Tag Archives: God

Armor Can Offer You Protection. Suit Up!

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On May 21, 2020, a Naval Officer who guarded the gate at Corpus Christi Naval Station was shot at close range in the chest by an intruder. But, because she was wearing body armor, she was still able to activate the alarm and stop the threat. Her Kevlar body armor not only saved HER life, it also saved the lives of others on the base because she was able to dispatch the perpetrator and keep him from entering the base.

As long as there has been conflict, men have sought ways to protect themselves. Roman soldiers carried shields; samurai wore protective body panels; and armor has been employed by everyone from medieval knights to battleships. Gladiators wore pieces of body armor in the arena, and NFL football players wear pads and helmets on the field of play. People need protection when engaged in conflict whether it be military or sports-related. In the Bible, Paul describes a different kind of armor for a different kind of conflict.

Armor That Helps

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV)

Can you imagine an NFL football player taking the field with just their shorts, a t-shirt, and their cleats to protect them? (I think it would be called Rugby, lol) Or can you imagine them wearing their shoulder pads but no other protective gear? Or even just their helmet? No way! These guys compete on a field with strong, fast athletes who are trying to knock them into the middle of next week! If they weren’t wearing the proper equipment, they couldn’t perform the same way the other guys could. They would be tentative, limited, and vulnerable. Football players wear all of the protective gear they can in order to keep from being hurt or knocked out of the game. Makes sense, right?

How about the body armor worn by troops and SWAT team members? Let’s ask that Naval officer whose vest just stopped a bullet if she thinks it’s a good idea to wear armor… The battle against terrorism requires troops, and those troops need full protection.

The Struggle is Real

So, why do you go into daily spiritual battle against far more malicious foes wearing less than the full armor of God? There are spiritual forces at work in this world that want to bring you down, to limit you and make you vulnerable. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” You may not think about it much, but you are in a spiritual war every day, and there really are forces at work trying to change the values in our world and in our culture.

If you are uncertain about that, read the news once in a while… Or just check yourself: are you ever tempted? Ever lose your temper, or think critical thoughts about people you don’t even know? Is there any bitterness or offense that drives your emotions? Do you find it difficult to love others the way Jesus describes? If there is a God who encourages us to love, there is just as certainly a malevolent force who is probing our armor, looking for weaknesses he can use to promote selfishness and hatred.

While Paul doesn’t tell Christians to go around knocking people down, he does tell us to stand our ground. So stand firm. Protect yourself. Avail yourself of all of the equipment God offers. If you are walking around wearing only gospel shoes, you are pretty vulnerable. Read the rest of the list, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith (verses 14-17). Don’t go into battle un-equipped. Make sure you are completely dressed.

A Different Kind of Armor

When you take the battlefield, conditions can be hard;
Make sure you protect yourself, and maximize your guard.
God has armor He designed to guard His troops before, behind,
To keep his soldiers all aligned in all conditions they may find.
The armor of God has been designed and put together, all combined
To guard your heart and mind when Satan tries to put you in a bind.
In the battle always keep your weapon close at hand;
When evil comes, you’ll be equipped to rise! And fight! And stand.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

If I Won the Lottery It Would Solve All My Problems… Playing the ‘If Only’ Game

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The 2023 $1.5 billion lottery ticket ( https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mega-millions-jackpot-one-point-five-five-billion-dollars/ ) got me to thinking, “what’s it like to win the lottery”? It’s a question Moses might have considered when he ran into something very unusual out in the wilderness, tending sheep.

You remember that story, right? Moses, the baby raised in Pharaoh’s house, had killed an abusive Egyptian guard and had run away to become a shepherd. He was just doing his job in a remote area when he saw a curious sight. He may not have realized he had just won the theological lottery, but he ended up having a conversation that changed his life.

“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14, NIV). Have you ever stopped to wonder God introduced himself to Moses as ” I AM”? It’s a fascinating descriptor, but what exactly did God mean by that?

