Author: moremarsh

The Book of Job

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The book of Job has been really intriguing to me recently. If you haven’t read this book before, or haven’t read it in a long time, here’s a quick summary. Job is a righteous man. He knows and loves God, and God actually says that he is “blameless and upright.” Job also has a lot of wealth. He has sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, servants, houses, and children. It seems like Job has it all! From here, we see Satan and God engage in a conversation, where God allows Satan to essentially curse Job. Job begins to lose everything… his animals, his houses, and even his children. Job’s health is also attacked and yet, in it all, he does not curse God. Several of Job’s friends speak into his suffering, trying to explain why this suffering is taking place. And for the most part, they believe he is suffering because of a sin he has committed. (There is a lot of dialogue here in the middle, and it’s important, but I will let you go read these interactions on your own.) Eventually, Job and God have a conversation where God reminds Job that he is not God. God affirms his own wisdom, justice, and sovereignty. And at the end of the book, God gives Job more than he started with!

As I have studied this book, a few things have stood out. First, as the reader, we know that Job has done nothing wrong or sinful to deserve what is happening to him, yet even at the end of the book, God does not explain to Job exactly why all of this suffering has happened. This reminds me that I won’t always know everything that God is doing or why certain things are happening or are not happening. And God does not owe me an explanation. Job is a really good example of living with integrity and faith. Job is tempted many times to curse God and yet, he continued to trust God and do what is right, even in the midst of the greatest suffering he has ever experienced!

Second, the book is not really trying to show that Job was righteous, we know that already. Instead, the book is pointing to the way to deal with suffering and how to hold suffering in line with a good, righteous, just, and wise God.

God’s wisdom is beyond any human wisdom. Therefore, we can trust that God is the one who does exactly what is right, in the right way, at the right time, to the right extent…always. This is what it means for God to be wise and to act in wisdom. And with this wisdom, God also acts with perfect justice. It is only because God is fully wise that he can act in perfect justice. “His justice must be deduced from his wisdom.” (Hill & Walton) We cannot fully understand God’s justice because we cannot fully understand his wisdom. God’s wisdom and justice go hand-in-hand.

God’s justice is vindicated, not by identifying a “legitamate” cause for suffering, but by demonstrating his great wisdom.

A Survey of the Old Testament by Hill & Walton

So if you are suffering, I pray that the story of Job would encourage you. We will not always know the cause of our suffering, but we can trust in a fully wise and sovereign God. God knows your pain, your hurts, your sufferings, your longings, your disappointments, your unmet desires, your heartbreak, your loss. God knows it all because he is fully wise and all-knowing. And in the midst of all of this hurt, God is still working. We may never know why certain things happen or don’t happen, and God doesn’t owe us any kind of explanation for any of it. But, I find comfort and rest in the fact that we have a God who knows us fully and loves us completely. And he does what is best, every time. I pray you can find that comfort too.

Citation: A Survey of the Old Testament by Andrew Hill & John H. Walton. Zondervan 2009.

The Pool.

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After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

John 5:1-9 (ESV)

This story get me every time. Let’s just recap this story and try to imagine what this would have been like. The man Jesus went to go see had been there for 38 years and had put all of his hope in getting into the water to be healed. Jesus saw him and he knew he had been there for a long time, and then asks the man, “Do you want to be healed?”

I can imagine the man thinking, “Well yeah! That’s why I’m here! Obviously, I want to be healed!” I’ve always thought that was a strange question for Jesus to ask a man who lived by healing waters in simple hopes that he would one day be the first in the pool to be healed. This was his reality for the majority of his life.

Anyways, the man explained his situation to Jesus in hopes that he will stay around and carry him in. He was essentially saying, “Will you carry me into the water?” The man misunderstood what Jesus was offering him. And I can imagine Jesus simply shaking his head, “no” and looking at the man with kind and compassionate eyes.

Jesus doesn’t look at the man and ask him if he wants help getting into the water. He doesn’t come to him and tell him he will carry him into the waters. He doesn’t even ask him if he knows that he is Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus is simply not in the business of helping us get things our way.

That is where I break in the story every time.

All this man wanted was to be put into the water so he could be healed. He did want to be healed but he had a limited understanding of healing, believing the only way he could be healed was through this water.

