When our oldest son entered elementary school he started bringing home spelling words. We practiced and he aced test after test. He took to spelling like he took to cupcakes—making short work of both. I thought, my wife and I are excellent spelling teachers. Perhaps we should teach others the secrets of our success, and even produce a video series for less talented parents. Then our next kid came along and found spelling terribly difficult, then our third kid as well. So much for the videos. I learned that some people inherently spell better than others. Our oldest son? Now a journalist, working with words every day and spelling them all correctly (without spellcheck).

When things go easy for me I think I’m hot stuff. But life breaks into my reverie and I realize I’m not as good as I realize. I have a lot I don’t deserve. James the apostle wrote a strong reminder along these lines:

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

I’m severely misled when I think the things I enjoy in life came about because of my talents and abilities. In reality, every good thing around me comes from God, the Father of lights.

I find in the Lord no deceptions, no whims, no discrepancies, no shifting of shadow. I don’t need to worry about the Lord dropping the ball, or making a promise with his fingers crossed, or saying oops! James goes on: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God embodies truth. He created you and me by his word, which is totally and unquestionably accurate. When I want to stop jiggling like jello in my beliefs, I turn to his word. When I hope to stand in the midst of calamity, I turn to his word. In order to step out of the quicksands of our cultural moment, I climb onto the rock of his word.

Do not be deceived. The best way to avoid fraudulence, either around me or in my own mind, is to discover to the truth. God’s Word, the Bible in my hands, is a bounty from the Author of Truth. Open the book, avoid deception, and enjoy the good and perfect gifts surrounding us.

James 1:16-18

Photo by Maria Oswalt

Sometimes in our churches we find it hard to get along. People express surprise at this, but a church remains a roomful of sinful people saved only by grace. Sharp edges abound. It takes time and work and adherence to the Scriptures to find our way together.

Paul addressed a rowdy church in his writings to the Corinthians. At the end of his last letter to them, he gave this admonition: Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Along with the pep talk, Paul left them with this summary of the source of power found in this new way of living: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This trinitarian formula points out three truths for the church to embrace. The grace of Jesus Christ casts out self-seeking and self-promotion. The love of God overwhelms anger and jealousy. The Holy Spirit calms arguing, disperses cliques, and engenders true friendship and mutual support among believers.

Live in peace. That sounds pretty good right now. The path toward peace involves leaning into the Scriptures and allowing the Holy Spirit to foster community among one another. Pray to the Son, Father and Holy Spirit and let’s make the world a better place.

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Photo by Aaron Burden

When my wife wants to throw out my old underwear because it has holes in it, I push back with, how can you toss out a “hole-y” garment? It’s a bad pun, but a good Dad joke. After a roll of her eyes my skivvies go in the trash. Time to break in a new pair.

Jeremiah used an undergarment to make a point to the people of Judah. The Lord told him to Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water. After publicly wearing the loincloth for a time, God sent Jeremiah to hide it in the rocks by the river. After many days Jeremiah dug it up and sported the now ruined loincloth around town. The indignities of an Old Testament prophet never ceased.

Why this bizarre demonstration using nasty old underwear? The linen loincloth (think modern day boxer shorts) was originally fresh and clean, invoking God’s devotion when calling Israel out of Egypt. The Lord declared, For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.

But instead of holding to the Lord, his people rejected the truth and embraced the religions of demons. God responded, This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.

Good for nothing. A terrible indictment on the once proud people. Ruin massed on the horizon, and in a few years invaders overran Jerusalem and carried off her population as slaves. Lousy underwear proved the least of their worries.

Jesus grants those who follow him a privileged position. But like Jeremiah’s audience, I can disregard this intimacy and seek more immediate rewards. Never overlooked by the Lord, this behavior eventually leads to a ruinous outcome, one I hope to avoid. May my “hole-y” underwear remind me of the Lord’s encouragement to continually follow him.

Jeremiah 13:1-11

Photo by Maite Oñate

Lots of things look really good to me that by experience I know lead to false promises, bad decisions and painful consequences. You and I shouldn’t be surprised by this. Paul, in a warning about false teachers infecting several early churches, added this insight: even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan still camouflages dreadful philosophies and lifestyles in bright, shiny packages. Anything to deflect you and me from the truth, and to keep our eyes turned away from what matters to the Lord.

I’m drawn to the latest tech gadgets, be it a new phone or faster, thinner computer. I live in Colorado and beefy SUVs catch my eye. I would savor life better behind the wheel of one. But that’s not true. I have an quality phone and a fast, thin computer. I drive a Jeep. But I want more. I believe the lie that I need more stuff to enjoy life. But the truth is that things are to be used, and people are to be enjoyed. I flip that to my detriment.

I like feeling secure. So I count on money and resources to make me happy and safe. Yet the Scriptures say that money is the root of all sorts of evil. Which is why a false angel sends me in that direction. Jesus said, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? I can stay generous with the money in my hands. God has plenty and shares willingly.

Another virus infecting my thinking tells me that I’m the master of my own fate, the captain of my life. I sit upon the throne of my life. But the longer I’m in charge, the more I veer dangerously off course. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life—not me, and not the evil one in disguise.

Other lies entice me to cheat on the ways of God. What about you? How does Satan manipulate your heart? The tempter knows his business and continually throws up clever facades. Our only hope is to seek guidance from the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Satan’s falsehoods flicker and go dark, but the light of Christ shines brighter the longer we seek it out.

2 Corinthians 11:14

Photo by Niklas Hamann