THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY!

 

Saturday, November 29, 2025

 

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY!

 

1 Cor 13:11-12

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

 

It is believed that mirrors made of metal-backed glass was first produced in Lebanon in the first century AD. The Romans also made crude mirrors from blown glass with lead backings, but the grinding and silvering of glass are modern inventions. Some believe that Paul is not referring to a mirror at all but rather a crude telescope by which one might see beyond the normal range of human vision. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a telescope that could not only improve our vision of things far away but of things in the future?

 

In the strictest sense, Paul was talking about the infancy of revealed truth. The Bible, as we now know it, was, at that time, incomplete and quite scattered among many smaller writings. Scholars had not yet assembled them and sorted them for accuracy and inspiration. There was no Canon! Paul’s understanding was like looking through a distorted glass. Oh, what Paul wouldn’t have given for a copy of one of our Bibles!

 

We are approaching the ending of one year and the beginning of another. We see things without clarity. Our view is distorted by the influence of others. Truth, as it is reported, seems to be a matter of interpretation and opinion. Often, we must choose sides. We see through the glass darkly. The word “darkly” is the Greek words en ‎‎ainigmati‎ which means "In a riddle."

 

Eccl 10:14

14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

 

Dear Lord, our eyes fail, and we see distorted images of truth twisted by circumstance and the influence of others who would change truth into something else. Our future is clouded but hopeful because we have a sure Shepherd who knows the way. AMEN

 

GIVING THANKS

 

Thursday, November 27, 2025

 

GIVING THANKS

 

Psa. 116:12-14

12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

 

Psa_4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

 

What can I give to a God who owns everything? The verse above suggests two very lovely gifts for any occasion.

 

1. THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!

 

The Hebrew for “righteousness” is tsedeq and means that which is morally and legally right. This is not the righteousness we get FROM God but the moral and legal righteousness we give TO God. It means that God wants me to make right decisions, have right attitudes and that my heart should be right as well.

 

The Psalmist recognizes “doing right” to be a sacrifice, literally “a slaughter.” It indicates that doing right is not natural for fallen man. It requires something from man and limits at least his freedom to do wrong.

 

The whole idea is to slaughter my “right” to self-expression and self-motivation and to do those things that are well pleasing to God. It may require extra effort on my part, or it may require me to lose something I value. I willingly sacrifice those things as part of my gift to God.

 

2. THE GIFT OF TRUST!

 

The word batach which is the basis for “put your trust in the Lord” is not as easily understood. It means to confide in, to flee for refuge, and to rest without suspecting danger. It means to rely so fully in the Lord’s guardianship that I can sleep through a storm. It is, after all, the same kind of trust Jesus placed in the Father.

 

Mark 4:37-40

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

 

Dear Lord, on this Thanksgiving Day, I offer you two gifts that are not easy for me to give up. First, I offer the gift of doing right. Next, I offer my complete trust and confidence in you no matter that the storm that may rage around me. AMEN

 

THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART!

 

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

 

THANKSGIVING BEGINS IN THE HEART!

 

Ps 116:12-14

12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord .

14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

 

Luke 17:12-17

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

 

          The word “render” as it is used in Psalm chapter 116 and verse 12 is the Hebrew word shuwb and literally means “to turn back” with the idea of “returning to the starting point.” This is perfectly illustrated in Luke 17:15 where we find only one of ten lepers returning to give thanks for his healing. Ninety percent displayed no thanks.

 

          The plain fact is that no one can force you to be thankful! You either are thankful, or you are not. Our parents taught us to say a simple table grace. This introduced to our young minds the concept of thanksgiving. If someone were nice to us or gave us candy, mother would always ask: “Now what do we say?” The answer, of course, was “Thank you.” But even mother could not make us truly thankful. She could only teach us the actions of thanksgiving.

 

          When we receive benefits for which we did not have to work, it should make us grateful. However, it is also possible to begin to think of these benefits as entitlements. We think someone else owes us all these things and we become like pouting spoiled children who throw their toys and pick at their food. Good things are greedily gobbled up without thanks.

 

          Thanksgiving always causes us to turn back and sometimes to return to the starting point. We begin to consider our true self-worth and how little we deserve. When we make lists, they are not wish lists but lists of blessings already received. We look around and observe a bounty that is not only sufficient but enough to share. Thankful people are always giving people.

 

          I was born on Thanksgiving Day 1946. It’s true! I have been told that the timing of my arrival interrupted the doctor’s dinner, but this did not make me a thankful person. No, I am thankful because of an event that happened many years before on a lonely hill in Jerusalem. On that hill the Son of God hung on a cross and paid my sin-debt. I didn’t deserve it, and certainly was not entitled to it, but God adopted me into His family because of the sacrifice of His Son. Since that day, because my Father is a great king, I have lived like a prince!

 

Dear Father, you have lavished upon me great gifts and privileges. Lord give me one more thing. Give me a thankful heart. AMEN

 

WAITING LIKE A FARMER!

 

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

 

Yes, it’s a classic.

 

WAITING LIKE A FARMER!

 

James 5:7-8

7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman [farmer] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

 

          Picture a local coffee shop very early in the morning. One old farmer has just arrived and jingles the bell as he gently closes the door behind him. He is dressed in overalls, flannel shirt, work boots and an oily John Deer cap. He joins a group of other farmers in the corner where two tables have been pushed together. The smell of coffee is in the air. Yonder comes the waitress with a smile and a fresh mug. She doesn’t ask but simply pours the mug full of black steaming brew.

