Purifying the water

What do you think of when you think of salt water?  Perhaps you think of the beach, of friend and sand and fun in the sun.  Maybe it's the cynic in me, or possibly too many science courses, but when I think of salt water I think of many of its more negative properties.  Salt water is corrosive and leaves many undesirable mineral buildups.  It is unfit to drink, and requires filtration through expensive purification systems in order to become usable for drinking or washing.  It can sometimes leave a slimy film on one's skin if bathed in, and is difficult to remove with normal soaps.  Salt and water combined is not really a very desirable combination.

Our lives can be thought of as saltwater, in a way.  The water is our life the way it is supposed to be - clean, pure, unadulterated.  But then all this salt, all of this other yucky stuff, gets added to the mix and clouds up the picture.  The salt can symbolize many things - our past, our insecurities, our mistakes, our regrets, our flaws - but whatever it symbolizes, the point is that it has made our lives not as pure or as healthy as they could be.

If you look at salt and water separately, however, you see a very different picture. In the Bible, we see many uses of salt.  It was used as a preserver, and as a way to flavor and season bland foods.  It was sometimes given as an offering to the Lord at the temple.  Even to this day, it is eaten in many cultures as a sign of friendship.  In other words, salt by itself is a very good thing.  

You may feel like your life is just a pool of saltwater, murky and cloudy and unfit for anything good.  Your past failures and insecurities may seem so impossibly insurmountable and overwhelming, that there's no way you do ever do something useful for God's kindgom.  But God wants to separate the salt from the water in your life.  He wants to give you a new lease on life, one in which even your flaws and failures can be used to give light to others and to showcase His power in your life.

In 2 Kings 2, we even see an instance of God actually using salt to heal diseased water.  What a beautiful picture of redemption.  Not only does God heal the water - He does it by making it salt water. God doesn't expect you to come to Him without a past, without hurts, without things that you can't imagine ever overcoming.  He just wants you to come to Him.  He can purify you.  He can make you new.  He can take your murky saltwater, and turn it into cleansing water and healing salt.  Will you let Him?

2 Kings 2:19-22

19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.” 20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. 

Taking stock

My some friends of mine did an interesting experiment a few weeks ago.  They told everyone to pray and bring whatever cooking ingredient they felt the Lord was prompting them to bring, and then made something out of the resulting hodgepodge of foods.  It was a fun night, and really quite a riot to see the stuff people brought, as well as the ending concoction.  It wasn't nearly as toxic as it could have been - we all got there, took stock of our inventory, and made what we could with what we had.

It's easy to do the same thing with our own lives.  We look at what the Lord has given us, take stock of our talents and deficiencies, and then make an assessment of what we could do with what we have for God's kingdom.  The problem is, in our eyes we almost always come up short.  So often we excuse ourselves from God's greater vision, because we don't think that we have enough to work with.  Paralyzed by insecurities, we sit back and allow the enemy to neutralize our abilities and the effect that they could have on eternity.

But focusing on what we lack makes us forget about God's all-sufficiency.  It makes us forget that what we have - whatever it may be - is more than enough for God.  God has a history of using people who have little to give.  He used Moses' simple staff to part the Red Sea.  He used 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed thousands of people.  He used a jar of oil to save a widow and her sons from destitution and slavery.

The next time that you take stock of your life, don't convince yourself that you don't have what you need to be used by God.  God can use anything and everything.  Ask God what it is that you have right now, and be obedient with that.  Instead of saying, "I can't," start asking God to use what you have right now.  Your greatest weakness may be God's greatest opportunity.

1 Kings 4:1-7

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Something worse, something better

I have an A-type personality, a very analytical mind.  I'm always considering my options, thinking about future choices, trying to pick the best choice for both the long run and short-run.  I'm constantly weighing pros and cons, making "what-if" contingencies and scenarios in my mind.

In all honestly, I probably do that too much.  There's a point when you really need to just let go and live, and that's something that God is teaching me more about daily.  But that's not the point that I'm trying to make today.  I was reading in John 5, about the crippled man that Jesus healed at the pool of Bethesda, and something that Jesus said really struck me.  "Stop sinning," He said, "or something worse may happen to you."

Really?  What could be worse than what had already happened to the man?  He had been an invalid for 38 years.  For 38 years, he had been forced to watch as countless others were healed in the pools of Bethesda, while he sat on the edge, unable to get into the waters because he had no one to help him in.

The wheels of my analytical mind starting turning.  What could possibly be worse than that?  Forced to take a backseat in your own life for almost 4 decades, while the rest of the world literally passed you by.  To me, that seems like the worst fate on this earth imaginable.

