Morning Musing: James 1:25

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“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

As far as their historical worth goes, the Scriptures have a value that exceeds any other work of literature.  They have had more of an impact on human history in terms of shaping and forming the guiding assumptions of people than every other book combined.  The King James Version alone has had more of an impact on the English language than Shakespeare did.  Simply knowing and understanding the Scriptures without caring two wits about the God they reveal is important if you want to be a well-cultured individual.  But, if you want the real blessing they have to offer, you have to go beyond that to committing yourself to doing what they say. Read the rest…

Stand Up and Speak

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In this second-to-last installment of our series, Stand Up: How to Fight Injustice, we reach the climax of the story.  Esther finally acts to confront the king about the genocidal decree he signed on behalf of his evil advisor, Haman.  And yet, unlike most stories we tell today, the fate of the Jewish people was not resting on Esther’s shoulders alone.  The same goes for our own battles against injustice.  We need to confront it, but then we need to step back and let the One with the power to make things happen take the reins.  Keep reading to see how this goes.

Stand Up and Speak

Do you remember Harry Potter?  Although I didn’t read the series until I was in college during the summer with not nearly enough else to do, The Sorcerer’s Stone was first published the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school over 20 years ago.  The final book, The Deathly Hallows, was released 10 years later.  It’s difficult to overestimate just how big the cultural impact worldwide of those seven books have been.  The adventures of “the boy who lived” have captivated the imaginations of a whole generation; multiple generations in fact.  With a dedicated theme park at Universal Studios, plays, and a new trilogy of movies that precedes the original series, the legacy will continue as long as there is money to be made. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Proverbs 22:15

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“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”  (ESV)

We live in a culture that worships youth.  We fight the signs of aging (there are apparently seven of them).  We resist the pull of the years.  We celebrate youth movements.  We look for the young people to come and save us.  If a movement or idea is sparked by young people it is automatically assumed to be good and wise.  We are told to let children be themselves.  The truth, though, is that while it is good the humanity of young people is recognized and defended more than it used to be, most of this cultural moment is foolish to the highest degree. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 2 Corinthians 1:5

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“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here’s an important principle that radiates from the pages of the New Testament: If we do what Jesus did, we will experience what Jesus did.  Put another way: If we walk the path Jesus did, we will receive what Jesus did.  This is at one and the same time incredibly challenging and also incredibly encouraging. Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Proverbs 1:5

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“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” (ESV)

I read a devotion a few weeks ago on the book of Proverbs from Tim Keller that I appreciated greatly.  He made this observation: You can have knowledge without wisdom.  Many people do.  But you cannot have wisdom without knowledge.  Wisdom comes only from the careful application of diligent learning. Read the rest…