Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3

What are the benefits of realizing God Incomprehensible? We no longer reduce Him to manageable terms. We are no longer tempted to manipulate Him and His will… or defend Him and His ways. Like the grieving prophet, we get new glimpses of Him “lofty and exalted,” surrounded by legions of seraphim who witness Him as “Lord of Hosts” as they shout forth His praises in antiphonal voice (Isa. 6:1-2).

In a world consumed with thoughts of itself, filled with people impressed with each other, having disconnected with the only One worthy of praise, it’s time we return to Theology 101 and sit silently in His presence. It’s time we catch a fresh glimpse of Him who, alone, is awesome - incomprehensible.

How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. Proverbs 16:16

Foolish indeed is the person who considers himself safe and sound because he has money. And another reason it’s foolish to trust in riches for securitt than money, in the final analysis, brings no lasting satisfaction, certainly not in the area of things that really matter. There are many things that no amount of money can buy. Think of it this way:

• Money can buy medicine, but not health.
• Money can buy a house, but not a home.
• Money can buy companionship, but not friends.
• Money can buy food, but not an appetite.
• Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.
• Money can buy the good life, but not eternal life.

It is God (alone) who is able to supply us “with all things to enjoy.” As Seneca, the Roman statesman once said: “Money has never made anyone rich.”

The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

The good life – the one that truly satisfies- exists only when we stop wanting a better one. It is the condition of savoring what is rather than longing for what might be. The itch for things, the lust for more- so brilliantly injected by those who peddle them- is a virus draining our souls of happy contentment. Have you noticed? A man never earns enough. A woman is never beautiful enough. Clothes are never fashionable enough. Cars are never nice enough. Gadgets are never modern enough. Houses are never furnished enough. Food is never fancy enough. Relationships are never romantic enough. Life is never full enough.

Satisfaction comes when we step off the escalator of desire and say, “This is enough. What I have will do. What I make of it is up to me and my vital union with the living Lord.”

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them. Psalm 139:17

Most of us are good at criticizing ourselves and finding fault with what we have done or failed to do. I’d like to suggest an alternate plan-spend some of your leisure time finding pleasure and satisfaction in what you have done as well as in who and what you are. Sound too liberal? Why? Since when is good self-esteem liberal?

There are times we need to tell ourselves “Good job!” when we know that is true. That isn’t conceited pride, my friend. It’s acknowledging in words the feelings of the heart. The Lord knows that we hear more than enough internal putdowns! Communicating in times of leisure includes self-affirmation, acknowledging, of course, that God ultimately gets the glory. After all, He’s the One who makes the whole experience possible.

Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

While thinking back on his days with Jesus, John (one of The Twelve) remembers there was something about Him that was like no one else, during which time His disciples “beheld His glory.”

His uniqueness was that incredible “glory,” a glory that represented the very presence of God. In addition, this glorious One was “full of grace and truth.” Pause and let that sink in. It was His glory mixed with grace and truth that made Him different. In a world of darkness and demands, rules and regulations, requirements and expectations demanded by hypocritical religious leaders, Jesus came and ministered in a new and different way- He alone, full of grace and full of truth, introduced a revolutionary, different way of life.

Remembering that uniqueness, John adds, “For His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16).

We have not ceased to pray for you;… that you will walk in a manner worthy of the lord, to please Him in all respects bearing fruit in every good work. Colossians 1:9-10

Have you ever been in an area of the country where there was a lot of fruit ripening in the sun? Maybe on some cool September morning you’ve taken a walk through the apple orchards of Hood River Valley, or along the Columbia River in oregon. It i pleasing to the eye to see such an abundance of sweet, delicious fruit hanging on branch or vine, ready to be plucked.

A fruitful Christian life is like that – sweet, refreshing, nourishing, fragrant, sustaining, delightful to be near. But such a life requires careful cultivation… a deeper, more consistent walk with Christ requires time and attention every day. If that happens, you will bear fruit.

Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers. Proverbs 17:6

We cannot change the past… and that includes the way we reared our children. All of us – yes, every parent I have ever met- would love to step into the time tunnel and return to the island of second chance. We would give anything to relieve those years and correct the failures and mistakes we committed the first time around. All such fantasy wishes need to be erased. They can never be fulfulled! The parenting process offers only one try per child, one day at a time, never again to be repeated.

Someone once said, “Life is like a coin; you can spend it any way you wish but you spent it only once.” That is never more true than with rearing children. About the time we get fairly good at it, our kids are all young adults and gone. Having come closer than ever to perfecting the process, we suffenly realize nobody is listening! Which means we’re qualified for one major role: grand parenting (when it becomes our right to break all the rules and spoil those darlings!). It’s a funny world.

Trust in Him always, O people; pour your heart out before Him; God is a refuge for us. Palms 62:8

You and I could name things that we’ve gone through in the  last several years that make no logical sense whatsoever… but that’s okay. We can’t figure them out. But let me assure you, God is at work doing His mysterious plan (mysterious to us), which defies human logic. So quit trying to make it humanly logical. Trust Him.

Do you realize what a peaceful life you can live if you decide to live like this? Do you realize how relaxed you can be, how free of stress? Honestly. It’s so helpful for me to remind myself: He is the one who is unfathomable. He is unsearchable. I’m neither.

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. Proverbs 11:28

Our society has gorged itslef on the sweet taste of success. We’ve filled our plated from a buffet of books that range from dressing for success, to investing for success. We’ve gobbled down stacks of notebooks, cassette albums, and video tapes in our hunger for greater success.

The irony of all this is that instead of fulfillment, we experience the bloated sensation of being full of ourselves – our dream, our goals, our projects, our accomplishments. The results of this all-you-can-eat appetite is not contentment. It’s nausea.

Who is among you that fears the Lord… let him trust in the name of the lord and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10

Let’s get sic words clearly fixed in our minds. These six words form the foundation of God’s therapeutic process for our worrywarts.

WORRY ABOUT NOTHING
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING

What qualifies as a worry? Anything that drains your tank of joy – something you cannot change, something you are not responsible for, something you are unable to control, something (or someone) that frightens and torments you, agitates you, keeps you awake when you should be asleep. All of that needs to be switched from your worry list to your prayer list. Give each worry one by one – to God. Tell Him you will no longer keep your anxiety to yourself.

The more you practice giving your mental burdens to the Lord, the more exciting it gets to see how God will handle the things that are impossible for you to do anything about.