I have a love/hate relationship with snow. The lovely song that Frank Sinatra made famous, “Let It Snow,” brings a certain whimsical set of emotions. Yes, the snow is beautiful! Yet, my back is aching, and driving is stressful. When pondering the statement “let it snow,” I can’t help but be reminded of the One (and only One) who controls the snow.
“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” — Proverbs 11:2
“For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” -Timothy Keller
The dictionary defines pride as “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in conduct, etc.”
Pride is thinking only of yourself all the time. It bolsters attitudes and thoughts like: you “can’t be wrong” or you “have to be the best.” Inversely, pride rears its head when you think you are “always wrong” and “not good at anything.” In either scenario, your eyes are only on yourself.
Last fall, I had a pocket gopher problem. This pest somehow got into my backyard and started tunneling everywhere. It created dozens of mounds around my garden. Then it started moving toward my trees, which could kill them! So I declared war on the gopher. After watching various YouTube videos, I tried flooding, poison, and traps. Unfortunately, none of it worked; the gopher kept digging. Fortunately, the YouTube algorithm suggested a video for a particularly effective trap. I ordered it, and the gopher was dead within five minutes of setting it.
I thought of my gopher problem when I read these verses in my quiet time last week:
“Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.” — Proverbs 6:28-29
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:3-4 NIV84)
I’ve recently been reading Exodus; I saw a great dichotomy — the balance between patiently waiting and taking action. Sometimes it’s hard to know which one to do. Moses and the Israelites were “pinned down” between the Egyptian army (bent on destroying them) and The Red Sea. They had nowhere to go.
So, the Hebrews did what I often do — they started whining and grumbling! We are told in Exodus 14:13-14 that, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”
The Rock Music has released our new song, “Mercy.” It has been an honor to play a small part in writing and recording this song. Indeed, God has been so kind to our little local church in Draper, Utah (of all places) to allow us to put out so much original music.
I’ve helped release several songs over the past 15 years. This one is unique. From the first time we led worship with this song (April 2022), it has been a particularly special song for our body to sing together.
First and foremost, we write and record music for Jesus to be exalted and, secondly, for our local body. We want the music to be a blessing to the saints who call The Rock Church their home. Anything beyond that is just icing on the cake. And, of course, more glory for God.
The Rock Music is thrilled to announce that their new single “Mercy” is available now.
Longing and intimacy fill this passionate proclamation. As it highlights the tender mercies of God, this heartfelt anthem draws listeners into an experience of worship through music and melody.
I’ve recently been thinking quite a bit about the word “delight”. We are currently in a sermon series at church (through Psalm 119) called “Delighting In God’s Word.” I take delight in naps, cats, and iced Americanos. I take great pleasure in the joy of Disneyland with my wife and children. But the thought of delighting in God’s Word strikes a chord that goes much deeper. Of course, I enjoy the goodness of God in the good times. But what about the times when I need the promises of God to minister to me in a more profound way? How can I delight in God’s Word when walking through pain, suffering, and loss?
“A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” — Proverbs 25:28
This verse likens us to a city. It’s certainly a powerful metaphor; we don’t often see it used in the Bible. I think a few themes from this verse are worth spending some time on. They’ll help us understand what can happen when we don’t exercise self-control.
In his last published book, “The Excellency of a Broken Heart,” the great puritan author John Bunyan wrote:
“Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think . . . . It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving. . . . Where there is grafting there is a cutting. The scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. The heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this, I say, must be done by a wound.”
Many blessings come with God’s gift of salvation. However, there are also many troubles and pains. There is the breaking down of our earthly bodies, the desires and temptations of our sinful flesh, and satan (the prowling lion) wishing to destroy us and ruin the joy and goodness in our lives. Additionally, hate and venom are directed toward us from a world the unregenerate part of us so longs to please.
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16 NLT
What are you delighting in? What brings you joy or pleasure? When was the last time you truly adored something? To delight is to be greatly pleased, and Psalm 119 is full of this wonder. It is also the longest chapter in the Bible and likens His Word to honey for our lips and a lamp for our feet.
