I Could Sure Use A Drink!

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(John 4:13-14)

Who Could Use A Drink?
Have any of you felt like the Samaritan woman at the well? Maybe you don't have five ex-spouses and are currently living in sin, but maybe you have found yourself in circumstances that were not, shall we say, "ideal." Maybe you are in a tough situation at work, having trouble with your marriage or your children, or simply feeling distant from God. Have you ever felt that way? Just feeling empty. We all feel that way at times, don't we? Maybe you are feeling that way right now.

The Samaritan woman was someone who really needed a drink of living water. She jumped right on the offer Jesus made her. It may have sounded unbelievable, but she was at a low place in her life where she was ready to believe. She wanted to believe. The offer of eternal life in this passage, however, is not reserved for the down and out. For those who have hit rock bottom. Sometimes people who are running on empty and most in need of living water are those who from the outside, seem to be full. Do you know people like that? From the outside, they look like they have it all. A six-figure income, great job, attractive spouse, good health, and a beautiful home. If you pay close attention, however, people who seem to "have it all" are not always happy people. In fact, despite the ostentatious exterior, many well-to-do people are as desperate as the Samaritan woman at the well. If they knew Jesus, they would implore him, "Give me this water so that I won't get thirsty again!" with the same fervor as the Samaritan woman.

Everyone who seeks satisfaction from things of the world will be thirsty again. Whether they seek satisfaction through relationships, alcohol, risk-taking behavior, achievements, or by becoming workaholics, they will never be satisfied. Why go through all of that trouble when Jesus reminds us that "Those who drink the water I give them will never thirst" - how simple is that! Drinking the water Jesus gives you "will become . . . a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Don't wait until you fall upon desperate circumstances to ask Jesus for living water. Ask Him today! He is waiting to hear from you, and can do immeasurably more for you than you could ever ask or imagine! (Eph. 3:20)

Lord, please give me your living water so I will not thirst. Please remind me to keep my eyes on you and not seek satisfaction from the world or from worldly desires. Please remind me that through my faith in you I can receive satisfaction far above and beyond anything I ever imagined in this world. Only you can make me truly full so that I will not thirst. In your name I pray.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society. This devotional was written by CLS Member, Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., M.Div.

Who Is Worthy To Drink Living Water?

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(John 4:13-14)

Who is worthy to drink living water? This is a critical question nowadays in a society where we are constantly reminded that we could be doing better. Have you ever noticed how massive the self-help section of a bookstore is compared to some other sections? There are books on how to improve every single aspect of your life. Many of us are taught to believe we are just not good enough as we are. We live in an age where standards have become so high that we joke that we would never be accepted into the colleges we managed to attend years ago, and we are filling out resumes and personal statements for our toddlers to attend preschool. And sometimes they don't get in. Not good enough!

Those without faith are hit particularly hard with these unrealistic standards, and even more prone in many cases to consider themselves unworthy. Which is why this is such a great verse; because what kind of a person is it in this passage that is offered living water? A righteous person? Someone living according to high standards? The valedictorian of the local High School? No. A woman who was living in sin with a sordid past, probably shunned by her neighbors. Jesus chose her, to offer her living water and eternal life. He chooses every one of us also individually, and He meets us exactly where we are, ex-spouses and all!

If you are thinking today that you are not good enough, please remember these verses. Jesus specifically chose the Samaritan woman as the one to whom He revealed Himself as the Messiah. If anyone could have used a drink of living water, she could. His invitation to come and drink living water is extended to you. You don't need to go through life empty, you too can be filled. So don't be afraid to approach Jesus. You don't need to come ashamed, or defensive. Just come thirsty, and drink.

Lord please bless us this day and remind us that your offer of living water is open to all of us right now. Please meet us right where we are in order that we may take part in your gift of living water that you extend to each of us. In your name we pray.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Running on Empty

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
(John 4:13-14)

Whether we are talking about your stomach or the gas tank of your car, it is an uncomfortable feeling to be running on empty. The same is true with our spiritual comfort level. Are we living in the fullness of Christ's love, or are we running without fuel? Interestingly, the answer to this question can have little to do with your circumstances in life, your house, or your family, and everything to do with your relationship with Jesus Christ. We may be able to become "full" temporarily, but how long will we stay fulfilled?

