Adapting to the Environment

State and local governments have tried a lot of things to keep their citizens at a social distance. Just for fun, I wanted to share an amusing story. This is from the May 23 edition of World Magazine.

Government officials trying to crack down on socializing amid social distancing orders came up with a plan to shut down activity in a local skate park: fill it with sand. Officials in San Clemente, Calif., directed workers to pile 37 tons of sand onto Ralph's Skate Court in April. The move worked at first, driving away skateboarders. But then, dirt bike enthusiasts showed up to enjoy the sand and exposed ramps. Dirt biker Connor Ericsson said he and his friends enjoyed using the ramps to jump their bikes on April 19, but then stayed to manually sweep the park clean for skateboarders.

Let the good times roll!!

Pride

This post includes more words of wisdom from R. L. Dabney on pride:

Pride is often spoken of as "aspiring," "lofty," and humility as "lowly." Every proud man, I suppose, fancies that his elation is elevating him. He speaks of "looking down" on others. Let us consider. We have seen that pride and humility are comparative emotions. Pride is incited by the comparison between ourselves and our inferiors; humility, by the comparison between ourselves and those felt to be our superiors. This is unquestionable. It follows, then, that the proud spirit must be habitually conversant with things meaner than itself, and the humble with things nobler than itself. But we always tend to be assimilated to what our vision dwells on. Thus we learn that pride is the groveling, the degrading temper, and humility the exalting one. Pride is the vulture which may exult in sailing a little above the treetops, because its eye is fixed on the earth and the foul garbage with which it desires to glut itself, while it becomes foul itself and loathsome as its food. Humility is the eagle soaring into the upper sky, yet never judging itself to have risen high, because its eye is fixed upon the distant sun.

If we want to temper our pride we must focus our hearts and minds what is greater and nobler than ourselves. While this may lead to idolatry, it can never do so if the greater and nobler one is Jesus Christ.

God is Not a Good Luck Charm

The following is from a devotional I'm reading with my wife. I've referenced it before in this blog: The Story: The Bible's Grand Narrative of Redemption by Jon Nielson. This is an excellent reading on how our faith has to be sincere; being "religious" carries no weight with God. The devotional is based on 1 Samuel 4.

Following the call of Samuel, we immediately plunge into a battle scene in chapter 4. We see the Israelites against their archrivals, the Philistines. The first skirmish doesn't go very well for the Israelites. The people wonder why God has allowed the wicked Philistines to defeat them in battle. They do no know that this is all happening in accordance with God's Word - spoken through Samuel - about his judgment on the wicked sons of Eli.

The priests and people decide to bring out the ark of the covenant and march it in front of them into battle so that they will achieve victory. Now you may remember that the ark of the covenant was the symbol of God's presence with his people; it was located in the holy place of worship. But the ark was just that - a symbol. God's people, as we can see from this action, have decided to use the ark of the covenant as a good luck charm for battle. They are, essentially, seeking to use God, rather than live in submission and worship to him.

Marching out this symbol of God's presence did not change the fact that the real God behind the ark was intent on judging his people for the grievous sin of the priests, Hophni and Phineas. The chapter ends with great sadness as Eli dies, essentially from shock, when he hears the news of the death of his sons and the Philistine's capture of the ark.

The Israelites need to be reminded that God did not live in the ark! God cannot be contained by any religious charm or symbol, and he will not be wheeled out by his people for their own personal use. God is holy, mighty, and just, and he demands obedience, repentance, and holiness from his people. No religious ritual could deter God's righteous anger against the sin of these wicked men who had abused their position, damaged God's people, and rebelled against his Word.

Are there religious rituals or "good luck charms" - prayers, church attendance, devotions - that you privately think will help you get in good with God? Friend, God will not be used. He doesn't want us to use him for our purposes; he wants us to repent of our sins, turn to him, and follow him and his good purposes. Pray today that you would not use God, but that you would humbly make yourself totally available to him and obedient to his good purposes for you in Christ.

