The Search for Wisdom

Readings for today: Job 24-28, Psalms 141

Our world is awash in desire. Enslaved to feelings and emotions. Adrift in an ocean of chaos. How else to explain heartbreaking insanity that passes for truth these days? We reject any kind of sexual boundaries and are shocked when it leads to abuse, objectification, disease, and violence. We reject our bodies and are shocked when it leads to depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. We selfishly exploit the resources of the earth and are shocked when it leads to pollution and sickness and war. We refuse to repent over past oppressions and are shocked when it leads to ethnic conflict. We refuse to restrain our greed and are shocked when it leads to class warfare on a social and political stage. Our unwillingness and inability to follow the ways of Jesus leads us into all kinds of pain and suffering and heartache which we then turn around and try to pin on God.

Our world is filled with knowledge. We have so much knowledge we literally do not know what to do with it. So much information coming at us from every angle. The average person is inundated with well over a hundred emails every day. Not to mention texts. Phone calls. Social media interactions. A single issue of the New York Times contains more information than a person a hundred or so years ago might have learned in an entire year. The news is relentless. The fake news endless. Technology ubiquitous. We cannot escape. We cannot rest. And what has all this knowledge gained us? Rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Rising rates of fear, violence, and hate. All this in a world that is demonstrably improving with each passing year. Why? What are we missing? What is the source of our persistent discontent?

Wisdom is the key to fulfillment in life. But, sadly, we simply do not know the path to wisdom or we refuse to take it. Today’s reading from the Book of Job is on point. "Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the ground, and copper is smelted from ore. The miner uses a flint tool and turns up ore from the root of the mountains. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure. He dams up the streams from flowing so that he may bring to light what is hidden. But where can wisdom be found, and where is understanding located? No one can know its value, since it cannot be found in the land of the living.” (Job‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Human beings are capable of great things. We climb to the highest mountains. We delve in the depths of the earth. We’ve learned to fly. We’ve explored the bottom of the oceans. We know how to do so very much. But for all our strength and power and knowledge and ability, we have yet to find the path to wisdom. We didn’t find it on the mountaintops. We searched for it in vain in the trenches of the seas. Despite our vast wealth we could not find a vender who sold it.

Only God knows the path to wisdom. Only God knows how to take all of our knowledge and order it in such a way that it leads to blessing and human flourishing. “Where then does wisdom come from, and where is understanding located? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, “We have heard news of it with our ears.” But God understands the way to wisdom, and he knows its location. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” (Job‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬-‭23‬, ‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Fear the Lord. Submit to His ways. Surrender to His will. Let Him guide and direct your steps. This is the path to wisdom. God’s promise to those who follow Him is that He will lead us into green pastures and beside still waters. To places of peace where our souls will be restored. Job understands we cannot find these places on our own. We cannot get to these places in our own strength. Our knowledge is simply not enough. We must let God take us by the hand. We must trust God with our lives and our future. We must have faith that He knows best.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 29-31, Psalms 142 (No devotionals on Sundays)

The Blessing of Brokenness

Readings for today: Job 20-23, Psalms 140

There is a famous play by Thornton Wilder called, “The Angel that Troubled the Waters.” In the play, he describes the scene at the pool of Bethesda where a multitude of hurting people gather to wait for that miraculous moment when the angel of God descends, stirs up the waters of the pool, and they become a source of healing. Anxious, crippled, broken people gather there day after day, hoping against hope that they will be the ones to receive the gift of healing. Among them is one particular man who never quite seems to make it. Others are always jumping the line in front of him to get to the pool first. On this particular day, he cries out in desperation to the angel to help him into the water so he can find healing but the angel instead whispers to him, “Stand back, this healing is not for you. Without your wound where would your power be? It is your very remorse that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men. Not the angels themselves can persuade the wretched blundering children of earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve.”

Why do the words of Job’s friends offer such small comfort? Because they do not come from the mouths of those wounded in love’s service. They do not come from men broken on the wheel of living. Yes, what they say often - though not always - reflects God’s truth but the words are not offered in empathy or compassion. They are arguing with Job not comforting him. Thankfully, God never makes this mistake. In our deepest, darkest moments. When the future seems so bleak and the pain feels overwhelming. There God meets us. He wraps his arms around us. He doesn’t offer answers so much as He offers us Himself. He knows what it is to suffer so He can help those who are suffering. He knows what it is to feel alone and abandoned so He can help those who struggle with the same. In a very real sense, He Himself has been “broken on the wheels of living.” He is the wounded soldier who serves the cause of love.

We all experience pain and suffering in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know its sting. We all experience grief and loss in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know what it’s like to lose someone we love. We all experience heartbreak and tragedy in this life. Some more than others. Some less than others. But all of us know what it feels like to have someone or something dear stolen from us. And by faith, these experiences become gifts. Strange gifts to be sure but gifts nonetheless. Gifts we can share with others who may be going through the same thing. Friends, this is the beauty of the gospel. It is the story of a God who embraced suffering in order to bring comfort. Embraced pain in order to bring relief. Embraced death in order to bring life. And through Christ, all your pain and suffering and grief and heartbreak is redeemed. It becomes part of the beauty God is bringing out of the ashes of your life. It becomes a gift you get to share with those you love.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 24-28, Psalms 141

Small Comfort

Readings for today: Job 16-19, Psalms 139

I try to imagine how I would respond if I had a friend like Job. Someone who loses it all. Would I be faithful? Would I stand by his or her side? Would I offer to help? Would I be willing to sit with them in their grief and pain? Would I be willing to listen as they lashed out? I think back over the years of my life. I have known many who have gone through very hard times. They lose their families. They lose their children. They lose their jobs. They lose their homes. I’ve seen friends end up on the streets. I’ve seen those I love and serve as a pastor walk away from their faith. Thankfully not often. At least not in these extreme cases. How did I respond? I like to think I offered better comfort than Job’s friends but I know I’ve made my mistakes along the way. Especially when I was younger and less experienced. I can think of times when I said the exact wrong thing at the bedside of someone who was suffering. I can think of times when I said something insensitive at a funeral. I can think of times where I responded selfishly rather than selflessly to those who were hurting and in need.

