I don’t know if it’s necessarily become a national headline yet, but, at least where I am, everybody is talking about the amazing number of cicadas we’ve had this year. I have personally seen as many as forty of them on a single plant, and even as I write this post I can hear their resounding chorus filling the air. According to our local conservation department these periodical cicadas emerge no more than once every thirteen years and will be completely died off in about a month.

Think about that for just a minute and see if it reminds you of anything in particular.

Like cicadas, our own life is nothing more than “a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14) We are glints in the night sky, and as short-lived as the beauty of a fading flower (James 1:10). Yet despite our absolute nothingness and obvious frailty, the almighty God of heaven takes the time to love us despite our weakness and care for us despite our inability to pay Him pack. He still listens to the prayers of His children and demonstrates His amazing mercy each time He thinks on our names. He owes us nothing, yet still gives us more than we could ever deserve.

“What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?”

               -Psalm 8:4

Even though there may be things in your life you wish you could change and prayers that haven’t been answered the way you wanted them to be, the fact that the Lord of all the earth thinks about you every day (Jeremiah 29:11) should be enough to keep anybody encouraged. What more could we ask for?

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

              -Luke 6:45

Your attitude says a lot about what’s in your heart. If your actions are corrupt, then the chances are an even greater problem has already developed beneath the surface. To prove it, simply look around you at the culture in which we live: despite their best efforts to perfect the outward appearance and impress those around them, the evidence continues to overwhelmingly prove that something is desperately wrong which just can’t be covered up with Maybelline.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”

                    -Matthew 23:27

Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, it seems to me that many modern-day Christians are so consumed with perfecting the outside that they pay little or no attention to what’s actually causing their problems. Of course there’s nothing at all wrong with examining one’s life in the light of God’s Word (Psalm 139:23-24), but we should also be careful to realize that self-sufficiency is just as much a problem as any other sin in the Book (Proverbs 3:5), and thus rely more on God than we do ourselves. The answer to our many problems cannot be found in our own sense of determination, but in our whole-hearted reliance on God to provide us with the strength we indefinitely lack.

What are you battling? Jealousy, bitterness, or a lack of self-control? Regardless of your struggle, let me take this opportunity to remind you that the same grace which delivered your soul from the amazing bondage and penalty of sin (Ephesians 2:1), is the very same grace which offers to deliver you from the trials of today. In the words of Peter, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations.” (II Peter 2:9)

Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but it seems to me that we’ve been hearing an awful lot about the body of Christ lately. Of course it’s always a good thing to be reminded of any Biblical truth, but I personally believe it’s equally important for us to hear the whole truth and not just a small portion of it (John 16:13). That is, rather than only being told that your part in the body of Christ lades you with the responsibility of ministering to those in need and donating money to overseas mission work, we should also remember that it blesses us with the fellowship and encouragement of other believers during those times when we simply can’t make it on our own.

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

               -Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

It has never God’s intent for you to be alone (Genesis 2:18). If you get discouraged or angry or sorrowful, there’s a good chance you’re just going to stay that way without someone to cheer you up and help you move forward again. That’s actually why the New Testament writers placed such an emphasis on Christian believers fellowshipping and exhorting one another in the faith: not only do we have more power when stand together (Ecclesiastes 4:12), but we are less likely to fall when we have others around to help catch us.

As Brandon Heath so wonderfully puts it in one of his songs, nobody is meant to be an island. Being stuck out in the middle of the ocean with nobody to encourage or be encouraged by is about as far from God’s plan for you as you can get. After all, what does it matter how much you’re able to accomplish on your own if there’s nobody to share the joy with when you’re finished?

It amazes me to think that possibly the most inspirational book in the entire Bible was written by someone who spent much of his youth running for his life. King Saul wanted nothing more than to eliminate this growing threat to his kingdom (I Samuel 19:1), and yet we turn to David’s writings whenever we feel the need to be uplifted spiritually. Like Peter in the New Testament, David was completely human and thus dealt with many of the same things we do: he made mistakes (Ps. 51:2), he questioned God (Ps. 22:1), and rarely understood the way things played out (Ps. 73:3). Nevertheless, we watch him again and again find reason to praise the Lord despite his circumstances of almost constant turmoil and heartache. To put it quite simply, David provided us with a perfect example of what it means to trust in God unconditionally.

