Whiter than Snow

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 51:7-12 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Freshly fallen snow along a fence line near the Carl A. Rahe Access. Little Miami State Park, Foster, Ohio.

While this photo is not from the winter storm that has blanketed us with snow here in southwestern Ohio today, I felt a winter theme was definitely in order for today’s post. I hope to get out and add a few nice winter photos to my “portfolio” tomorrow.

The amazing thing about photography is that we can capture a moment in time and preserve it, allowing it to be appreciated for years to come. What I find even more amazing, though, is that our God, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of the universe, does not see our sins like the photographs in an old family album. Fortunately for us, through the blood shed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God has blotted out all our iniquities and removed the stain of sin from our lives. Through Christ’s blood we have been washed clean and can rejoice knowing that we have been made whiter than snow!

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Not Neglecting to Meet Together

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

A quartet of ring-billed gulls gathered together along the shores of Lake Erie. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania.

I suspect my introverted nature and desire for solitude are traits I share with many who enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Time alone for prayer, reflection, or simply to get away and recharge our batteries is a good thing. As I wrote about in a previous blog post, there are plenty of examples in Christ’s own earthly ministry where he and his disciples took time to get away.

But, as much as we may enjoy our time alone, today’s passage from Hebrews reminds us that we should not neglect gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. From the first pages of the Bible we discover that God himself is relational, and, that we are relational beings, created in his image. In Genesis 1: 26-27 we read,

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

There is much more to these verses, but I have two points that I want to highlight here. First, God says “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Here God refers to himself using the plural pronouns us and our, not the singular, me and my. ¹ God is clearly relational. Second, he created us male and female in his image. We, too, are relational beings. From the beginning, we were created with a deep need for a relationship with God, as well as relationships with other people. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world where all of our relationships are complicated by sin and selfishness.

But, there is good news! As Christians we have hope through Christ. As Christians we have the opportunity, as today’s passage tells us, to encourage and “stir up one another to love and good works.” Of course, we can only do these things as long as we are “not neglecting to meet together.”

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¹ While an explanation and defense of the central Christian doctrine of the Trinity is beyond the scope of a short devotional, this verse does clearly point to the relational nature of God. If you want to explore the doctrine of the Trinity further, I recommend this link to the Monergism.com website where you will find numerous links to many excellent writings on the doctrine of the Trinity.

Consider the Lilies of the Field

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Matthew 6:28-30 – And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ 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?

Glacier lilies along the trail to Iceberg Lake. Glacier National Park, Montana.

In yesterday’s post I focused on our need to take our concerns to God in prayer and to seek him through his word. Continuing in the sixth chapter of Matthew for today’s passage, Jesus goes on to tell us why it is we have anxiety in the first place, “O you of little faith.”

Now faith is a gift from God; we cannot will ourselves to have faith, nor can we work harder to earn more faith. As we are reminded in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Even though our faith is not earned, we still have a responsibility to care for this precious gift we have been given through Christ. Without water and sunshine the lilies will not grow, neither will our faith without proper nurturing. One way our faith grows is through diligent study of God’s word. Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” So, not only can God relieve our worries through the assurances provided in his word, he also uses it as a means to mature our faith, which is our best armor against anxiety.

Look at how magnificently these glacier lilies proclaim the glory of God. He has provided the rain and sunshine needed for them to blossom. How much more will our faith blossom and glorify him if we avail ourselves regularly of the great gift of his word?

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Look at the Birds of the Air

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Matthew 6:25-27 – Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

A pair of goldfinches (not a reflection) on the thistle feeder in our back yard.

I must admit, as many times as I have read these verses, I struggle to heed the advice Jesus is giving here. I think these words are especially important to reflect on during such a busy time of the year. Between hectic social calendars, year-end pressures at work, and the everyday tasks of life, it is easy to get anxious about it all.

As demanding as things may be, sometimes we need to find time to get away. For me that means getting out into God’s magnificent creation and putting a few miles on my hiking boots. Even pausing a few minutes at the back window to watch the birds on the feeder provides a bit of respite. The peace and quiet of the outdoors help me to set aside my concerns and focus on the two things that matter most in life, God and family.

That said, it is even more important, especially when worries get the better of us, to take the time to bring our concerns to God in prayer and seek him through his word. After all, it is through prayer and his word that we find great reminders, like this passage from Matthew, of our Father’s constant love and daily provision for us, his children, who are more valuable to him than the birds of the air.

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