Only God restores peace after the storm - Genesis 32-35

Jacob feared Essau. He had every reason to. Jacob has swindled Essau out of his birthright and blessing. He was now returning and would have to deal with that fallout. Jacob feared the people of the land. He had every reason to after his sons Simeon and Levi had avenged their sister Dinah's sexual abuse at the hands of Shechem. Jacob came to realize in his life that trouble was in his path. Yet, despite the trouble he faced (mostly caused by his own sin) God was able to give him peace. When Jacob (now named Israel) finally met Essau, his brother's rage was appeased. God made that happen. When Jacob (Israel) left the land of Shechem God caused all the people of the land to fear Israel (35:5). Only God can restore relationships and cause those who wish us harm to be held in check. We sometimes think that it is our own doing that allows these things to happen but in reality it is God who controls these situations and makes peace between men. If we are having any level of strife in our lives due to those around us, it will be God and God alone who will subdue it and bring it to naught. God is in the business of calming the storms in our lives, even if it is a storm caused by our own turbulence. Let us give Him our strife and allow Him to work through it and grant us peace. True peace in relationships only comes from the God of Peace.

Therefore ... - Romans 15-16

Good doctrine ought to lead to good behavior. Paul, in the book of Romans, has outlined and argued for a common doctrine that shows Jews and Gentiles alike are justified by grace through faith. He has argued some points of that doctrine insensibly. He even boast to that point in 15:15. Paul has wanted them to see the common grace they had and their ethnicity does not deter that saving grace. In the last few chapters (12-16) he wants to hammer that home. In particular he states in 15:7, "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." Paul's doctrine always has a "therefore." It is one of his favorite terms to use immediately after a long doctrinal dissertation (see further Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:1, 5:1; Phillippians 2:1, 3:1, 4:1; Colossians 3:1 and others). Paul wants our doctrine to come out in practical behavior that affects our interpersonal relationships. We tend to have too extremes in churches today. The first extreme is the doctrinally dead extreme. We have so much doctrine and believe it so much but it doesn't affect our day to day lives. We simply have great doctrine. The other extreme is that of little or no emphasis on doctrine and we are focused entirely on how to live our day to day lives, absent an anchor of sound Biblical teaching. We use practical clichés rather than doctrinal dogma. Either extreme misses what Paul has done here in Romans. He wants our doctrine to drive us to a better relationship with those who are ethnically and traditionally different than us. We miss the point if we get the doctrine but don't change our lives. Let's not be so doctrinally sound that we forget the "therefores" of the Word.

The Desire for Power - Matthew 20-22

The human desire for power and prestige is very, very strong. In this section of Matthew we can see several stories and incidents where that power and desire raises its hoary head. When Jesus came onto the scene, the religious leaders of the day had cemented their rule over the people. They were proud, proud men who, based upon their traditions, would rule with rules and guidelines. Jesus was the servant and that was out of the range of the culture norm for leaders. Even the disciples had come to know (at least their mother did ... 20:20ff) that leaders and position meant power and prestige. Egos were in full form well before Freud came along. Jesus gives a simply example of what to do ... he who is least is greatest. That is the mantra of the believer. When we step aside and find a way to let others excel we do what Christ did. He stepped into death so we could step into life. He took on Himself the form of a servant (Philippians 2) so that we could take on the form of kings and priests. The leaders of the day could not see this. Nor will they see it today. Today we see stepping aside as a sign of weakness and not of strength. We see stepping aside and giving others the stage a sign of foolishness. Our society rewards the powerful. Just like in Christ's day. We are to follow Christ's example and not fall into the age old problem of power and prestige.

Comfort my people - Isaiah 40-44

What do you need in a time of stress and bad news? When all hell is breaking lose what is it that you need to get you over the hump? Scripture tells us that a universal cure to desperate times is "good news" .... Proverbs 25:25 reads, "As cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far country." In Proverbs 15:30 it goes on to say, "Bright eyes gladden the heart, good news puts fat on the bones." The answer for sad eyes is a bright picture of hope. In these five chapters of Isaiah we have that bright hope. Up to this point the message in Isaiah has been one of doom and punishment for the sins of Israel. God opens this section in 40:1 telling the prophet to speak "comfort" to His people. He calls them "my" people. God, despite their sin and punishment, is calling them to Himself and providing them comfort through the pronouncement of a future prophet who will set the stage for the Messiah (John the Baptist - Isaiah 40:3 and Matthew 3:3). He is speaking comfort in this section about the Messiah who will take their sins away and will restore the remnant back to fellowship with Him (The Church ... see further Galatians 4:28-31). God's provision of "good news" to the bad life is the key to Scripture. In this section (although tough to read at times) we have the gospel message of good news of the Messiah to save us from our sins. To heal us and save us (43). He gives us strength (41:30-31). Rejoice in this section as you read it. God gives us good news for our thirsty souls. He always knows when we need comfort and He knows how to provide it ... it comes through the gospel message of Christ, our Savior.

