Devotionals for Women

 

 

 

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Bravo!

Most people will recognize those words as the text of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. It has become a custom to stand during the singing of this chorus. King George II, attending the first performance of this work in 1741 was so moved by the glorious music that he stood. The audience followed his example and since that time, kings and commoners have stood in honor of the Lord God Omnipotent.

Whether we stand in honor of the King of Kings, or kneel before Him, God spoke these words through the Apostle Paul, echoing words of the Prophet Isaiah, found in Philippians 2:9-11:

Therefore God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above very name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Humans find bowing to anyone difficult. But, kings and world leaders seems especially troubling because of their exalted place among men and, more often than not, their lack the kind of humility God will some day require from all of His creation. For an amazing story of a king whom God turned around, study the story of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 - 4.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the very large kingdom of Babylon, thought so much of his own power that he had a 90-foot-tall statue of himself erected for all to worship. He boasted of his greatness and flew into a murderous rage at anyone refusing to bow before him. But, God took Nebuchadnezzar through some phenomenal experiences and brought him to a place of genuine humility. Read the testimony of this king from Daniel 4:37:

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

We should pray for world leaders that they, too, may recognize the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And, like King George II, honor Him by standing, or kneeling before Him.

hen you listen carefully to the famous “Hallelujah Chorus” this Christmas, get a sense of the greatness of Christ’s power, the awesomeness of His loving reign, and the honor truly due Him from us all!

 

(Note: Your browser must support Adobe Flash in order to view this video)

 

—Posted: Monday, December 26, 2016

 

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Naughty or Nice?

I imagine you recognize these song lyrics:

You better watch out, you better not cry,
Better not pout, I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

He’s making a list and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice,
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

He sees you when you’re sleepin’,
He knows when you’re awake,
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.¹

With stories like the one in this song, and the use of the well-worn “Elf on the Shelf,” we try to persuade our children to “be good,” so that Santa will bring them the gifts they want for Christmas. While it all seems harmless enough, I wonder if our tales of Santa have somehow crept into our theology of God at Christmas and the rest of the year, as well.

The culture in which we live seems to hold that God, if He is even real, somehow acts toward us as a “Santa.” He knows everything and sees everything about us. He makes judgments as to our fitness for His Kingdom based on some kind of “naughty or nice” quotient.

Now, it should not surprise anyone who truly believes in God that He is omnipresent—always present in all places at all times—and omniscient—possessing a complete knowledge of all things. However, the theological concept of “grace dispensed according to merit” raises a completely different point.

Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that we can do nothing to gain God’s favor:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not of works, so that no one can boast.

But what about punishment—the “lump of coal” so to speak? The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1-2:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

We see that neither our good deeds, nor our transgressions of God’s law, have any effect on our salvation or our place in God’s Kingdom. Jesus, and He alone, took care of that. If we acknowledge His gift of grace through faith, we do not stand condemned. Instead, we have all the gifts that He paid with His lifeblood to give us.

So, let’s rejoice in a perfectly just, all-seeing, Sovereign God, whose gifts come to us without anything we can give to Him. Rather, He freely and lovingly provides us with all things solely through the Gift of that Baby born so long ago. That kind of favor should cause great gratitude to well up within us and result in lives of grace and compassion to others.

Our expectation to see our Savior, bringing incorruptible gifts to us, should energize us to do good deeds far beyond the supposed eyesight of one “Jolly Old Elf”!

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1 Coots, J. Fred, and Haven Gillespie, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. New York: Leo Feist, Inc., 1934.

—Posted: Monday, December 19, 2016

 

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Christmas Outfits

How many mothers and grandmothers take pride in dressing their children in matching, festive, adorable Christmas outfits? Most, I would say. They want to show the world, through their holiday greeting cards and long-kept family albums, the pride of their lives—their children.

Never have I seen such pictures of children showing their runny noses, dirty or torn shirts, or their sagging dirty diapers, or with them squirming and crying for the camera. Even though, from time to time, these same adorable children can look this very un-adorable way, moms always work to put their little ones in the right light for others to see.

Our God does this with us! He brags on us, dresses us in spiritual finery, and speaks of us in glowing terms, even while He knows, all to well, our defects and ugly secrets.

Even at creation, we find that God dressed us in the image of His very own spectacular splendor. Psalm 8:5 says of Jesus:

You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor.

Now that outfit comes complete with a tiara! Since we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we, too, become dressed in His glory by our loving Father.

Jesus wants us to look perfect, so He provided a way through His death. Colossians 1:22 tells us:

Now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

He presents us to the Father as perfect in Him.

Not only did He wash and cleanse us, dress us in His glorious righteousness, but He has seated us for our portrait in the heavenly realms to show off His riches that we now wear! Ephesians 2:6-7 reveals:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in the kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Our enemy, Satan, may accuse us day and night (Revelation 12:10), but our Savior and God, the Lord Jesus Christ, claims us as His own. Having put our faith in His work, He showcases us like a proud parent and presents us to all of heaven and earth as His beautiful children.

May the knowledge of this kind of marvelous grace cause us great joy as we dress for this Christmas season!

—Posted: Monday, December 12, 2016

 

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Gross Darkness

Back in 1939, Robert L. May wrote the story, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This story was first published by the department store, Montgomery Ward. Little did Robert May know how popular and longstanding this Christmas classic would become.

Everyone knows Rudolph saved Christmas by guiding Santa and his sleigh through a “pea-soup” fog on Christmas Eve. Rudolf used his brilliant red nose to lead the way. Yet, among Christmas stories, this one pales in comparison to the story of the birth of the Light of the World, the Messiah, Jesus, the Son of God.

The term “gross darkness” or “thick darkness” describes the fact that the world—morally and spiritually—had sunk into a lost condition out of which it could not find its way. Some 700 years before Jesus came as a babe to Bethlehem, the Prophet Isaiah predicted the dawn of a new day of light. This radiance would shine truth and love, healing and righteousness, into our sinful world and into the hearts and minds of each one whom God would call to this Light.

Jesus would reveal Himself as the only antidote for the sin that takes over and darkens the understanding and direction of human beings. 1 Peter 2:9 explains it this way:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

I, for one, am grateful that here, in North America, Christmas comes in the darkest and coldest part of the year. How much more intensely the lights show up. How much more we realize the degree to which we need light for vision and warmth.

From the dawn of creation’s light to the brilliance of a city who needs no other light than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, in the Book of Revelation, the Bible tells the story of the Light of the World. When we sin, we can know the Light will shine on that disobedience to God’s perfect will for us. When we’re lost, we can know the Light will direct us. When we live in a culture nearly devoid of the true Light, we can know that the Light will reveal itself through us.

Jesus came to bring light, and to be the Light. This Christmas season, as you see the lights on the tree, or light a candle, or even see that popular figure, Rudolph, let those things remind you that we live in darkness and need the only Light that truly can take away the “gross darkness” of our sinful hearts and or our sinful world.

—Posted: Monday, December 5, 2016

 

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Anticipation

Half the fun of Christmas is the anticipation. Perhaps people begin shopping so early because of this phenomenon.

I can remember as a child when we would get the Sears Christmas Catalog in the mail. The glossy, colorful pages, filled with amazing toys, sparkling decorations, and festive clothing only increased the eagerness for my sister and me.

As the years have rolled by, I confess that I anticipate Christmas in different ways than I did as a child. No longer do the gifts matter so much. Quiet reflection while listening to glorious music, get-togethers with family and friends, and remembrances of Christmases past make for a much more satisfying holiday season for a grown-up me.

In Luke 2:25-35 we read the story of a righteous and devout man in Jerusalem who had been waiting for the consolation of Israel. He anticipated the birth of Jesus because the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the new-born King. When he entered the temple courts and saw the baby and His parents, Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. In his short message to the new parents, he said, “Now I can die in peace.”

Can you remember, as a child, the let-down after Christmas? I do. Yes, I had a bunch of new things, but the anticipation was over. What I looked forward to didn’t satisfy me the way I thought it would! The toys broke, or their appeal soon faded. The new clothes only delighted me as I wore them a few times. And, the decorations and Christmas music now seemed old. I actually looked forward to getting back to the “normal” of everyday life.

How different the results of Simeon’s anticipation. The baby didn’t disappoint him. This Gift, expected and hoped for, came to save the people of Israel from their sins and reveal to the Gentiles the glory of Israel’s God.

As you reflect on the Christmas story this year, look past the human experiences of the season, even the story itself, to the One who came to know you, to forgive and redeem you, and to make you His very own. Anticipate the joy of spending more time with Him, to really know Him, and to meditate on His promises of a covenant love that will last forever.

Romans 5:5 tells us that our anticipation of the glory of God in our lives will be fulfilled. It states:

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

In your anticipation of Christmas this year, above all the other attention-grabbing elements, take the time to settle in, and, with great anticipation, look for the Gift that God has given all humankind. Truly, Jesus is the Gift that will never disappoint!

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1 Wesley, Charles. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Public Domain.

—Posted: Monday, November 28, 2016

 

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Gratitude Energizes Service

Joyous gratitude produces the unselfish, and effective service of God’s people.

The Apostle James reminds us that we display our faith by the good things we do. (James 2:18) If we feel grateful for all God has done for us, we express that gratitude in the same kind of generosity with which God has blessed us. I call this the “Cycle of Grace.”: God gives to us. We gratefully give to others. The others in turn thank God for His goodness.

I like this short and to-the-point story found in Matthew 8:14-15:

When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

In Acts 28:7-10, Paul tells of the shipwrecked prisoners and soldiers with him on the island of Malta and the chief official of the island, Publius:

His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Their gratitude resulted in the gifts these sailors needed.

When I was growing up in my church youth group, we would sing the little chorus:

After all He’s done for me,
After all He’s done for me,
How can I do less than give Him my best,
And live for Him completely,
After all He’s done for me.¹

If we want to be like Christ, we should seek to copy the way He lived. He always thanked God for the food, and often showed His gratitude in prayer for other gifts that God had given Him. Then, out of love for God, and gratitude, Jesus gave in like manner to everyone around Him.

With all that God has given us, He expects gratitude—the kind of gratitude that joyously serves Him in the lives of others.

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1 Daasvand, Betsy. After All He’s Done For Me. Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Co., 1940.

—Posted: Monday, November 21, 2016

 

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Gratitude Erases Fear

There it is, right in the middle of the verse above! “With thanksgiving.” Who has time to be thankful in the middle of an anxiety producing crisis? Apparently God expects it of us regardless of the circumstances.

“But what have I to thank Him for when I am in trouble?”

We can begin by thanking God for Who He is. Elsewhere in scripture we read that God has almighty power. Even the devils shudder at that! (James 2:19) That means He is bigger than any trouble we have. We can also look to His omniscience—His “all-knowing wisdom” about us in more detail than we know ourselves and about every situation in which we find ourselves.

Add to that His omnipresence—His “everywhere presence” which He has promised will never leave or forsake us. We can also thank Him that nothing comes our way unless He allows it. He has a good plan for us, and wants to use everything, even our troubles, to accomplish His will in us. Thank Him for it!

What else can we give thanks for in the middle of our prayer-producing crisis? We can remember how God has treated us in the past. How He has answered prayer. How He has spared us worse harm than we had coming to us. How He has revealed His love to us during each situation.

Has He healed you before? Then thank Him, and allow that remembrance to take away your fear. Has He provided for you before when you have needed help? Don’t fear. He will provide for you this time too.

What does our verse from Philippians promise us when we come with gratitude to God with our requests? It promises that we will have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.” Too much to get our minds around! That’s the kind of powerful result we will see from praying through our fears with thanksgiving.

I challenge each of us, including myself, to live in the place of thanksgiving during all fearful and impossible situations. Let’s see what God will produce in us to replace that fear!

—Posted: Monday, November 14, 2016

 

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Gratitude Excites Humility

Pride seems to erase gratitude. Have you ever thought about that? And the reverse seems true as well. Gratitude erases pride. How does that happen?

Scripture gives us a multitude of examples of people and nations filled with pride that God had to humble. For example in Ezekiel 28:17, God said to the city of Tyre:

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.

