Delightsome Land

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf... — Hebrews 6:19-20 ESV A hush fell as the lights dimmed to near darkness and the speaker described the condition of the world the Baby Jesus would be born into. God’s people had long been oppressed by the Roman government. Those were dark days back then, full of hopelessness for the Israelites. The somber mood in the worship center deepened the sense of hopelessness. It seemed we could feel a fraction of what the Israelites had felt. And then into the darkness a small flame erupted. The flicker of light came from the Advent wreath at the front of the church, a tiny glow that shattered the darkness. Darkness cannot exist where light is, and when darkness is extinguished, hope is born. How fitting that hope is the theme for the first of the four weeks of Advent. Hope comes first, hope for the peace and joy and

Everyone has some awareness of the holiday called Hanukkah, because of its proximity to Christmas. You hear people say, “Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah”. Many Jews even exchange gifts within their respective families, primarily with the children because of the influence of Christmas. As we all know, it is very much a Jewish celebration, but should it have any interest or significance for Christians? The purpose and the traditions of this festival are so intriguing, that Christians should appreciate Hanukkah more than a passing acknowledgment of the season. Jewish celebrations are packed full of meaningful rituals and observances, which serve as wonderful illustrations of spiritual truths. When the traditions point in someway to Jesus, Christians should especially take note. Unlike the seven annual feasts or festivals of Passover to Tabernacles, Hanukkah was initiated by humans themselves, rather than God. The seven Biblical feasts in Leviticus 23 are called “the Lord’s appointe

Christ Himself was like God in everything... But He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. — Philippians 2:6-7 NCV Why? Why did Jesus travel so far? I was asking myself that question when I spotted the squirrels outside my window. A family of black-tailed squirrels had made its home amid the roots of the tree north of my office. They watch me peck the keyboard. I watch them store their nuts and climb the trunk. We’re mutually amused. But I’ve never considered becoming one of them. The squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Give up the Rocky Mountains, bass fishing, weddings, and laughter for a hole in the ground and dirty nuts? Count me out. But count Jesus in. What a world He left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to Him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on Heaven’s table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with claws and a furry tail? It’s nothing compared to God becoming a one-celled embryo and ente

After spending nearly two years investigating the identity of the Christmas Child, I was ready to reach a verdict. For me, the evidence was clear and compelling. Yes, Christmas is a holiday overlaid with all sorts of fanciful beliefs, from flying reindeer to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys. But I became convinced that if you drill down to its core, Christmas is based on a historical reality — the incarnation: God becoming man, spirit taking on flesh, the infinite entering the finite, the eternal becoming time-bound. It’s a mystery backed up by facts that I now believed were simply too strong to ignore. I had come to the point where I was ready for the Christmas gift, the Christ Child, whose love and grace are offered freely to everyone who receives Him in repentance and faith. Even someone like me. So I talked with God in a heartfelt and unedited prayer, admitting and turning from my wrongdoing, and receiving His offer of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. I told Hi

Being the Hunted What did Jesus call people who were attacked by dragons, regardless of the righteous way they were conducting their lives? Jesus called these people normal. Jesus made a few promises about what would happen to us, regardless of our faith. Here is what Jesus promised those who love Him the most: In this world you will have trouble. - John 16:33 Jesus didn’t say, “In this world, there is a slight chance that you will go through hard times.” Jesus didn’t say, “If you don’t have enough faith, you will have trouble.” Jesus didn’t say, “If you go to church, stop cussing, don’t drink too much, and always keep your promises, then you won’t have any trouble.” Instead, Jesus said that trouble will hunt you. Period. If you are alive and breathing, you will have trouble in this world. Either you will hunt the dragon, or the dragon will hunt you. There is no escaping it. Jesus had every right to make this statement. Jesus believed all the right things, and He had stronger

See, I am coming soon... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. — Revelation 22:12-13 NRSV “Daddy, let me find it.” I handed my well-worn pocket version of the New Testament and Psalms to Timothy. His small fingers thumbed through the pages for a passage in Revelation he’d learned in Sunday school. “This!” he said triumphantly. Then he read in a firm, clear voice, “ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ That’s my favorite verse.” “Why do you like it?” I asked. Was it because it mirrored the challenge of remembering what letters went first in his spelling words, like the e or the i in receive or neighbor? Or maybe it was the dawning awareness of who was first and who was last in school tests and playground contests. “It’s just so big,” he said. We got off the subway, and as we walked to his school I made a little speech about how Jesus had come and would come back and that we were in this period o

Holiday time is highway time. Ever since the magi packed their bags for Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus has caused people to hit the road. Our Christmas trips have a lot in common with the one of the wise men. We don’t camp with camels, but we have been known to bump into a knobby-kneed in-law on the way to the bathroom. We don’t keep an eye out for star lights, but flashing lights of the highway patrol? We watch for them at every curve. And we don’t ride in a spice-road caravan, but six hours in a minivan with four kids might have made the wise men thankful for animals. It’s not always ho ho ho on the high, high highway. Extended time in the car reveals human frailties. Dads refuse to stop. They hearken back to the examples of their forefathers. Did the pioneers spend the night at a Holiday Inn? Did Lewis and Clark ask for directions? Did Joseph allow Mary to stroll through a souvenir shop on the road to Bethlehem? By no means. Men drive as if they have a biblical mandate to travel

