Holding onto Hope

Readings for today: Psalms 10-12, Acts 17:16-34

“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.” (Psalm 11:4-7)

I confess there are times when I lose heart. Times when I look at the world around me and feel overwhelmed by all the injustice. All the pain. All the suffering. All the heartbreak. All the fear. All the evil. The cumulative weight of human sin breaks the scales. It is simply incalculable. It is immeasurable. Too vast for me to even imagine. I’ve looked into the eyes of those who’ve suffered terrible abuse or violence or disease or life-threatening poverty. I’ve looked into the eyes of mothers holding out their babies to me, begging me to take them with me. I’ve looked into the vacant eyes of fathers, lying on a roadside wasted by drugs. I’ve spent time with the homeless and listened to their heartbreaking stories. I’ve felt the anger of friends of color who’ve been victimized by persistent racism or classism. I’ve seen the injustice of a broken justice system firsthand as a chaplain in a maximum security prison. Truly, humanity’s inhumanity is more than I can bear.

I confess there are times when I lose heart. Times when I look at those I love and live among and feel overwhelmed by the burdens they carry. So much anxiety. So much fear. So much chasing after the wind. We are a brittle people. Fragile and easily hurt. There is so much that divides us. So much that tears at the fabric of our life together. So many powerful forces threaten to drive us apart and in many cases they’ve succeeded. I grieve when I listen to some of my friends. I grieve when I see the hatred they post online. I grieve at the words that are said that cannot be taken back. I grieve when relationships are cut off, people are ghosted, and love is lost in a sea of disappointment and anger and frustration. Truly, the inhumanity with which we often treat one another is more than I can bear.

I confess there are times when I lose heart. Times I look in the mirror and see the depths of my own sin. So much pride. So much selfish ambition and vain conceit. So much entitlement. So much self-righteousness. So much fear and doubt and anxiety and pain. I too chase after the wind. I too am a brittle person. I too am fragile and weak and easily hurt. I’ve taken shots I did not earn. I’ve been the subject of rumors and gossip that was both untrue and unfair. These things hurt. They wound. But I am not just a victim. I am a perpetrator as well. I’ve said things I deeply regret. I’ve acted in ways that cause me deep shame. I’ve betrayed. I’ve wounded. I’ve hated or despised my brother or sister. I’ve participated in systems of injustice.I am as much a contributor to the brokenness of this world as anyone. The weight of my sin is incalculable. And my ability to sin seems only surpassed by my ability to rationalize away my sin. Truly, my own inhumanity is more than I can bear.

If I am not careful, I can easily be driven to despair. If I do not stay close to Christ, I will be crushed under the weight of it all. Thankfully, the words of the Psalmist give me hope this morning. They are there to encourage me to look beyond myself. Beyond my own unrighteousness. Beyond the unrighteousness of those around me. Beyond the unrighteousness of this world. To the only One who is truly righteous. The Lord. The One who is even now in His temple. The One who is even now sitting on His throne. The One who reigns and rules from heaven. The One who sees all and knows all. The One who rewards the righteous and calls the wicked to account. The One who will not let sin persist forever. The One who binds the evil one from enacting his calamities on the earth. The One who controls time and space. God is on His throne. He reigns! He rules! This is our only hope in this life or the next. God is even now working to bring about His will on earth as it is in heaven. He is bringing about His will in my life, in the lives of those I love, and in the community in which I live for His Name’s sake and His own glory.

So my prayer this morning is simply this…Father, help me remember. Help me keep my eyes fixed on Christ. Help me to trust that no matter what I may experience, You have never left Your holy temple. You will never abdicate Your throne. You remain sovereign over all. Your eyes see. You are even now testing humanity. The righteous along with the unrighteous. Your righteous judgment is coming. And if I cling to Christ, I will see You face to face. Amen.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Imago Dei

Readings for today: Psalms 7-9, Acts 17:1-15

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (Psalm‬ ‭8:3-8‬)

Have you ever wondered what it means to be a person? A human being? What is it that sets us apart? What is it that makes us unique? Psalm 8 reminds us of one of the greatest, most fundamental truths in all of Scripture. We are made in the image of God. We are given a position in creation just below the angelic host. We are crowned with glory and honor. And we are given charge over all God has made. Just sit with that thought for a moment. Let it sink in. You are a glorious creature. Worthy of honor because of the image you bear. Irreducibly complex. Unique in every way. Fearfully and wonderfully made by God’s own hands. To get an idea of just how deep this goes, listen to how noted sociologist, Christian Smith, defines personhood, “By person I mean a conscious, reflexive, embodied, self-transcending center of subjective experience, durable identity, moral commitment, and social communication who-as the efficient cause of his or her own responsible actions and interactions-exercises complex capacities for agency and intersubjectivity in order to develop and sustain his or her own incommunicable self in loving relationships with other personal selves and with the nonpersonal world.” If that sounds confusing - and I certainly had to read it several times myself - check out how Smith attempts to visualize what he has just said…

Crazy, right?! And yet it illustrates the incredible depth and beauty and complexity of the human creature. It also gives us a window into why human life can be so confusing at times. After all, who can discern the heart of such a creature? Not even the individual themselves can plumb the depths of their own personhood much less the personhood of others. So what do we do? We settle. We shrink our horizons. We “flatten out” our own personhood or the personhood of those around us. We treat people far too simplistically, even two-dimensionally, and we fail to see them as God created them. This is the tragedy of sin and it results in alienation. Sin alienates us from ourselves. Sin alienates us from one another. Sin alienates us from all God has made. Most especially, sin alienates us from God Himself. In our alienated state, we become confused. We lose sight of the One who made us. Our view of His image becomes warped, corrupted, obscured. The Bible says it is as if we are looking at a cloudy mirror. All we can see is a dim reflection. It’s like squinting in a fog or peering through a mist as one translator put it. Left to our own imaginations, we try to create our own image of ourselves. But it never quite works out. It never quite satisfies. Selfishness takes over. We become enslaved to our appetites, desires, passions. We seek to use others for our own gain. Creation itself becomes a resource to exploit for our own ends. And the creature who was made a little lower than the angels exchanges their glorious birthright for more demonic ends. Seeds of distrust are sown. Divisions harden. Hatred rises. Anger takes over. Violence breaks out. We are lost among the ruins of our existence. Doomed to wander in the shadowlands of a world undone by human sin and strife. This is humanity’s heartbreaking story. One that gets passed down to every generation.

But what if the Bible is true? What if what it says about humanity is true? What would happen if we could recover our sight? See ourselves and one another for who we truly are? Miraculous image-bearers of God Himself? Handcrafted masterpieces made after His likeness? Icons of God’s glory and honor in the world? When we look out at the universe God has made, we see the stars in the nighttime sky. We see incredible vistas spreading before us from the top of mountains. We hear the rushing of the rivers. The crash of ocean waves on the shore. We watch in wonder the coming of the rain and the refreshing of the earth. The rising and the setting of the sun. When we stop and consider all God has made, it is indeed marvelous to consider that we are the crown of such a creation! The image-bearer designed to reign and rule in God’s Name and for God’s glory in the world. Furthermore, we are God’s stewards given charge to care for His creation. God has given all things into our hands. He has entrusted all He has made into our care. What a glorious, yet sobering thought! And God has given us all the capacity we need and the resources we need and the gifts we need to serve Him well in that role.

