Life This Side of Heaven

Happy Valentine’s Day!  How do you show someone that you love them? Chocolates, flowers, candy? Would any of these be enough to convince you of someone’s love for you?  And is it enough? However, this Valentine’s Day, consider how God has shown His love to you and me.

In 1968, the first 9-1-1 call was made in the United States. It's been said that "it was created with the advantage that ‘it is brief, easily remembered, and can be dialed quickly.’” David must have had something similar in mind here in Psalm 71 and in another of his other psalms.  He called upon the Lord and teaches us to do the same. In fact, he used words that are familiar, and heard often in 911 call centers across the country every day. He said, “Make haste to help me...

You’ve got to be kidding? What Jesus instructed Peter to do must have seemed counterintuitive. In other words, it didn’t seem to make any sense. Have you ever found yourself questioning God's instruction? Have you ever been tempted to feel that you knew better, or had a better understanding of the situation?

“Oh, that’s real mature!”  Once kids start sticking their tongues out at each other, any helpful part of the conversation is over, and you can be pretty sure that whatever disagreement they’re having isn’t going to come to a constructive conclusion. That’s usefully when a parent steps in and calls time-out. And it’s almost what the apostle is calling for here in 1 Corinthians. What he does, instead, is actually even better.

“Not me, please don’t call on me …” Do remember the fear of being called upon in class? You’re not alone. So do a lot folks. Have you ever felt frightened that God has called upon you to share His love with your family and friends. You're in good company with Isaiah the prophet. At some point, he must have felt like that student in the classroom that hoped not to be noticed. However, take a look at what changed that.

When Isaiah heard the angels singing praise to God, he responded with an unusual confession.  He didn’t bow his head and say, “I’m a man with an unclean heart.” He didn’t say, “I’m a man with unclean hands,” or even “an unclean mind.” All of that would have been true as well.  But he mentioned his lips. But now, consider what often comes out of our mouths.

I’m almost certain that when I see Jesus on the Last Day, I’ll be crying. It won’t be from sorrow – far from it, but it will be crying. Before I explain, take a look at the "crying" described in these words from Isaiah. The angels cried out. Isaiah cried out. And on the day that when you and I come face-to-face with God we may well cry as well.

Essential workers. That’s a phrase that suddenly became a part of our common vocabulary a couple of years ago. Here in Luke, you and I get a glimpse of the nature of our Savior’s work. This included bringing aid to those who were afflicted by demons and others suffering from a variety of illnesses. But it also reveals work which, while in today's culture we may be tempted to think of secondary, Jesus considered to be urgent and indispensable.

Leading up to these words in 1 Corinthians, Paul has described just a handful of the gifts that God gives to His Church. Nevertheless, as Paul points out, none of them will remain. The time will come when they will pass away.  However, there are these three gifts from God that will remain: faith, hope and love. 

An enigma is someone, or something, that is mysterious or puzzling. That’s how Paul describes the way we sometimes see God’s work in our lives – although he uses a wonderful phrase to do it. He says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly." So while our vision is blurry, God gives us faith so that we can look forward in confidence to what our eyes can’t see right now.