That question is answered in a passage that has become a favorite for many Christians, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. This woman meets Jesus Christ at the well when she is drawing water, and He makes her an offer that changes her life. And this passage provides a great illustration of the difference between satisfying ourselves with material things, like the well water in this story, or accepting Jesus' offer of eternal satisfaction, represented here by the offer of living water.

Many people today are just like the Samaritan woman; seeking temporary fullness, temporary satisfaction. Whether it's through entertainment, relationships, alcohol, your job, or through the pride of your accomplishments. Jesus offers us something much better. He promises us that we don't have to keep searching for satisfaction in the world. Our satisfaction results from keeping an eye on Him and His promises.

Lord, please inspire us to keep our eyes on you, and not become tempted by the things of the world. Let us remember that only you can make us full, and satisfied in this world. We ask that you show us that reality this day. In your name we pray.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Walk Humbly

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Much can be learned about a person by observing his or her way of walking. Lawyers know that bearing is more than a matter of mechanics and posture. Each person's walk is expressive of the kind of person he or she is. Cheerfulness, decisiveness, even honesty, may be revealed by how the person walks.

Scripture often uses walking as a metaphor for one's way of life before God. At the dawn of human history, we read of godly Enoch, whose entire life was summarized in only a few words: "And Enoch walked with God, and was not; for God took him." (Gen. 5.22).

What specifically are we to understand concerning this matter of walking humbly with God? We do not have far to look. The Lord Jesus Christ taught and lived humility. In His humility we see a holy boldness, a sure-footedness that eludes those whose vision is dulled by self-absorption. Andrew Murray describes our Lord's walk this way:

It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus consists: being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all. Here we have the root and nature of humility. It is because this is not understood or sought after, that our humility is so superficial and so feeble. We must learn of Jesus, how He is meek and lowly of heart. He teaches us where true humility takes its rise and finds its strength - in the knowledge that it is God who worketh all in all, that our place is to yield to Him in perfect resignation and dependence, in full consent to be and to do nothing in ourselves. This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart - a life to God that came through death to sin and self. If we feel that this life is too high for us and beyond our reach, it must but the more urge us seek it in Him; it is the indwelling Christ who will live in us this life. (see, Murray, Humility, Chapt. 3)

Where will we walk today? Let us consider the consciousness-raising thought that we, the body of Christ, are the means by which Jesus walks our streets, our courtrooms and schools. He wants to be more than an example to us - He is to be our very life (Col. 3:4). The One who said of Himself "I am meek and lowly of heart" indwells and empowers us to live His life as we look to Him in faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, it is from considering Your life that I begin to grasp my own need of humility. Humility is altogether foreign to my human nature. Yet, I sense that the very last thing I need is to be absorbed with myself, even with my own lack in this area. Today, I will look away from my need to Your sufficiency. Live in me this day, that I may be a medium through which You express Yourself in my sphere of influence. Teach me to live the "not-I-but-Christ life."

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

A Quiet Heart

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest ye shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

We lawyers are a talkative bunch. In our interactions with others, the urge to lend a thought to the conversation, to share an analogy or observation, or to propose a suggestion for a fix, is almost irresistible. And there is nothing wrong with speaking up for the good of others around us, whether in church or in our practices. Our training and experience often equip us to provide needed insights, leadership and know-how.

But on a more personal level, let us ask ourselves whether we have also learned to be quiet inwardly before God. Let the peace of God rule [be referee] in your heart (Col.3:15). In the midst of an active, competitive practice, let us learn to allow the divine referee to rule in our hearts. The role of a referee is often to throw a flag. Inwardly, the Holy Spirit throws a flag when we have lost our peace, when we have ceased to rest in the Lord.