Knowledge Should Lead to Humility

"The man of extensive learning knows how much remains in the vast realms of science to be yet learned; and, comparing himself with these wider reaches of knowledge, he is humble." - R. L. Dabney

The Wonder of It All

As I mentioned, I'm reading through a book by R.L. Dabney, The Practical Philosophy. He offers a perspective on the ordinary, the things we take for granted in life and rarely think about. In this section, he discusses the nature of wonder and curiosity, and how that functions in this life and what it may look like when Christ's kingdom comes in its fullness.

Wonder is the great awakener of the attention, and attention is the condition of clear knowledge. Curiosity is evidently placed in our spirits as the stimulus to inquiry, the spur to wholesome and useful mental activities. The benevolence of the Creator is also seen in His making the stimulus not an importunate [annoyance], but a pleasant one. Wonder is the source of a great fund of innocent enjoyment, which is as healthful for the mind as the pure air is for the lungs. Doubtless one of the great pleasures of Heaven will be wonder. The happy occupation of immortality will be the exercise of curiosity in exploring the marvels there presented to our knowledge. It may be at first glance supposed that, as novelty in objects is the condition of our wonder, one result of the acquisition of knowledge will be to diminish our capabilities for wonder; that, as we learn more and more, there will remain fewer and fewer objects capable of administering to our curiosity. This may afford us a very good probable argument to show that this finite life and world of ours do not constitute the whole of man's destiny. The wonders of terrestrial nature have novelty enough to employ our curiosity at least during our threescore years and ten. When we pass into a wider sphere, we shall have for studies the whole universe, which is practically illimitable, and the perfection and ways of the Infinite Maker and Ruler. The appetite is immortal, but the banquet spread before it is inexhaustible.

Does not this analysis of this feeling tell us by Nature's loudest voice that we are all designed to see this knowledge? Here is the proper scope of our being. Ignorance is our greatest opprobrium next to vice, and next to the pursuit of virtue the pursuit of true knowledge is the chief honor and blessing of our nature.

Dabney's observations remind me of C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy with its sense of exploration and wonder.

Some people have asked, "Won't we get bored in heaven just singing and praising God all day?" Well, no. I don't think we would get bored doing that, but I also thing that when his kingdom comes in its fullness, we will be doing more. Learning all the time. We will still be exploring, perhaps flying to other planets and solar systems ("Let's go to Mars today!"). From Earth, we can only see a tiny fraction of the world that God created. Some day, we'll be able to explore it all and everyday, it will fill us with wonder.

COVID Comforts

With almost all of us stuck in doors, many are growing beards and, perhaps, letting them grow long and shaggy. I know I am.

I was looking for a product to help soften the old beard and minimize the itching. I poked around on the web and found this company:

https://www.onedtq.com/

It's run by a husband and wife team out of Brooklyn, NY. They have a few products; I chose this one:

https://www.onedtq.com/collections/itchy-beard/products/itchy-beard-wash

I really like it and so does my wife. It has a nice, calming smell and a little goes a long way to suds up your beard. Put a nickel size amount in your hand, rub your hands together, and massage it into your beard. Let it sit for about 20 seconds and wash it out. Real nice.

I liked it so much, I bought the matching beard oil and the special boars hair brush. Should be here any day now!

So, if COVID-19 has got you down, do yourself a favor and take care of your beard. You'll feel a little better!

Daniel's Faith

I'm reading through the book of Daniel. Most experts agree that the book was actually written by Daniel and I think he is a good writer. While all the books of the Bible are inerrant and written by humans under the influence of the Holy Spirit, it seems that some of those humans were better writers than others! Maybe his education in Babylon helped in this area, but, in any case, I appreciate his clarity and phrasing.

I also appreciate Daniel's devotion to the Lord. Before he interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter 2, Daniel blesses his God. He's so sure, so confident of who God is and what He is capable of doing. I hope and pray for that rock solid faith for myself someday:

Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the king's matter.”