The Fine Print

Over the years, since grade school I have filled my brain with tons of nonsense and useless information. Things that I am never going to really use unless I was ever allowed on Jeopardy. In both grade school and high school while others were studying math, science, history, and all the other classes that one has to take in school, I was studying Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, James Taylor, and many others. I would study everything about these bands and want to know all I could down to the most ridiculous things about them.

Which brings me to one of the greatest bands of all time Van Halen! One thing I know about the band is how particular they were with the “fine print” of their contracts. You see when bands sign up to do a concert at a venue, they have a contract and in said contract they put in it whatever they want. Van Halen put in theirs “A bowl of M&M’s in our dressing room but NO BROWN M&M’s in the bowl.” Yes, that happened and if they went in and saw brown ones, they wouldn’t play the concert!

Now I know what you’re think that’s ridiculous!!! But is it?? You see the venue missed the “fine print” so to the band that told them, “What else did the venue miss? Are out lights set up the right way? Is the stage put together correctly? Did they even read the thing?”

In scripture God has given us these things to follow. As a matter of fact, he gave them to Moses to share with us, The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 1-17)! Now these aren’t just something we gloss over because we deem them not important. If that were the case then they wouldn’t be called Commandments! How often does God looked at us and say “Did they even read it? How hard is this to follow? Why won’t they just listen?” Now I know there are times we struggle with following them but the great thing about our God is that he is loving, caring, and forgiving!

So maybe today it’s time to really dive into the scripture and read not just the fine print but everything that God has put down for us to not only read but to follow!

1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” -Exodus 20:1-17, ESV

My Heavenly Father

Three boys in the schoolyard were bragging about who had the highest paid father.
The first boy said, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, and they give him $100.”
The second boy said, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, and they give him $1000.”
The third boy said, “My Dad is ever better than that. He scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon, and it takes 6 or 8 men just to collect all the money!”

Young boys have a way of thinking that their dad is nine feet tall and bullet proof. They are filled with the belief that dad can do anything. They have a very high view of their dad. As we age our view of our dad may wax and wane, rise and fall. Maturity, perspective, and life experience can affect the way we view our earthly fathers. I want you to ponder another question though. What do you think of your Heavenly Father? Do you have a high view of Him?

Jesus gave us a framework of relating to God as Father. He taught us to pray by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). You may not have had a perfect earthly father, but you have a perfect Heavenly Father. He is someone that you can look up to. His power is beyond imagination. His words are lifegiving. His grace is free. His promises are true. His mercies are new every morning and His love is transformative.

When was the last time you pondered and dreamt about how truly amazing your Heavenly Father is? Take the demeanor of a young child and believe in Him today. Open your Bible, set your gaze on Him, and soak in who He is today.

The Singing Sun

"The Sun is playing a secret melody, hidden inside itself, that produces a widespread throbbing motion of its surface. The sounds are coursing through the Sun's interior, causing the entire globe, or parts of it, to move in and out, slowly and rhythmically like the regular rise and fall of tides in a bay or of a beating heart." -Kenneth R. Lang

The Sun is 93,000,000 miles from Earth. Now sound won't travel through the vacuum that is created in space. But with the right instrument, scientists can "hear" pulsations from the Sun (solar-center.standford.edu). The sun as well as other stars throughout the universe are producing sound. Our sun vibrates from acoustical waves much like a bell. Let that sink in for a moment. We have a singing sun. With that in mind consider what the Bible says in Psalm 19:1-4 (ESV),

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
in them he has set a tent for the sun,

We have a universe that attests to the fact that our God is real and glorious. The vast expanse of the universe reminds us that there is a great, big God who started it all. More than that, these stars throughout the universe are literally singing as their acoustics are sent out. Their words may not be heard but the message is clear: GOD IS WORTHY OF OUR WORSHIP.

So how about you? Are you worshiping God? Are you thankful for all that He has done? Are you singing His praises to anyone who will listen? Take time to slow down and honor God today. He is worthy. May your life be a melody that glorifies God each and every day.

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. -Colossians 2:6-7

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither; whatever they do prospers. -Psalm 1:3

Scripture compares believers to trees. If a tree has shallow roots, it won’t be able to withstand a windstorm, but will be uprooted. In times of drought, it will wither and die. On the other hand, if that tree has deep roots, it will withstand the strong winds. In arid times, it will find refreshment in the moist soil deep beneath the surface.

Similarly, if we want to withstand storms and dry times, we need to make sure we are deeply rooted in God. To continue bearing fruit, we must develop our root system by spending time alone with God in prayer and the scriptures.

No one who sees a tree says, “Those are some good-looking roots.” No, they see the leaves, branches, and the fruit. In the same way, people won’t see you deepening your relationship with Christ through time alone with Him, but they will see the results. They will see you standing strong through stormy times. They will see your love, joy, and peace. They will see your good works and glorify God because they know you are rooted in Christ.

The phrase, “whatever they do prospers”, does not mean immunity from failure or difficulties. It doesn’t guarantee health, wealth, and happiness. What the Bible means by prosperity is this; when we apply God’s wisdom, the fruit we bear will be good and will receive God’s approval. How will you deepen your roots in Jesus today? What storms have you faced, or might you be facing soon?

Prayer for today: God, thank you for nourishing me every day. Help me to be rooted and built up in you and established in the faith. Amen.