So what did David mean when he said God made him to lie down in green pastures? The answer is simple: he had found a resting place in God – a “strong habitation” to which he could continually resort (Psalm 71:3). He knew that living for the Lord didn’t make your troubles suddenly vanish, but that, even when everything is falling down around you, comfort and peace can still be found in knowing Who your Shepherd is. The very same God which delivered David from the hand of his enemies has promised that very same grace and mercy to all who follow Him today, and, as Paul wrote, “if God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

               -Psalm 46:10

Wherever you are today, let me encourage you to, at least for a moment, forget about all of the things so heavily weighing on your mind and simply rest in the green pastures of our heavenly Father. Forget about those college applications, the dirty laundry lying in the next room, and every unanswered questions of tomorrow. Forget about everything but God and quietly listen for what He might have to say. It’s amazing how much clearer His voice is when we eliminate the background noise.

“Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

               -Romans 5:9

Man is a sinner (Romans 3:9). And even though there are a few people scattered around this world who try and deny their sinful nature, I think most people know deep down inside that there is a heart-problem within each of us that desperately needs fixing. Simply look at the many manmade religions of the world today and you’ll find humanity’s scarred conscience moving him to countless vain attempts at finding forgiveness in and of himself. The same question has remained throughout all the ages: what can wash away our sin?

Unfortunately the answer to this question, though amazingly simple, is often terribly misunderstood. You see, Jesus didn't die on the cross to simply make it easier for us to find forgiveness; He provided the only valid means that exists for obtaining it! The blood of Christ is so pure, so holy, and so great that all our so called “good works” fade away in the shadow of its amazing power (Isaiah 64:6). It is only through faith in His perfect sacrifice that our iniquities can be blotted out (Acts 3:19), and our “old man” be put to death as we are born again by the Holy Spirit of God (Romans 6:6; John 3:5).

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

               -Ephesians 2:13

So there you have it. Possibly the most pondered question of all time has been answered by God, and can be easily summed up in less than 200 words. Sin ensnares, deceives and kills (Romans 6:23), yet it does not render one hopeless. As long as you have breath of life in your lungs the precious blood Christ offers you life and forgiveness of sins. The gift of salvation, like all good gifts, is not earned or deserved (2 Corinthians 9:15); it is simply offered. Will you accept it?

After letting the idea float around in my head for quite some time, I’ve finally decided to begin a bimonthly, continuing series called Scripture Memory Monday. Twice each month I will select a short passage of Scripture from God’s Word that has been a special blessing to me lately and expound briefly on the lessons God has taught me through it. It is my prayer that, through this series, we not only get into the Word, but allow the Word Itself to get into us by literally making God’s thoughts our own! For this week I’ve chosen Galatians 3:26.

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

                   -Galatians 3:26

For me, this verse is one of the most encouraging reminders a Christian can be given of who they now are in and through Christ. When the world gets you down, all you’ve got to do is remember Who your Father is and know He’ll always be with you (Matthew 28:20). Your problems may still persist and your heart continue to question outward circumstances, but you’ll have the perfect peace of knowing your faith in Christ is all it takes to make you a child of God. Just as an earthly father has compassion on his children when he beholds their weakness, so our heavenly Father has compassion on us and delights to show Himself strong in our lives (Psalm 103:13).

Wherever you are and whatever you’re facing in life, don’t let the fiery darts of the devil (Ephesians 6:16) get you so distracted from what really matters that you forget Who it is you’re serving. We aren’t serving a religion, a church, or even our own sense of moral obligation; we’re serving an Almighty God Who, by the Spirit of adoption, now calls us His own sons and daughters (Romans 8:15). The greatest honor in the universe has been given to the most dishonorable of all Creation. Certainly that can brighten up your day a bit.

“Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.”