Does a situation or a person cause you to lose your peace? Perhaps your peace is lost just thinking about a pending event. Waste no time in self-recrimination ("I know I shouldn't let this cause me anxiety"). The Lord understands: He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust (Ps. 103:14). Only consider that the Lord stands ready to provide the poise and the confidence we need. The trial or event that you are thinking of is an opportunity to trust Him more and better, even in the midst of the fray. His promise holds sure: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee. (Isaiah 26:3). Staying our mind on Him is not a quick fix, but an area of learning and growth. Read the biography of any prominent Christian whose life you admire - you will find that he or she learned through deep trials and costly struggles to trust in the Lord and to rest in His provision. This did not lead to passivity and ineffectiveness, but to a life of power and usefulness.

It is good to keep in mind that the victory is not ours but His. He will provide the wherewithal to trust Him, if only we ask, and He is sufficient for any infirmity we have. F. B. Meyer answered the question "How do I overcome?" this way:

There is only one way by which the Tempter can be met. He laughs at our good resolutions and ridicules the pledges with which we fortify ourselves. There is only One whom he fears; One who in the hour of greatest weakness conquered him; and who has been raised far above all principality and power, that He may succor and deliver all frail and tempted souls. He conquered the prince of this world in the days of His flesh; and He is prepared to do as much again, in each one of us, if only we will truly surrender ourselves to His gracious and mighty indwelling.

Lord, teach me to live in Your presence with a quiet heart. It is not so much the power and poise of a quiet heart that I seek, but Yourself. Give me eyes to see Your hand in the events of today, and the grace to leave outcomes with You. I ask this not only for myself, but for the encouragement of the believers around me. In quietness and confidence will be our strength.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:12-14)

If any of you have felt discouraged, unfocused, or weary in your journey, this verse is for you. We are encouraged and inspired to stay in the race and keep our eyes on Jesus as we strive forward, not letting our past drag us down, while at the same time, realizing soberly that we have not yet arrived . . .

We have not yet arrived. The first thing Paul points out is something most of us are painfully aware of every day: that we have not yet arrived. Does anyone feel like they have arrived? Most likely, none of you feel that way. And you are in good company. Because remember in this verse, who is talking? This is the apostle Paul talking about becoming like Christ. And as devoted as Paul was to spreading the gospel- sometimes at almost any cost, here he is admitting that even he hasn't arrived. And if Paul in all of his devotion and dedication to spreading the gospel hasn't arrived, what does that say about the rest of us? It is important that we not get discouraged about not having arrived. Especially when the going gets tough.

Our Goal. And regarding our goal, what does it say in verse 12: "but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." This is important to remember. Why are we doing all that we are doing in our lives? To fulfill the purpose for which Christ has taken hold of us. We aren't here by accident, and we aren't here to accomplish random acts. God isn't surprised that we are right where we are in life, because His plan is perfect. We are encouraged in this passage to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us. Even when things don't seem to be going our way, we have the promise that everything will work out for our good (Romans 8:28).

Forgetting what is behind. Verses 13-14 tell us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, "pressing on toward our goal to win the prize." This doesn't mean forget the past, and it doesn't mean don't learn from the past, it just means don't live in the past. Don't let the past be an anchor that weighs you down. The enemy would like to remind you of every bad thing you ever did. Don't fall for that! Your sins are forgiven and forgotten now that you have accepted Christ. Conversely don't rest on past accomplishments, but strive to look forward to continue to grow, and as this verse says, strain towards what is ahead.

Be patient and don't get discouraged. None of us have arrived but what we all have in common, is that Christ has taken a hold of us and inspired us to have faith and look forward to what is ahead. Let us all work toward this common goal, together.

Lord, help me to focus on you, and not get bogged down by my past or by the challenges of my current circumstances. Instill in me the faith to trust that you have great plans for me. When I put my trust in you I allow myself to persevere in the great race of life, motivated by your promise of eternal life in you at the finish line.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

The Spirit of the Gospel

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:29-30)

How should we look at people? As they are or as they may become? How does God see the men and women around us? Do we tend to divide our acquaintances into "likely prospects" and "hard cases"? Consider the following story of the conversion of a rough man in a brutal environment.

