Articles

By its very nature, life confronts us with the question of our meaning. We ask ourselves, as the famous piece by Gauguin puts it, “Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going?” We urgently need to know the answers to these questions.

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For a short time in the first century—between the events of Matthew 4:11 and those of Matthew 4:12—Jesus and John the Baptist were both ministering, each in his own way. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus’ disciples were baptizing in Judea and that John’s disciples noticed the growing impact of Jesus’ ministry, leading them to feel curious and perhaps even envious (3:25–26; 4:1–2).

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Christians have sometimes been described as “so heavenly minded that they’re no earthly good”—that is, focused overmuch on the life to come and not concerned enough with the here and now. Some believers, reacting to that accusation, have instead sought to emphasize the here and now, becoming uninterested or even agnostic about the life to come.

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If we’re not careful, it can be all too easy to give no thought to how we start our day. Some men and women rise from bed essentially in a daze and stumble into action, directed by instinct and entrenched habits. Those wishing to be more thoughtful may take special care with a routine to launch off with purpose and energy. Some will even prepare the night before to make the morning as smooth as possible.

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As the old year ends and a new one begins, you’ll probably be wished at some point, “Happy New Year!” And indeed, for many of us, a new year does provide an opportunity to mark out one’s course for the twelve months ahead—a course likely aimed at greater happiness.

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The familiar Christmas story tells us that Jesus was conceived in a human mother without any human father—that He was conceived by “the power of the Most High” (Luke 1:35). Many modern people object that such an event is an impossibility. Even some Christians attempt to downplay the importance of Mary’s virginity in the Gospel accounts.

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In Isaiah 57:20–21, God tells us,

  “The wicked are like the tossing sea;
 for it cannot be quiet,
 and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

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When Christians tell about God’s mercies to them, it provides tremendous encouragement to others who are seeking to live by faith. In Psalm 34:6, we find just such a testimony: “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” Three brief observations about this verse will serve as helpful reminders for our Christian walk.

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Psalm 145 is the only psalm that, in the original Hebrew, has the heading tehillah, which means simply “a psalm” or, more plainly, “a praise.” It is also the last of David’s psalms—and in some ways, it seems to gather together all of David’s experience of God to express his thanksgiving and adoration:

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Dear Friend,

“All good gifts around us are sent from heav’n above;
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord for all His love.”

These words are the refrain of my favorite harvest Thanksgiving hymn. It reminds us that while the farmer sows the seeds, we have God to thank, because it is He who “sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine, and soft, refreshing rain.”

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