Yet Jesus said no because he had something better in mind. He knew that the waters would not truly heal this man. Jesus knew true healing would only come through him.

So he kindly spoke to the man. And instead of responding to him with “Well, I will take you to the waters” or “My disciples here will carry you to the waters” he says, “Get up, take your bed, and walk!” Jesus healed this man because He is God!

This man is told to get up, something he has never done, and to take his bed and walk. This is an indication that he is not to return to this life, he is not to return to this place to sleep. He has been healed and everything has changed!

And this is how we should be when we trust in Jesus. Everything should change. We are a new person. We have a new purpose. And we have a new hope. The man didn’t even know Jesus’ name and yet he was healed by him. 

God is kind to not give us everything we want. And he is kind to give us the things we want in ways we don’t expect. This is hard to admit though because I often feel like it is not kind when he withholds things from me or has another plan. I believe that my plans are the best and struggle to trust God in the unknowns. Yet, this simple story reminded me that sometimes God withholds things from us that seem good to us because he has something better in mind. In this story, I see Jesus withholding healing the way the man imagined being healed in order to show this man who he truly was. This was far better for the man and it is far better for us as well.

So today, I encourage you to run to Jesus with all of your trust and hope. He may not give you what you want, or he may give you what you want in another way, but we can trust that he is a good and faithful God through it all. Only in Jesus is true healing found.

2021 Book List

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Well, I didn’t get around to writing very many book reviews this year on my blog, but I did keep track of the books I read! Here’s my 2021 list of books completed this year! It includes a lot of books for my seminary classes and books that follow along with my job, but there are a few fun ones scattered throughout. These books are in no particular order!

  • Humility (CJ Mahaney)
  • Outdated (Jonathan “JP” Pokluda)
  • Deeper (Dane Ortlund)
  • Daring to Hope (Katie Davis Majors)
  • God Dwells Among Us (G. K. Beale & Mitchell Kim)
  • Chasing Love (Sean McDowell)
  • Pursuing Peace (Robert D. Jones)
  • Christ-Centered Worship (Bryan Chapel)
  • How Does Sanctification Work (David Powlison)
  • Rhythms of Grace (Mike Cosper)
  • Instruments in the Redeemers Hands (Paul David Tripp)
  • Perspectives of Christian Worship (Pinsen)
  • How People Change (Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp)
  • When the Church was a Family (Joesph H. Hellerman)
  • Perspectives on Family Ministry (Timothy Paul Jones)
  • The Pastor and Counselor (Pierre & Reju)
  • The Last Battle (CS Lewis)
  • Not Yet Married (Marshall Segal)
  • 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask and Answer About Christianity (Rebecca McLaughlin)
  • Embodied (Preston Sprinkle)
  • The Common Rule (Justin Whitmel Earley)

Comment below with books you have also read and enjoyed or new books I should check out!

Never Forget

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I was in third grade when 9/11 happened. It’s a day I will never forget and I pray our nation never forgets it either.

I don’t remember everything, I was only 8, but here’s what I do remember. I remember getting ready to go to school, like any average third grade kid…brushing the knots out of my hair, eating a bowl of cereal, and packing up my backpack. I remember that my mom typically had the news station turned on and that day was no different. I remember my mom telling me and my brother that something bad had just happened in our country. I don’t remember when I first saw the footage of the planes, maybe it was at home or maybe it was at school, but either way, I remember watching the plane crash into the first twin tower and thinking, “How could this happen!” I remember that many of my classmates didn’t come into school that day, and it had been a conversation with my mom about if we should go or not. (Living in mountain time meant everything with the attack took place primarily before school began that day.) I remember going to school and sitting in class, as our teachers watched the news with teary eyes and a classroom of kids who were simply trying to make sense of the havoc that was happening. I remember the devastation of watching the second tower get hit. I remember the sadness, heartache, and disbelief I felt as I watch the tower fall, knowing there were lives in that building that could not be saved. (That memory is the one that always gets me right in the gut.) I remember thinking that day: “How could a good God let this happen?” and “What kind of people would fly airplanes into buildings?” and “Am I safe?” and “Will those people live who were in the buildings or the planes?” I remember hearing stories for weeks, and even years, after about heroic efforts to save lives. I remember seeing the bumper stickers with the American flag saying “God Bless America” for years after this day. I remember praying to God for the safety of our nation as our world changed in a single day.