The scene is the jail at Philippi. Paul and Silas had been ministering in the region, but wherever they went they were followed by a certain slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination. We are told that her masters made a good living from her fortune-telling. But now she fastened her attention upon Paul and Silas. She would cry out as they attempted to speak "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!" After several of these outbursts Paul became "greatly annoyed." He stopped speaking, turned around and commanded the spirit to leave the girl, and it is recorded that the spirit of divination "came out that very hour." Incensed at this interference with their livelihood, the masters of the slave girl incited the people and the magistrates to take Paul and Silas, beat them with rods and dump them into the local prison.

At midnight, Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God when a great earthquake shook the prison. It opened doors and loosed the prisoners' chains. The keeper of the prison assessed the situation, realized that he could not prevent the escape of the prisoners. He knew what his superiors did to men such as him who failed in their job performance, and decided that taking his own life would be preferable to the painful death he would suffer at their hands. But as he drew his sword, Paul called to him with a loud voice: "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." We know how the story ends. The jailer beseeched Paul and Silas to show him the way of salvation and, after they did, he prayed to receive Christ. Paul and Silas were taken to the jailer's home and their wounds were dressed. The jailer and his family were baptized and afterward they shared a meal with Paul and Silas.

So, how did Paul and Silas see the jailer? They could no doubt see that he was a coarse, hard man, a man accustomed to brutality and torture, a man who gave no mercy and expected none. But Paul and Silas saw something else. The Holy Spirit had gifted them with what Watchman Nee called the spirit of the Gospel - the compassion that comes from sensing the perishing condition of sinners. They saw what Richard Wurmbrand saw in a communist concentration camp in Romania in the late 1940s.

Wurmbrand's story reads like the book of Acts. It is recounted in his book Tortured for Christ,and in abbreviated form in Jesus Freaks - Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus. As the communists came to power in Romania in 1945, they sought to co-opt the churches by holding a great congress for the religious leaders - some 4,000 Christian leaders attended. The agenda of the communists was to force the church into submission to the new regime. The assembly began by electing Josef Stalin as honorary president. Then, at the main convocation, bishops and pastors rose one after another and declared loyalty to the state, assuring those present that Christianity and communism were fundamentally the same and could co-exist. Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina became more and more upset.

Finally, Sabina looked at her pastor husband and said: "Richard, stand up and wash this shame from the face of Christ." He knew what was at stake: "If I speak, you will lose your husband." Sabina's reply: "I do not wish to have a coward for a husband." Wurmbrand took the stage and to everyone's surprise, began to preach. "Delegates," he began, "it is not our duty to praise earthly powers that come and go, but to glorify God the creator and Christ the Savior who died for us on the cross." Many of the delegates who had been afraid to oppose the communists until then, began to praise God loudly and pandemonium broke out in the assembly. Wurmbrand's microphone was cut off and the assembly was shut down for the day. Richard Wurmbrand was a marked man thereafter. Eventually he spent fourteen years in prison, where he was subjected to the most cruel sorts of torture. His wife, Sabina, likewise went to a prison camp for three years.

But like Paul and Silas, Wurmbrand was not a typical prisoner. He and his fellow Christian brothers, in the midst of unimaginable cruelties, began to experience a miracle:

And then the miracle happened. When it was at the worst, when we were tortured as never before, we began to love those who tortured us. Just as a flower, when you bruise it under your foot, rewards you with its perfume, the more we were mocked and tortured, the more we pitied and loved our torturers.

After his release from the prison camp in 1956, Wurmbrand told his story to the world. Often he was asked with some incredulousness: "How can you love someone who is torturing you?" His reply:

By looking at men...not as they are, but as they will be... I could also see in our persecutors a Saul of Tarsus - a future Apostle Paul. Many officers of the secret police to whom we witnessed became Christians, and were happy to later suffer in prison for having found our Christ. Although we were whipped, as Paul was, in our jailers we saw the potential of the jailer in Philippi, who became a convert. We dreamed that soon they would ask, "What must I do to be saved?"

How do we look at the people who we deal with day to day? Are we surrounded by unlikely candidates for the Gospel? Perhaps we need new eyes. Let the story of Richard Wurmbrand inspire us to see that "something else" in people - to see our clients and colleagues, even our adversaries, as they may become in Christ.