So how do we bring an end to our alienation? We embrace the love God offers us in Jesus Christ. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God has torn down every dividing wall of hostility that exists and reconciled all things to Himself. In Christ, we have peace with God. Peace with ourselves. Peace with those around us. Peace with our world. In Christ, the image of God is restored. The fog lifts. The mist fades. The dim reflection comes into full view.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 10-12, Acts 17:16-34

Being before Doing

Readings for today: Psalms 4-6, Acts 16:16-40

I love the words from the Psalms this morning. They are good for my soul. They slow me down. They re-orient my thoughts. They re-frame my attitudes. They re-order the priorities of my day. You see, I too often fall into the trap of “doing” before “being.” I too often try to walk in God’s way without first abiding in His love. If I am not careful and intentional, I can quickly turn into a Pharisee. God’s will becomes just another thing to strive after on my checklist. I start chasing self-righteousness rather than simply open my heart to receive the righteousness God offers me in Jesus Christ.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

“But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:7-8, 11-12)

“Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” (Psalm 6:4)

God alone makes me dwell in safety. My life is not my own. My security is not mine to maintain. My safety is not my chief concern. My future is not in my hands. God alone holds me in the palm of His hands and He alone provides the rest and peace and comfort I need. God alone is the answer to all my anxieties and fears. It is only through His abundant, steadfast, loyal, faithful love that I have access into His house. His home. His presence. God’s love - nothing else - provides the invitation. So I enter His temple with holy reverence and awe and fear and wonder at the miracle of His great love for me. As I bow down in surrender to receive His love, He leads me in righteousness. As a dear friend and fellow elder in the Lord once shared with me, “Doug, you cannot walk in God’s will unless you first walk in His love.” To put it another way, my “doing” for Jesus must flow from my “being” with Jesus. Life with God cannot be reverse-engineered. In God’s presence, there is fullness of joy. In God’s presence, there is peace that passes all understanding. In God’s presence, there is excitement and energy and exultation. These are the blessings God has reserved for the righteous, those He covers with His favor. These are the blessings I long for in my own life, in the lives of those I love, and in the lives of those who call the church I serve home.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 7-9, Acts 17:1-15

Vision

Readings for today: Psalms 2-3, Acts 16:1-15

I will be leading an elder retreat in about a month for our church family. The focus will be seeking God’s vision for the next season in our life together. This past year, we witnessed the successful completion of a vision God gave us several years ago of a licensed Christian counseling center focused on serving the suburban poor and those on Medicaid. It’s been a beautiful journey. One I am so thankful to be part of! God moved powerfully on the hearts of His people as they caught His vision for what could be if we eliminated our church debt. Now we stand on the cusp of yet another journey and to be honest, I am not sure where it will take us. What will our church look like post-COVID? How will we continue to fulfill the Great Commission and live out the Great Commandment? What does life together look like when it is mediated in both a physical as well as virtual environment? These are the questions I am taking to the Lord right now.

I imagine the Apostle Paul faced similar questions along the way. Yes, his context was radically different. Yes, his “journey” involved walking miles and miles as he went from city to city preaching the gospel and planting churches. But in many ways his challenge was the same. He clearly sought God’s vision for his ministry. He sought God’s direction for his life. He fundamentally understood that unless the Lord built the house, all his labor would be in vain. Following the will of the Spirit is never a straight line. At least not in my experience. He zigs and He zags. He sometimes takes you two steps forward and one step back. There are these amazing twists to the journey that only make sense upon reflection.

Consider what happens in our reading today. “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts‬ ‭16:5-10‬) Paul, Silas, and Timothy carry the gospel to cities in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. They experience great success in places like Derbe and Lystra. The churches there are strengthened in their faith. They grow in numbers. It must have been so exciting for them! But then a door is shut in Asia. Another door closes in Bithynia. We don’t know the details but it must have been disappointing to Paul and his team on some level. Perhaps the people didn’t respond well to the message? Perhaps the persecution was particularly intense? Perhaps Paul and his team simply felt a strong check in their spirit? After all, Luke (the author of the Book of Acts) is pretty specific that it was the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus that prevented them from going where they originally had planned. I can imagine them pulling into Troas feeling frustrated by the delays. Disheartened by the doors that closed in their faces. Perhaps some doubt began to creep in regarding the future of their trip. Little do they know this was all part of God’s grand design!

My wife is fond of saying, “Sometimes you have to go from point A to point B so that you can see point C. You cannot necessarily see point C from point A though this may be where God wants you to end up. You have to trust Him for every step of the journey.” I think Paul would agree! He had to face those disappointments in Asia and Bithynia in order to prepare him to receive the vision of the man from Macedonia. Imagine how different the world would be if Paul had not brought the gospel to Europe? You and I may not be saved today!

So here’s the question…are you seeking God’s vision for your life? And are you willing to let Him both open and close doors? Are you willing to let Him lead and guide your steps even if they don’t always lead in a straight line? Do you trust Him for provision and protection, strength and wisdom along the way? Do you take your successes and failures, your victories and defeats, your joys and disappointments and lay them at His feet? Most importantly, do you rest in His deep, steadfast, loyal, abiding love?

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 4-6, Acts 16:16-40

Repentance

Readings for today: Job 41-42, Psalm 1, Acts 15

Job’s words hit me hard today. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job‬ ‭42:2-6‬)

“I know you can do all things and no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” While I acknowledge this truth intellectually, I too often live as if everything depended on me. One of the weaknesses God has been exposing in me lately is my lack of dependence on Him. The sin of self-sufficiency. I get so wrapped up in what I am doing. So confident in my own wisdom and strength and ability. And then things go sideways. Expectations are not met. Boundaries are crossed. Plans get waylaid. Disappointment and discouragement sets in. I start to believe the lie that somehow God’s plan has failed. Somehow God has let me down. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Too often it is me. I utter what I do not understand. I speak of things too wonderful for me which I do not know. God says, “Listen, and I will speak. I will question you and you will answer.” But I don’t listen enough. I don’t wait enough. I don’t sit in silence enough. Instead, I rush on ahead. Overconfident in my course. Assuming I have the blessing of God on my life. I am impatient. I am headstrong. I am full of pride. If I am totally honest, I am also a little afraid. I don’t want to slow down. Slowing down and sitting in God’s presence means having to answer some uncomfortable questions. Slowing down and reflecting means coming to grips with some uncomfortable truths. About myself. About my attitudes. My thoughts. My actions. I don’t want to slow down because I am afraid of God’s questions. I am afraid to have to give an answer for why I spend my time the way I do. Why I spend my money the way I do. Why I love the things I love and serve the things I serve.

You see, I am too much like Job’s friends in this way. I’ve been professionally trained in theology by some of the most brilliant theologians at one of the top seminaries in the world. But too often I neglect the weightier matters of acting justly, walking humbly, and loving mercy. Too often I refuse to let the Spirit re-order the loves and desires of my heart. I like to hold God at a distance. I want Him close but not too close if you know what I mean. For so many years, I settled for knowing about God. I heard His Word preached. I heard those around me talk about Him. They described Him as if He were real but I wasn’t sure I believed it. Then I met God face to face and everything changed. There simply is no substitute for God’s presence. It is a consuming fire that burns even as it purifies. To this day, when I stop long enough to truly contemplate God’s beauty and glory and splendor and majesty, I fall on my face in worship. I despise myself. All my trophies. All my achievements. All my successes. Everything I might hold onto for self-esteem, affirmation, and identity turns to dust and ash before the Lord as He strips me bare. My only response is repentance. Godly sorrow over my ruined state. Deep joy and thankfulness for what Christ has done for me. 

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 2-3, Acts 16:1-15

Feeling Small

Readings for today: Job 35-40, Acts 14

A few days ago, I summitted Mt. Sneffels. It’s one of 54 “fourteeners” (peaks rising above 14,000’) in Colorado and is known as the “Queen of the San Juans” because of the amazing views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. Those who know me well know how much I love hiking and climbing. Sneffels was peak number 15 for me and I’ve climbed several others multiple times. None of them are easy. In order to summit a 14er, one has to hit the trail very early. Sometimes before the sun comes up. You typically ascend thousands of feet so your legs take a beating. Sometimes there’s a nice trail, sometimes not. Depending the route, you can be dangerously exposed both to the weather or a potential fall. Many of them are over 10 miles round trip. You race the clock to beat the afternoon storms before they roll in. But the payoff is definitely worth it. Standing on the summit makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.

It’s also makes you feel so very small. I thought about these words from Job when I got to the top of Sneffels. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job‬ ‭38:4-7‬) It was a picture-perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky. I could see for miles and still my view was so limited. I could not see the foundations of the mountain on which I stood. I could not see to the end of the green valleys that stretched out before me. I could never determine the measurements of peaks that ranged all around me. Only God knows these things. He laid the foundations of the earth. He stretched out His line and determined the height of each of the 54 14,000’ peaks as well as the 637 13,000’ peaks and the more than 1,500 12,000’ peaks. God laid the cornerstone for each and every one. He sunk the base of Mt. Sneffels deep into the earth so it would never tremble or fall. Reflecting on His omnipotence as I stood surveying the vastness of His creation took my breath away.

