I recently discovered that my spam filter on the blog is on steroids. Apparently it has been capturing a lot of genuine comments. I just want you to know that if your comment has not shown up it is nothing personal, more than likely you were bundled together with some pharmacy spam or something.
A cool thing happened this week in the life of this blog. Timmy Brister of Provocations and Pantings selected Irish Calvinist as one of his top Gospel-Centered Blogs. To me this is very encouraging because gospel-centeredness is precisely what I am aiming to do here on the site, and for Timmy, an SBC guy whom I respect, to throw some love this way is very encouraging.
I am enjoying having being buffeted with severe body blows while reading a couple of books right now. One is the new book by Ted Tripp, entitled A Quest for More, and the other is The Exemplary Husband, by Stewart Scott. My pride has been taking a beating by these two guys and I am just trying to share with you. I cannot recommend these highly enough at this point, especially if you are a husband or want to be a husband some day…your wife will thank you. It is amazing to see the manifestations of pride in our respective cupboards; I scarcely recall feeling so moldy.
Finally, in case you missed it, Tom Brady, went Solomon in Ecclesiastes in a recent 60 minutes interview (actually I think the interview was from quite awhile back but only recently aired). Brady is a guy who, by the world’s standards, has it all, plenty of money, fame, without question the best player at his position, on his way to a perfect season and more accolades. However, he talks like a guy who just watched an overhyped movie. Notice what he says:
“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be.”
When the interviewer followed up with a question as to what the answer was, Brady responded,
“I wish I knew. I wish I knew. I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.”
Life is a vapor and the glories of this life are indeed empty and fleeting, just ask Tom Brady. Brady is searching for something better than and outside of himself, he is searching for purpose, meaning, and direction through transcendent delight. He is searching for the Lord Jesus Christ, who himself is the source, sustainer and ultimate object of joy. It is through knowing and enjoying the gloriously beautiful and infinitely valuable king Jesus that the soul’s innermost cravings are satisfied with Christ-centered refreshment. Until the eyes of the soul are illumined to behold the beauty of Christ we will, with frustration and hopelessness, traverse the cul-de-sacs of this world only to see that we have not moved out of our own neighborhoods of futility without every actually breathing and living. It is through knowing Christ and the forgiveness of sins in Christ that one lives.
Let’s heed Paul command to pray for all (types of) men, including pro-bowl quarterbacks, that he might have his cravings and questions answered by the only one who can truly satisfy and provide everlasting joy and delight, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Prov. 16.10).