Death of a vision - Job 15-17

Job's friend, Eliphaz, now let's Job know that he has "seen" (15:17) that wicked men get what they deserve. His purpose for giving Job his observations of life is to let Job know that if Job were righteous all this bad wouldn't be happening to him. Job, of course, continues to plead that he is pure (16:17). Job pleads with his friends to stop their verbal assault (isn't it sad that a friend must ask other friends to stop abusing with their words?)(16:20-22). In that pleading for relief Job makes a powerful statement as to where his thoughts are: In 17:11 Job is recorded as saying, "My days are past, my plans are torn apart, even the wishes of my heart." In that one phrase Job is telling his friends that his vision for life is dead. His aspirations and desires are dead. In modern terms we would call this moment for Job, the "death of a vision." There may be no greater pain than the death of a vision - the time when what you had dreamed would happen is suddenly and obviously gone. We see this often on the sports field where someone had hoped for a great victory yet it ended in defeat. We see this in divorce when someone had hoped for a great life together but permanent separation cloaks their life. We can see a death of a vision when a child dies before you see them experience the great moments of life. Death of vision can take your very life with it. Job is in this place. He ends the section searching for his "hope" (17:15). His friends words have not brought consolation and pointed him to God. They have hastened despair and death. When we offer words to those who hurt let's not repeat Job's friend's mistake. Let's offer words of hope and consolation to build faith in God and a vision for restoration. God, at the end of the book, restores Job's vision. Which friend was pointing Job to a better view of the end, when God wins? Do you do that for your friends?

Roller Coaster Ride - Psalm 21-23

The difference between the theme and spirit of Psalm 21 and Psalm 22 is not just striking, but boarders on the absurd. I love that the two chapters are listed in the book of Psalms back-to-back. In Psalm 21 we see David at the top of his game and in full vigor and praise for God. As we read the Psalm we feel as though we are right there in God's pocket and God has given David (and us) all that we need or could ever desire. David is at the to of exaltation. Then we read Psalm 22. There couldn't be more descriptive words for depression. David is lost and forsaken. He is in the belly of the abyss and can't see light for the rock on his head. The reason I love these two Psalms back-to-back is that they show the reality of life for a child of God. When we become children of God we are going to live in both of these Psalms. Because of our sin nature we can go from exaltation to depression in a breath. David is a real man. He experienced real emotion. This is what makes the Psalms a prize to read. We can rejoice that God, through the Holy Spirit, gave us the words of David to find solace and familiarity. God is not an orthodoxy. God is a reality. He touches where we are. We can find great strength and joy in Him (21:1-2) and then a minute later "feel" as though He has left us and we are all alone (22:1-2). The beauty of each Psalm is that in the end, they both find their source in the character of God. It doesn't matter if we are high or low, the secret to success in life is trusting in the character of God. So, buckle in and hold on ... to the character of God for your daily ride. You will finish the ride in the right place despite the ups and downs.

God uses our strengths and weaknesses - Judges 12-16

The majority of our reading today is about Samson. Here we have a wonderful story about a young man who was used by God in multiple ways. The most startling aspect of Samson's story is how God uses both his strengths and his weaknesses. In 14:3-5 we see God using a rebellious, self-centered young man to accomplish His purpose for Israel and the Philistines. Later that same selfishness and lust would be his downfall. Yet, in the midst of that same individual is a strong man with a Nazarite Vow, who, through God's grace, is used in a mighty way to deliver the nation of Israel from the Philistine's rule. God uses our strengths and our weaknesses to accomplish His purpose and His plans. Scripture doesn't teach that God wants us to be self-centered or lustful. But, it does teach He uses our sin to accomplish His greater glory. We recently studied Rebekah and Issac as well as Jacob and Laban and saw the same thing. God doesn't want to use our sin for a tool to shape us and work His plan. But, He does. That is both frightening and fundamental to the scoop of things. God can turn our worst mistake into a glorious verse of praise for Him (think "crucifixion"). He can turn our tragedy into a rhythm of righteousness for Him (think of Paul). God can do so much with so little. We have more weaknesses than we have strength; and He gives us the strengths, whereas the weaknesses we have on our own. It is so joyous to know that God can use both for His glory.

