Marching Forth!

During a drive running errands I saw a makeshift memorial by the side of the road with the familiar acronym:  "RIP" or "Rest in Peace."  After a person dies, their body is laid to rest because their lives on earth are over.  The body ceases to function and there remains no more work for them to accomplish.  My mind went to the rest Jesus promised to all who are weary and heavy laden, that He would give rest for our souls.  This is a different kind of rest because it goes beyond the physical realm we can see and we can spiritually experience it before our life on earth is over. Hebrews 4:8-11 reads, " There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  10  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  11  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. "  The writer of Hebrews makes it clear there was a rest for the chi...

Once a friend of mine showed me a leather strap that was used for corporal discipline in his home.  I couldn't read the writing inscribed in Afrikaans upon it, but he translated it for me:  " I'm done talking ."  The idea conveyed to me was the strap was the last resort after clear communication and warnings were given.  The Bible says parents who love their children will discipline them, and the LORD also corrects His children.  I am grateful for the word of God and the Holy Spirit who communicates God's loving and redemptive purposes even when correction is needed in our lives. This morning I read of Eli's interaction with his sons who were infamous for their wicked conduct that unbecoming of a child of Israel, much less a priest.  Eli verbally rebuked his adult sons for their sinful behaviour which led God's people to trespass, but it did not go beyond speaking.  Eli did not take any action of removing them from their posts or excommunicating them u...

Long before I arrived on this planet and to this day people hold their "rights" dear.  Most people want to have a high degree of autonomy over their lives and the freedom to exercise their right of choice in all areas of life.  What is intriguing about the concept of having rights is there must be governance at some level to authorise and uphold them.  A child has the right to stay up late to watch a movie because permission is granted by mum and dad; an employee has the right for compensation for injury because the government has provided it.  Governments have the right of rule because there is a God who has ordained them to do so, and before Him all men will give an account of the exercise of their rights because He is Creator and supreme.  Without the existence of God who created the universe which remains under His authority, the concept of having "rights" is foreign. There is a right given by God that is greater than the freedom of speech, to assemble or to...

One little word can make a big difference.  I love when I am reading the Bible and I find an unexpected word that makes me consider the implications of it.  A new twist of an old truth can be most invigorating to sedentary faith and provokes us to self examination. I have been reading through the book of Ruth this week and it is a powerful and moving message of devotion, action and faith.  A foreign widow from Moab went to Bethlehem with her bereaved mother-in-law Naomi who was embittered due to personal loss and grief.  She returned from Moab feeling empty when she had a loyal daughter-in-law Ruth who was a hard worker and caring provider.  Ruth "happened" to glean in a field belonging to Boaz who was a near relative.  Over the course of the harvest Naomi directed Ruth to approach Boaz with the request for him to fulfill the duty of a kinsman redeemer, to take her as wife to raise up seed for the dead. After Ruth communicated her desire in a lawful, honour...

During an English class in high school, "KISS" was a principle regularly emphasised:  " Keep It Simple, Stupid !"  It was a funny reminder of our purpose in writing, to clearly and concisely communicate imagery and ideas to a reader.  We were taught to "keep the main thing the main thing" without seeing writing as an opportunity to show how intelligent or clever we were.  For all the great benefits of simplicity, however, we must be aware of the risk of oversimplification.  Stripping away the paint from a framed canvas does not leave a viewer with the impression the painter intended.  Oversimplification can lead to improper emphasis, misunderstandings and even worse--a smug contentment of knowledge founded upon ignorance.  In biblical and spiritual matters the dangers of oversimplification are very real. I have heard it said there are always "two sides to a story" but the truth reaches beyond this assertion:  there is his story, her story, what I...

During a conversation yesterday I received a good reminder I needed.  We need reminders because no matter how well we know something or are familiar with it, it can slip our mind--like the pin number to use a credit card.  When the contactless payment was permitted to reduce people touching the keypad, for months I did not have to enter my pin.  After this season finished, however, I entered a pin incorrectly because I had forgotten the correct order of the numbers.  I was able to use the card in the end but it caused a delay for myself, the cashier, and other customers to have to input the code again.  The implications of forgetting spiritual truth is far more costly than an extra 30 seconds to enter a code because the consequences can be far reaching, even for all eternity. I was reminded of the importance to apply the things we read in the Bible (especially passages some call "stories") personally to our own lives.  We can be so caught up in the practica...

An odd thing happened to me this morning.  After waking up I recalled to mind an incident which took place a long time ago at work.  I was a foreman in the dockyards and was doing my rounds toward the end of the day to check on the progress of the crew on board.  One of the spaces where work was supposed to be happening was dark, so I investigated further.  I caught my crew doing one of the cardinal sins of workers:  lying down for a nap on the job.  The one in charge was a bit sheepish and laughed it off when I confronted them.  The next day when my fellow foreman and I wrote them up with a formal warning, it was a different story.  The subordinate worker signed the form without hesitation, but the lead man would not:  he attempted to deflect, blame, made excuses and eventually broke down in tears.  It was a stunning scene of someone being called to account for bad behaviour, and he refused to accept it. While memories of this scene swi...