An Interesting Thought…

Russ Massey, my Bible Study Fellowship teaching leader in Conroe during the 90’s, shared a situation that many of us could relate to. The Texas State lottery had begun, and he said that a couple of times he and his wife had fantasized about winning the lottery… No big deal, but they thought about all the good ways they could use the money (starting with a nice tithe back to God, of course). Nancy and I have done the same thing—played the “if only” game… Wouldn’t it be great if we won the lottery? If only we won the lottery, then life would be great!

If Only

If only we had that money, we could pay off the kids’ mortgages, set up some education funds for grandchildren, and generally provide many, many benefits for those close to us. (And yes, some of those benefits might come OUR way as well…) We could retire easily, we could have things, we could travel, and we would be set. The Lottery could solve all of our problems…

“If only” seems like a pretty innocent exercise, one that most of us have played from time to time. But as Russ shared that scenario with us, he said something that stopped me in my tracks. He said we play that game and fantasize about something like that for many reasons, not just because we’d like to win the lottery.

If only I got that promotion, if only we lived in a different neighborhood, if only my spouse were a better person, THEN life would be better. Russ said, “Isn’t it strange that we never put God in that blank after “if only”? What if we said, “If only, GOD,”? Would life be better then? He went on to say that when we play the “if only, ______” game, then whatever we use to fill in the blank, that is god to us. We may not consciously worship it, but there it is. It’s whatever we happen to think of to solve all our problems! Kinda makes you stop and think about what we put into that blank and why.

A Sneaky Form of Idolatry

Russ finished his thoughts by connecting some important dots. God called himself “I AM”, which fits exactly into the “if only” game. We say, “Lord, if only I had what I need.” God says, “I AM” what you need. “Lord, if only I felt loved…” I AM love. “Lord, if only I knew the way…” I AM the way. “Lord, if only I had more of this or that…” I AM all you need.

The logic behind Russ’s conclusion is perfect. When we try to plug temporal things into our lives to complete ourselves, we stay incomplete. Moses objected to accepting God’s call because he felt unworthy. As he told God how he (a murderer and a fugitive) was not adequate or willing to lead, God understood. In fact, the Lord had already countered all of Moses’ objections when He told him His Name. Can’t speak well? I AM going to provide for that. Afraid of being ill-equipped? I AM sufficient.

What about you? What are your objections to serving God with all of your heart and soul? Lord, work and the kids keep me busy; just wait until I retire! Lord, if only I were a better speaker… If only I had more time… If only I were better prepared! God would say to you the very thing He said to Moses: “Whatever you need… I AM.” Don’t wait on the lottery. Just GO.

I Will Because I AM

Moses saw a burning flame and asked the Lord about His name:
“I AM”, said God, but Moses asked if he was worthy for the task.
Speaking, he objected to the work that God expected:
“Oh Lord, he said, I’m just a man with halting speech! Without a plan!”
And God said, “Moses, Listen to Me: Whatever you need, I AM.”
See, Moses didn’t calculate how much the great I Am was great!
He focused on his lack of skill, but God told him to say, “I will”!
“When people grumble or resent you, tell them that I AM has sent you!
If people say you are a sham, tell them that you serve I AM!”
Moses learned God’s mystery. The rest, of course, is history.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

When the God of Relationships Calls You, ANSWER THE PHONE

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What is life, if not a network of RELATIONSHIPS? Oscar Thompson, my evangelism professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, used to ask his classes, “What’s the most important word in the English language?” People would call out ‘love”, or “money”, “faith”, and Oscar would say, “No, that’s not it. Without the word I am thinking of, NONE of those words would have any meaning.” After several more vain attempts to guess, Dr. Thompson would tell us: “The most important word in the English Language is RELATIONSHIP.

Sometimes relationships come out of nowhere to change our lives. Genesis records an instance where this was true. “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God… (Exodus 3:5-6, NIV)

The God of Relationships

I have always thought that the way God introduced himself to Moses was revealing, which makes good sense because He is and has always been the God of revelation. Being GOD, he could have said, “I am the Almighty Cosmic Rule of the Universe!” (And of course, that would have been accurate.) But in this case, He simply identifies Himself as the God of relationships — the God of Moses’ father, and of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Bible is the story of how God has revealed Himself to man, and how He has engaged in relationships with us. Here in Exodus He revealed himself to Moses when Moses least expected it. Moses was out tending sheep, not going to church or studying the Bible. And yet, God met him where he was, and revealed Himself to Moses.