Keeping your sanity when your being punked - Genesis 28-31

I am not sure if I have ever come across a person as deceitful as Laban from the passage we read today. Jacob, not exactly the best example of integrity, looks like a saint compared to Laban. He seemed to have as many stories, approaches as he had gods. He covers every base as long as the main base to cover is his own interest. He seems to be titillated by wealth and embolden by his own power. Jacob finally gets his feel and decides it is time to put some distance between him and Laban. Laban pursues him. Laban had cheated Jacob on countless occasions. How do you handle it when someone treats you this way? Jacob, to his credit, turns to God! He recognizes God's sovereign control in his life and over his security and finances. He sees God's control over his wife's ability to bear children. He acknowledges God's ability to control what lambs are born to him and those to Laban. Jacob even realizes God's presence in the place he chooses to take a nap. These chapters teach us that nothing happens in our life without God's sovereign rule. We many not understand what happens to us and we may not like what happens to us. But, we must acknowledge and accept that whatever happens to us has its boundaries established by God. We may not liked to be punked by others but we must realized that God is complete control and we are to both accept and acknowledge that control as part of our worship. Give God the glory even in the limits He allows us to be mistreated. He will use it to bring us to His desired place in our lives.

Authority's Sword; The avenger of God - Romans 13-14

If you read Romans 12 and our blog post on that chapter last Sunday (see below) you probably came away like most people with a great sense understanding of your responsibility toward evil doers in your life but with an even larger gnawing at your heart for true revenge. According to last week's chapter we are not only to "NOT" render evil for evil but we are to render good for evil. But, our nature clamors for revenge on evil doers. Especially those in our personal lives. God says in chapter 12 He will take care of evil. In chapter 13 He tells me how. God has chosen to use the believing and unbelieving authority system to do His work of vengeance. God uses the authority to exact His vengeance. In Romans 13:5 that authority structure is called the "minister of God." We are skeptical, no doubt, that God is not working on the person or persons we think need His vengeance, but that is not the point. By faith we are to trust God's Word and we are to appeal to the authority to do what God called on them to do. If they don't than that is God's problem not ours. It is when we go outside the construct of authority that we are ourselves trying to exact revenge. God has put in the system the type of revenge He wants and the timing of the revenge when He wants it. God is merciful and full of grace. God will and does exact revenge in His perfect timing. It is not for us to do it for Him. We are to live in Romans 12 but God takes care of Romans 13.

A Mustard Seed of Faith - Matthew 17-19

I have never wanted to move a mountain. When I see a mountain I am more amazed than motivated to have it moved. As pictures go, the "moving of a mountain" graphic painted by Christ in Matthew 17:20 seems almost beyond our mental capacity to grasp it. Peter, James, John and the Savior had just come down from the mountain - the Mount of Transfiguration. (Can you imagine that experience? Christ, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John and then the voice of God? Wow!! What a church service). Christ comes down from the mountain and a man has brought to the other disciples his son who is demon possessed. The nine disciples left behind were trying to cast out the demon - but had failed. Apparently they didn't have the faith necessary to do so (17:17-20). To use this as a teaching moment Christ turns back to the mountain He just left and says that even a mustard seed of faith is enough to cast that mountain into the sea. A mustard seed was, at the time, reported to be one of the smallest known seeds to man. It makes little difference to me how big it was ... any seed is very small compared to a mountain. Christ simply tells them that little faith can do big things. He teaches them that we don't need much but we do need some. How do we get faith, even a little? Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8,9). Faith comes from hearing God's Word and Believing it (Romans 10:17). So to have faith I have to receive and read! I have to believe what God says in His Word and take Him at His Word. That is God's gift to me. And, with that Faith I can move mountains. When I have a fear in my life (a mountain) I can, by faith move it, by trusting in what God said. It sounds simple. And, faith is. To prove it's simplicity Christ latter compares faith to that which a child can have (19:14). Adults over complicate things. Faith moves mountains and God provides Faith by hearing His word. If you have little faith you listen to His word very little. Want big faith? Indulge yourself frequently in His Word. Study God's Word and go move mountains.

Even in discipline God can grant mercy - Isaiah 34-39

Perhaps the most dangerous point in our lives is when we know that we have failed God and we feel as though we have lost fellowship with Him. Satan loves to deceive us by telling us what we are about to do is not sin and God won't care (see Genesis 3 story) and yet after we sin he tells us the sin was so bad God will not talk to us again. Our own guilt and shame condemns us. That shame keeps us from going back to God to find forgiveness and relief. In these chapters of Isaiah we see just how foolish that hesitant response to return to God really is. Isaiah records some of the most beautiful words about returning to God in the middle of discipline. In chapter 35 we have an entire chapter to encourage us in our discipline to yet trust and believe in God's saving grace (35:3,4). In chapters 36-39 we see the story of King Hezekiah and King Sennacherib of Assyria. King Hezekiah is able to find forgiveness, strength, support and security under the shadow of God's wing. Despite the fact that Israel is going through a time of discipline, God is there, ready to forgive, support and defend. We must understand more fully God's command in 1 John 1:9 that tells us to confess our sins to Him because "He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins." When Satan and our shame try to convince us that we are unworthy of forgiveness and we should not ask God for it, we are doubting the truthfulness of God's Word and His character. He forgives us based upon His faithfulness and justice. God put that sin on His Son. We are not to bear that penalty again ... that shame is gone. Satan would love us to think we can't return to God. That we are unworthy. We are unworthy but our returning to God for forgiveness is not about us. It is about God's faithfulness to His Word. God will grant us forgiveness and power even in discipline. These chapters in Isaiah prove it. In Isaiah 37:5-7 we have a real example of it. Don't be fearful to ask God for forgiveness. Be fearful if you don't.