Today is a great day to meditate on all of God’s abundant blessings in our lives and spend time expressing gratitude to Him. Today's the perfect day to lift up your thanks to the Lord all day long! Praise Him in song! Praise Him in poetry! Praise Him to your family & friends! Praise Him for the small miracles of each day and for the grand gestures of His lavish love! Enjoy today's devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and Happy Thanksgiving! * * * Come to Me with a thankful heart, so that you can enjoy My Presence. This is the day that I have made. I want you to rejoice today, refusing to worry about tomorrow. Search for all that I have prepared for you, anticipating abundant blessings and accepting difficulties as they come. I can weave miracles into the most mundane day if you keep your focus on Me. Come to Me with all your needs, knowing that My glorious riches are a more-than-adequate supply. Stay in continual communication with Me, so that you can live

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. —1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT When you were a child and you were handed a bowl of ice cream, you probably didn’t want to stop at just one scoop. Perhaps you even handed it back and said, “I want more.” How often do we still do that as adults — and with more things than just ice cream? To us, more is so often equated with better. What do you want more of today? Money, clothes, or grownup toys, like boats, bikes, or golf clubs? Maybe it’s more vacation time, more power, or more prestige. More is enticing, and it promises fulfillment — for a moment. The next time you begin thinking, I want more, rephrase and think instead, I have more than enough . You have a God who loves you and a Savior who gave His life for you. You have life and breath and grace. Rest in your God who always gives you more than enough. Father, I often deceive myself into thinking I need more, but You are more than

Editor's Note: We encourage you to join us and prepare your own personal Thankful List to share with friends and family on Thanksgiving Day! * * * My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is His name . — Luke 1:46-49 The concept of thanksgiving seemed to escape the early Israelites. They had been delivered from bondage in Egypt by God’s supernatural power, yet within days, they had apparently forgotten. They began blaming God for delivering them from Egypt so they could die in the desert. Then God again exerted His mighty power and divided the Red Sea so they could go across safely. And when they became hungry and began to whine again, God sent them fresh manna every morning! What has God done for you recently for which you have yet to thank Him? Psalm 42:4 says, These things I rememb

Although the words repentance and forgiveness sound religious and clean, the practice of these two grace-based words takes sleeves-rolled-up hard work. They’re tough, and they’re sweaty. I’m a sinful man. This fact — and my willingness to confess it — releases the effects of God’s grace in my home. And because I am a sinful man, I am in desperate need of a Savior. Try as I might, including showing up for work before everyone else and working harder than the guy next to me, I cannot save myself. One of the traditions to which my dad held very tightly was a family game of Battleship on Thanksgiving Day. Commercially created copies of this game are now available, even in electronic editions, inside those everything-under-one-roof toy megastores. You can even download the game from the Internet. But when I was a boy, we played this game using sheets of graph paper. After turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, we marked out the “ocean,” twenty-six squares high and twenty-six squares wide. W

Have you ever struggled to choose forgiveness over bitterness in the midst of feeling rejected, abandoned, or hurt? Maybe you’re there right now as you prepare to spend time with friends and family over the holidays. Deep hurts from loved ones can feel so very raw and unresolved in the midst of a season that’s supposed to be full of joy and gratefulness. Let me be the friend who takes you by the hand to say... I understand. Choosing to forgive is hard, especially when it feels like you or someone you care for has been treated unfairly. But the truth is, it’s good (and biblical) for us to extend forgiveness. And when we release the offense into the hands of God, we can begin to make room for healing in our hearts. Here are 3 things to remember when forgiving others is the last thing we want to do: Forgiveness doesn’t justify them, it frees YOU! Forgiving someone is making the decision to choose mercy and grace over bitterness and resentment. To love God is to cooperate with His g

I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  — John 15:11 Remember Eeyore and Tigger in the Winnie-the Pooh-books? For Eeyore, no matter what amazing circumstance came his way, doom and gloom remained the focus. For Tigger, bouncing through life without a care in the world, he never perceived anything to go wrong. In our daily lives, it is easy to have the attitude of Eeyore while wishing we could have the outlook of Tigger — two quite extreme viewpoints of life. The biblical brand of joy is not simply overcoming our inner Eeyore, nor is it strolling through life in ignorant bliss; rather, it is to be found in facing each day’s ups and downs through the contentment Christ offers. KEY QUESTION: What gives us true happiness and contentment in life? The first order of business is to identify the difference between joy and happiness. For many folks today, being happy is fully dependent on whether life is “all good.” If someone asks, “Rate your

On a November evening, Victoria Ruvolo, a forty-four-year-old New Yorker, was driving to her home on Long Island. She’d just attended her niece’s recital and was ready for the couch, a warm fire, and relaxation. She doesn’t remember seeing the silver Nissan approach from the east. She remembers nothing of the eighteen- year-old boy leaning out the window, holding, of all things, a frozen turkey. He threw it at her windshield. The twenty-pound bird crashed through the glass, bent the steering wheel inward, and shattered her face like a dinner plate on concrete. The violent prank left her grappling for life in the ICU. She survived but only after doctors wired her jaw, affixed one eye by synthetic film, and bolted titanium plates to her cranium. She can’t look in the mirror without a reminder of her hurt. Nine months after her disastrous November night, she stood face to titanium-bolted face with her offender in court. Ryan Cushing was no longer the cocky, turkey-tossing kid in the N

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh!” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” — A. A. Milne No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. — 1 John 4:12 I grabbed my canvas book bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed out of my dormitory to trudge across campus to the library, where a few students and I were gathering that windy autumn afternoon to work on our assignment for Philosophy 200. (I may have had an extra spring in my step because a cute new student named Todd Ehman would be there — and I might have a chance to sit next to him!) The project that day included thinking through and coming up with what the professor in our small Christian college called our summum bonum. Summum bonum is a Latin expression meaning “the highest good.” It was introduced by Cicero to parallel the “Idea of the Good” in ancient Greek philosophy. The summum bonum