The afternoon sun cooked down on me as I made a cautious left turn onto the cart path. Holes two and nine were my destination. I gradually accelerated in order to make it up the steep hill along hole sixteen’s inclined fairway. The soft breeze patted my sweat dry. I peaked over top the stonewall as I took my foot off the gas to make sure nobody was teeing off. When I saw the empty tee box resting in the shade, I accelerated once again and repositioned myself to glance over to the left. Here was my chance to examine the quality of my early morning work.

Somedays, it looked as if someone had taken two paint rollers, one with light green and one with dark green and gently pressed them against the grass to form perfectly straight, alternating lines on the green complex. Other days, the freshly watered greens glistened in the summer sunshine and the line contrast was not apparent to the naked eye. Still, there were days when the lines looked more like slithering snakes, curving every which way. Those were the days I drove by with a scowl on my face vowing to do better the next morning.

This was my routine every afternoon the few summers I spent working on a golf course.

The art of rolling a perfectly straight line into the Bermuda grass each morning was only a few simple steps. Find an object across the green that was in the direction to be cut. It could be a tree, a rock; anything, as long as it didn’t move. Engage the mower and begin walking towards that object without even the slightest flinch of an eye. Once you reach the end of the green, disengage, turn around and admire your masterpiece. The green was set up perfectly for the back and forth makeover it was about to undergo.

Golf greens are designed to slope and undulate. This makes putting a challenging yet rewarding process when a green is “read” correctly. These slopes and inclines tend to play tricks on you when looking down at the green, as is the common practice for a novice. Mowers begin to drift down these land features, tempting the greenskeeper to tug at the mower a bit to stay the course. This tugging and shifting gives the operator a feeling of control but leaves a slithering snake of a line behind him.

It’s exciting for me to recall these memories in the dead of winter when the mercury struggles to hover above freezing. Sure, it reminds me that warmer, golf-friendly days are ahead, but it also puts life into perspective for me.

I started to learn a deeper lesson from this whole green cutting process one day when I had taken my eyes off my point of reference and mowed a wavy line into the green. We’re taught to have goals, to be focused, and purposeful in our steps. To pick something and walk towards it. But what if we’re walking towards the wrong thing? What if we’re focused and driven, but just in the wrong direction?

It’s a big question to ask and one that isn’t very comforting to consider. It’s inconvenient to think this way. It’s much easier to keep our nose to the grind stone and keep on going in whatever direction we were headed.

Much like looking at the ground when cutting a green instead of the destination, we make a tragic mistake by doing so, however. We look down for direction and purpose, not up. When we do catch a glimpse of who we were made for, then we begin to walk towards the destination we all desire.

The apostle Paul was a man who walked perhaps the straightest line of any human being. He lived as consistent a life as this world has ever seen. The only thing was, he was headed in the complete wrong direction. All until Paul encountered Jesus Christ while travelling to kill some people who followed Jesus. That day, Paul’s point of reference changed from himself to his Creator.

Paul’s whole life did a 180. He became one of the people he had previously sought to eradicate from the earth. He started to walk towards eternity with the one who he used to hate.

His story touched quite a few people’s lives as they listened when he talked about Jesus. How Jesus’ perfect life was the straight line none of them could walk. Yet He was crucified for the crooked lives they did lead. This wasn’t just a religious figure and He certainly wasn’t a hoax. Jesus was the destination they all had been seeking. Paul’s life change was proof.

Soon Jesus himself became their point of reference. They no longer just existed but lived for the life to come. The life that was guaranteed to them through Jesus. Eternal life with their Creator who loved them.

They were taught to “fix their eyes on Jesus” and “hope in what is unseen” meaning the life promised, but not yet realized. Taught to “seek first the Kingdom of God” and “keep focusing on the things above” where Jesus dwells. Gone were the days wondering the how, what and where questions of life. They now realized that Jesus was the answer to all three.

Those hot summer days at the golf course stick out to me now almost as much as the vibrant green Bermuda I’d study each afternoon. It’s here that I really began to learn what fixing my eyes on Jesus looks like.

In the changing landscape of life, I’ve learned there is simply nothing else that remains the same but Jesus. Nothing worth walking towards, but eternal life with Him. Nothing stable enough to build a life on, but His promises.