I don’t know if many people think about the impact 9/11 had on the elementary kids of 2001, but that is a day I will never forget. It’s a day I won’t forget, not just because of the tragic events of the day, the thousands of lives lost, or the pure chaos and devastation. (Those are all things to be remembered and the lives themselves deserve a whole post and more!)

But to me, it’s more than that. It’s a day I will always remember because on that day, I remember, as a third grade student, seeing a country unite around one thing. I saw a country that was united in grief. I saw a country who, even with all the different backgrounds and political agendas, was united for a moment as we grieved the loss of thousands of lives and an attack on our freedom. This is the day that made me love my country and love the people who fight for our country and my freedom. It was a day that made me really consider what freedom and being an American mean.

So today, twenty years later, I remember. I remember the lives that have been given up for my freedom. I remember the lives that were taken that terrible day. I remember the pain and the hurt we all felt that day and for years to come as we remember 9/11. I remember the unity we found as a country who grieved together. I remember that God is always in control. I remember that this is not how it’s supposed to be.

Today, I remember with hope.

I have hope in a God who is good, faithful, and true…

…in a God who always does what He says He will do…

...in a God who will return and make all things new.

I have hope.

This is a sure and steady hope… a steadfast hope. This is a hope in a God who is just, good, gracious, loving, compassionate, and more. This is hope in a God who is with us in our pain, sees us in our suffering and loss, fights for us and with us, and was also heartbroken over that tragic day.

So even though today, the twenty year mark to a day that changed our nation and our world, we might grieve and mourn over the loss that occurred, we can grieve with hope.

[4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. [15] For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words. (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Wilderness.

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There was a time in my life when I felt abandoned, forgotten, and invisible. It was a series of events which led me to this place. This place was lonely and desolate. It was a wilderness. I felt surrounded by lies, false realities, loneliness, and sadness. 

And yet, in this place I met Jesus.

This was the hardest and driest season of my life. BUT GOD. He was with me in my wilderness. And each day, I remember coming to him…

Weak.

Frail.

Hopeless.

Needy.

Hungry.

Alone. 

Sad.

I remember coming to him because in his presence was the only place I felt true peace. In his presence I felt like I could breath again. In his presence I could finally rest. 

And day by day, as I came to Jesus for renewal, for life, and for daily sustenance…

He restored my heart.

He lifted my head.

He strengthened my lungs.

He gave me purpose. 

And then, one day, through the encouragement of some co-workers, I felt the Lord say, “Daughter, I see you. I care for you. I love you.” 

And when someone says they see you, and they really do see you for all that you are, both good and bad, both beautiful and ugly, both success and failure… you believe them, and you trust that their love for you is real. 

So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”

Genesis 16:13 (ESV)

That day, I felt the love of God pour out on me, giving me new strength to stand, and new joy to live into! I felt like I could finally breath again as the Lord picked me up out of my wilderness. 

And now, although I am fearful of going back into a time of wilderness, I know, without a doubt, that if that is where the Lord is, then that is where I want to go. Yes, even back into the hard, the lonely, the frail, the helpless…because I know that God will sustain me with everything I need.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)

Today, maybe you need to be reminded of God’s presence, his care, his compassion. Maybe you need to hear, “I see you. I am with you.” And maybe you need to be reminded, as do I, that wherever the Lord is, that place is far better than any other place or situation void of him. 

So run to him. He will care for you and give you strength to stand and help you breath again. He is a good good Father, who deeply cares for his kids. I know this love, but do you? 

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Psalm 86:15 (ESV)

Rawah Wilderness Backpacking Trip

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My first full backpacking trip was to Northern Colorado in the Rawah Wilderness. This area is beautiful and scenic, with lots of opportunity to see wildlife and wild flowers! …although we sadly did not see any moose this trip like we hoped to see…

Anyways, we drove up to Tunnels campsite on Wednesday to spend the night before our big trip beginning the next morning. (Note to self: bring $22 in cash or find another place to camp next time…) But it was nice to have a real fire pit, water, and a bathroom (which smelled like cinnamon) the night before we started the trip!

