Super Glue Is Bad for the Eyes

Eye drops are a normal regimen associated with cataract surgery. Super glue is not! Unfortunately, a cataract patient reached for what she thought were eye drops but mistakenly grabbed super glue. Drop! Drop! Presto—sealed eyes. Surgery was required to cut away the glue.

Eyesight is priceless gift. So is the ability to see life from a biblical perspective. However, certain distractions may keep us from seeing things as God wants us to see them and even close our spiritual eyes as tightly as super glue closed the eyes of the unfortunate cataract patient. Anything that distracts us from God’s Word also keeps us from seeing His character and ways. As a result, we fail to see the folly of trying to satisfy the cravings of the heart and soul with empty philosophy, insecure wealth and possessions, mindless entertainment, and fleeting pleasures.

King David valued keen spiritual vision. He prayed, “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law [Word]” (Psalm 119:18).

Let’s keep super glue and a safe distance but keep God’s Word close at hand.

Par-don My English

Sometimes the English language doesn’t make sense. The words, good and hot, may have nothing to do with temperature. Far out may have nothing to do with distance. Space cadet may not identify a person studying to be an astronaut. A blast often refers to a good time, not an explosion. And grass may mean something entirely different from what we see on our lawns.

Often, the golf term par doesn’t make sense when we apply it to non-golfing situations. A teacher may write on a report card: “Johnny’s work has not been up to par recently.” Taken at face value, this report would mean Johnny’s work has been outstanding. After all if a golf score is not up to par, it is below par and, therefore, outstanding. A Father’s Day card may read: “Dad, when it comes to fathers, you are far above par.” Meant to flatter, the term far above par is hardly music to a golfer’s ears. And who hasn’t shrugged and sighed that a string of bad circumstances is par for the course. How can a string of bad circumstances be such a good thing as par for the course?

God’s words, written in the Bible, are consistent with His character. He is truthful (Deuteronomy 32:4); His words are truthful. He is wise (Jude 25); His words impart wisdom (Psalm 119:98). He is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9); His words are faithful (Psalm 119:86, 138; Titus 1:9). He is the author of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33); His Word is the agent of peace (Psalm 119:165). He is the Creator of life (Genesis 1:1); His Word generates spiritual life (1 Peter 1:22, 23). God says what He means and means what He says.

Read Psalm 119:97-104, and expect God’s words to direct you in the right way. His words are par for the course any day and every day!

The Bible and the Bard of Avon

Rumor has it that William Shakespeare slipped his name into Psalm 46 when the King James Version was nearly completed in 1610. According to the rumor, he did this to commemorate his 46^th birthday. If you count 46 words from the psalm’s beginning, you will arrive at the word “shake.” Counting back 46 words from the end will take you to the word “spear.” Omit “Selah” from each count.

Whether William Shakespeare left his mark on the Bible is highly debatable, but his writings allude to the Bible so often it seems clear the Bible left its mark on him.

Some believers mark their Bible as they read it. They may underline key words, phrases, or sentences. Or they may highlight certain verses in color. Green identifies verses that refer to spiritual growth and/or eternal life. Blue identifies verses that refer to heaven. Red is used for verses that refer to blood atonement. Black identifies verses about sin, and gold identifies verses that contain promises. But marking the Bible means little or nothing if the Bible doesn’t leave its mark on us.

A life marked by the Bible will help others see the reality of Christ’s presence and power. It may persuade some to believe on the Savior.

King David testified, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

What Part of "All Things" Don't We Understand?

About 2,000 years ago Asaph the psalmist, musician, and choir director was almost at wits end. He had puzzled long and hard to understand why wicked people prospered. Life just didn’t seem fair. He wrestled with a heavyweight question, “Does the Most High have knowledge?” (Psalm 73:11b).

