Timeless (Friday Devotional)

 

Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

- 1 Peter 1:23-25

R.C. Buckner, the famed Baptist minister and founder of Buckner Children’s Home, probably officiated more weddings than he could count in his decades of ministry. But there was surely one that stood out in his memory—one which, in a manner of speaking, really stood the test of time.

That wedding was special because of its unique timetable. At the request of the bride and groom, the vows were read beginning at 11:59 PM on December 31, 1899 and weren’t concluded until after the clock struck midnight. In other words, their wedding started in the 19th century and ended in the 20th century. Talk about timeless!

Chronological trickery aside, there aren’t many things in this life that last for centuries. There’s a reason people travel from thousands of miles away to see things like the Parthenon or the Egyptian pyramids—something that perseveres that long is a rare wonder.

The Bible reminds us that the gospel is just such a wonder, good news which not only has endured for thousands of years, but will remain forever. Even as the world around us changes at lightning speed, God’s word persists, bringing hope to generation after generation. Everything around it may crumble, but the gospel isn’t going anywhere.

Words which have converted nonbelievers, encouraged Christians, and spoken truth to all for two millennia are just as relevant today as they ever were. So be sure to spend some time in God’s Word today, for in a unique way, it has stood—and will continue to stand—the test of time.

No-Name Faith (Friday Devotional)

 

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

- Matthew 6:1

When Major League Baseball announced in 1977 that its newest franchise would go to the city of Seattle, the team’s ownership group chose a democratic way of picking the mascot: a “Name the Team” contest which anyone could enter and win. The prize would be a pair of season tickets and one all-expenses-paid trip to see the team play on the road during its inaugural season.

Roger Szmodis, a presumed fan from Bellevue, Washington, was the winner—in a short essay, he said the team should be called the Mariners “because of the natural association between the sea and Seattle and her people, who have been challenged and rewarded by it.” The team has kept that name for more than 40 years, with stars from Ken Griffey, Jr. to Ichiro Suzuki carrying on the legacy that Roger Szmodis set in motion.

But one mystery endures to this day—no one knows who Roger Szmodis is. He never came to claim his prize. He never picked up the phone when the Mariners’ front office called. No one answered the door when representatives came to his apartment. To this day, his achievement has endured even as his identity has remained clouded in mystery—for Roger Szmodis, it seems, it was never about the attention.

In Jesus’ famed Sermon on the Mount, he pointed out the human tendency, which he labeled hypocrisy, to carry out works of righteousness for the sake of attention. He talked about how easy it was to see people in the temple praying, fasting, and giving alms purely so others would notice them and fawn over their piety.

But Jesus said that true followers of God were more like Roger Szmodis, carrying out their work privately, not for the sake of attention but for the sake of the work itself—praying for the sake of praying, fasting for the sake of fasting, and giving for the sake of giving. For such disciples, faith is not about glorifying themselves, but about glorifying God.

In a world which says your worth is determined by your fame, the Bible calls us to anonymous righteousness, a faith where the only name that matters is Christ’s. May the work you do glorify him—and him alone.

Offense and Defense (Friday Devotional)

 

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

- Romans 16:19

The objectives of dodgeball are twofold and they are simple. First, you want to try and hit as many people on the other team as possible with one of the big red playground balls that are flying around you. Hit somebody with a ball and they’re out—that’s the offensive part of the game. Second, you want to avoid getting hit by any balls yourself—that’s the defensive part of the game.

To be successful at dodgeball, especially in the late rounds when all the lesser players are already out, you can’t neglect the offensive or defensive sides of the game. If you’ve got amazing aim when throwing a dodgeball but aren’t quick enough to get out of the way when one comes flying at you, you won’t last long. On the other hand, if you can escape danger with the wizardry of Houdini but can’t hit the broad side of a barn when throwing, the best you can hope for is a stalemate. To succeed in dodgeball, you need offense and defense.

The same, it turns out, is true in our walk with Christ. At the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he exhorts them to do two things: “be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.” Wisdom about the good speaks to what you might call taking faith on offense—displaying Christlikness in a world that does not know the Lord, shining light in the darkness. Innocence about what is evil speaks to avoiding or eschewing those things which are worldly, eluding those traps the enemy places in your path—it’s the defensive side of faith.

A mature relationship with the Lord requires both of these elements, offense and defense, so that you can be a redeeming force in the world without being corrupted by it. Faithfulness requires us to know how to throw and dodge, to proclaim the gospel boldly and take refuge in the Lord. So may you have the courage to go on offense and the humility to go on defense—all for the glory of God.

Awe and Wonder (Friday Devotional)

 

“Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”

- Exodus 15:11

This week, most of us stayed home as much as possible. With snow falling, a solid layer of ice on the roads, and temperatures below freezing, nobody wanted to get out unless it was absolutely necessary. Well, no adult, anyway.

My kids, on the other hand—like a lot of kids, based on local news footage—were ready to head outside the moment they woke up on Tuesday morning. Undeterred by the temperatures, impatient with the need to bundle up, and oblivious to parental caution, they raced outdoors as soon as we let them, eager to explore the backyard that had become a winter wonderland overnight. The same weather that was an inconvenience for us adults was a wonder for them.

It seems to me that as we get older, we lose our capacity for awe. Things that once made us gasp with glee illicit shrugs now that we’re grown. The willingness to be amazed—or at least to show our amazement—fades, overwhelmed by the perceived need to look unflappable.

But in the presence of almighty God, awe is the only appropriate response. The holiness of the Lord is unlike anything we can imagine; his power is beyond all measure. And to think that such an awesome God would deign to love us—how can we fail to worship?

For a child, creation never ceases to amaze. For everyone, the same ought to be true for the Creator.