Thursday morning we started our adventure! We began hiking around 9am. The first day was a pretty decent uphill climb to Twin Crater Lakes. We had to cross several rivers and go over, under, and around dozens of fallen trees. Both of these tasks proved extra difficult with the added weight of a pack, but we finally made it to the lakes around 2:30pm. The last mile or so was the steepest part and I ended up doing it in sandals because I had taken off my boots to cross a river and then never put my boots back on. The lakes were beautiful!! We saw a bald eagle near the lakes and spent a good amount of time refilling water and resting by this insanely majestic place!

The only unfortunate part was that we couldn’t camp at these lakes for a few reasons. First, we were above the trees so there was not much shelter from wind or rain. Second, we couldn’t have a fire above the alpine line. And third, the mosquitoes were INSANE. That last one was true every we went, but around the water they were much worse. So, after enjoying the lakes and views for a while, we headed back down and found a nice campground that another group had left. It was a great spot, close to the river and sheltered in the trees, for our first night on the trail!

The next morning, we headed out around 9am again. It took us about 1.5 hours each day to pack up everything and eat breakfast. This day was my favorite! We had a mix of uphill and downhill hiking, but the best part was going over the tree-line again! There is something I love about the feeling of being on top of the world that I will simply never get over. It was an insanely beautiful view and we got to pass several lakes this day as well! We jumped in one of them and it was amazing! …and cold!

We got to Upper Camp Lake around 2pm on Friday and found a place to camp. Since it was a lot more downhill this day than the previous day, we had gone faster which meant our legs and feet were super tired! The first site that we saw, we took, and then another group came in behind us about 30 minutes later. We were thankful we had a great spot with a good view. …But… the mosquitoes were UNREAL. So we packed up and moved further up the trail. This ended up being the right choice because the view from the top of the hill overlooked the lake (see picture below) and was way less “mosquito-y” …which was our main goal.

We enjoyed a longer day at camp this day, but also had to go get water at the lake several times. This was a whole situation as we had to hike through marshy grounds to get to the lake. We saw lots of moose tracks but unfortunately, no moose.

The next morning we headed out around 7:30am. The goal was to be to the cars before 3pm, but really, we wanted to get back between 12-1pm. People on the trail told us that the way down was steep and there was lots of loose rock and fallen trees. So we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to get down safely and planned extra time. This was also our longest day of hiking at about 8 miles. The entire trail, since day one, had fallen trees on it as well, so we knew those would continue to be something we had to go around (which added miles) or go over/under (which was simply exhausting, especially with a pack).

This part of the trail was also so beautiful though, and included a very flat, wide section of trail! It was wonderful! We ended up making it down by 11:45am, beating all of our predictions! We saw a lot of people on this section. It was a Saturday morning for one, but it was also much closer to the trailhead, so there were people out for day hikes as well as overnight trips.

Overall, this trip was worth it! The mosquitoes were the worst part about the trip for sure, and the fallen trees were a close second, but now we know to be better prepared for the bugs and be mentally prepared for the trees. We also learned that there are things we can share next time (like toothpaste, because each person doesn’t need their own toothpaste on a trail!!!) and we learned that we can survive in the wilderness for several days!

Being in nature, away from the crowds and the cell service and the social media pressures, is one of my favorite things. I enjoy time with my own thoughts, time in prayer (which often include prayers like, “Please God, let the trail not be so steep anymore”), and time with good friends. Being in nature reminds me that we serve a God who sustains us in all seasons, just as he continues to care for the wildflowers and the wild animals.

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:28-33 (ESV)

Mt. Shavano & Tabeguache Peak

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Mt. Shavano: 14,229 feet

Tabeguache Peak: 14, 155 feet

These 14ers were something else. And we may have thought we wouldn’t be getting off the mountain a few times. But we did. And we are never going back. Here’s the story…

We started out the day at 3am since we had a 3 hour drive to the trailhead. The hike itself started at 6:20am. After doing some research the day before, I estimated that it would take us about 6-8hours for the hike total. This was a double 14er, but it had three summits. In order to summit the second peak, Tabeguache, you have to first summit Shavano. In order to return from Tabeguache, you have to re-summit Shavano… there is no other way in or out.