But Jesus wasn't making a statement about life on this earth.  He was making a spiritual statement.  Some may say that Jesus' words may be interpreted to mean that we deserve whatever bad things happen to us because of the sins that we have committed.  But I think it's saying something else.  What's worth than a life without legs and mobility?  A life without Jesus.  Why would the man's life have been worse if he had kept sinning?  Because he would have been without Jesus.  No matter what you may be going through, it can always get worse if you don't have Jesus in your life.  But don't let that get you down...because if you DO have Jesus, it can - and will - always get better.

John 5:1-15

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Good enough

Have you ever avoided something because you felt that you weren't good enough?  Avoided going to college or taking a particularly difficult class because you weren't smart enough, slathered on the makeup and sexy clothes because you weren't pretty enough, refused to enter a contest because you weren't talented enough?  Have you ever not spoken to someone about Jesus because you weren't a good enough public speaker, or declined an invitation to teach or preach because you weren't godly enough?

We've all done that.  We've all told ourselves, at one time in our lives or perhaps many times, that we're not _______ enough - fill in the blank with any positive adjective that applies.  But at the root of it all, is the feeling that we are not good enough, the feeling that we are in some way inadequate or deficient, and therefore unqualified to do big things for Christ.

This is one of the devil's most colossal lies of our time.  He has somehow convinced an entire generation that they are not good enough for God's kingdom, when God's word clearly says the opposite.  When God created man and woman in the garden of Eden, He said that it was "very good."  In Christ, you are more than enough, you are a conqueror - and God has equipped you to accomplish everything that He has called you to do.

Somehow we've gotten it into our heads that we have to be perfect before we can be used by God, that we have to have our lives together before we can serve His kingdom.  But by believing that, we have effectively neutralized our entire lives.  We will never have it all together - we will always be imperfect people in an imperfect world.

But God doesn't call us because we are particularly gifted, or talented, or intelligent, or articulate, or even godly.  He calls us because we are willing to be obedient and follow His lead.  God doesn't call the qualified.  He qualifies the called.  So whatever your insecurity may be, whatever lie the enemy has convinced you of - I'm not a good student, I'm not a good Christian, I'm not a good wife, I'm not a good father, I'm not a good cook, I'm not a good friend - whatever the lie may be, lay it down at the feet of Jesus.  The only thing you need to be good enough is a new birth and life in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:10-16

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

The look of royalty

When I was younger, I was obsessed with the stories of Sherlock Holmes, the great detective. His powers of deduction and ability to infer so much from just the smallest things always fascinated me.  I could spend hours and hours reading about his marvelous exploits.  I especially enjoyed how he was able to tell so much about people from their appearance.

He could tell a governess from the small blot of ink that her mischievous charge had splattered behind her ear, or a widow from the tiny band of paler skin on her left ring finger from where her wedding band used to lie.  He could tell a war veteran by his slight limp, or a writer from the smudge of ink on the palm of his hand.  His powers of observation and deduction were truly remarkable, and always left me fascinated and entranced, regardless of the fact that they were fictional accounts.

Ever since reading the tales of Sherlock Holmes, I have started analyzing people myself, trying to figure out what I can about them.  Usually my observance leads to more questions than answers, but every now and then I make a successful deduction.  I can, for example, generally pick a dancer out of a crowd by the way they walk, or a cook by the way they analyze ingredients before purchasing.

I wonder, then, what it is that sets us as Christians apart?  How would Sherlock Holmes, if he were analyzing us, be able to tell that we are children of the Most High God?  The Bible calls us children of God, joint heirs in His kindgom.  But we are not "royal" in the traditional sense of the word.

Instead of walking proudly, God has called us to love sacrificially.  Rather than dressing in purple and fine linen, like the kings of Biblical times did, God asks us to clothe ourselves in humility.  In lieu of being served, He has called us to serve.  This is our gift.  He has made us joint-heirs with Him, and that legacy of humility and service is our glorious inheritance in Him.  So when you look at your life, when others observe your actions in your day-to-day, ask yourself....do you have the look of royalty about you?

Ephesians 3:2-13

2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

What is love?

Growing up, I remember sometimes being so frustrated with my parents sometimes, because they weren't offering me exactly what I needed.  They wouldn't read me a story because they were too tired, or they wouldn't drive through the puddles like I asked them to because they were afraid of hydroplaning, or they made cabbage and noodles for dinner when I wanted lasagna.