Even Satan himself, filled with pride heard these words of God recorded in Isaiah 14:13:

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

We all have those things for which we are tempted to take pride. Whether it’s “my” body of work, “my” family, “my” home, “my” beauty, “my” talent, “my” personality. When we take personal credit, gloat over others, or try to impress others, we have taken those things that God has given us and turned them into objects of pride, forgetting that He is the source of every good and perfect thing in our lives.

Even countries, cities, and churches can get prideful about the wonderful things that have come their way through God’s grace. When I hear people talk about American Exceptionalism, I agree in part. But, I wish those who speak so pridefully of it would also recognize that God has “shed His grace” on us. As a nation, we have been extraordinarily blessed by Him. We simply cannot take sole credit for anything we have.

Can we feel pleasure in the things God has uniquely given us? Certainly. But, when that pleasure erupts into praise of self, we have crossed a line. When sinful pride creeps into our thinking, we should step back, realize all God has done for us in creating us with gifts and abilities, and gratefully bow in worship before our great God. He gives us gifts of all sorts. And, He wants us to joyfully use them to glorify Him.

In our example of Nebuchadnezzar with which we started this blog post, we see a pagan king, who experienced the humbling of God, pausing to reflect on this powerful, righteous One.

How much more should we daily acknowledge God’s work in us. We should take no credit. Instead, we should bow in grateful praise. Everything we have should be on display for God’s glory—not ours!

—Posted: Monday, November 7, 2016

 

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Authority

Within our school system, she had authority. “She” was the Assistant Superintendent and she served at our elementary school as principal for a year during the search for a new principal.

We enjoyed having her as much as she seemed to relish being with us. And, if we needed something—a new piece of equipment or a change in schedule, or a quick response to a question—all we needed to do was prove our need to her and she made it happen! Under her authority, we knew we had special favor.

But, this Assistant Superintendant had an authority over her, who had an authority over him, who had authority over them, and so on.

What would you say about someone who declared that He had authority over everything? Well, Jesus made just such a claim. And, He proved it to those who watched Him and followed Him.

If Jesus spoke peace to a storm, it happened. If He touched a sick man for healing, it happened. If demons tormented a little boy and Jesus cast them out, they were gone!

According to Scripture, Jesus wants all of us who claim His name to know “His incomparably great power to us who believe.” Here’s what Paul said about that powerful authority, as recorded in Ephesians 1:19-21:

The Greek word for the English word authority,—exousia—means “privilege, force, capacity, competence, freedom, liberty, jurisdiction, right, or strength.” God gives that kind of authority to us, in Christ, when we come into the covenant of His love.

How do we use that authority? By praying in Jesus’ name and claiming His “all authority.”

Such responsibility should give us great care when we pray and keep us from asking Him for wrong things. When we come to God in prayer and ask that He help us in our prayers, we can be assured that we will ask Him, in accordance to His word and nature, for only those things which we believe He would will to happen.

Even in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for God’s will, as recorded in Mark 14:36:

Jesus rested in God’s will, and under God’s authority. Let us pray, therefore, and live as those who have the authority of Christ in our lives, so that we can go out as His ambassadors to a world dying in sin that needs the Savior.

—Posted: Monday, October 31, 2016

 

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Sufficient

Have you ever felt so weak in the face of trouble— physically, emotionally, spiritually—that you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt you couldn’t handle the situation in front of you? I have. And, I think God brings through such times, maybe frequently, all whom He intends to sanctify for His purposes He brings through such times.

Young and inexperienced believers often think of themselves as up to anything the Lord asks of them. Confident in their own physical strength and capabilities, they sometimes look trouble in the eye with presumption and think they are exercising faith. “I presume my parents will get me out of any financial jam I can’t deal with.” “I presume the medicine will take care of the problem.” “I presume my talents and gifts will get me through tight spots at work.”

It usually only takes a few times when these presumptions are proven wrong, that we begin to realize how insufficient we are to handle things. And, what does God hope to accomplish by allowing us to swim without a life preserver, or to get sick with a deadly disease? The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9b, after He made the statement in the Scripture at the beginning of this blog post:

Therefore, [because God’s grace is sufficient] I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

He’s saying with a chuckle, “Bring it on! I can’t handle this but You can!” Here’s what beloved preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon said about this verse:

Our weakness should be prized as making room for divine strength. We might never have known the power of grace if we had not felt the weakness of nature…God’s grace enough for me! I should think it is. Is not the sky enough for the bird, and the ocean enough for the fish? The All-Sufficient is sufficient for my largest want.¹

Similarly, Joni Eareckson Tada points out that God becomes what we need.

In Isaiah 54 he becomes the Husband to the divorced woman. In Psalm 10 he becomes the Father of the orphaned. In Zechariah 2 he becomes the Wall of Fire to those who need protection. In Isaiah 62 he becomes the Bridegroom to the woman who grieves that she’ll never marry. In Exodus 15 he becomes the Healer to the sick. In Isaiah 9 he is the Wonderful Counselor to the confused and depressed. In John 4 he becomes the Living Water to the thirsty. In John 6 he’s the Bread of Life to those who are hungry for more than this world can give.²

I suspect most of us will have the experience of weakness and insufficiency when facing trials of all sorts. God wants to show in us His strength and His sufficiency. Do we willingly face our troubles with a trust that allows Him to work His power through us?

Though we often learn slowly and painfully, He will patiently bring us to a place where He can trust us with such pain. Let us rejoice in His over-abiding presence and His over-abiding love, and His ability to prove His sufficiency through us.

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1 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, Faith’s Checkbook. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. Entry for November 8th.

2 Tada, Joni Eareckson, More Precious Than Silver. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998. Entry for August 30th.

—Posted: Monday, October 24, 2016

 

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Unwise Exchange

The principal of our school had an idea. She said, “How about if all the teachers in the building exchanged places with someone else for a day? Wouldn’t that spice up our lives at the end of the school year?”

I don’t remember how the exchanges were assigned, but I do remember “playing” kindergarten teacher all day.

I think we all learned to appreciate each other’s lot in life. And, we also had the opportunity to understand what substitute teachers deal with, as well. In addition, I learned that God had a place where the gifts He had given me worked a lot better than with that Kindergarten classroom of untied-shoelace wearers!

The Scripture found in 1 Corinthians 12:27 above, likens us to members of Christ’s body. We all have a calling and gifting. Once we hear that call, we should not try to exchange it for something that may appear as a better place.

I like what the Puritan writer, William Gurnall, wrote on this subject:

We need to stand in the way God has directed us to walk… God will not thank you for doing that which he did not ask you to do… If we love to walk in God’s company, we must abide in our place and calling. Every step from that is a departure from God… We are judged for our own stewardship, and not that of another. God only requires faithfulness in our place. We do not find fault with an apple tree if it is laden with apples and not figs. It is an erratic spirit that carries men out of their place and calling… Man always prospers better in his own soil.¹

As you go about your life, as toilsome as it may appear at times and less appealing than that of another, stay focused. Ask God to show you the rewards that you alone, and in your own place, can enjoy. Ask Him to show you how He blesses and uses you with the work He has given you. Then, praise Him for His sovereign wisdom.

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1 Gurnall, William, in Voices from the Past. Richard Rushing, editor. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 352.

—Posted: Monday, October 17, 2016

 

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Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

You’ve heard the expression, “Practice Makes Perfect.” From painful personal experience, I’ve learned that more accurately, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.”

As a life-long pianist—having studied in my youth for nearly 20 years with professional teachers and having taught piano to young students myself—I know, all too well, the results of bad practice. My first teacher, a nurturing, patient woman who forever placed in me the love for playing, knowing her own inadequacies, nevertheless did her best to give me a good foundation.

However, I developed habits of poor technique that followed me into my college years. For example, my pinkies had to learn to stand up and I had to help them develop strength and usefulness as “leads” in the making of sonorous melodies. My college professor gave me humiliatingly boring exercises to break many of my bad habits. But, oh, the results I achieved!

Christians develop wrong habits too. Many of them come with us from our lives as unbelievers: selfish and even unaware of God’s higher standards. We may not have spread “godless myths and old wives’ tales,” as the people in Timothy’s churches. But, we may have learned, for example, to run to friends with juicy tidbits of gossip we hear.

Paul warns the believers in Colossians 3:9:

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

The practice of lying, or stretching the truth, or deceiving another with a skewed report, can be a habit especially hard to break.

I found in playing piano, that often in practice time, my mind would go on “automatic pilot.” My mind would not pay attention what I was playing. So, to break old habits and form new ones, we must first engage our focus. Secondly, we must determine to obey God through His word. Then, the long slow process of practice will need perseverance and patience.

How long before a new habit takes hold? Note this report from an on-line article by Signe Dean:

…according to a 2009 study, the time it takes to form a habit really isn’t that clear-cut. Researchers from University College London examined the new habits of 96 people over the space of 12 weeks, and found that the average time it takes for a new habit to stick is actually 66 days; furthermore, individual times varied from 18 to a whopping 254 days.¹

Progress in making a change in our spiritual lives will sometimes go slowly. Mistakes will occur. Yet, to attain a mature Christian life, the practice and re-practice will yield great results.

In speaking about Christian maturity, the author of Hebrews writes about the need for believers to grow up from drinking only milk to eating solid food. In Hebrews 5:14, we read:

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

God expects us as mature, or “perfect,” disciples to give up the old ways and practice the holy disciplines and habits that will result in greater glory for Him through our lives.

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1 Dean, Signe. Here’s How Long it Takes to Break a Habit, According to Science. www.sciencealert.com, September 24, 2015.

—Posted: Monday, October 10, 2016

 

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Fruit or Decoration?

I love the autumn for its crisp and sunny days and its beautiful golden, orange, purple colors. I love the red “burning bush” shrubs and the rich variety of leaves on Maple trees. I need to be reminded that the plants produce these colors as a byproduct of more important purposes the Creator had in mind when He made them.

As Christians, do we spend more time trying to produce an attractive “plant” from our prayers, worship attendance, or service? Do we hope to appear beautiful to others, or even to God?

Jesus warned us in Matthew 6:5 of doing “Christian things” to be seen by men. He knew our temptation to appear religious, or pious, or upstanding.

Some parents appear to enroll their children in youth activities, or confirmation classes, or any number of churchy offerings in order to produce a “well-rounded” young person—as though such experiences rated alongside Boy Scouts, or dance class, or sports teams in achieving that goal.

All of us know adults who join churches merely to have a place to “marry, carry (babies) and bury.” Politicians join organizations because the membership looks good on their résumé. But, Jesus had a different reason for His purposes in us.

In Isaiah 5:1-7, we read about the efforts of a vinegrower. He finds a fertile hillside, digs it, cleans it, and plants it with choice vines. He builds a watchtower, puts a hedge and a wall around it, and then prunes and cultivates it. According to verse 2:

…he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.

Our John 15 passage at the beginning of this blog post agrees. God wants to produce healthy, fruit-producing branches. And, God isn’t afraid to cut and prune in order to achieve that goal. Attractiveness may come as a byproduct, but God has a higher plan.

Eugene Peterson writes:

Jesus is not a decorative shrub, useful for giving an aesthetic religious touch to life. He is not available to be arranged in a bouquet to delight us. He is life itself, its very center—the vine.¹

Once in awhile, we need to take inventory of our own lives and see the activities we do in order to appear attractive or holy. How much better for us to examine ourselves and repent of our wrong-headed activities.

The gardener looks us over too, and will create experiences that will prune and cultivate us, if we fail to do it on our own. Only then will the glory of God’s attractiveness show in our lives.

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1 Peterson, Eugene H. A Year with Jesus. San Francisco:HarperSanFrancisco, 2006. p. 342

—Posted: Monday, October 3, 2016

 

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God’s Joy

My husband, having spent his entire professional career in the field of fire protection, was given this statue of a child held by her rescuer.¹ Can you imagine the deep joy in the heart of that firefighter? This must resemble in a small way the joy our Lord has in us.

