The Blue Ridge Mountains

You light up the heavens with just one word,
You measure the mountains in Your hand;
Yet You treasure the broken and make them whole,
You crown us with Your love

Lord You are an Amazing God

(From Lord You are an Amazing God by Phatfish, on the album Guaranteed)

Much more, remember, not much less

From Daily Secrets of the Christian Life , a devotional from the writings of Hannah Whitehall Smith, brought together by Ann Spangler:

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matt 6:30

How often have we marvelled at the orderly working of the universe, and have admired the great Power that made it and now controls it. But we have, none of us, I suppose, ever felt it necessary to take the burden of the universe upon our own shoulders. We have trusted the creator to manage it all without our help.

Even where we have fully recognised that the universe is completely in God's care, we have failed to see that we are also there, and have never dreamed that it could be true that "much more" than he cares for the universe will he care for us. We have burdened ourselves with the care of ourselves. In our unbelief, we think that we are of "much less" value than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. Man is so puny, so insignificant, of so little account when compared to the great, wide universe. What is he, we ask, that God should care for him? Yet God declares that he does care for him and that he even cares for him much more than he cares for the universe. Much more, remember, not much less. Every thought of anxiety about ourselves must be immediately crushed with the reflection that, since we are not so foolish as to become anxious about the universe, we must not be so more foolish as to become anxious about ourselves.

Ruth

I'm currently working my way through John Piper's sermons on Ruth from the recent UCCF Forum here in the UK.

Ruth: Sweet & Bitter Providence
Ruth: Under the Wings of God
Ruth: Strategic Righteousness
Ruth: May the Redeemers Name be Renowned

To complement, my husband and I are reading together Iain Duguid's commentary on Ruth which I've recommended before.

From the Valley of Vision

Thou art my good in times of peace,
my only support in days of trouble,
my one sufficiency when life shall end.
Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.
Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food and every providence,
and to see that thy many gifts and creatures
are but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.

From "The All-good", Valley of Vision

Stirred as a Pot of Paint

I'm enjoying reading Dr Helen Roseveare's book Living Faith: Willing to be Stirred as a Pot of Paint. I have just come to that part in her story that provides the explanation for the book's title. During reconstruction work in Zaire in 1969 following the devsatation caused by the civil unrest in 1964-5, Dr Roseveare was involved in the development of a medical training school. She writes:

Moving around inspecting all the different areas of work, I went in search of the painters (student volunteers) to see how they were faring. They were not in the first classroom, which suprised me. When I did not find them in the second room, I became suspicious. I looked at the woodwork around the door, which had not noticeably changed since I last saw it. I touched it gingerly. There was a sort of brown, sticky "goo"... I moved quickly across to the library. There they were, chatting away, brushes in and out of the paint pot, up and down the woodwork, totally unconcious that they were making no impression. The window frames looked just as before. I strode across to them and looked into the paint pot.

There was a sold mass of white matter, under a very thin remaining layer of rapidly dissapearing linseed oil. The pot had not been stirred....

I demonstrated the art of stirring. Hard work, right down to the bottom of the can, till all that was solid was stirred into the diluting oil, to become one consistency. It changed colour. It would not go so far now, but it would achieve the purpose for which it was designed. I left the two students, duly mollified, I thought, painting away with renewed vigour. Some half hour later, I suddenly realised that I had failed to explain that the paint would need stirring every so often until the job was completed...

We needed to be stirred until there was no seperation left between solid and liquid, between secular and spiritual, weekdays and Sundays. Our lives needed to be one of consistency, through and through, ready to do the task for which we were created. This stirring would need to be continued daily until the task was completed.

I wonder if we could pray as she did:

Please go on working in me until I really am transformed into the image of your Son. Today I mean this, with every ounce of my being, but when You start doing it, and the stirring hurts, and I feel I can't take it anymore, maybe I'll cry out to You to stop. Please when that happens, don't listen to my cry to stop, but just remember my vow to you today to be available to You, and just go on working away at me to make me like You want you to be.