And then God showed me something even greater. “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it…Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?” (Job‬ ‭40:2, 8‬) As humbled as I was by the creative power of God, I was even more humbled by His righteousness. His holiness. His purity. The chasm that exists between the Triune God in all His splendor and majesty and glory and a weak and ruined sinner like me dwarfs any mountain I could ever climb. No matter how hard I try, I can never ascend to God. No matter how far I walk, I can never draw close to God. No matter how early I rise, there simply isn’t enough time for me to work out my own salvation. Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Shall a sinner like me question God Himself? Am I that foolish that I would put God in the wrong so that I might be right? If I am honest, the answer is yes. I am that foolish. In fact, my foolishness knows no bounds. I contend against God daily in thought, word, and deed. I often act as if I know best. I believe down deep that I am the master of my own fate, the captain of my own destiny. And when things go sideways in my life, my first instinct is often to complain to God. To act as I’ve been wronged or put out or somehow unfairly treated. Frankly, I am more than willing to condemn God in order to justify myself.

Thankfully, God isn’t done with me and He wasn’t done with me that morning on Sneffels either. He still had yet more to share. Yes, His power is breaktakingly immense. Yes, His righteousness makes me fall on my face before Him. Like Job, “I am of small account; what shall I answer? I lay my hand on my mouth.” (Job‬ ‭40:4) Like the great prophet Isaiah, “I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…” (Isaiah‬ ‭6:5‬)‬‬ And yet, God loves me still. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about the vastness of God’s love. It is wider than the valleys that lay before me. It is higher than the mountain peaks that surrounded me. It is truly measureless, boundless, infinite in scope. Despite my own limitations, I know there is an end to the earth. Given the right instruments and training, I know I could find the foundations of the mountains. I could stretch out a line across the valleys. I could even weigh the planet on a scale. Not so with God’s love. I cannot fathom it’s reach. I cannot grasp it’s heights or depths, it’s length or it’s breadth. It’s logic escapes me. It’s faithfulness astounds me. There simply is nothing like it in all creation. And that, friends, is the wonder of the gospel. God hikes the heavens to come to us! God climbs every mountain and crosses every valley to get to us! God bridges every gulf and every chasm in order to save us! You are not small in His eyes! You are not insignificant to Him! He loves you with an everlasting love and He will allow nothing in all creation to separate you from Him!

Readings for tomorrow: Job 41-42, Psalm 1, Acts 15

The First Missionaries

Readings for today: Job 33-34, Acts 13:26-53

It is amazing to read about Paul’s first missionary journey. Coming on the heels of persecution in Jerusalem which cost James his life and put Peter in prison, the church in Antioch responds to the call of the Spirit to send out missionaries to proclaim the good news of the gospel. Barnabus and Paul are chosen after a lengthy time of prayer and fasting and worship. They travel from Antioch to Cyprus to Perga which is a gateway city to the region of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). From there, they hit the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. All told, they travel around 1500 miles in about two years before returning to report the great news that many Gentiles are turning to faith in Jesus Christ! 

Three things to note that will become paradigmatic for future missionary endeavors, including those in our own day and age. First, the bold proclamation of the gospel. Paul was utterly convinced God had raised Jesus from the dead and that this was the fulfillment of all the promises given to Israel. Many have argued that Paul’s conversion represented a radical break with his prior Pharisaism. On the contrary! Paul himself argues that the resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of all he believed. “And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus...” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭13:32-33‬) Everything changed for Paul that day he met the Risen Christ outside of Damascus. He was confronted with the truth that everything he believed about Israel had now come true in Jesus Christ. Yahweh had indeed raised His Son from the dead in vindication of everything Jesus had taught. Far from being an enemy of the Jewish faith, Jesus was the fulfillment! And Paul’s zealous passion for the faith of his fathers now would make him the greatest evangelist the world has ever known.  

Second, the proclamation of the gospel was confirmed by signs and wonders. Wherever Barnabus and Paul went, the sick were healed. Demons were cast out. People were set free from oppression. As we read yesterday, Paul showed no fear in confronting powerful witch-doctors like Bar-Jesus. He called down God’s judgment on the man and struck him blind. This was not an act of self-promotion. In fact, as we’ll read next week, when the people of Lystra attempt to worship Paul and Barnabus because of the miracle they performed in making a lame man walk, they tore their garments. They refused to let it happen. They assured the people they were not gods but simply ordinary men serving the One True God, the maker of heaven and earth. No, the point of all the miracles and signs and wonders was to bring people to saving faith. To confirm the truth of the gospel they preached. 

Finally, persecution. No matter where Paul and Barnabus went, they faced opposition. From the pagans in power like Bar-Jesus to the Jews who refused to receive their message. They were beaten. They were stoned. They were attacked and left for dead. The Word of God is a double-edged sword and it stirred the hearts of those who listened. Some received the good news with glad hearts and came to faith. Others perceived it as a threat and lashed out. There is no such thing as being neutral when it comes to Jesus! 

Friends, this same dynamic is being played out the world over even today. My friends in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Djibouti all share similar testimonies. They boldly proclaim the gospel in villages, towns, and cities where it has never been heard. Their preaching is often accompanied by many signs and wonders and miracles. The sick are healed. The demon-oppressed set free. The dead are raised to new life. But these men and women face extreme persecution as well. Beaten. Stabbed. Shot. Imprisoned. Left for dead. Their families are attacked. Their livelihoods threatened. Some of them even lose their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. And yet, they are “filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts‬ ‭13:52‬)

God is not done! Despite what you may hear, He is still very much on the move! He will not rest or relent until the whole world hears the good news of the gospel! This is His will! This is His plan! And to this great end, He calls His church! This is the reason we exist! Not for ourselves but for the sake of the world! May we understand and embrace our calling to be missionaries in our communities and to the very ends of the earth!  

Readings for tomorrow: None

Self-Examination

Readings for today: Job 31-32, Acts 13:1-25

Yesterday, I did something profoundly stupid. We planned a trip to hike a 14er in the area and I googled the shortest route from our condo to the trailhead. What I didn’t take into account is the quality of the road. After all, I’ve driven on 4WD roads before to get to 14ers. However, this one was new. I had never been in this area before. All of it was an unknown. And did I mention it was dark? I am not a person who is easily rattled but driving to the top of Cinnamon pass in a Suburu Outback in the dark with my family just about shot my nerves. When we finally arrived at the trailhead - after having stopped near the top of the pass to let the sun rise - another hiker called what I’d done, “badass”, but the look on his face told me he thought I was insane. He was right. There was nothing cool or courageous about it. It was not something to be celebrated. It was the act of a fool.

So why did I make the choices I made yesterday? What instincts drove me to continue on rather than wait? What impulses within pushed me to keep driving when the wise thing to do would have been to stop and turn around? As I’ve taken these thoughts before the Lord, He has shown me the depths of my pride. I was on a mission. The mission was to climb a 14er. I didn’t want to turn back because I knew we wouldn’t be able to find another route into the trailhead. I put the goal before the safety of my own family. My own need to succeed before the greater need to keep those I love safe. Now thankfully, we made it. Thankfully. we did summit Handies Peak. Thankfully, we found another route home that took us several more hours and thankfully, we received the unexpected blessing of seeing more of our beautiful state. One might say, “All’s well that ends well” but I want to make sure I learn the lesson God is teaching me. You see, the whole point of this life is to draw so close to Jesus that I actually become like him. Not just in word or deed but in thought and attitude and even unconscious reaction. I want to get to a place where my natural reflex is to love like Jesus. To protect like Jesus. To put the needs of others before me like Jesus. Yesterday only shows me how far I still have to go.