Bad Doctrine Equals Bad Psychology - Job 14

In chapter 14 of Job we see the fruit of the bad counsel and psychological approach of Job's friends. Their poor personal psychology about Job's problem produced within Job poor doctrine in both his mind and life. Or, perhaps it was there all the time and they simply gave it life. But, it is a fact that bad doctrine can lead to bad psychology. When we don't view God correctly we can easily go down the wrong road to wrong diagnosis and wrong psychology of human behavior. Job, in this chapter, is still responding to Zophar's rebuke. Remember that Zophar is the harshest of all Job's critics. Job has heard the complaints and defends himself in chapter 12-13. In this chapter he reveals some very poor doctrine. Both his pain of suffering and their words of condemnation have allowed him to draw the conclusion that "no one can make the unclean clean again" (14:4). Paul tells us that is not so in Romans 4:17-18. God can not only make the unclean clean He can make the dead come to life again. Job is now seeing life as a futile end with nothing left after death (14:12-13) and his hope is now gone (4:19) even though he once had hope (Job 13:5). If Job was centered toward good and truthful doctrine he would focus himself on good and truthful behavior. Job's friends, rather than a source of truth, have become a source of irritation and ridicule. Rather than pointing Job to God they have smothered what little life was left in him. We can be so bad at counseling our friends who hurt. We too can focus so much on what we see that we forget to encourage faith and point the hurting to God the Healer. Our bad doctrine will always lead to bad psychology for others.

My horn is in good shape - Psalm 18-20

In Psalm 18 David is praising God for his deliverance and salvation. In the second verse of the Psalm he states that God is the "horn" of his salvation. This is the first time in Psalms that David uses the word "horn" to describe a characteristic of his life. He uses the Hebrew word translated "horn" 13 times in Psalms. The term is first used in Genesis when Abraham was on the mountain to sacrifice his son and at the last minute he saw a ram who was caught by "his horns" in a thicket. The term is often used to simply describe the horn of an animal. But, that is where we begin to see the analogy. The horn is the strength and honor of the animal. It is the feared weapon of the beast. When we see a bull we are not only amazed at his size and strength but we are awe struck at his sharp horns. In Psalms the "horn" is often referring to the strength or ego of the man (see Psalm 75:4, 5, 10; 92:10). In Psalm 18:2 we read that God is "... my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." David is stepping aside and giving praise to God, who not only provides salvation but is his salvation. God is the "horn" of his salvation. God is the one to be honored in David's salvation. The rest of Psalm 18 is all about what God's salvation in David's life means. But, before he describes the benefits and angles of that salvation David gives God the praise for being the "horn" - the prestige portion of his salvation. Read Psalm 89:17 and 92:10 for similar uses of the word. Who do we exalt as the horn of our salvation? Do we really exalt Him as the sole horn of our salvation? If we trust in our own efforts to live the Christian life we are exalting our own horn. It is only when we trust in God for both our spiritual salvation AND our daily walk can we have our horns in good shape!

How do you handle success? Judges 6-11

Most of us know that when we are failing we can and should turn to God. But, how do we handle success? How do we handle it when God delivers us and gives us what we wanted all along - peace and security? In these chapters there are more lessons than we have time to write about. It is pregnant with meaning and practical instruction. There are many themes. But, one theme that stands out among them all is what happened to Israel and its leaders after success? As we read the cycle here we see that Israel would first fall into sin. Once in sin, God would bring a nation or people to oppress them. In oppression they would call out God. When God heard their cries of both repentance and for deliverance He would send a judge (hence the name of the book) to deliver them. Once delivered (their "success") they would eventually fall back into sin and repeat the entire cycle. They became efficient at calling out to God in their oppression. The excelled at following the judge God sent them. But, they failed terribly after they were delivered by God who once again gave them peace and security in their lives. They fell right back into sin. Success and safety do that for believers today, as well. When we don't immediately need God we think we can do it on our own. When we forget about how God has delivered us we think we have delivered ourselves. Time and time again God delivered them with the weakest of men and the lowest of resources. This was to show them how only God can deliver. Yet, once free from oppression they fell quickly back into self-rule and self-focused. Only God can deliver and only a focus on God can assure we can handle success and security in life. Don't forget how you became secure and don't forget to worship Him who keeps you secure and safe.