Job’s words pierced my heart this morning and the memories of my mistakes came flooding back in. “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? You have humiliated me ten times now, and you mistreat me without shame.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The faces of those I unwittingly “tormented and crushed” with my words flash through my mind. One after the other. How many times did I pile on instead of relieve their burdens? How many times did I try to give them an answer for their suffering rather than simply sit with them in it? How many times did I avoid them altogether because of my own discomfort with pain? “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for God’s hand has struck me. Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭CSB) How many times did I fail to have mercy? How many times did I fail to have compassion? How many times did I fail to love?

Thankfully, there is forgiveness. Many of those I’ve so carelessly mistreated over the years showed me immeasurable grace. Thankfully, there is growth as well. I am no longer the foolish man I once was. I am no longer naive and ignorant. I am no longer as prideful and arrogant. I am comfortable with discomfort. I am able to manage my anxiety even as I sit with those who are hurting and afraid. I have become quicker to listen and slower to speak over the years. I am not there to be sure. I still make my mistakes and say careless and foolish things from time to time. But God is faithful. He has used me more and more to bring His comfort and peace. He has grown me in my ability to be compassionate and caring and patient in times of great distress. Ultimately, my ability to bring comfort rests on the same confidence that Job exhibits in one of the more famous lines from the book. “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God alone can provide the comfort we all so desperately need. Pointing people beyond ourselves, beyond this world, beyond any answers we think we can provide is what brings them hope in hopeless situations and help when they are hurting.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 20-23, Psalms 140

I Surrender All

Readings for today: Job 12-15, Psalms 138

“The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.” (Job‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB) This is perhaps the hardest lesson for us humans to learn. Truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. Everything stripped away. All your resources tapped out. Your strength having failed. Your wisdom having led you to a dead end. Every choice you made gone wrong. Life taken down to the studs. I’ve been there. I know the journey well. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy and yet I wouldn’t change it for the world. For it was there, at the end of myself, that I discovered my life is truly in God’s hands. He gives me my every breath. He fills me with every good and perfect gift. Nothing I have is mine. Nothing I’ve done is to my credit. Nothing I’ve achieved is my accomplishment. It is God who gives me strength to wake up each morning. It is God who gives me peace to lay down and rest each night. It is God who gives me the wisdom to make righteous choices. It is God who provides every opportunity. It is God who blesses me with every resource. It is God who fills me with His Spirit. I am on His time. My life is like grass. Here today and gone tomorrow. I have but a few turns around the sun and then I will fade from memory. Within a generation or two, I will simply be another name on a headstone in a small town cemetery in Western Nebraska. Nothing more.

I know that sounds depressing but honestly, I can think of nothing more freeing. My life is not my own. I live and I move and I have my being in God. I serve and I give and I obey my Lord and Savior. My life is His to command as He sees fit. If He were to lift me up, I will serve. If He lays me low, I will serve. If He gives me success, I will give Him all the glory. If He makes me fail, I will praise Him even more. And these are not empty platitudes for me. I have been to the mountaintop and seen the glory of God firsthand and I’ve been in the deepest, darkest valley and praised God from those depths. Like Job, I have experienced God take just about everything away. I even almost lost my family. But the one thing I never lost was God. He was always there. And what did I learn from that experience? That dark night of the soul? I learned what Job learned. “Be quiet, and I will speak. Let whatever comes happen to me. I will put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands. Even if he kills me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways before him. Yes, this will result in my deliverance, for no godless person can appear before him.” (Job‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God is the only constant in this life. He is the one fixed point in the universe. There is no shadow or turning with Him. There is no change in His nature or character. He alone is Faithful and True. His promises are sure because He is sure. His commitment is unwavering because He is unwavering. His love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things because His love never fails. It casts out all fear. It answers every question. It erases every doubt. God’s love is the reason we can come to Him with anything. We can curse Him in anger or cry out to Him in grief or call on Him for comfort and we can count on Him to be there. He can handle every emotion we throw at Him and then some. His love is more than enough to absorb it all because His love paid for it all.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 16-19, Psalms 139

Abandonment

Readings for today: Job 8-11, Psalms 137

“If he passed by me, I wouldn’t see him; if he went by, I wouldn’t recognize him.” (Job‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is nothing worse than feeling abandoned. Especially if we feel abandoned by God. I know so many who have experienced this dark night of the soul or who are going through it even now. It is a lonely journey. One fraught with danger. Many lose their way. Many lose their faith. I have listened to their stories. Stories of abuse and trauma. Stories of struggle and heartache. Stories of existential longing and loss. It is probably the most heartbreaking part of the work I do. I often find myself in tears alongside them. I find myself praying desperately for them. I find myself wishing I could give them what their hearts long for. But I cannot. For I am not God.

Job is crying out to God. Crying out in the midst of his pain and suffering for God to answer. For God to deliver. For God to save. He is crying out for God’s presence. He longs to hear His voice. He wants to know God is with him but all he feels is God’s absence. Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when we struggle? Where is God when we suffer pain and loss? These are some of the deepest, most profound questions of our existence. They seem hardwired into our souls. Even those who do not think much about God find themselves asking these questions when tragedy strikes.

Job is not the only one who’s experienced God’s absence. The Psalms are filled with the cries of King David among others. Many saints down throughout the centuries testify to similar feelings. Ever felt this way? Ever prayed like Job? All of us have on some level. Every Christian I know has experienced the absence of God at some point in their lives. They have felt abandoned by God. Left on their own. It’s deeply unsettling. Challenging on an ontological level. It forces us to come face to face with our deepest fears. And lest you think it’s tied to sin, consider God’s servant Job who was blameless and righteous in his generation. Consider God’s servant David who was a man after God’s own heart. Consider God’s servant Mother Theresa who experienced a profound absence of God over the last several decades of her own life.

Consider Jesus Christ Himself who cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If we are going to faithfully follow Jesus, we should expect to go through this dark night of the soul. We should expect to travel through the valley of the shadow of death. We should expect God to wean us from trusting in our own “feelings” or “experiences” so we can learn to trust in Him alone. On the cross, Jesus felt the pain of His Father’s absence far more than the pain of the nails in his hands and feet. Over the course of her life, Mother Theresa felt the pain of God’s absence more than the pain of those she served in Calcutta. David. Job. All of them suffered terribly from existential loneliness. But God didn’t leave them there. God remained faithful. As they walked the dark and narrow and terrifying way, He was always at their side. Though they could not sense Him, He was beside them. Though they could not feel Him, He was there. Just as He redeemed His own Son’s life from the grave, so He redeemed Job’s life and David’s life and Mother Theresa’s life. And His promise is that one day He will redeem our lives as well. Trust Him. Trust Him more than your feelings. Trust Him more than your desires. Trust Him more than your experiences. Trust the One whose name is Faithful and True!

