Singular

Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

     There are so many things that are of value in our world, things worth living for and things worth dying for. With the role of advertising psychology ever increasingly being used in our world to tap into the motivation of consumers, we need to be able to sort through the messages and make good decisions.
     The key is to look beyond the moment, both to the past and to the future, and evaluate the offer based on history and destiny.
    We can read about this kind of "looking beyond the moment" experience in the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy 13 there is a warning about following after foreign gods as the people are preparing to enter the Promised Land.
     The first part of the warning has to deal with the present moment, a false prophet who is able to bring the razzle dazzle of foretelling the future as a way to get the people of God to be distracted. The distract of the present moment pulls us away from the lessons of the past and separates us from the promises of the future.
     There was a calling away from remembering the history the LORD had with His people. "Ignore the miracles associated with the Exodus. Here is a miracle right here. Run after it."
     And there is a glossing over the promises of the future of blessing for the immediate return of the present.
     It can be hard to balance the history of our past and the blessings of the promised future. We can get so wrapped up in the razzle dazzle of the moment that we loose our minds and hearts. So as we walk through this Lenton season, let's keep our eyes focused on the history of faithfulness demonstrated by the LORD and the promise of our future completed redemption. Notice the present, but don't get deceived by it.
    

Lent

     With the Lenten season starting today, I would like to propose a different way of thinking about it.
     So often we have heard that Lent involves giving up something in order to get closer to the LORD, say 'no' to our own desires and 'yes' to His. We simplify our lives in order to hear God's voice more clearly.
     But Lent, and life itself, is about us living below the blessing level that the LORD has provided. We are always living less than His design. Ever since that first fruit grab, and our subsequent exit from God's Garden, we have lived below our design.
     Think about driving down the road with two flat tires. It works. You can get places. But it is not the way cars were designed to be used.
     So during this Lenton season, don't think so much about what you are giving up, but about what you are gaining by living more in line with His will, more fully embracing His design for your life.
     Notice, for instance your need for food and the blessing food is in our lives. Clean water. Relative safety. The blessing of friendship. The joys of giving. The fulfillment of self-sacrifice. The lessons of suffering. The pain of being alone. Notice these things and hear the message of our Savior.
     Jesus provided for our restoration to full relationship with each other and with Him. And yet we don't live in this reality. We are already saved, set apart for His glory, and seated with Him in heavenly places. And yet we don't seem to experience this in the reality of our lives.
     So take this time to experience a little bit more of His design for our lives. Enjoy!