A Purpose for Conflict - Genesis 24-27

The theme of this section of Genesis, with Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Essau, is the story of conflict and deception. But, we also have a story of God using conflict and deception to accomplish His greater glory. There is, in the middle of the section, a short interlude with Isaac and the King, Abimelech. God uses this conflict between Isaac and Abimelech for a great purpose in Isaac life - to direct him and put him in the exact location God wanted him to be in. In 25:12-33 we see the story unfold. First, Isaac has too much land and possessions and God uses the envy and fear of Abimelech to send Isaac away to a location closer to where God wanted him to live. However, Isaac didn't land exactly where God wanted him. As a result, God stirs up the inhabitants of the land to move Isaac to a new location. Isaac and the people of that place argue over a well. The people who lived there claimed the well so Isaac moves on and names the well, "contention." Isaac now lands in a new location and the same thing happens. God stirs up the people of the land to fight over a new well and Isaac leaves. But, not before naming the well, "enmity." Each one of these "conflicts" moved Isaac. They moved him right to the location God wanted him to be in. To a place he named, "broad" place. A place Isaac could dwell in safety and comfort. A place that Isaac could dwell and a place where he could worship God. I suppose there are other ways that God could have used to move Isaac. But, as we see later in these chapters God often uses the contentions of men and the deceitfulness of men to accomplish His purposes. God uses conflicts in our lives to move us where He wants us to be. We don't always like the conflict but ought to recognize the greater purposes a conflict can produce. I don't believe our sin nature allows us to naturally embrace a conflict. But, the Spirit, active in our lives, can give us the power and perspective to see the conflict as a tool God is using to move us to a location that we can call "broad." Is God using a conflict in my life or yours to move us from where we are to where He wants us to be?

Evil for Evil - Romans 12

Romans 12 may be, in my estimation, the most powerful, practical chapter in all of God's Word. It begins with our duty to God and ends with our duty to man. It starts off telling me I have been given mercy and it ends telling me to show mercy. In the middle of the chapter I have been given the perfect formula for church management and church involvement. It is a complete chapter. If I were to follow the direction in this chapter line for line I would be an amazing child of God and stand out from the world. Perhaps one of the most profound and difficult lines in the entire chapter is the line in verse seventeen that tells me to "never pay back evil for evil to anyone." The verse finishes by admonishing me to show "respect for what is right" for others to see. My ability to fulfill these verses in my life is the gospel lived out in my life. The world has a system that says, "if someone stabs you in the back, stab them back." Our society is a "tit for tat" society. We are masters at exacting revenge - so much so that we have perfected revenge in even a "passive-aggressive" manner. Christians are the best at "passive-aggressive" behavior. We may not stab someone in the back who has recently stabbed us, but we will withhold from them some good that might help them. Our passive-aggressive behavior is why Paul went on to say in this chapter, don't just withhold vengeance but show love to those who hurt you and heap coals of love on their head (quoting Solomon's wisdom). We are not simply to avoid rendering evil for evil but we are to render good for evil. That is what makes us a child of God. That is unnatural. God give us His mercy and grace when we don't deserve it. That's unnatural. So, too, are we to give mercy and grace to those who wrong us. Be unnatural today.

Wash your hands before you eat - Matthew 14-16

There are probably a number of instructions we have all received from our parents, especially our moms, that are universal. We all have been instructed to not chew food with our mouth open. Countless times were were told to brush our teeth. Do you think you could get out of the house as a teen-ager without being told, "drive safe" (as if without the instruction we would jump in the car and pull out in front of someone). But, perhaps the most given instruction from mom to child was "wash your hands before you eat." Apparently, the Pharisees in Jesus day were consumed with such instruction. In 15:1-2 we see them observe Christ's disciples eating with unwashed hands. The Pharisees strict teaching was that to eat with unwashed hands would defile the thing eaten and therefore defile the one eating it. (One Pharisee's teaching equated eating with unwashed hands to adultery.) If, according to Pharisaical teaching, I touched meat with unclean hands I would become unclean myself. Such traditions of men are still around today. We apply the same thing to some beverages or some foods. Today we have Christian teachers who believe what we put into ourselves can make us unclean and unfit for God's service. We may laugh at the Pharisees of the day but don't live far from their teaching in today's church. Christ quickly turns the conflict into a teaching opportunity (a lesson to learn by itself). Christ teaches them and the disciples that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him but what proceeds out of the heart of man. (15:11). The Pharisees start with the premise that we are clean on the inside and can "mess it up" by eating something in the wrong way. Christ begins with the premise we are evil and defiled on the inside and can defile ourselves and others by what comes out. Only Christ and His love can clean up the inside so that out of our heart flow joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, etc. Only through the work of the Spirit can we change how we are defiled on the inside. Don't get caught up in trying to correct the behavior, as though the behavior will defile us. We are already defiled. It is only after the Spirit of God does a work in our lives that we can change the inside and produce fruit on the outside via good behavior.