First off, we are told in Scripture that, in and of ourselves, we have no good in us. What joy would that ever give to God? No, instead, God’s joy comes from what His Son, Jesus, has done for us and what He has made us as new creatures in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In fact, even as Jesus went to the cross, He saw joy ahead. Hebrews 12:2 tells us:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

God’s joy in us comes rather in His joy for what He has accomplished and is accomplishing through us. Joni Eareckson Tada writes:

God’s joy and delight over you finds its best expression at the cross… And He watched His Son’s murder because He loves you. This means His joy and deep emotion for you is rugged, hard-won, and victorious. He is the admiral flying colors of victory over you. He’s the hero who has carried you to safety from hell’s burn. He is the joy-filled warrior who has brought you home.²

God’s joy isn’t about us. His joy in us comes from what He has done for us. He looks at us as wonderful trophies of His mercy, grace, and love. We should be grateful and share in His joy for all that He did, and all He plans to do in and for us.

May His heart and ours be filled with that joy “unspeakable and full of glory!”

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1 Garman, Michael, Fireman with Child Statue. Colorado Springs, CO, 1986. A gift presented to Dean K. Wilson by Robert and Marlene Anderson.

2 Tada, Joni Eareckson. More Precious Than Silver. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Corporation, 1998. Devotional for September 22nd.

—Posted: Monday, September 26, 2016

 

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Afterward

No one wants to wait until “afterwards.” When we go through trials of all kinds, we want God to remove the pain and give us the results He has designed for us. Yet, no one would expect a surgeon to allow a person to get up during a surgical procedure and enjoy the results. The child must take the sting of the antiseptic before he can experience the healing.

We have ample illustrations of this point in the lives of biblical characters. In the case of poor Jonah, who ended up in the belly of the fish because of his disobedience, even after he confessed his sin and repented, he had to go through the process of being vomited out upon the beach! Only then did he respond obediently to God’s call.

In John 11, Lazarus went through death and decay in the grave. His family had to go through the associated grieving. Only after this trial did Jesus come and speak those words to his dead friend in the tomb, “Lazarus, come out!”

As recorded in 1 Kings 19, Elijah went through a terrible wind storm, an earthquake, and a fire before he heard the gentle whisper of God. Only then did he hear the words of direction and relief he had waited for from his Lord.

Job experienced unbelievable loss, lived through pain, grief, the misunderstanding of his friends, and his own crisis of faith. Yet, when God finally did speak to Job and bring his trials to an end, Job replied, in Job 42:5:

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

We don’t feel blessed while going through the deadly, mysterious, confusing storms of life. Afterward, if we persevere in faith and obedience, we can say with the psalmist, as recorded in Psalm 94:12-13:

Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law; you grant him relief from days of trouble.

If the trial you experience seems more than you can bear, and if you see no good coming from it, even while you are still in the dark decide before God to trust Him to help you through and bring about the desired harvest in your life. There will be an afterwards. And, it will be joyous, peaceful, and light-filled.

—Posted: Monday, September 19, 2016

 

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New Mercies

I have known these verses nearly all my life. I’ve been reminded of them each time I sing the old hymn with the words “Morning by morning new mercies I see.” ¹

Recently, in need of so many things and thinking I knew how things for which I prayed would end, the Lord reminded me of that verse. He particularly drew my attention to the word, “new.”

Now I know the opposite of “new” is “old,” but it can also mean “different,” “unique,” even “surprising!” What if we approached each day looking for the “surprising” new mercies of the Lord?

God rarely answers our needs in just the way we think He might. Take the story of the disciples in Luke 5. They had fished all night and caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus told them to let down their nets in deep water. Because they obeyed, they had such a catch of fish that the nets nearly broke. This showed the surprising mercies of Jesus.

Another somewhat similar story at the end of Jesus’ earthly reign, recorded in John 21, had the disciples coming into shore after another whole night of catching nothing. This time, Jesus told them to try the opposite side of the boat. The disciples, who knew Jesus well by now, didn’t respond in mockery, but obeyed. Again, they had a catch they could hardly haul into their boats.

When you look at stories of healing in the Bible, you will see that God healed people with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (2 Kings 4). He applied mud and spittle to a blind man’s eyes (John 9), and sent a possessed man’s demons into a herd of swine (Mark 5). Often our Lord demonstrates His power in “new” and “surprising” ways.

As you look to God for answers to prayers, come expecting “new” mercies—not ways in which He worked once before, or for another person. If we watch, He will show up to do marvelous things for which we can praise, exalt, and stand in awe of Him.

______________________

1 Chisolm, Thomas, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Co., 1923.

—Posted: Monday, September 12, 2016

 

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Occupational Privilege

What parts of your job give you privilege? Maybe you hadn’t considered that before. But, in this passage of Scripture, we read about sea-faring merchants who saw things the average person would never observe about God. Does the work you do afford you special ways of seeing God that others will never know?

Let’s say you stay home to raise children. Almost no one ever sees your hard work and sacrifice, your patience and devotion to those little ones. Yet, you have the privilege of catching the first word from a baby’s mouth, or to observe a funny never-to-be-repeated expression that passed so quickly you couldn’t even get your cell phone camera out! You may hear your child’s first prayer, or notice the pure joy on the little face over some new discovery.

Let’s say you own a thrift store and sort through pounds and pounds of other people’s junky leftovers. You alone discover the old cabinet for which you’ve been looking that will work so nicely as a baby’s changing table. Or have the opportunity to witness how something a struggling person finds in your store will fill a great need they couldn’t afford to satisfy any other way.

In my occupation as a church organist and as a school music teacher, I have often experienced God’s awesome blessing, or privilege. I’ve seen the Holy Spirit come and move a congregation by a hymn, or piece of music, that I accompanied. I’ve experienced the moment, after hours of practicing, where the right interpretation of a piece comes together.

I’ve seen an angry, moody child who came to my music class with a pout and refused to participate later leave my class with a skip in his step and a smile on his face. I’ve heard glorious sounds from children in rehearsals that no one else would ever hear in a performance.

God makes sure He shows up and reveals Himself in the day-to-day experiences of His children. Too often we miss seeing unique experiences. Or, when we do, we fail to acknowledge that our God is the author of such blessings.

Today, no matter what your work, take notice of all the ways in which you see God’s privileges in a different way than any other person, through those things He brings to pass along your very special pathway.

—Posted: Monday, September 5, 2016

 

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“P.C.” Labels

We live in a wild and crazy world that seems overwhelmed by so-called “political correctness.” Our society today demands that we never, ever, offend anyone by the label we might give someone. The culture harshly legislates what we can and cannot call others. And, the “politically correct” terminology changes frequently.

The culture now dictates even what we should call males and females—and it’s certainly not those titles!

For the last 25 years at least, the hard-working people putting together translations of the Bible and hymnal texts have tried to avoid the use of the word “man,” or using male nomenclature in any description about God, for fear of offending women.

We seem to categorize every person and respond judgmentally to those who don’t abide by our chosen categories. It seems that this practice seeks to take away any quality of uniqueness in others by “leveling the playing field” of our verbiage.

Away with blue and pink for babies! Don’t you dare use the gender role images of “housewives” and “businessmen.” Even “Men at Work” signs have been reformatted to read “People Working.”

The latest declaration of war given by those enforcing “political correctness” requires us to eliminate even gender specific bathrooms.

One comforting passage of Scripture that stands in stark contrast with our culture’s insistance on “political correctness” is found in Galatians 3:28:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And what makes that Scripture passage different from insisting on “politically correct” labels? Jesus knows our names. Isaiah 49:16 tells us that God has engraved us on the palm of His hands. He knows us individually.

We should, of course, always avoid rude or profane labels. But, when we know people, really know them, it doesn’t matter what label we use for them. No! Instead, we call them by name.

So many of the stories in the New Testament tell about people and refer to them as “the man born blind,” or “the woman with an issue of blood,” or “the Samaritan woman.” Do you think Jesus knew their names? Of course He did. But, the writers of the Gospels, like us, forget names and can only remember them by these labels. They meant no offense in using the labels. They simply used them to describe something noteworthy about them.

When you come to God, remember that He not only knows your name, He calls you by it. He knows that you are a unique and special person whom He created with beautiful qualities that He admires. Take comfort in His knowledge of you.

And, make it a point, in learning about others, to remember their names. Each one is a special workmanship of God, created in His image, and certainly represents someone worth knowing!

—Posted: Monday, August 29, 2016

 

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Faded

As a teacher, I always looked forward to the first day of a new school year. Summer came to school on the children’s faces and gradually faded into fall. I remember those pink cheekbones, and glowing tanned arms and legs. Yet, without a notice in another month, the sun’s influence on their complexions faded, just as their first intentions to behave and please the adults around them did.

God notices the glorious joy of new Christians. Luke 15:7 speaks of the rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents. The parables of Jesus in Luke 15 speak of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. In each case, the “finding” of these brings great celebration.

God also notices when the attitude of that one who once took great joy in the early relationship with Him drops off to a routine, or to a forgotten “experience” at summer camp, or to a no-longer-remembered particularly blessed time of the Spirit’s movement in a congregation.

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus speaks through the exiled John on the island of Patmos to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (the land now occupied by Turkey). In each instance, He commends them for various aspects of their faith. Then, He also speaks bluntly about those things that distress Him.

In Revelation 2:2, 4-5, He speaks to the church in Ephesus with these words:

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

I often wonder, if John wrote to report Christ’s pronouncements to our current churches, what would he write? Perhaps Jesus would say:

“You share your love with the less fortunate, and I like that. But, some of you work out of obligation, rather than from your hearts.”

Or:

“I enjoy the fellowship and worship in this place. But, I don’t see you sharing with others the gospel of Christ.”

Or:

“You have endured great suffering. But, You don’t pray like I’d wish you to pray.”

Now, translate this from a church setting to your personal relationship with the Savior. Has the personal bond you once had with Him faded?

What does Jesus, through John, offer as a remedy for this lost first love? He says:

“Remember the height from which you have fallen and repent. Do the things you first did.”

Remember… Repent… Do…

Has your love for Christ and His church faded from the glowing beginning that you once experienced when first you came to a saving knowledge of Him?

I urge you to prayerfully remember when You first experienced the glorious awareness of His deep love for you. Repent of your “backsliding” and begin again to do those things that pleased Him so much and gave you so much joy. Don’t let the “Son”-shine fade!

—Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016

 

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Being, Doing, Having

Many years ago now, I heard my friend and founder of Celebrate Kids!, Kathy Koch, Ph.D., speak to an audience consisting of the members of a Christian organization. She reminded us that God made us “human beings,” not “human doings.” I like that. So often other people conclude that God will only accept them on the merits of what they do. It’s all too easy for us to slip into that mode of thinking, too.

In the famous Love Chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul reminds us that even if we give all we possess to the poor and surrender our bodies to flames, without the love that comes from our being in Christ, what we do is vanity—of no import.

Recently, I read a chapter by Dr. John Claypool in which he expressed the cultural pressure of having that bears on us as Christians. He used the ancient story of Hannah from 1 Samuel 1. Like the culture surrounding her, Hannah felt that, until she could have a child, her life amounted to nothing. She actually made a bargain with God that if He would give her a child (so she could have one) she would give his whole life back to the Lord. God used this means to raise up the great prophet Samuel.

Dr. Claypool writes:

When the God’s gift of “being” is seen as primal and foundational, then creative “doing” and responsible “having” grow naturally from such a base. But when we turn reality upside down and make “doing” or “having” the basis of “being,” we produce anxiety and distortion of the worst kind. Having to produce or else is frightening! ¹

After considering this, it seems to me that we fall into the trap of “having” for our fulfillment, nearly as easily as we do into “doing.” Jesus’ story of the rich young ruler from Matthew 19 expresses this truth. Thinking eternal life had to do with “doing,” the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do. Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. Verse 22 states:

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This man’s “having” and “doing” had gotten in the way of his “being.”