Heavenly Father, today I ask you to give me the spirit of the Gospel -- eyes to see individuals as You see them. May I experience the miracle of love for the unlovely and undeserving. Be with your men and women around the world who have chosen to risk all for Your sake and for the Gospel. May it be that I would have a part with them in what You are doing.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

As 2010 Begins . . . (Con't)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope the Lord is. (Jer. 17:7)

It is in defeat that we often have the greatest opportunity to give glory to God. When the chips are down, the world watches with special interest to see if our faith is real, if it has substance.

Such was the case on Thursday night, January 8 in Pasadena. The 2009-10 BCS Championship college football game had concluded and it was late. The Longhorns of Texas had been defeated by the Alabama Crimson Tide and Colt McCoy, the starting quarterback of the University of Texas, approached the television cameras on the sidelines. After the 2008 season, in which he had been an All-American and runner-up for the prestigious Heisman Trophy, McCoy had decided against entering the pro draft and instead returned to Texas to complete his senior year, determined to lead his team to a national championship. But in what seemed a cruel irony, McCoy, within sight of his goal, had been forced to leave the game in the first quarter. A hit received on an otherwise routine tackle left his throwing arm numb and McCoy spent the rest of the game receiving treatment and encouraging his teammates from the sidelines. Despite the heroic efforts of the untried freshman quarterback who replaced him, McCoy and his team failed to reach the goal they had worked so hard to attain.

As McCoy came alongside the post-game interviewer, the concern and disappointment among his many supporters was palpable. The dream of a national championship had vanished, and his yet unevaluated injury left a question mark hanging over his future prospects as a football player.

However, there was no question mark hanging over McCoy's Christian faith. Asked to tell the television audience what it was like to watch his team play for the national title from the sidelines, McCoy gave the following memorable answer:

I'd have given . . . I'd have given everything I had to be out there with my team. ....But I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life. And I know, if nothing else, I stand on the Rock.

It is easy for us to praise God when life is going our way - when the jury finds for our client or our daughter is named high school valedictorian. But when setbacks come, let us not disdain to take a page from Colt McCoy's playbook. Our misfortune may afford us the opportunity of demonstrating costly faith to a watching world.

Lord, as another year begins, You are my Audience of One. Teach me to see an opportunity in every event, whether it seems "good" or "bad." I want to be one who trusts You in all the times of life, especially when praising You costs something. Like Colt McCoy, I know that if nothing else, I stand on the Rock.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

As 2010 Begins . . .

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. (Jeremiah 17:7)


Only a few who read these words will recognize the name Hunter Lawrence. In certain parts of the country his name is now well known, but before the 2009-10 Big Twelve championship game, he was just the field goal kicker for the University of Texas football team. On that December night, he was called upon to kick a field goal on which his team's entire season, and hopes of a national championship, hung. There was exactly one second left on the game clock - a second added back by referees who at first had thought that time had run out on the Texas team. Lawrence's team was behind by 2 points. A 46 yard field goal loomed.


Predictably, as Lawrence and his holder readied themselves for the snap, the opposing coach called for a time out. Calling for a time out under such circumstances is a time-honored practice sometimes referred to as "icing" the kicker - give the kicker too much time to think about what is riding on the kick - time, perhaps, to choke under the psychological pressure of the moment.


Less predictably, Lawrence's holder, Jordan Shipley, settled Lawrence down by reminding him of the Bible verse that had been the team's motto for the week, Jeremiah 17:7, Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Timeout over, Shipley received the snap and placed the ball for Lawrence, who proceeded to drive it through the uprights half a football field away. Longhorns by 1 point, right to play in the national championship game secured. Lawrence was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates. Later, he credited his friend Jordan Shipley with providing the word in season that made all the difference.


Lawyers can identify with the pressure Lawrence was under. Thorough preparation and years of experience do not make one immune to the heavy, sometimes lonely, responsibilities of representing a client when the stakes are high. Like kickers, some lawyers live for such moments; others would prefer to avoid them. Regardless, a lawyer knows that his or her mettle will be tested, and only one side will win. And one cannot expect a do-over.


As 2010 begins, almost all of us face challenges that, if we are honest, we find daunting. Perhaps the challenge for you is professional. Or it may be relational or health related. Perhaps the very thought of this challenge makes you a bit jittery. If so, receive this verse as your word in season: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.


