bible

AI – the real thing?

Posted on by Grace Day

Is AI the real thing? I think not. Artificial intelligence – the name itself implies the answer. AI can’t be “the real thing” – it is not real if it is artificial. Both things can’t be true at the same time. AI is “the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of living beings, primarily of humans” – that’s how Wikipedia explains AI.

We need to note that it is living beings (that’s us) who created the machines and the software in the first place. Are we now wondering if, like Frankenstein, we have created the proverbial monster? Will we control AI or will AI control us? AI is meant to be a tool we can use to help us accomplish our purposes. So it stands to reason that we would use and control AI solely for our benefit. After all, AI is supposed to serve us, not the other way around, right?

Today, AI seems to be everywhere. (do you have an Alexa in your home?) There are concerns about its becoming too pervasive and too powerful in our lives. Is Artificial Intelligence superior to our human intelligence already? Remember the plane that landed on the Hudson River in 2009? That was a big story and considered nothing less than a miracle. The plane’s engines had been disabled after running into a flock of Canadian geese shortly after takeoff. There were two airports close by, but Captain Sullenberger didn’t believe the plane could make it to either one. Instead, he landed the plane successfully on the Hudson River. Everyone survived.

A subsequent investigation of Sullenberger’s actions showed that he made the right decision. What was interesting to me was that a computer “simulation” of the event, with all the data plugged in, showed a possible safe landing at a nearby airport BUT it took the “sim” pilots seventeen tries (sixteen crashes) to achieve this outcome! Obviously, the two real life pilots in the plane’s cockpit that day didn’t have the luxury of seventeen practice runs. They had one chance to save their lives and the lives of everyone on that plane.

The whole incident took just under four minutes from bird strike to landing the plane on the water. These skilled pilots had only that short time to process all the information, make a decision and execute their plan. (the human brain is an unmatched computer) There was no time for AI to run multiple computer simulations and select the best outcome from among them. That would also assume that only accurate information and all available variables/information were put into the computer to start with, in order to receive the best possible response. I’m thinking I prefer human pilots to AI.

However, there are those who would put more faith in AI and in the transhuman ideology that has become so popular today. Transhumanism postulates that humans will evolve into an enhanced species that transcends humanity, thus ushering in a posthuman era. This evolution will be accomplished through technology – brain chips, AI, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, etc. to change humans into new and improved transhumans. We will increase our life span with immortality being the goal.

Sounds to me like transhumanism is about we humans remaking ourselves in our own image. It is about rebellion and our lack of understanding of who God is and of who we are as His created beings. We are like the clay saying to the Potter, “We don’t like what You made. We can do a better job.” Closely linked to transhumanism, is transgenderism. Here the clay says to the Potter, “You made a mistake. I know better than You do how I should be formed and who I am.”

So who are we? Psalm 100 provides an answer –

“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3)

Genesis tells us exactly who we are –

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Psalm 8 tells us more about ourselves and about our place in this world –

“what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:4-8)

We are God’s people, created in His image (identity) and given dominion over all of His creation on the earth (purpose). Our identity, our position (a little lower than the angels) and our purpose are revealed in these verses. All are given to us by our Creator, God. And there’s more.

“For we (you and I and all humankind) are God’s workmanship, (masterpieces) created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Another revelation of our identity, our value (we are masterpieces) and our purpose, bestowed on us by our Creator. We are endowed with these things at our creation – our identity – as God’s image bearers, our value – infinite to our Creator, and our purpose – to do the “good works” God has for us to do and in so doing to bring Him glory.

AI, transhumanism and transgenderism are becoming our modern day tower of Babel – our feeble human attempt to by-pass God in our quest for immortality, identity, self-worth, and meaning. The striving of transhumanism and transgenderism push us to remake/reinvent ourselves in order to conform to some man-made idea of what is ideal. But ironically, this only leads us to destroy ourselves, mind, body and spirit (literally) rather than rejoicing in how perfectly we are made in the first place. This pursuit of supposed perfection has become an endless quest from which we have no rest nor reprieve. If only we knew the truth.