How easily we fall into the same thinking. If I have the right kind of status, or money, or education, or do kind deeds and all the “churchy” things required of someone living a holy life, God and my Christian society will accept me. We want to belong, and our society screams at us that these doings are the way of becoming acceptable.

Instead, God wants all our having and doing to spring from our being in Christ. It may seem like a thin line at times, but taking stock of our thought processes, and reviewing why we act as we do, will help us to live out the real truth of who God has made us to be!

______________________

1 Claypool, John, Glad Reunion. Waco: Word Books, 1985. p. 73.

—Posted: Monday, August 15, 2016

 

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It Isn’t Fair!

Children often learn the story of Jonah and the “whale.” Much of teaching on this story revolves around the way God protected and rescued Jonah. Amid the lessons in this small, but potent, book of the Bible, we find the one about Jonah’s responses to God.

If we consider children and how they react to the circumstances of life, one of their strongest reactions occurs when they think someone, especially themselves, has been treated unfairly. They have fierce opinions about justice. These opinions often stem from an innate selfishness.

Jonah had served God as a prophet. He believed that nothing would ruin his reputation for accurate forth-telling as much as something he warned of not coming to pass.

On the other hand in this story, God cared deeply for the people of Nineveh. These Ninevites had an evil society known for its prostitution, witchcraft, and violence. So, God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there in hopes of restoring this large city to righteousness.

Once Jonah had his experience with the whale and had been “coughed up” onto land, he obeyed and went to Nineveh. Once there, he preached repentance to the people. To his chagrin, the people did repent and God spared their lives.

Jonah’s response to God came out of his mouth like an “It’s not fair!” comment from a child. He sat pouting for days.

Another story in the Bible, with a similar kind of reaction to seeming injustice, comes from the elder brother of the Lost Son, as recorded in Luke 15. The father forgave and welcomed home his younger, prodigal son with a great feast. The elder, “faithful” son, who always did the right thing, quickly responded to his father, “But, it’s not fair!”

How do we respond when we hear of people who have done wicked things all of their lives and then come to Christ when they’re near death’s door? Or, what reaction do we feel when we observe a change of heart in someone we hoped would eventually get their “just desserts?”

Do we resent God’s goodness to others? What drives this reaction in us?

Let us examine our responses to God’s ways, renew our pledge to humbly obey Him in those things He has asked of us, and thank Him for His gracious mercy in behalf of anyone—no matter whether it appears fair or not.

—Posted: Monday, August 8, 2016

 

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Not My Boss!

I heard them arguing. This five-year-old and his three-year-old sister had a dust up about something. Giving it all she had, she stretched her little chest out and faced him with the words, “You’re not the boss of me!”

Sometimes we grown-up Christians forget the authority with which God has equipped us in this world, where Satan roams about seeking to devour us. God, by His Holy Spirit, has given us His power through which we can resist evil and stand against the foe.

William Gurnall, the 17th Century theologian, wrote an entire book about the verses in Ephesians 6, which goes into great detail how we should prepare to engage our enemy. Of the phrase in Ephesians 6:10, “in his mighty power,” Gurnall writes:

The apostle’s drift is so to encourage the Christian to make use of God’s almighty power, as freely as if it were his own, whenever assaulted by Satan in any kind. ¹

1 John 4:4 reminds us of this power to which we have free access:

Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

God gives us the Holy Spirit, and all the mighty power that belongs to Him. We have no power in ourselves to withstand the awful violence and deceit of the Enemy. But we, through faith, have the power of God on our side.

When we step out in faith, accept the pieces of armor God provides us, and pray for His power to fill us, we have an authority few of us may realize.

The next time you engage in a battle over temptation, or experience the subtle attempts to take you down emotionally, physically, or spiritually, puff your chest out and say with the authority you have been given in Christ, “You’re not the boss of me!”

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1 Gurnall, William, The Christian in Complete Armour. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1979 (reprinted). p. 25.

—Posted: Monday, August 1, 2016

 

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Return to Your Rest

What does the Bible say about the Christian’s customary position? Hebrews 4:9 says:

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.

I believe that Scripture teaches that Christians should normally live in a “resting” position. This place of rest shows reliance on God, joy and divine peace, and trust in God’s care.

I like the King James Version of Psalm 116:7 because it uses the word “return.” God’s peace and rest remain our normal relation and position.

In Psalm 116, the Psalmist had been overcome by trouble and sorrow. (His words). He apparently had come close to death and God had spared him. In response, he speaks to himself and says, “Return to your rest.”

What kinds of things can you recall that have taken you out of your resting position? Maybe it was a deadly disease, a close call, a period of great stress, or the multitude of times when you just don’t know how a problem will turn out. Sometimes these “tempests in teapots” can cause great strife in our lives.

When we turn to God in these times, more often than not, He hears our prayers and answers us, and “tends and spares us” as the hymn “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” teaches us:

Father-like, he tends and spares us;
   well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
   rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Widely as his mercy goes. ¹

So, as you experience the turmoil and terrors of daily life and after praying see God do some wonderful things, remember to praise Him. Meditate on the many times He has answered prayer. Journal about those times in your life, so you can return and remind yourself of them in the future.

Then, rejoice in His goodness. He will allow your soul to return to its natural position of rest in Him.

______________________

1 Henry F. Lyte, Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven. Public Domain.

—Posted: Monday, July 25, 2016

 

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Handiwork

I so much appreciate “handiwork.” From her youth on, my grandmother had the reputation as a particularly fine seamstress. I own a dress she made for a toddler with the tiniest hand made button holes. I admire her talent a hundred years after she produced it.

My nephew has a business carving and painting all kinds of colorful wooden lures for salt water anglers. No one would doubt his talented handiwork.

My late sister hand painted large murals, crafted thousands of words of pen and ink calligraphy, and, with a dainty hand in the tradition of our grandmother, sewed many pillows and articles of clothing decorated with buttons and ribbons.

In the Early Church, a woman named Dorcas, a disciple of Jesus, became sick and died. Acts 9:39 records this sentence:

All the widows stood around him [Peter], crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

All of this demonstrates to me that, just as God reveals His handiwork through the creation, everywhere and at all times, He has created humankind in His image with the same abilities to create for themselves. Creation, and all kinds of art, did not just happen for the utilitarian needs of humans. God gave humans this ability so that they could create beauty.

Just as God looked at His creation and exclaimed that what He had made was good (Genesis 1), He has allowed us the joy of creating, too. Besides that, He enables us to feel pleasure in the handiwork of others. In so doing, we derive pleasure and can offer praise in the revelation of Himself that we see in human creativity.

Psalm 8 tells us that God has set His glory above the heavens. God reveals His inherent glory. A few verses later, the Psalmist writes that God has crowned man with glory. Our glory derives from His glory. Every creature shows the glory of the Creator in some way. The more we know this great Creator-God, the more beautiful and glorious we become as His image bearers.

Thank God today for the ways in which His glory, His creative beauty, and His magnificent design, shows forth in your life and in the lives of those you know. All of this handiwork should prompt us to offer our praise and worship to such a breathtakingly glorious God.

 

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The Nobles of Tekoa

What an exciting time it must have been in the days of Nehemiah. God had moved this man to travel back to his homeland and begin the process of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He had never seen Jerusalem. But, he had heard of the destruction of this city and its walls. The news of this disaster moved Nehemiah to seek permission from King Artaxerxes, his master, to return and give aid to the fallen city.

Nehemiah motivated cooperation and a collegial work ethic among the people. Chapter three of the Book of Nehemiah lists the names of all those who helped on each section of the great wall. Goldsmiths, joined by perfumers, priests, merchants, and temple servants—and even a few women—got busy and zealously worked on the repairs.

However, this curious verse five from the third chapter tells us that the nobles of Tekoa refused to work alongside their fellow Jewish brothers. Fortunately, not all men in positions of importance acted that way. As we read through the chapter, we see that a number of rulers, men of authority, enjoyed the camaraderie, and did what they could to join the work.

Amy Carmichael, referring to this story writes:

In the list of honorable names in chapter 3, there is a little sentence that I am sure the men in question would like to take out of the Bible. But they cannot. They are for ever held up to derision and shame. They lost their chance, the great chance of their lives; it never came again… How glad all the other builders must have been when the wall was joined together; each set of people had done their bit faithfully… And how astonished they would be to hear that their names were written in a Book that would be treasured to the end of time. ¹

Do we have our own nobles of Tekoa? I don’t think we would need to look too far to see people with this attitude in our churches today.

I once heard a woman say, “Oh, I direct choirs, I don’t sing in them!” I also knew a woman who held the position of the children’s ministry team director, who enjoyed chairing meetings, but never actually got to know any of the children of the church.

When we look at Jesus, we see the way that He lived, walking and helping those in need, always serving others. We read His words in Matthew 20:26-28:

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

When God calls us to serve, He builds us into a team of His people. While we work in whatever capacity He calls us, He makes sure that we, like the builders in the days of Nehemiah, rejoice to see the work completed and to hear His words to us, “Well done!”

______________________

1 Carmichael, Amy, Thou Givest…They Gather. Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade for Dohnavur Fellowship, 1958. p. 132.

—Posted: Monday, July 11, 2016

 

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Watch in the Same

God has told us to pray. But additionally, Scripture indicates effective praying includes both the anticipation, the expectation, and the perseverance having to do with faith.

Jesus told a parable of a persistent widow coming to a judge for justice, recorded in Luke 18:1-8. He used the story to teach His disciples that they should always pray and not give up. We read instances in Scripture in which people, tired of waiting on God, took matters into their own hands to solve their problems. Disaster often followed such action.

We see others who just gave up asking, thinking God would not grant their requests. While sometimes God does tell us “no,” most often He answers our prayers in His own way and in His own time—which are infinitely better than our own.

We should live like anglers checking their bait, like bakers checking their pies, like lovers standing watch at the door waiting for the other. We should believe with anticipation that the answer will come. We should put our eyes, not on the object of our prayer, but on the One to whom we pray.

I like the way Puritan preacher Richard Sibbes puts it: ¹

We have this promise from Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:8:

Don’t you suppose Moses’ mother not only had the little boat created for her baby and cast it in the water with faith mixed with hope? Of course, she did. But, she also continued to watch her little treasure—and set her daughter to watching as well—until God answered her prayer and safely returned Moses to her.

Sometimes, we need to employ others in the process of our prayers. We may run out of steam when waiting seems interminable. But, God has graciously given to all of us someone, or a small group, or a church, standing ready to help us pray and watch.

Let us be encouraged today to persevere, to hope, to believe, and to watch for the “God of the Answer.” He has promised to come to us.

______________________

1 From “Works” by Richard Sibbes, as quoted in Rushing, Richard, editor. Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 330.

—Posted: Monday, July 4, 2016

 

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Lily-Livered, Chicken-Hearted

The reference for this particular account seems to have become lost. Some think it refers to a battle with the Philistines. But, the Psalm does indicate that the mighty, and once largest, of the twelve tribes had turned their backs on God and become so weakened that they no longer had the courage to fight.

I, too, have found myself in a position of weakness and distrust in the strength and goodness of God toward me. Maybe you have, too. God has well-equipped us. But, we fail in light of the evidence. He has allowed us to see our very real vulnerabilities in the face of our enemy.

What lies at the root of cowardice? For Ephraim, it seems that they had forgotten the covenant with their God and relied upon their own reputation as warriors. They exhibited a shameful ingratitude to God and, over time, this resulted in unbelief, disobedience, and a rebellious spirit.

According to Matthew Henry, the well-known 18th century theologian:

Weapons of war stand men in little stead without a martial spirit, and that is gone if God be gone. Sin dispirits men and takes away the heart. ¹

So, how should we live in face of battles that we know we cannot fight?

Firstly, we must remember that we are equipped. We have the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Secondly, we must agree with God about His will and His Word, obeying them in every way, as people who live in covenant with Him.

Thirdly, and this is the most difficult for me, we must believe that God stands with us in the battle. When we trust Him, He in turn gives us courage. He wants to shine through the darkest moments with His light. Acts 4:13 reminds us:

When they [the rulers and elders] saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

What battles do you face? Do you wobble in the face of chronic illness? Financial need? Relationships gone sour? Loneliness? Fear of any kind?