Grace and peace in the coming year from your brothers and sisters at the Christian Legal Society.


Lord, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. My heart is at rest because You, not the things of this life, are my Hope. Use the events of the coming year to teach me to trust You more fully than ever I have in the past. Thank You for bringing me to this very place.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Whose Fool Are You?

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness." (1 Cor. 3:18-19)

It has been rightly said that a fool is a person who does not know the right value of things. Everything in life of any consequence has a price tag, and we must choose between competing interests and opportunities. At every turn we must decide - peace in the long run belongs to those who know the value of things and choose accordingly. Centuries ago, William Law wrote a classic volume with the title: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. In it he drew a vivid picture of the emptiness of lives that are tied to the temporal:

To abound in wealth, to have fine houses and rich clothes, to be attended with splendour and equipage, to be beautiful in our persons, to have titles of dignity, to be above our fellow-creatures, to command the bows and obeisance of other people, to be looked on with admiration, to overcome our enemies with power, to subdue all that oppose us, to set out ourselves in as much splendour as we can, to live highly and magnificently, to eat, and drink, and delight ourselves in the most costly manner, these are the great, the honourable, the desirable things, to which the spirit of the world turns the eyes of all people. And many a man is afraid of standing still, and not engaging in the pursuit of these things, lest the same world should take him for a fool.

To desire such things is part of the nature with which we entered the world. And the desire does not go away simply because we have been born again. Always such matters contend for our heart. But let us be wise in this matter. While not wrong in themselves, corner offices, plaques and gavels, and the indicia of professional success will not carry us into eternity. And they can be a heavy load if they make their way into our hearts.

A street evangelist used to walk among the bustling crowds in the downtown of a major city with a sandwich board. As he walked toward you, the board said "A Fool For Christ!" - as he passed by, you might look around and see the reverse board which inquired, "Whose Fool Are You?"

We will never succeed in putting the things of this world under our feet, no matter how we try. But we serve One who said to each of us "I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). Rest from the quest for adequacy and self-esteem. Rest from the need to acquire and achieve. Rest in the midst of the busiest of lives. It is by taking His yoke - coming under His authority - that we are set free from the other demands on our lives.

Heavenly Father, I thank You that I may take my place as Your child. It is a blessed thing that You, and not the fruit of my professional labors, are my life and my eternal reward. Show me today to the good works in which You have ordained that I walk, the "gold, silver, and precious stones" that will endure to all eternity.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Who Are You?

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus, I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped upon them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
(Acts 19:13-16)

We adjure you by the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches. The seven sons of Sceva sought to make merchandise by invoking the name of Jesus, "whom Paul preaches". Scripture does not inform us of how these men were viewed the people who stood round about to witness their attempted exorcisms -the bystanders were probably impressed at first. They couldn't see what the evil spirit saw - that these men were pretenders.

Who are you? A certain well known conference speaker began his ministry among violent street gangs. Occasionally he would take young people from his church with him to the inner city. Some of the church youth were understandably nervous. Others were a bit cocky. To all of them, this man would say, "You don't need to worry. Only remember one thing - these guys hate a phony, and they can spot one a mile away."

What about us? As lawyers, we live in a world of impressions and we know how to say things for effect. Well and good. But let us not forget that we stand always in the presence of One before whom nothing is hid. As we go through our daily routine, both in our practice and among our brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves a few questions - questions that others cannot ask. Questions like: "Why did I say what I just said?" or "Is the impression I'm leaving with this person a truthful one?" Chuck Swindoll used to keep a little plaque on his desk, turned toward himself so that only he could read it - it inquired of him, "What is your motivation?"

The struggle to be real is an ongoing one. Thankfully, the Lord Jesus, not self-recrimination, is the answer. He came to show us what reality is like and He ever lives to make us real, too. "He is made unto us ... sanctification." (I Cor. 1:30).