More Respectable Sins

After reading the odd chapter here and there I've decided to reread from the beginning, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate. It's a great book and I can't recommend it enough. I mentioned previously that it would be a painful read and perhaps some of you might have been put off, wondering whether the book is only going to give you a good going over. Well let me say, it does and it doesn't!

Jerry Bridges is in no doubt whatsoever that uncovering those underlying "acceptable" sins in our lives is a sore job and so his first few chapters set you up well for the hard bits. I particularly enjoyed a chapter which dealt with 7 things to do when addressing sin in your life. I thought I'd share them to encourage you as you seek to walk by the Spirit and put to death the desires of the flesh.

1. Apply the Gospel - "As we struggle to put to death our subtle sins, we must always keep in mind this twofold truth: Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of both the sinless life and sin-bearing death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realisation of these two glorious truths of the gospel."

2. Depend on the Holy Spirit - "Regardless of how much we grow..we never get beyond our constant need of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual life may be compared to the motor of an electrical appliance. The motor does the actual work, but it constantly depends upon the power source of the electricity to enable it to work."

3. Recognise your responsibility - "Work as if it all depends on you, and yet trust as if you did not work at all."

4. Identify specific responsible sins - "As you identify a particular sin, give thought to what situations trigger it. Anticipating the circumstances or events that stimulate the sin can help in putting it to death."

5. Memorise and apply appropriate Scriptures - "We should bring to bear specific applicable Scriptures to each of our subtle sins. These Scriptures should be memorised, reflected on, and prayed over as we ask God to use them to enable us to deal with those sins. The psalmist wrote: 'I have stored up your word in my heart , that I might not sin against you.' (119:11) To store up means to lay aside for future need."

6. Cultivate the practice of prayer - "It is through prayer that we consciously acknowledge our need of the Holy Spirit, and...continually acknowledge the presence of those persistent sin patterns in our lives."

7. Involve one or a few other believers with you - "We need the mutual vulnerability with and accountability to one another, as well as the praying for one another, if we want to make progress in dealing with sin." More practically, Bridges suggests asking others for their evaluation of the subtle sins in your life: "Set aside time with your spouse, your brother or sister, or a good friend. Ask for their honest feedback. Assure them you will not become defensive or question their evaluation. Just listen but don't respond. You might ask them to rate you in each area according to a scale something like this:

• Not a problem
• Occasionally a problem
• Frequently a problem
• Characteristic of your life

Even if you don't agree with their assessments, take them to heart in humility. God may be using the other person to open up areas you have been in denial about."

Questions for a Godly Wife

I came across a helpful set of questions from Daniel Phillips written for Christian women who desire to be godly wives. They deal with everything from your personal relationship with God, to your role as a wife, your desires and goals to the place of others in your marriage. If you're married take some time to go through thinking about these questions. If you're single, don't go, do the same, it's good preparation and learning for what may lie ahead.....

Here's one taster question to get you started and one that I think I'm going to be constantly asking!:

• "Do you handle disagreements in a respectful, God-honoring way? Do you respect your husband in your heart, in how you think of him (Prov. 4:23; cf. 1 Pet. 3:2, 5, 6 with Gen. 18:12 [i.e. Sarah thought of Abraham as "my lord" in her heart])? Do you imagine that a feigned outward formal respect, thinly veiling a bitter, resentful, belittling heart, is pleasing to God? Or can you dream that such an attitude will bear other than bitter fruit in your marriage (cf. Prov. 4:23; Matt. 15:18-20)? That being the case, do you duly respect your husband and his thinking? Do you approach differences with him cautiously and humbly in your thinking, or brashly and arrogantly? Do you give any prominence in your thinking to the possibility that you might be mistaken? Do you magnify your husband's strengths and godly traits — or do you exaggerate even tiny flaws and affronts (contra 1 Cor. 13:5b)? Do you give him the benefit of a doubt (1 Cor. 13:7), or do you "shoot first and ask questions later," or never? Do you "declare war" easily (contra 1 Cor. 13:5), or seldom or never (Eph. 4:2; Jas. 3:17)?"

