Ugly Candles and All God Is Due

I don't recall how old I was when I began thinking about Christmas in terms of buying gifts for others. I do remember thinking that was what Christmas was about --giving-- and I wanted to be a part of that. Was it selfless? Was it a way of fitting in? I'm not sure, but I do remember a hideous Santa Claus candle I "purchased" for my mother. I place "purchased" in quotes, because when I think of that candle, there is something about it that brings to mind someone, perhaps even my mother herself, giving me the money to buy it. Such is the life of a child. No income. No possessions except those given to them by a higher, benevolent source. You might call it poverty.

In Mark 10:15, Jesus tells us:

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.

Impoverished, trusting our Father to give us whatever we need. Is that even possible? It's not only possible, it's necessary. Remember that hideous candle? Whoever was kind enough to give me the money for that candle was teaching me. The candle was so ugly, I remember it fifty+ years later, and the lesson was so effectual it outweighs the ugliness of the candle: giving is important, but so is receiving. 

C.S. Lewis, in his book, Mere Christianity says:

Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God.

If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to its father and saying, "Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.” 

Hardly the sacrifice we associate with giving, but what father wouldn't hand over the sum? The child's request is sweet, endearing. His heart has been developed to give. But the thing I find equally important is that the child's heart has been developed to receive. The child knows Daddy has supply. The child knows Daddy will supply. The child not only knows where supply is located (in Daddy) but knows to ask. As adults we see the humor in the situation; but the child has no concept of it: the child is single-minded in obtaining what he needs in order to follow the compulsions of his heart. He awaits his father's generosity with confidence, both hands cupped so as to catch every cent.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:19

As grown-ups, we are the fools. We not only have a problem with receiving, of being dependent --even admitting that we have cause to depend-- on our Creator, but we have a problem understanding the true meaning of needs. We tend to think of need in terms of food, clothing, and shelter. Those things are important, but great explorers, teachers, servants, inventors, Christians, grew up begging for a crust of bread, grew up without a home or with threadbare clothes. What does a child really need? Someone who loves them enough to teach them: morals, good character, the Golden Rule, who Jesus is and what He has done. And their hearts need to be softened, made teachable, in order to receive the lessons so important to their growth. Adults should be equally as ready to receive not just the things we want --gas in the truck, money to pay the taxes, food in the cupboard (all very important) --but we must be prepared to receive what we need: lessons in morality, good character, relationships, who Jesus is and what He has done. What is that old proverb? Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime? Jesus teaches those who seek Him how to fish! He hands over the sixpence or whatever for the ugly candle that we might learn to depend on Him, to trust Him when He says No, and to take part in all the things He is doing in this world. Jesus gives soft hearts, teachable spirits, that we might learn and develop His character, and in doing so, give Him His due.

We have nothing to give the One who has given us everything. But if we are willing to receive with a humble spirit, we will receive it all. We will, like a child, approach our Father in confidence, with singleness of mind, hands cupped, unwilling to allow a thing to slip by, and we will receive what He appropriates in His time. It will be all we need. And it will be all we can give.

Review: NKJV Premier Collection Bible

Well, before you know it, Christmas will be upon us. If you're thinking of filling someone's list (or maybe your own) with a new Bible, here's my review of the NKJV Premier Collection Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers. As usual, the opportunity to check out this beautiful Bible for free! was given to me by Bible Gateway as a member of their Blogger Grid. So, let's get to it!

Unboxing. I know this is a big thing with YouTube influencers and their product reviews. It's usually not on my radar. BUT, this is beautiful! Definitely provides the WOW! factor.

The Bible itself is covered in brown premium goatskin --oh-so soft! It's "personal sized" which means it's 6.88 x 2.1 x 10 inches. The flexible leather cover makes it even more portable and user friendly.

The pages have beautifully gilded edges. I'll be honest, I noticed no difference whatsoever between my husband's old ~$30 Bible and this one (which retails in the neighborhood of $100), but he insists he can turn the pages of the Premier Collection Bible more easily. So here's his input: if you're looking for a gift Bible for a big guy with sandpaper fingers, this is the one! The presentation page is very simple: To, From, and the Date. No WOW! factor here. 