Lord, I ask that You work today in my inner life. You know what is real and what is false in me. My desire is that in my practice or in my studies, and in my walk through the world, there will be no gap between appearance and reality. Teach me, moment by moment, to walk in the light.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

Trading Your Life

Lay not up for yourself treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do no break through or steal.
(Matthew 6:19-20)

For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and shall lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
(Matthew 6:26)


The Walt Disney classic children's reader Goofy-on the Hillside begins "There once was a simple fellow named Goofy who lived on the side of a hill. He was called Goofy-on-the Hillside." We are told that his only neighbor was a "kind farmer named Mrs. Hay." They had a fine relationship. "'A good friend is worth more than a bag of gold', Mrs. Hay always said." One day Mrs. Hay, needing some money, asked Goofy to take her cow to town and sell it for her.

Having never read up on the law of bailments, Goofy began to trade along the way. His trades were unfortunate and by the time he reached town he had only two eggs. Being famished, he decided to get some bread at the bakery. After telling the baker the story, the baker was incredulous: "You traded a cow for two eggs?" cried the baker." "Of course not", said Goofy. "I traded the cow for a horse, the horse for a pig, the pig for a goat, the goat for a hen, and the hen for some eggs, but most of them broke."

Goofy assures the baker that because he and Mrs. Hay are friends, she will not be angry. The baker decides to accompany Goofy back to the farm: "I would like to see a friend as good as that!" said the baker.

On their arrival at the farm, Goofy relates the story to his neighbor. Mrs. Hay is at first dismayed "'A loaf of bread?' she cried." "'Yes', said Goofy 'I was hungry.'" To which the kind Mrs. Hay replied "Well, if you were hungry, I'm glad you could eat." This leaves, however, a practical problem, "But now I cannot fix up my farm," said Mrs. Hay. "I have no money." Goofy says he will fix up the farm for her and the baker agrees to help. The story ends with the three of them on the front porch of the newly renovated farmhouse eating a cake that the baker prepared. Mrs. Hay thanks them for their help, to which the baker replies, "That is what friends are for." The narrator gives Goofy the last word, "And you know," said Goofy, "a good friend is worth more than a bag of gold."

If you have read this far, you may have noticed that this is not just a story for children. We are all trading away our lives, whether we want to or not. As the hands of the clock make their twice a day journey, there is no pause button. We literally are spending our time, trading our lives for something. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? asks the Savior.

Before we leave our story, let us take note of Goofy's response to the baker's question, "You traded a cow for two eggs?" Goofy's reply seems measured, even patient, "Of course not", says Goofy, as though to assure the baker that he wasn't a fool - no sensible person would trade a cow for two eggs, would they? As Goofy saw it, the net result of his efforts (two eggs) was the result of a series of trades, each of which seemed reasonable at the time.

For what will you and I trade our lives today? What is the next hour really worth? How will we spend the opportunities that come across our path? There will come a day when we will stand before a One Who is even kinder than Mrs. Hay, but Who will nevertheless require of us an accounting. Now if any man build upon this foundation [Christ] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet as by fire. I Cor. 3:12-15

Lord, this is almost too convicting. If I am to make a right application of this lesson, you must turn up the intensity of Your life in me. Grant me to see with Your eyes the trades that I am making as I go through my day. Let me not miss the chance to multiply the talents that you have entrusted to me. Help me to see that doing a small thing for Your sake and with Your great love, can be gold, silver or precious stones.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

All Things?

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:8)

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thess. 5:18)

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph. 5:20)

Christianity stripped of the miraculous would be a pitiful thing. Yet it is easy to strip life of the miraculous by the unconscious assumption that God's hand works "out there" or only occasionally - we tend to dust off the doctrine of God's providence and use it when we are faced with a crisis of some type. But in the everyday, well, that's different.

Paul did not give us room to turn God's sovereignty on and off. What is it about "all things" that we don't understand? Beware of verse-drop - the phenomenon of verses dropping off the pages of one's Bible. Thomas Jefferson famously published his own version of the New Testament, with the miracles of Jesus removed. He felt that Jesus was a great teacher, but the miracles the Lord performed didn't fit with Jefferson's understanding of reality. So he simply dropped those verses from his edition of the Bible.