So, as I would stop and stare at the greens I cut, it is my continual prayer that I will stop and stare at my Savior Jesus all day, every day. For he alone can make my paths straight.

 

Scriptures referenced:

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

2 Corinthians 4:18 – “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Hebrews 12:1b-2 – “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

The book of Acts – Paul’s life story.

Imagine you’ve set out in the wilderness for an afternoon adventure. While you’ve enjoyed the sights and sounds from the safe confines of the cleared trail, your wanderlust gets the better of you as you venture off trail in search of a tranquil place to rest before the long trek back to the car. After a seemingly quick respite at a spot only minutes from the trail, you’re alarmed as you look down at your watch and see how much time has passed. Rushed but confident, you start for the trail in what you think is the way you ventured off originally. After half an hour of walking in the same direction, you fail to find the trail.

The reddish orange tinge against the trees begins to dim. Leaves crunch underfoot. Swirling around seeking any piece of information that may lead you back to the cozy cabin of your sedan, reality begins to sink in. You’re lost.

It’s not an exciting and playful lost. It’s not a romanticized type of lost. You’re straight up lost. You’ve got no idea where you are, no idea where to go. Danger lurks.

What would you do?

I’ve watched enough Survivorman to know I wouldn’t last very long in a survival situation. Les Stroud, the survival expert who makes the show, amazes me with his ingenuity and resourcefulness in the most hopeless of circumstances. Yet, as he points out, the person in a real-life survival situation with a bad case of machismo and pride will almost certainly die. It is the ones who recognize the magnitude of the situation and know the only way out is through the assistance of a search and rescue team or some other authority that often live to see another day.

It’s very interesting to see someone dubbed “Survivorman” confess that all he can really do is put himself in a position to be rescued. No individual stands much of a chance lost and alone in the wilderness with minimal resources for very long. They need rescuing.

Being lost in the wilderness isn’t the only way in which one can be lost. Being “lost” in life can mean a multitude of things to different people. Yet there is no greater disorientation, than not knowing the One by whom and for whom we were created.

Without a relationship with God available through the gift of Jesus Christ, we are lost in a much more catastrophic wilderness than any survival situation. Our entire lives are constructed on quicksand, appearing sturdy for a time, only to collapse around us as time goes and reality plays out. We were made to know God and dwell with Him. Yet because we fell in love with ourselves and cheated on God with sin, the relationship between God and man was broken. For our lives to make sense again, that relationship must be restored. And just like any survival situation, it only can occur through through a search and rescue mission led by Jesus Christ.

We scoff at the idea that our lives are out of order and we need to be changed. We laugh at the notion that we need not only a helping hand, but an all-out rescue. Especially from some “religious figure” like Jesus. But like survival, all we can really do is put ourselves in a position to be rescued. This occurs when we recognize the magnitude of how lost we really are and become willing to receive help.

It’s better to have a crushed spirit and be in a desperate situation than to be indulging in temporary successes and fleeting pleasures. In one scenario, we are humbled and see the reality of our need. In the other, we are often too distracted with ourselves to even notice anything or anyone else. Another pat on your back gets you thinking that you don’t need God.

It’s not a popular thing to be needy in our culture. These are the ones viewed as weak and needy. Yet it is the people who acknowledge their need in an all-encompassing big picture sense that actually end up receiving the offer of salvation in Jesus. People who know they’ve screwed up. People who don’t know where to turn. People who don’t know how they got here, why their here, where they’re going. People who know they can’t save themselves.

There’s no bigger lie than the one that says we don’t need God. There’s no bigger freedom than when we ask for God to rescue us.

 

Anxiety.

It’s a topic that strikes a chord in my heart. Especially this time of year.

Unable to describe it to my parents at a young age, I would simply refer to it as the “feeling.” As my vocabulary expanded, I learned that these feelings resembled the characteristics of fear, sadness and worry.

Piling on frustration to the suffocating weight of an anxious soul is the elusive nature of describing it. There is a sense of helplessness and desperation that snuffs the “you” right out of you. You become a shell of yourself as everyday occurrences transform into monsters. These disintegrating feelings invade your body, pummeling you to the ground. Every time you try and stand up, it’s as if you’re kicked right in the gut.