Readings for tomorrow: Job 12-15, Psalms 138

Non-Anxious Presence

Readings for today: Job 4-7, Psalms 136

Job is a hard book for me to read. Mainly because I have seen firsthand what harsh and judgmental words can do to someone who is hurting. I have seen how careless words can wound someone who is already suffering. I have seen how foolish words - though unintended - can pile on someone who is already beaten down in so many ways. I’ve sat with families as a loved one lay dying, only to listen in horror as a friend starts talking about how God needs their loved one more than they do. I’ve sat with parents who’ve lost a child, feeling so helpless as well-meaning people try to explain the unexplainable. I’ve wondered at pastors who seem to get a charge out of telling someone they are going to hell rather than try to draw them to heaven. I’m reminded of all these things and more when I listen to Job’s friends respond to Job’s cries of anguish.

What is it about us that makes us speak when we should listen? Drives us to offer an opinion when we should remain silent? Eliphaz listens to Job lament the very day he was born. He hears Job cry out in his grief. And what is his response? Does he offer any words of comfort? Does he put his arm around his dear friend and weep with him? Does he offer compassion and kindness in his hour of need? No. Eliphaz instead chooses to try to explain why everything has taken place. Somewhere down deep, he believes he has the answer Job needs. How in the world can he believe this when he knows his friend has lost everything? He’s lost his home and wealth and children and grandchildren. He’s struggling with his health and strength and faith in God. What drives a man like Eliphaz to try to offer an answer?

In my experience, it’s because we cannot seem to manage our own discomfort. We cannot manage our own feelings of anxiety. We see those we love or those we care about deeply going through suffering and it hurts. But instead of naming our hurt and sitting silently in the dust and ashes of life with the one who is suffering, we try to distance ourselves. We seek to protect ourselves. We don’t want to feel any of the pain or heartbreak. So we start talking. And talking. And talking. We offer all kinds of answers that are actually designed to make us feel better but they come at the expense of the one in need. We say all kinds of strange, convoluted things at the most inopportune moments because of the awkwardness we may be feeling which is why our words so often come out wrong. What if, instead, we sat with the tension? What if, instead, we courageously entered the dark valleys with those who are confused? Those who are in pain? Those who doubt or question or fear? What if, instead, we brought light to the darkness and hope to the hopeless and rest for the weary? What if we were a non-anxious presence?

Readings for tomorrow: Job 8-11, Psalms 137

Humility

Readings for today: Zephaniah 1-3, Psalms 134

I once knew a man who gave up a six figure income here in the US to return to his native country of Rwanda where he did not draw a salary for three straight years. He went from being in the top 1% of the world’s wealthiest people to the bottom 1% of the world’s poor. He gave up security and safety to live in danger and place his family at risk. He gave up power and influence and privilege in one of the world’s most significant NGO’s to work among those who have been forgotten. When I expressed my admiration for such a sacrifice, his response was confusion. “What sacrifice?” he said. “My life is not my own. My life has never been my own. My life is in the hands of God to do with as He wills.” This, friends, is true humility. 

“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the Lord’s anger.” (Zephaniah‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It is hard to overstate the importance of humility to the Christian faith. Humility is what keeps us grounded before the Lord. Humility is what keeps us dependent on Him. Humility is what opens our hands and our hearts, allowing us to release those things in which we too often place our trust. Wealth. Health. Power. Privilege. Status. Authority. Pride. We are fools to place our trust in these things and yet it is so hard to resist temptation. We who have so much actually fall prey to our own desires. Our ability to gratify those desires instantaneously only serves to tighten our bonds. Thinking we are free, we choose to become slaves and there’s nothing more pitiful than a free man or woman choosing to remain in bondage. Nothing more heartbreaking than sitting in a cell with the door wide open, refusing to leave. This is the state we find ourselves in today. Our culture has made Self a “god” and the result is entitlement. Narcissism. Selfishness. Greed. And far too many of us worship at this altar. 

So how do we resist this temptation? How can we uproot Self out of the center of our lives and re-focus our devotion around God? Humility. The fundamental recognition that my life is not my own. My future is not mine to determine. My hopes are not set on the limited horizons of this world. My happiness does not come from chasing temporal pleasures. Humility honors God as sovereign over all of life, including my own. Humility submits. Humility surrenders. Humility bows before the God of the universe and willingly entrusts Him with all that we are and all that we have. This is the secret that my friend understood. He owned nothing. Not his house. Not his salary. Not his job. Not his family. Not his lifestyle. Not his degrees. Not his professional success. Not his future. None of it was his to hold onto. All of it came from God and all of it was used by God as He wills for His good pleasure. So when God called him to leave Colorado Springs and move to Kigali to help his people recover from the genocide, he went. No questions asked. The Master called. My friend answered. The King issued a command. My friend obeyed. The Father made an appeal. My friend responded in faith. Though life has been much harder. Much more difficult. Much more painful and heartbreaking. He has no regrets.  

Humility. Not just an attitude of the heart. Not just a thought process in the mind. But a way of life. It means holding onto the things of this world loosely, knowing the Lord may require them at any time. It means holding onto our hopes and dreams loosely, knowing the Lord may change course at any time. It means holding onto even our pain and heartbreaks and suffering loosely, knowing the Lord often leads His people through such experiences to teach them of His sufficiency. It means holding onto our strength and safety and security loosely, knowing the Lord may demand even our lives at any time. 

Now all this may sound very scary. Very frightening if this has not been your path. Here’s the good news. God doesn’t ask for blind obedience. He doesn’t require us to step into the great unknown. He gives a promise to all who walk humbly before Him. “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you in his love. He will delight in you with singing. I will gather those who have been driven from the appointed festivals; they will be a tribute from you and a reproach on her. Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you. I will save the lame and gather the outcasts; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame. At that time I will bring you back, yes, at the time I will gather you. I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. The Lord has spoken.” (Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬) God can be trusted. God is true to His Word. His faithfulness never ends. His love never fails. Simply believe and let God take you by the hand today. 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 1-3, Psalms 135 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Questioning God

Readings for today: Habakkuk 1-3, Psalms 133

One of the things I love most about the Bible is how it doesn’t shy away from hard questions. It is not afraid to depict God’s people in moments of significant doubt or fear or struggle. It talks about the life of faith as it is, not as we often pretend it to be. I think about the many preachers and teachers I know who pretend like they have no doubts, no questions, no fears. I can’t relate to such people. Their system is too closed. Their theology too rigid. Their god is too small. I prefer the God of the Bible. A God of infinite wonder and mystery. A God who is not afraid of hard questions. A God who is big enough and strong enough and secure enough to take our anger and frustration. A God whose ways are so much higher than our ways and whose thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts. A God who loves to wrestle. A God who loves to get His hands dirty. A God who stands with me in the trials. A God who walks with me through every dark valley. Perhaps that’s why I love the questions from Habakkuk today. He asks some of the same questions I often ask myself.

“Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” (Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) I hate what I often see happening around me in the world. I hate the corruption of the powerful. I hate the injustice they create. I hate the selfishness and greed and narcissism I see on display on a daily basis. I hate the outrage and anger and division and enmity that’s fostered online or by those in places of leadership. I hate the fact that I have to read about these things every day. I hate the fact that my social media feed is a dumpster fire of wrongdoing. I hate that oppression and violence are right in front of me. It makes me question the effectiveness of God’s Law. It makes me wonder about the impact of the church. It sometimes even causes me to despair. One can argue that perhaps I should stop reading the news or get off social media. That’s escapism. It’s the privilege of those who have enough wealth and power to insulate themselves against the terrors of this world. I have far too many friends around the world who don’t have that luxury so I do my best to stay in the battle with them.

“Are you not from eternity, Lord my God? My Holy One, you will not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you destined them to punish us. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?” (Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬) If I’m totally honest, sometimes I even question God. Why does He not work more quickly? Why does He seemingly tolerate those who are treacherous and dishonest and corrupt and evil in our world? Why does He seem to be silent when the wicked swallow up the righteous? I feel this most viscerally when I look at the church. When I see so many false teachers flourish and so many faithful pastors flounder. I ask myself why so many abusers are given positions of influence and power while those who would never harm the sheep labor in obscurity. I think of a church I know who has a pattern of sexual immorality among her pastors. In the fifteen years I’ve been in my community, they’ve had at least twelve members of their pastoral staff commit sexual infidelity on some level. How are they still in existence? Why does God not remove their lamp stand? It baffles me.

“I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint…Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!” (Habakkuk‬ 2:1, ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬) At the end of the day, my trust has to be in the Lord not in what I see happening in the world around me. I walk by faith not by sight. My job is to stand guard at my post and wait for the coming of the Lord. Though there is so much fear and anxiety, violence and oppression, suffering and pain in the world; I can take heart for Jesus has overcome the world. Though justice and righteousness and redemption and reconciliation and peace and human flourishing may not happen in my lifetime or in the places where I labor around the world, yet I will celebrate in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. I will give thanks for the Lord gives me strength. He enables me to leap like a deer and walk on mountain heights and accomplish things I never thought possible.

Readings for tomorrow: Zephaniah 1-3, Psalms 134

Judge of Nations

Readings for today: Nahum 1-3, Psalms 132

Every day I try to read the news. I scan the headlines from the BBC to CNN to FoxNews. I read the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. I keep up with breaking news on Twitter. It’s not easy. The headlines are often heartbreaking. Most of the time, I have to wade through all sorts of disinformation. Truth is in scarce supply these days. Not only that but every single article seems to cry out, “there is no god!” After all, how could a righteous God allow such political corruption to exist? How could a good God allow such human suffering? How could a just God allow tyrants to sit on thrones? How could a compassionate God allow things like life-threatening poverty while others live in luxury? If I dwell on these things too long, I start to lose hope. The forces arrayed against the righteous in this world seem so strong and my faith is so weak. That’s why reading a book like Nahum is so important.

In Nahum’s day, Assyria was the dominant world power. She had conquered the nations around her with absolute ruthlessness and cruelty. Just over one hundred years prior to Nahum’s prophecy, Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, literally wiping her from the map. Jonah had been sent to Nineveh about 15 years after the destruction of Israel to preach revival but the fires his preaching kindled had clearly gone out. Assyria was back on the warpath. As she rampaged through the Middle East, it must have been hard not to be afraid. It must have been challenging to maintain faith. It probably felt like the future was bleak at best. After all, Assyria had no rivals left. No one powerful enough to check her power.

Nahum, however, is not fooled. He knows God reigns sovereign over the nations. He knows God rules the world with justice. He knows God will bring His righteous judgment in due time. I love how Nahum puts it, “The Lord has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name. I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible. Look to the mountains — the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace. Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.” (Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What a great reminder that God is in control. No matter how bleak things may seem, God is at work to bring about His will. He simply will not let this world go. He loves it - and He loves us - far too much to walk away.

As you engage the world around you, don’t give into fear. Don’t let despair set in. God is still in charge after all these years and God will bring His will and His way to pass. Our job is simply to trust.

Readings for tomorrow: Habakkuk 1-3, Psalms 133

Mother’s Day

Readings for today: Micah 5-7, Psalms 131

Sunday was Mother’s Day in the United States. A day set aside to honor mothers and their influence in our lives. Perhaps that’s why the words from the Psalmist stuck out to me this morning. “Instead, I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like a weaned child.” (Psalms‬ ‭131‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB) Like many, I have been blessed with a strong, godly mother. My mom taught me how to pray. My mom taught me how to sing. My mom taught me the importance of worship. My mom was a strong influence in my life. She worked hard to raise three boys, sacrificing so much so to give us opportunities to succeed. My mom is an example of deep faith. Though she has suffered much over the years, her faith in Christ has only become more vibrant and powerful. My mom was a safe person for me as I grew up. She was tender-hearted and compassionate, always ready to listen. My mom was faithful. She never abandoned her responsibilities as a wife or as a parent. She has given so much of herself to our family over the years.

I credit my mom for my faith. Even before I became a Christian in college, I developed a comfort level with God. I sensed His abiding presence. I knew He was always there for me. God was a safe Person for me. I had no trouble “calming and quieting” my soul before Him like a “weaned child with its mother.” I honestly don’t remember a time when He wasn’t real to me on a deep, personal level. God has always been my present help in time of trouble. God has always been my refuge and strength. God has always been my sanctuary. I can remember as a young person stealing into the sanctuary of our church because of how peaceful it felt. I would often sit there in the dark by myself because it felt so safe and secure. I felt more at home there than any other place I’d been. Most of that is due to my mom’s godly influence in my life.