The Israelites, though they were a multitude led by Moses, had to go on after he died. They quivered. Moses spoke to them, recorded in Deuteronomy 31:7-8:

Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

So to you, and to me, I say, “Up! Take courage! Stand strong! Prove the weapons you have been given, and reflect the power of your Champion!”

______________________

1 Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Company, 1983. Volume 3, p.533.

—Posted: Monday, June 27, 2016

 

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White Noise

You have probably experienced the same thing as I have. I stop at a red light, wrapped in reverie in my mind, when a black car with darkened windows pulls up beside me and my ears are assailed by a very loud, driving beat that fairly bounces off the pavement and makes my car shake. I wonder to myself, “Has this person ever heard the sheer beauty in music?”

We live in such a noisy world. And, like white noise, we hardly notice it. We tend to fill the silence with music in the car, with the TV at home, and sometimes with music while we work. Some people really suffer withdrawal and discomfort when absolute quiet lasts too long.

While I taught music to children for 40 years, I taught listening, as well. A motto I had during those years said, “Beautiful music begins with a beautiful silence.”

Children frequently come to music class singing without listening, which results in making sound without any reference to the pitch of the song the class is singing, to the teacher, or to the piano. These children have to learn to listen in order to match the pitch in the room. For some that seems very difficult.

We Christians have trouble listening in quiet so that we can hear what God wants us to hear. On a purely earthly level, we miss the sounds of nature around us: the birds in the trees, the waves on the beach, or the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. How can we fully appreciate the Creator without listening to the sounds He has created? We simply need more quality time in utter silence.

On a more spiritual level, we must listen, as 1 Kings 19:12 KJV says, for the “still small voice” of God. Not only do we need to have silence from earthly noise, we need stillness in our person and in our thinking, so that we can listen to what God is saying.

A devotional author, Sarah Young, writes:

The curse of this age is overstimulation of the senses, which blocks out awareness of the unseen world… The goal is to be aware of unseen things even as you live out your life in the visible world. ¹

2 Corinthians 4:18 talks about the sense of sight:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

A whole world of the Spirit waits for us to experience without our natural senses: seeing the unseen; hearing the silence; sensing the closeness of God’s precious Presence. In our attachment to Earth, we most comfortably experience everything through our five senses. But, if we would hear what God says to us, we must turn off the sound, so that we hear most clearly with our spiritual ears. In this respect, Silence is golden!

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1 Young, Sarah, Jesus Calling. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. Devotional for June 15th.

—Posted: Monday, June 20, 2016

 

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Never Lost in Translation

Have you ever watched one of those interpreters for the deaf and wondered if they were delivering the message correctly? What if the interpreter had an agenda other than to clearly express what the speaker was saying? It might be quite dangerous, right?

Well, we have an enemy, Satan, or the devil, about whom 1 Peter 5:8 says:

…prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan makes it his mission to misconstrue, mistranslate, misrepresent, and otherwise distort the truth with what often looks like truth.

The Apostle John, both in his gospel and again in his letters, speaks often about the importance of understanding the truth, and the way in which our enemy likes to derail that truth. In fact, in John 8:44, the Apostle writes:

When he [the devil] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Throughout Christian history, churches and groups of Christians have been led astray from the truth by Satan’s wiles. They may have been well intentioned, even devoted to the Kingdom of God. But, somehow they managed to get taken in by false doctrines that ultimately ruined their faith.

We’ve all heard of cults whose members have been derailed from the truth by strong and manipulative leaders. Those leaders, much like their father the devil, have schemed and lied in such clever ways as to persuade a whole group of people to follow in an ungodly direction.

Do we consider how dangerous a wrong translation of God’s Word can be? Do we seek to avoid it as the Apostle warned? And, how do we keep from getting tricked into believing wrong doctrine and a misinterpretation of the truth?

When Jesus left earth in order to return to heaven, He told His disciples about the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor.” He is the one whom the Father promised to send to us.

Jesus taught, as recorded inJohn 10:1-21, about the true “sheep” who would know the voice of their true Shepherd. He urged them to listen clearly. We too, gullible and weak—perhaps even more than the first disciples—need to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit when reading God’s Word and listening to those who claim to preach and teach truth. We need to weigh what we’re being told against the whole counsel of God’s Word. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

Oh Lord God,

Please keep all those who truly desire to follow hard after You to know the truth You share in Your Word. Protect them from error and help all who teach Your Word to do so with integrity and clarity.

In the midst of the lies and confusion of our present world, may Your timeless Word come to us in these days with power and the authority of the Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus Name. Amen.

—Posted: Monday, June 13, 2016

 

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Act of God

When we look up a legal definition of an “Act of God,” we find:

An event that directly and exclusively results from the occurrence of natural causes that could not have been prevented by the exercise of foresight or caution, an inevitable accident. ¹

It’s quite amazing to find that humans think Acts of God are inevitable accidents! Yet, the seasons that have never ceased since the creation, neither day and night, we credit “Mother Nature” for the natural order of things and the way they should happen.

Is it not more wonderful to see the absolute regularity of natural things following God’s commands? I love the entire Psalm 104 that expresses so beautifully the way He has designed the order of things. Here’s a taste from verses 5-8, 12-14, and 24:

He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them…

The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sings among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth:…

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Now, those are truly Acts of God! So too are the tsunamis and earthquakes. None of what happens in nature can truly be called an accident. We have a God who not only created the earth and ordered its weather, but One who sends the storms and knows the boundaries for them. We can exclaim with the psalmist in Psalm 71:16:

I will come and proclaim your might acts, O Sovereign Lord;

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1 West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 2nd edition. Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group, Inc., 2008.

—Posted: Monday, June 6, 2016

 

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Moreover

Solomon began his reign as king with a humble heart. He was seemingly aware of his own frailty and the enormity of the position which his father, David, had left him.

The Lord had appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted from God. This sounds so much like the “genie in the bottle” theme of three wishes. But, it’s not.

God seriously wanted Solomon to take on this new task of king with all the resources that he needed. And, in order to rule well, Solomon asked for a discerning and wise heart. The Scripture says that this pleased God. So, God fulfilled His promise and gave Solomon the discernment and wisdom for which he had asked.

Then, right in the middle of God’s response to Solomon’s request, we see the word, Moreover. Far beyond what Solomon had asked, God added riches and honor to the gifts He gave Solomon that day. Now Solomon would be able to showcase the glory and splendor of his God to the whole world.

You see, God gives abundance to His children, to those He knows have the right heart attitude and will use the gifts He gives them for His glory. So, it is no surprise that when Solomon chose to ask for qualities that would help him rule justly, God gave Him those qualities and also showered Solomon with even more.

But, what about us? Should we expect the same abundant gifts that God gave Solomon? Not necessarily, but we can expect Him to give us an abundance of His grace, which comes in a multitude of ways to His dearly loved children.

In Jesus’ teaching about Himself as the Good Shepherd, He states in John 10:10:

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full [abundantly].

Much like the plain and simple water that Jesus turned into a splendid and special wine at the wedding at Cana, God intends to turn the ordinary things for which we ask Him into blessings we can give back and manifest His glory. He will always be known as the God of Moreover—the God of abundance and lavish blessing.

Let’s look at our lives and our prayers through the eyes of Solomon and through the eyes of those people at the wedding at Cana. What “above and beyond” blessings has God given to us on top of those things for which we have asked? Then, let’s praise Him and glorify Him through all He has given to us!

—Posted: Monday, May 30, 2016

 

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Shut Up!

I love Peter! Impetuous, he always wanted to help. And sometimes, he spoke without doing much thinking. Maybe we today, eager to please God, speak out entirely too often or too soon.

The scene of the Transfiguration almost makes us laugh. Three frightened fishermen, two patriarchs of the Faith, and the Son of God meet on a mountain. Jesus was clearly the star of the moment with dazzling clothes, brilliant on which to look. This was the sight Moses longed to see when he walked the earth. God told Moses he would never look on His face. But now, Jesus made that possible.

This moment deserved the kind of “fall on your face” worship that Isaiah gave to the Lord in his vision of the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of his robe filling the temple from Isaiah 6:1. Instead Peter began babbling about building huts to live in!

Sometimes when we don’t know what to say, wisdom would dictate we say nothing! Sometimes we attend worship services like this, too. Our minds race ninety miles an hour thinking of tasks to be done, people to talk to, or ideas to help in some situation that has developed. We do not take the time to be quiet before God and listen.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 gives us sound advice.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

Teachers of elementary students (and parents) know that excited children often prattle about nothing when they are excited. They do not want to sit still. They do not want to listen. We act much the same way before God and we need to repent and change our response to Him.

Unlike Peter, we need to take the time to rehearse in our minds Who we worship and Who we serve. We need to allow those thoughts to humble us in such a way that we bow in humility and wait on Him to speak to us.

We should listen to His voice in the Scripture, in prayer, in songs, and in the nature He has created. Once we have heard His voice and see Him high and lifted up, only then can we respond in true worship and have anything to say to Him.

—Posted: Monday, May 23, 2016

 

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A Place at the Table

Have you ever arrived late at a large party or reception wondering where you will sit, only to find someone you know waving a hand in your direction and inviting you to a place near them? I admit to having experienced this moment of discomfort, and then immediate relief. What a blessed relief to know I had a place to “belong.”

In King David’s day, he wanted to remember his good friend Jonathan, who at various times had intervened to save David’s life from Jonathan’s father King Saul. Jonathan, humble and with no designs on a future as king himself, had given his full allegiance as a true friend to David.

Upon his death, and that of Saul, David asked whom he might honor of Saul’s family. When introduced to Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, David immediately bestowed on him the royal treatment. And, David promised to continue this treatment for the rest of Mephibosheth’s life. David was offering Mephibosheth a place of belonging at the table of the king—a place of great intimacy.

When God looks at us, he sees friends of Jesus. And, because of Jesus—not for who we are or what we might have done—God finds a forever place for us at His table.

Here’s how the authors of one book described this amazing gift:

When we walk into the crowded excitement of the wedding feast of the Lamb, with the sound of a thousand conversations, laughter and music, the clinking of glasses, and one more time our heart leaps with the hope that we might be let into the sacred circle, we will not be disappointed. We’ll be welcomed to the table by our Lover himself. No one will have to scramble to find another chair, to make room for us at the end of the table, or rustle up a place setting. There will be a seat with our name on it, help open at Jesus’ command for us and no other. ¹

No doubt Mephibosheth had physical features like those of his father’s that reminded David every day why this poor, disabled soul sat at his table. It was because of David’s love for Jonathan. And because, through faith, we carry the resemblance of Jesus, God the Father saves us a place at His table.

If we have accepted the covering of our sins through faith in Christ, we can be assured of a forever place there—a place of belonging through no merit of our own. Praise His holy name!

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1 Curtis, Brent and Eldredge, John. The Sacred Romance. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997. Pp. 182-183.

—Posted: Monday, May 16, 2016

 

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Gathered

I usually buy groceries once a week. We, in America, generally like to “stock up,” so that we can feel sure we won’t run out of anything. Some like to visit the warehouse food stores to save money by buying in bulk. Some people even stock freeze-dried food and have large underground shelters full of provisions for any upcoming catastrophe.

Contrast all of this with the Israelites that trekked across the wilderness for 40 years. Not only did they not have room for stock piles of food, they had no food to store. They literally lived hand to mouth. Every day they went out. Exodus 16:4, 12 tells us:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions… In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

I’ve come to realize that our Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus, wants us to come to Him daily for the provisions we need for the day. We can’t “stock up” for the future. We must come often.

When we gather physical food, we provide ourselves with all the nutrients we need for good health. We get calcium, protein, iron, vitamins and minerals of every kind—all to strengthen us for the day. Not only that, God gives us the capacity to enjoy our food with various tastes and smells.