“For You (God) created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

That’s the truth. We are already “fearfully and wonderfully made.” All God’s works are wonderful, the psalmist declares. We cannot improve upon God’s perfect design.

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31 )

And we cannot, even through AI or other technologies, add to the length of our lives nor can we give ourselves immortality. That is God’s gift to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. That gift has already been given. We have only to receive it. We have been created with a free will. That choice is ours alone to make.

But in our arrogance and rebellion, we are presumptuous enough to believe that we can do better than God and so we pursue the ideologies of transhumanism and transgenderism in order to alter what God has so perfectly designed and created, us! I am reminded of these words from a favorite childhood poem, “Trees”, by Joyce Kilmer –

“Poems are made by fools like me. But only God can make a tree.”

So true! And only God can make a human being. We can attempt to alter what God has made but the results are disastrous. We destroy ourselves when we attempt to circumvent or to counterfeit how God has created us. Unlike AI, artificial intelligence, we humans are the “real thing” – made in God’s image, bearing His seal. We are God’s AI, “authentically imaged” – we are the “real thing” – each one of us is the Authentic Image of our Heavenly Father, who just happens to also be the Creator of the universe. That should be good enough for us, and it is!

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

sincerely, Grace Day

hope and faith

Posted on by Grace Day

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

These two things are inextricably linked – hope and faith. It is because of my faith in God that I have hope. And it is this hope that sustains. 

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19)

Hope may be my anchor, but it is hope that gives me wings as well, allowing me to soar.

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

I need hope’s anchor during life’s many storms. The beauty of this anchor of hope is that it allows me to soar during the storm, through the storm, in the storm, (kind of like Daniel’s three friends walking around “unharmed and unbound” (free) while they were still in that overheated furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar) above the storm – an anchor with wings does that. An anchor with wings? – only hope born of faith in God gives such a gift as this – a winged anchor. It is hope and faith that make such a gift as this even possible. But then - 

“Everything is possible for him who believes.” Jesus said this to the father of a boy possessed since childhood of an evil spirit. The boy’s father asked Jesus to help his son, exclaiming, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Then Jesus healed the boy, casting the demonic spirit out of him for good. Hope and faith – believing for the impossible! This father dared to hope for the impossible – the healing of his son. He dared to believe that Jesus could accomplish this long desired restoration of his child to health. He asked Jesus for the gift of faith to believe – to believe Jesus for the impossible miracle he had waited so long to experience.

Hope believes against all odds. Faith stays the course until hope becomes reality.

Hope believes there is light, even when surrounded by darkness. Faith finds its way through the darkness to that light.

Hope believes what is broken can be mended. Faith finds a way to do the mending.

Hope believes the lost will be found. Faith finds the lost and brings them home.

Hope believes there is life after death. Faith holds on until that promised eternal life is entered into, eclipsing death permanently.

hope and faith – the psalmist says –

“No one whose hope is in You (God) will ever be put to shame,” (Psalm 25:3)

The writer of Hebrews tells us –

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

I will hold onto hope and follow in faith where my Heavenly Father leads – after all –

“We walk by faith; not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) 

my “hope” for you today, dear readers, as for myself, is this –

“May the God of hope fill you (and me) with all joy and peace as you (and I) trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

“For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:5)

living each day by faith with hope,

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

 

waiting on a word

Posted on by Grace Day

Ever feel like God is silent and you’re stuck, afraid to make a move while waiting to hear a word from Him – any word, any word would do. You desire God’s guidance and direction, but you’re not receiving the clear message from Him that you are longing to hear. Elijah was desperate to hear God’s voice. Elijah was on the run, fearing for his life and he ended up hiding in a cave. It was then that –

