the shade - and then when I'm hungry, I just reach up and pick a piece of fruit to eat.

It's kinda like what I do with "Bible Pick 'Ems" -

God is the Tree, and His Word is the Fruit.

Each time I go to Scripture, there is something "good to eat." Something that nourishes my soul. Something that is pure, and good, and satisfying!

Hosea reminds us that we need to listen, learn, and benefit from God’s Word.

We need God’s wisdom – “Lord, help us to understand.”

We need discernment – “Lord, help us to listen carefully."

God’s paths are always true and right – "Lord, show us the

way to go.”

It is only by walking in God’s ways that we can live in His power and hear His voice.

Without God’s guidance we are lost –

He is the difference between life and death…

“Those who are wise will take all this to heart…” (Psalm 107:43)

“But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them.”

(Isaiah 26:7)

We must always remember that God cares for us continually – His love knows no bounds!

“When in doubt, search God out!”