Years and Days

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

May God abundantly bless you in this new year, and remember that our number of years on this planet are miniscule in comparison to the eternity that we will spend with our Lord.

2 Peter 3:8 (TNIV)

As One Year Becomes Another

"A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."

Psalm 90:4 (TNIV)

A Child Is Born

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6 (TNIV)

Good News Of Great Joy

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.'"

Luke 2:8-11 (TNIV)

Your Own Poets

In Acts 17, Paul is in Athens, at Mars Hill, telling Jews, God-fearing Greeks, Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, and other foreigners and men of Athens all about Jesus Christ, his resurrection, and the God who made the world and everything in it. Paul tells his listeners how from one man God made every nation, so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him. In Acts 17:28 (NIV), Paul says, "For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"

What is fascinating about this verse is that Paul uses Greek secular culture to evangelize to the Athenians. He quotes their own non-Christ-following poets as a means to drive home his point about God. This is a good lesson for us today. We should not be afraid to leverage today's popular culture and media as a means to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ. It is possible to do this and still be in the world but not of the world. It goes more toward the point of reaching people where they are, and understanding where they are coming from, and how their mindset and worldview is shaped, so as to be able to be more effective in reaching them. Paul did it effectively in Athens, and we have the opportunity to do it effectively today.

All She Had

Luke 21:1-4 (TNIV) shows us what true giving - true, sacrificial giving - is all about. It is the story of the widow's offering: "As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'"

It's easy to be generous when you have a lot. It's easy to tithe when you still have a lot left over in your bank account. But it's hard to do so when you're facing a financial storm in your life, when you have more bills than money, when the landlord is banging on the door, when the electric company is threatening to cut service, when your kids are seated at an empty table, waiting to be fed, and you have no idea where the food is going to come from.

It is during these times that we need to follow the example of the widow with her two very small copper coins. She had nothing left but these two little coins - and she put them both in the temple treasury. She had a small amount of money, but a giant amount of faith. She believed that her heavenly father would provide for her, even as she left the temple with absolutely nothing in her pocket.

It is during these times that God will be measuring your faith. Do you walk the walk, or do you just talk the talk? When the going gets tough, do you keep tithing faithfully and out of obedience to Him, or do you push your money a little further down into your pocket, justifying that you need it more than God does? You need to remember that it's all His to begin with.

Remember the example of the widow when you are in financial distress and are tempted to not tithe or to not be generous. God always sees your obedience, your generosity, your faith, and your reliance on Him. Give Him your two very small copper coins - all that you have to live on - and watch what very big blessings arrive in your life. God does big things for people who give very small coins.

Lions

"My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight." That's what Daniel 6:22 (TNIV) says. It was Daniel's response to King Darius when the king went to see whether or not God had saved Daniel from the jaws of a den full of famished lions.

Who and/or what are the "lions" in your life? Who and/or what are the circumstances in your life that threaten to destroy you and devour you? Maybe you feel them as they prowl around you, and you are fearful that destruction and death are imminent. But remember this: you are not alone in the lions' den. God is there with you, ready to shut the mouths of whatever "lions" are circling around you, ready to attack.

Trust God to shut the mouths of the "lions" in your life, whoever or whatever they may be.