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ “ (1 Kings 19:11) The story continues –

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ “ (1 Kings 19:11-13) 

In Elijah’s experience, God’s voice wasn’t loud. God didn’t shout above the howling of the wind or over the chaos of the earthquake or over the roaring of the fire. But in the quiet following those events, Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper speaking to him personally. Maybe that’s why I am told to –

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

I need to come away from all the noise, busyness and chaos that often surround me during my days, in order to hear God’s voice. It’s not that He isn’t speaking, it’s that I’m not in a place where I can hear Him. Perhaps that’s why Psalm 23 says –

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2)

God is calling me to come away to a quiet place where I can be alone with Him, a place where I can hear His voice, a place where His voice is the only voice. But ironically, surrounded by the din of everyday life, I don’t hear His call, so I don’t heed His call. I don’t respond to His kind invitation to come away to those green pastures and quiet waters where I can be still and know Him because I never received the invite in the first place.  

For me, it is not gale force winds, nor earthquakes, nor fires that prevent me from hearing God’s voice. No, it’s more likely to be the busyness surrounding me at work, or the chaos of the crowd’s multiple voices at whatever event I am attending, (including church sometimes?) that keep me from hearing God’s still, gentle yet urgent whisper. When I am alone, it is likely to be the conversations coming from my TV or the music from my radio that intrude upon what otherwise would be some solitude, providing me that much needed break from a constant barrage of voices. So why do I turn on the TV or the radio if it’s God’s voice I am longing to hear?

God is asking me to come away and to be still. But I am so busy complaining about His silence, that I’m not listening, so of course I don’t hear Him. At the same time, I am desperately desiring to receive a word from Him. Time to admit it’s me, not God, after all. Time for me to make some changes. God did say,

” ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

“And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

“This is what the Lord says, . . . ’Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ “ (Jeremiah 33:3)

And the Psalmist said this –

“I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)

I have God’s promise. I have His Word that He hears me and that He will answer me. Maybe it’s time I turned off the TV, silenced my cell phone, shut off the radio and spent some time in His word or walking out in His world. God always hears my voice when I cry out to Him. But I don’t reciprocate by always listening for and hearing His voice. Too often, I let many other voices drown out the one voice I really want to hear and need to hear – the gentle whisper voice that Elijah heard after the wind, the earthquake and the fire. 

Sometimes it’s the voices in my head that are the loud ones. They can be louder than the voices that surround me in the world. There are a lot of voices competing for my attention, but the voice I want to hear and to follow is the voice of the Good Shepherd, because He’s the one who leads me into green pastures and beside still waters. Jesus said this –

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)

Listening to the voice of my Shepherd and Savior – that’s the voice that leads me down the path to eternal life. Jesus said “they follow Me. I give them eternal life.” I can’t follow His voice if I don’t hear it. And I can’t hear His voice if I don’t listen for and to His voice above all the other voices vying for my attention and allegiance in this life. I have to choose to “be still and know” – I have to choose whose voice I will follow and obey. The voices in this world can be both loud and alluring. The voices in my head are often louder still. They can be more cajoling, more enticing, more deceptive, more damaging, more destructive, more accusatory even than the world’s voices because they originate with the enemy of my soul – the accuser of the brethren. Proverbs explains it this way - 

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25)

That’s right. These words occur twice in the book of Proverbs. Must be a pretty important message and the Author, God, wants to be sure we are listening. Listening to other people’s voices will not lead me where I want to go. It is God’s voice alone that will lead me through the valley of the shadow of death, (preparing a feast for me right in front of my enemies) through the desert, (delivering fresh manna every morning) through the flood (Noah listened to God’s voice telling him to build a really big boat even though it had never rained) – through every circumstance, it is God’s guidance, by His voice alone, that will lead me along the path He has prepared for me. His voice will lead me into eternal life with Him.