I know not everyone has had the benefit of a strong, godly mother. Tragically, some moms are abusive. Some moms are absent. Some moms are neglectful. Some moms are selfish and narcissistic. Some don’t know their moms. Some have been abandoned by their moms. Some have been deeply hurt by their moms. I’ve sat with many, many people over the years who struggle with their moms for all kinds of reasons. They are not good. They are not safe. They are not a comfort. So ideas like the one proposed by the Psalmist are scary. They create all kinds of anxiety and fear. And these feelings often get projected onto God. But God is greater than even the godliest mother on earth. He is kinder and gentler and more compassionate than we can possibly know. He is safe and secure and He invites you to calm and quiet yourself in His abiding Presence. God wants the same kind of relationship with you that a weaned child has with its mother. He invites you to know Him and to love Him like a weaned child does its mother. No matter what kind of relationship you have with your mom, let the Lord “mother” you today and every day with His deep love and grace.

Readings for tomorrow: Nahum 1-3, Psalms 132

The World to Come

Readings for today: Micah 1-4, Psalms 130

I can’t wait for the day when Jesus Christ comes again. The heavens will role back like a scroll. Christ will appear in His resurrection body with all the saints who have gone before us. New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven and be established on earth. The reign and rule of Christ will be absolute and eternal. The influence of the devil and his demons destroyed once and for all. Sin will be erased. Pain and suffering will cease. Every tear will be wiped away. All fears and anxieties will fade. Nothing will be left to disturb the Pax Christi or perfect peace of Christ.

On that day, we will see people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on earth and throughout history gathered around the throne. I can see them even now in my mind’s eye. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting men and women from the Tigray, Amhara, Oromo, Somali, and Borana tribes in Ethiopia. I have met men and women from the Acholi and Baganda tribes in Uganda. I have met men and women from the Dinka and Nuer tribes in South Sudan. I have met men and women from China and Japan and Korea. I have met men and women from Mexico and Guatemala and Venezuela. I have met men and women from England, Scotland, Germany, and France. I have met Greeks and Italians and Turks and Israelis and Palestinians. I have had the privilege of meeting so many different people from so many different cultures and I cannot wait to see them all streaming towards the mountain of God to worship together. I cannot wait to see them unified under the Lordship of Jesus Christ across all the divisions that exist. I cannot wait for the day when the conflicts and wars between all these different groups cease. When the violence and hatred and anger is washed away. When every wrong is made right. Every wound is healed. Every sin is forgiven. Perhaps that’s why I love the vision from the prophet Micah today…

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. Peoples will stream to it, and many nations will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. But each person will sit under his grapevine and under his fig tree with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the Lord of Armies has spoken. Though all the peoples walk in the name of their own gods, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. On that day — this is the Lord’s declaration — I will assemble the lame and gather the scattered, those I have injured. I will make the lame into a remnant, those far removed into a strong nation. Then the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time on and forever. And you, watchtower for the flock, fortified hill of Daughter Zion, the former rule will come to you; sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.” (Micah‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB)

As I said, I can’t wait for that day. I pray for that day. Lord Jesus, come quickly. Lord Jesus, come soon. And until that day comes, Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of your peace. Make me an instrument of your love. Make me an instrument of your grace so this world might get a foretaste of the world to come.

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 5-7, Psalms 131

The Perseverance of God

Readings for today: Jonah 1-4, Psalms 129

Jonah is my favorite minor prophet. Mainly because I see so much of myself in him. I resonate deeply with his story. I have had years where I ran from God. I have had years where I ran towards God. I have had seasons of disobedience and seasons of obedience. I have had moments when I served God with a grateful heart and moments when I served him with, shall we say, less than pure motivations. Through it all, God continues to use me to make His glory known. God continues to use all the good and bad and ugly of my life to bring about His will. I am frankly amazed because I would have given up on me a long time ago.

One of the core doctrines of the Reformed Tradition is the “perseverance of the saints.” It’s the “P” in the acronym “TULIP.” It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Many believe falsely that it has to do with our perseverance. It has to do with our faithfulness to God over time. Our long obedience in the same direction. And while that is important to be sure, it’s actually not what this doctrine is referencing. The preservation of the saints is really about the perseverance of God in preserving His saints. It is God who perseveres with us not we who persevere with God. It is God who is faithful even in the face of our unfaithfulness. It is God who pursues us even when we run from Him. And this is the heart of the story of Jonah.

Just look at the many ways God makes Himself known through His reluctant prophet. Jonah starts out by running from his call. He boards a ship to Tarshish to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. But God whips up a storm to stop him in his tracks. Though the sailors do all they can to lighten their cargo, row to shore, and get everyone to safety; God is relentless. He will not stop until they throw Jonah overboard into the raging sea. Once they offer Jonah up as a sacrifice, the winds and the waves calm down and they fall on their knees before the Lord. “The men were seized by great fear of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.” (Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB) A similar thing takes place through Jonah’s preaching. Before he even gets a third of the way through the city, God works mightily and miraculously through him to bring the pagan Assyrians to saving faith. It’s one of the greatest evangelistic campaigns recorded in the Old Testament. “Then the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth — from the greatest of them to the least.” (‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB) Finally, when Jonah’s hatred and anger get the best of him at the end of the book, God perseveres with his prophet. He continues to show him grace and mercy and unconditional love.

Now think about your own life. Think about the many ways God has persevered with you over the years. Think about the many ways God has met your unfaithfulness with faithfulness. Disobedience with forgiveness and grace. Hatred and anger with love and mercy. God is so good to us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He will relentlessly pursue us with His love throughout the course of our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 1-4, Psalms 130

The Trap of Pride

Readings for today: Amos 6-9, Psalms 127

Pride presents a clear and present danger to our relationship with God. I commit the sin of pride every time I live or think or act as if God is not my helper. As if I don’t need God. As if my own strength, my own wisdom, and my own resources are more than enough. If I am honest, pride is something I have to fight each and every day. It’s why it’s essential for me to spend time with God every morning. When I spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, I am reminded of my desperate need for Him. I am reminded of my need for daily bread from His hands. I am reminded that though I may not have it in me to face and overcome the challenges of that particular day, God is more than able. And not only is He more than able, He is more than willing to be my supply. Why is pride so dangerous? It leads to spiritual amnesia. It causes us to forget God. It makes us start to believe our own hype. It turns us into fools.