Does God still reveal himself to us? On this earth, we encounter the Lord on his terms, not ours. Moses grew up in a land with many gods, so it had to be somewhat of a shock to him to encounter the One True God.

If you think of it, however, we are all in Moses’ sandals, and some point we are all called to step out of them. We have all grown up surrounded and tempted by many gods—celebrities, material things, success, ego, power, lust—and the real question is, have you ever met the One True God? Do you know who He is?

Did God Create Us, or Did We Create Him?

To that end, the introduction to Buell Kazee’s Faith is the Victory contains one of the greatest statements about God I have ever read:

“God creates man in his image, and man creates God in his image. It depends on who is doing the creating as to what kind of being we have in either case. Man, left to himself, will always have a god, and that god will always be like man himself. Because man is confused, he will make for himself many gods, but they will all be like himself. The conflict of the world is between the One God, who arises from beyond man’s realm of knowledge, and the many gods which he has created out of his own heart.” (Faith is the Victory, Intro, page 9)

This world is full of many gods (with a small “g”), man-made idols that people may not even realize they worship. When God reveals Himself, it is surprising to most folks that there is actually only one God, and that He is offering them a choice.

An Interesting Introduction

The way God identified himself to Moses is significant. He didn’t say to Moses, “I am the great cosmic all-powerful God of the universe.” He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” What a surprising way for God to introduce himself!

In essence, he was telling Moses: “I am the God who loves people. I am the God of relationships. You can know me personally, just as your forefathers did. Look at the people who have walked with me, and you will see who I am and what I do. Look for reflections of my character in those who have no earthly means to possess it otherwise. Accept my revelation of who I am, and you can walk with me just as they did. Ignore the many meaningless gods that clamor for your attention, and walk with me.”

Stop and take a look around your life. There are indeed still meaningless gods who clamor for your attention. Somewhere amidst all the material things, the celebrities, the agendas, the politics, the cell phones, the incessant ads, the sports, and the intrusive pervasive media, the God of relationships is revealing Himself to you. Don’t miss Him.

The God Who Is

In Egypt, gods were everywhere–
An idol here, a temple there–
Worshipping idols was the style:
They worshipped cats! The Sun! The Nile!
But Moses in the desert ran
Into the God who said, “I AM”.
“I am the God of Abraham–
Isaac and Jacob, too.”

Moses didn’t doubt and scoff;
He stopped and took his sandals off;
He knew this was a holy place
And so he stopped, and hid his face.
This relationship with God was new:
It gave him more to dare, and do–
Changed more than how he wore his shoes–
Changed everything that Moses knew,
His life, his plans, his point of view!
If God introduced Himself to YOU,
Tell me, then, what YOU would do:

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Love’s Deeper Theology: The Four Dimensions of God’s Love

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If you really want to define love, you can read the verse that everybody knows, John 3:16.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This verse describes all of the dimensions of love– how high it is, how wide, how deep, and how long.

We talk about our perception of three dimensions around as we look at height, width, depth and length, but we all know there is more to it than that… How tall is beauty? How wide are feelings? Have you ever thought about all of the dimensions of God’s love?

Way back in the day, Job was confronted with them in one of the earliest written parts of the Bible: “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven— what can you do? Deeper than Sheol— what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)

During Job’s discourse with the Almighty, God reminds him of the nature of the universe. We have boundaries and limits; God doesn’t. We think in terms of dimensions; God transcends them. It is that way in the physical universe we touch, see, and inhabit, and it is that way in the spiritual dimension that inhabits us.

Deeper and Longer Still

We are made in God’s image. Whatever passions, values, and emotions we experience are reflections of Him–although as Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 13, we see them incompletely in this world, as though “through a glass, darkly.” In one of his best-known passages, Paul points out that there is a gap between our temporary world and the spiritual one.

