Happy Easter!

He is risen!

Pain producing Character

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. James 1:2-3

Tonight I've been relaxing after getting back from a very busy, yet confirming, time in Germany. Before we left, my mother-in-law (who's in the process of clearing out) gave Laura and me some of Laura's dad's old classical music cds. Now I enjoy classical music for listening, I have friends like Guido who are really into the technical side as well. One of the cds we picked out was a collection of all of Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonies. My favorite has always been his 9th. However tonight as I was doing stuff around the flat I was listening to symphonies 5 & 6. I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of them. I was thinking about them as I was listening, and I started thinking about Beethoven's life. He had a very difficult life. As a young man he studied under the great Joseph Hadyn in Vienna and quickly became a piano virtuoso. He developed a disease known as Tinnitus. It is a severe ringing in the ears. This meant that it made it very difficult for Beethoven to hear and appreciate music. Eventually he became totally deaf. Added to this, his fiancee was married off to another man because her father didn't approved of Beethoven. In spite of all this, his music is among the most famous compositions in western culture. It is renowned for it's beauty, skill, and emotional depth. It got me started to thinking, how in such horrible circumstances could Beethoven produce such beauty? He had a horrible life, yet, his music is filled with longing and wonder.
It called to my mind the verses in James about trials developing perserverance. Laura and I have been facing many trials lately (this is not in our personal relationship). We have tried to pary about them and surrender them to God. Hearing this music made me wonder if I am having the right attitude to them. Am I allowing them to drag me down? Am I using them as crutches or excuses. I pray that I am not. My prayer is this, that through my trials, God will develop me so that I reflect Christ in the midst of them!

Sacrifice

But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Samuel 24:24

Every time I read through 2 Samuel this verse jumps out at me. It strikes me that the nature of true sacrifice is something that costs me. 10% costs me, but, is it really sacrificial?