In today’s reading, Job lists several things that illustrate his godly character. He makes a covenant with his eyes not to undress another woman. He refuses to walk with falsehood or have any relationship with deceit. He treats his servants well because he sees in them the image of God. He takes care of the poor, the widow, and the orphan. He does not judge them for their disadvantaged state. He does not place his trust in his great wealth nor does he allow any potential idol in his heart to stand. He will not rejoice when his enemies fall. He will not take any pleasure in the demise of those who’ve attacked him. He has not exploited the land for his own personal gain. Job is such a godly man that the actions he lists come quite naturally to him. They are godly reflexes he’s developed over time. How does that happen?

It begins with a simple, yet profound acknowledgement. God sees everything. He sees what we do. He hears what we say. He knows what we think. He sees our conscious as well as our unconscious. The id, the ego, and the superego are not mysteries to Him. He knows our reflexes and our natural responses before we know them. He knows why we react the way we do. He knows what happens in the back of our brains as well as the front. He sees the unformed places of our hearts. He knows our secret thoughts and desires. He knows the fears and insecurities that drive us. He sees all. He knows all. And Job understands this great truth.

Job also understands God’s great love. Though never really mentioned in the book, only a person fully secure in his/her relationship with God could say the things Job says. Only a person fully convinced of their friendship with God would ever believe they deserved an answer from Him. Job believes God is bound to him on some level just as he is bound to God. Job believes God owes him an answer on some level because Job has lived his entire life in humble worship and service to Him. And the great news of this book is that God answers Job’s call. Job is not ignored. He is not dismissed. He is not abandoned. God speaks. God answers. God ultimately affirms His relationship with His “servant Job” and reaffirms His opinion of him, “that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.” (Job‬ ‭1:8‬)

When one understands the depths of God’s omniscience and His unfailing love, one is set free from ever trying to hide from Him. One is set free to bring all of oneself before the Lord and engage in the process of self-examination in the security of an eternal relationship with Him. You see, the closer I come to Jesus, the more my sin is revealed. The closer I come to His purity, the more my impurities show up. The closer I come to His holiness, the more aware of my unholiness I become. Without a relationship with God, I would be driven to depression and despair. But because I know God loves me with an everlasting love. Because I have confidence that nothing can separate me from God’s love. I am free to bring even the darkest places of my heart before Him. I am free to lay down all of my shame. Through the Holy Spirit, I can courageously confront my fears and insecurities. I can expose the utter depths of my sin to the light of His grace and be healed. Transformed. Made more into the image of Christ.

The process of self-examination is an essential part of the Christian journey. The more we know ourselves, the more we know God. The more we know God, the more we know ourselves. Let the Spirit guide you. Trust the Spirit’s work within you. Stop running. Stop hiding. Stop trying to pretend you are something you are not before the Lord. Trust His love for you. Trust His compassion towards you. Trust the sufficiency of His mercy and grace. You are safe in His arms. Safe to be who you are, warts and all. God loves you for who you are and He loves you too much to leave you there. He will do His transformative work within you if you will but let Him. If you ever have any doubts, just ask Job.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 33-34, Acts 13:26-53

The Blessing of Being Powerless

Readings for today: Job 26-27, Acts 11

“Sheol is naked before God, and Abaddon has no covering. He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. He covers the face of the full moon and spreads over it his cloud. He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job‬ ‭26:6-14‬)

Job is starting to come to the end of himself here. His rage is spent. His anger is losing steam. His frustrations and protests are starting to lack conviction as he remembers who it is he is contending with. God is all-powerful. Job is powerless. God is all-knowing. Job is ignorant. God is immense. Job is small. There is nothing hidden from God. Everything is hidden from Job in his ruined estate. As crazy as it sounds, I actually believe these verses represent a hinge point in the narrative. Job has reached the null point of his pain and suffering and still acknowledges the sovereignty of God. Yes, there will still be protests from Job but those are the final skirmishes in this battle he’s been fighting for so many chapters. Job has come to a place of complete helplessness. Complete hopelessness. Complete despair. He has hit rock bottom which is where he will finally get his wish. He will meet God face to face.

I think about my own life. I think about how easy it is for me to rely on my own strength. My own resources. My own abilities. I am a blessed man. I have a wife of 25 years with whom I am falling more deeply in love. I have four wonderful children with whom I have a great relationship. I live among my extended family who I get to see on a regular basis. I have a job I absolutely love and a church family I am honored to serve. I get to work not only with gifted colleagues but dear friends. I’ve been invited into and given leadership positions in a variety of areas of passion both personally and professionally. I live in a beautiful state. A beautiful community. A beautiful home. My wife and I make plenty of money. My body is relatively strong. My mind is relatively sharp. My needs are few. But if I am honest, I must confess all these blessings make me forget about God.

Don’t get me wrong, I think about God all the time but do I think about God rightly? Am I giving Him His due? Am I truly aware of His greatness and glory? Job’s words here are deeply convicting. They remind me of the error of my ways. I too often take God for granted. I too often forget the great chasm that exists between us. Blissfully ignorant and enjoying the good things in life, I fail to recognize God’s sovereign power. I fail to give Him the honor and thank Him for the blessings He has bestowed upon me. I too easily fall into the trap of assuming these things have come from my own work. My own labor. My own striving and success. I forget my utter powerlessness and helplessness and foolishness and smallness before the Lord.

As I think back over the course of my life, I have met God most profoundly in the most broken places. The places where I have no control. The places where I am most utterly hopeless and alone. God has made Himself known to me there and opened me up to all sorts of new possibilities. He has ministered to me in a special way and given me a deep experience of His faithful, abiding, steadfast love. It is when I am weak that I experience God’s strength. It is when I am poor that I experience God’s richest provision. It is when I am foolish that I seek God’s wisdom. It is when I am anxious that I experience the peace that passes my understanding. This is a paradox to be sure and yet it is essential to grasp if one is to follow Jesus. We must walk as He walked. We must live as He lived. We must embrace a life of utter dependence on our Heavenly Father, trusting Him to guide us and protect us and provide for us and, at the end of our lives, welcome us to our true home.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 28-30, Acts 12

Miraculous Gifts

Readings for today: Job 24-25, Acts 10:9-48

Greg Daniels posted a great set of questions that arise from today’s reading. “In the early days of the Church, what we now call the miraculous gifts of apostleship, prophecy, tongues, healing, and miracles were common. A big question for the Church today is, have these gifts ceased to be (cessationism), or are they continuing (continuationism)? What do you think, do healings still occur? Do people still speak in tongues? Is there still new revelation by prophecy?”

For those who may be unfamiliar with the debate, there are those in the church today who argue the miraculous gifts of the Spirit have “ceased” (cessationism) because we have the Scriptures. Though the early church did have access to the Old Testament, they didn’t have access to the gospels or the epistles from Paul, Peter, James, John, etc. as they were still being written. Therefore - as the argument goes - the Holy Spirit provided miraculous signs that “authenticated” the message being preached but once the Bible came into its full and complete form, the need for such signs was no longer necessary since Scripture provides all the authentication the gospel needs. On the flip side are those who believe the miraculous gifts still exist today. They point to the fact that the Bible itself never says the signs will cease and in fact includes the miraculous sign gifts right alongside the other, more ordinary spiritual gifts when it lists them out. So unless we are going to suggest the gifts of teaching or preaching or evangelism have ceased as well, we should remain exegetically consistent. Furthermore, “continuists” point to the prevalence of miraculous signs especially in areas around the world where the gospel is being introduced for the first time. There are many reports of miraculous healings, tongues, prophecies, etc.

To put my cards on the table, I am a continuationist. I believe all the signs are still in operation and I believe God grants such signs for the building up of the Body of Christ, to further the gospel, and to bring glory to Himself. We see all these dynamics on display in the story we read from Acts 10. Peter receives a vision from the Lord in response to a prayer from an unbelieving Gentile centurion. It’s a new revelation regarding Gentile inclusion in the Kingdom of God. Peter goes to Cornelius and Cornelius welcomes him with open arms, asking him to preach. Peter preaches the gospel and here’s what happens next…

“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain.” (Acts‬ ‭10:44-48‬)

Note the Gentile believers were speaking in tongues, amazing the Jewish believers. Further, they understood that these new believers were “extolling God” meaning there was either an interpretation being given simultaneously so everyone could understand and celebrate what God had done or these new believers were actually speaking in known languages like what had happened on Pentecost. Peter then proceeds to baptize them all thus fulfilling the prophetic word he had received from the Lord.