Just so, we also need to come to our Lord for the spiritual food for each day. He has all the nutrients we need: strength, grace, peace, guidance, help, and much more. Along with those, He gives us the capacity to enjoy His provisions. Just as the frosting on a dessert blesses us with delight, His joy comes as a spiritual frosting on top of the other spiritual blessings He so lovingly provides.

God tests us to see if we can trust Him for our daily food. He will not give us grace for those future days we tend to worry about. But, He will grant us all we can gather up each morning.

Please join me, as we use our imaginations every morning, whenever we gather the abundant provision God has for us. And, in the evening, let us enjoy the remembrance of the tasty day He has afforded us!

—Posted: Monday, May 9, 2016

 

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Stop the World!

I remember seeing the musical, Stop the World, I Want to Get Off! when I was a high school student.

The show focuses on Littlechap, from the moment of his birth to his death. Each time something unsatisfactory happens, he calls out 'Stop the world!' and addresses the audience…He allows his growing dissatisfaction with his existence to lead him into the arms of various women in his business travels as he searches for something better than he has. He becomes rich and successful, and is elected to public office. Only in his old age does he realize that what he always had—the love of his wife— was more than enough to sustain him.¹

Littlechap’s life could be summed up in the phrase, “The grass is always greener…” He could never be satisfied, nor could he completely rid his life of troubles. Neither can we!

For example, King David came under frequent attack from Saul and his armies. He called out to God over the anguish, fear, insults and abuse he suffered from the hands of his enemies.

All of us have times in our lives when we feel we can no longer cope, when the troubles have piled up to such a degree that our strength is sapped and our faith weakened. We cry with King David, “Oh, that I had wings that could carry me away!” Yet, in Psalm 55, David demonstrates to us the proper response to this kind of agonizing trouble.

King David calls out to God, listing the complaints he has. He reaffirms his knowledge of God’s ability to see his suffering. He rehearses God’s character, His love, His care. And, then, David recommits himself to God’s care. To us, in Psalm 55:22, he says:

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

When we feel we can no longer “hang on,” when we have nothing in ourselves to help, and when we just want to “Stop the world,” we can have the assurance that God’s strength, His hope, His love, His mercy, His grace will never fail us. Our extremity is His opportunity!

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1 Stop the World! I Want to Get Off! cited in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified March 19, 2016.

—Posted: Monday, May 2, 2016

 

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Nothing Left

These two sentences say it all. She was “subject to bleeding”—that was her condition. She “suffered a great deal”—that was her disposition. She “grew worse”—that was the conclusion of the matter.

Chronic pain, or illness, financial ruin, long-term job loss, unrelenting grief, all these leave the person carrying the burden with both a weakness and helplessness that are often too heavy to bear. Millions of hours of tests, of doctor’s appointments, of careful home care, of searching employment lists, of hopeful highs leading to devastating lows, all become a part of the long-term sufferer’s daily walk.

The primary ordeal makes life hard enough. But, the added secondary effects weigh down with such pressure, making the burden even more dreadful. This woman “spent all she had.” Also, in those times, another person having contact with such a woman would become considered ceremonially unclean. So, she had to live like an outcast. In addition, she would have been childless and spurned even more by society.

I can imagine that, as with most of us, when a trial begins in our lives, we gather our strength and even sense God’s hand on us. But, as time goes on, the fear and dread and hopelessness become heavier and heavier because we have “spent all” we had of our emotional, as well as our physical, energy. We begin to wonder if God cares at all about us.

What do we do in these kind of circumstances? We do exactly what this woman did. We desperately come to Jesus, and boldly beg His mercy, realizing He is our only hope.

If we come to Jesus—and we may have to come again and again for new stores of grace—we will hear Jesus speak to us according to His will. In the case of this woman, we find, recorded in Mark 5:34, that Jesus not only told her to go in peace, but that she was healed from her suffering.

Does that mean Jesus will heal us of all our physical and emotional problems? Will He restore our loss of employment and bring us financial prosperity? Not necessarily, but we can have the strength to carry the burden knowing God owns us as daughters and sons and has plenty of peace to give us, too.

Isaiah 42:3 shows us the character of God who sees our weakness and need:

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Yes! He has stores of grace when we have nothing left! We can count on His overwhelming love and care for us.

—Posted: Monday, April 25, 2016

 

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Bitter to Sweet

The disciples sorrowed over Jesus’ death. Their only Hope, the One whom they had given up all to follow had died and they were left alone. Yet, in such a short time, Jesus came to them in His resurrected body, bringing them joy and a new, stronger faith.

Many years before, Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons. The story of the Book of Ruth tells of her journey from joy to sorrow and back to a renewed joy. Upon her return to Bethlehem after her losses, she said, as recorded in Ruth 1:20-21:

“Don’t call me Naomi [which means pleasant],” she told them. “Call me Mara, [which means bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.”

About this divine alchemy Charles Spurgeon remarks:

…the more sorrow the more joy. If we have loads of sorrow, then the Lord’s power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. ¹

Through the faithfulness of Naomi’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, along with the divine plan and design of her Lord, Naomi’s life was turned back to joy. No, not in the way she would have ever expected or even dreamed. But, in a way the power and love of her God had conceived before the Creation.

Through a wonderful story of redemption in the book of Ruth, this daughter-in-law, marries the man Boaz and has a son named Obed. This joyful event does not remove Naomi’s grief and loss of her husband and sons. Nevertheless, in God’s plan it gives her new joy and new hope.

Here’s how author, Carolyn James, puts it:

The miracle birth of Obed is truly the most joyful moment in the book, hailed by the women who celebrate with Naomi. This child renews Naomi’s life. Instead of the dead end she had reached, Obed creates for Naomi a brand new opening into the future and a vital new kingdom assignment. ²

They exclaim in Ruth 4:15:

For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him [Obed] birth.

And the punch line in Ruth 4:16:

Naomi has a son!

Even with all this joy for Naomi that turned back her bitter life to better, she had no idea of the plans God had through her grandson. Obed, the grandfather of King David, and the line through whom the Messiah would come!

We miss so much of what God is doing and plans to do, and forget, in our bitter times, the miracles behind the scenes—the things He alone can see of the future. Naomi and Ruth, though flawed, trusted in God and lived to see the blessing of that trust. God give us the same strength of faith and hope to rely upon Him and accept the bitter pills as seed for something new He wants to do in us!

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1 Spurgeon, Charles, Faith’s Checkbook. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. p. 166.

2 James, Carolyn Custis, The Gospel of Ruth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008. pp. 201-202.

—Posted: Monday, April 18, 2016

 

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Read the Small Print

Do you get annoyed like I do with ads on TV that either put up their disclaimer in such small print, and for such a short time, that you cannot possibly read it? Or, the announcer speaks so rapidly to fit in the required information that no one can possibly understand it?

These things remind me of Christians—preachers or otherwise—who espouse the benefits, humanly speaking, of belonging to Christ. They talk about things like the peace that passes understanding, eternal life, joy, grace and forgiveness without telling us what He requires of His disciples.

The small print of Jesus’ words say in Mark 8:34:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Or, from Paul in Philippians 1:29:

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ no only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.

Or, from Peter in 1 Peter 4:12:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.

If Jesus Himself warned us, and two of His most trusted followers warned us, that suffering belongs with the privilege of knowing Christ, we can be this must be true.

Now, suffering to some degree comes to all who live on the earth. Some struggles come by way of personal sin or from turning away from God. But, some suffering just comes in the natural course of living in a sin-cursed world.

However, I am referring to something different. Bearing Christ’s cross sometimes means suffering the hatred of people who hate Christ and anything He stands for. Some suffering means discrimination because of a strong stand in holy living, or a strong witness for the life-changing power of Jesus. In some places around the globe, simply identifying oneself as a Christian means imprisonment or death.

How far are you prepared to go to obey Christ? To live like He expects you to live? To determine to follow Him no matter the cost? He asks for that kind of commitment from His children.

Yes, He shares the riches of heaven and the Presence of His life within us. But, He also shares with us the privilege of suffering for Him. Woe to those who share the gospel, but hide the small print, or put the “disclaimer” in the contract in such a way that eager followers sign on without counting the cost.

And, what is the result of cost-counting? We read in Romans 8:17:

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Ah! That’s the glory we share—to those who sign on to the small print!

—Posted: Monday, April 11, 2016

 

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Being the Bridge

Did you ever stop to think what your life would be like without bridges? People who live near rivers, or even swamp land, would have a nearly impossible time getting to work or to common shopping areas without them. We can all be grateful for the continual burdens bridges carry to allow us ease in our daily lives.

Have you ever been a bridge for another person? As such, you became their help in traversing a tough spot in life, or helped them move on to the other side of a difficulty? I can’t help but think of the Simon and Garfunkel lyrics from the 1960’s:

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all (all)
I’m on your side, oh, when times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down. ¹

Certainly, if people without an eye to pleasing our Savior can think that way about their friends, how much more should we—who have the example of a God who bears us through this life, and of a Savior who bridged the gap on the cross for our sins—act as a willing bridge for those who need us to help carry them to wholeness?

Sometimes it even becomes necessary to act as a covered bridge for others: protecting them from more winds of adversity and from the cruel and bitter sting of sin and shame. Such people need the hospitality and healing of a safe and guarded place. And, God calls us, from time to time, to offer this solace to His hurting children.

Jesus told us in John 15:13:

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

The next time you drive over an expansive bridge, or see a covered bridge, remind yourself that, just as we sometimes need bridges to arrive at our next destination, so Christ may have need for us to become a bridge for someone else on their journey through life!

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1 Simon, Paul. “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”, ©1969. All Rights Reserved. These lyrics remain the sole property of the copyright owners. Included here under the “Nonprofit Educational Use Provision” of Section 107 of the U. S. Copyright Act of 1976.

—Posted: Monday, April 4, 2016

 

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Finished

Vacuum cleaner put away. Dishes washed up from the sink. Good silver polished and back in the silver chest ready to be placed when I set the table. Done. I had finished the Easter dinner preparations. Anyone seeing a “before” and “after” picture of the house could tell.

But now:

Imagine a hot afternoon in Galilee. Jesus has completed the final pieces of a job he has worked on for several days. The hair of his strong forearms is matted with sawdust and sweat. His face is shiny with heat. He takes a final—and welcomed—drink of cool water from a leather bag.

Then, standing to the side of his work, he pours water over his face and chest, splashing it over his arms to clean himself before his journey home. With a nearby towel, he pats his face and arms dry.

Finally, Jesus folds the towel neatly in half, and then folds it in half again. He sets it on the finished work and walks away. Later, whoever arrives to inspect the work will see the towel and understand its simple message. The work is finished. ¹

When Peter came to the tomb on that Resurrection Sunday and saw the folded linens, he must have realized the symbolic meaning of them. Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, had left behind a very clear message: His work was finished.

Jesus knew the work that God had given Him to do. Though more difficult than any of us will ever know, He, out of obedience to His Father in heaven, took on the task. He gave His blood for us, hopeless sinners, so that He might claim us as those He had redeemed. His work was completed.

What a victory! Christ’s death, looking like He had forever been conquered, instead resulted in the greatest turnaround in history. God broke the bars of death and Jesus came out of the tomb to eternally offer life to all who believe. Indeed, the work of salvation has come to all who believe. His work is finished!

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1 Brouwer, Sigmund, The Carpenter’s Journey. Nashville: Countryman/Thomas Nelson, 1997. pp. 120-121.

—Posted: Monday, March 28, 2016

 

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Interrupted!

Suppose you had come into the city for the Passover holiday, were minding your own business and had a specific intent for your visit that day. Perhaps you even had a meeting planned. But, because of the crowd, you could not get through, making you late for your appointment. We don’t know Simon’s intentions that day. We only know that this act of giving help—that of carrying Jesus’ cross—was forced upon him.

Interruptions can be pesky things. Especially when plans have been made, the schedule is full, and the goal is important for the Kingdom. Why that must have been what the priest and the Levite felt when they walked on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in the story of the Good Samaritan. They had holy business to which they must attend. They couldn’t possibly stop to help the injured man and risk interrupting their honorable intentions!