Now, I’ve done double 14ers before and I’ve done some class 3 mountains too. Therefore, I was expecting this hike to be pretty straight forward. It was a total of about 11 miles, round-trip, and again, expecting about a 6-8 hour hike depending on how we were feeling. We also had absolutely perfect weather! No storms in sight and blue skies all day long, which is everything you could ask for on a hike like this!

The hike started in the trees at about 8,500 feet elevation. We hiked through a beautiful area of aspen trees and wildflowers, and then through a few miles of pines and evergreens. We enjoyed most of this section since it was in the trees and we were still fresh.

We hit the tree-line around 8:30am and continued towards the summit. This first section to the base of the summit was long, steep, and narrow. There were even a few spots with lots of snow still on the trail, causing our time to be slower than planned.

We made it to the base of the summit and headed up where it looked like there was a trail. Unfortunately, the trail ended pretty quickly and it became a “choose your own adventure” situation. A few people were already heading down from the summit, but they were coming down in all different parts. And there were several others going up at the same time as us, but again, all at different spots. We lost each other at one point and I remember thinking to myself, “Well, I hope we all find each other at the summit.”

When I made it to the summit, I realized how dumb I was to leave my friends. I’ve climbed a lot of mountains, and one of the first rules is don’t split up… and I had done just that. So I found a place to sit and rest, where the wind was blocked but I could also see most of the summit. And I waited. Eventually my friends joined me and we took a few quick pics.

After a quick chat, two of us decided to continue on while the other waited and rested. We had two waiting points. One was on the summit, and the other was the base of the summit. We knew we would all meet up at either of those locations in the next few hours. So we started our descent down the first, across the saddle, and up the second.

The problem was, there was also not a clearly marked trail on the second summit. We now believe that the trail ran across the ridge on the top, but that was completely snow packed and too slippery to hike up. So again we took the “choose your own adventure” route and headed towards the summit area by scaling the side of Tabeguache. We eventually made it and I was so thankful to finally be at the summit! …other than the fact that we were only half way done with the day and I was completely out of water.

We once again headed down the peak and across the saddle. This time we got to slide down a few “snow slides” on the way, which was both terrifying and amazing all at once! As we approached the summit for Shavano, we saw a flight for life helicopter. These are helicopters that are often called to the tops of 14ers to rescue people who fall, need some other medical attention, or get struck by lightening. I sometimes see these helicopters on my hikes, but this time was different because it was landing on OUR PEAK. In fact, it was landing in the exact place we had decided to meet up.

We began to pray for our friend and any other people who may be in danger and tried to get cell service to text our friend. Thankfully, she was okay and the helicopter was for another man who was severally dehydrated. I am so thankful for these men and women who come to rescue people on these mountains!

Anyways, we re-summited Shavano and then headed down to the meet up location at the base of the summit. But, as you know, we didn’t follow a trail up so we had no idea how to get down. I decided to head towards the right, but that was definitely the wrong choice. We ended up on the side of the mountain that was full of unstable boulders. It felt like a class 4 mountain and literally every step felt like a risk. My friend and I quickly realized the situation we were in. There was no trail on this side of the mountain, we could no longer see the trail we needed to get to, we were all alone, and we were in big trouble.

We were able to take one step at a time, maneuvering around and over boulders. We made it back to the correct side of the mountain, but still no trail. We were simply thankful to be back in eye-sight of our friend. We never truly found the trail on the way down, but did eventually make it down with only one bruised-up and bloody knee, and a few tears.

Even though it felt like we had just conquered the world by getting off the summit, we were still only at the base of the summit… meaning we still had a few hours of hiking. So we began to walk and walk and walk. Now, I know that a lot of people like downhill better than uphill because it’s easier on the lungs, but I sure hate downhills. They are the worst part of the hike for me because of the strain they put on your body. Even with trekking poles, it took us just as long to go down as it took to go up due to the amount of rocks and the steepness of the mountain.