In that chapter Paul acknowledges the importance of knowledge and giftedness, and discusses the importance of hope and faith, all of which could be considered as the deep things of God, and all of which are reflections of God’s character. Paul ends by saying this (v 13): “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” The end of theology is not proofs or precepts, and it is not about knowledge or discourse: it is about the way GOD LOVES YOU.

Have you really considered the depth of God’s love for you? Take a moment and reflect upon that dimension. Do you feel loved today? You should. God loves you for who you are, and who you were meant to be. He loves you consistently, relentlessly, passionately, completely—enough to send his own Son to experience death on your behalf. He did it for everyone, and He did it forever. Bask in God’s love today, and remember that it’s higher, deeper, broader, and longer than you can imagine!

Four Dimensions of Love

How big is love? How strong, how tall?
Do we see love as far too small?
Our broken view of broken love
Can’t take the concept far enough—

Considering all that Christ has bought,
Could love be bigger than we thought?
Imagine love, the way you dreamed,
Romance and passion, all redeemed!

See love reflected in God’s face,
And feel it in His warm embrace.
For God so loved us, every one,
He sent His precious, only Son

To come and revolutionize
The depth and width, the lows and highs
Of love—so broken on the street—
In ways so intimate and sweet,
That in Him, we are made complete.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

A Consolation Prize Can Sometimes Be Better Than First Place

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Back in 1967 I swam in the 4th Of July swim meet at the San Antonio Country Club. I was not by any means a competitive swimmer. But I WAS a recreational swimmer, full of the confidence that youth and ignorance bring. There were four TOTAL swimmers in my heat, and I placed, well, fourth. But I was awarded a Fourth-Place ribbon, and I held it proudly for a while… Then I realized (I think perhaps because my Dad–a realist if there ever was one–pointed out) that fourth place in my event was also LAST place, sort of a consolation prize. (Which is kind of like the time a UT basketball player was proud because he scored his first point in an NCAA men’s basketball game, and his coach Abe Lemons said, “Congratulations. You scored one more point than a dead man.”) At any rate, my dad’s observation certainly changed my perspective on my fourth-place ribbon accomplishment.

Have you ever really wanted something and been disappointed? Didn’t even GET a consolation prize? David knew about being disappointed. Yeah, he beat Goliath and was a hero, but there was a pretty rough patch after that. What with Saul trying to kill him, and having to live in caves to survive, things didn’t always go his way. He had been anointed king, but he spent years as a fugitive hiding from Saul. He knew what it was like to be alone and downcast:

A Cry for Help

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:18-19 NIV)

Do you ever need consolation? There are times when circumstances knock us off our stride, when our foothold of faith is knocked off the path and we find ourselves twisting a bit in the wind… Sometimes our foot slips on our own accord, because we are not paying attention, or are out climbing where we should not have been. I think that’s why repentance is such a consistent theme in the Bible, because so much of our slipping is self-activated…

But then there are also events or seasons that seem to come out of nowhere to surprise or batter us with doubt and anxiety. Perhaps you’ve been discouraged lately by an untimely loss or some bad news, and your foot is slipping or your foundation seems less than secure. When bad stuff happens, it can be devastating, and we sometimes assume that God isn’t there, or has forgotten about us. This Psalm reminds us that consolation is possible in the midst of sorrow.

Have you ever been climbing and someone says, “Don’t look down!”?

Are Things Looking Up?

It is when we quit looking up we are most vulnerable. Take a moment and look up to your Father. Remember that He is as good as his Word. His love is unfailing, and God is there to support you. He offers a foundation beneath your feet. He extends love to you in ways you may not have noticed, and from unexpected places… you may not see them if you are looking down in defeat, so look up in hope!

The Lord also offers consolation in the midst of anxiety, and joy in Him apart from circumstances. Peter reminded us to “cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” Remember that He was able to transform the worst of circumstances into the best of results! “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3 KJV) If He could turn the cross into victory, perhaps you can consider trusting Him with whatever life has thrown at you, and opening yourself to not just His consolation, but also to his joy!