The randomness of the assault throws your mind into a constant spin. As if the shakes, sweats, nausea, and clenching fist of anxiety on your heart weren’t bad enough, the attack on your mind is arguably worse. Self-destructive thinking flows through your mind like poison. You start questioning reality. Rationality flees like a deserting soldier, leaving you to drift into absurdity.

As prayers are seemingly unanswered, this is where trust in God really begins.

As summer turned to fall and school began during my elementary school years, my emotional health routinely hit rock bottom. From preschool to third grade, I’d go through this battle every September. I was probably a teacher’s worst nightmare as I cried for hours and refused to join in activities. In first grade, the guidance counselor even took me aside one day and made me a photo journal titled “I can feel happy when I am sad” picturing me doing all the things I liked at school. I rarely “went to school with a big smile” as she wrote, though.

I seldom knew why I felt the way I felt. I still don’t. I didn’t want to feel it. Yet like clockwork, the new school year brought me to my worst.

Third grade was an especially tough year. I cried harder, felt worse and panicked more than ever. Lying in bed, my mind would race as the sheets dampened with my sweat. My heart pounded until I finally would go into my mom’s room and ask her to come in my room until I fell asleep. This problem would persist for a couple more years. As the tension escalated without release, my mom took me to my pediatrician who then diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

As I grew up and my battles with anxiety continued, I sensed that what had occurred while I was younger was only the beginning. Anxiety has a way of compounding. You experience it once and then never want to experience it again. So, when something results in normal anxiety, it escalates in your mind to something it is not. You begin to experience anxiety about having anxiety.

This took shape one summer after sixth grade when I left to attend a summer camp for a week. As I laid in bed that first night, I felt an uneasiness come over me. I started thinking about all the sleepless nights of my past. I could hear my heart beat as I thought about being away from home. Quickly, I fell into the anxious trance. I trembled, couldn’t sleep or eat and went home on the third day of camp.

Ashamed and fearing my friend’s rejection, I avoided situations where I perceived difficulty or anxiety in the years ahead. I resisted places where my control over things was reduced. I began to look for people, places or things to make me feel better. This destructive habit kept things smooth on a day to day basis but stole much joy from my young life. I quit playing football. I didn’t sleepover at friend’s houses. I never went to summer camp again. I turned down multiple chances to go to France on a mission’s trip.

I tried my best to avoid facing those feelings that haunted me from years ago. I didn’t want to fail again. Thankfully, and painfully, I couldn’t avoid them much longer.

The summer after I graduated high school, I was on cloud nine. Driving around my 97’ Chrysler Sebring convertible, I didn’t have a care in the world. Thoughts about leaving for college in the fall didn’t faze me. I enjoyed relationships and the sense of accomplishment that came with graduating high school.

As I packed Crystal (the car) for college, though, I was in a daze. Reality had begun to sink in. When I arrived and my parent’s left, the thoughts of my past tormented me. The facts of my new reality scared me because I knew I couldn’t hide from this beast anymore. I was afraid of anxiety. I didn’t have the things I looked to mitigate the feelings anymore. My parents, friends, and comfort of home were nowhere to be seen.

I didn’t last more than a week. I came home the next weekend drained of all energy yet ready to jump out of my skin. Tears flowed as I shook curled up in the fetal position. My appetite was replaced with the constant feeling that I was going to throw up. When I closed my eyes, my fears of rejection and failure played out vividly on my eyelids. This was the worst anxiety I have ever experienced. I couldn’t bear the thought of having to go back to a place where I would willingly surrender all I looked to for rest. Most of all, I realized I had no idea what trust in God meant or looked like.

I did end up going back, but only to pack up my things. I decided to stay home, work a couple of part-time jobs, and apply to a local school for the spring. I am so thankful that though I made this decision to come home, God did not allow me to continue in this pattern of avoidance anymore. Things got harder. The cold reality of the real world shook my vacuum worldview. Relationships I put my trust in ended or changed. The comfort of my adolescent life was nowhere to be seen. I was in a full-blown season of anxiety.

