“I treat my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent.” Those words are lyrics from the song Fruitcakes by Jimmy Buffett. While Buffett is a songwriter and not a theologian, he certainly, at least in this song, seems to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves.

So often we get confused or mislead to think that God really only cares about the condition of our soul. And while God does care about what is on the inside, our soul, he also deeply cares about what is on the “outside,” our bodies. He cares about every fiber of us. God made us in His image and He desires for us to take care of the body He has entrusted us with. We read in Genesis 1:27 these words, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.”

If you know anything about the Creation Story, you know that all of the plants, trees, flowers, animals, fish and birds were created “according to their kind.” (See Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25.) The Hebrew word used here for “kind” means the sorting out of objects into categories. There is a lot packed into those four words, “according to their kind,” but for the purposes of this post let’s just say that God’s laws of genetics were imposed upon the plant and animal kingdom, thus precluding any evolution into another kind (a horse can never produce a sparrow.) God did not intend for the plants and animals to be made in the image of anything else. It is only mankind that is made in the image of God, and thus we are His representatives here on earth.

Not only are we made in God’s image, we are also to offer ourselves, body and soul, as living sacrifices to God. In Romans 12:1 we read this, “Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” What that verse says is that our bodies are the vehicle through which we live out our desires and choices, and it is through our body that we worship God.

You are probably now asking, what does all that have to do with Jimmy Buffett’s lyrics, “I treat my body like a temple, you treat yours like a tent.” We are commanded by God to take care of the body He has entrusted us with, but so many of us neglect our bodies, and ultimately that affects our souls as well. We make poor choices of food and drink, we have poor sleeping habits, and we ingest all kinds of things that harm our bodies. On top of that, who really feels like exercising after a long day at work or school? Many of us are poor images of God, and we fail to represent Him in a way brings honor and glory to Him.

Our bodies really are temples. Tents are for camping. If you do not believe Jimmy Buffett, then let’s turn to scripture. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us this, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

So, my challenge to you is this – As you wrap up 2021 and dream about 2022, take inventory of your lifestyle, the things you eat and drink, your sleeping habits, and the amount of exercise you get and then make an honest assessment of what you can change in order to change your body from a tent into a temple. Not only will you be bringing honor and glory to God by taking better care of yourself, but you will feel better in the process. And please, first consult with your doctor, fitness instructor, dietitian, etc. to ensure that any changes are done safely.

Dave’s note: As I continue to recover and heal from my stroke, I still have a number of deficits, but I continue to be pushed hard in all my therapies and we remain hopeful for a near complete recovery. As we roll into 2022, I will begin to post a little more, with the goal of eventually getting back to writing on a regular basis.

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With the new year only a few days away, many of you will be going to New Year’s Eve parties. And at every party there is always that one person who knows that Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter or who can solve Rubik’s Cube in less than thirty seconds. They seem to know every answer to all the questions in the trivia game and all the party-goers marvel at this person’s knowledge. But, those who know this person best say that he or she doesn’t have the common sense to come in out of a thunder storm. In fact, they likely left the windows open in their house as they went out the door, even with rain in the forecast. It is this same person who regularly wears socks that do not match and doesn’t seem to mind the mismatch.    

Now think of that person who, while they might not know all the trivia game answers or that Pi is an irrational number, always seems to know just what to say and do in most any situations. You have probably thought to yourself, “I wish I had their wisdom.”

The difference between the first person and the second is really nothing more than the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is simply the accumulation of facts and data while wisdom is the ability to apply that knowledge in a way that useful and helpful. It is not enough just to “know” that the burner on the stove is hot, you also need to apply that knowledge of the burner being hot so as to not put your hand on it.

Now let’s turn to gaining God’s wisdom. It is not enough to know the contents of the Bible. Reading and memorizing your Bible is a good thing, but we need to know how to understand and apply God’s Word into daily life. The Bible tells us that God gave us the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to give us wisdom. The Holy Spirit has many roles, but today we are just looking at this role of counselor. Jesus promised this very thing to His disciples (and ultimately to us). In John 14:26 we read, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.” Now that is real wisdom. No textbook or instruction manual can ever come close to teaching you those things!