Consolation Prize

When your footing seems to slip, and you just need to right the ship,
Don’t let discouragement prevail! Turn to the One Who’ll never fail.
When anxiety attacks, you know Someone who has your back:
It’s no great revelation; when you suffer indignation,
You should have this expectation: Ask the Lord for consolation!
Tribulation causes fears, but when the cliff below is sheer,
Instead of reeling, feeling shock, just place your feet upon the rock:
All the things which he endured, insured our hope could be secured!
The path is hard, the road will dip; but if our feet are prone to slip,
Until we have that celebration, we can find his consolation.
Faced with an overwhelming task, all we have to do is ask:
Of all the means that we employ, Replace my fear, Oh Lord, with Joy!
Seek this recalibration: focus on His elevation!
Don’t stay in isolation, find yourself a new sensation in God’s loving consolation!


To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

The Unthinkable Sacrifice That Never Happened

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The Bible tells several stories about sacrifice and redemption. One of the most striking occurs early in God’s interaction with Abraham. The Genesis account says this:
“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 NIV)

This request from the Lord was surprising, to say the least. There were several ancient religions that sacrificed children to deities, but YHWH never endorsed such activities. In fact, when the law was written, the Lord called it an abomination! It is called out in Deuteronomy 12:30-31: “for every abomination to YHWH, which he hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt (sacrificed) in the fire to their gods.”

A Miraculous Child

Abram had left Ur and been obedient to God, following Him geographically to a distant place; but the Lord apparently wanted to take Abram further still, and so He asked Abram to do the unthinkable. If we learn anything from Abraham, it is perhaps that faith sometimes takes us into unthinkable territory.

Abram and Sara had waited all of their lives in hopes of having a son, and it seemed the opportunity had passed them by. They were overjoyed (and yes, a little skeptical) to receive the promise of an heir when they were seventy-five years old. Then they waited TWENTY-FIVE YEARS to conceive and have a son. It is impossible for us to underestimate the depth of their love for Isaac. Just imagine the attachment these old folks must have had! Isaac was their true heir, their legacy, and their promised child.

Surely, they enjoyed watching Isaac the toddler develop and become a healthy boy in their old age, assured now that God keeps his promises… Certainly, as they sang songs with him or watched him grow up in their household with unrivaled love and affection, they treasured him as much as any parents had ever treasured any child. And yet God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son. In light of these new instructions, Abraham’s response was amazing. It’s hard to put yourself into Abram’s shoes; it’s even harder to believe he could do such a thing.

A Miraculous Choice

He immediately took Isaac, his only son, and prepared to sacrifice him as God instructed. So many questions come to mind when you read about the way God tested Abraham in Genesis 22. Why on earth did God do that? How could God be so cruel and heartless? What was the Lord thinking? What kind of God would require you to offer up your only son as a sacrifice? Wasn’t this the child of the Promise, the one through whom the covenant would be fulfilled? Was this a fair test? These are all legitimate questions to ask about this sacrifice, but really, aren’t those questions all between God and Abraham?

There’s really only ONE question, perhaps, that YOU should ask about this: what is it that you love more than anything, that you are withholding from God, that you refuse to offer him? “Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 NIV)

Abraham denied himself and offered God the one thing in his life that he treasured the most. His relationship changed the way men perceived God, and it changed history from that moment on. God fulfilled the covenant of redemption through Abraham because he had faith and because he was willing to offer everything as a sacrifice to God. What will be different about history when your life is done? Think. Offer. Obey. Move to a new place. Find a new blessing.

The Sacrifice That Didn’t Happen; The Sacrifice That Did

What things went through Abram’s mind? How could God be so inclined,
To make him give his only son? How could such a thing be done?
He had to hold up once or twice as he prepared the sacrifice;
Did God go back on promises made? And yet, old Abraham obeyed…
Isaac’s birth and all the rest had led him to the toughest test
A man would ever think to face! And what did Abram know of grace?
God said, “Take him to the place that I will surely show you.”
Abram had to think, “Oh Yahweh, do I really KNOW you?
Would you have me offer up my one and only son?
Why, Lord, would you sacrifice the only, Promised One?”

