We Are Being Watched 

In recent weeks some people have been focused on the night sky, not looking for flying reindeer or angels celebrating the birth of Jesus, but rather wondering about the many drones that have been spotted in certain areas. There have been all sorts of theories posed as to the reason for those mysterious robotic objects hovering in the darkness. Many people imagine that those drones may be carrying out some nefarious purpose. It tends to make people feel uneasy to think that someone could be spying on them, whether an individual, a foreign entity, or our own government. However, it does seem a little odd that individuals who seem to have no qualms about being tracked by security cameras, satellites, or smart phones get upset over the idea of those drones flying overhead.

  Whether we like it or not, we are being watched. I am not referring to any of the aforementioned technology, neither am I suggesting that alien beings from outer space are keeping their eye, or multitudinous eyes, on us. I am referring to the fact that there is a God who is aware, watching, and present in our lives. He not only knows what is happening in the world around us, but He fully sees everything going on in our own personal lives. He not only looks in on what the public sees, but He is knowledgeable about all of our private moments, those actions and events that no other human being witnesses or is aware of. God’s spying capability even extends into the unseen area of our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. He knows it all. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves.

  There are those who dismiss such an idea as a fairy tale, in the same way they might disregard certain “conspiracy theories” about those drones. Others may not deny this truth about an all-seeing God, but they don’t let it affect the way they live their lives. They continue to do whatever they want without any concern as to what God might think about it. However, we would do well to consider this truth that God is watching us. We just came through a season in which many parents encourage their children to be good because some jolly old elf is watching them. Shouldn’t the reality that a holy God is watching us cause us to be careful about what we do, say, and think?

On the one hand, the fact that God is watching should make some people feel apprehensive and guilty. We deserve His condemnation. We are all going to stand before Him for judgment one day. Thankfully, although we are all guilty of sin and deserve His wrath, we can find forgiveness through Jesus. Through repentance and faith in Him we no longer have to be afraid of God’s judgment. Nevertheless, out of love for God, we now want to please Him by obeying His commands. So we do try to live the way He wants us to live. We are concerned that our thoughts and motives be pure. The fact that our gracious Father is always looking on should spur us on to be the holy people He calls us to be.

On the other hand, the fact that God is ever present and watching us should be a comfort to us. We are not alone. He is our Emmanuel - “God with us”. He is right here with us no matter what we are facing in our lives. He is close by to protect us and help us. His presence shouldn’t make us uncomfortable. It should give us peace.

God is watching. If that makes you feel uneasy, maybe it should, but it doesn’t have to. Through faith in Jesus, it can become one of the most comforting truths there is.

 

Celebrate Christmas in Busyness or Stillness 

One recent evening we celebrated an early Christmas with some of our family packed into our living room. It was an active couple of hours with presents being opened, decorations being enjoyed, younger grandchildren playing with new toys, older grandsons wrestling with each other, several of us engaged in a game of Uno, and numerous noisy conversations. It was great.

The following evening was quite a different scene in the same room. While my wife was busy on her computer in another part of the house, I was all alone. I turned off the lamp that is almost always on during our waking hours, leaving only the lights from the Christmas tree as the room’s source of illumination. In that dim-lit atmosphere, I had a nice, quiet time sitting there in my recliner relaxing and contemplating the meaning of the season. It was great.

 I don’t know what your Christmas will look like over the course of the next few days. Maybe you are traveling or planning action-packed days with family. Or possibly you foresee a relatively quiet Christmas due to many of the gatherings and other activities already being behind you or simply due to not having many people around with which to celebrate. Those who are so busy might wish for a time-out. Those who may feel alone might wish for a more socially-active celebration. However your Christmas may look this year, it can be meaningful.

In the midst of a busy, crowded Christmas, be thankful for family, friends, neighbors, church family, and other people with whom you can connect. Those interactions, while sometimes challenging, can be such a blessing. Be grateful for the love of others and for the ability to be involved in their lives. And look for opportunities in those gatherings to be a light of love and truth to those who may need such an influence to touch their lives.

On the other hand, if you find yourself with a more tranquil Christmas, even one in which you feel lonely, take it as an opportunity to enjoy a time of quiet contemplation. Take pleasure in the little things of the season that are meaningful to you. As the Bible describes Mary pondering the strange events of that first Christmas in her heart, take time to think about the birth of Jesus and its implications. Be grateful for the God who loved you so much that He sent His Son into the world to be your Savior. Move past all the secondary aspects of this holiday – the shopping, the gift-giving, Santa, and even those family gatherings – and remind yourself what it is really all about – the birth of the One who came to save us from our sins. Don’t despise having a quiet Christmas. Take advantage of it to refocus, to worship, and to draw closer to the Lord.

Even if you have a busy Christmas schedule, it would be beneficial to try to find a few minutes away from the family frenzy to experience such a quiet time with the Lord. Squeeze it in during the early morning hours before others get out of bed or in the late evening hours after others have retired for the night. Take a break to quieten your heart and meditate on Jesus’ birth.

Likewise, if you are having a quiet Christmas, don’t totally isolate yourself. Still look for opportunities to connect with people. It might not be in a party atmosphere, but through a simple card, phone call, quick visit, or sharing a plate of Christmas cookies. Still seek to be a light to others.

Whatever your circumstances look like this Christmas, whether busy or quiet, it can still be a blessed time for you, as well as a time when you can bless others. 

 

How Do You View Jesus? 

When my youngest grandson had his first encounter with Santa Claus recently, he seemed totally unfazed by the event. He had a rather calm and unimpressed look on his face as Santa held him for a photo op with his brothers. Of course, that isn’t always the case when it comes to children’s reactions to meeting St. Nick. Some kids express uncertainty and curiosity about this strange-looking bearded gentlemen in the red suit. I have seen others with a wide-eyed look of awe and wonder on their faces as they encounter the jolly old elf. Some are thrilled to be in his presence with their countenances beaming with the joy of adoration. However, many of us have also witnessed children who were terrified of Santa, bursting out in tears and wanting to get away from this scary guy. It is hard to predict how any particular youngster will react to this experience.

    It reminds me of how different people react to Jesus, the real VIP of Christmas. They don’t get to meet Him in flesh-and-blood, as those we read about in the Gospel accounts were privileged to do. However, people today often encounter Jesus or the truths about Him during this season of the year. They may see a portrayal of His birth on a Christmas card, postage stamp, or in a Nativity scene in a Christmas light display. They may hear Him mentioned in certain seasonal songs that are sung, played on the radio, or heard over the speakers in stores. In one way or another, many are confronted with this unusual character called Jesus.

Some people can be very nonchalant or even apathetic about Him. They pay little attention to Him as they go about their busy holiday activities. In others, this emphasis on Jesus will sometimes spur their curiosity, but it may not motivate them to do anything more than to look at Him from a distance with a slight interest. Other people view Jesus with a certain degree of respect, seeing Him as some mysterious person whom you need to be careful around but you don’t dare get very close to. And then there are the fearful or the downright hostile. They may not want to have anything to do with this so-called Savior. They don’t like some of His values. They don’t like how guilty He makes them feel. And they may not care for some of the people who claim to be His followers. So either out of fear or disdain, they distance themselves as much as possible from Him and His connection to the Christmas season.

 Then there are those who have come to love Jesus, to worship Him, and to adore Him. They have come to realize how much Jesus loves them. They know that He is the heart of this season. They have moved from curiosity to faith in Him as the Son of God who came to save them from their sins. They know that while He is to be feared as the Judge of those who reject Him, He can be like a loving Daddy to those who will accept Him. While His holy presence may have made them feel guilty, He made a way for them to be pardoned and to have peace in their hearts instead. Rather than running from Him, they know they can confidently run to Him.

Wherever we may be in how we view Jesus and whatever attitude we may have toward Him, I hope we will open ourselves up to drawing closer to this person at the center of the celebration. He is more than a curiosity. He is not just a mysterious divine stranger. He is not an enemy. He is the Son of God who loves us and came into this world to bless us.

 

Keep in Mind the Final Score 

On the day of a big rivalry football game last weekend, I found myself on the opposite side from much of my family. So when the team many of my children and grandchildren was supporting jumped out into the lead, I was included in a group text that showed a screenshot of the score. I simply commented, “It ain’t over yet.” At halftime, when the gap had widened even further, one of my daughters posted another screenshot with the comment, “I’m just going to let that score speak for itself.” However, in the second half, the other team came back eventually to win. I responded to my daughter afterwards, “It’s the final score that counts.”

 We need to keep that truth in mind when it comes to other aspects of life apart from sports. Concerning the battle between good and evil in this world, the wrong side often seems to be coming out on top, at least for now. Bad people do bad things and seem to get away with it. Our culture seems to be persuading more and more people to accept the wrong view on moral issues. Those in authority enact laws, make judicial rulings, or take executive actions that stand in contrast to biblical standards and truth. Sometimes it appears as if evil is prevailing and that good is suffering defeat.

Therefore we often need to remind ourselves that “it ain’t over yet.” There may be a long way to go and a lot of action yet to take place before the final whistle blows, or in this case before the final trumpet sounds. There may be many twists and turns, ups and downs, and temporary joys and setbacks before all is said and done. Additionally, unlike those sports competitions, we know the final outcome. The Bible clearly reveals the end of the contest. We may not know all the details in how we get there, but at the end God wins, Jesus is King, and good is victorious over evil. So let’s not get too discouraged about how things are looking in our world today. It isn’t over.

This is a truth we also need to remember when it comes to the more personal struggles in our lives. Bad things happen to us. We will often face problems and challenges. There will be times when we may seem to be getting beaten down by our adversaries. However, that is not the full story, and certainly not the end of the tale. We can be assured that if we are trusting Jesus as our Savior and seeking to follow Him as Lord of our life, we will come out of it all as victors.

 First of all, we can claim the familiar promise that “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Sometimes what seems bad now will later be revealed to be a good thing for us. However, even in those tragic events that in no way can be called good, God can use those to bring about good things in our lives, if nothing else, to mold us more into the image of Jesus. Secondly, no matter what defeats we may suffer now, we know that our final destiny will be spending eternity with the Lord. We will reign with Jesus as kings and priests. We will be basking in His glory in a place where there is no pain, suffering, or death. We win.

So no matter what difficulty you are going through today or how bad the world situation looks, don’t allow yourself to get too discouraged. Keep an eye of faith on what is yet ahead. It is the final score that counts.    

 

Gratitude Should Lead to Giving 

Now that Thanksgiving Day is past, have you started focusing more intently on Christmas shopping? Black Friday isn’t quite what it used to be due to the popularity of online purchasing, the decline of shopping malls, and the way stores extend their advertised discounts throughout the season. However, that day after Thanksgiving still tends to be viewed as the day when Christmas shopping begins in earnest. On the one hand, I detest the overemphasis on such spending that often causes people to lose sight of what the season is all about. On the other hand, it does seem appropriate that right after the day set aside for expressing our gratitude, people start concentrating more on gift-giving. It illustrates the truth that gratitude should lead to giving. In other words, if we are truly thankful, we can express it through acts of giving, such as helping others, making generous contributions, or being involved in deeds of kindness. A good way to be reminded of this concept is to consider the word thanksgiving. Yes, it refers to giving thanks, but it can also remind us that “giving” should follow “thanks.”

Occasionally we hear about athletes, entertainers, or other celebrities making a large donation or otherwise getting involved to help someone in need. Afterwards they may make a comment such as, “I wanted to give something back to the community.” That is what we all should be seeking to do. If we have been blessed – if we have received much – then one way to express our gratitude is by turning around, paying it forward, and giving in return. And although I used the word “if” - “if we have been blessed” – there is actually no “if” about it. We have been blessed, every one of us. No matter what struggles or problems we face, no matter what we may be lacking in some things, we have all been the recipients of God’s goodness, grace, and blessings. Since He has so blessed us, we should desire to give back in some way.

First of all, we can give back to God. What can we possibly give to Him? Talk about a hard person to shop for or the person who has everything! God doesn’t need anything, but what does He want? We can give Him praise, honor, and glory for who He is and what He has done for us. And we can give Him ourselves. Romans 12:1 instructs us to give ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. Out of a heart of gratitude, let’s offer ourselves and all that we possess to be at the disposal of God.

Additionally, our gratitude to God for His blessings should lead us to want to pass those blessings along to other people. We can say “thanks” by blessing others, giving to them, and trying to make sure their needs are provided for. Don’t forget what Jesus said about our assisting people with their legitimate needs. If we give food, drink, or clothing to one of them, it is as if we are doing it to Him. Therefore, we can especially consider helping others as being an expression of our thanks to God. If we are giving to others to help them, we are essentially giving to the Lord and doing it to Him.  

However, let’s not just consider the physical needs of people. If we are experiencing the blessings of salvation and of being part of the family of God, we should seek to pass those blessings along to others too. We can express our gratitude to God by sharing the wonderful truths of the gospel with those who need to hear it.

So let’s seek to make this time following Thanksgiving a true season of giving. If we are genuinely grateful, then let’s give. 

 

Too Many Blessings to Count 

As I took a walk through our neighborhood, I approached one stretch of the roadway thickly overrun with leaves from a nearby tree. If I hadn’t veered off from my route near the edge of the curb, I would have had to wade through an ankle-deep pool of those familiar multicolored symbols of the autumn season. We usually don’t think about how many leaves adorn the trees around us until they are released to cover our lawns. Raking them up has to be one of my least favorite yard jobs. However, what if we were tasked with not only removing those leaves from our landscape but counting them as we did so? That would be a long, arduous, and maybe even impossible job. There are just too many of them to count.

We are also in the season in which we are often encouraged to count our blessings. It is one thing to pause to lift up a general prayer to our Father thanking Him for all the wonderful and gracious things He has done for us, lumping all of our blessings in one big pile that we dump out before Him with gratitude. However, there can be some value in pinpointing those blessings one-by-one. I can’t see any good purpose served by counting the leaves as I rake them up, but we could benefit from enumerating our blessings and focusing on them individually. Going through that process might help us better recognize just how gracious God has been to us and how much we truly have to be thankful for.

We have a tendency to focus on our problems, pains, and challenges. When we get together with others, we can be quick to compare our lists of complaints. But wouldn’t it be more encouraging both to us and to those around us, if we gave more attention to the good things in our lives? What if we shared more about the multitudinous ways God has shown His goodness to us? What if we gratefully enumerated our blessings to the same extent that we tend to whine about our health issues or our relationship problems or our complaints about the government?

Take a moment right now to zero-in on some of the individual blessings in your life. Don’t overlook your health, no matter what physical issues you may be facing. You are breathing. Your heart is beating. So much of your body is functioning in the miraculous way God created it to work. Thank God for eyes that see, ears that hear, a brain that still works, most of the time. You could spend quite a while just focusing on the blessings of your physical life and health.

Then consider how God has provided for you. We may not have everything we want, but God has been faithful to supply our needs. If we have food on the table, a roof over our heads, a warm place to sleep, we have been greatly blessed. Take a look at the material things you possess. Other people may have more, but many have less. Take note of each item, each appliance, each device, all those things that make your life more convenient and enjoyable.

Think of the people in your life – family, friends, neighbors. They aren’t perfect, but you are blessed to have a relationship with many of them. Picture each one – each parent, each child, each grandchild, each friend, each fellow church member. You are blessed.

Most of all, consider Jesus and all the blessings related to His love for you. If you know Him as your Savior, the spiritual blessings of forgiveness, peace, joy, comfort, hope and so much more are priceless.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep counting. It might just change your whole perspective of life.

 

God’s Standards Haven’t Changed 

During a recent visit with us, a longtime friend who is an experienced seamstress was going to do some alterations on some of my wife’s apparel. When she requested a tape measure, I was informed that she didn’t need the retractable type I had in my tool box. Instead my wife found the more flexible cloth kind that tailors tend to use. As she handed it over to our friend, they commented about how old it was. However, they also noted that it would still work fine. Why? Because the standards haven’t changed. No matter how old that tape measure was, an inch is still an inch, a foot is still a foot, and a yard is still a yard.

We need to remember that when it comes to God’s Word too. His standards have not changed. The Bible is not an outdated piece of literature with little value in our modern world. While our society and its ideas are constantly changing, the Word of God is eternal. It may have been around for a long time, but it has not become obsolete. “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:160).  

It is true that we have to discern the portions of the Bible that were intended to be applied solely to a particular nation or circumstance. While it is all true, not all of it is meant to be universally applied to all people at all times. However, much of it is. Let’s not be guilty of allowing our preferences or our society’s opinions to cause us to make false claims about what is or isn’t divine truth which God still expects us to adhere to and live by today. Sin is still sin. We are all condemned sinners apart from Christ. The way of salvation is still only through Jesus. And God’s standards of right and wrong, good and evil, holiness and ungodliness are still in place.  

  Let’s not treat God’s Word the way I see people treating houses on some of these shows my wife tunes in to that deal with buying and renovating homes. In some cases, cabinets and countertops may be in perfect shape and be functioning well, however people want to remove them because it is not the style or color they prefer, or it is simply what they consider to be out of date. It doesn’t fit in with what is currently considered fashionable.

There is much in the Bible that doesn’t fit in with what is currently deemed fashionable and acceptable in our modern world. However, unlike those houses, the Bible isn’t ours to reshape into a form that we find more pleasing or that meshes with our ideas of what is good. We are the ones who need to be reformed. In light of what God says, we may need to change. We may have to buck the current trends in thinking and social practices, and stand firm on what God has declared to be true. In a world that is saying that an inch is no longer an inch and is redefining good and evil, we need to continue to uphold God’s standard as still being valid. If our friend didn’t believe an inch was still an inch and tried to sew my wife’s clothing accordingly, she might have made a mess, leaving my wife with unusable items of various shapes and sizes. Similarly, I believe we today are seeing how confused and messy a society can get when we forsake God’s standards.

God’s Word hasn’t changed. It never will. And it doesn’t need to change. Therefore let’s alter our way of thinking and our lives to get in alignment with it.