It’s a powerful passage that holds great relevance for us today. The eminent church historian, Philip Jenkins, has provocatively suggested that the church of the 21st century will be traditional in its ethics, orthodox in its doctrine, supernatural in its power, and centered in the Global South. Africa will have over 1 billion Christians by 2050. Latin America over 650 million. Asia over 600 million. The growth of Christianity in North America will continue to slow to a crawl and will face steep decline in Europe. As the faces of Christianity continue to change, one will expect the influence of theologians and pastors and ministry leaders from these areas of the world to begin to dominate the landscape. No longer will the theological tone be set by the Reformation of the 16th century in Western Europe but by the Reformation taking place in Ethiopia, Uganda, China, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico. This new movement is decidedly Pentecostal. It is boldly Charismatic. The preaching of the gospel in these countries is often accompanied by signs and wonders and miracles. It all sounds very “New Testament” to me and I’ve experienced it’s impact firsthand.

I have seen miraculous healings. I have witnessed a resurrection. I personally received the gift of tongues a few years ago during a time of prayer in Ethiopia. I have also witnessed abuses. Faith healers claiming to heal when they did not. False prophets claiming new revelation from the Lord that never comes true. People speaking publicly in worship in all sorts of tongues with no interpretation. This is where we have to test everything according to Scripture. God will not contradict Himself. He will not say one thing in His Word and another to a pastor or prophet. Again, the Bible is clear. The spiritual gifts are given to build up the Body of Christ. They are given to further the mission of the gospel. They are given to bring God all the glory. Any attempt to use the gifts to make our name great, to exploit the members of the Body of Christ, or to further our own kingdom on earth must be rejected forcefully. This is especially true when it comes to prosperity preaching or false prophecy which is so prevalent in our culture today.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 26-27, Acts 11

Courage to Care

Readings for today: Job 19-23, Acts 9:23-10:8

There is nothing worse than feeling abandoned. Nothing worse than feeling all alone. Nothing worse than feeling like those closest to you have pulled away. Those closest to you have walked away. This is especially true when you are in pain. When you are struggling with a physical or mental illness or addiction. I think of the heartbreak of this past year. Hundreds of thousands of people dying from COVID. Their pain compounded by the fact that many of them died alone. The draconian restrictions preventing so many from being at the bedside of those they loved as they passed from this life to the next. I think of the many people I know who need community to successful fight their addiction. Their isolation led to relapse. Their loneliness led to despair. Rates of substance abuse and suicide due to overdose rose dramatically.

The Bible is clear. It is not good for us to be alone. We were not meant to do this life on our own. Especially when we are suffering. Job’s words are especially heartbreaking this morning. “He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me. My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes. I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy. My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother. Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me. All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me! Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?” (Job‬ ‭19:13-22‬)

Can you imagine how it must have felt for Job to be abandoned in his hour of greatest need? Here was a man who had dedicated his life to comforting others. Dedicated his life to caring for others. He had built a reputation for godliness in his community. He was engaged. He was connected. He was faithful. But when push came to shove and the roles were reversed, he was all alone. His community failed him. His family failed him. His servants failed him. His friends failed him. Even his wife left him. He had no one. No one to comfort him. No one to help him. No one to bathe his wounds. No one to take him in. There simply is nothing worse than feeling abandoned in your hour of greatest need.

This is what makes Job’s declaration of faith even more astounding. Out of the depths of his despair, he cries, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” (Job‬ ‭19:25-27) He holds onto God for dear life. At the end of it all. When everything has been taken away. When all his loved ones have walked away. When he his life is full of nothing but pain and suffering. He refuses to let go of God. He refuses to relinquish his faith. No matter what happens, he will go to the grave trusting he will see God.

This raises two important questions for me this morning. First, do I have the faith of Job? If everything were taken from me, would I still believe? Would I still hold onto God? Or do I love God because of the blessings He has poured into my life? Second, do I walk away from those who are suffering? Do I pull back from those in pain? Or do I lean in? Do I remain engaged? Do I courageously and tenaciously hold onto them even if/when they try to push me away? Do I seek to comfort with the same comfort I’ve been comforted with by God? Can you imagine what would happen if the church of Jesus Christ simply made it their aim to courageously comfort those in need rather than judge or belittle or argue or abandon them? Can you imagine what would happen if we would have the courage to listen to those who are struggling, those who are in pain, rather than be so quick to speak or offer empty platitudes or unwanted advice? How often do we play the role of Job’s friends?

Readings for tomorrow: Job 24-25, Acts 10:9-48

Redemptive Suffering

Readings for today: Job 16-18, Acts 9:1-22

Painting of the Parable of the Good Samaritan by Balthasar van Cortbemde (1647)

Yesterday, I found myself wearing down in a long conversation as I advocated for the truth of the gospel. After hours of talking, I went to bed tired and frustrated by the whole affair. It isn’t easy to take up the plight of the poor. To fight for the oppressed. To defend the marginalized. And then I began to think about all the dear friends and loved ones I have here at home and around the world who live this reality. Day in and day out, they suffer. They experience pain and heartache. They endure injustice. There is no end to it all. And they aren’t the only ones who struggle. I think about the impoverished. Those who live day to day, searching for food and water. I think about the aged. Those who are losing their minds and whose bodies are failing. I think about those who are battling mental health issues. I think about their mental anguish. The daily fight to get out of bed. The pain of this world is simply overwhelming. 

I think about my own struggles over the years. I think about what it was like to lose our first child. The numbness followed by the deep grief. The tears I shed. The pain I felt when the doctor walked us through all the problems he had. No ribs. No lungs. No limbs. Fluid buildup. Heart failure. It was like one blow after another. A relentless onslaught. How did Job put it? “He breaks me with breach upon breach; he runs upon me like a warrior.” (Job 16:14) I think about our time in Wisconsin. Reaching the point of deep brokenness in our marriage. Coming face to face with my deepest insecurities and fears. Feeling overwhelmed on a daily basis. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. I blamed You, God. I fought with You, God. For months I paced the floor, crying out to You all night long. I barely got any sleep and when I did it was anxious and restless. You stripped my life down to the studs. You took everything from me that I could possibly hold onto. There were nights I prayed for it all to end. I said with Job, “My spirit is broken; my days are extinct; the graveyard is ready for me.” (Job 17:1)

But then, in the middle of the deep darkness, I discovered a profound truth. When I hit rock bottom and had nothing left, I found You. You were there waiting for me. And You showed Yourself sufficient for all my needs. You comforted me. You nursed me back to health. You gave me hope. You renewed your promise. I think of Job’s statement of faith at the end of chapter 16, “There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name— My Champion, my Friend, while I’m weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor. (Job 16:19-21 MSG) At the end of all things, I found Jesus. The Alpha and the Omega. The first and the last. He was there all along. He heard my cries. He endured my rage. He wiped my tears. He heard my heart. He met me in my suffering. He came to me when all hope seemed lost. My faith was renewed. My life never the same. It was like a second conversion. A confirmation of the Psalmist’s promise that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we do not need to fear for God is with us. 

I look back on that time and, while I would not wish it on my worst enemy, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. To come to the end of oneself, one must truly come to the end of oneself. To deny oneself and pick up a cross, one has to endure incredible suffering and pain. To discover the depths of the sufficiency of God and His grace, one must be stripped of all things they might be tempted to seek solace in instead. It’s not easy to tear down the idols of one’s life or to have them torn down for you by God Himself. It’s not easy to let God truly have His way. To let Him break you of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When He cuts, He cuts deep. To the heart. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. His Word is like a double-edged sword “piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) So today I am thankful for God’s severe mercies. Thankful for His steadfast love and faithfulness. Thankful for the ways He has broken me and the ways He has bound me back up. My life is in His hands. 

Readings for tomorrow: None

Living Hope

Readings for today: Job 13-15, Acts 8:26-40

I love these words from 1 Peter - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter‬ ‭1:3-5‬) They inspire me. They encourage me. They serve as a constant reminder to me that my hope is not of this world. My hope is not in the things of this world. All my achievements. All my accomplishments. Everything I might be tempted to place my trust in will eventually turn to dust.