Who do you turn to in trouble - Isaiah 29-33

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!" (Isaiah 31:1). In this very powerful verse we have the essence of these four chapters of Isaiah. This is a "big idea" of Isaiah as he relates God's mind to us. God was not only concerned with the sin of the people of Israel (as He is of ours) but He was concerned primarily where they turned to find relief for their sin and freedom from the pain of their sin. The nation of Israel, during Isaiah's day was threatened by the Babylonians and then the Assyrians, who were God's tools for punishing them for their open sin of rejecting Him. Yet, rather than turn to God for salvation and forgiveness (for God does forgive ... 33:24) they decided to find help from the world ... by running to the King of Egypt. Egypt had horses. Egypt had chariots. They had lots of chariots. Their thought process was that the world had power and they could find help and relief in the world's power. We do the same thing today. We run to unbelievers for counsel. We run to failed banks for loans. We run to bad government for vindication and handouts. We run to our saving accounts for security. We run to our jobs for fulfillment. We run to our OWN WORKS for our salvation! Yet, all this time the God of Israel, the Holy God of Israel, awaits us to run to Him. He is our source of salvation. He saves and provides and enables and excites and secures and ...

Negative words produce negative thoughts - Job 12-13

In these three chapters of Job we have the results of what happens when friends give bad counsel to someone. Imagine that in the last few chapters proceeding Job's response in 12-13, Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar would have come to Job and talked to him about the majesty of God. Imagine that rather than try to explain to Job "why his sin had caused this difficulty" they talked to him about the God who saves and rescues and restores. Imagine if rather than blaming Job for the calamity he was in they simply encouraged Job to look to the God who can save him from the calamity. What would chapter 12-13 sound like. Job would have focused on God and had his head filled with who God is and what God can do. Instead, Job is defending himself, refuting his friends and drawing false conclusions about God. In chapter 12 Job seems to be reflecting on God but in order to defend himself from his friends he begins to draw wrong doctrine about God in chapter 13. When people give wrong counsel to those in broken straights it is tough for those same people to focus on the majesty of God. We can spend so much time "diagnosing" the problem that we do great harm to those who need to know about the solutions. We must find a way to temper our diagnoses and incapsulate it in a Divine Solution. God knows the real reason someone is in turmoil. God's Word is the sword that both discerns and cuts away the problem (Hebrews 4:12). When we are working with someone who is in a tight space we ought not tighten the loop around their neck with poor counsel of condemnation. We ought to talk to them about the majesty of God and how He can deliver. Positive words about God can and will produce a positive response toward God.

The company you keep - Psalm 16-18

The old adage reads: Tell me the company you keep and I will tell you who you are! A 1500 A.D. spanish adventurer is credited for saying these words, but he was not the originator of the thought. In Psalm 16:3-4 we read King David's thoughts on the same subject. He tells us in verse three that he rejoices in being around those who believe and call upon God. He calls them "majestic ones" in the version of the Bible I read. He claims they are "his delight." These are the words of a man who enjoys being around other believers. He hails them as central in his life. They add to his emotional highs and they enjoin him in a state of admiration and praise. That is how church should be for us. We ought to deeply desire to be with the saints of the Lord. But, alas, too many believers think they can believe in the Triune God and reject His children. Instead, they embrace the world and the citizens of this earth. I am shocked at how many believers can spend hours at a bar enjoying the emotions of the world and begin to squirm when the pastor preaches past the hour set aside for worship services. In Psalm 16:4 we see David's thoughts on the world and their system. He states he will not be involved in their worship and their liturgy. Yes, the world has liturgy. They have worship. They do most of their liturgy on Friday and Saturday nights in particular but practice every day and every night of the week. If we find ourselves more comfortable in the world's worship centers and with the world's people rather than in God's place of worship and with God's people, we might question who we really are. David knew the truth behind the thought: You are the company you keep.

Good enough is never good enough - Judges 1-5

If you read through this passage you can't help but read how many times the author says, "... did not drive out the inhabitants of ...". Judges is a book that shows us what God's people did with the gift of the promise land. They were told to go into the land and conquer it. They were supposed to drive out the inhabitants of the land, make no covenant with them and destroy them. Instead, in the first two chapters we read where they did not drive out the inhabitants of the land and did not destroy them. Instead they left them in the land and made covenants and established relationships with them. When thy almost had them conquer and destroyed they spiritually said, "good enough!" The nation of Israel conquering the promise land is a picture, or type, of today's believers conquering sin in their lives (Hebrews 3-4). God is in the process of giving us a victorious Christian life. He is in the process of giving us victory over sin in our lives. However, like the nation of Israel, we have approached sin with a "good enough" attitude. Instead of driving it out of our lives we let pieces of it linger around. We watch, observe and participate in little acts of sin and that eventually drives us to a full relationship with it. When it comes to driving sin our of our lives we can't have the attitude of "good enough." We must heed the warnings we find here in Judges 1-5. If we don't drive sin out, God will allow it to linger in our lives to be a test for us and a thorn to us (Judges 2:2-4). Drive sin out - good enough is never good enough!