Respectable Sins

Over the last couple of weeks our family has been hit with a bout of the flu. It's not been pleasant for any of us and we've had to dig deep as we've sought to individually recover as well as look after one another. As the mum in the family most of the looking after has been done by me, mainly because the kids are still at a young age, and my husband has suffered worst of all. So let's say it's an understatement that I've struggled through these days with the physical demands of a sick family climbing the four walls of our house! Yet, I've found myself struggling even more so spiritually - I've lost sight of the Saviour too many times and it's been all too easy for me to become self-absorbed with how I'm feeling and neglect the privileged role I have as a wife and mother, called to love and care for my family.

The bottom line - it's become particularly apparent to me how impatient and irritable I have become! If you were to ask me what sins I struggle with most in my life, impatience and irritability would not be #1. However, they are sins that are all too real in my life and sadly are almost stealth-like catching me and those around me unawares.

Jerry Bridges has recently brought out his book Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins we Tolerate. The book deals with how as Christians, we often become so focussed on the major sins of our society, that we neglect the need to battle with the more subtle sins in our lives. And lo and behold, there sits a chapter on impatience and irritability! Bridges describes impatience as a "strong sense of annoyance at the (usually) unintentional faults and failures of others. This impatience is often expressed verbally in a way that tends to humiliate the person (or persons) who is the object of the impatience." Closely related is irritability where Bridges writes: "While impatience is a strong sense of annoyance or exasperation, irritability...describes the frequency of impatience, or the ease with which a person can become impatient over the slightest provocation."

While reading through the chapter these words have been somewhat painful for me as I've been reminded of the many times in which I am impatient and irritable with my family. So, why am I sharing this? Maybe you are a wife & mother whose husband doesn't hang the bath towels the way you like, or pick up his dirty clothes from the side of the bed as you would. Maybe your children won't sit and eat all their dinner at the table and do it quietly with little mess as you would like. All too often I treat these situations as if it's my family who have the problem and neglect my attitude and heart. Is that you too? If not, which I doubt (!), maybe you can identify with anxiety, frustration, pride, discontentment, unthankfulness, selfishness, lack of self-control, anger, envy to mention a few more "respectable sins" that Bridges deals with. Can I recommend this book to you, it'll be painful, but immensly practical and helpful as you seek to "put to death" sin in your life.

Jeremiah

Over on unashamed workman, Colin Adams has posted links to an excellent series on Jeremiah that our church has been going through this past year. Nearing the end of the year, we wait in anticipation to find out what the church will be studying in 2008!

Thoughts on Esther Pt 2

Reflecting on my reading of Iain Duguid's commentary on Esther, there have been four things that have made this commentary a first class companion with the Scriptures:

1. Duguid's illumination of the flaws in the characters of the story is used as a springboard for examining our own hearts before God.

2. The contrast he sets up between King Ahasuerus' kingdom and God's Kingdom shows us the laughableness (if that is such a word!) of our world against the greatness of God's Kingdom.

3. The way in which each chapter points us to Christ himself. Duguid is particularly skillful in focussing our attention on Christ and his Gospel.

4. Duguid rightly pinpoints throughout the book of Esther the sovereignty of God and his control over all things, particularly the small.

If these are four things that you think would make a worthwhile read and you're not sure what to get that special someone for Christmas, need I say more?

The "Idol Factory"

I don't often post about my husband's sermons, I normally leave that for someone else to do. However, on Sunday morning Colin was preaching from Jeremiah 44 on our most stubborn sin - idolatry. He broke the sermon into 4 areas;

i) idolatry has a past history (v 1-6)
ii) idolatry is a present problem (v 7-14)
iii) idolatry is a cunning competitor (v 15-23), and
iv) idolatry has a deadly conclusion (v24-30).

It was a particularly challenging sermon as it questioned not only the idols with which we struggle in the present, but those idols that have lingered in our family history and have been passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, the Adams' family this week have been thinking about what idols we might have inherited, perhaps unknowingly, and what we are doing about them. Has your preoccupation with money, possessions, or even your children (to give but a few examples) stemmed from your family heritage?