Life in this world is hard. It is harsh and brutal. It is full of pain and suffering. The fact that I can escape most of it or mitigate it due to my wealth and position and privilege and the nation where I live doesn’t erase this fact. I have been around the world. I have seen how most people live. They wake up each morning and walk miles to work. They bear heavy burdens all day long. They drink water that is not clean. They eat food that is scarce and unhealthy. They are vulnerable to disease and violence and natural disasters like drought and famine. They get no days off. No weekends free. No vacations. They rarely travel beyond the bounds of their village or region. Death comes almost as a welcome relief from all the hardship, toil, and pain. Death comes for me as well. Death comes for us all. He is undefeated. He can only be held back for so long. Only be pushed away for a time. Eventually he will have his way with us. And his ways are often painful and terrifying. Perhaps that’s why I resonate so much with what Job says this morning…“But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place; the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man.” (Job 14:18-19)

Nothing lasts forever. Nothing lives forever. Only God is eternal. This world is broken. Things move from order to chaos. Even the mountains eventually crumble and fall. The waters wear away the stone. The waves crash over the earth. Nothing we build will endure. Nothing we do will outlast us. No one will remember our names. No one will remember our deeds. The point of all this is to drive us to our knees in holy despair. To teach us to never place any trust in ourselves. To never hold onto any hope in this life. God sets out to destroy the hope of man not to punish but to root out the deepest sin of our souls. We are not like God. Let me say that again…we are not like God. It’s the oldest temptation, of course. The one that got Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden. The one that continues to afflict us even to this day. We believe we are like God. We believe we chart our own destinies. We believe we are the masters of our own fates. We believe we are righteous on some level before Him. But none of this is true. Not for Job. Not for Job’s friends. Not for us.

Once we have been driven to our knees. Once we’ve had everything stripped away. Once all our accomplishments have turned to dust. Once we lose all hope in ourselves and our abilities and our wisdom and our strength and our honor and our righteousness then we finally can turn to God. Our eyes will rise above the things of this world and we will discover the living hope that is ours in Christ Jesus. We will find ourselves looking forward to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. We will trust God alone to guard our lives through faith in a salvation that one day will be revealed in all its glory.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 16-18, Acts 9:1-22

Comfort in Suffering

Readings for today: Job 10-12, Acts 8:4-25

One of the things I’ve learned over my twenty-plus years of pastoring is how to meet people in their suffering. How to best come alongside them, providing comfort and relief and a safe space to grieve. Most of the time when someone asks, “Why?” what they are really asking is “Where?” They may say things like, “Why did God allow this to happen to me? Why did God let this happen to the person I love? Why does God allow such things to happen in the world around us?” But if you try and give them the biblical or theological answer, it will fall on deaf ears. Because they don’t really want to know “why” so much as “where.” “Where was God when this happened to me? Where was God when this happened to the person I love? Where is God when such terrible and tragic things happen in the world around me?” Is He there? Is He present? Is He amidst the suffering? Does He suffer to?

Job’s friends are perfect examples of what happens when we fail to listen with our hearts. They keep listening to Job’s words and trying to answer his questions but that’s not what Job needs or wants in this moment. Job is wise. He already knows the answers to the questions he’s posing. “But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?” (Job‬ ‭12:3‬) So the last thing he needs is a refresher on his theology. What he needs is his friends to simply sit with him in the ashes of his life. Weep with him over all he has lost. Listen to him as he rages at God for all that has happened. Let him get it all out. But his questions make them uncomfortable. His pain makes them uneasy. They are not courageous enough to manage their own anxiety as they listen to their dear friend grieve. So they start to respond. They start to push back. They start to correct and challenge. Rather than comfort Job, they are now trying to comfort themselves.

“Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you? For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in God’s eyes.’ But oh, that God would speak and open his lips to you, and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.” (Job‬ ‭11:2-6‬) Zophar cannot help himself. Job’s complaints are too painful. Too raw. Too real. He feels they demand an answer. And while he gets his theology right, he could not be more wrong. He is responding to Job without love which is why his words come off sounding like a noisy gong or clashing cymbal.

Love is essential when responding to suffering. Agape love. Selfless love. Love that is patient and tender and kind. Love that never insists on its own way or draws attention to itself. This sort of love can bear the suffering of another. This sort of love can believe God is present even in those moments when life is at its most heartbreaking. This sort of love provides hope in the face of tragedy. This sort of love endures when all seems lost. This is the love Job needed from his friends. He didn’t need answers to his questions. He didn’t need a response to his rage. He simply needed friends who would listen and love him in the midst of his terrible condition.

God shows us this love. He met us in the utter tragedy of our sinful condition and became one of us. One with us. One for us. He was not afraid to sit with us in the ashes of our existence. He didn’t feel the need to correct us, judge us, or condemn us. Instead, He offers us unconditional love. While we were still sinners. Still at war with God. Still trapped in our rebellion. Still enslaved to our corrupt desires. Christ comes to us. Christ suffers for us. Christ dies for us. This is how God defines love. It’s never about Him. It’s always about us and His desire to rescue us out of our brokenness and pain. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and gave Himself up for us. This, friends, is how we show love to others. This is how we meet them in the midst of their suffering and pain. We comfort them with the same comfort Christ showed to us.

Readings for tomorrow: John 13-15, Acts 8:26-40

Fundamental Reality of Grace

Readings for today: Job 7-9, Acts 7:35-8:3

These words from Job served as a helpful if not sobering reminder to me today. I am a blessed man. I live a blessed life. I live in a country where I am given incredible freedoms and opportunity. I live in a community where health and well-being are high values. I serve a church that loves the Lord and loves others well. I work alongside some of my best friends. I am married to one of my spiritual heroes. I have four children that I adore. I could not have charted a better course for my life. At the same time, it is so easy for me to fall into the entitlement trap. It is so easy for me to fall prey to the temptation that I have accomplished these things on my own. It is so easy to assume I must be righteous because of all these blessings. That’s where these words from Job come in…

“But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times…How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser…If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?…Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.” (Job 9:2-3, 14-15, 19-20, 32-35)

Job brings me face to face with the fundamental reality that undergirds my life. I am never righteous before God. I cannot contend with God. I have no ground to stand on before God. I have no evidence to plead my case. No justification for my sinful ways. I am not in the right. I can only appeal to God’s mercy. I am not strong. I can only appeal to God’s grace. I am not just. I can only appeal to God’s clemency. I have no appeal. I have no hope. Except for Jesus. The one who pleads my cause. The one who takes up my case. The one who stands as mediator between me and the Father. The one who bled for me. The one who died for me. The one who took my place. He covers me. He atones for my sin. He blots out my transgressions. He cleanses me and makes me white as snow. When I stand before the Father, all I have is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Everything I might bring – my wealth, my position, my power, my achievements – all these things fall to dust before God. They are worthless. Only Christ is worthy.

Some might call such an outlook depressing. I call it beautiful. For life, at it’s most fundamental level, is all grace. It’s all a gift. Every moment. Every hour. Every day. Everything I’ve been given. Everything I’ve experienced. The joy. The pain. All of it is a gift from God’s own hand. Something He uses to make me more like Christ if I will be let Him do His work. And if it is all grace, then I do not need to hold onto it. I do not need to grasp after it or cling to it. I can simply walk with open hands before the Lord, trusting Him to guide and direct my steps. 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 10-12, Acts 8:4-25

Vulnerable before God

Readings for today: Job 3-6, Acts 7:23-34

The true test of any relationship is vulnerability. How vulnerable can you be before that other person? How much can you share? Can you reveal your doubts and fears to them without being judged or condemned? You know, for years I struggled to be vulnerable before God. I was afraid to raise my doubts. I was afraid to talk to Him about how I was really feeling. I was afraid He would punish me or judge me or condemn me. This impacted my prayer life deeply. I found myself praying prayers that were not truly honest. I found myself speaking words that were not my own. It felt like I was often going through the motions which is probably why my prayer life was so dull and lifeless. I would read passages where Jesus would say things to His disciples like, “O you of little faith!” and it made me wonder if I could be real with God about my fears and failures. I would see so be condemned in the Bible because they doubted God’s power or His purpose or they questioned His nature and character. Then I read the Book of Job.