We made it back to our car at 5:40pm with a total time of 11 hours and 20 minutes on the mountain. We had all run out of water a long time ago and were thankful just to be back at the car where we could sit and re-hydrate.

All this to say, these mountains were a beast. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was early June, maybe it was due to the extra snow on the trails, or maybe it was due to inaccurate trail reports from others. Either way, it was definitely an adventure… but one that I will never suggest anyone else to do.

I’m thankful for my friends, who hiked for 11 hours with me just to help me get a little closer to my goal of hiking all 58 14ers in Colorado. Here’s to #15 and #16. Never again, Shav & Tab. Never again.

2021 : Present

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My word for 2021 is PRESENT. Not like presents that you get on your birthday, although I do love those too. Present as in being in a particular place and taking time to stop and enjoy exactly where you are.

I think we have a really hard time being present in our world today. It’s far too easy to turn on the television instead of having conversations, or put in your headphones rather than take in the sounds around you. Our world today has a problem with being present.

Yet, I also think that Covid-19 taught us a lot about being present and learning how to be exactly where we are. We had no option in 2020 but to learn how to enjoy a simpler life with those we live with directly. A year of a pandemic allowed many to start new hobbies and learn how to put down the phone for a moment to check in with a friend or enjoy making dinner at home. In fact, I think many of us finally had “enough time” on social media that it actually caused boredom instead of distracting us.

As I look through God’s Word to see what it means to be present, it’s hard not to think of Jesus who is “God With Us.” The Father literally sent His only Son to come and dwell among us, to be present with us. Jesus came to live life among His creation and then to die for us so we could be present with Him forever.

Jesus took time to stop and have a conversation with a Samaritan woman in John 4. He stopped to care for and listen to the children who came up to him. He sat on the side of a mountain and taught the people for hours in Matthew 5-7. Jesus was present with His people, which reminds me of His personal care and intentional compassion.

As we enter into 2021, I desire to continue to be present with those around me. Jesus is the ultimate example of being present with people, and I want to look more like Him this year by being present with others. I know I won’t always get it right, but I want to spend time focusing on this word so I can demonstrate more of the personal love God has for each person I encounter. I want to be the first to put my phone away when others are in the room. I want to be quick to ask others how they are doing when I see them. I want to take time to stop and enjoy days without my phone as I sit and savor more of Jesus.

“God will give you a place to inhabit, which means that you get to become attentive to what is there where you are. This means that to dwell knowledgeably and hospitably in and toward the place God gives you us to glorify him. God will give you a few things that he intends for you to do in your inhabited place and with those people. To do what God gives you to do is to strengthen the common good and to glorify him.”

Zack Eswine, Sensing Jesus

So, what’s your word for 2021? And how can you continue to practice presence with others this year? I pray that if the Lord allows us to be with one another this year, that you will feel seen and loved by the Lord as I get to practice being present with others.

2020 Book List

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Well, it’s the end of 2020 and this year was definitely not as planned for anyone. But one thing I did get to enjoy more of this year was reading! I had the opportunity amidst lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates, to take a few extra seminary classes, as well as catch up on some leisure reading! Here are the books I read this year:

  • The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Comer)
  • Christian Women of the Patristic World (Cohick & Hughes)
  • Who God Says You Are (Snodgrass)
  • Hinds Feet on High Places (Hurnard)
  • Adorning the Dark (Andrew Peterson)
  • Baptist Foundations (Dever & Leeman)
  • The Paris Architect (Belfoure)
  • Don’t Fire Your Church Members (Leeman)
  • Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing (Dr. Pennington)
  • Apologetics of the Cross (Chatraw & Allen)
  • Emotionally Healthy Leader (Scazzero)
  • Soul Keeping (Ortberg)
  • The Chronicles of Narnia – The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe; The Horse & His Boy; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis)
  • The Hidden Life of Trees (Wohlleben)
  • Gentle and Lowly (Ortlund)
  • Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches (Hammett)
  • Understanding Church Discipline (Leeman)
  • Removing the Stain of Racism (Jones & Williams)
  • Greek for Life (Merkle & Plummer)
  • Learning to Read New Testament Greek (Dr. Black)
  • Deep Survival (Gonzales)
  • Deep Discipleship (Dr. JT English)
  • The Art of Group Talk: Teenage Girls (Bohinc & Chiang)
  • Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Collins)
  • Lead Small (Joiner & Shefchunas)
  • Deeper Greek (Kostenberger, Merkle, and Plummer)
  • Managing Leadership Anxiety (Cuss)
  • Kisses from Katie (Davis)

As you can see, it is a wide variety of books! Everything from books for the Residency Program at The Village Church, to seminary class books, to fun and random books! Comment and let me know what books you read this year and suggest for my 2021 list! Happy New Year!