There are three satin ribbon markers, it is printed in two columns of 10.5-point comfort print, and the binding is crafted to lay open when reading and studying. Gel pens are going to bleed through the paper, but most Bible highlighters (when used gently) and fine-point pens should be okay. With regard to the text, each verse begins on its own line for easier discovery, and cross-references are located at the end of the verse. The words of Christ are printed in red.

Lastly, there is a helpful concordance, and there are several beautiful full-color maps to provide additional context. 

Personally, I think this would make a fabulous gift. It's not very heavy on study tools, but as a "daily driver," it's a very nice pick. The cover is durable and elegant, its size is accommodating, and the inside is perfect for everyday use. My husband is loving this copy! Safe to say, I won't be getting my hands on it any time soon. 

If you know someone else who'd like a copy, it can be purchased through FaithGateway or on Amazon. or 

OH-beeey!

Have you been to any weddings lately? Have you heard any brides promising to obey their grooms? Whenever Scott is looking for one more doughnut than he really needs, if I try to head him off on his way to the kitchen, he will remind me, as his wife it is my duty to OH-beeey. In truth, I can't even tell you if I promised him that, but I did promise God. God gave us to one another, and if there's anything I've learned, it's that I am responsible to Him for the part I play in relationship to those He places in my life. Scripture clearly says my husband is responsible for me and that I am to submit to him. He is to love me as Christ loves the Church, and I am to follow his leadership as the Church obeys Christ. If my husband is loving me appropriately, he will not lead me into paths of unrighteousness or harm me in any way unnecessarily. If I am humbly deferring to my husband on issues in which we have disagreement (like just how many doughnuts he can eat in one sitting), I am deferring to my Lord, obeying the God who has joined us together. As a friend expressed to me with regard to obeying her husband: I may not trust him, but I trust God. 

But obedience can be hard, and I'm not just talking about obeying a husband or a boss or some other authority figure. Obeying God can be difficult. Think about the police officer who hands you a ticket for doing thirty-five in a twenty-five. Slow down, he says as he sticks that offensive scarlet letter through the opening in your window. But you've done it and you've suffered the consequences. You drive slowly away, turn signal and full stop at the next four intersections. But God? Commandment #1: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Sunday morning is a torrential downpour and it's much more appealing to stay warm and dry inside, so you do. Monday's quiet time is pre-empted by that stack of laundry waiting to be done. Tuesday night Bible study is "cancelled" on account of a rough day at work. Wednesday Zoom prayer meeting loses out to distractions. Talking to myself on that one. One god after another competes against the God of the Universe for our attention, our confession, our worship, our time, our trust, our obedience. Time and time again we disobey. And when the ticket doesn't come, when Johnny Highboots isn't peering through our window from behind mirrored Aviators, we continue to disobey. It might help if you'd been around the block once or twice; you'd know where the officer sits. I mean, maybe not all the time, but if you had some idea that sooner or later someone would be watching, you'd know just how much you could get away with before you took your foot off the accelerator. We can feel that way about obeying God as well. But just because God's not zapping us the second we step out of line, just because God sees us through the blood of Jesus, doesn't mean we have license to just keep on disobeying. 

Back to my husband. He's not the type to be pushed around, and God knows I need someone like that in my life. If he were to simply acquiesce each time we disagreed, I'd get away with murder. Scott is tough, he knows what he wants, but he can't push me too hard either. Too much heavy-handedness or too much liberty, and our marriage would be a mess; he has to approach me with the love and mercy that Christ has for His Church, and I have to meet him with the respect and submission the Church has for our King. That's where love and commitment --relationship --come in. In the early days of our relationship, Scott didn't demand that I obey him. I certainly didn't desire to do so. We were coworkers, then friends, then significant others, then spouses. Our love for one another grew, and  out of that, a desire to be more committed to one another. Our relationship progressed, and out of that a desire to be more accountable to one another --and to God, with regard to the ways we relate to one another. I demonstrate my respect for Scott by obeying him. He demonstrates his care for me by being tender in his requests, asking things of me that will benefit both of us, loving me as Christ loves the Church.

Whether we agree or disagree, whether we like it or we don't, whether the consequences of disobedience are immediately evident or not, obedience is one of those ways we can give God the best of ourselves, we can properly worship, we can give Him what He is due.