1. When Your Kids Can’t Sleep
2. When Your Kids Want Control
3. When Your Kids Keep Whining
4. When Your Kids Get Sick
5. When Your Kids Scratch the Neighbor’s Car
6. When Your Kids Disobey You (Again!)
7. When Your Kids Have a Meltdown in Public
8. When Your Kids Get Overly Emotional
9. When Your Kids Ask About Death
10. When Your Kids Ask About Earthquakes
11. When You’re Stuck in the Basement
12. When You’re Just There.

Paul knew the pain of suffering and loss. And through these trials he learned to trust in God. But he learned something else. Something we often forget. Paul learned to be content in EVERY situation.

In Philippians 4:12, Paul speaks of God’s provision and how he learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Paul knew how to be brought low and how to abound. In every circumstance, he was content because he understood that life was filled with both trials and blessing, suffering and prosperity.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Paul I picture him suffering all the time. I picture a man who never enjoyed one moment of physical comfort or pleasure. Yet, it’s clear that there were times where he had plenty. I’m not sure what that entailed, but in those times Paul knew what to do. He abounded in thanksgiving. He continued to trust in God and not in what he had. I wonder if we do the same.

You see, for most of us, we face a different kind of trial each day. The trial of prosperity. Prosperity can be a dangerous trial for the Christian. Instead of bringing us closer to God, it can take us further away from him. Charles Spurgeon once said,

The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God!

Wow. Most of us have never thought that God would test our faith by giving us abundance. And these mercies of God can actually take us away from God if we receive them with the wrong heart. So like Paul, I want to learn to be content in every circumstance. I want to learn what it means to be brought low in times of adversity. And I want to learn how to abound in times of prosperity – so that my soul would be satisfied in Christ alone no matter what comes my way.

That’s my prayer for you today as well.

Monday Morning Motivation from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

The purpose of this Bible reading schedule (shortened considerably from schedules that get through the Bible in one year) is actually to limit the amount of Bible we read daily. Reading quickly through many verses may not be as profitable as savoring deeply a few verses. So the aim of this schedule is not to read less, but to meditate more.

You will also benefit from Dr. Johnson’s thoughts on the “what” and “how-to’s” of meditation.

Maybe the biggest lesson God is teaching me so far is that He’s with me.  He’s given me the gift of himself – the Holy Spirit.  I’m learning to rely on him more than ever as I remind myself that the help I need lives right within me.*  The Holy Spirit gives me power to do things I cannot do on my own.  So when I’m faced with circumstances that are beyond my wisdom, instead of thinking to myself, “I can’t do this,” I’m reminding myself, “I can do this, by the power of the Holy Spirit in me.”

What an amazing gift to ponder at Christmastime.  The help of the Holy Spirit living within us.

Praise God.

*Paul Tripp elaborates on this concept in his excellent DVD series called, “Portrait of a Struggle.”

Christ the King Presbyterian Church has developed two Advent devotionals you can download here and here.

Jared Kennedy posted some great ideas for families to celebrate the Advent season.

The Resurgence also has an excellent series of posts onLearning to Advent together.

Justin Taylor points to a new Advent Narrative Book that looks really good.

Tony Kummer highlights some Advent Lessons for Kids that teach through the nativity.

One thing we do in our home is sing Christmas songs together (I can still manage to play a few on the guitar!) and talk about the words to these songs.  I’ve found that some of them are rich in theology (i.e. Joy to the World). Whatever you do, make it simple and fun for your kids!

Yesterday I got to see Tullian Tchvidjian preach at Southern Seminary. I love his focus on the gospel of grace. Toward the end of his message he asked an interesting question: If Christ accepts me based on his righteousness and not mine, then what is my motivation to do good? In other words, if I have a great day, I’m accepted, if I have a bad day, I’m accepted. So why do good? He answered the question with a quote from Spurgeon:

When I thought God was hard, I found it easy to sin; but when I found God so kind, so good, so overflowing with compassion, I smote upon my breast to think that I could ever have rebelled against One who loved me so, and sought my good.

In other words, the deeper I go into the gospel, the greater my motivation toward obedience. I encourage you to watch this message and be amazed again at God’s grace for desperate sinners like you and me.

I want to share one insight from the book that was extremely helpful for me and I hope it’s helpful to you as well. Isaiah 55:8 says that “God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts.” The text goes on to say that God’s Word and his ways are like the rain and snow that gently fall down and sink into the earth, which in time, brings forth life. Foster writes,

What a contrast with our ways, which involve wanting to open up another person’s head and tinker around in there for a bit! But you see, God’s ways are all patience and love, all grace and mercy. Our ways are domination and control, all manipulation and guile.

Earlier he writes,

You see it’s one thing to love God; it’s quite another to love God’s ways.

Later he gives the reader a helpful illustration to grow in accepting God’s ways:

We might want to imagine ourselves on a lovely beach observing the footprints of God in the sand. Slowly we begin to place our feet into the prints. At some places the stride looks far too long for our small frame; at other places it looks so short that it appears childlike. In infinite wisdom God is stretching us where we need greater attentiveness and stillness. As we follow God’s lead, we enter more and more into the divine Stride, turning where God turns, accepting God’s ways and finding them altogether good.

That’s my prayer for you and me – that we would learn to follow his lead and love his ways. For he is good and is working for our good always.