Some days can just be bad:

• you can’t think straight cause you’re running on two hours of sleep and fall asleep during your midterm
• you scored two standard deviations lower than you expected on your test and feel like your future has no hope
• you get rejected by something or someone
• you had to break a promise you made and it’s because you overcommitted yourself to too many things
• you had the most unproductive day possible even though you have a midterm the next day
• you get into a fight with a friend and the issue is not resolved
• you feel angry at yourself for struggling with that same sin
• you just feel bad, and you don’t even know why
• you find out that someone in your family got a stroke and died

The day ends and you go to sleep, knowing that what happened today cannot be changed.

Here’s a snippet of what happened on Peter’s bad day:

1. he displays himself to be a terrible friend - during Jesus’s greatest time of need, when His soul is troubled to the point of death, Jesus simply requests that Peter pray for Him.  What happens?  Jesus catches Peter asleep twice
2. he shows himself to be a coward by leaving and fleeing away from Jesus when the Pharisees come
3. he proves himself to be a liar when he denies Jesus three times after promising to never deny Jesus Christ (just hours before) – when he realizes what he has done, the guilt from his action becomes so unbearable that he has to leave the crowd and weeps bitterly
4. he thinks himself to have lost everything – he has just followed a man for the past three years who was supposed to be the Messiah and King that he had been waiting for.  But now that Jesus is dead, Peter not only wasted the past three years of his life following a fake, but he also abandoned his family and his job as a fisherman to follow Jesus.  He has managed to have the most unproductive three years of his life.  He lost everything (or at least his reputation, family, and career).

Friday comes to an end and Peter must sleep knowing that what has happened on that day cannot be changed.  I’m pretty sure, that if you told Peter that one day, that day would be called “Good Friday”, he’d think you to be insensitive, crazy, or have some skewed definition of good.

Dear son,

I can see that you have already thought of some New Year’s Resolutions, that you pictured what this year will look like.  I am glad you did.  Goals are good and I want you to have something to aim for, but I cannot guarantee that you will receive all these things or receive them through the means that you desire.

There’s probably going to be times you feel weary, moments when the tears slide down your checks, and nights you are stripped of all the things you ever hoped for.  But maybe, those losses will help you see, that the disappearance of all things you wanted will teach you to place your hope in Christ, alone.  You see, if God were to grant you all the toys, relationships, and successes on this earth, you might start believing that this is your home, living like this is your home, and waste your life.

So if she says “no” when you ask, you receive that F, you are rejected from that internship, or any other circumstance knocks you down on your feet; my son, be strong, do not back down because these circumstances, no matter how terrifying, are bowing down into submission to His perfect plan, these circumstances, no matter how challenging, are ultimately bending their knee to your good and God’s glory.

My son, I can see that you have already thought of some New Year’s Resolutions, that you pictured what this year will look like.  I am glad you did, but I am more glad that His picture captures all the different shades of circumstances that you may have left out, and I hope you will rejoice in this truth too.

Study not for yourself, not for your friends, not for your parents, but for something much greater, the greatest being possible, God because He alone is worthy of all praise.

Study not with the attitude that school is pointless, but that secular work can be glorious because Jesus, the Lord of all creation, humbly made tables for most of His life.

Study not with a complaining heart, but with a heart overflowing with thankfulness because school really can be the happiest place on earth.

Study not with anxiety but with a peace that surpasses all understanding because you can touch your hair and rest assured that every one of them is numbered.

Study not with the feeling of being overwhelmed with what you have to do, but be overwhelmed by what He has done for you because His promises are sure.

Study not with a ridiculous attitude believing that we can fully comprehend God but with a humble spirit knowing that our minds are like a soda can compared to the vast ocean of His wisdom.

Study not with an earthly perceptive, but with a kingdom perspective because 100 years from now we will be with Christ no matter what.

Study not for the grade, but for the Master because His grading system is better than ours.

Study not with a small attitude, but dream big because God can use your studies open glorious opportunities for you in the future.

Study not with uncertainty, but with peace from God because He is in control, He is never anxious, and He makes no mistakes.  

Study not with an unfocused mind, but a focused mind because life is short, eternity is long, and our lives shall not be wasted.  

Study not in a self-centered attitude, but in a prayerful attitude because we need God more than air.  

Study not for the grade, but for sanctification because our character is much more important than any letter on any piece of paper.

Study for God because, by His grace, He gave you a brain and what an honor and privilege it is to be able to think, to process information, and to study at a school where the education system is better than most kids can ever dream of.  Study, because when you study, you can become fascinated with what you learn because it all points back to a Creator.  The complexity of the subjects you can’t understand, the math, the sciences, the languages, the history, the arts, all of it points to a being that is so much grander and greater, a creator that is way above us, because it takes us years to grasp the simplest of concepts.  Study with joy, because learning trains your mind to think, so later when you try studying the Bible, you will have a mind that can think and analyze and deduct the correct interpretation of the Bible and allow it to transform your life.