God protects unbelievers from sinning - Genesis 20-23

Have you ever wondered how God works with unbelievers. We tend to think of God as ignoring those who don't believe in Him, or that He isn't active in their lives. In Genesis 20, however, we have some great insight into what God is doing in their lives. In this chapter we have the story of Abraham lying about Sarah being his wife and tells the king of the land that she is his sister (this is the second time he has played this card ... see Genesis 12). The king, unwittingly, takes the beautiful Sarah to be his wife (at least his second wife) and everything bad happens (20:17-18). God comes to the king in the middle of the night and awakes him with some startling news: The women in the bed next to you is married. Of course, the king pleads his innocence and that he was deceived by Abraham. And, he was. God knows this. But, the key line in the passage is in verse six. God kept the king away from Sarah. How we don't know. But, apparently through logistics the king was not allowed to touch Sarah. God kept him from sinning against God. Wow!!! I love this! We can actually pray for our spouses while away from them that God will keep others from hurting them. We can pray for our kids that God will keep unbelievers from hurting them. We can pray and ask God to intervene in the lives our loved ones because God intervenes in the lives of the unsaved. God is in completely control. Later God opens the wombs of the king's wife and she bares a child. God can do what He wants with whoever He wants. My prayers today will change as I pray for the unsaved world to have no control and influence over my family and loved ones. God is in control.

Choose, Chose, Choices - Romans 9-11

I never know how to use all those choices: Is it chose, choose, choice or choices? Romans 9-11 is Paul's thesis on God's choosing Israel and choosing some Gentiles to be saved. God's divine choice (do I dare use the word, "election" in a brief blog devotional) may be the hardest thing for Christian believers to wrap their minds around. Theologians have literally written libraries on the subject. For me to address it in a blog may be the most foolish thing a man can do. Let's agree it is a tough discussion and this is not the forum to delve into it. But, let's not ignore the text before us just because it is hard to understand, difficult to believe or causes too much debate when discussed. And, that is the subject of my blog here. We have a choice to discuss and study Divine Election. Satan would love to have us put this "old" doctrine on the shelf and let the dust cover it from our view and thoughts. However, Paul spent three chapters on it here in Romans for a reason. He thought it was important to his argument about Justification by Faith. He ends the section with a brief summary in Romans 11:33-35. He recognizes this doctrine as a great mystery (11:25). But, he doesn't insult his intellectual duty by ignoring it. In our churches today (and our Bible studies) we have tabled one of the most beautiful and rich doctrines for the excuse it is too hard, might insult us or might offend a brother. Let's not make the wrong choice here. God has given us a rich doctrine and we ought not argue over it but we ought not ignore it, either. Dive into this doctrine. Meditate and memorize Romans 9-11. You will be surprised at the value it contains for understanding God and His Divine Election. We need to make better choices in regard to this great doctrine. There, I think I used all the words to cover all the bases: Choose, chose, choice and choices. Now, if we could just cover the doctrine that well.

Find rest for your soul - Matthew 11-13

Rest for your soul! That is typically a statement we think of in death. When someone has died we think of them as having finally found rest. They have no more worries and no more pain and no more stress. They are at rest. Yet, in Matthew 11:28-30 we find that Christ has promised true "rest" to the living. How can this be? Christ promises rest to those who believe in Him if they will do but one thing: Die to self. If we die to self spiritually and "hook" our yoke to Christ we will find rest on this side of physical death. You can imagine the powerful vision of a "yoke" to the disciples. I have my opinion that as Christ is talking a pair of ox came strolling by pulling a cart that were hooked together with a "yoke." In my image one of the ox was big and strong and the other could barely walk. It was old and half-dead. However, because of the yoke the bigger healthier ox was able to pull both the load and the tired ox. I am probably off that something like this actually happened. But, that is the image Christ's words were painting for His disciples. We, in our flesh, are tired and run down. When we die to self and hook ourself to Christ's yoke via faith He pulls both the load and us. We ought to realize that we can find rest for our soul. But, we still have to die ... die to self and put our faith in Christ's finish work for us. Come ... HE SAYS ... and find rest for you soul.

When God plans it, He finishes it - Isaiah 23-28

God makes plan. And, when God plans He does so in complete faithfulness and truth. God does not plan a plan that does not come from both perfect truth and is fulfilled in perfect faithfulness. In Isaiah 25 we begin reading Isaiah's praise for God's faithfulness to his perfect fulfillment of those plans. Isaiah begins by stating that God's plans are formed from "long ago." He alerts us to the fact that God not only plans things but does so ahead of time. He not only plans but brings things to complete fruition. Our plans are seldom done in truth and complete faithfulness. Our plans are hectic and often selfish in motive. God, on the other hand is working His plans out to perfection. All that He plans is perfect. His timing with His plans are perfect. His desire for us is perfect and faithful. Rejoice in God's planning and perfection. Isaiah gives us much in his book. He tells us much about what will happen to the world around us. However, the most important aspect of Isaiah's message is his introducing us to the character of God. As we finish this very long book we can get lost in the nuts and bolts of Isaiah's prophecy. We ought to rejoice in what we discover about God's character and actions in our lives.

