Words for the Weekend

“Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years."

“A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.”

Charles Spurgeon

Odd News Friday: A Ticklish Situation

Sometimes I am rendered speechless by certain news articles, and today's certainly left me saying only "...ewwwww."

"A German man who stuffed 44 small lizards into his underwear before trying to board a flight has been sentenced to prison in New Zealand for plundering the country's protected species. Kubus was caught by wildlife officials at Christchurch International Airport on South Island in December, about to board an overseas flight with 44 geckos and skinks in a hand-sewn package concealed in his underwear. The geckos may have been worth 2,000 euros ($2,800) each on the European market." (AP Wire Service)

Okay, maybe I not totally speechless, for I have to wonder if Mr. Kubus was somehow just trying to save money on his car insurance.

And yes, you may all collectively say "...ewwwww" for that very bad joke. :-)

What's In A Name?

I have always loved birth narratives - the details of how newborns come into this world. This explains why I am intrigued by the delivery of the most famous twins of the Bible - Esau and Jacob. Here is the account from Genesis 25:

"When Rebekah's days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob."

What a fascinating drama was unfolding even at the time of their birth. Firstborn sons in this Ancient Near-Eastern culture were given special privileges and a better inheritance, so it was crucial to determine, in the case of two infant sons, which was the first one out. The fact that Esau was the older son, but that Jacob was literally "on his heel," was very important.

It's also amazing the choice of names given to these two boys. Esau means "hairy," which obviously makes sense given his initial appearance. And Jacob means "heel," also logical because of his hold on his older brother. But there is more to this name than just a physical correlation to the birth story.

"Jacob not only resembles the Hebrew term for 'heel' but also has the connotation of 'deceiver.' To grasp someone by the heel was apparently a figure of speech meaning 'to deceive.' The motif of deception appears in a number of episodes associated with Jacob." (ESV Study Bible)

While Jacob was known for committing various acts of deception, later on in Genesis his name was changed by God to "Israel," which means "he strives with God." Again, from the ESV Study Bible:

"The renaming of Jacob brings to a climax a lifetime of struggling with others. Through all of this, Jacob has finally come to realize the importance of being blessed by God. The events of the preceding years have changed Jacob. The God of his father has now become his God."

So what's in a name? Nothing without the blessing of God. How wonderful it is, then, for us to have the name of Christians. We have been granted special privileges and an incredible inheritance - heaven itself. Amen to that!

Self-Control

As always, yesterday's discussion during Women's Study was very thought-provoking. The book is Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges, and the topic this week was lack of self-control. The very definition of self-control presented in this chapter was helpful and precise:

"It is a governance or prudent control of one's desires, cravings, impulses, emotions, and passions. It is saying no when we should say no. It is moderation in legitimate desires and activities, and absolute restraint in areas that are clearly sinful."

Of course, as Bridges points out, the various situations in which self-control (or lack thereof) most usually arise are in the areas of speech, eating and drinking, and the use of financial resources. But the discussion took an interesting turn when we expanded beyond these usual culprits - particularly into areas of our thought life. When we become aware of a sense of despondency during a crisis, for example, we need to exercise self-control to stop unproductive (and ultimately sinful) thoughts of doubting God's goodness, His love for us, the wisdom of His providential care, etc. Letting our negative thinking reign over us is giving in to the emotion of the moment. We need to say no when we should say no. Giving in to such meditations is a lack of self-control.

So how do we escape from this sin? Bridges has an answer for us:

"Biblical self-control is dependent on the influence and enablement of the Holy Spirit. It requires continual exposure of our mind to the words of God and continual prayer for the Holy Spirit to give us both the desire and power to exercise self-control. We might say that self-control is not control by oneself through one's won willpower but rather control of oneself through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Come, O Spirit, and grant us self control.

1 in 10

Yesterday I read the account of Jesus healing the ten lepers in Luke 17:

"On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

So how does this apply to us? It seems as though leprosy can be a picture of more than a physical disease - perhaps a disease of the soul, i.e. sin.

"We have been healed after all, healed of the horrible leprosy of sin. Yet, amazingly, not everyone who, by faith, receives that healing responds to the fact of healing with the appropriate life of faith that should follow such a great miracle." (For more on Luke 17 from EPC website)

Certainly we should remember to thank God for His many mercies to us, and let us pray that we would be the one in ten who lives a life of faith after being healed of our sin.

This is SO Embarrassing...

Let's be honest. There are parts of the Bible which are simply... well... embarrassing. I just finished reading through Genesis 19, and found several examples of unmentionable acts.