Job is raw. It is real. It is honest. It’s why it has such a hold on our imaginations. We love Job because he is us in many ways. Job is me when I lost my first child and railed at God in my grief. Job is me when the church plant I was leading imploded, leaving me broken and wounded and questioning my call. Job is me when my wife came to me during that season to tell me she was feeling so disconnected from me due to my neglect and something needed to change immediately. I remember shaking my fist at God night after night as I paced the living room of our home. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely eat. I was so angry. So full of fear and anxiety. So broken over what had happened. And I blamed God for it all. Job is me when I come face to face with extreme suffering in places like Yabelo, Ethiopia or Kitgum, Uganda. Overwhelmed by the needs, I cry out to God. I wonder why He allows such pain. Job is me when I listen to stories of those who’ve been abused or terrorized or oppressed and I rage at God at the injustice. Why doesn’t He step in and do something about all the evil in the world. In my darkest moments, I have even prayed like Job for the Lord to simply take me home. Take me from this world of pain and heartache and suffering to His world where I can be truly free and truly healed.

Job gives us permission - dare I say even encouragement - to be real before God. Vulnerable before the One who loves us more than we can ever imagine. The Book of Job stands as an invitation for us to enter into God’s presence as we are. Not as we should be. Not as we ought to be. Not as we so often pretend to be. But as the broken and messed up people we truly are. As much as it hurts to read, I love Job’s honesty…“Finally, Job cursed the day of his birth by saying to God: Blot out the day of my birth and the night when my parents created a son. Forget about that day, cover it with darkness, and send thick, gloomy shadows to fill it with dread. Erase that night from the calendar and conceal it with darkness…Why didn't I die at birth? Why was I accepted and allowed to nurse at my mother's breast? Now I would be at peace in the silent world below…I wish I had been born dead and then buried, never to see the light of day. In the world of the dead, the wicked and the weary rest without a worry….Why does God let me live when life is miserable and so bitter? I keep longing for death more than I would seek a valuable treasure. Nothing could make me happier than to be in the grave.” (Job‬ ‭3:1-6, 11-13, 16-17, 20-22‬) Job reminds us that faith is a gritty enterprise. It requires us to hold on with a white-knuckle grip when everything around us seems to be falling apart. Sometimes things get to the point where we are barely holding on by our fingernails and yet even that is still faith. This, of course, is what Job’s friends fail to understand. Sadly, it’s also what the church often fails to understand. Depression doesn’t signal a lack of faith. Suffering doesn’t mean we’ve necessarily done something wrong. Anger doesn’t offend or scare God. On the contrary, being gut-wrenchingly honest before God about how we feel is the greatest act of faith one can possibly muster.

In the darkest moments of my life - what the ancients called the “dark night of the soul” - I have found God waiting for me. When I’ve shaken my fist in anger at Him and raged against how things have turned out in my life, I have found God holding me until I finally collapse in His arms in exhaustion. When I’ve suffered and been broken and wounded by the tragic events of my life, God has knelt down with me in the ashes and spoken words of comfort and peace over me. Friends, you are safe with God. You are secure with God. He longs to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. As the wonderful song says, “When I feel my faith will fail, He will hold me fast.”

Readings for tomorrow: Job 7-9, Acts 7:35-8:3

Theodicy

Readings for today: Esther 7-10, Job 1-2, Acts 6:1-7:22

Where is God in the midst of suffering? Why does He allow it? Is He complicit in it? Is there a point to it all? These questions are universal. Every single human being from every culture in every time and place has asked them. And all of the religions of the earth have attempted answers. The pagan witch doctors I’ve met in Ethiopia believe suffering happens because we displease the gods. We fail to make the right sacrifices. Fail to say the right magical incantations. Fail to humble ourselves before the right gods at the right times in the right ways. So they grow angry and they punish. The gods of the fields withhold their crops. The gods of the weather withhold the rain. The gods of the earth shake the very ground. On the flip side are my Buddhist friends for whom suffering is more of an illusion. A sign we are too tied to the cravings of this world. The way we deal with suffering is meditation which leads to a nirvana-like state that places us beyond suffering altogether. So how do Christians handle suffering? 

The Book of Job is one, long extended answer to this important question and it forces us to confront some uncomfortable truths. First, God is sovereign. The Book of Job ultimately is not about Job. All agree Job is righteous. All resonate with Job’s suffering. All feel Job’s pain. He is us. We are him. Everyone who has experienced deep suffering in their lives can identify with this man. But the Book of Job makes it clear that Job’s suffering is not the primary point of the story but rather how his suffering points us to the greater reality of God. It forces us to grapple with God’s nature and character. It implicitly and intentionally raises fundamental questions like is God sovereign? And if He is, can He be trusted? Job’s life is indeed marked by incredible sorrow and pain. He loses everything he has seemingly overnight. All that he has worked his entire life for is gone in an instant. Including his precious children. It’s a brutal scene that plays itself out to this day all over the world. Tragedies strike. Natural disasters hit. Lives are lost and livelihoods go up in smoke. So what are we to make of these things? We certainly struggle to make any sense of them in this world so what Job does is give us a glimpse beyond the dimensions of this life into the dimensions of heaven where a scene is playing out that brings us face to face with the sovereignty of God. 

Satan appears before God’s throne. He has come from walking to and fro on the earth. Destruction and devastation in his wake. We catch a glimpse here into this fallen angel’s pride and arrogance. The very fact that God doesn’t obliterate him where he stands is itself stunning. But God has a greater end in mind. A greater purpose. He is going to use humankind (as He always does) to demonstrate His glory and power and victory over Satan and sin and death.  So He baits Satan by asking him about Job. Satan takes the bait hook, line and sinker. God, in His majestic sovereignty, allows Satan to go after Job but always within limits. “Behold all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” “Behold, he is in your hand. Only do not take his life.” And Satan plays his part with gusto. Relentlessly taking away all that Job has. Relentlessly attacking Job’s health and well-being. Job’s suffering is so great, his own wife tells him to “curse God and die.” His three closest friends don’t even recognize him. And yet in all these things, Job did not sin.  

What we will learn throughout this book is that what Job treasures most - even amidst his anguish and pain and suffering and anger and questions and doubts and fears - is God Himself. More than his possessions. More than his children. More than his marriage. More than his health. Job treasures God. Job worships God. As John Piper writes, in the suffering of Job, “the superior worth of God becomes evident to all.” What God cares most about is His own glory and our primary role as human beings - creatures made in God’s own image - is to bring Him glory and declare His praises in this world and the next. And lest we think we are simply caught up in some divine ego trip, let’s remember God is not like us. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. He is infinite and we are finite and He sees things from His perspective that we simply cannot know or ever understand. 

So where does that leave us? At the mercy of a cold and uncaring God who will strike at us at a whim? No. God loves us. Deeply. Dearly. Completely. And we bring Him great joy when we remain steadfast in our faith amidst our suffering. We bring Him great glory when we praise Him amidst our pain. Imagine the scene in heaven when Job utters his cry of victory, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Imagine the utter shame of Satan as he stands before Lord and the throngs of heaven join Job in his declaration of praise! Imagine his horror as all his evil plans come to naught in the face of true faith! Satan has been defeated! 

Now fast forward several centuries. Imagine the same scene playing out before God as Satan comes to test His Son. Imagine the Father giving His Son over into Satan’s hands. This time without limits. This time no holds barred. Imagine Satan’s delight in the Garden as the Son begs for another way. Imagine Satan’s joy as he watches the Son suffer on the Cross. And then imagine Satan’s horror as the Son cries out, “It is finished! Into your hands I commit my spirit!” The cry of victorious faith coming at the point of death! Satan is defeated! This time once and for all! As Tim Keller has put it, Jesus is the greater Job who takes on our suffering in order to bring ultimate glory to the Father. And the Father vindicates the Son by raising Him from the dead just He will vindicate Job by restoring all he has and more. 