Looking back now, Abram knows the answers to his plea;
Yahweh’s test foretold a sacrifice he’d yet to see:
For God allowed His only Son to go to Calvary,
Offered as a sacrifice for them. For you. For me.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Regifting is Considered Socially Unacceptable, But It’s OK in This Case

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There was a humorous episode of Seinfeld about “regifting”, the practice of taking a somewhat less desirable gift you have received, keeping it new in the box, and then giving it away to someone else. In the episode, various people re-gift and get caught doing it because people either recognize the gift as the one they had given, or the secondary receivers somehow tell the original gift-giver what they just received from the person who had they had given the gift to. A re-gift is kind of like a white elephant gift, although the idea is not to stick someone else with a useless gift, but rather to divest yourself of something YOU didn’t really want or need in the first place. And hey, the original giver will never know, right? (Although in Seinfeld, everyone finds out and it’s pretty funny.)

What goes Around…

You hate to think that the gift you picked out for someone and hoped they would enjoy would become the object of regifting! You also hate to receive a re-gifted item, right? The whole thing is awkward because it involves rejecting and reusing a gift, and in a small circle of friends it can prove that “what goes around, comes around!” Even though it was funny on Seinfeld, it might be a little embarrassing in real life.

Well, the Apostle Paul had another take on that, and it’s worth considering: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)

Everybody likes to get gifts! They are a small mystery, wrapped in festive paper. We weigh them, shake them, and hold them in our hands with delicious anticipation. We get to take a moment to savor them and wonder what they are. Gifts are a way that someone says, “You are special”, and who doesn’t like to hear THAT more often?

The Reason for Gifts

Here in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul says that EVERY ONE of us has been given gifts: “the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” In yet another small way, the Christian life flips conventional wisdom upside down: we are not given gifts to enjoy selfishly, we are given gifts to BENEFIT OTHERS. Paul compares us as members of the Church to a body, where every part plays a role in its health and function, and where every one of us matters.

As humans, we tend to exalt certain spiritual gifts (up-front stuff like teaching, preaching, or leading worship) and minimize others (behind-the-scenes stuff, like administering, or serving); but every part of the body contributes, and every part shares equally in the accomplishments and edification of the whole. (And yes, that means that the guy who sets up chairs, and the woman who greets folks at the door are just as important as the Preacher in God’s eyes…)

If you haven’t discovered your Spiritual gift(s), then do some study, get some wise counsel, and identify what God has given you. Usually, a good indicator is when other believers feel blessed by something you do. If it edifies someone else, it is a spiritual gift. If it results in self-importance, or pride, or ego inflation, then chances are it’s not. Then it’s time to apply the regifting principle. Once you think you know about God’s gift, you have a re-gifting assignment every day: Open your gift. Give it away. It’s what gifts are for.

Regifting

There are occasions when everyone’s hopin’
That there are some presents which they get to open!
I see all the gifts wrapped up under the tree,
And I always hope some are wrapped up for ME!
But Paul had a much different take on the season:
He said that we each receive gifts for a reason.
Our gifts are not given for fun, or for play,
But we get them only to give them away.
Paul said that spiritual gifts are uplifting,
And those kinds of gifts are ok for regifting!
Discover your spiritual gifts and then shift them
Because they’re designed so that you can re-gift them!

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Covenants are Serious Business. Don’t Make One You Don’t Intend to Keep!

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In the old days (ok, the real old days), when people would make a covenant, they would often sacrifice an animal and lay its two bloody halves on the ground. Then they would walk between the halves to seal the covenant. The act implied, “May this happen to us if we break this covenant.” It was a graphic reminder of the importance of their vow to one another, and it indicated that covenants should be taken seriously. The Prophet Jeremiah probably had this life-and-death image in his mind when he gave this revelation about God’s future plans for Israel.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NIV)

The Pattern of Covenants

In the Biblical narrative, God has consistently reached out to mankind by offering covenants. In the Old Testament He made one with Adam, with Noah, Abraham and his offspring, Moses, and David. In these covenants He declared his intention to bless all of mankind, and He engaged in an intimate relationship with His people. The Old Testament is filled with Covenants.

Lest you think of covenants as an old, dusty practice that went out of style in the Christian era, consider this: In the New Testament, Jesus continued the covenantal practice with his disciples. “After the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20) Even if you follow Jesus and major in New Testament, you are a covenant follower, too.