The first, of course, is the incident in which the men of Sodom nearly knock down Lot's door in order to "lie with" his two male guests. As if that weren't bad enough, in an effort to divert the mob's attention Lot offers to give to them his "...daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please." I have never been able to read this account without shuddering. What kind of a father is Lot to sacrifice his only daughters to the wicked men of Sodom? My ESV Bible comments on this incident:

"Lot's readiness to protect the two men from the mob surrounding his house is commendable. In desperation he offers his two unmarried daughters as substitutes - a shocking, cowardly, and inexcusable act (even if he intended this only as a bluff, or expected the offer to be rejected). The reaction of the crowd only confirms the truly evil nature of their intentions."

John Calvin is even more brutal in his assessment of Lot's actions:

"He does not hesitate to prostitute his own daughters, that he may restrain the indomitable fury of the people. But he should rather have endured a thousand deaths, than have resorted to such a measure."

SO let's be honest, again. The Bible is embarrassing in its depiction of sin. Proving that there is "...nothing new under the sun," though, similar stories to Lot's can be found in news headlines even today. I guess the bottom line is that sin is embarrassing.

Is there any good news here? Yes, because there is still hope and salvation for a man, even like Lot, who is mentioned in 2 Peter 2:7 as one of the "...righteous who was rescued by God." If Lot is saved by the Cross, we can be, too. Let's pray that God would rescue us from our embarrassing sins.

Words for the Weekend

“God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; he intended that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money, but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, Lord, do as thou hast said. We glorify God when we plead his promises.”

- Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, January 15

Odd News Friday

I just remembered that a long time ago I dubbed Fridays on CandyceLand as "Odd News Days." I love funny, odd, quirky stories about human nature, and there is never a shortage of options to share. Here is one that falls under the category of "What Was He Thinking?"

"An eastern Pennsylvania man was charged after he allegedly broke into a home, cut his hair and prepared fried chicken before being discovered. The man was charged with breaking into the home in Easton, about 50 miles north of Philadelphia. According to court documents, the homeowner returned home Sunday to discover him watching TV and cooking chicken.

Authorities said the man threw a rock through a front door window to get inside and appeared to have rummaged through every room in the house. He also took a shower. The man faces burglary, criminal trespass and other charges and was being held on $15,000 bail." (YAHOO News)

I wish the article were longer and included the reaction of the homeowner to this home invasion. Did the owner taste some of the chicken? Was it good? Was the burglar watching the Food Network while preparing the meal? Will the thief be charged with stealing soap and shampoo as well? And how about that haircut? Was it an attractive style for the features of his face?

Inquiring minds want to know. :-)

Amazing Music, IMHO (In my humble opinion!)

I have been enthralled these past few days with some new music. I found it in byFaith Magazine, a magazine published online and in print by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) which is the denomination our church is part of. I was drawn because these new artists, collectively named Bifrost Arts, firmly believe in congregational singing.

“We created Bifrost Arts to enrich the Church and engage the world with beauty and truth through music beautiful enough that non-Christians are attracted to it,” said Wardell. The name of the organization comes from Norse pagan mythology, meaning 'a bridge connecting heaven and earth.' “Bifrost wants to be that bridge,” says Wardell. “Bach said that music is the only art of heaven given to man, and the only art of earth taken to heaven. Singing together is one thing we know we’ll all be doing together forever.”

Intrigued by this description, I downloaded both cd's onto my iPod and began listening. (The first one is called Come O Spirit, and the second has a Christmas theme, entitled Salvation Created.) I am absolutely hooked. It is terrific music and compelling poetry. It consists both of new hymns and some old ones set to new tunes.

Here is the link to the full article about Bifrost Arts: http://tinyurl.com/ygfm7u3

Here is the link to amazon.com where you can listen to snippets of the music: http://tinyurl.com/ycgbuwo

And by the way, I get no commissions from this blogpost. I just love this music. :-)

Looking for Answers

One of the most common observations I have heard when people start talking about their experience reading the Bible is this: "I've read this verse a hundred times and never noticed ___ about it before." Well, include me as someone who is constantly amazed by some new insight on a familiar passage. Today's "AHA" moment occurred while reading Psalm 5:3:

"Morning by morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; morning by morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

I can honestly say I rarely do what this verse suggests: make a prayer request in the morning and then consciously and excitedly wait to see the answer unfold during the course of the same day. Very often I pray and then just get on with my duties. Why? Am I just not expecting anything from God? Do I not believe that He has the power to do mighty works while I engage in the tasks He has called me to that day?

And worse yet, how often do I pray in the morning, and then forget to thank Him at night for all the mercies and answers He did shower me with that day?