Asaph finally discovered the answer in “the sanctuary of God” (verse 17). Not only did God know the wicked were prospering while His people were suffering, He also knew He would punish the wicked someday. He would destroy the wicked, sweep them away, and “despise them as fantasies” (verses 19, 20).

Maybe you have stood in Asaph’s sandals or you are wearing them right now. You look at unfair personal situations and wonder if God really knows what is going on in your life. If He knew your troubles, wouldn’t He fix them—make them go away?

What Christian hasn’t been tempted to think God doesn’t know everything? Sure, He knows all about the composition of outer space, but does He know all about the bills piling up on my kitchen table? Does He know how badly I am hurting from the loss of my spouse? Does He know my son hasn’t contacted me for weeks? Does He know how lonely I feel? And what about those nagging joint pains that keep me from doing things younger people do so easily? Does He know?

“Open theism,” A new twist to theology (a twisted theology) insists God doesn’t know everything. If correct, this theology can’t put its arms around us when we hurt and assure us God understands and cares. It leaves us quite alone and helpless to see God at work in our dark days.

But the Bible is still the best theology book, and it still teaches us that God is all knowing. Nothing escapes His knowledge, not even that recent utility company’s rate increase or that sudden stiffness of the right knee.

The apostle Peter often put his foot in his mouth, but he spoke wisely in response to Jesus’ third interrogation, “Do you love me?” He responded, “Lord, you know all things” (John 21:17).

Let’s side with Peter in the open theism debate. The Lord does know all things. If we know He knows all things, we can trust Him to use all things for our good and His glory.

Tired of Self-Service?

I had bronchitis frequently when I was a kid, but good old Dr. Harkness was only a phone call away, and he knew how to get me well. Moderns might consider him old-fashioned, but he was just right for me. He answered Mom’s phone calls personally and came to our house within hours of receiving a call. Medical attention has changed since Dr. Harkness toted his black bag from one patient’s house to another. Today, we visit the doctor’s office—an arrangement that may be best for us but not as convenient as the doctor-to-home visit of long ago.

Does it seem to you that service isn’t what it used to be? When gas was 19 cents a gallon, a service station attendant would fill the gas tank for you. He would also pop the hood and check the oil, check tire pressure, and wash the windshield. Not bad for 19 cents a gallon! Today, gas costs almost 3 dollars a gallon, and you pump it yourself. You may find a bucket of water and a squeegee at the pump in case you want to wash the windshield. If you need to put some air in your tires, you can drop quarters into an air compressor and attach an air hose to each tire valve. However, at my age, getting back up from a crouched position to pump air into a tire may lead to another visit to the doctor.

Self-service has arrived at the grocery store too. I prefer a checkout clerk’s voice to that of the automated voice at the self-service counter, but my wife likes the self-service feature. She enjoys talking back to the automated voice, but I don’t think the machine scans her items any faster because she talks back. Of course, you bag your own items at self-service. And have you noticed how extinct baggers have become?

Big box stores epitomize self-service. Don’t look for an employee if you want to know if a certain item available. Your guess is as good as the employee’s. And don’t expect an employee to check the inventory in the stock room to see if an item has arrived. It isn’t going to happen.

Have you watched the TV show, “The Apprentice”? After each show, a fired contestant strides out of an elegant high-rise office building and walks to a cab. The cab driver remains behind the wheel while the passenger open a rear door and loads his or her luggage into the back seat before hopping aboard. When did cabbies stop helping passengers with their luggage? Apparently, self-service has reached the taxi business.

Fortunately, we don’t have to take a do-it-yourself approach to Christian living. If we did, we would fail, Jesus said plainly, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Knowing we need help to be what we ought to be and to do what we ought to do, God has given us the Holy Spirit. As the name “Comforter” implies, the Holy Spirit is alongside to equip, encourage, and exhort us to lead a productive life.

Now here is an amazing truth: the Holy Spirit is even more readily available than old-fashioned Dr. Harkness. He is in us and with us forever (John 14:16, 17).