It sounds silly, I know.  But that's truly how selfish I was growing up.  I had this mentality that my parents existed only to take care of me.  I didn't understand that there were other issues at stake beside my own individual preferences.  I chose to forget how much they really loved me, and focus on what they were doing (or not doing) for me.  Of course my parents love me - they love me unconditionally, and always have; but that never meant that they would always be at my personal beck and call.

So often it's so easy for Christians to look at God the same way that I looked at my parents.  We see Him as some sort of nebulous Being in the air, one whom we can talk to when we need something, but have no obligation to communicate with otherwise.  We have forgotten that God is a real live being.  He has feelings and emotions, just like us, and He wants to spend time with us.  He wants to have a relationship with us - a real relationship, a give-and-take relationship.

I can't help but notice the anguish, the raw pain in the words of the Lord in Jeremiah 2.  He is talking to Israel, who has forsaken Him, and asking them to come back to Him.  The language of that chapter invokes such powerful feelings in me.  The Lord is clearly broken-hearted.  He wants to commune with His people, but they will have none of it.  When I imagine how broken-hearted my parents would be if I refused to associate with them, I get a small idea of how crushed the Lord must have been by the actions of the Israelites.

It's easy to ignore the Lord for long periods of time.  It's easy to place Him at the bottom of the priority list, and let life get in the way of spending time with Him.  Goodness knows I've done it myself more often than I care to count.  But when you do that, remember that you are not ignoring some nebulous, faceless, emotion-less creature.  You are ignoring a God who loves you infinitesimally, and who desperately wants to spend time with you and to know you personally.  And if you don't even want to spend time with Him, if you don't even try to meet with Him every day, you have to ask yourself....do you even love Him at all??

Jeremiah 2

The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“This is what the Lord says: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,’” declares the Lord.

4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. 9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children. 10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar[a] and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: 11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord.

13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. 14 Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder? 15 Lions have roared; they have growled at him. They have laid waste his land; his towns are burned and deserted. 16 Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skull. 17 Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way? 18 Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile[b]? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates? 19 Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every spreading tree you lay down as a prostitute. 21 I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? 22 Although you wash yourself with soap and use an abundance of cleansing powder, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign Lord. 23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there, 24 a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving— in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her. 25 Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

26 “As a thief is disgraced when he is caught, so the people of Israel are disgraced— they, their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets. 27 They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ 28 Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns. 29 “Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. 30 “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.

31 “You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord: “Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to you no more’? 32 Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number. 33 How skilled you are at pursuing love! Even the worst of women can learn from your ways. 34 On your clothes is found the lifeblood of the innocent poor, though you did not catch them breaking in. Yet in spite of all this 35 you say, ‘I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’ But I will pass judgment on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ 36 Why do you go about so much, changing your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt as you were by Assyria. 37 You will also leave that place with your hands on your head, for the Lord has rejected those you trust; you will not be helped by them.

Creativity

Fall is in the air here in Atlanta these days.  I just love this time of year.  The crisp, invigorating air that wakes you up with a thrill every morning; the brightly colored leaves that filter through the air and lay in piles on the ground that are just begging to be jumped in; the jeans and scarves and hats and gloves and jackets that come from hiding in the abyss of closets and are finally able to grace the world with their presence for a few short months.  There's something about the coming of fall that just speaks to me - it speaks of life and excitement and anticipation and joy and happiness.

When I was a little kid, I would always read the passage in Luke - the one where Jesus said that if we did not praise Him, then the rocks would do it for us - with a bit of skepticism.  I would picture rocks literally singing and dancing and praising Him - a real-life version of VeggieTales, if you will.  The almost cartoonish imagery that I saw in my mind made the whole thing seem a bit far-fetched and unbelievable.  I didn't understand it, and so I just dismissed it.

But it's mornings like today that give me a better understanding of what Jesus was talking about.  Here in Atlanta, there are no rocks literally singing out praises to God.  There are no flowers dancing before the Lord.  There are no trees lining up and doing high kicks in a neat little row a lá Broadway style.  But the earth is declaring His majesty, nonetheless.  The brilliant blue sky, the peaceful neighborhood calm that surrounds me, the majestic oak trees in my back yard, the intoxicating smell of lavender and roses and honeysuckle wafting through the air....they all testify to the greatness and creativity of the Lord.  