 

          All these men are working! What looks like a lazy interruption of the farmers’ work is actually the hard job of waiting. All these farmers know that once their work is done the rest is up to God. The soil has been plowed, and the seed has been sown. Now they settle down to pray for rain and to exercise patience. God is now actively working because no farmer can control the weather. Too much rain can rot the crop, and too much sun can burn it. An early frost can be devastating. Yes, all these men are working hard at talking, drinking coffee, and waiting.

 

          James pictures the Christian as a spiritual farmer. There are seasons to the spiritual life and sometimes it appears that nothing is being done. This is the season that requires patience. It is a time to repair and sharpen the equipment and to sit with others and hope over a cup of coffee.

 

          Here, then, is the secret to endurance. We need to remember that God is trying to produce a harvest of spiritual fruit in our lives. Seeds of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness and faith” are beginning to sprout in us. Trials and troubles are sometimes needed for the harvest. So, grab a mug of patience, with a side order of hope, and take a seat at the table of waiting.

 

Dear Lord, the signs of harvest are all around us. Help us as we exercise the hard work of patience. AMEN

 

THE BLESSING!

 

Sunday, November 23, 2025

 

The following story is a “Classic” which means you might have seen it before. It is one of my favorites because it really happened to me on a blustery early winter day just before Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy it and that it prompts you to think about the strangers you may meet today.

 

THE BLESSING!

 

Gal 6:10

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 

          My wife and I had gone to Wichita Falls on some business and inevitably we always visit Hobby Lobby and Mardel’s Christian store. The day was blustery with suddenly cold temperatures and freezing rain. While Irene was at Hobby Lobby, I took refuge in Mardel’s and poured myself a cup of free coffee. I was sitting near the front of the store, in a comfortable chair next to the Christmas tree, when I observed a curious thing.

 

          A man entered the store wearing a green parka with the hood pulled up over his head. He was soaked! He carried a black trash bag with mysterious contents. He asked if there was a bathroom and was directed to the back of the store. Then he asked if he could leave his parcel with the clerk near the register. Always accommodating, the clerk told him he could leave his burden with her while he went to the bathroom.

 

          Now, I’m watching all this and thinking that this could be a bomb! Then I dismissed that notion because a bomber would not leave a bomb and then retreat into the building and not from it. While I continued to sip my coffee and ponder, the man returned to retrieve his package.

 

          The clerk offered the man some coffee and he eagerly and gratefully accepted. He walked over to the coffee pot and took a seat next to me. I noticed that he did not fit the homeless model. He was young, clean, and had recently shaved. He had a nice smile and a military haircut. I asked him if he was in the military because Sheppard Air Force base is in Wichita Falls. He answered that he was a Marine. Marines never talk of their service as “former.” I was prompted to speak to him of his salvation, but he said something that stopped me.

 

          He said: “The Lord has been blessing me all day long!” He said this with a smile that nearly glowed. He then told me that he lived in an apartment near Wal-Mart.  I knew that this apartment was a considerable distance to walk and thought I might offer him a ride home. He stopped that thought by saying he had a few stops along the way. There was something about this young man that made you want to help him even though he asked for little.

 

          Then the blessing happened! Another clerk came from the rear of the store with an old golf umbrella. While it was a bit dirty, it was solid. She apologized for its condition and explained that it had been left at the store by a customer. His face lit up with understanding and thanksgiving. I remembered what he had said to me: “The Lord has been blessing me all day long!” Then I thought of a Bible verse …

 

Heb 13:2

2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for there by some have entertained angels unawares.

 

Dear Lord, today may bring opportunities to do good and be a blessing. Don’t let me overlook these. AMEN

 

NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!

 

Saturday, November 22, 2025

 

NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!

 

Eph 6:11-13

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

          A full suite of armor stands just outside the door of a knife store in our local mall. It is shiny, looks heavy, and has a price tag of over $3,000 dollars! It is built for a fight.

 

          The Devil never takes no for an answer! We can never declare ourselves the complete victor because he never gives up. Our personal struggle will continue until this life is over even though we are assured of a victory at the end. We can never relax our guard against him.

 

          Jesus is the captain of our salvation according to Hebrews 2:10. The word captain is the Greek word archegos which means “a chief leader.” He is the one who will put the enemy to flight. Our own safety requires that we follow Him closely and never venture too far from His leadership.

 

Rom 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Lord, today we venture forth, clanging our armor with us. We are both cautious and confident because you are our great Captain. AMEN

 

CAPTURED BY HIS LOVE AND MERCY!

 

Friday, November 21, 2025

 

CAPTURED BY HIS LOVE AND MERCY!

 

Ps 139:1-5

139:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

 

          This is a powerful image! In fact, my mind pictures a laboratory rat caught in a maze. He is led inescapably to a destination known only by his captor. In this case, however, the captor is not a tormentor but a benevolent guard and guide. He is the Lord of Glory! He is the Creator and sustainer of the universe. His ways are above our ways. As the 6^th verse says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

 

          I have often struggled to find a way out of His will because I think it to be in error. Surely, He can’t want me to endure what I am currently enduring! Problems press in on the left and troubles join upon my right hand. I can’t go back, and I can’t climb up. The only way left to me is forward to the fearful unknown. I do not perceive his love and mercy until I reach the appointed place of peace. It is then I see His handiwork and understand His protection and provision.

 

All The Way My Savior Leads Me

By Fanny Crosby

 

All the way my Savior leads me

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate'er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate'er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

 

Dear Lord, forgive my struggle against your efforts to lead me. I am ignorant of what is best for me and too foolish to submit. I have learned that your way is best but learning that has not been easy nor is it easy yet. Thank you for trapping me in your love and mercy. AMEN