It was here where I realized that my issue with anxiety was much deeper than I had ever thought. It wasn’t merely the childish irrational fear of sudden disaster, nor was it just my biological make-up. I’d been living my life apart from trust in my Savior Jesus that I’d been claiming for many years. In my decision-making process, I looked to created things to find my rest rather than my creator. At the core, I was putting my trust in inherently unreliable things.

As I started to see this, I was pointed to David’s words in Psalm 62 by a mentor. Throughout my life, I poured over the Psalms finding comfort in the vulnerability and the similar emotional distress suffered by someone I held in high esteem. Yet here I realized David’s words were not just emotive and feeling based, they were a logical decision. A choice made amid intense loneliness, rejection, and uncertainty based off past revelations.

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken…Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62: 1-2, 5-8

There was only one who had been with me from the start of my life. The same one who was with me throughout every painful and joyous experience. The same one who I’d received at a young age though I clung to worthless idols in immaturity. The one who’s words my mom consistently fed me as a youth looking for peace. The only one able to sustain me through this condition that affected me deeply from birth and would until death.

It was Jesus Christ.

The entrance of sin into the world brought with it all kinds of ailments. As man rejected the truth of God for Satan’s deceptive words, all types of evil penetrated creation. Including mental illness.

God still had his affection set on us despite our rejection. Our path to Him just became a lot more complicated. We now needed His son to take our place in death and suffer the righteous judgment of our sin.

By Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are promised salvation from this world and our own sin. We are promised rest in a restless place. Peace in a place where it has no business being there. Calm despite the chaos.

In Jesus, we also have hope of a world beyond this current one. A world where we can actually see God and be in His physical presence. There in His presence, none of the struggles of this life will occur any longer. My anxiety will not even be a thought. As John says in his revelation.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

I’d been ignoring the details of His word. His promises. They are cure for the soul affected by the lies of any anxious fit. They offer me the security that I’ve longed for my entire life.

That fall, my life changed dramatically. The training wheels were kicked off and God showed me the reality of His presence amidst painful and overwhelming emotions. My eyes shifted from the here and now to forever. I might experience some unpleasant anxiety issues in this life, but not only do I have access to the God who is greater than those feelings, I have the assurance of them being eliminated in the life to come.

It’s still a battle, but anxiety has shrunken from a debilitating mutant to a pesky insect. God’s words counter the lies. His presence gives me the freedom to go out of my comfort zone. His promises protect me from the uncertainty of life.

As another season changes, my feelings towards my anxiety issues have changed as well.

I’m thankful.

Put it in my heart, Lord,

Put it in my mind.

From now till forevermore,

Let all my praise be thine.

 

With the roar of lions,

And the thunderous skies,

I will sing unto you,

God Most High.

 

With words that fail

And deeds that falter,

I praise your sacrifice,

For going to the altar.

 

As the nails ripped through

And down blood flowed;

There was no substitute,

No ram, no goat.

 

You did it all,

I didn’t contribute a thing.

But a sinner who could only

Lift his voice to sing.

 

Put it in my heart, Lord,

Put it in my mind.

Fill my life with praise,

For you alone are mine.

Mere words won’t ever do reality justice.

Even the most poetic of prose describing a sunset can’t serve as a substitute for the moment of tranquility we experience as the sun hides beneath the horizon.

Words are a gift and a tool, but would you rather read about adventures or live them? Often, the only role of words is to propel to action.

Enjoying skillful photography paired with a colorful description of the Grand Canyon makes the decision to travel to northern Arizona much easier because we want to see it for ourselves.

Conversely, reading of the various evils in this world can lead us to offer support, but how much more support would we give had it been us seeing our sibling killed, mother diagnosed with cancer, etc.?

Until we experience the reality described, we won’t get it. We won’t know what action to really take. But in the moment, we’ll know exactly what to do. Or at least what we should have done.

In an alarming way, this principle takes its purest form in our response to God. We can’t go back or ahead in time to test the reality of what scripture says to our experience. We are called to take God’s word for it, which isn’t the easiest thing to do given the fact that we are imperfect beings, plagued by a sinful flesh. Yet the Word of God comments on man’s condition and historical events flawlessly upon even the most critical microscope. These words are not mere words.

