The Sword of the LORD

" A nd he said to them, How is it that ye sought Me? knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Luke 2:49) Joseph and Jesus' mother had gone up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover and taken Jesus, who was then 12 years old, with them. After the feast days, they headed back toward their hometown of Nazareth with all of their other relatives. After traveling a day's journey, they realized that Jesus was not with the group, as they had supposed. They hurried back to Jerusalem to search for Him, and after three days they found Him in the temple listening to the doctors of the law, and asking them questions. Mary, of course, began to scold Him, but Jesus reply was very simple and innocent, "How is it that ye sought Me? knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?" First of all, Jesus words reveal that He was amazed that they were seeking Him at all . You see, He hadn't left them - they had left Him. Jesus was right where He

"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:1, 2) What is it about worshiping the Lord in holiness that is so beautiful, anyway? I have been preparing for a yard sale. As I've been going through my attic, basement, and garage, I've found that things end up in one of three categories. One pile is to discard - stuff I no longer need or want, and probably no one else will either. Another pile is to put in the sale, try to get some money out of it, and end up taking most of it to Goodwill. The third pile, however, is to keep - stuff that I set apart because I intend to use it. The best definition of holiness that I have ever heard is "set apart." God has separated us from the world because He intends to use us. We are HIS people, and the sheep of His pasture. Not only has He chosen us, but He has purchased us with the life of

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalms 34:3) I remember being very curious as a boy; I guess most boys are. There was no end to my exploring, examining, and dismantling of anything and everything. One of my best memories, though, was when my parents bought me a microscope one Christmas. There was very little that escaped being placed on a slide and smashed under a cover slip so that I could peer at it. It was like opening a brand new world to me. Things that were commonplace and familiar became exotic and alien when zoomed in at high magnification. The intelligent design, and intricate construction, of even a blade of grass, or a human skin cell, turned the mundane into the divine. Years later, when I was introduced to the verse above, it made perfect sense to me. As we go through our life, there are many things that confront us that seem very large to us. Even the simplest of difficulties can throw us for a loop and appear unconquerabl