The Devil You Know

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NLT)

The other day I heard the phrase "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't." The phrase originated in the 1500s and was printed in a book of Irish proverbs. It basically means sometimes it is better to deal with something you don't like but know, rather than something you don't know at all.

In some cases, I agree with this statement. But in the case of Satan, I want to stick with the devil I know. Here are some of the things the Bible says about Satan.

• He deceives us. 2 Corinthians 11:3
• He is a murderer and a liar. John 8:44
• He is a thief. John 10:10

That definitely is not better than anything. No matter what, it seems like the devil you don't know would be better, right? Not if you read the rest of the story. The Bible also says:

• You can fight off his advances by choosing Jesus. Ephesians 6:11-16
• If you stand up to him, he flees. James 4:7
• He has already been crushed. Romans 16:20
• He has been conquered and defeated. Revelation 20
• Jesus put him in his place and if we choose Jesus, he is not a threat. Revelation 12:11

So you see, I will choose the devil I know. He's conquered. He's defeated. He's outta here!

That's My Son

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 (NIV)

When we go back to Greece to visit, I am often surprised at the intimacy of the villages. Usually, folks know we are there to visit before we reach out to them. Someone saw us and started telling folks and the word gets out.

I would guess Mary experienced this in a much greater magnitude. What do you think she heard as she walked around villages and towns?

"Did you hear what Jesus did? He made the blind man see."
"Jesus healed the leper."
"It's too incredible to believe, he walked on water!"
"Jesus fed 5,000 men with just 5 loaves and 2 fish!"

The Bible tells us in a few places that Mary pondered (treasured) these things in her heart. Here's my question. How did she stay humble? I'm a Mom. I am super proud of my kids. My heart swells when I see them and I feel good. Here is this Mom who has a son that is the Son of God. He heals people! He calms storms! How would you keep your pride in check in that scenario?

Maybe that's why God chose Mary. Maybe he knew that she would keep coming to him each day to keep herself grounded. Mary was not supernatural. She was a human that needed a Savior just like we do. I am sure she struggled with being a Mom, being a woman, being a human just like the rest of us. We don't know a ton about her but we know she had a relationship with God because God said she found favor in his sight. We also know she pondered....contemplated....thought about the things that were happening....is it possible this could also mean she prayed about them? In all that pondering, was she praying?

I look at Mary and I want that.  I want that relationship with God that grounds me so well that no matter what good is happening in my life, I stay humble. I stay connected. I want to stay grounded in the one thing that is true. I want to always remember that it's God who is doing great things, not me.

Father God, It is impossible for us to be humble without you. As soon as we think about how humble we are, we are not humble! But you, Holy Spirit, can change us from the inside out so that we can truly experience your humility. Please do that in my life. Amen

I Want To Be A Tax Collector When I Grow Up

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’  Luke 18:13 (NLT)

He was standing away from the crowd, off by himself, fully aware of who he was. When he prayed, he did not even lift his eyes toward the God he prayed to. He beat his chest in mourning and he uttered the same thing we all think from time to time. God, have mercy on me. I'm not worthy of your love.

This man knew he was wrong. He knew he was a sinner. He knew he had nothing to offer that was worth the God he served. But he came anyway. He came because he knew it wasn't about him or what he did but about the God who was bigger than all that.

This man didn't compare himself to others. He didn't check off a list of good deeds. He simply came with his failures and obvious problems. He came for the love and acceptance that is so freely offered to all of us.

I wish I could be more like this man. I tend to mimic the Pharisee more than I would like. How can my heart me more like the heart of this tax collector? By focusing on Jesus. By looking at the one who can change me so my heart is broken when I come before him.

May sound strange, especially if you are a Pharisee, but I would rather be this tax collector.

Father God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Make me more like Jesus. Amen

Focus of the Pharisee

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer[a]: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’  Luke 18:11-12 (NLT)

We often look down on Pharisees. We are critical of their way of thinking and how they rejected Jesus and his way of thinking.  Take this one, for example.

He is praying. He points out to God all the good things he does. He fasts, he gives money to God. He's doing good things.  Then, to make sure it's clear where he stands in his own righteousness, he compares himself to others. He doesn't pick other Pharisees (after all, they may be doing the same good things he's doing). He chooses the lowest of the low. He singles out the tax collector, the cheaters, adulterers and any other sinner that pops into mind.

Now, how do we fit in here?  Have you ever said "Well, I am not as bad as......" or "I'm not that bad, I don't ......"  Have you ever listed the good things you do to check off the boxes?

Now, I am going to ask you the same question as I did yesterday. Could you be a Pharisee?

The only person we should be looking at and comparing ourselves to is Jesus.

Ewww, It's Dark Out There

From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Matthew 27:46 (MSG)

Think of the person in your life that is the closest to you. You would trust them with anything. No matter what, they will always be there for you. You've shared the good, the bad and the really ugly and they stay close. Maybe it's a parent, a spouse, a child, a sibling or a best friend. Now imagine that you were in trouble. Things are really bad and they are about to get worse.

Your closest confident, your support system is near. You know they are there even though you can't see them. Calling out, you tell them to come. If they come, everything will be better. But they don't come. You cry out more loudly. Still there is no response. You have been abandoned. Sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it?

The crush on your heart causes you to not be able to breathe. The knot in your stomach is painful. And your mind is reeling. Why? What did I do? Where are you?

As Jesus hung on the cross, he was unable to connect with his main source of love and life. He and God were one. They were connected at the hip - two peas in a pod. What God wanted, Jesus did and God in turn blessed him. Their mission was the same. Their thinking identical. And Jesus looked to God every minute of every day for guidance. And then he was gone. Not only was it dark on the outside, it was dark on the inside as well. Jesus could not see the light that he relied on for his life line. The sin placed on Jesus was too much and God had withdrawn. Jesus crushed and heartbroken at the absence of his adoration, died.

As I contemplate those moments, I can't imagine the pain and heartbreak. But, I can't help it; I don't linger there long. My sadness turns to praise as I realize that because Jesus faced the ultimate darkness, I don't have to. Never, ever, ever do I need to wonder if God has abandoned me. Never, ever, ever do I need to worry that I am alone. I am never abandoned and I am never alone because Jesus was willing to face the darkest night.