Given that statement, consider what Revelation 6: 15-17 says about those who choose to reject God as their response.

 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

Here, a description of the end of the world serving as context, the reality of rejecting God takes shape. Armageddon, which is a subject shunned by many due to its frightening nature, is even more tragic to ignore if you heed the above words.

I can only imagine what experiencing this would be like. Men and women of every status, who have not repented and believed in Jesus, so gripped with the desire to escape God’s impending and visible wrath that they ask mountains and rocks to fall on them.

If being crushed and buried underneath a crumbling mountain is your most appealing option, how agonizing must the alternative be?

What will go through the minds of those people described? Perhaps thoughts of all the opportunities to confess their sinful plight to God and receive His mercy ignored in favor of more sinful pleasures. Years of mocking the God that they’re now hiding from in a cave, pleading with inanimate objects to collapse on top of them thinking they’re still able to escape God’s wrath. Whoa.

As with other forms of writing, and the Bible specifically, this is written to warn. The intended actions are repentance of sin, belief in God, acceptance of Jesus’s death and resurrection on your behalf culminating with the surrender of your life to Him. An entry into the most wonderful relationship possible, and the avoidance of a wrath you and I have earned with flying colors.

Of course, what is contained in the Revelation text isn’t what God desires for His creation. See 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

Written specifically to the believers in a town called Thessalonica, we see that the salvation needed is through Jesus. Receiving that gift is a choice that changes the direction of your life and eternity. Yet it’s what God has desired all along. Relationship with you and glory on His perfect name.

These words should stir us. It should be scary. What faces us if we don’t receive the reconciliation offer God’s given us through Jesus can’t be adequately summarized by the word “scary,” or any word for that matter.

The perfect and holy God who made all things cannot have anything to do with sin. He must judge it to stay consistent with himself. We are included in the judgement due to our sinful nature that propel us to sinful actions.

Thanks be to God that salvation from his wrath is offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus! Those who receive Jesus in their present life will never have to experience what our sins earned us.

God’s words are not mere words. They are truth. With the foresight offered us in Revelation 6 and the heart of God communicated in 1 Thessalonians 5, a response that is anything but repentance and grateful acceptance of Jesus should bring a tear to our eyes.

 

In addition to the Revelation and  1 Thessalonians texts, the following scripture was used to construct this blog.

Romans 5:9 – Yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Psalm 12:6 – God’s words are flawless.

John 17:17 – God’s words are truth.

Looking at history, it seems the centuries are linked by legacies of select men and women. Only those with particularly outstanding accomplishments are remembered and studied. Whether politically, militarily, or socially a handful of names will be talked about for the rest of time.

After all, it makes sense. We remember based on the residual effects of an action, decision or accomplishment based on the number of people it affects and its potency.

Take Alexander the Great’s unblemished military record. His conquest of territory from Greece to northwestern India created one of the largest empires the world has ever known, and he did it all by the age of 30. Julius Caesar, in Alexander’s posthumous wake, was “inspired” to take on similar military pursuits resulting in a stint as the dictator of the massive Roman Republic. Even though he was assassinated, Caesar was given “deified” status, meaning the Roman Senate recognized him as “divine.” Ironically, he had been dead for two years at the time of this recognition.

Consider the civil rights work of Rosa Parks (among many others) whose civil disobedience began to prick the conscience of many Americans beginning a healing process still in motion today. Parks’ simple refusal to give up her seat on a bus began a bus boycott leading to the Supreme Court ruling in her favor. Sadly, racism still lurks in America’s heart, but the simple decision had staggering potency that changed the lives of many and redefined social policy in her day.

These are just three “big” names on earth’s guestbook. Yet no accomplishment of man can compare to those of one man, Jesus Christ.

While His name can be found in the same history books, most don’t learn about Him in school. Jesus Christ of Nazareth pointed to the Hebrew Old Testament prophesies of a coming Messiah (savior) to “bare the sins of many” and save those who receive Him by faith when asked about His identity. Not only did He make the claims, but He backed them up with His actions. From birth, to death and resurrection, His entire life matched the prophecies of old.

The prophet Isaiah stated “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Jesus’ life began just this way as the Holy Spirit of God conceived baby Jesus in the womb of his virgin mother Mary. Immanuel, meaning “God with us”, was another name for Jesus as He was how God came down to Earth. Proving Jesus’ divinity from the very beginning, Matthew confirms this in his account of Jesus’ life.

Isaiah also stated that at the Messiah’s coming “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. The lame shall leap like a dear.” Jesus healed invalids, deaf, and blind people as recorded in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John who were all eye witnesses. When John the Baptist asked Jesus whether he was the “one” or if they should expect someone else, Jesus responded pointing to Isaiah’s words stating that He was doing those things prophesied about in the present.

The prophet Zechariah wrote “…Behold, your King is coming to you; lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Many years later, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while the people cried “Hosanna!” which means save, rescue, help.

Finally, through a litany of prophets, we learn that the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend, sold for thirty pieces of silver, silent when accused, beaten and spat upon, crucified with sinners though sinless, pierced through his side, and buried with the rich among other things. Those of his disciples watching recorded Jesus’ death, along with Hebrew and Roman historians who jotted down the same details. Yet three days later, He was not in the tomb. He was in showing himself to people, resulting in 500+ eyewitnesses to his resurrection from death. The prophets saw this coming as each detail of Jesus’ resurrection was accurately divulged through those same prophets, hundreds of years before happening.

The thing is, this isn’t a comprehensive list. There are hundreds more.

Jesus by fulfilling these prophesies, proved himself to be the Son of God. His death and resurrection offer forgiveness to sinners who humble themselves before Him and ask for it, knowing it’s their biggest need. His sinless life qualified Him to be a sacrifice acceptable to God on our behalf and demonstrated to His followers who we should aim to be like.

Any single day from Jesus’ life far outweighs the lifetime of any other man or woman. The laying down of His life offered an eternal gift to every human to ever live. There’s no other action in history with that large of an impact. Still, it’s up to you whether you want to count the cost and accept it. It is far beyond worth it.

Scripture References:

Isaiah 7:14 (Prophecy) & Matthew 1:18 (Fulfillment) – Born of a virgin.

Isaiah 35:5-6 (Prophecy) & Matthew 11:5 (Fulfillment) – Healer.

Zechariah 9:9 (Prophecy) & Mark 11:7-9 (Fulfillment) – On a donkey.

Psalm 41:9 (Prophecy) & Mark 14:10 (Fulfillment) – Betrayed.

Zechariah 11:12 (Prophecy) & Matthew 26:15 (Fulfillment) – Sold for thirty pieces of silver.

Isaiah 53:7 (Prophecy) & Mark 15:4-5 (Fulfillment) – Silent when accused.

Isaiah 50:6 (Prophecy) & Mark 14:65 (Fulfillment) – Beaten and spat upon.

Isaiah 53:12 (Prophecy) & Mark 15:27 (Fulfillment) – Crucified with sinners.

Zechariah 12:10 (Prophecy) & John 19:34 (Fulfillment) – Pierced in the side.

Isaiah 53:9 (Prophecy) & Matthew 27:57-60 (Fulfillment) – Buried with the rich.

Psalm 16:10 (Prophecy) & Mark 16:6 (Fulfillment) – Rose from the dead.

Psalm 68:18 (Prophecy) & Mark 16:19 (Fulfillment) – Ascended into Heaven.

Isaiah 53: 12 (Prophecy) & Luke 22:37 (Fulfillment) – Bore the sins of many.

 

Additional Sources:

Yenne, Bill (2010). Alexander the Great: Lessons from History’s Undefeated General. New York City, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 99.

Grant, Michael (1970), The Roman Forum, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Photos by Werner Forman, p. 94.

Is there anything more overwhelming in this world than staring out at its seemingly endless oceans? The seas, teeming with life yet able to destroy it in moments, hug about 70 percent of the Earth’s crust. We may be able to shoot down ballistic missiles and cure disease, but there is nothing we can do to change the ocean’s tide.

Even the smallest of waves can cause great damage. Every summer growing up, my family and I would travel to Ocean City, Maryland. We would set aside one day to visit Assateague Island National Seashore, a small barrier island south of Ocean City. On one occasion, when I was around four or five, I walked along the shore with my mom looking for shells and sand crabs. Out of nowhere, a wave tackled me and began drawing me out to sea. Panic coursed through my body as I tried to stand up, but the surging waters pinned me. Disoriented, I grasped at the sifting sand trying to hold myself from the undertow’s pull. Screaming and crying, I felt my mom’s fingers clench my wrists and stop me. As she helped me back on my feet, I looked down to see my swim suit around my ankles. I quickly redressed and ran out to the dry, scorching sand. I’m still not the biggest Assateague fan.

Many vacation on beautiful shores across the globe, yet these can be the most dangerous places to settle. Nobody can stop a tidal wave or flood waters from decimating coastal cities. No piece of technology can stop a hurricane. The best course of action is still, and always will be, evacuation.

Yet when these waters are calm and the sun’s rays glisten off the glass-like waves, souls are comforted. This is why people go on YouTube and listen to hours of gentle ocean waves to rock them to sleep.

Not only do oceans offer us artistic appeal, but life in the form of a virtually endless supply of food. No scientist can confidently estimate the amount of species that inhabit the ocean’s waters. In a 2010 census of marine life, scientists estimated that somewhere between 178,000 to more than 10 million species make their home in the ocean’s shores alone. Shores were defined by the census as waters up to 65 feet in depth. Keep in mind that the deepest recorded area of the ocean is Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean measuring about 36,200 feet deep. When it comes to the ocean, there is much we have no idea about. When it come/s to the mystery of the deep, it’s one that leaves us feeling small in a big world we don’t fully understand.

The more I read through the Old Testament of the Bible, the more I see its writers reference the ocean as an object of marvel. With virtually no technology to explore the deep seas, it’s not hard to see why a people living long ago would be astonished at such a vast expanse of unknown. Yet at the same time, things only recently discovered about the ocean were impeccably described by those who could only look out and wonder.

We have the faintest idea of how many species dwell in the oceans. 178,000 to 10 million species? That’s an awful lot of variance for as small a portion of the ocean as the coastal shores comprise. Similarly, the world was shocked in 1977 when oceanographers discovered hot springs, or hydrothermal vents, along the ocean floor.

Yet in scripture, the ocean is described as having “fountains of the great deep” and “springs” in the Old testament books of Genesis, Job, and Proverbs. In addition, the ocean is written to be “teeming with creatures beyond number-living things both large and small” in Psalms. Crucial modern day scientific discoveries were already declared thousands of years ago.

As summer hits and I look forward to laying out on the beach gazing past the breakers toward the heart of the sea, I am in awe of God. He is the one who created this piece of artwork that we call Earth. He described it to us in his Word and gave us science to discover the proof of His testimony. We can stare out to sea or up to the stars and realize just how incomprehensible the greatness of God really is.

We are small in a big world. Yet through Jesus Christ, we are loved by a bigger God.

 

The following scripture was referenced throughout the blog. Check out these wonderful truths for yourself!

Genesis 7:11 – Fountains of the great deep.

Job 38:16a – Springs of the sea.

Proverbs 8:22,28 – God before creation; springs in the sea.

Psalm 104:25 – Innumerable creatures in the sea.

 

There is a part of every day when our minds are freed from the routines of life and released to wander unchartered territory. It is here where we can ponder, analyze, and evaluate. The subject matter lies beneath a dirt-like crust, waiting to be mined.

With sharpened tools and bent knees, we begin to dig. Squinting through the rising dust, our eyes lock onto a glimpse of the treasure. Though just a fragment, it is indicative of what rests below.

As beautiful as this search process is, it is frequently squandered with little deliberation. I, for one, am too often guilty of letting my truth excavation tools get rusty. If something requires genuine thought, l can sit back, consider what I already believe to know about the topic, and then carry on to less grueling cognitive activity, like TV or Fortnite.

Avoiding the big topics and hard questions can be attractive. Nobody breaks a sweat standing by idly, watching others dig. It’s easier that way. A small rock, when partially unearthed, may reveal a boulder.

Walking in pursuit of the trivial, our lives are often intruded by unwanted issues. Afforded a new opportunity to dig and discover, we shrug and walk away. A pattern of apathy is established.