So I had better learn to listen and to listen well. As I become still, a favorite hymn from childhood fills my mind. Its music becomes the voice I hear in my head, a voice singing – “This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, in the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere.” I think I was a better listener when I was a child. Maybe there were not so many voices surrounding me then, including social media? 

At any rate, today and everyday, I will purpose to pray the prayer Samuel prayed as a child. Then I will endeavor to “be still.”

“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9) 

listening and longing to hear Your loving, leading, life-giving voice above all other voices,

sincerely,  Grace Day     

   

 

  

this is NOT a drill

Posted on by Grace Day

Actually, yesterday it was a drill. Today it was not. Today it was the real thing.  Yesterday, we all knew beforehand that this drill would take place and when it would happen. We were given specific written instructions detailing everything that needed to be done during this practice run we call “an armed intruder drill.” Today, the announcement coming over the loudspeaker into my classroom telling us we were in a lockdown situation caught me by surprise, completely off guard and unaware that there was a dangerous situation in our high school building at that very moment. How ironic it is that we had just done a pretend enactment of our response to just such a situation only twenty-four hours before this real life event.

I think that’s why it didn’t seem real at first. Yesterday, the students in my classroom and I had gone through all the required motions, complying with everything we were told to do. However, it was simply that – we were going through the motions – turning off lights, pulling window shades, locking classroom doors, moving against the wall in order not to be visible from the hallway through the windows in the classroom door, turning cell phones to silent and keeping quiet so as not to be detected. We did all these things but there was no sense of urgency in our actions. We were relaxed. What we did or didn’t do, did not seem to really matter. Our choices did not seem all that important to any of us at the time. After all, it was only a drill.

However, today it was NOT a drill. Our situation was very real. Our mistake would be to behave as if it were only a drill. We are used to drills. We have fire drills, tornado drills, (in some places earthquake drills?) and armed intruder drills. In these situations, our mistakes don’t matter because it’s just pretend. It is not real. But when things are real or true, mistakes matter. When it is not a drill, our decisions will mean the difference between life and death. 

So I’m thinking it’s important in life that I know the difference between a drill and the real thing. Because in a drill, it’s all pretend, so nothing I do matters and there are no real consequences. But in real life – everything I do matters and the consequences are very real. This brings to mind the parable of the servants whose master went away for awhile and entrusted them with some specific things to take care of while he was away. Their master’s return was a certainty, even though the servants didn’t know when that would happen. Nevertheless, this was not a drill. At some point their master would return and they would be called to account for what they had done or not done in his absence. The story is told in Matthew –

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. . . . After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. . . . ’Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! . . . Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “ (Matthew 25:14-21)

The servant with the two talents also doubled what he had been given to manage in his master’s absence. But the third servant did nothing with what he had been given. Perhaps he thought it was just a drill, so what he did didn’t really matter one way or the other, and maybe he even doubted his master’s eventual return? We are told he knew his master was a hard man, so he was afraid and did nothing but hide what he’d been given. Unlike the first two men, the third one received no reward. In fact, we are told this is what happened to him –

“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) 

Today we sat in silence in our darkened third floor classroom for a little over an hour, not knowing what was happening in the rest of the building, nor specifically why we were in lockdown at all. Some may have begun to doubt that this situation was real as time wore on, perhaps deciding it was just a drill. After a while, we began to hear conversation and careless laughter from the classroom next door. It sounded like they were having a good time. I guess they had decided this was a drill, so how they chose to act didn’t matter. We received no further instructions or communication during the hour we waited, until at last we were dismissed from class to go home, as it was now the end of the school day. 