I know that some answers don't come in one day, but shouldn't I be looking? And when something good does come speedily, shouldn't I notice, and thank God for His mercy?

Of course, the answer is YES.

Are You Selfish?

I've been thinking a lot about a discussion that took place during last Tuesday's Women's Study. As a reminder, we are reading Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. The chapter was on Selfishness, and the many forms that this sin can take. Bridges focused on four expressions of selfishness, and recommended that we examine each area to see if this sin is prevalent in our lives.

We should first consider our conversations: do we talk about ourselves and our own interests more than listening to others? We should examine our calendars: do we spend all our time in personal pursuits? What about our checkbooks: are we spending all our money just on ourselves? And lastly, are we inconsiderate: do we think about the impact our behavior has on others?

After discussing these areas, we began to see that an additional manifestation of selfishness could be our prayer life. Do we only pray for our individual and family needs? How much time do we devote to interceding for others? For the Kingdom of God to go forth? For the harvest of souls to be completed? For God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?

While initially we all agreed that we shouldn't feel guilty for praying for those things that concern us the most, I do think we were all convicted to at least notice what we pray for. While there is no magical formula which is perfect (60/40 personal/other) I think it is reasonable to expect that prayer should not be just about our own interests.

So join us in paying attention to your prayers: you might be surprised what you find.

A Special Privilege

Sometimes I read certain blogposts, and then I read them again and again. This one I want to share with you today is written by Andree Seu, my favorite columnist, who writes for World Magazine. This blogpost is about suffering, and refers to a book (Roses in December) that I read a couple of years ago written by Marilyn Heavilin. Seu writes:

"I’ll never forget meeting Marilyn Heavilin.... Her son Jimmy died of crib death at 7 weeks old in 1964. Her son Ethan died of pneumonia at a year old in 1966. Her son Nathan died when struck by a drunk driver at age 17 in 1983. Friends and family said the usual things one says in inept consolation of the unconsolable. Then a man from India appeared at her door, and when she opened it, he looked her in the eye and said, “What a privilege to meet a person whom God has entrusted with so much suffering.” That, finally, was helpful."

Have we been entrusted by God with suffering? Maybe it would help us to think of our trials, at least in some sense, as a special privilege. This is a concept worth considering.

Words for the Weekend

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

C.S. Lewis

Get Fit Spiritually!

And finally the conclusion of the matter! Now that we have a better understanding of the 'unfaith' that can tempt us while waiting for God to respond to our requests, we need to put into action some practical applications. Here is what Paul Tripp recommends:

"So how do you build your spiritual muscles during the wait? Well, you must commit yourself to resisting those habits of unfaith and with discipline pursue a rigorous routine of spiritual exercise. What is the equipment in God's gym of faith? Here are the things that he has designed for you to build the muscles of your heart and strengthen your resolve: the regular study of his Word; consistent godly fellowship; looking for God's glory in creation every day; putting yourself under excellent preaching and teaching of Scriptures; investing your quiet mental time in meditating on the goodness of God (e.g., as you are going off to sleep); reading excellent Christian books; and spending ample time in prayer. All of these things will result in spiritual strength and vitality."

The good news is that there is no registration fee to join God's gym; no monthly membership dues; no expensive outfits or specialized running shoes needed. In fact, anything we would need, He has already provided at His own expense. So let's get into shape together - let's wait actively and energetically, using the equipment that He has given for our spiritual health and strength.

"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #7

We have come to the last area of 'unfaith' that Paul Tripp describes in his wonderful book A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble. This whole series has been based on Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

"Giving way to inactivity: The result of giving way to all of these things (discussed in previous posts) is inactivity. If God isn't as good and wise as I once thought he was, if he withholds good things from his children, and if he plays favorites, then why would I continue to pursue him? Maybe all those habits of faith aren't helping me after all; maybe I've been kidding myself. Sadly, this is the course that many people take as they wait. Rather than growing in faith, their motivation for spiritual exercise is destroyed by doubt, anger, discouragement, and envy, and the muscles of faith that were once robust and strong are now atrophied and weak."

The analogy to physical fitness is so obvious here. Anyone who has ceased all activity experiences this type of muscle weakness. So it is in the spiritual realm as well. Making little use of the tools God has given us to be strong and courageous has consequences - flabby theology, weak faith, apathy of the soul.

What is the solution to all these areas of 'unfaith?' My final post on this topic will answer that question tomorrow.

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #6

I've been having an internal debate whether readers really like a series of blogposts that has so many parts - like this one on Spiritual Wait-Lifting. I had pretty much convinced myself to quit this topic, but then a friend remarked how perfectly yesterday's blog addressed her situation. SO - I guess I will continue!