It could be the death of a loved one. It could be a broken relationship. It might even be an early spring morning spent sitting in a church wondering, “When is this over?” Each presents us with an opportunity to consider if how we’ve understood things in the past is all there is to it.

When it comes to Easter, most people regardless of their worldview will agree, “No, it’s not about rabbits and eggs.” Many who celebrate tomorrow by telling their children about a mythical bunny coming in the morning to drop off candy and presents still respect the historical origins discussed in the Bible. This is as far as their search goes, though. A few particles of dirt are gently brushed aside as everyone gathers around the Easter ham posting pictures of their pastel-colored outfits on Instagram.

Yet when one digs into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we start to get a glimpse of that beautiful hidden treasure. A string of miraculous discoveries revives the soul. Religious preferences and rituals are shoveled aside with the rest of life’s distractions in exchange for the forgiveness offered by Jesus’ work on the cross. This ultimate display of God’s justice and mercy, fuels a lifelong search to know Him. One our hearts have been craving since their inception. A real relationship with the living God begins.

It’s easy to neglect life’s biggest questions and not explore for yourself. Yet by doing so, all we’ll ever encounter is more dirt. All those questions lead somewhere, as does Easter.

Start digging!

 

These scriptures inspired the construction of this blog. Check out these wonderful truths for yourself!

John 1:9-10 – God made the world, but the world does not recognize Him.

Romans 1:18-23 – Evidence for God is the creation that surrounds us, but men suppress the truth in wickedness.

Acts 14:17 – God provides.

2 Peter 3:9 – God is patient and each new day is another opportunity to turn to Him.

I hate waiting.

Whether I’m sitting in a stale doctor’s office slowly dying for the nurse to call my name or staring out blankly at the assembly of traffic stacked in front of me, waiting is my least favorite activity. Maybe it’s the northeasterner in me. I simply don’t enjoy staying in expectation of something happening.

During those times, my thoughts careen off the rails of logic and plunge into the depths of frustration. There, I can remain stuck until my view of reality is repositioned and corrected, washing me up on dry land, once again.

Derailment can happen in an instant. Yet resurfacing above the waters of impatience takes much more time.

Each day seems to bring a fresh batch of waiting. Waiting for a reply text from a friend, waiting on your sibling to get out of the bathroom so you can use it, or waiting for the water to boil so you can cook dinner. It’s an everyday part of life.

At the same time, we’re waiting for bigger things to happen. Not trivial, but majestic things. The end of evil and suffering. A warming of this cold world.

With each passing day, my blank stare turns from the traffic to the news on T.V. Story after story fill the airs waves as I anxiously await the doctor who has promised to make all things new. What is the solution to the massive issues facing our world? I’d be foolish to act as if I knew specifics, but I do know where change begins and is carried to completion.

It’s found in the one who has been waited on patiently by scores throughout the millennia. They are called blessed and are saved by their hope in Him. They testify to His faithfulness. This long-term assurance anchors their souls, alters their present lives and the condition of their surrounding communities. Yet, even those who wait patiently join in the chorus of groans belted out by creation since the beginning of time. Can’t you hear it? Watch the news, turn on the radio, have a conversation with somebody. We’re all waiting for change.

With Jesus Christ, there is change; both present and future. The core issue of this world, sin, was conquered by Jesus on the cross. He invites all us sinners to seek Him and be saved. After we do that, we are assured a heavenly dwelling with Him for eternity, where there will be no more curse of sin. Sorrow and pain are absent.

Our lives while we wait for eternity are given purpose, guidance and substance. We may still groan while we wait, but it isn’t without hope. The day will come when Jesus will make all things new, as He said He would.

I’ll happily wait for Him. Join me.

 

The following scripture was referenced throughout the blog. Check out these wonderful truths for yourself!

Psalm 40:1 – Waiting patiently, He answers.

Psalm 130:5 – A soul wait.

Isaiah 30:18 – Blessed are all who wait for Him!

Romans 8:25 – We don’t yet have, so we wait patiently.

Romans 8:22 – Creation moaning.

Romans 8:24 – This hope saves us.

Revelation 21:4 – No more pain or sorrow in Heaven.

Revelation 22:3 – No more curse in Heaven.