The Bible consistently affirms the principle of the covenant by comparing our relationship with God to a marriage. Even though God offered himself as a husband, his spouse (Israel) repeatedly (and consistently) broke their marriage vows and went off on their own, pursuing false gods and worthless idols. How could they DO such a thing? God delivered them from slavery and death, yet they cast him aside to chase other delights?? Today, we assume that’s all in the past, because WE don’t have graven images or little shrines in our houses where we blatantly worship other gods.

The Problem With Idols

But before you feel too smug, stop right there! There are idols in your life, other things that sometimes take God’s place in your priorities or in your heart. We are possessive about the wrong things. You may covet a better home or car. Someone might worship money or security. You may present yourself to the altar of self-righteousness. You could be depending on chemicals to make yourself feel better, or comfort food, or pornography, or Pinterest. (yeah, I said it, Pinterest could be an idol)

In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis made this point when he said, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

If the Lord loves you as a bridegroom loves His bride, beware lest you abandon your marriage vows for something so fleeting or temporary. He takes covenants seriously. The good news is that the Lord has promised to make us children of the new covenant, and He will write His law in our minds and in our hearts. And He is possessive in the RIGHT way. As the newlywed Husband who is smitten with his bride, God wants us to covet Him just as much as He covets us. We will be HIS, and He will be OURS. Covet that. Covenant that.

Your Covenant

A covenant is serious stuff, defining where and how
Two parties will agree to act; it is a solemn vow.
In ancient times, agreements would be sealed by sacrifice;
Before they broke a covenant, both parties would think twice.
Agreements based on life itself had mortal consequences,
So if you broke the terms, you’d taken leave of all your senses!
Have you ever stopped to think, in all you say and do,
That Jesus gave his life to make a covenant with you?

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Advice Means More Coming From People Who Practice What They Preach

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King David was old. He had reached that point in life where he knew his time on earth was short. He wanted his son, Solomon, to succeed, so he offered him the fruit of a long, challenging life. He reflected on the wisdom he had acquired, some of it painful and hard-earned. Doing what old men are best equipped to do, he gave Solomon a gift of priceless value. He looked Solomon in the eye, and gave him this advice:

“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9, NIV)

Wise Counsel

David’s words were more than “pretty good advice”. What he said is worth considering deeply. It should be part of every leadership training class. It’s short, but it is full of eternal, life-changing principles that all of us (leaders or not) should know and apply. When you break it down, you’ll see what I mean.

1) David starts by reminding Solomon that he is his son. He is presuming upon their relationship, and he makes this statement because Solomon falls under David’s paternal authority. Roles are important in life. David understands that part of a father’s job is to impart advice, to offer wisdom and to tell it like it is—so he does. In this case, David is Solomon’s biological father, but that’s not mandatory in mentor relationships. Every one of us is currently involved in relationships where we provide guidance or leadership, or where we need to LISTEN TO guidance or counsel. Advise well. Listen well.

2) He tells Solomon to acknowledge “the God of your father”, which means David was offering his OWN relationship with God as a baseline for Solomon. Tell, me, would you present YOUR relationship with God as the template for your children? For your friends? David failed in several very public ways, and his life in was not exactly a template for proper behavior, but he did love the Lord and follow Him in spite of his own failings and mistakes… I think it’s telling that David is confident enough in his relationship with God that he can tell his son to follow it.

More Than a Mental Exercise

3) He doesn’t just tell Solomon to acknowledge God, he tells him to serve the Lord “with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind.” Would you tell your kids to do that? Do you DO that? Great leadership involves more than giving advice, it comes from actually living out the principles it proclaims.

4) He reminds Solomon that the Lord knows every heart, and understands every human desire and motive; if that doesn’t give you pause for reflection, I’m not sure what will. (To bring that closer to home, the Lord knows YOUR heart, and He is aware of YOUR every motive. It is not so much my blatant, public sin that I worry about, but my private inner ones…) David advises Solomon that God’s sovereignty and omniscience matter, and that we should conduct ourselves with an awareness of what that means in our life and in our relationships.