In our reading today, the people of God come under severe judgment. Judgment so harsh that it would put an end to them altogether except for the intercession of Amos. Amos cries out to God multiple times to spare His people lest they be utterly consumed and God relents. At the same time, God doesn’t clear the guilty. He doesn’t give them a pass. He will take them into exile and turn them over to their enemies and all the wealth they’ve accumulated for themselves will be wiped away. All the injustices they’ve allowed to stand will be atoned for. All the pain and suffering they’ve created will be visited back on them many times over. What is God’s goal here? Is it punitive retribution? Vengeance over all they have done? Has God finally lost His patience and lashing out? Not at all. God is humbling His people. He is reminding them on a visceral level of their desperate need for Him. And once that lesson is taught. Once that lesson is learned. God promises restoration. God promises to rebuilt the ruins. God promises to bring them back home again.

I love how the Psalmist puts it, “Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.” (Psalms‬ ‭127‬:‭1‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God is our helper. God is our builder. God is our provider. God is our protector. Without God, humanity is to be pitied. Without God, humanity has no hope. Without God, humanity is lost. And it is up to people of God, filled with the Spirit of God, walking humbly before their God to show the world what a life with God actually looks like on the daily. For better or worse, we are the instruments God has chosen to make known the riches of His love and grace.

Readings for tomorrow: Obadiah 1, Psalms 128 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Accepting our Place

Readings for today: Amos 1-5, Psalms 126

I’ve been listening to a great podcast recently called, “Unbelievable?” The show brings together Christians and non-Christians, theists and atheists, religious and secularists to discuss a variety of topics. They come from all across the spectrum socially and politically. They represent some of the best thinking today on issues like the problem of evil, the dangers of AI, just war, faith and politics, etc. It’s really amazing to listen to participants debate back and forth. One of the fundamental differences that comes up over and over again is who is responsible for the evil and pain and suffering in the world. For the atheist, there is no one responsible. The world is the way that it is. It’s a closed system and everything can be explained through natural or material processes. There really is no such thing as a natural disaster. It’s simply nature being nature. Volcanoes erupt. Earthquakes shake the ground. Hurricanes whip the ocean into a frenzy. Mass extinction events happen with some degree of regularity. While this argument has some degree of internal consistency, it is clearly inadequate for most people. For the Christian, responsibility is split between two entities. First, we believe in a supernatural being we call “the satan” or the accuser. A fallen angel who is the Father of lies and the author of evil and who does all he can to weave death and destruction and entropy and chaos into the fabric of all God has made. Second, humanity. A creature made in God’s own image who embraced rebellion and sin at the dawn of creation and who continues to wreak havoc on all God has made as he/she pursues his/her own selfish ends. This argument too has internal consistency but also proves inadequate for most people. Most people find themselves somewhere between these two poles. On the one hand, we don’t want to bear the responsibility for how our actions lead to so much suffering in the world so we tend to reject the Christian point of view. On the other hand, we cannot seem to escape the existential feeling that something is terribly wrong or horribly broken about the world so we tend to reject the atheist point of view.

The Bible is clear. “For three crimes, even four” God will not relent from punishing the nations. “For three crimes, even four” God will not withhold judgment even from His chosen people. We are guilty. God makes that abundantly clear. We are responsible. God is direct and honest and forthright about it. We are at fault and in the wrong and God will hold us accountable. I talk to lots of people in my line of work. Christians and non-Christians alike. Progressives and conservatives. Marxists and capitalists. Democrats and Republicans. Young and old. Rich and poor. People of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. One of the things they all seem to have in common is an inner resistance to the idea that they are guilty of crimes against God. They seemingly have no problem seeing how other people could be credibly accused but they struggle to see it in themselves. The same was true for our ancient near east ancestors. It didn’t matter whether they lived in Damascus or Gaza, Tyre, Edom or Moab, even Israel and Judah! No one wanted to acknowledge their culpability before God. Even when God brings all kinds of judgment in the form of famine, drought, blight, or plagues; they still refused to humble themselves and change their ways. And what is God’s response? One would think He would completely out those who rebel against His rule and reign. But that’s not what happens. Instead, God comes to them. God reveals Himself to them. All in an effort to draw them back to Himself. “Therefore, Israel…prepare to meet your God! He is here: the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, the one who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. The Lord, the God of Armies, is his name.” (Amos‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB)

Friends, not much has changed in the thousands of years since Amos walked onto the scene. Humanity still rebels against God, still struggles to accept responsibility for our crimes against our Creator. Thankfully, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is no shadow or turning in Him. He is eternally consistent and unchangeable. Rather than judge us and destroy us, He comes to us. He reveals Himself to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. All in an effort to draw us back to Himself. He has defeated the powers of sin and death and the devil and is even now working through humanity to restore all He has made. God’s great desire is to restore us to our rightful place within His created order but for that to happen, we need to humble ourselves and submit to His will and ways.

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 6-9, Psalms 127

The Day of the Lord

Readings for today: Joel 1-3, Psalms 125

I have seen starvation up close and personal. I have sat with those who are suffering through incredible pain and hardship. I have watched their children stare off into the distance. I have wept with mothers and fathers who don’t know where to go or what to do. They are helpless. They are hopeless. It’s tough for me to imagine facing anything more difficult. Some blame God for allowing or even creating these conditions. Some blame the corruption of humanity. Some blame the broken world in which we live. I am honest enough to say I don’t have it all figured out nor did the biblical writers. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they watched what was happening in the world around them and interpreted it through a theological lens. They trusted God was at work. They knew God reigned supreme over all He had made. They believed God was faithful and true and would deliver His people but they also knew God was righteous and just and would not allow the guilty to escape judgment. All of the nations and even nature itself were simply tools God used to bring about His sovereign purposes for the world.

These are important truths to keep in mind when we read the words of the prophet Joel about the plagues of locusts that have descended on God’s people. His words have to be interpreted on multiple levels. At their most basic, they are to be taken at face value. He’s most likely referring to a literal plague of locusts that swept through Israel shortly before the writing of his book. On a secondary, more allegorical level, his words are most likely referring to a human army that will sweep in and destroy the southern kingdom of Judah. For example, locust plagues often fill the void left by the Babylonian fertility god, Tammuz, in ancient Mesopotamian liturgies and it is the Babylonians who will sweep in to destroy Jerusalem in 587 BC a couple of hundred years after the death of Joel. Finally, and most importantly, the locust plagues are symbolic of God’s judgment against His people for their sin.

