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I thought about writing my own comments on how I relate to this Psalm — in sum: my gratitude for the Lord saving me & all that He has done for me, & how I can relate to nearly every single line in specific ways, but then I decided (& to be honest am feeling a little too lazy at the moment) that I’d instead let God use this however He would so perfectly do so in order to speak to your heart in whatever way God intends it just for you without sharing much of my own input. Psalm 116 1 I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; 3 The cords of death entangled me, 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, 12 How can I repay the LORD 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD 17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to You
by Ray C. Stedman
The book of Job ends on a note of contentment and peace. Job was probably about seventy when the book opens, so he is an old man. What a picture of peace, a contented man. God had greatly blessed him. Before us stretches a new year, a new beginning. The old is past, put away forever. God invites us always to forget about all the distrust and fears, all the anxieties of the past, all the resentments we have been holding against others, all the grudges, all the criticisms–to put them away and begin again. The question that hovers over us as we close this book (and I feel it deeply in my own heart) is, “On what basis am I going to live in this new year? Will it be on the old basis of it-all-depends-on-me, do-it-yourself goodness before God, trying my best to be pleasing to God and meaning it with all my heart but never realizing the depths of evil with which I have to deal?” Or will I accept the gift of God that is waiting for me every day, fresh from His hand, a gift of forgiveness, of righteousness already mine, of a relationship in which He is my dear Father and I am his cherished, beloved son, and in which I therefore have provided for me all I need, all day long, so that I may say no to evil and yes to truth and right? Will it be on that basis? If it is, this will be a year in which my life will be characterized by peace, fragrance, and beauty. And so will yours. Or, if we insist on living it on the same old basis, we will find ourselves like these friends of Job, arousing the anger and the wrath of God. Though He is patient and merciful, our only escape will be to repent of our evil and rest upon the righteousness of our perfect substitute and return to God for the blessing that He is waiting to give. That is the choice before us, every one of us. How are we going to live in this new year?
This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray’s sermons. Please read (or listen to the audio file ) for more on this portion of scripture. -Scott Bailey 2007
I am in the middle of reading Outside Hollywood. It was a gift from my sister for Christmas. Actually, it was a Christmas gift two year ago, but due to some publishing problems it wasn’t released until this year. So I got it this year for Christmas last year. It’s written by Isaac Botkins, a young man who is in the film industry himself. He has written this book to encourage and guide young filmmakers through the process of making a film. He starts at the very beginning, which is, after all, a very good place the start. He makes the case that we, as Christians need to not help Hollywood in its paganness, but we need to set up an independent industry that will rival and ultimately win out over Hollywood. In order to be an independent filmmaker, Isaac says, you need to be firmly ground in your faith. The entertainment industry is a place where if you are not constantly examining God’s Word and creating a deeper relationship with Him, you will be steamrolled. Hollywood in particular will attack any weak spot you may have in your spiritual armour. To add you what Isaac has said, I also believe that to be involved in the arts and entertainment area, you need to be specifically called to it. As my acting teacher at school said, “If there’s anything else that you can do, do it. Only those who are specifically called to be an actor, should do this.”* Once Isaac has established the need to be a strong Christian, he outlines how Hollywood began and how it has slid down the slippery slope to where it is today. I literally stayed up until almost 2:00 am one night reading about this decline. It’s horrific. While in the beginning, it was moral industry with its self-imposed laws to govern itself, non-Christians then recognized the power of media and designed it to be used to fulfill selfish ends. They tore down the standards that were already in place and opened it up to all kinds of immorality, blasphemy, and unnecessary violence. Now that the author has you thoroughly convince of the need for being “Outside Hollywood”, he begins to teach about the steps that need to be taken. He starts with the screenplay, afterall, if you have a resourceful producer, an incredible director, amazing crew, and show-stopping actors, but no story, the show will fail. I really enjoyed this part of the book very much. I love writing and am working at developing this love into something I can do from home. Isaac’s description of what makes a good story, with the wonderful examples he gives, has spurred me to go back to the plot outlines I have and make sure they are set up to tell a great story. That’s as far as I’ve gotten. He goes on to talk about how to produce, direct, and some other things. It’s a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. Even if you just read it to find out more about Hollywood, it would be worth it. You can find it at Vision Forum.
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12/31/2007 