Reminders we need, gracious is Thee.  Goodbye tumblr.

Daniel’s resume at the age of 14:

• Skillful in wisdom
• Endowed with knowledge
• Understanding in learning
• Competent to stand in the king’s palace

Daniel’s resume by the end of his life:

• Distinguished as only person who could interpret the the dreams of the King
• Ruled as 2nd in command over 200,000 citizens
• Understood encrypted hand-writings to predict the downfall of a nation
• Spent the night with ferocious lions without being harmed

In 605 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar was looking for intelligent youth to be part of his court (Daniel 1:4). Because Daniel faithfully studied in his youth, he met these requirements and was given the unique opportunity to serve in his court.  This position led to some amazing things to glorify God…interpretations of dreams, 2nd in command over a nation, the lion’s den.  Therefore, if Daniel had not faithfully studied in his youth, then he would not have been selected to serve on King Nebuchadnezzar’s court and the book of Daniel would have only been 1 sad chapter.  The resume of his “secular” accomplishments greatly affected his future resume of “spiritual” accomplishments in which God used to display His great power.  God uses our studying now to open unique opportunities for us later to glorify Him.

Theorem 25.23

1. Servant #1 brings 5 talents —> Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
2. Servant #2 brings 2 talents —> Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
3. Servant #3 brings 0 talents —> Master says, “You wicked and slothful servant!”
4. Man’s grading system: 5 talents > 2 talents > 0 talents; => system is dependent on number of talents
5. Master’s grading system: faithful servant (5 talents) = faithful servant (2 talents) > slothful servant (0 talents); => system is dependent on faithfulness
6. Conversation factor: 1.25 talents = 1 grade point; => 5 talents = 4.0 GPA, 2 talents = 1.6 GPA
7. Man’s grading system: 4.0 GPA > 1.6 GPA
8. Master’s grading system: faithful student (4.0 GPA) = faithful student (1.6 GPA)
9. Master = perfect judge; => Master’s grading system > man’s grading system

1. faithful student (4.0 GPA) > slothful student (1.6 GPA)
2. faithful student (1.6 GPA) > slothful student (4.0 GPA)
3. 1.6 GPA = 4.0 GPA (assumption: both students are faithful)

Whose grading system will you be using this quarter?

This is one another of those deja vu’s.  Cause Spring quarter last year my Sunday before entering finals week was very similar.  I was struck down by anxiety, broken, and then God reminded me of the assurance of heaven and graciously helped me become amazed at the reality that I had once forgotten.  Here’s what I had so easily forgotten that I hope, my friend, you do not forget today…

That 100 years from now, no matter what happens, you will be with Christ, forever.  That no midterm, no final, no paper, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of Christ, the love that held Jesus on the cross, the love that made Him choose suffering, that love, nothing can separate us from that love, even right now.  Even right now, I am experiencing the deepest love possible from Christ, because this light and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison.  This suffering is preparing us for glory, this suffering is going to make the glory all the more glorious.  The way to glory is suffering.  Jesus choose suffering.  And this glory will last forever!  It’s eternal.  100 years now, then eternity.  Eternity!  Like even if I could eat dinner with John Piper once ever trillion years, I would still eat with him a trillion times!  Because heaven is forever.  It won’t end.  The suffering won’t even come back.  Sin will be defeated once and for all.  It’s guaranteed.  I cannot fathom or imagine the joys and the pleasures we will experience, because they won’t compare to anything on this earth.  And now, all I’m doing on this earth, is proclaiming the greatness of the love of Christ that saved a sinner like me, the love that saved me so I could rejoice and praise Him forever in heaven, that nothing in this earth will last, it’s all going to fade, 100 years from now, and then we’ll enter eternity.  Thank you Jesus.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:35-39

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What if I told you, “Let’s go to the beach and put all the water in the Pacific ocean into one soda can.”  You’d probably ask me, “Jonathan, are you ridiculous?”

Well, my reader, I’m gonna ask you, “Are you ridiculous?”  Now before you go on defending yourself (because most people don’t think they are ridiculous), let me strike down your pride with a quote:

“Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep–dependent lives.” 

– Francis Chan

You see, if you’re like me, then you’re often ridiculous.  Because often, I try to limit God to something that I am capable of comprehending.  When I don’t get the grade I want on that midterm that I spent countless hours studying for, I become frustrated because I can’t understand why God would withhold something so good from me.  Many times, I won’t be able to understand God’s reasons, but my lack of understanding does not change the fact that they are always made with perfecting reasoning.  So the next time you are tempted to be frustrated because something doesn’t go your way, don’t be ridiculous and just think, “I’m a soda can, He’s the ocean.”