Where you are you struggling today? What suffering have you had to endure in your life? How are you clinging to faith in the midst of it all? Would your perspective change if you saw your life as a trophy through which God displays His glory and grace? Do you believe God is sovereign over your pain? Do you believe God can be trusted even when you suffer? 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 3-6, Acts 7:23-34

Suffering for Christ

Readings for today: Esther 4-6, Acts 5:17-42

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians‬ ‭3:8-11‬)

Something very powerful takes place when we share in the sufferings of Christ. The Apostle Paul experienced it as did the Apostles Peter and John and the new believers in Jerusalem. Christians throughout the ages have experienced it in places like Russia, China, Uganda, and Ethiopia. I have had the privilege of meeting many of them. Over the past ten years I have personally trained hundreds of church planters in the Horn of Africa. Many of them bear on their bodies the scars of the persecution they face on a daily basis. They’ve been threatened. Beaten. Shot. Stabbed. Imprisoned. Some of them have even died in the field. And still they go. When I ask them how I can pray over them, they never ask for personal safety but always for boldness to preach the gospel in the face of the opposition. It is deeply humbling and inspiring. 

I think about these men and women when I read Acts 5. I love the boldness of those first believers. Peter and John are arrested, imprisoned, and tried for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. They were not among the elite. They had no wealth. No power. No education. They were just ordinary men whom God used to proclaim an extraordinary message. The gospel stirred up the city - as it always does - and threatened those in power - as it always does. So Peter and John were threatened. They were roughed up. They were imprisoned. They were put on trial. But they return home praising God for the opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ. They praised God for the persecution. Praised God for His sovereign will and plan. Praised God for the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” (Acts‬ ‭5:41-42‬)

What do you pray for when you come against opposition? What do you pray for when you experience suffering and hardship? What do you pray for when you are in pain? For most of us, I imagine we pray for relief. Healing. Safety. Comfort. These are not necessarily bad things to pray but they certainly are not the most important things. The Apostle Paul experienced all these things and more in his life. He was mistreated, abused, left for dead. He gave up his home. His family. His livelihood. He sacrificed everything for the sake of knowing and serving Christ. And what did he gain in return? Christ. Peter and John and the early believers made similar sacrifices. They considered everything “rubbish” when compared to knowing and serving Christ. And what did they gain in return? Christ. What if - instead of safety and security - you prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel? What if - instead of comfort and peace - you prayed for courage to share your faith? What if - instead of provision and protection - you prayed for God to use all that you are and all that you have - even your sufferings and pain - to grow His Kingdom in this world?

Readings for tomorrow: None

Powerful Women

Readings for today: Esther 1-3, Acts 5:1-16

I love the women of the Bible. They live in incredibly difficult times. They live in cultures where they are treated more as property than people. They are subject to all kinds of abuse and neglect. They have no rights and no legal recourse. They are prized for their physical beauty and cast aside when it fades. Their worth is determined by the number of male children they bear and they are shamed if they cannot produce. It’s a brutal, harsh existence and it would be easy for the women to throw up their hands in despair. It would be easy for them to feel helpless and hopeless. Resign themselves to their lot in life and try to make the best of things. But then you read stories about women like Vashti and Esther. Women who are powerful. Fierce. Courageous. Bold. They dare to stand up to the men in their lives. They dare to be different. They refuse to accept the social and cultural restraints placed upon them.

One of the common mistakes we make when we read the Bible is to assume that because every word is “inspired” it must mean every word has God’s endorsement. For example, I’ve seen our passage from today used to support all sorts of misogynist thinking. Rather than celebrate Queen Vashti’s courage for refusing to bow down to the drunken wishes of an abusive king, they take the king’s side. They worry that Vashti’s example will cause all women to “look on their husbands with contempt” or they use Esther 1:22 where it talks about “every man being master in his own household” as a proof text for hierarchical notions of spiritual leadership. Such thinking is toxic and betrays a lack of understanding on how to appropriately interpret Scripture. Nowhere in the text does the king’s behavior receive God’s endorsement. In fact, God isn’t mentioned a single time in the entire book! The reason this book is included in the Bible is to teach us how God often works behind the scenes through the courage of His people. People He strategically places in pagan culture to carry out His sovereign will. People like Esther for example. “The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.” (Esther‬ ‭2:17-18‬) It’s important to note the king’s lecherous behavior never seems to change. He is a man driven by his unrestrained passions. As such, he is vulnerable to all sorts of manipulation. Left on his own, he would have killed all the Jews in his empire. But thankfully God was at work! Behind the scenes. Under the radar. Hidden from view. He orchestrates things in such a way that Esther is placed on the throne. And though she presumably has to endure some of the same abuse her predecessor Vashti did, she leverages her position to save her people.

We still live in a world full of abuse. A world where women are often dismissed, neglected, or ignored. A world where women are not treated as equals. They often do not receive equal pay or equal access or equal opportunity. Their rights are now being further eroded as more and more men identify as women. I know many men who are intimidated by strong women. I know many men who are afraid of strong women. I know many men who weaponize Scripture in order to subjugate women. Thankfully, Scripture itself attests to the truth that women are made in the image of God. Women are co-heirs to the Kingdom of God. Women are co-equals in the eyes of God. Furthermore, Scripture gives us example after example of women of deep faith who courageously buck their traditional cultural roles as they seek to serve and honor God. Jesus Himself affirmed the women who sacrificed everything to follow Him. They were among His first and most faithful disciples. I myself have been incredibly blessed to be married to a strong, godly woman and to be raising three strong, godly daughters. For the Christian, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)

Readings for tomorrow: Esther 4-6, Acts 5:17-42

The Danger of Compromise

Readings for today: Nehemiah 12-13, Acts 4:23-37

It usually starts small. A tiny step. A shift of one degree. One little compromise. We justify it in all sorts of ways. Surely God will understand. Surely God will make an exception this one time. Surely God knows we aren’t perfect. But then the compromises keep coming. A tiny step turns into several larger steps. One degree turns into two degrees then three. One little compromise opens the door to other, more significant compromises and the next thing we know, we are in full rebellion against God’s commands.

The last chapter of Nehemiah details a list of reforms he instituted for the people of Israel. It’s a startling way to end a book. No “happily ever after.” No “riding off into the sunset” for Nehemiah. His story ends in conflict. His story ends in confrontation. He even loses his temper and starts beating people and tearing out their hair! All this coming after an amazing time of worship where the entire population of Jerusalem gathered to sing the praises of God!

It is so easy for us to compromise. So easy for us to slide back into old habits. Someone once told me that humanity’s ability to sin is only surpassed by her ability to justify her sin. I believe it. I see it in my own life. The people of God compromised in all sorts of ways. They allowed people of foreign descent, people who worshipped other gods, to join them in worship at the Temple. For the sake of political expediency, they gave Tobiah - one of their sworn enemies - his own room in the Temple. They neglected to care for the Levites and other Temple servants by refusing to tithe, forcing them to fend for themselves. They refused to honor the Sabbath. They married foreign women. Even their spiritual leaders desecrated their priestly office by intermarrying with those who did not worship Yahweh. In each case, I can almost hear the justifications. I can imagine the rationale. Our wives promised to put away their foreign gods! We’re trying to rebuild our lives and local economy and have work on the Sabbath! If we give Tobiah a place of honor, perhaps he’ll leave us alone. From a human perspective, it all makes sense.

If I am honest, I too fall into these same traps. It’s easy for me to justify neglecting my time with God. It’s easy for me to enter into worship and make it all about me and what I get out of it. It’s easy for me to justify working 24/7 without ever taking a break. It’s easy for me to give in to certain people in my life simply to avoid conflict. It’s easy for me to compromise my convictions for the sake of those I love. Frankly, it never ends well. Eventually all the little compromises I make start to stack up along the way, creating a burden far too heavy for me to bear. Eventually, the house of cards I build comes crashing down around me, leaving me far worse off than I could have imagined. God demands my obedience. Jesus Himself says, “If you love Me, you will obey My commands.” Following Christ is not easy. Following Christ requires great sacrifice. Following Christ means dying to “Self” with all its disordered desires and unrestrained passions. Take an honest assessment of your life. Where are you compromising? Where are you rationalizing away your sin? Turn and confess, knowing God is faithful and just to forgive you for your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Readings for tomorrow: Esther 1-3, Acts 5:1-16