As a reminder, we are discussing the habits of 'unfaith' that we can fall prey to when God isn't so quick to answer our prayers. In addition to giving way to doubt, anger, and discouragement, we also need to be aware of this additional temptation:

"Giving way to envy. When I am waiting, it's very tempting to look over the fence and wish for the life of someone who doesn't appear to have been called to wait. It's very easy to take on an "I wish I were that guy" way of living. You can't give way to envy without questioning God's wisdom and his love. Here is the logic: if God really loves you as much as he loves that other guy, you would have what the other guy has. Envy is about feeling forgotten and forsaken, coupled with a craving to have what your neighbor enjoys." (Paul Tripp)

Ouch again. Think for a moment of the many ways envy manifests itself in our lives. We covet people's homes, cars, jobs, spouses; we envy lifestyles, fame, fortune; we even envy the attendance at the church down the road and the neighbor who never has health problems. And then we make matters worse by beginning a pity party focusing on how God must obviously love "___" more than me.

If we would only remember the Cross and the immense demonstration of God's love for us there! How can we continue to envy others when we have been granted eternal bliss? How can we be disgruntled with a wait for an answer from the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings? Let's pray that the Holy Spirit would convict us early and often when we start down this unprofitable and sinful path of unfaith.

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #5

If you are a first-time reader of CandyceLand, or have returned after an absence, you might want to scroll down and start at the beginning of this series of "Spiritual Wait-Lifting." We've looked at the temptation to give way to doubt and anger when God calls us to wait on Him. The next one is giving way to discouragement:

"This is where I begin to let me heart run away with the "If only___," the "What if___," and the "What will happen if ___." I begin to give my mind to thinking about what will happen if my request isn't answered soon, or what in the world will happen if it's not answered at all. This kind of meditation makes me feel that my life is out of control. Rather than my heart being filled with joy, my heart gets flooded with worry and dread. Free mental time is spent considering my dark future, with all the resulting discouragement that will always follow." (Paul Tripp)

Is there anyone out there who hasn't experienced this thought pattern? If so, I'd like to hear your strategy for avoiding such a mental mess! I'm sure that preventative measures such as attending to the means of grace help - Bible reading and meditation, worship, prayer, fellowship, sacraments, godly counsel, etc. We definitely need to enlarge our minds to focus on a heavenly perspective as we wait for relief or answers - one that takes into account the promises that God wants us to think about.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Phil 4:6

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #4

Last week we began a study of areas of "unfaith" that can creep into our lives when we are called on by God to wait - for answers to prayer, for physical healing, for change in ourselves and in others, etc. Paul Tripp very accurately pinpoints several slippery slopes that we need to avoid. The first one was giving way to doubt - questioning God's wisdom, love, and goodness. Here is the next one:

"Giving way to anger: It's very easy to look around and begin to think that the bad guys are being blessed and the good guys are getting hammered (see Psalm 73). There will be times when it simply doesn't seem right that you have to wait for something that seems so obviously good to you. It will feel that you are being wronged, and when it does, it seems right to be angry. Because of this, it's important to understand that the anger you feel in these moments is more than anger with the people or circumstances that are the visible cause for your waiting. No, your anger is actually anger with the One who is in control of those people and circumstances. You are actually giving way to thinking that you have been wronged by him."

Isn't that the truth? Very often we can't even bring ourselves to admit that the real target for our anger is God.

Let's choose instead to trust God for his great providences and his good timing, knowing that He does all things well. Giving way to anger only impedes our path to holiness.

Words for the Weekend

“In the Christian theology of history, the death of Christ is the central point of history; here all the roads of the past converge; hence all the roads of the future diverge.”

- Stephen Neill, quoted by John Stott in The Cross of Christ (Of First Importance)

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #3

We are beginning to explore five “habits of unfaith” that Christians struggle with while in the wilderness of waiting. Paul Tripp (in A Shelter in the Time of Storm: Meditations on God and Trouble) begins with this first one:

“Giving way to doubt. There’s a fine line between the struggle to wait and giving way to doubt. When you are called to wait, you are being called to do something that wasn’t part of your plan and is therefore something that you struggle to see as good. Because you are convinced that what you want is right and good, it doesn’t seem loving that you are being asked to wait. You can see how tempting it is then to begin to consider questions of God’s wisdom, goodness, and love.”

Isn’t it amazing how self-centered we really are? We seem to focus only on what we think is right and good, without considering any other perspectives, especially God’s. If we are delayed or disappointed in our plans, then we immediately turn to doubting God.