There is perhaps no more neglected doctrine in today's church than the doctrine of God's providence. Nor is there any subject with more potential to radically change the life of the individual believer. "Believer" - one who believes. Believes what? What would it mean to any of us if we could see God's hand in "all things?" Really see God's hand, that is?

For those whose vision is cleared, eternity has already begun. Maltbie Babcock was one of those. A baseball player of some renown, he became a minister of the gospel and penned the beloved hymn "This is My Father's World." The words of that hymn were part of his life message. It is said that he would sometimes depart from company with the words "Now I'm going out into my Father's world." Lawyers may especially appreciate the final stanza:

This is my Father's world / O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong /God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world / Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring / God reigns, let earth be glad.

Lord, give me eyes that I may see. I need the heavenly perspective. Lift me up this day from the mundane and the humdrum, or, better, let me see You in the midst of even the most inconsequential events. Teach me what Kingdom living is all about.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

How The Just Live

We are here concerned with one of the ultimate issues of our life. How do we live? According to Scripture, there is a certain way that "the just" live. They live "by faith." What is meant by "the just"? Does every Christian live by faith? The Williams translation uses "upright" for "just". The upright man must live by faith.

The implied comparison in the Habakkuk passage, borrowed by Paul in writing to Roman Christians, is between two ways of life. The natural or carnal man lives with his spiritual eyes turned inward toward himself (latin: curvatus in se). In this particular posture, the spiritual walk is exceedingly difficult, with constant stumbles because the eyes are turned in the wrong direction. Pride follows on the heels of victory and defeat leads many a one to despair.

Not so with the upright who have turned away from "me" to walk by faith, by dependence upon God. They see life through the lens of providence and consult the heavenly Father on each matter that life presents them. They walk through life unafraid and undistracted by the siren songs of pride and despair. In Kipling's immortal words, they can look on triumph and disaster and "treat those two impostors just the same."

Positionally, each of us who seeks to honor God in our practice or our studies is just, or upright. But daily we are presented with the choice: Will I live unto the Lord, trusting in Him, or will I live unto myself? Are my eyes prepared to see the hand of God today in the ups and downs of my professional life?

Lord, grant that I might see your providential hand today in my practice or study of the law. Each time the telephone rings or a colleague stops by my office, when I prepare for class or some other academic obligation, may I discern an opportunity to live by faith, depending upon you. As I meet triumph and disaster, make my life a testimony to your grace.

~ With thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society

The Client God Gave Me

And if you address as Father, Him who judges everyone impartially in accordance with what he does, you must live reverently all your fleeting stay on earh. (1 Peter 1:17 (Wms.))

What does it mean to "live reverently?" Reverence is a particular type of fear - not fear of loss or of punishment, but a fear of desecrating something holy. To use a mundane example, think of the crude drawing that a mother keeps safely tucked away for the sole reason that her son gave it to her when he was in the first grade "Mommy, this is for you!" Such an item may not be holy in a cosmic sense, but try to tell that mother that the drawing is just a piece of paper. The regard that the mother gives the drawing is a type of reverence - the drawing is in a sense "sacred" because of how she came to acquire it, because of who gave it to her.

"Live reverently all your fleeting stay on earth..." We were not made to be lords of all we survey. We were made to receive everything from God, and in that sense, it is shameful to live presumptuously. Our marriages, our children, our bank accounts, are not ours to do with as we please. A Christian husband could change the atmosphere of his marriage in a moment, if he ceased to think of his spouse as "my" wife and instead began to think of her as "the wife God gave me."

Where do our clients come from? Is Mrs. Jones "my" client? If I am living reverently, I see the providential hand of the heavenly Father in the fact that she came to entrust her legal affairs to my care. It makes no difference if she is a so-called "good" client who pays my bills and appreciates everything I do for her, or whether she is demanding and ungrateful. If she is "the client God gave me," I can serve her for Christ's sake, and so long as I see her through the lens of reverence, I can do so gladly.

Lord, teach me this day to see my clients, my partners, my professional life as having come from you. By your grace, I will no longer automatically put the word "my" in front of the persons and things that comprise my practice, but will begin to live reverently, doing all things for Your sake.

~ with thanks to Brent McBurney, Director of Attorney Ministries, Christian Legal Society