And again, it is not enough that God gave us the Holy Spirit to gain wisdom. We must spend time in His Word, allowing it to penetrate so the Holy Spirit can teach us. John 16:13 tells us, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” Elsewhere in scripture we read these words – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

So, as you prepare for 2021, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see and understand from God’s point of view. Ask Him to help you wear matching socks.

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As you put the finishing touches on 2021 and begin to think about what colors of paint you will splash upon the canvas in the start of a new year, this is a good time to take an honest assessment of your life. Questions such as – How am I doing physically? How am I doing emotionally, financially, relationally? And how am I doing in my walk with God? Where am I putting my trust; is it solely in God or do I find myself placing my trust in earthly things?

A passage of scripture found in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah compares a life of someone who trusts in the Lord with someone who trusts in man and manmade things. Here is what we read in Jeremiah 17:5-8…

“This is what the LORD says:

Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws his strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not prosper when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Putting your complete trust in Jesus will not take away the storms and the droughts. However, putting your trust in Jesus will keep you anchored during the storms and nourished during your droughts. So, as we look to say goodbye to 2021 and start the new year, why not ask God to give you a faith that keeps you nourished both day and night, in the light and the dark, when the skies are sunny or when they are cloudy, and in the good and in the bad.

Go ahead, right now ask God to increase your faith so you can draw nourishment for your roots and be like a tree planted by the water – not fearing when the heat comes, always having green leaves, not worrying about droughts, and always bearing fruit. Right now, the canvas of 2022 is blank, so go ahead, splash your paint on it!

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In today’s culture, a word that gets thrown around is the word “peace,” most often used in the context of conflict or violence. It conjures up a picture of Hippies flashing peace signs as they protested the Vietnam War, opposing nations sitting down at a table to sign a peace accord (that will not last) to stop their fighting, someone being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, or maybe spouses trying to make peace after an ugly argument. The world fights for peace, it negotiates for peace, sometimes even buying peace, but ultimately the peace found in this world is only temporary.

When Isaiah was prophesying about the birth of Jesus, some 700 years before His birth, one of the names he gave to the coming Messiah was Prince of Peace. (Do you know the other three? Read Isaiah 9:6 to find out.) Jesus, the Prince of Peace, brings a different kind of peace than is found in the world. He does not fight for, or negotiate for, peace, but instead, freely gives it away to all who trust in Him. In John 14:27 we see Jesus saying this, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Here Jesus is not talking about the world being free of conflict, but rather the peace He is speaking of brings a state of tranquility, serenity or quietness to your soul, a calmness of confidence in God. This peace is not the absence of turmoil. Instead, it is the presence of the One who carries the quiet, the peace with Him. We can learn to be still, and quiet our own souls in the presence of God.

When the angels announced the birth of Jesus, here is what they proclaimed – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

This verse seems to indicate that with the birth of Jesus, who is the long-awaited Messiah, glory is to be given to God and that some new kind of peace is promised to those who are pleasing to Him. So, just what does it mean to be pleasing to God? In my opinion – to live a life in obedience to God and in accordance with His will. When we live like this, we are pleasing to God. Romans 5:1 tells us that we make peace with God when we commit our lives to Jesus and Philippians 4:7 promises us that we will have the peace of God when living a life pleasing to Him.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

So, as you expectantly wait upon the coming Messiah, will you allow His lasting peace, a peace that passes all understanding, to guard your heart and mind?

Dave’s note: As I continue to move at a slow pace as my brain heals and re-wires itself, and as I look spent time with family, this will be my last writing until sometime next week. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and may the peace of Jesus be with you today, tomorrow, and forevermore.

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In a safer time, people often left their doors unlocked. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1960s, our neighborhood was “one big happy family.” People went from house to house, often just knocking and walking in. Everyone knew everyone’s name. Kids could play outside without worry of being abducted, often being out of sight of the adults. When it was time to come home, parents had a way to call their own kids. My parents used a whistle. We even crossed Morse Road, a major thoroughfare, and rode our bikes in the parking lot of the now torn down Northland Mall. It was a much safer time.

In college we often left our dorm room door unlocked. If we needed something in a friend’s room, we usually just knocked and walked in. If you wanted privacy, you locked your door. But if you locked your door, you could expect to be “pennied” or have isopropyl alcohol poured under your door and lit on fire. My treasured Farrah Fawcett poster was a victim of such a prank. We felt safe without having to lock our doors. It was a much safer time.