I realized today, my life is not a drill. It is the real thing. Every day is the real thing. So what I do matters. My Savior has redeemed me, restored me and given me many good gifts and talents that I am to put to good use while He is away. He is coming again! Many doubt His return and begin to think this life is only a drill – but this life is the real thing. It is NOT a drill! However, unlike lockdown protocol, I don’t have to sit in a darkened room waiting for His return. Jesus’s instructions to His disciples were pretty clear before He left them.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’ . . . After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:15 & 19)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Like the servants in the parable, entrusted with their master’s talents, I have been entrusted with the wonderful news of the gospel and the command not to keep it to myself (or bury it as the one servant did) but to freely share the good news with anyone and everyone who will listen. This life is NOT a drill – this is real! Jesus is coming again. In the meantime, what I choose to do with the days and the gifts (talents) God gives to me matters. How will I spend the treasure, the talents and the time on this earth that God has graciously granted just to me? My choices have consequences – eternal consequences. Like the servants in the story, when Jesus returns, I want Him to find that I have wisely used what He has entrusted to me. Like Luke 12:37 says,

“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.”

This life is NOT a drill – it is preparation for eternity. It is preparation for Jesus’s return. How you and I live each day matters to our Heavenly Father. I want to live each day with purpose, with passion and with the urgency that knowing this is NOT a drill demands of me. The return of my Lord and Savior, Jesus, may not seem imminent to me, but His promise to return is real – this is NOT a drill!  So the question is –

” . . . when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) 

I will live my God given life like it’s real – because it is. Jesus is coming back for His bride! (that’s you and me!) This is NOT a drill!

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

 

 

 

 

workplace woes

Posted on by Grace Day

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ . . . God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27-28 & 31) 

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Doesn’t this sound like such a good plan for living a meaningful, purposeful life. God put us, humans, in charge of all He created. We were to oversee and care for all the plants and all the animals and to “be fruitful and multiply.” In this perfect, sinless world, mankind was given a perfect plan and a perfect purpose, courtesy of our all-wise Maker. We were also given free will – the gift of the freedom to make our own choices. This would ultimately prove to be our downfall. You and I were created for communion and harmony with each other and with our Creator, God. In the garden, Adam and Eve enjoyed both of these things. But from chapter one of Genesis to chapter three, something happens which causes things to take a drastic turn. With one decision, everything becomes dramatically different, but not for the better. 

Work was one of those things that changed drastically. Once a source of purpose and pleasure, a way to use our talents and to help others – work now became something difficult and painful. The following words describe Adam and Eve’s new, irrevocably altered reality.

“To the woman He (God) said, ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’ “ (Genesis 3:16)  

“To Adam He (God) said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’ “ (Genesis 3:17-19) 

Originally, work was not a curse nor was work a punishment. Work was one of God’s many good gifts. However, work became cursed along with everything else, when Eve and Adam chose their own way over God’s good plan for them, thus ushering in sin and separation from their Holy Creator, who cannot look upon sin. God cast them out of the garden, but in His great mercy, not before He made them clothes to wear to cover their nakedness. 

Today, we still struggle with work and its place in our lives. No matter our vocation, we still feel as if we are toiling away, earning a living by “the sweat of our brow.” We don’t think of work today as one of God’s good gifts. We may think of work as what we have to do in order to earn a living and in the process work often becomes our identity and our purpose in life. When this is true, losing our jobs (or retirement) often causes us to lose our purpose and our identity, just as we may feel our identities and life purposes changing with every job change we experience. 

However, when our true identity and our true purpose are found in knowing our Creator and living according to His good plan and purpose for our lives, our identity and purpose are not constantly in flux. Jobs will come and go, but we are always who God made us to be. We are made in His image. We are created for His purposes. And His purposes are always good.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Searching for that elusive perfect job continues to be quite common among those I know and among people in general it seems. So many people are unhappy in their workplaces and desire to find other employment, even if they aren’t sure exactly what that “dream job” would be. We hear a lot about the “toxic workplace” today. This seems to be code for having a difficult or demanding boss or for having coworkers that are hard to get along with for whatever reason. In the world of work, the grass always seems to be greener in the other workplaces, until we get there and find out that it was an illusion all along. All jobs have their challenges and their rewards, there is no perfect job. But Paul had some good advice, which he shared in Colossians, saying this –

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

This change in perspective certainly makes a difference in how I view my work and the people in my workplace every day. If I am looking to my work and to the people I work with, to provide me with validation, fulfillment, meaning and purpose, I will ultimately be disappointed. Working to please other people or myself cannot provide all those things. But working to please and to honor my Heavenly Father most certainly gives me all those things and more.       