Maybe you don't like autumn like I do.  Maybe it doesn't speak to you in the same way that it speaks to me.  But the Lord is creative in many areas, not just one.  The Lord's grandeur can be manifest in many aspects of life, not just one.  It can be seen in the latent power of waves on a beach, or the overpowering grandeur of a snow-covered mountaintop.  It can be seen in the musical laughter of a child, or in the incredible precision of a racecar.  It can be seen in passion of dance, or in the variety of food.  Whatever makes you tick, however God most speaks to your heart, make sure that you look for Him there as you go about your day.  Look for His creativity and intimate love, a love that made Him want to create such a diverse and beautiful world for us, His children.  And then don't forget to thank Him for it.  Don't let the rocks be the only ones praising Him.


Luke 19:37-40
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

A dead faith

A friend of mine is going through a very difficult time right now.  I have been trying to help him out any way I can, but he has been resisting, saying things like it's ok, he doesn't want to bother me, I already have too much on my plate, I should focus on my school and work, etc.  I know that he meant those things for my benefit.  But honestly, it kind of got to me.  It seems that attitudes like that are becoming increasingly pervasive in the Church.  Christians who say things like, "well, I'd love to help you, I really wish I could, but I've got to study for this test, or go to work, or make this meeting."  It's like we've started to think that the day-to-day banality of life has suddenly become more important than the eternal impact that we can have on the people that God puts in our paths by living out our faith in their lives.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's important to study hard or work hard at whatever responsibilities God has given you.  We can't allow laziness or poor work ethics to creep into our daily lives.  But we also have to make sure that our priorities are set.  Fifteen years from now, are you going to remember more about that exam that you made an A on, or the grieving friend you prayed with and comforted?  Is it better to be able to give a knock-out presentation at work, or to spend time with and counsel someone who needs wise and godly advice?  When you stand before the throne of the Most High God, is He going to be more pleased with you for making it to work on time, or stopping and buying that homeless person breakfast and sharing Jesus with them while they ate?

I grew up hearing that Christianity was not an act-based religion.  "Works don't save you," was the all-too-familiar commentary that I would hear preached from the pulpit, the Sunday school teacher's mouth, or even the family dinner table.  This is inarguably true - the only things that saves us is a belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

But salvation is not the end of the story.  The Bible says that "faith, by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead."  Actions are the result of a genuine faith in the Lord.  It's not always easy.  It's often frightening.  I'm sure that Gideon, Abraham, or Rahab were scared to death as they amassed their army, took their son to be sacrificed, or hid enemy spies in their home.  But the point is not that they were afraid; it's that they had faith enough to act in spite of their fear.

Believing in God does not require an absence of fear.  It takes courage to act upon one's faith.  No one ever said it would be easy.  But the real question is this: if you don't act on your faith, if you don't live out the love that you say is in your heart, if you don't behave in a manner that shows that you unreservedly trust in the goodness of the Lord.....if you don't act on your faith, do you really have any faith at all??

James 2:14-27

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Wisdom 2.0

I went to a wedding this past weekend.  It was beautiful, tons of fun, and remarkably stress-free.  I loved catching up with my dear friend, the bride, and making plenty of new ones, to boot.  But there was something swimming around in my head the entire weekend.  I kept asking myself....how do you hear from God clearly enough to be willing to commit your entire life to one person?  How did this godly couple - and thousands of others just like them - become confident enough that they were following the Lord's will to say "I do"?  A marriage isn't like moving to another city for a new job, where you can always move back if you realized that you had not actually heard the Lord's voice.  A marriage is forever.

Perhaps I don't understand because I'm single.  I suppose that's a logical explanation.  But I think there's a better one.  As I was thinking and praying about this puzzle, I got an image of a piece of an outdated piece of computer software (leave it to the nerdy girl to make a spiritual analogy with computers :] ).  Our earthly knowledge and wisdom is like version 1.0 - full of bugs, glitches, and fallacies.  If we made our life choices based on wisdom 1.0, we would always be making the wrong choice.  But God has given us version 2.0 - the complete, whole, and perfect version of His godly wisdom.  He can, if we ask Him, give us an understanding of the world that we can have confidence is right, because it comes from Him.

So wisdom, true wisdom, simply comes down to having the proper source of wisdom.  If you rely on your own experiences, logic, reason, and understanding, you're bound to make enormous errors.  But if you upgrade your system, if you put away your own knowledge and rely on His, then you will have a wisdom that cannot be wrong.  Then you will have a wisdom that is "pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."  Then you will have a wisdom that gives you the confidence to move to another country, start a new job, or even commit the rest of your life to 1 person - all because you know that the Lord said that it was good, and you know that you can trust His wisdom.

James 3:13-17

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.