Deeper Things

  Ephesians 3:19- "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Have you ever awoke in the morning feeling as if God had dealt with you about something during the night? This happened to me recently. I woke up one morning with an overwhelming sense of God's love. Yet, I was also acutely aware that I could not comprehend His love or possibly love Him to the measure He has loved me.  I admit I do not fully comprehend God's love for me. But our key verse indicates that we cannot possibly understand a love so beyond human experience. To love like Christ, then, seems like a contradiction in terms.  One of the arguments that skeptics have of Christianity is the implicit contradiction of the Bible. Many years ago I sat with an older couple at their kitchen table talking with them about faith and their spiritual journeys. The husband was a very close friend of mine, who was also a believer. His wife was not ...

  Psalm 119:105- "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." At the heart of humanity lies the desire to know and to be known. Human beings have always striven to increase knowledge, grow awareness, and improve technology. Expanded knowledge comes through experience. Developing awareness manifests from within self. But improved technology represents the application of that knowledge and self-awareness.  The Tower of Babel and the Human Condition Consider the Tower of Babel as an example. The story of this audacious, man-made initiative is buried between the storyline and lineage of Noah and the infamous account of Abraham's faith journey. In Genesis 11:3 we read, "They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar." One commentator observed that this feat represented a vast amount of applied knowledge to the fields of architecture and construction. "It marks a gr...

  Luke 7:47- "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little" (NASB).  There have been great outcries for justice in our country. We have seen marches in the street to protest the mistreatment of people. We have witnessed the looting of our communities' businesses. Family members have cried out for justice from our legal system and government when their loved ones have been mistreated by those in authority.   Many of these emotions represent deep-rooted feelings that motivate crowds and galvanize communities to demand retribution, accountability, and justice. I believe many of the emotions are historically contextualized from within our nation's darkest moments. As a general rule, what one of us who perceives that we or someone we love have been wronged would not voice a similar cry for justice and accountability?  However, our common response to injustice regardles...

  Ephesians 2:4- "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,..." Have you heard the riddle, which came first, the chicken or the egg? I heard someone recently explain why the chicken must have come first, because otherwise where did the egg come from? Seems like a sensible argument.  The grace and mercy of God offer the same kind of conundrum. Which comes first, the grace or mercy of God? Or are they concurrent acts of a loving God on our behalf? The point of grace and mercy does not relate to how they benefit us, but rather they reflect God's providential choice to relate to us.  I like to think of God's grace and mercy acting like a door. John wrote in Revelation 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Grace prompted the Father to knock so we could open the door at the sound of His voice. But mercy keeps the door open. Whi...

  2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.”  Through what lens do you view God? Do you view God through a lens of law or grace? All of us respond to God from a perspective that is either guided by a rule to which we feel obligated to adhere or a freedom by which we live in Christ based upon His work and not our own.  I grew up in the church. I was born, raised, ministered in, and will probably die in the church. And yet I have lived with the tireless effort to please God because the church has conditioned me to believe that while I was saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), I needed to live a certain way, believe the right things, witness to people as often as possible, earn the notches in my belt, espouse politically conservative issues to keep the approval of God and maintain my status in His church. A moral fall, a shift in political viewpoints, or a lack of zeal for the gospel could raise questions as to the a...

Psalm 91:4- "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." One of the consequences of broken families is broken trust. If it is a failed marriage, then trust between spouses breaks. If a child never sees a father, then the absentee father leads that child to question his trustworthiness.  Love and faithfulness go hand in hand when it comes to understanding God. In fact, the psalmist wrote, "love and faithfulness meet together..." (Psalm 85:10). Think about it. If God breaks His promises, how can you trust His love for you?  The key verse for this week's devotion comes from a psalm of promises where God's faithfulness meets His love.  We can rest in the shadow of the Almighty (1) He is our refuge and fortress (2) He will save us (3) He will cover us (4) He will protect us from harm (5-8) He will send armies of angels to watch over us (11-12) He will answer us when we call on H...

John 3:16- "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When I was in seminary, we learned that every theological system has a central belief that drives every other belief. Back then, I believed that God's holiness was the appropriate center for everything I understood  about God. However, I have changed that viewpoint. I believe today you cannot understand how and why God does what He does without first understanding and experiencing His love.  When someone struggles with believing in God, that is not a holiness problem. It's a love problem. This key verse in John is one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible. It succinctly summarizes the Gospel in 25 words. It makes several points that helps us understand the nature of God through love.  First, there is a distinctive look to God's love. The verse starts by stating that "God so loved..." The ...