However, this also got me thinking, not so much in a negative way, but positively. For those of us who have been brought up in a loving Christian home, we have much to be thankful for the heritage we have. We should count our blessing and seek to continue this gospel lineage. We must continually ask ourselves, what is our greatest idol? Or, in the words of John Bloom we must weigh up our pleasures in life, for they are the measure of what we treasure. If Christ is really your greatest treasure, is the pleasure he brings on display to the members of your family?

In thinking practically about this, Colin posed the challenge: "how will you negotiate the "idol factory" that is Christmas this year?" Have you inherited helpful or unhelpful traditions over the years from your family? Which of them will you keep and which of those will you discard and replace? What will your family take most pleasure in this Christmas?

If you have a spare 40 minutes, why not listen more fully to his sermon here.

Thoughts on Esther Pt 1

As I mentioned last week I'm currently reading through Iain Duguid's commentary on Esther and Ruth. Today I wanted to share some thoughts from reading Esther 1 and some insights from Duguid's commentary.

In the book of Esther we find God's people living in exile under the rule of the Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes). Like Esther, we are, Duguid writes:

Strangers in the land in which we live, called to be in the world but not of it. We may be citizens of the country in which we live, yet we are in a profound sense the subjects of a different king, with loyalties and allegiances different from those of our neighbours.

It is therefore easy for us, as Duguid comments, to relate to the "twin temptations" of assimilation and despair in which Esther and the Jewish people found themselves. However, as Duguid explains further, the book of Esther offers a "twofold answer" to these temptations: (1) Satire and (2) God's providential outworking.

Firstly, the book of Esther is meant to make us laugh:

Satire takes the object of fear, the authority, and makes fun of it, showing its ridiculous side....For oppressed and powerless people, satire is a key weapon, cutting the vaunted splendour of the empire down to size....The one who is able to laugh in the face of the borg will never be successfully assimilated. Satire is thus a powerful antidote to despair.

And here we see this played out as we find in chapter 1 a lengthy description of the impressive and exuberant nature of the empire. Yet, as the King lavishly engages in a week long feast, his wife, Queen Vashti refuses to comply with his demands and brings the empire to its knees. As Duguid comments:

Horrors! What would happen to a man's position in his own home once it became known that Queen Vashti had refused the command of the King?

And so, what do we learn? "We should not take the power and glory of this world too seriously...The empire of this world is a glittering hologram that has no real substance. To defend ourselves against the danger of being assimilated, we must learn to laugh at the empire."

However, in all of this we see secondly God's providential outworking "invisibly and behind the scenes." Duguid writes:

Here there are neither dramatic miracles nor great heroes, just apparently ordinary providence moving flawed and otherwise undistinguished people into exactly the right place at the right time to bring the empire into line and to establish God's purposes for his people.

As the story unfolds, there is no mention of God, Esther or Mordecai but this does not mean that he is not at work. Duguid writes:

Why did Vashti throw away her position and privilege for a noble but predictably futile gesture? Why did Ahasuerus make this foolish demand in the first place? Who came up with the ida of replacing Vashti with a better woman, instead of quietly resolving the offense Ahasuerus had caused? All of these events are...necessary to make way for the process by which Esther will rise to the position where she can use her power and influence to protect God's people against a powerful enemy. Coincidences? By no means. Rather, they are the hand of God at work.

And so Duguid concludes his commentary on this first passage with three lessons;

1. Esther 1 reminds us not to take too seriously the power and glory of this world. The world takes all too seriously the trivial, elevating the antics of the rich and famous, it's call for us to strive for material abundance and the pressure it puts on us to look good and to look 'right'. We must learn to laugh at the world around us, and ourselves when we find "our own hearts getting weighed on the empire's scale of values."

2. Esther 1 shows that we might be required to wait to see what God is doing as he works behind the scenes. God is the "unseen director of history" and we must be ready watching and waiting as his plans unfold. All too often we expect God to work in ways that are extraordinary, dramatic and visible. Be rest assured therefore, the God of the universe wills and acts according to his good purpose and we can trust in that.

3. Esther 1 shows us that God's Kingdom is not like any other empire and this is seen particularly when we compare and contrast the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Ahasuerus. Duguid comments;

There are superficial similarities between the two kingdoms, but in each case they hide deeper differences. The Lord too is a great king whose decrees cannot be challenged or repealed. His sovereignty governs all things, great and small. He must be obeyed, or we will certainly suffer the consequences. Yet his law is beneficial for men and women... God doesn't use the people for his own purposes. Rather, he graciously invites them into a loving relationship with himself. His kingdom grows and does its work not through the outwardly powerful and attractive, but rather in hidden and effective ways.

The Lord too has prepared a sumptuous banquet for his people...But when God summons his bride to his banquet, he does not to expose her to shame but to lavish his grace and mercy upon her.

Commentary Recommendation

At the moment for my personal bible study I am reading through the book of Esther. To assist I am using Iain Duguid's Reformed Expository Commentary, Esther & Ruth which Catriona recently gave me for my birthday!

It has really only been in the last few years that I have dipped into the world of commentaries and used them in my devotional reading. Up until then I found myself using only daily reading notes or a study bible. However, I have found investing in a good commentary helps me to read the bible for all it's worth (to coin the phrase from Fee & Stuart's book!). Nonetheless, it is often difficult to know what kind of commentary to buy. I am fortunate, not only to have learned what's good and not so good from my time at Bible college, but I have a preacher for a husband and a Pastor who always highlights good commentaries that he is using in his preaching series. So, here is one such commentary that is biblically and theologically faithful.

Duguid's commentary has challenged many assumptions I had about these two biblical women. Further, I have found that Iain Duguid also provides an excellent exegetical treatment of the text; he is theologically faithful to God's sovereignty in salvation history, focusing on Christ through the lens of redemptive history; and he is intensely practical as he applies God's Word to our contemporary setting.

If that is not enough to whet your appetite, here's an excerpt from the book's preface:

The books of Esther and Ruth are not really stories about their respective "heroines." Rather, thy are part of the Bible's larger story about God and his dealings with his people, and with the world. This is true even though the Book of Esther does not so much as mention the name of God. As in everyday life, God's intervention is everywhere visible in the Book of Esther, even though his presence is concealed. The essential conflict between the two kingdoms - the empire of Ahasuerus and the kingdom of God - plays itself out in the lives of flawed and unexpected individuals, as God delivers his people once again from the threat of extinction.

Meanwhile. in the Book of Ruth, the Great Redeemer shows his love and compassion to the embittered Naomi as well as to her foreign daughter-in-law, Ruth. His grace brings home the disobedient prodigal daughter with empty hands, so that he can astonish her with unexpected fullness. In both stories, the grace of God to the undeserving and the outcasts is prominently on display. Both stories thus constantly point to Christ as the one in whom that grace will fully and finally come to aliens and strangers, redeeming rebellious sinners and making them into God's new people.

Over the weeks ahead I hope to share with you some of what I've been learning and hopefully, applying, from this portion of God's Word. In the meantime, if you are wondering which commentaries might be worth investing in, here are two links to some recommendations.

Desiring God Recommendations
Andreas Kostenberger Recommendations

Online Video Resources

Recently, Parkside Church, where Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor, have put up video of their most recent worship services. Colin and I are trying to make the most of Alistair's ministry by watching a service once a week. Currently, we are enjoying his morning series in James which we highly recommend. Why not check it out here.

Love Lustres at Calvary

Recently I've been using the audio version of the Valley of Vision, a collection of puritan prayers to listen to in the car. I'm finding it a struggle to have any form of real "quiet time" while in the house with the three kids running around, making lots of noise and demanding your attention. Driving in the car doesn't always make these things go away (well there's definitely no running around), however, most of the time I do find that the two younger kids nod off to sleep and my eldest is suitably occupied with the sites around, allowing me time to meditate on these prayers.

Love Lustres at Calvary is one such prayer that I find myself continually hitting the repeat button. It brings me back to the great truths of the gospel message and helps me focus on the Saviour and all that he has done and bought for me at Calvary. Here is an excerpt from the prayer:

My Father,
Enlarge my heart , warm my affections, open my lips,
supply words that proclaim 'Love lustres at Calvary.'

There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy, that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst, that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might live forever.

O Father, who spared not thine own Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.

A Frowning Providence, A Smiling Face

As I said yesterday, we returned from our holiday in York on Saturday. It's a 5 hour trip (including traffic and a stop for a break), and during that time we took the opportunity to listen to some downloads. Since Colin was driving, I got to choose and we listened to a talk given by John Piper back in 1994 called: "The Chief Design of My Life: Mortification & Universal Holiness - Reflections on the Life and Thought of John Owen." There was so much to take from this lengthy lecture, it's a definite one worth listening to. However, Piper began his talk with some words from William Cowper's hymn, God Moves In a Mysterious Way that have stuck with me over these last few days.

There are many things that have been happening in our family recently, some things that have affected all of us, others that are more personal for either my husband or myself. However, the common lesson that comes to the fore in all these situations are summed up in Cowper's words: "Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face." Without going into detail, we have all experienced the loving discipline of God in our lives, testings and trials and periods of gloom that cloud our days. These words therefore came just at the right time, not only on the back of some big disappointments but more importantly as prior preparation for the days and weeks ahead.

What is really interesting is that this hymn was actually chosen to conclude Colin's sermon on the "Highs and Lows of Discipline" this past Sunday. I did not know this, and Piper certainly did not when he shared them in his talk on John Owen. However, God did. And that's really all I wanted to share today. You may be going through the hardest time right now, but remember, God is working his sovereign will.

Here are the words from William Cowper's hymn. Words written by a man whose life was filled with the lows of depression, and yet they teach us of the highs of knowing and having the security of God's smiling face upon our lives.

God Moves In a Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the LORD with feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
GOD is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

"Never in January?"

Since our first few posts of 2007 have been typically reflective -as befits the time of year - I thought I'd carry on in this vein. Yes, it's that point in the calender when many of us resolve to get our bible reading in check: aiming perhaps to read the bible through in the coming year.

If you are anything like me, normally by the end of the first month I've failed miserably, falling behind in my readings and generally trying to play catch up. Nothing worse to dampen the enjoyment of what reading God's Word should be.

Having just flicked over to Desiring God, I noticed an article by Noel Piper: "Never in January". In it Noel describes her difficulties in reading the bible through in a year and how bible reading plans never seemed to work for her. Instead she offers her method of bible reading in which she found the following "results":

This time I can truthfully say that I never dragged myself dutifully on to the next chapters. I loved it and it pulled me back day after day. What made this attempt different? I'm certain God's Spirit provided the inspiration, because I was the same stumbling Christian I have always been. But I did decide to take a more creative approach to my "walk through the Word".

So what was this "more creative approach"? Here are a few things that struck me:

• Noel didn't necessarily start in January, but started "anytime now".
• She didn't start "in the beginning" but in "unknown territory".
• She didn't read the bible "in sequence".
• She didn't split her reading into 365 "equal segments".
• She took only the bible along with her for "reading material".
• She became a "hunter" in which a blue highlighter became her "weapon".

Please do take time to read this article. I found it both comforting (that such a godly woman who I have much admiration for struggles with the same things I do), and encouraging, as Noel has creatively sought and achieved to do that which we all strive to - read faithfully, and joyfully, God's Word.

A Legacy of Greatness

I've just finished reading C.J. Mahaney's book Humility: True Greatness. The book is divided into three sections. Part one deals with the battle of humility versus pride, part two with our Savior and the secret of true greatness and part three with the practice of true humility. I particularly found the third part of the book very practical offering ways in which we can cultivate and practice humility in every area of our lives.

As a mother of two, (and with a third on the way) much of my life revolves around the caring and rearing of my children. So how can I cultivate humility with regard to my children? Mahaney's chapter, "A Legacy of True Greatness" looks at the role of humility in parenting. I found this tremendously insightful, and needless to say challenging. One thing struck me in particular: what are my ambitions for my children and does humility play a role in my ideal for their lives?

Mahaney asks:

Are any of your ambitions for your child more important to you than their cultivation of humility and servanthood - the basis for true greatness as biblically defined? Are any of these ambitions more important to you than their learning to serve others for the glory of God? In other words, are you more interested in temporal recognition for your child than you are in his eternal reward? Ultimately, that is what parenting is mostly about - it's about preparing our children for the final day.

As I began to think about this, I was once again reminded of the way in which God himself exemplifies an 'ambition for humility'. Christmas is a wonderful time in which we can meditate on the coming of Christ. The will of the Father was that his Son would set aside splendour and glory to be born of a virgin, to be wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in an animlas feeding trough. And yet, such humility did not end with the beginning of our saviour's life, but encompassed from the beginning of time the salvation plan of God.

We read in Isaiah some remarkable words, telling us of the Father's plan of humility, obedience, and suffering for his Son, so that we might know peace with God and that Christ would be exalted above all, to the glory of God the Father. Meditate on these words, and as you gather with family and friends over this Christmas period, encourage and challenge each other to take seriously the call to prepare our children for true greatness.

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied." Isaiah 53:10-11

How to be a Secure Woman

The Charlotte Chapel Women's Ministry are organising a special weekend with CWR in February 2007. As we've been putting together the publicity this week, I've been thinking about the title of one of the planned seminars: "How to be a Secure Woman." When my husband heard about this, he suggested the answer is to put a better lock on the door, but I'm quite sure it's not that kind of security that is in mind here!

I don't want to pre-empt what I'm sure will be a really useful seminar, but it has got me thinking about where we find our security - where do we place our trust? I'm slowly working my way through the book of Isaiah using Alec Motyer's commentary and today I was reading part of chapter 2. In verses 6-22, Isaiah calls the people of Judah to account for the way they have been living:

6 You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans.

7 Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.

8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

They were mixing and making alliances with the nations around them, relying on material wealth and military strength, and worshipping gods of their own making. Motyer says:

Verse 6-9 contain things on which the nations pride themselves: broad minded tolerance (6), financial reserves (7a), military potential (7b), religious interest (8). These are not matters for pride, says Isaiah, but things which have brought low and humbled all alike.

The people of Judah were proud of their position and achievements and not doubt felt secure. However, verse 9 tells us that in fact, each one of them was to be humbled. Verses 10-21 detail how the LORD was to humble Judah and verse 22 states:

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Although in the first instance, this prophecy was addressed to Isaiah's contemporaries, like much biblical prophecy, it also speaks to us today. It does not take much imagination to see the similarities between our own nation and Judah as described here. We can also see the relevance to our own lives. How easy it is to rely heavily on financial security, or the approval of those around us in order to feel secure, yet the Bible is clear that the only way to true security is to trust in God. In fact, Christ's death has achieved complete, eternal security for those who trust him and it makes no sense for us to look anywhere else for our hope. What am I trusting in today? If it is anything but Christ it is not secure at all.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
He will not, He cannot desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
He never will leave, He will never forsake.

Richard Keen

Keeping the Bible at the Top of the Pile

At titus2talk we spend a lot of time encouraging you to read good Christian books and look at Christian websites. Don't get me wrong, these are extremely worthwhile activities and are certainly a far better use of your time than reading the latest celebrity gossip or watching pointless reality TV shows.

But when are these things not so good? Nicki and I were talking about this recently during one of our "putting the world to rights" sessions while walking back from our church toddler group. We both recognise a tendency in ourselves to read Christian books or blogs more readily than we study Scripture itself. We may know that there is no substitute for reading and meditating on the Bible, but often laziness wins the day, as we prefer someone else to do the hard work for us.

Can I encourage you, as I challenge myself, not to pick up a Christian book or surf the web on any day until you have spent time reading the Bible for yourself. In one of my favourite books (besides the Bible!) A Quest for Godliness, J.I. Packer talks about the Puritans' approach to reading Scripture:

"The Puritans often echo Augustine's remark that, just as there are shallows in Scripture where a lamb may wade, so there are depths in Scripture where an elephant may swim - depths which the most learned and godly have yet to plumb. All Christians, therefore, should approach their study of Scripture knowing that they know but little, longing to learn more and looking to God himself to open to them his own word."

It is easy to make excuses in each of the various seasons of life to explain why we spend so little time studying the Bible for ourselves. But if we want to become "elephants" instead of "lambs" we need to spend time prayfully meditating on Scripture. The washing-up can wait for a little while longer...