Tough love must still be pure love - Job 11

Zophar! There is a Zophar in everyone's life. In this short little chapter we learn much about Job's "friend." When Job's previous friends (Eliphaz and Bildad) had confronted Job they used the wrong logic and reason for Job's suffering but they still practiced some form of mercy and grace in their verbal offering. Zophar, however, is from the University of Hard Knocks. He majored in the latest edition of, "tough love." His argument is very similar to Bildad's in that he attributes Job's suffering to his sin (11:13, 14). However, Zophar is blunt in his delivery and coarse in his words. Imagine the scene being painted by the Holy Spirit before us. We have Job laying on the ground on a bed of affliction (not some nice hospital room), scraping his sores with pieces of a broken pottery pot. Flies are swarming about. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are sitting about him. When the other two speak there is much pause and a careful tone of delivery, leaning forward and encouraging Job, even if their doctrine is wrong. But, now we have Zophar. He sits back in his chair, arms crossed and nose in the air. He simply bashes Job. He lays it on the line and "tells it like it is." His thought process is that you have to be blunt and hard to get these "type of people" to correct their behavior. Zophar is the drill sergeant we never wanted but got anyway. Tough love might be a good philosophy but it must be based upon real love. Tough love does not have to be delivered in an unloving manner. Zophar is neither right in his assessment (Job was not suffering due to sin) nor correct in his delivery. We all have Zophars in our lives. However, we should never be one in someone else's life.

How long, O Lord? - Psalm 12-14

Who has not uttered the words we find four times in Psalm 13 - "How long, O Lord?" In the three Psalms we are reading today we see that David, in each, is outlining some issue he is having with someone who obviously hurt him or is about to hurt him. He is seeing the world around him as dangerous and harmful. He wants the God he has put his faith in to deliver him and protect him. Have you ever been in that same spot? As he cries out for deliverance (and. eventually claims in each Psalm to get it), he goes through a time of loneliness and fear. "How long ..." are not the words of a strong believer who has a major in Theology. They are the words of a fearful and desperate man. You can hear the fear in his voice from the words David utters in this phrase. In verse one he wants to know "how long" God will forget him. To feel as though you are forgotten is a miserable place to be in life. David was there. He further asks in verse one, "how long" God will hide His face from him. Now, God does not reveal His face to anyone. In fact, if He were to do so, man would die (Exodus 33:20). David was afraid of being alone and being abandoned. In verse two he wants to know "how long" the thoughts inside him will be allowed to torment him? We have all been there. We all know the experience of thoughts that tear us down. He goes on to add his jealousy for seeing his enemy exalted while he is in this place of difficulty. David is expressing the same fears we all have expressed at one time or another. But, the beauty of David's prayer here is found when he focuses on the character of God later in the chapter (13:5, 6). David's solution to self fear and deprecation is to take his eyes off himself and put them squarely on God's lovingkindness, salvation and bountiful gifts. When we look at ourselves we fall into depression. When we focus on God we are raised to newness of life. Look to the character of God in the midst of troubles not on the character of the trouble.

Sensitivity to sin - Joshua 21-24

Does it bother you when someone takes the name of the Lord in vain and uses it as a simple foul, slang word? Does it bother you to watch something via media output that is offensive to God and profanes the creation He said to honor? How sensitive are you to sin around you? Does it bother you that another brother or sister is openly sinning and seems to not care it offends God? What do we do about it? In Joshua 21 we have the story about the 2 1/2 tribes of Israel who decided to set up "an alter" and the nation took great issue with it. They actually mounted up and went off as to fight a war against their brothers. The tribe leaders were not going to allow another tribe to sin in their midst. Of course, the alter was not really a "worship" alter, but rather a "witness" alter (no where in God's Word were they told to do this, by the way). But, the lesson is still provided for us by the Spirit of God. What are we supposed to do if someone in our midst begins to sin? In Galatians 6:1 it tells us we are to try to restore them. In James 5 it tells us we are to pray for them. In 1 John 5 it tells us to pray for them and it might stop them from dying. In Matthew 18 it tells us we are to go to them and confront them. There are many things in God's Word that tell us what to do. They only option we DON'T have is to do nothing. We have a Biblical responsibility to do something. There are no options to simply watch and be silent. If you have a brother in Christ who is sinning you have a Biblical responsibility to do something. How sensitive are you to sin?