5) He spells out the choices in black and white. If we seek God, we will find him; but if we forsake Him, He will reject us. And oh yeah, He will reject us “forever”. We have choices, and our actions have consequences. Choose wisely.

Hard-Earned Advice

David’s reign was ending; Solomon’s had just begun,
And David offered wise advice to Solomon, his son:
“Acknowledge God the way I do, and love Him from the start;
Serve Him with a willing mind, and seek Him with all your heart.
The Lord knows every motive, every thought within your mind–
So don’t play games with Him. Be honest. Seek Him, and you’ll find…
If you forsake His wisdom as you sit upon your throne,
Then he’ll reject you utterly, and you will be alone.
You’ll find that it’s much harder, then, to govern on your own…”

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David

To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

On Reflection, You Could Say the Son is the Spitting Image of His Father

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When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Unless you’re in a carnival funhouse, the reflection there will only do what you do, and say only what you say. The toddler in this image is in the process of discovering what you and I already know: our image reflects us.

Paul said that the toddler in this picture is the key to a pretty amazing revelation about God. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation… And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15, 18-20 NIV)

If Jesus Was a Good Teacher who Spoke Truth, Would He have Lied to Us?

Jesus told Philip, “When you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. He told the Pharisees, “I and my Father are one”. These are definitely claims which–if false– would have been abhorrent to a follower of YHWH. Paul offers a reflection about Christ’s resurrection here, and it builds a very logical case about Jesus’ identity and authority, relative to his work on the cross. Paul says that Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead”, and that God reconciled us to himself by his death.

The resurrection changes every assumption we have about life and death. Non-believers reject the resurrection, but if it IS TRUE: 1) It AUTHENTICATED who Jesus was: it means he was not just an itinerant rabbi, he was the incarnate image of the invisible God. He did what only God could do. That supports Paul’s logical foundation that Jesus is a pure reflection of the Father, since an image can ONLY reflect the original and do exactly what the original does. Stand in front of a mirror and try it! Your image will do what you do. Jesus showed us what the Father looked like. It means that Jesus is the visible image of a spiritual God, and you know what? We can be, too.

2) It CONFIRMED the possibility of eternal life. As the firstborn from the dead, Christ opened the very gates of hell and demonstrated a new possibility of triumph over death. The resurrection gave thousands of early believers unreasonable hope and unreasonable faith. The essence of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead and that we can, too.

What Does a True Reflection Look Like?

3) The resurrection VALIDATED Christ’s position: he is the head of the church, the pure expression of the Father’s fullness in human form. God’s fullness burst forth in new life not only for Him but for us. He shows us how God looks, acts, and lives, and calls us to follow him. Because of his actions, He now has supremacy in everything. He earned his position not by conquest, not by coercion, but by humility and sacrifice. If Jesus could countermand death for himself, he could by extension apply that to us as well.

4) Finally, it proved that he RECONCILED us to God: the wages of sin are death, and every human after Adam was held to account for their trespasses. The only hope seemed to be in keeping the law (at which all men failed) or having faith in an unlikely promise of redemption. Christ’s position enabled him to keep that promise, (since his voluntary death paid our accounts in full), and his resurrection demonstrated the result of being reconciled: LIFE!

If Christ is in you, then your now-reconciled, eternal life is indeed a reflection of the very image of God. Doesn’t that just fill your day with new possibilities? Smile at someone today as if God was smiling through you to them. Then do everything else as if He was, too.
You know what? He is.

A Reflection

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
It’s really not you, but who could it be?
It’s your image, a precise presentation of you
Who says all that you say, and does all that you do.
Your image reflects every wrinkle and scar,
And it shows you exactly the way that you are.
There’s an image of God, which he gave us to show
Every detail about him that we’d like to know–
His image is not in a temple of stone,
Or a statue of gold, or an idol of bone–
There is only one image of God, only one:
It’s reflected, perfected in God’s only Son.

Since you can’t see God’s Spirit, try looking instead
At the life that he lived, and the things that he said.
Look closely at Jesus. Upon close inspection,
I think you will see God the Father’s reflection.

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread