Ruth and the Big Picture

The book of Ruth has been described as the most beautiful short story ever written. And while it’s short, less than 2500 words in English, its beauty is obvious in multiple ways. It is a story of family, it’s a love story, and more than anything, Ruth reveals the invisible hand of a sovereign God who works His will in the seemingly random events of people’s lives.

One of the great values of God’s word in general, and of a book like Ruth in particular, is that is enables us to see the “Big Picture” – how the Lord does in fact work all things together for good for those who love Him.

We cannot see The Big Picture in our own lives. We operate from day to day, a step at a time. If our recent days have been hard, full of toil or heartache or grief, it’s very difficult to convince ourselves that tomorrow will be any different.

Sobering Lessons from Meriwether Lewis and the Lewis and Clark Expedition of Discovery

I just finished Stephen E. Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West.

I don’t believe I’ve read anything about the Louisiana Purchase or the Lewis and Clark expedition since grade school. (Which of course was only a couple years after Lewis and Clark returned from their trip.)

Anyhow, I was amazed by the sheer heroism of this expedition, undertaken because of Thomas Jefferson’s vision to find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean.

Meriwether Lewis was a Renaissance man. Son and step-son of military men, he was an Army officer personally selected by Thomas Jefferson as his own right-hand man. Lewis was like a son to the President.

What I’m Going to Miss About Downton Abbey

Last night my wife and I watched the final episode of Downton Abbey. Until the British drama aired here in America in 2011, I wouldn’t have thought of myself as an Anglophile or a fan of period pieces celebrating an “upstairs – downstairs” way of life.

But after the first couple episodes, Dionne and I were both hooked. And watching the final episode last night was a little like saying goodbye to a good friend you know you’ll never see again.

So I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to miss.

A Valentine’s Day Challenge for Husbands

One day at the end of his days, the man passed through the valley of the shadow of death and entered into the joy of heaven. He stood immediately in the presence of the One he loved the most.

Welcome, Child. I’ve been waiting for you. Thank You so much, Lord. I’m so grateful You died for me and brought me all the way home.

We’ll have all eternity together, Christ said with a radiant smile. And now, my son, I need to talk to you about your stewardship. Yes, Lord, I think I’m ready.

I entrusted you with intelligence and creativity, and I gave you a good way with people. Yes, Lord, I know those gifts were from You. I used them to get a good education and to build a successful business. The product we made helped a lot of people, and our company employed over 100 folks. I paid them fairly and they all said they liked working for me.

And I know you maintained an unashamed witness of Me at work. Well done, good and faithful servant. Thank You, Lord.

Another thing. My blessings on your business made you a wealthy man.  Yes, Lord, all because of you. And You know from the beginning I gave generously and sacrificially to my local church, to missions, and I set up a private foundation to help people. And the family business will make it possible for all my grandchildren to get a good education.

            Well done, good and faithful servant. Thanks, Lord.

            I sent you a large circle of friends over the years. Yes, thank You. I was never a great evangelist, but I let every one of them know about You, and some of them even believed in the gospel. Well done, good and faithful servant. Thank You, Lord

            Now I want to talk to you about the most important gift I gave you, your wife.  Okay. We were married a long time, and she was a real blessing to me.

I know she was, Child. Were you a blessing to her? I think I was.

Were you aware that she was lonely after the kids moved out? Really? She seemed fine to me.

Did you pray for her? Sure. When? You know, Lord – mainly on the way to work I guess.

Did you know she wanted the two of you to serve for a summer on the mission field after you retired? I remember her saying something about that.

But you didn’t encourage her or even consider it. No, I thought we should take to take a cruise that summer.”

How ready do you think she is to meet Me? Well, I’ve always thought of her as a strong Christian – stronger than me. Really? So did you ever think about her soul?  Lord, that’s pretty much your department, isn’t it?

Did you know that she wanted to go back to school and get a Bible college degree? Yeah, but she was too old for that. Really.

            So you remember how I said, love her like I love you. Right. And nourish and cherish her. Right.

You know she was My gift to you, and I made you two one flesh. Right. 

So what went wrong?

Does Purgatory Make God's Judgment More Fair?

On New Year’s Eve I was listening to a radio talk show host, and the discussion turned to the difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. The host’s guest, a college president, observed that the Catholic doctrine of purgatory had the advantage of being “more fair.”

His example: think of Ted Bundy, a serial killer, and let’s say he had a death-bed conversion to Christ. He goes to heaven. And then consider a person who lives a good life, but never believes in Jesus. He goes to hell. At least in purgatory Bundy would have to suffer a while before going to heaven.

Just 10 Pages a Day - a Modest Proposal for 2016

I like to read. I say that upfront, and I know that automatically makes some of you say, Not me!

Okay, I understand. But hear me out. Reading is still a good thing even if you don’t do it very often. Books put you in touch with other worlds, new ideas, stretch your imagination, and help you live more effectively.*

On Being Special

We live in crazy times. Being “offended” or “triggered” by someone’s tee shirt or use of gender pronouns is now called micro-aggression. Saying the wrong thing or holding the wrong opinion could get you kicked out of college. You might even get arrested.

I think some of the blame goes to well-meaning child rearing where we tell every kid that she is special and that she deserves to have whatever her heart desires. Every child gets a trophy just for showing up. Because we’re all special.

Anyhow, I was thinking about all of that this past week as my wife and I listened to an audio presentation of C. S. Lewis’ The Horse and His Boy. It’s a tale of a slave boy who runs away “to Narnia and the North.” And one of his companions is Bree, a talking horse who was born in Narnia, but was captured and enslaved while still a foal. Though Bree has had a career as a war horse, he never revealed to his masters that he was a free-born Narnian who could talk.