               -II Timothy 2:9

Have you seen the newest poll on my sidebar? I put it up a while back hoping to get some feedback on a very important question that I myself have been pondering a lot lately: will the U.S. government ever ban the Word of God? Of course I’ll be one of the first to admit that it seems pretty unlikely right now since, after all, our country’s greatest pride is its establishment of religious freedom; but if you’ll remember, there was a time when we stood firmly on the individual rights of all humanity and now our congressmen and women are passing legislation which daily destroys innocent life by way of abortion. Our country is headed downhill both morally and spiritually, and I believe it would be a dangerous mistake to take anything for granted at this point.

So what were the results of my poll? 87% of my readers believe the Bible could one day become illegal. Yes, that’s right: 87%. That’s a huge majority, and yet would you believe that one study indicated more than a third of all verbally professed Christians (Titus 1:16) do not read this precious Book at all? The very Word of God, which most of us are apparently afraid of losing, would probably not even be missed by a large part of those who claim to love it so much! Too often, we find it more convenient to hide the Scriptures in our bookshelves than to hide it in our heart (Psalm 119:11), and to hang a verse or two on the wall than to read and apply It to our lives (James 1:21-25).

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”

                 -II Timothy 3:1

Though we generally tend to think questions beginning with the words “What If” are dangerous, I believe they can sometimes be the most healthy questions one can ask. What if your Bible was taken away from you tomorrow? Would you know enough of it to live according to God’s will? What if you had to choose between your life and your faith? Would you waver or stand firm? What if you were arrested for being a Christian? Would there be enough evidence to convict you? These are questions we may one day have to live out our answer to, and it is time now for us to prepare ourselves for whatever the future may hold – no matter how unlikely we think it is.

I just wanted to take a minute and share with you guys this really great song that I’ve been enjoying a lot lately. It does a great job reminding me of the simplicity of the Gospel and the love that was poured out for us at Calvary, and I hope it blesses you as much as it’s blessed me. In many ways, it seems to be a modern rendition of the old Isaac Watts hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

As you’ve probably already seen in my profile, raising ducks has become one of my absolute favorite hobbies over the past two years. When I first started out, people made fun of me because of the elaborate measures I went through to protect my birds from predators without themselves realizing how sneaky those devilish foxes and raccoons can really be. Here’s a sample of a few precautions that I took:

First of all, as you can see in my photo, I purchased a large dog kennel and wrapped the lower three feet of it with chicken wire. I also found several large pieces of scrap wood with which I lined the inside of the pen to further protect against a raccoon reaching in and catching a sleeping duck by surprise.

Chicken wire was stretched across the top of the kennel to protect against climbing/aerial predators, with any gaps being sealed off with plastic wire-ties. A tarp was also added for additional protection.

The ground surrounding the enclosure was meticulously covered with larger, more durable wire to keep away any dogs and foxes which might otherwise try and dig their way inside.

And last, but not least, a small radio is left on 24 hours a day to give local woodland creatures the idea that somebody must be in the area.

Since all of these features have been implemented, my duckyard has not suffered so much as one fatality. In fact, just yesterday I watched a fox within about 50 feet of their enclosure pass by without even attempting to find a way in! Perhaps it seems silly to go through so much trouble just to protect a flock of pet ducks, but it’s often surprising to see what a person will do in order to protect what’s important to them.

That’s why Jesus reminded us in Matthew 16:26 that there is absolutely nothing on this earth more important than our souls.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

               -Proverbs 4:23

What measures are you taking to protect your heart and soul from the evils of this present age? Is your heart wrapped in the love of God, and your mind dwelling on those things which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Philippians 4:8). Is the Sword of the Spirit firmly in hand and the helmet of salvation securely in place (Ephesians 6:17)? These are just some of the things that protect us from our greatest adversary, the devil, who goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (Ephesians 6:11; I Peter 5:8). He spends his night and day looking for ways to defeat us and, unless we are just as vigilant in our work as he is in his, we will suffer both miserable and inevitable defeat. Are you protected?

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty.”

               -I Timothy 2:1, 2

In case you haven’t looked at your calendar lately, today (Thursday) is the 60^th annual National Day of Prayer. Every first Thursday of May our government, not only allows, but actually encourages people to come together in prayer for both themselves and for their country. The holiday was signed into law by president Harry S. Truman on April 17, 1952, and has been an annual observance of our country for every year since. Of course this doesn’t mean that every lawmaker or president has actually supported the idea, but it has nevertheless remained an official holiday of the United States for what is now six decades. 