So what do we take away from such readings? What possible relevance can they have for our lives today? Well, as I said above, natural disasters still take place. Starvation, famine, drought, plague are all very real in our world today. Not only that but every single human being faces pain and suffering of some kind over the course of their lives. None of us escapes the consequences of the brokenness of the world in which we live. Like the ancient prophets of Israel, I think it’s important to take time to reflect on what God may be trying to teach us in the midst of our individual, communal, or even national struggles. Is He judging us for our sin? Is He calling us to repentance and humility before Him? Is He comforting us in our afflictions? Is He delivering us from evil? Is He sending us to do the same for others? How do we experience the great and awesome Day of the Lord?

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 1-5, Psalms 126

God’s Kindness

Readings for today: Hosea 11-14, Psalms 124

In the midst of judgment, hope springs eternal. God loves His people with an everlasting love. He cannot abandon them to their fate. He cannot relinquish them or give them up. He cannot walk out on them. His love is steadfast. True. Loyal. Even in the face of betrayal and adultery and sin. I love how Hosea 11 describes God’s love...

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the hand, but they never knew that I healed them. I led them with human cords, with ropes of love. To them I was like one who eases the yoke from their jaws; I bent down to give them food.” (Hosea‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬, ‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) One thing we must always remember when reading the Scriptures is that God has revealed Himself to us as Father. Abba. Daddy. This description is a precious one every parent can understand. We teach our children to walk. We watch them take those first steps. We hold them in our arms. Comfort them when they fall. Bandage up their nicks and cuts and “owies.” We lead them throughout the course of their lives, always desiring what is good for them. We provide for them. Train them. Discipline them. Teach them. This is our calling as a parent and it is notable that God chooses this particular metaphor to describe His relationship with His people. 

“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart; my compassion is stirred! I will not vent the full fury of my anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man, the Holy One among you; I will not come in rage. They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. They will be roused like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes. This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Hosea‬ ‭11‬:‭‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬) How many of us as parents have watched our children go astray? Watch them wander off the path? Watch them choose self-destruction? How many times have I sat in my office across from parents trying to give them hope for their addicted son or estranged daughter? How many times have I prayed these very words myself over my own children? No matter what they do, I cannot give them up. I cannot hand them over. I cannot let go. I will always love them. I will always cherish them. I will always pursue them. I imagine the same is true for every parent reading these words today. Isn’t a great comfort to know God feels this same way?

All those who believe in Jesus Christ are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God. God becomes our Father. We, His children. Like Israel, we too have sinned. We too have gone astray. We too have chased after other gods. Idols in our lives. Whatever we wrap our lives around that is NOT God. Thankfully, our Father is merciful and gracious. He disciplines us in His love. And when we feel His discipline, what should our response be? Hosea 10:12 CSB, “Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.” When we repent and turn back to God, we will find Him waiting with open arms. Ready to welcome us back home. 

Readings for tomorrow: Joel 1-3, Psalms 125

Repentance

Readings for today: Hosea 6-10, Psalms 123

I’m convinced there comes a time - or maybe multiple times - in a person’s life where they realize their resources are played out. All their strength and wisdom and wealth and power simply are not enough to meet the demands of the moment. I think of a friend of mine who passed away a few years ago. He was the very definition of a “self-made” man. He came from a challenging background. His family was dysfunctional and abusive on so many levels. He worked hard to build a company from the ground up. He was extremely successful and ended up selling it for millions. He traveled the world and had all kinds of “once in a lifetime” experiences. He met all kinds of amazing people along the way. And yet, he had broken relationships with both his kids. Sadly, the patterns of abuse from his family were perpetuated through him. He was a high functioning alcoholic who often verbally assaulted those around him. As he lay dying from complications from the multiple health issues derived from his hedonistic lifestyle, I had the opportunity to share Christ with him. To talk to him about how the life he had worked so hard to build had come crashing down around him and though he lived in a huge home with all the material possessions one could ever want, his resources were simply not enough to save him.

How many of us have come to the same place in our own lives? I remember getting to this place in college when the life I had so carefully constructed came down around me. The facade I projected to the world of self-confidence was really a cover for deep insecurity. All my achievements up to that point were attempts to distract people from what was really happening inside. I was a mess. As smart as I was and as strong as I was and as successful as I was, I was losing ground in a hurry. My life headed on the fast track to nowhere. That’s when I met Christ and turned to Him. In our passage today, Hosea looks forward to the day when Israel will return to the Lord. Listen to his words again from Hosea 6:1-3 CSB…

“Come, let’s return to the Lord. For he has torn us, and he will heal us; he has wounded us, and he will bind up our wounds. He will revive us after two days, and on the third day he will raise us up so we can live in his presence. Let’s strive to know the Lord. His appearance is as sure as the dawn. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the land.”

Come, let’s return to God. Such beautiful words. They represent the very definition of “repentance.” All of us have wandered and gone astray. All of us seek our own way. All of us do what is right in our own eyes. And where does it lead us? Into cul-de-sacs of pain and heartbreak. When we place “Self” on the throne of our lives, we find our appetites insatiable. Our desires uncontrollable. Our passions unquenchable. The result is oppression. Bondage. Slavery. God wants to set us free from “Self” but the only way that happens is if we turn to Him. We must dethrone “Self” and enthrone God if we want to experience the freedom and peace and joy He promises. This is why the Father sent His only Son. To show us the way back home to Him. He didn’t want to leave us wandering in the darkness. He didn’t want to abandon us to our fates. He refused to rely on random chance or wishful thinking to reclaim His wayward children. Like a good shepherd, He pursued us and pursues us until He finds us and embraces us.

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 11-14, Psalms 124

Faithfulness

Readings for today: Hosea 1-5, Psalms 122

We held my father’s funeral last Friday. It was a special time. Over fifty family members flew in from all over the country. Many friends took time to attend. We were blessed by all who showed up to comfort and care and show their support. After the service, my mom and I were talking about what a blessing it was to see so many that we love. She was surprised by the number of people who came out or who called to express their condolences over the last several weeks because dad wasn’t all that connected to that many people. I told her I wasn’t surprised at all. They didn’t come for dad. They came for her. They called for her. They reached out because my mother is an absolute model of faithfulness and grace. Her unconditional love for my father over fifty-five years - forty of which he battled an addiction to alcohol - is worthy of honor. The sacrifices she made to remain true to her marriage vows is inspiring.