As recorded in Luke 10:30-37, the Samaritan also had matters to which he needed to attend. However, Jesus held this man up with praise above the holy men in the story. Why? Because he showed the kind of compassion and unselfish concern for the wounded man that Jesus looks for in a true disciple.

Jesus Himself knew interruptions on a daily basis. Almost all of the gospel stories concerning His earthly ministry show people waiting for Him, or following after Him, or calling out to Him. In an account of Jesus in Matthew 9:18-26, we find Jesus teaching His disciples. But, He is interrupted by a ruler who came frantically asking for Him to come and heal his twelve year old daughter. On the way, a woman sick with chronic bleeding stopped Him, and He healed her as well.

In Matthew 14:13-14, we read:

When Jesus heard what had happened, [John the Baptist’s beheading] he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

It seems as if He couldn’t catch a break, even to mourn over His friend’s violent death!

I for one hate interruptions. And, maybe you do, too. But, I realize that God wants me to accept a little more flexibility into my schedule, in case He has something of utmost importance He wants me to do. Sometimes the interruptions seem trivial and bothersome. Sometimes we do have to make wise and discerning decisions about such things.

But if you’re like me, plenty of times I need to resist the cranky response, the resentment, the downright refusal, and accept cheerfully the interruption—even if it is to bear a cross for another. We become more like Christ when we do so.

—Posted: Monday, March 21, 2016

 

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Quickie Prayers

Have you ever wished that God would answer your prayers while you are still speaking to Him? The verse at the top of this devotional blog post speaks of the way God will answer prayer in the New Heaven and New Earth. Yet, God can and does do that kind of immediate answering in the here and now, too.

In Nehemiah 1 and 2, we read how Nehemiah, while in exile with God’s people in Persia, had heard about the condition of the walls of Jerusalem. He wept and prayed and fasted for days. In fact, he spent four months praying about this situation, and asking God to give him favor with the king. You see, Nehemiah was cup bearer to the king and daily served him. After the four months of praying, one day Nehemiah took wine to the king.

The king noticed Nehemiah’s downcast expression and inquired what caused it. In Nehemiah 2:4, we read:

The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king…

Nehemiah had specific requests of the king. Among them, he asked the king for permission that Nehemiah might return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. To every request, the king “was pleased” to comply. Amazing!

How did it happen that so large a request prayed in so short a time came about so quickly? I think the answer lies, not in the power of a quickie prayer, but in the fact that Nehemiah had done his homework. Painfully, over many days and weeks, he prayed and wept, and searched for God’s will in this matter. The urgency with which he prayed and the exact details that came to pass, show us the reason that God answered so quickly.

In the New Testament story of the death of Lazarus, we read in John 11 that after Lazarus had already died, Jesus came to Mary. John 11:32 tells us:

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Little did she know that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the grave, and answer her prayers in a way she couldn’t possibly have anticipated.

This was the same Mary, criticized by her sister Martha, who sat at Jesus feet when He came to her house. She desired the place where she could hear Him and learn from Him. She considered nothing more important than that.

I like what Matthew Henry, the Puritan writer said about this:

Those that in a day of peace place themselves at Christ’s feet, to receive instructions from him, may with comfort and confidence in a day of trouble cast themselves at his feet with hope to find favor with him. ¹

In Psalm 119:145-147, the psalmist seems to be praying short prayers of desperation:

I call with all my heart; answer me,…I call out to you; save me…I rise before dawn and cry for help.

Of these prayers, Dr. James Montgomery Boice says:

In the Hebrew text, as well as in English, the petitions “answer me” and “save me” are short, staccato utterances, which are appropriate for one who is in trouble and earnestly seeking help. ²

Dr. Boice uses as an illustration the story of Peter on the stormy Sea of Galilee. Peter had walked alongside Jesus in His earthly ministry and had numerous long conversations with His Savior. But, the night Peter found himself on lake in the wind and rain, Matthew 14:30 records him as saying:

“Lord, save me!”

Now that’s a quickie prayer!

Who then stands in the best position to have quickie prayers answered? Those who have done the work of labored prayer in the secret place, sitting at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him so that the requests they make can reasonably be answered by their Lord.

If you have prayed and prayed over a burden you carry, you can rest assured that not only does the Lord hear your prayer, but that He may arrange, in a day and time you may not expect, a response to a quickly breathed prayer that He will answer in a truly remarkable way.

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1 Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible. McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company, Volume 5, p. 1053. (Now in the Public Domain.)

2 Boice, James Montgomery, Psalms: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998. Volume 3, p. 1047.

—Posted: Monday, March 14, 2016

 

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Dead Branch or
Budding Endorsement?

In this season of political endorsements, I enjoyed reading the way in which God set up Aaron in front of the Israelite nation as His endorsed leader from the tribe of Levi. The story in Numbers 17 occurs just after the nation complained against Aaron and Moses as their leaders. A group of men had become insolent and had risen up to take the leadership and the priesthood away from them.

You may remember the story in which God allowed the ground to swallow these imposters as a testimony to His anger against their sinful rebellion. This didn’t end the rebellion, however, and God sent a plague that killed 14,700 to show His power. And, even though Aaron stood between God and the rest of the Israelites and stopped the plague, interceding for them, they continued to grumble about his leadership.

At this time, God told Moses to have the leaders of the twelve tribes come to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and bring with them their staves or rods, the symbol of the authority of their governmental leadership. We read in Numbers 17:5 that God said:

“The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling.”

The next day, when Moses entered the Tent, he found Aaron’s staff not only sprouted, but budded and blossomed, producing almonds! From that day on, God asked Moses to keep that rod before the Testimony as a remembrance to His decree and endorsement of Aaron as leader!

Isaiah predicts another time, yet to come, when God will endorse His people before the world. Here’s what He promises in Isaiah 60:21:

“Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.”

I like that! Not for their own aggrandizement, but for the display of God’s splendor.

And, in our world today, how does God endorse us? We know that by ourselves, we display nothing but the image of a dry stick. However, with the life Jesus gives us through His atonement, we can bud with His sap running through our veins. I compare this to the sermon Jesus gave in John 15 about the Vine and the Branches. The only way the branches can provide fruit, is when they exist attached to the Living Vine.

We are nothing but dry branches without Him. John 15:5 makes it clear with these words of Jesus:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

God wants to endorse us by displaying His splendor through us, by living His life through us, and by making our lives spiritual food for others. May we know that kind of usefulness to His glory!

—Posted: Monday, March 7, 2016

 

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The Towel and the Apron

How many of us spend years in the mundane? We tell ourselves we were made for greater things. We have professional training, or notable achievements and experiences. We have traveled widely and known famous people.

It seems that God, in His wisdom, prepares all of us for greatness by making us servants to others. And much of that work entails baking cookies, or changing diapers, cleaning bathrooms, or encouraging sick acquaintances.

I am encouraged by what Jesus did. We read about the night of the Last Supper with His disciples in John 13:3-5:

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Jesus used this occasion as an opportunity to teach His followers. In the same chapter of John, 13:14-16, He said:

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

Jesus, in another place, (Mark 9:41) talks about giving a drink of cold water to someone in His name as an act of love.

In his little book, The Practice of the Presence of God, a record of conversations and letters by Brother Lawrence, we read of this “lay brother” who worshipped as much in the kitchen as in the cathedral.

Brother Lawrence said:

Lord of all pots and pans and things…
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates!

And he could say:

The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament. ¹

So, whether God calls us to bring up grandchildren as our own, or nurse a family member, or serve communion bread to our congregation, we need to hear Him say to us, as He did to the believers in Hebrews 6:10:

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Wear the apron cheerfully, knowing you represent Him to others!

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1 Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. Old Tappan, NJ: Spire Books, 1973. p.8.

—Posted: Monday, February 29, 2016

 

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Playing Second Fiddle

Second Violin, Associate, Accompanist, Vice-Principal—generally, these titles go to people who quite often come to be thought of as “underlings,” or “less than the very best.” They play a supporting role to those who lead and who often get the adoration of the crowds. Christians often find themselves in such positions, as well.

Those who are asked to play “second fiddle” don’t necessarily have fewer skills, or even play a lesser role. They are meant to complement the leaders, to help bring out the best in those leaders, and to make the leaders look good. The goals of the situation play a more important role than who gets the credit for them.

To play a good “second fiddle” one must take the position humbly and cheerfully. God has given several fine examples from Scripture. In Jeremiah, we read of a man named Baruch, who played the role of secretary, and spread the prophetic words of God that Jeremiah delivered. Yet, if we look below the surface, we find that Baruch was of high birth. His grandfather, Maaseiah, held the position of governor of Jerusalem in the days of King Josiah.

Apparently, Baruch felt like his efforts failed because he did not receive the honors of a hero for his work. ¹ And, God rebuked him for this feeling, telling him not to seek a name for himself.

We find another worthy example of a “second fiddle” player from Scripture in the story of David and Jonathan.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, stood next in line for the throne of Judah. Yet, even as a young man, he recognized that God had actually anointed David for the position of king. Jonathan voluntarily gave up his natural role by giving David his royal robe. And, when David had to hide from the murderous threats of Saul, Jonathan stepped in as David’s chief encourager and friend. (1 Samuel 18 - 23)

We don’t have the space here to develop other relevant Old Testament stories, such as Deborah’s relationship to Barak (Judges 4) or Oholiab’s to Bezalel (Exodus 31 - 35), but they illustrate the way God used these humble servants in their supporting roles.

The greatest New Testament example of one who played “second fiddle” lies in the record of John the Baptist. Thousands came to listen to his preaching, his dramatic delivery, and his flawless character resulted in high acclaim—so much so that people asked if he was the Messiah. (Luke 3:15). ²

But, John the Baptist knew the reason for his calling by God—to be the forerunner to Jesus. His attitude, expressed in John 3:30:

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

What inspires a person to give up glory for himself or herself in exchange for seeing another rise to prominence? The strongest influence must be the love he or she has for the other, or for God who calls us each to the role He has shaped for us.

We have no higher example than Jesus Himself. In Philippians 2:3 and following, Paul gives us instructions to:

…do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves…Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Gladly playing “second fiddle” in our relationships, especially in the church, will do much for the kingdom. We realize we are not “less than” others, but have been given special gifts that, when submitted to God, will blend with others’ gifts to support the great work of the Kingdom! Like our Savior, we have a definite role to fulfill.

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1 Notes on Jeremiah 45:5, The Amplified Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1965. p. 898.

2 Notes on John the Baptist, The Leadership Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998. p. 1164.

—Posted: Monday, February 22, 2016

 

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Clenched Fist or Open Hand?

Perhaps he held a penny tight in his palm, or a piece to a puzzle, or a tiny animal from his barnyard play area. Any adult trying to get the toddler to release the dangerous-when-swallowed item knows the war of wills this entails.

We like to hold on to things, opinions, and plans that we have made, too. Although we don’t shout “MINE!” when confronted with the loss of such items, we feel it deep down. We want our own way. And, we clench our fists all the more when we get challenged to surrender to someone else.

Jesus knew the struggle we have when He asks us to surrender control, and comfort, and those things that we think will make us happy. Yet, He wants us to look beyond what we can see—what we experience in the moment—so that we can get a look at the eternal things He sees for us. God wants to give us so much. He wants to see us present our open hand to Him in order to receive what He wishes to give us. And, He wants us to extend that same open hand to others, so we may give them what we possess.

God knows the dangerous things we shouldn’t have in our possession. He knows that these wrong things will take us down the wrong paths. He know that these wrong things will try to take over the mastery of our time and energies. He sees what would happen if we were to “swallow” such things and own them. He knows they will bring us to our ruin.

During this time of Lent, when others urge us to “give up” something in order to deny ourselves some pleasure, we ought to think, not so much on the things that would fulfill the obligations we feel, but rather on the things God wants to take from us: the sins that so easily beset us, our unsurrendered wills, and the things that crowd Him out of our hearts.

