The World According to Dad

Ephesians 5:20 (ESV) "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

In our home there is a running joke. Dad is always right. It tastes good if Dad says it does. It’s bad if Dad says so. Dad’s opinion on any subject is right and should be universal law. This is Dad’s house and he makes the rules. If only all this were true. I’ve tried in vain to convince my 6 children that canned spinach is a worthy and even tasty part of a meal. They all detest canned spinach. I say, the only kind of “real” cake is chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. And believe it or not they don’t all agree. Some of them like yellow cake or lemon poppy seed cake. I could give many other examples of this “rebellion” but to do so would crush my already bruised ego.

Of course, even as I say all this tongue-in-cheek there is truth in the humor that God’s children would be well advised to keep in mind. In our Heavenly Father’s house He is always right. He does rule. His ways are the right ways. His likes and dislikes are the standards by which we should judge right and wrong, good and bad, should do or should not do. His Word is full of His desires for His house. Some of them are very clear cut and obvious. Some of them take a little more time to figure out. And some of them, although unchangeable and irrefutable, look different among different parts and members of His house.

In Ephesians chapter 5 He gives a few of His house rules. Here in verse 20 He tells us to “give thanks always and for everything”. I know that’s a hard one. How do we give thanks for the “bad” things that happen to us and around us? I’m still learning that one, but I do know that if I can find nothing in a situation for which to be thankful, I can still be thankful that He is God, He loves me, and He is always on His throne. In verse 16 he tells us to “make the best use of our time”. In verse 17 we read “understand the will of the Lord”. We are to be “filled with the Spirit”. We should live a life of “singing and making melody to the Lord”. And in verse 21 we find another hard one. We are to “Submit to one another in reverence for Christ”.

These are just a few of His ways we should strive to follow. This is His house and He does make the rules. His likes and dislikes should be our likes and dislikes. (I’m firmly convinced He wants us to like spinach!) Whatever He says is the way it should be. We need to commune with Him through His word and prayer so we can learn His ways, likes and dislikes. His house always runs better when His children listen to His voice and obey what He commands.

Fortunately for us He is not a vengeful Father and Master. He understands our weakness. He knows our frailty. He stands always ready and willing to forgive our shortcomings and sin. God help us to learn your ways and live according to them. May we always remember that You are right, You are Holy, and You dearly love us, Your children. Amen.

A Sure Expectation

Titus 2:13 (KJV) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ…

Many times during my tour of duty in the USMC I had the opportunity to participate in Orienteering and Map Reading training. I remember one time we had been given a course of instruction. We were given maps and compasses. We were given particular routes we had to follow. We were all to end up at the same destination but were to get there along different paths. No prizes were awarded to being 1st. The satisfaction came in reaching the camp and resting from the journey.

In our “race” of life we all have different paths to walk. Sometimes our path is easy, sometimes it is hard. There are obstacles, seen and unseen. There are dangers, known and unknown. Often times the map is hard for us to read. We may get turned around and a lose our way for a time. We may falter or even get stopped in our tracks by some adversity. In the midst of all this there is one thing we can know for certain. He, Jesus Christ, is coming back and we shall be with Him for all eternity.

One of the great things about our Christian race is that we will all arrive at our final destination. We will all cross the finish line. We may have different opinions on when and how that finish line appears. Is it pre-tribulational, post-tribulational, mid-tribulational, pre-wrath, pre-millennial or a-millennial? Whatever your particular belief may be of End Times or prophecy, we may be assured of this…. He is coming again. We will see Him face to face.

The path you walk will not go on forever. There is an end in sight. This is a comfort to the believer. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NKJV) “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” Paul tells us Titus in 2:13 that this is a “blessed hope”. This “blessed hope” involves a sure expectation of receiving that for which we are hoping. He will appear and it will be glorious!

Read these words of a beautiful hymn written by Jim Hill…
There is coming a day, When no heart aches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eye, All is peace forever more, On that happy golden shore, What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be, When my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand, And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be.

May God bless you in your race. Be encouraged and have hope. He is coming again. It will be a glorious day. Amen!