My mom reminds me of the prophet Hosea. Hosea remained faithful though he had every reason to abandon his marriage. His wife was a prostitute. She was an adulterous. By law, he could have had her stoned to death. But Hosea heard from God. He offered his life up as a living witness to the faithfulness of God in the face of the unfaithfulness of His people. People like Hosea or my mom are rare. Most of us, if we’re honest, would cut and run in such situations. Many of us would encourage those we love to walk away if they were cheated on or if they were verbally and emotionally abused. Adultery. Addiction. Abandonment. Abuse. A case can be made that each of these are biblical reasons for divorce. And yet, books like Hosea remind us that though we do all of these things and more to God, He never abandons us. He never walks away from us. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is faithful. And perhaps there is something to be said for sticking with a marriage for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.

Perhaps that’s why I admire my mom so much. Of course, I admire her for many things but her faithfulness to my dad stands above them all. She loved a man who was often unlovable. She served a man who was often selfish. She continued to forgive a man who didn’t do much to earn such grace. To be fair, my dad had several redeemable qualities as well. Life wasn’t all bad with him. He was a tremendous grandfather and had softened a great deal in his later years. But the decades of addiction took a toll. At the same time, all those years of suffering have revealed a glory in my mother. She has a beauty and dignity and grace that can only come to those who have walked roads filled with great pain. She has endured. She has persevered. She has been faithful and God has honored her as a result.

Each of us has a road to walk. A road marked by suffering to some degree or another. A road filled with challenges to face, obstacles to overcome, and pain to endure. Will we remain faithful?

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 6-10, Psalms 123

Fasting

Readings for today: Isaiah 58-60, Psalms 119:153-176

For years, I have practiced the discipline of fasting. I fast most days, typically eating one solid meal. In the past, I have fasted for 24 hours. 48 hours. Even a week or more on occasion. Typically, my fasts involve abstaining from food. I think that’s how most of us think about it. However, today’s reading introduces a new idea to the mix. Fasting from wickedness. Fasting from injustice. Fasting from unrighteousness. Fasting from the self-centered life. In the same way fasting from food makes us more aware of our need to depend on God for our daily bread, fasting from wickedness makes us more hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

Why do I fast? It’s a question I often get asked. Honestly, because it feels good. My mind is more sharp. My emotional health is more regulated. My physical body is more healthy. When my doctor does my blood work, he often remarks at how good the numbers appear. However, far more important is the condition of my soul and that’s where “fasting from wickedness” comes in. When I identify sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions and begin to address them in my life through intentional fasting, I find myself drawing closer to God. Sin erects a barrier between us. It alienates and creates emotional and spiritual distance. It hardens the heart and callouses the soul. This is why God is so passionate about repentance. He knows the damage unchecked sin can do to a person.

Isaiah calls us to fast from the sin that so easily entangles us as human beings. In addition, he calls us to take up those disciplines and practices that lead to life and blessing not only for us as individuals but for the entire community. Listen to what God says again through His prophet, “Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry. Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live. If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on my holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking business; then you will delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭6‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I have to say that all of the promises of God listed in this passage have come true for me. As I have dedicated my life to breaking the chains of wickedness and setting the oppressed free, sharing my bread with the hungry and helping the poor and powerless; the light of Christ has shined brighter and brighter in and through me. I have met strangers who have heard of the work I have the privilege to be involved in both locally and globally. And God’s glory has protected me in so many ways. God has always strengthened me, even in hard times. He has always been there, even when I’m struggling. He has used me to help rebuild ruins and restore foundations. My life is an absolute testimony to His grace. Does this mean I get everything I want? No. Does it mean I never have a care or worry in the world? Absolutely not true. Does it mean I have been given great wealth and influence and power? Not at all. I’m just a guy. Just an ordinary, everyday person trying his best to be faithful. I make more than my fair share of mistakes but God is faithful to use me despite myself and my sin. Trust me when I tell you He wants to do the same with you.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 61-64, Psalms 120

Communion

Readings for today: Isaiah 55-57, Psalms 119:129-152

When I was in seminary, I had the privilege of getting to know Tom Gillespie. Tom had been the President of Princeton Theological Seminary for almost twenty years when I first met him. As you might imagine, he carried a lot of responsibilities and found himself pulled in many different directions as he navigated fundraising, administrative and academic leadership, and stewarding the influence and reputation of one of the top theological institutions in the world. One of the things I appreciated most about Tom is he always made time to teach as well as preach and lead worship in chapel. I took several classes from him and got to know him pretty well. He became a mentor and friend. Most of all, I loved how he led our weekly communion service on campus.

Tom always used the words of Isaiah 55 to invite us to the Lord’s Table. “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the water; and you without silver, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without silver and without cost! Why do you spend silver on what is not food, and your wages on what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods. Pay attention and come to me; listen, so that you will live.” (Isaiah 55:1-3a CSB) It was a beautiful invocation that called all kinds of images to mind. He reminded me of my thirst for living water. He reminded me of the blessed state of my spiritual poverty. He reminded me of my hunger for righteousness. Not only did he remind me of my needy condition but he pointed me to the only place where I could be filled…the Table of the Lord. There God presents us with the choicest of foods…the body and blood of His only Son. There Christ is spiritually present to us in the bread and the wine. There all are welcome to find new life in Him.

One of the things I found most compelling about Tom was his deep trust in the faithfulness of God. Despite all the challenges he faced and the anxieties he had to manage and the conflict both inside and outside the seminary over the future of the church and seminary education, Tom never wavered. I asked him one time why he could maintain such a sense of calm in the midst of so much uncertainty. He smiled, looked at me, and said, “Doug, God has preserved His church for 2000 years. Do you honestly think He’s at all challenged by what’s happening here at Princeton?” We both shared a chuckle at the truth of his wise words. Tom encouraged me to read the rest of Isaiah 55 and lay hold of the promises of God. “I will make a permanent covenant with you on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David. Since I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples, so you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel, has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near. Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, so he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will freely forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do. You will indeed go out with joy and be peacefully guided; the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; this will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.” (Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭13b-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God has a plan for this world. God has a plan for His people. God has a plan for His church. God has a plan for my life. I simply need to humbly walk with open hands before Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 58-60, Psalms 119:153-176