Work is one of the many ways I can serve God in this world today. Work is honorable – all honest work is honorable. Our culture may value some jobs more than others as evidenced by the differences in how much the workers are paid. But what this world values and what God values are very different. In Ephesians I read –

“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)

So I work not just for myself or my own gain, but in order that I can be generous with others who have need and, in this way, bring honor and glory to God. In God’s economy, the value of my work is not determined by the size of my paycheck. Nor is my personal worth dictated by the sum of my salary. I spend much time and energy looking for and longing for that perfect job, wanting to be sure I’ve found “my calling”, when in reality, God can use me in whatever work environment I am in, if I choose to “work as unto Him” and not myself or the people around me. There are no insignificant jobs in God’s eyes. David, whose current job was being king of Israel, said this –

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)   

No job today is without its share of workplace woes. That’s probably why so many individuals complain about the stresses of their current jobs, why so many seem to be continually searching for a new and different job that they hope will be better, and why so many quit their jobs, even without the prospect of something else. Working to please a human boss or other people will never satisfy us or provide us the purpose that we need in our lives. 

It is possible for us to find the validation, fulfillment, meaning and purpose we so desire without changing workplaces. (since every workplace has its own peculiar set of woes, specific to itself) I find that when I change my focus, my work takes on new meaning and eternal significance, not recognized by the world, but nonetheless bestowed by God. All work can become a divine assignment. Consider what Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians –

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

whatever I do? – “doing it all for the glory of God” – that would most definitely include work!

sincerely,  Grace Day  

  

every day is new year’s day

Posted on by Grace Day

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us (I will) rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

While today is officially New Year’s Day for me and for you, according to our calendars, it occurs to me that every day is new year’s day with God, because every day He gives me a clean slate, a new beginning, a do-over, another second chance. These words in Lamentations assure me of this truth saying –

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

I love that God’s mercies to me are “new every morning”, just like the manna in the dessert was for the Israelites. They didn’t need to store it up, every morning God provided what they needed for that day regardless of what had happened the day before. No matter how badly they had behaved, had missed the mark or fallen short, God still came through for them with the provision of the manna “new every morning.” Just an example of how faithful God is in spite of our own human inconsistencies. His word tells us as much –

“if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am grateful for the clean slate of each and every new day God gives me. As today is drawing to a close, I realize with some disappointment that I may have already failed to live up to all the good intentions I had in mind for today, but tomorrow is a new day – another new year’s day, so to speak, allowing me to start fresh again tomorrow with the sunrise. Every day is a gift from my Heavenly Father. Each new day is as full of promise, potential and purpose as the day we set aside as being that special day once a year. Every day really is New Year’s Day for me - a day that God has given to me, a day I can make the most of if I so choose, a day I can choose to live to the full.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) 

Today I am grateful for all the opportunities and challenges that this day brought me. There were some doors I did not open, some things I left undone BUT – tomorrow is a new day, a day the Lord has made. I will make this Psalm my prayer this New Year’s Day –

“Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. . . . Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.” (Psalm 90:12 & 14)

happy new year world! today, tomorrow and every day, every day a new day, every day a new opportunity to know God better, every day another chance to do something good in His name, every day a gift from God –

sincerely,  Grace Day  

 

  

the Communion table – a Christmas table

Posted on by Grace Day

The Communion table is a table of commemoration and a table of celebration. It is a table at which we are each invited to dine. Known for being a “Last Supper” kind of a table – the Communion table is a Christmas or an Advent table among the many other things that it also is. It is a Christmas table because we celebrate that Christ came, even as we simultaneously acknowledge that we are looking forward to His return.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

The Communion table is a Thanksgiving table.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)

The Communion table is an Independence Day table.