Of course the Word of God reminds us very plainly that prayer should be our steering wheel in life, and not simply our spare tire. We can’t just acknowledge God once in a year when we need something, but must instead put His will first in every decision that we make, trusting in Him to direct our paths in righteousness (Proverbs 3:6). Nevertheless, God has gifted His people with a special, yearly reminder to set aside the many distractions that often pull us away from Him (Hebrews 12:1) and to spend time humbly seeking Him in prayer concerning those things which are truly important.

“If my people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

               -II Chronicles 7:14

Today, I would like to encourage my fellow Christians to take a simple 30 minutes of your time and spend it in sincere prayer for God’s mercy upon our country. The problems we see in our government cannot and will not be fixed by mere elections or legal resolutions; it is only when we fall on our face before the mighty throne of God that we will have any hope of returning to a place of Divine blessing and favor. Will you join me?

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

               -Ezekiel 33:11

In the past I’ve always tried to avoid jumping on the Christian blogger bandwagon by posting about every controversy that arises within the Christian community. I somehow managed to avoid the Rob Bell debate (assuming you already know where I stand), and rarely get involved in political arguments or talk about the latest mistakes of famous televangelists. This time, though, the common question being raised among Christians is a little bit different as it deals with something both completely unavoidable and critically important: how should we, as Christians, respond to the death of Osama Bin Laden?

As today’s Scripture reminds us, God does not at all delight in the death of the wicked, but desires instead for all to repent and believe the Gospel (II Peter 3:9). The angels of heaven did not celebrate with high-fives or gather in the streets when Bin Laden was killed, and I have a hard time understanding why some Christians seem almost pleased to know this man will suffer forever in the Lake of Fire, eternally separated from God. Judging by our own twisted standard of morality, sure, he deserves it; but judging by God’s perfect standard of holiness, so do we. Hell is not only a place for the mass-murderers of this world, but also for every unbeliever, liar, and idolater (Revelation 21:8). Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and we were no less separated from God than anybody else.

“It is joy to the just to do judgment [i.e. justice]: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”

               -Proverbs 21:15

So how do we apply these truth’s to our lives in our response to the death of the the world’s most wanted, and possibly most hated, man? Should we look at it as nothing more than a tragedy, or is at least some measure of happiness acceptable? To put it in just a few words, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating justice as long as revenge stays far from your heart and mind. I smiled when I heard the news Sunday, not due to the fact of his death, but because of its consequences. The leader of the world’s most dangerous terrorist group is now gone, and many innocent lives will be saved as a result. The families of the 3,000 people killed on September 11^th  will never be threatened by his hate again, and our world will likely be a safer place in the long run. If this is good news to you, then don’t feel guilty for being happy about it; just make sure your happiness is rooted in Godly soil apart from any trace of selfishness or revenge.

One of the biggest misconceptions people of our culture have about Christianity is that, once you’re saved, you will never again face trials or heartache here on earth. Perhaps this is partially due to the wishful thinking of those who believe it, but the fact of the matter is that we live in a society where this false message has gained the favor of many television ministers and pastors which are able to draw people into their so-called gospel by the thousands. Most of the time, these “converts” fall by the wayside only a short time later when they realize that the bed of roses they were promised has its fair share of thorns, and are thus turned against the true Gospel of salvation without ever having heard it.

You see, God doesn’t promise us care-free living or always-perfect circumstances. He never said that the Narrow Way would be easily traveled, or that the troubles of this life would suddenly vanish the moment we trust Him (John 16:33). No, but instead He offers us a place of refuge for those moments when we have hardly the strength to keep on going, and a place of grace and forgiveness and love wherein to find comfort even when all is well. Where can we find all these wonderful treasures? In the shadow the Almighty.

“How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.”

               -Psalm 36:7

It is only when we find ourselves covered in the shadow the Almighty, fully arrayed and skilled in the whole armor of  God (Ephesians 6:13-17), that we have found true refuge and protection for our souls. This doesn’t mean that we’ll never pass through the valley, but that God will be right there with us when we do. His shadow is our light.