40 Days Closer to Christ

What if they decided to hold a concert and every member of the orchestra showed up with their instruments tuned anyway they wanted? I’ve been to a few middle school concerts and I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be good. There must be some standard to which all the instruments are tuned, or else you end up with a cacophony. But not only do the instruments need to be tuned, but they need to be tuned to a Master note.

In my house I have three guitars. (Actually since my kids played rock star with one of them only two are playable, but for illustration purposes lets suppose all three can be played.) If I tune one of them to with a pitch pipe or with an electronic tuner than I am pretty sure that it is conditioned for optimal performance. Now I can go to the second guitar and tune it by the first one. And I can get around to tuning the third one by using the second. Theoretically, all three should be tuned up just right. But if I strum a note on the third one, and check it with the tuner, more than likely it will be a little flat or a little sharp. It is just not quite in tune. No matter how good my ear is, a little variation sneaks in as they get tuned down the line. All three guitars have different tones and pitches but if they are all tuned with the electronic tuner and to the same standard then they sound good together.

It is the same way with us. We can get pretty close to where we should be in our spirituality, in our righteousness, and in our walk with God by sharpening ourselves against each other, but we will always be a little off. We need to go back to the Master to make sure that we are where we need to be. It is Christ alone who is the standard by which we measure ourselves. And it is by Him alone that we will be able to perform as we should. That is why we take forty days leading up to Easter and use it to draw closer to Christ and to reestablish our discipleship.

Forty days is the optimal period to form a new habit, to establish a new practice, and to change the pattern of your life. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an activity (we won’t use the word program) that can change your life.

Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. When God brings about change, the scriptures often represent a significant event as having a forty day duration. Noah’s world was changed forever in forty days. Moses saw God face to face and in forty days received the word which is still the basis for law and government. The city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and turned away God’s wrath in the space of forty days. David became a hero after all Israel cowered under Goliath’s forty day challenge. Elijah lived by faith for forty days after God sustained him with one meal. The disciples were given the mysteries of the kingdom as they were taught by the Lord during an intensive forty day seminar after the resurrection. Jesus prepared with a forty day fast for a ministry which culminated in the salvation of mankind.

We can grow closer to the Savior as we study His life and His appearances throughout scripture. We become the people we should as we strive to lead a life of diligent discipleship. In these forty days we can review and renew the vital things that bring us to the Lord. We can refresh our memories and recall the eternal truths of who God is, who we are, and how we can have a close relationship with Him. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an opportunity to more fully develop that relationship, so that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Day 22 ~ Immanuel (Doctrine & Covenants 128:22)


In the middle of the night came the news that all but one of the West Virginia miners were still alive. Reporters broadcast the happy news as the families celebrated in the background. A few hours later came the sad news that the initial reports were wrong. Ecstasy turned to disbelief and despair as it was discovered that it was quite the opposite. One was alive, the rest were dead. In the face of the bitter news, some of the family members became angry. A minister trying to comfort the families called upon them to turn to God for peace. One grieving relative angrily cried out "Where was God today?"

Sometimes that is our question - where is God? Is He even out there?

What we sometimes look for is for God to be the Genie in the bottle. We want to rub the bottle and have Him perform for us. But that makes us Lord and him the servant. What He promises is that He will be with us. He will walk with us and stay beside us. He has promised, "lo, I am with you always (pasas tas hemeras - literally, all the days, i.e., day by day) even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). He is with us but we are not always aware of what He is doing behind the scenes.

He said to us: "Fear not for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you and uphold you by my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). But sometimes we won't see. Life presses down until we are beaten, discouraged and tattered. Being downcast we keep our eyes upon the ground - even though over us is the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not see Him because we will not look to Him. We won't look up.

Joseph sat alone in an Egyptian prison. He must have felt abandoned for a time. But God was preparing to move dramatically in his life. Elijah felt alone in the cave. He went into major depression. But God was still with him, and eventually Elijah was confronted by the penetrating still small voice. God even told Elijah that He had many who still had not bowed the knee to Baal. One of the saddest passsages in all the scriptures are the words of Moroni. "I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not" (Mormon 8:5). Yet, Jesus was with him and Moroni yet wrote beautiful things to our generation.

We are never alone. Eyes are always upon us. We have companions who walk unseen beside us. And they are pulling for us, even when they are forbidden to help us for our own good. Only One was ever alone. His cry from the cross "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" is the only true moment when in the balance was the chance to truly lose everything. But He endured it willingly so that we will never have to do the same. He says to us, "I am with you." He is bound to us and will never forget us because we are engraved upon the palms of His hands. His life blood spilt for us.

We never know what the Lord is doing unbeknownst to us. I'm sure He gets a lot of blame when really He should receive praise. Sometimes it takes a long way down the road before we can see the majesty of the scene behind us. And there are times when we don't ever see it at all.

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He began to pray feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried, "Why wouldn't you save me from this disaster!" He eventually fell asleep with despair in his heart and accusation in his thoughts. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
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