Where is the Lamb?

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The story of Abraham is a fascinating one found mostly in Genesis 12-22. These chapters tell of the beginnings of this key character in the Bible. But here’s a quick run down.

Abraham is married to a woman named Sarah, though at this point their names are actually Abram and Sarai, but that gets confusing. Anyways, they are married and they are about 75 years old. They have no children. But then, God shows up and promises Abraham that he will have a child! Through this child their family will grow so large that they will be a nation, and God will give them a land, and God will bless all the families of the earth through this family!

[1] Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. [2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)

This promise is called the Abrahamic Covenant and it is a key detail in the storyline of the Bible! This is a promise, given by God, to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. So it seems like a ridiculous sort of promise. How will a couple at the age of 75 have a child?! We see God reaffirm this promise in Genesis 15 and make a true covenant with Abraham. God is telling Abraham to continue to trust Him, even though it seems like there is no hope.

Time continues to go on, and there is no child. Abraham and Sarah try to take things into their own hands around chapter 16, but this is not the promised child. God is holding fast to His promise, even as Abraham and Sarah reach 100 years old.

Then in chapter 21, God gives them a baby boy named Isaac. He is the fulfillment of this promise that God gave to them. This is their promised son! They see that God is faithful by doing exactly what He said He would do!

Now, this would be a great story if it ended here! An even better story if this was in fact the one we were told about back in Genesis 3:15 (the first covenant God makes with us). God promised that a savior would come and defeat sin and death, but is this the one they were waiting for?

Genesis 22 reveals something extreme. God tells Abraham to go and sacrifice his son, his only son. This is the son who was born in the promise, who fulfilled the words of God, who Abraham and Sarah waited for 25 years for in their old age to have! And now God is telling him to go sacrifice his son!? WHAT!?

Abraham is obedient so he does as God tells him. Abraham and Isaac make preparations and head up the mountain. Then Isaac, the only son of Abraham, asks an important question:

[7] And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Genesis 22:7 (ESV)

Isaac realizes they have everything they need except for the lamb. And at this point in the narrative of the Bible, I believe that we as readers should also be asking this same question: “Where is the lamb?”

God created the world good, but sin entered the world. Then God made a promise that a Savior would come and rescue us from Satan, sin, and death. This Savior would be the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world! And yet, this is not him. He has not come yet. Has God forgotten His people? Has God forgotten His promises? Where is the lamb?

Now, if you have read the New Testament before, you know that the lamb is in fact Jesus. We know the end of the story because most of us have God’s Word sitting on our nightstand or on a shelf somewhere. And many know the end of this story with Abraham and Isaac as well. As soon as Abraham raises the knife to kill Isaac, God appears to him and tells him to stop. Then God provides a ram for the burnt offering, and Abraham and Isaac walk down the mountain together.

What’s significant about this story is that God has always kept His promises. God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, their family would be incredibly large, and through them, all the families of the earth would be blessed.

And each of these promises came true. Hundreds of years after Abraham and Sarah, in a small town in the Middle East, a baby was born. And this baby was named Jesus. He was in the family line of Abraham and eventually died on the cross as the lamb who would take away the sins of the world!

So this Christmas, will you celebrate Jesus as the fulfillment of every promise of God? Will you celebrate that the Lamb of God has come to take away the sins of the world? Will you celebrate that God is a faithful God who always keeps His promises? This is the true story of the world. We have a faithful God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son down to earth to live and dwell among us. And that Son’s name is Jesus, or Immanuel, which means God With Us. God came to dwell among us and then die for us so we could be with Him! I pray that you will rejoice in the gift of Jesus this season as you trust in our ever-faithful God!