“for we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7)

Isaiah said he was sent to “proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (Isaiah 61:1)

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

“it is for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

The Communion table is a family table.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) 

The Communion table is a table of acceptance.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

The Communion table is a table of provision.

“Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ “ (Genesis 22:8)

“and my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

The Communion table is a table of plenty.

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’ “ (John 6:35)

“They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” (Mark 6:42-43)

The Communion table is a table of promise.

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ’Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ “ (Isaiah 1:18)

The Communion table is a table of healing.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) 

The Communion table is a table of hope.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.’ “ (John 11:25-26)

The Communion table is a table of infinite mercy. 

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him, as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103: 10-13)

The Communion table is a table of sacrifice.

“Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, . . . But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

“Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The Communion table is a table of redemption.

“and with Your blood You purchased men for God.” (Revelation 5:9)

The Communion table is a table of miracles.

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” (Matthew 28:6-7)

The Communion table is a table of victory.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The Communion table is a table of life.

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12)

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

The Communion table is a table of love.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

“I am the Good Shepherd . . . and I lay down My life for the sheep. . . . No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord.” (John 10:14-18)

When we come to the Communion table, we are invited into Christmas, Thanksgiving, freedom, family, and acceptance. The Communion table is a place of provision, of plenty, of promise, of healing, of hope, of mercy, and of redemption. Communion is a meal made possible by sacrifice, specifically by the sacrificial gift God gave to us at Christmas, the gift of His only Son, Jesus, who became the perfect sacrifice for my sins and for your sins, who gave His life that you and I might live. 

The Communion table truly is a table of miracles, of victory over sin and death. It is a table full of life and of love. And miracle of miracles, you and I, and each and every person, have a seat at this table. We are invited to participate in the Communion that is the Lord’s Supper. The choice is ours. The Communion Table is open to all.

“The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; (which is poured out for you – Luke 22:20) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

I am so grateful to be invited to participate in this Communion meal, a meal full of hope and of promise – the hope and promise I so long for as I enter into this new year –

sincerely,  Grace Day 

    

 

Advent’s aftermath

Posted on by Grace Day

The party is over. That’s right. The worldwide birthday party of the King has come to a close. The songs have all been sung, the candles blown out, the cake cut and consumed, the presents opened, the festive foods eaten and enjoyed, the party games have all been played and the party guests are now all gone home – leaving wrinkled wrapping paper, outdated decorations and an eerie silence in their wake. This celebration has definitely come to an end.

Which is why the aftermath of Advent feels so, . . . so, so something indescribably sad and empty. When the candles on the cake go out, all the good wishes and goodwill seem to evaporate with the smoke from the burnt out candles, leaving the party goers let down and longing to experience again the anticipation that fills Advent in those days leading up to the arrival of the guest of honor, who is Jesus, the Holy Child, the Messiah, the King of all kings. 

Advent’s aftermath is always a let down after the frenzy of excited preparation and the fun of participation in all the festivities that accompany the celebration of Christmas. But now what? If you are asking yourself this question in the aftermath of the month long party that we have all just attended in some way, at some time – you are not alone. Mary and Joseph experienced this post Advent pause after the initial celebration of Jesus’s birth.

Think about it. On the night of Jesus’s birth an angel appeared to the shepherds, bringing them “good news of great joy”, then the sky was filled with the celebration of heavenly hosts praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) 

After the angel’s appearance, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. A special star even arose in celebration of Jesus’s birth, which would guide the Wise Men to the newborn King, because they desired to see Jesus for themselves and to worship Him. All of creation was rejoicing at God’s gift of His Son to mankind. But the celebration wouldn’t last.

Soon enough, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream to take Mary and Jesus and go to Egypt, because King Herod was searching for the newborn King, baby Jesus, with the intention of killing Him before He could rise to power. How quickly the situation turned from celebration and joy on the night of Jesus’s birth, to annihilation and fear in the months and years that followed. And this would not be the last time that human feelings and fortunes turned so completely and so quickly from worshiping Jesus to murdering Him.

Consider Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem years later, which is described in this way –

“When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, He sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ “ (Mark 11:9-10) 

This scene was quite a celebration of Jesus, it was an event full of joy and praise and hope. That’s why what happened just a few days later is so surprising. The same people who had been shouting “Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were now shouting something quite different from before, something in direct opposition to their previous praises and shouts of joy. Their words of affirmation were replaced with words of condemnation, their joy replaced with misplaced anger. 

The crowd that had shouted “Hosanna!” so recently, was now shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” in answer to Pilate’s question as to what should be done with Jesus. The crowd wanted Barabbas (a known murderer) released and they wanted Jesus crucified. How quickly this change of heart occurred! One day they welcomed Jesus in, the next day they demanded He be crucified.

So what will my own Advent aftermath look like? I made room, I prepared, I welcomed in the King of kings and Lord of lords with joy and expectation. The anticipation of Advent is over. The King has come. I let Him in. Will I let Him stay and make His home with me? Or will I allow the things of this world to crowd Him out? Will there again be no room in the inn or in my life for the One who gives me life and sustains my life? He has come to stay. Will I let Him make His home with me? His promise is offered to me and to you –

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) 

“Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’ “ (John 14:23)

Let my heart prepare Him room, not a guest room which is temporary, but let my heart prepare Jesus a home, which is permanent. Jesus came to stay. He came to take up residence with those He came to rescue and redeem. (“those” being me and you, dear readers) Having prepared for His coming, I want now to move beyond Advent to the adventure of daily life lived in the presence and the power of Christ, the King of glory.

The birthday party may be over, the candles blown out – but the Light of the world is here to stay, to make His home with all who will receive Him. The aftermath of Advent is not the end – it is the beginning of the new life Jesus came to bring us, abundant and full. His mercies are new every morning and His supply of compassion, forgiveness, love and acceptance is infinite. Every day is a reason to celebrate with Jesus present. The “after Advent” party is just getting started and I don’t want to miss out. 

Lord, You say if I’ll let You in, You’ll make Your home with me. I’m counting on that as I open up my heart to You. In the aftermath of Advent, I don’t want to inadvertently push You out again. As the song says, “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day 

 

   

happy birthday Baby!

Posted on by Grace Day

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ “ (Matthew 1:23)

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ “ (Luke 2:10-12)

Happy Birthday, Baby and welcome to our world –

angels announced Your arrival, the stars in the heavens unfurled

to welcome You on that Silent Night when all creation sang –

across the hills of Bethlehem such good tidings rang!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.”

bearing witness to the long-awaited miracle of Your birth –

Immanuel, God with us, our Redeemer come to earth.

You left Your home in glory, to make Your home with men,

We were not worthy, still You came, to take away our sin.

God’s gift to me in the manger lay, over two-thousand years ago –

this same gift is offered me still today, I dare not let it go

unacknowledged, unwrapped, ungratefully unreceived,

this gift of God will change my life, if only I believed.

in the power of the Baby in the manger to bring a dying world life,

to bring His light into our darkness and His peace into our strife. 

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ “ (Luke 2:14) 

Oh, Immanuel, Immanuel! You have come to rescue and redeem the lost.

How glad I am that you came for me, Your love overcoming all cost.

“He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8)

Oh, happy birthday, Baby – I’m so glad you came!

I will celebrate Your birthday and forever praise Your name!

“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

Your birth changed the world forever, bringing us hope and truth and grace,

So we celebrate Your birthday, the day true love found its face.

“We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

sincerely,  Grace Day