This habit of unfaith isn’t going to solve any problems; in fact, it will probably worsen them. When we begin to resent what seems like a delay to us, we should resist doubt and instead cultivate a heart of trust.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:7-8

Spiritual Wait-Lifting #2

What I didn’t mention in yesterday’s post is that Paul Tripp makes a number of great observations in his meditation on Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”

I have decided to outline for CandyceLand readers Tripp’s helpful advice for making the best use of waiting. Here’s an introductory paragraph from Tripp before we get to his practical applications (future posts):

“Waiting always presents me with a spiritual choice-point. Will I allow myself to question God’s goodness and progressively grow weaker in faith, or will I embrace the opportunity of faith that God is giving me and build my spiritual muscles? It’s so easy to question your belief system when you are not sure what God is doing. It’s so easy to give way to doubt when you are being called to wait. It’s so easy to forsake good habits and to take up habits of unfaith that weaken the muscles of the heart. Let me suggest some habits of unfaith that cause waiting to be a time of increasing weakness rather than of building strength.”

SO that’s where we are headed – five habits of unfaith that distract and distance us from where we really want to be. Within a week we should be on the road to stronger spiritual muscles. Get ready for some exercise!

Spiritual Wait-Lifting

I’m guessing that one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is a commitment to exercise more. People often decide to cast away all those holiday desserts and sluggish activity levels and begin anew with a fresh resolve to use that treadmill that presently is doubling as a clothing rack. But did you know that you can resolve to strengthen spiritual muscles as well? Paul Tripp thinks you can and should. Here is his recommendation (in A Shelter in the Time of Storm):

“When God asks you to wait, what happens to your spiritual muscles? While you wait, do your spiritual muscles grow bigger and stronger or do they grow flaccid and atrophied? Waiting for the Lord isn’t about God forgetting you, forsaking you, or being unfaithful to his promises. It’s actually God giving you time to consider his glory and to grow stronger in faith. Remember, waiting isn’t just about what you are hoping for at the end of the wait, but also about what you will become as you wait.”

While reading this I was reminded of the verse in 1 Timothy 4:

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

So let’s not only dust off that treadmill, but also make healthy use of spiritual waiting. If we’re going to exercise at all :-) let’s do something that will be profitable for this life and the next.

What Time is It?

The very first Scripture that I read on January 1st was an interesting choice by the planners of this ESV Bible Reading Plan. It is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

I'm guessing that God has recently brought each of us through one of these seasons. For those who have been under trial and affliction, there is hope that this year will bring relief and renewed joy. And for those who have been in a season of relief and joy, there is hope that many lessons have been learned that will sustain us through any providence that God might take us through in the next year.

As for me and my house, I'm hoping we'll be blessed with lots of laughing and dancing.

What's Your Plan for Reading the Bible?

As I write this, it is January 1, 2010. I just finished the Scriptures assigned for this day according to the Bible reading plan I have chosen for this year. I am very much interested in the plans that CandyceLand readers utilize for reading God's Word. My own history is varied; a few years ago I adopted the plan affectionately referred to as the "Marines Boot Camp Bible Reading Plan," which was established by one of our elders at EPC. Basically, it brought the reader through the Bible twice each year. It was hefty, but definitely worthwhile. Recently, though, I have been using one found in the back of my ESV Study Bible by Crossway:

"There are four readings for each day. These readings are divided into four main sections: Psalms and Wisdom Literature; Pentateuch and the History of Israel; Chronicles and Prophets; and Gospels and Epistles. In order to make the readings come our evenly, four major books of the Bible are included twice in the schedule; the Psalms (the Bible's Hymnal), Isaiah (the grandest of the OT prophets), Luke (one of the four biblical Gospels), and Romans (the heart of the Bible's theology of salvation)."

I utilized this Plan last year, and it was wonderful. It is available online for free through www.esv.org.

But what about all of you? What have you found to be helpful through the years? What's the plan for this year? Inquiring minds want to know. :-)

Words for the Weekend

“Have you heard God’s blessing in your inmost being? Are the words “You are my beloved child, in whom I delight” an endless source of joy and strength?

Have you sensed, through the Holy Spirit, God speaking them to you? That blessing – the blessing through the Spirit that is ours through Christ – is what Jacob received, and it is the only remedy against idolatry. Only that blessing makes idols unnecessary.

As with Jacob, we usually discover this only after a life of ‘looking for blessing in all the wrong places.’ It often takes an experience of crippling weakness for us to finally discover it. That is why so many of the most God-blessed people limp as they dance for joy."

Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods