Ensign: Jeffrey On His Glorious Ninth

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3















AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 2 July 2015




I think Button can wait another week. My son Jeffrey has only one eighth birthday, and that's today.


And NO, I can count! Jeffrey as a living being made in the image of God is on his ninth trip around the sun (birth to his first birthday being his -- and your -- first, from one until he's two his second, and so on). It's still hard to believe that little guy (not so little, Jeffrey's about to my shoulder) is nearly one-half a legal adult! As Martha said when I said the same thing about our daughter Sarah who turned nine the last day of February -- that is, that she's halfway to legal adulthood -- DON'T RUSH IT! And I'm trying, really ... there are just moments I feel they should be doing more than they are doing for themselves, but then it's called to my attention they have no idea how to do some of the things we ask them.


There is just this urge to do at least as well with Sarah and Jeffrey, if not more so, than our parents did with us. And despite all the family around us, we're still doing in step by step! One of my favorite lines in comics comes from the dad in Calvin and Hobbes: I don't think I would have been in such a rush to grow up if I'd known the whole thing was going to be ad-libbed. Yes, I truly thought that God's Word would have everything laid out for me to raise my children and the heck with any other manuals or guidance. Now don't get me wrong, preachers, I'm not saying that the Bible doesn't (at least two or three of you are getting out of your pounces ... good) excellent -- indeed, excelling (Love Divine, All Loves Excelling) counsel to all of us on how to live as well as live with each other. Of the Ten Commandments Moses brought down from Sinai, it's telling that the last six deal with that.


Living with each other. Granted, not all of our neighbors are under our roof, but if we ever go outside we will inevitably have to interact at least with some of them. And it doesn't hurt, especially if we claim that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior and Lord, to walk as He did and would. (If this comes out a bit like I'm preaching to the choir -- hey, choir members quit the church too!) In fact, those Ten Commandments I referred to in the previous paragraphs can really be boiled down to two: Jesus does this, in fact. We see it in Mark 12:28-34 -- I'll post the whole passage here because it gets confusing to pick and choose what to emphasize:

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

So love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind -- essentially, with all of you -- and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will (well, you will do your best to) not have any other gods before God or make any image of anything in heaven or earth or take God's name in vain, you will remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, you will honor your father and mother (even though sometimes you may not like it), you will not kill or commit adultery or steal or lie (what "bear[ing] false witness" means, that you're not being a TRUE witness) or covet what your neighbor has. It really IS that simple to not be far from the kingdom of God, son, and when you fall short -- all of us do -- we turn back to God and pray that He will forgive and strengthen us to resist it again.


Like I have done, but have not always done, with you son.


I want to do better, I pray to God I will do better.


Happy Birthday,


David










P. S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope it encourages you too. If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!










Thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in praise and prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even the ones we don't know we have! Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and around the world.










Thank You, Lord, for all of us in leadership and service here and abroad, as well as for opportunities we have and the promise of new life! I pray we all seek and have a blessed week. Amen.