These days, people lock everything, often having two and three deadbolts on their doors. Security systems, handguns, apps on our phones, and “Beware of the Dog” signs, are commonplace, all intended to protect us, our possessions, and keep out unwanted guests.

You hear a knock on the door and before you open the door you pull the curtain back just a tiny bit to see who is there. If it is one of those young men in a white long sleeve shirt and skinny black tie, you probably quickly turn off the lights and whisper to the kids to be quiet, hoping they don’t know you are home. These days, people do not dare walk into someone’s house without first being invited in. We just don’t enter anyone’s space without them inviting us in.

Jesus is the same way. He only enters your heart if you invite Him in. He never knocks and then just barges in. He never kicks down the door and pushes His way in. In the last book of the Bible, called Revelation, John writes seven letters to seven literal churches while exiled on the Greek island of Patmos. The Church at Laodicea saw themselves as rich, prosperous, and needing nothing (3:17). However, this is what John hears Jesus saying to that church, to those people – “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (3:15-16).

While this warning is directed to the Church at Laodicea, it also warns us today that Jesus despises lukewarmness. I do not think this warning is directed to nonbelievers; they would be the “cold” in that previous verse. I believe Jesus is warning those of us who are his followers that He is saddened by us just “going through the motions.” Maybe your once burning hot faith has all but burned itself out.

What does Jesus say is the answer to turning lukewarm into red hot? A few verses later, still to the Church at Laodicea, Jesus says this – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (3:20)

So, today, whether you’ve never invited Jesus in or you’ve gotten lukewarm in your faith, open your heart to Him right now. Jesus is extending that invitation to you right now.

This painting, found in the public domain, titled “The Light of the World” (William Holman Hunt) depicts Jesus knocking on an overgrown and long-unopened door. Notice the door has no handle and, thus, can only be opened from the inside. In this final week of Advent Season, will you open, or re-open, your heart to Him; the very One who can be your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Immanuel, God with us.   

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Whether it is low tide or high tide, whether there is a rip current or very little current, and whether the ocean water is very cold from the Labrador Current coming out of the Arctic Ocean or very warm from the Gulf Stream originating at the tip of Florida, one thing about the ocean is constant – while the water ebbs and flows and the tide rises and falls, the ocean keeps crashing onto the shore. The waves, whether big or small, just keeping coming, one right after another.

The tides are caused by the gravitational attraction of the ocean’s water to the sun and the moon, and there are two tidal bulges every lunar day (the time it takes for the moon to make one full rotation on its axis) with two high tides and two low tides. Because a lunar day – 24 hours and 50 minutes – is longer than a solar day, the tides are not exactly 6 hours apart. The two phases of the tide are called ebb and flood, with the ebb being when the water drains way from the shore and the flood being when the water rises again.

You might not be aware that there is a third tide, called a slack tide. This is the short period of time when there is barely any movement either way in the tidal stream, before the direction of the tide changes. 

Just as the ocean’s water rises and falls, our lives are a constant ebb and flow, up and down, in and out. Some days life seems calm and the waves are small and other days you find yourself in heavy waves (surfer lingo for big and gnarly waves), but you can rest assured that just like the ocean is always the ocean regardless of the water conditions, God is always love regardless of your conditions. Stand in the ocean and the water will constantly wash over you. Stand in God’s love and it too will always wash over you, wave after wave after wave.

You might be familiar with the Psalm 42, or at least you’ve probably heard the oft used first two verses of the psalm – “As the deer pants for water, so my soul pants after you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God.” Those words wonderfully describe how we are to thirst for God. Later on in this same psalm, and where I want to focus today, we see God’s unending love and presence in the midst of dangerous waves. Here is what we read in verses 7-8, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life.”

Those two verses reference the distress that the author of the psalm suffers but also confesses great hope in God in those times of trouble.

So, in these last days leading up to Christmas, regardless of the condition of the ocean you stand in, run in and out of God’s waves of love, and let Him refresh you over and over and over again.

Dave’s note: Each day I celebrate the victories I experience in my recovery, no matter how small they might seem. I could not do this without God’s great compassion and healing touch, the prayers and love that have come our way, my many therapists pushing me past where I think I can go, and last but not least, the unending love, support, patience, and encouragement from Robyn, Katie and Josh, Lindsay and Matt.

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