Jim Elliot, the missionary to the Ecuadorian Huaorani people, who suffered martyrdom in 1956, famously said:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

Let us so live that we will not make God pry our fingers from dangerous things. Instead, let’s freely open our hands and allow Him to take from us what He wishes to take, in order to give us all that He chooses to give us. If we do, we will surely find the way to blessing!

—Posted: Monday, February 15, 2016

 

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Buried Treasure

Don’t we all remember stories from childhood of buried treasure? Reading such accounts, we wished we could be surprised to find some rare and expensive fortune. Yet, God clearly entices us to search His word for jewels He has waiting for us.

To find most buried treasure takes work to search diligently for and to dig up. Similarly, it takes work to diligently comb the depths of the Scriptures and “dig up” the marvelous truths stored there.

Puritan writer, George Swinnock puts it this way:

Precious things cannot be had without the greatest difficulty. They that desire great reward must run through many dangers. Nature herself will not bestow her precious treasure without much labor. Dirt lies common in the streets, but gold is buried deep in the earth. Stones may be found everywhere, but pearls are hidden in the bottom of the sea. ¹

As with buried treasure, to find the deep truths in Scripture, we need the element of discovery. We read a story in 2 Kings 22 in which a young King Josiah instructs his men to supervise the renovation of the temple in Jerusalem. As they worked, recorded in verse 8, we read:

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”

What follows tells the story of revival and renewal of the covenant among the Lord’s people. The discovery of God’s written Word literally changed their society.

Not only should we seek the hidden truths of Scripture, but we should also meditate, rejoice, and follow what we learn there. In the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119—which line-upon-line expounds the glories of God’s Word—in verse 11, we read:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

Beyond just discovery, there exists the obligation to obey. We discover the treasure, not to merely enrich ourselves, but in order to purposefully live out the precepts given there to the glory of God.

As an exercise of “digging for buried treasure” in God’s written Word, take one loaded verse you find and meditate on each word, seeking definitions and exploring the ramifications. Look for examples in Scripture that make that verse come to life. Pray the words of the verse. Memorize it!

As you spend time like this, uncovering deep truths, you will exclaim as Hilkiah the high priest did, “I have found it!” Have fun digging.

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1 From “Works” by George Swinnock, as quoted in Rushing, Richard, editor. Voices from the Past. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2009. p. 308.

—Posted: Monday, February 8, 2016

 

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Stuff

Stuff—my how it accumulates! Generally speaking we don’t think about all the things we have until we are forced to clean out or get ready for a move. Sometimes we simply rearrange our “stuff.” Other times, we give it away or sell it in order to get rid of it.

When Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers who sold him into Egypt, he informed Pharaoh, in whose service he now worked, that they and his father had come from the land of Canaan seeking food during a time of intense famine. So, magnanimously, the king gave to this family of shepherds the beautiful area of Goshen in which to live.

It was during this conversation that Pharaoh told them to leave their “stuff”—as translated in the KJV—behind. These brothers, hateful, spiteful, and murderous of their brother Joseph, were now given a rich future of plenty in the choice area of Egypt.

I love what Charles Spurgeon wrote of this exchange:

How Joseph’s goodness contrasted with their former cruelty. They sent him naked to strangers, he sends them in new and rich liveries; they took a small sum of money for him, he gives them large treasures; they sent his torn coat to his father, he sends variety of costly garments; they sold him to be the load of camels, he sends them home in chariots.” ¹

The parallels to God’s grace, given to us in Jesus Christ, couldn’t be stronger. Obediently, we come to Him carrying our “stuff” from our sinful past. Knowing we have betrayed Him, rebelled against Him, and treated Him with contempt with our behavior and our rejection of Him, He comes to us and says, “Leave your stuff behind. I have greater riches for you than you could ever imagine. Come to me.”

In John 6:37, Jesus Himself, the King with whom we come in our famished state, says:

“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

God wants us to leave behind the stuff of our sinful past. We can come to Him, with nothing, and He will fill us with His riches. What an unequal, but blessed, exchange!

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1 Spurgeon, C. H. Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1982. p. 57.

—Posted: Monday, February 1, 2016

 

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From Flawed to Fair

Eliza Doolittle—the poor flower seller with a Cockney accent, a mere “guttersnipe”—wanted so much to belong to the respectable middle class. She had the good fortune to seeing her dream realized after learning the proper pronunciation of words from a slightly arrogant phonetics professor, Dr. Henry Higgins. His pains to teach her proper English climaxed in her learning to say, “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”

Most people recognize this brief synopsis of the story of the musical, My Fair Lady, and would say that Eliza Doolittle had indeed become “refined.” A dictionary would identify a refined person as “one free from imperfections and vulgarity; one improved by pruning or polishing; one reduced to a pure state.”

In several passages of Scripture, we read that God intends to purify and refine His people like silver. Silver only becomes precious after it has been refined in a fiery furnace. How does God intend to refine us? We read in Isaiah 48:10:

“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

Refining takes time, and patience, and affliction. We do not become godly vessels, refined, pure and strong, until we allow God to put us through the “furnace of affliction.” Not only does the fire purify by burning away the impurities of sin, but it allows Him to bend us and fashion us into the objects of His love—objects that He wishes to use for His purposes.

If you are going through affliction, know that God will not waste these experiences. He intends you to become a “fair lady”: genteel, noble, strong, and shining for His glory. Yield yourself to your loving Silversmith. He will bring you forth from the fire transformed into a beautiful work of His design!

—Posted: Monday, January 25, 2016

 

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The Oak, the Olive, and the Palm

I like trees. Even as a child, when my dad knew a tree was dying and needed cutting, I remember feeling sad about it. Old, large trees seemed to have so much character and shed so much shade. Their leaves played in the sunshine as I lay on the grass underneath, caught up in the views on summer days. They held my swings on which I spent countless hours singing and daydreaming.

The oak, known for its strength and endurance, has popularity around the world. As a symbol for American independence, the oak was selected as the “American National Tree.” People love to consider this great tree, as a symbol for power and maturity.

Oaks, unlike many other trees, take many years to mature. Even its seed, found within the acorn, takes six to eighteen months to mature. Each large, beautiful sturdy oak sees many harsh winters and many hot summers. It resists pests and disease in order to survive.

Among the earth’s longest living trees, we find the olive tree, with origins in the Middle East. Olive trees are known to live for several centuries and to remain productive for that long, if they receive proper pruning. Like the oak, they grow very slowly.

The olive branch has become a symbol of abundance, glory, and peace. Olive oil and the olive berry have nourished countless generations. Though never tall and towering, these sturdy trees spread their branches widely and tolerate drought well because of their sturdy, extensive roots.

King David refers to the olive tree in Psalm 52:8, as he contrasts his life with that of those who do not trust in God:

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God.

The word “flourishing” seems to indicate that David saw himself as one full of health and steeped in productivity for the sake of his God.

Another tree in scripture symbolizes strength and beauty within God’s household. In Psalm 92:12-13, we read:

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Palm trees, in a diversity of forms, can be known for their height. The date palm, typical in desert oases, has provided nourishment for weary travelers for centuries. Palms grow in the tropics, and generally thrive in most habitats where they are planted. Again, such a tree provides us with a beautiful picture of a mature and godly person, with a graceful erectness in the honored place of God’s courts.

These trees give us such an example of the kind of character God wants for his mature followers. Strength, endurance, beauty, productivity, health—all qualities possessed by God’s people as examples of the grace He wants to produce in all of us year after year.

These trees represent, not an easy life, but a life of sturdy character brought about by the winds and storms of adversity. And, for what purpose do such lives exist? They exist to flourish in God’s house.

Praise God for His ability to create, by His grace, a beautiful “planting” for His glory from our lives. Thank Him for those we see around us whom He has also blessed with fruitfulness for His glory!

—Posted: Monday, January 18, 2016

 

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Of Ill-Repute

Abused, treated harshly, neglected, given a bad reputation, emotionally tormented, rejected—each of these labels can far too often apply to someone for whom there seems all hope is lost. But with God, there is always room for redemption and restoration.

“Of the Sons of Korah.” Have you seen that inscription as you’ve read through the Psalms? In fact twelve of the psalms bear that heading. To see the point and the glory of those psalms, it helps to know the history of these men—the Sons of Korah.

In Numbers 16, we read the story of a rebellion by some Israelite men in the Jewish camp traveling to the Promised Land from Egypt. Verses 1-3 tell us that they:

…became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Moses tried to reason with the men, to give them pause because of all that the Lord had done for them, and to warn them. Then he called for them to meet with the Lord carrying their censers for incense. In verses 31-32, after Moses prayed and finished speaking:

“the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah’s men and all their possessions.”

From that time on, no one forgot the judgment of the Lord on Korah and the other men. Yet, when we read in Psalms these creative songs of the Sons of Korah, we realize that God showed His grace to the family line. Even though they lived with the reputation of that incident so many generations before, God used them to glorify Himself and bless all those who subsequently have ever read their words.

I like what Dr. James Montgomery Boice says about this:

For some reason the Sons of Korah were spared, and it seems from their later employment that, in gratitude to God and his mercy, they must have dedicated themselves to producing and performing the music used to praise God at the wilderness tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem. This interesting fact is a reminder that there can be devout children of reprobate fathers, as well as devout fathers with reprobate children, and that no child needs to be kept from serving God because of his or her parents’ sins. ¹

This story must hearten those who have lived with a dark past with remembrances of abusive or ungodly parents and with remembrances from poverty and meaninglessness. God can take even the most damaged people and use them for His glory. Out of their brokenness He can place the wonderful light of His presence so that they gleam like shards of glass in the sunlight.

Even Jesus had to live down the reputation of his hometown. Nazareth:

…stood in disrepute, generally attributed to the people’s lack of culture and rude dialect...[The people] had a bad name among their neighbors for irreligion or some laxity of morals. ²

God calls us to “redeem” those things in our lives ruined by sin—to “salvage” them as He has us. We should rejoice in God’s ability to “make lemonade” out of all the lemons you have to give Him. He wants to show forth from your life His powerful ability to transform that which others would condemn. Praise be to God!

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1 Boice, James Montgomery, Psalms: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996. Vol. 2, pp. 366-367.

2 Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Chicago: Moody Press, 1961. p. 779.

—Posted: Monday, January 11, 2016

 

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Firstfruits

More practical than connoisseur, my father balked at the idea that the first run from his farm’s sugarbush was the “best” maple syrup of the season. He reacted because all of the runs produced good syrup, relying on the same manner—hard physical labor. Yet that first run bears the name, “Fancy” because of its somewhat light quality.

The Bible has much to say about the “first” comparing it to the “best.” We read of the firstborn, the “first day of the week” (Resurrection Day), and of course, “firstfruits.” The prophet Malachi has much to say about the offerings God’s people were bringing to present to Him.

Listen to the warning of Malachi 1:12-13 that God gave His people, as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in The Message.

Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is GOD speaking to you!” ¹

This reminds me of what the mother of a children’s choir member I once taught said to me when I required better attendance at rehearsals than I received, “It’s only church, for heaven’s sake!” She really didn’t understand. Far too many of us need to pause and consider what we offer to God. “Good enough” isn’t acceptable to Him.

One of the first stories in the Bible reveals the offerings of Cain and Abel to God. According to Genesis 4:3-5:

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

This failure to bring God the very best, the firstfuits, and to offer God precisely what He required resulted in jealousy instead of humility and repentance. And this jealousy led to the first murder in history!

Whether it is the first hour of our day, or the first day of our week, the first chunk of our paycheck, or the first consideration of our work, if we call ourselves Christians, all of those “firstfruits” belong to the Lord.

From beginning to end, the Scriptures repeat that admonition. In Revelation 2:4, God spoke to one of the earliest congregations:

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”

The beginning of another new year makes a great time to review our offerings, along with our attitudes toward all that we have and do. Do the best of those things belong to God? Can we say with the ancient hymn:

“Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.” ²

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1 Peterson, Eugene. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, Carol Stream, IL: Nav Press, 2002.

2 Be Thou My Vision, ancient Irish hymn, translated by Mary E. Byrne. Text in the public domain.

—Posted: Monday, January 4, 2016