Do you remember that old song in Vacation Bible School that said, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart? Do you still have it today? I hope you do, because as God’s children we have lots to be joyful about. Be edified as you read I Thessalonians 5:16-18, and Romans 12:12. Humanity has always sought contentment within their souls, but rebellion and a lack of understanding are huge joy crashers. In Hosea 4:6, God’s word declares, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” and He continues to talk about how the masses reject His truth. What knowledge and what truth? He’s simply talking about knowing who He is and following Him. We notice God uses the word “destroyed” because without knowing about the divine realities of absolute truth, we will not comprehend the danger of living without being born again. Oh sure, people can be moral and even somewhat religious, but many have never experienced a life-changing encounter with the one who created them. On the outside, they might seem content, but within their spirit, they are not developing into the person God wants them to become.

Sometimes it’s not easy to eat crow. Something about the feathers doesn’t taste well. And then there are those nasty anisodactyl feet – four toes, one of them points backward. They are scaly and hard to get down. Swallowing the bird that eats dead meat, you know – carrion, just turns my stomach. Consuming a scavenger, like a buzzard, a rat or a crow, is downright distasteful. So does admitting I was wrong. A colloquial idiom, eating crow, is to admit one’s words have been proven wrong. Since discovering the three-part movie series, Reacher, starring Tom Cruise, this writer became a huge fan of the character of the titular name. Based on the novels by Lee Child, the shows are about a former military policeman, Jack Reacher, whose travels across the country presents him with opportunities to solve crimes. His style of street justice gets things done.

Embracing truth while ignoring gossip and opinions The majority of the world does not agree with the God of the Bible being the author and finisher of their faith. With so many diverse religions and philosophical convictions, along with masses of people that have no spiritual affiliation at all, we still realize that today’s spiritual and political environment is not that much different from thousands of years ago. Humans are influenced by what we hear and read, so an important consideration is how much knowledge we have discovered that we know is true. Especially since the invention of the internet, independent research and critical thinking are hardly necessary. Today, information is given to us instantly, but shouldn’t we be asking asking God instead? Jesus talks about this in the Sermon on the Mount, and all leaders should study it carefully.

There is something about being there. About experiencing the atmosphere, first-hand, and being able to say you were there.