Reaping the Whirlwind

Readings for today: Psalms 6, 9, 10, 14, 16, 21

I found this morning’s reading from the Psalms particularly relevant for our current cultural moment. It begins with personal lament. “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord —how long? Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.” (Psalm‬ ‭6:2-6‬) I know so many praying this prayer or something like it. Perhaps they are sick from the virus. Perhaps they have other health issues that place their life in danger. Perhaps they know someone who’s struggling or suffering or even dying and they cannot be with them because of the quarantine. Perhaps they’ve lost their job. Closed their business. Maybe they didn’t make rent this month or they’ve stood in long lines at the food bank. Perhaps they feel overwhelmed. Anxious and afraid. Maybe they’ve even attempted to take their own lives. Yes, our souls are greatly troubled. We are weary with moaning. We’ve wept a flood of tears.

So where do we turn for help? We turn to the Lord. The maker of heaven and earth. The one who reigns and rules from His throne in heaven. And here is what He says, “The Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men!” (Psalm‬ ‭9:7-20‬) We acknowledge God’s greatness. God’s glory. God’s honor. He is indeed worthy of all our praise! And we know our God is faithful. He is a stronghold for the oppressed. He rescues those who are enslaved. He comforts us in our fear. But He is also judge. He will administer justice with righteousness. He gives the nations over to their sin. They sink into the pit they themselves have made. They catch their own foot in the trap they laid. All the nations that forgot God are now put on notice. Where is their strength? Where is their peace? Where is their hope? All their wealth and power cannot stop this plague. All their training and expertise and advanced technology have been brought low by the smallest of organisms. The world economy shut down. International travel suspended. Even wars have ceased as the plague rages.

In the midst of it all, it is easy to lose sight of God. To lose heart. To begin to lose all hope. “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." (Psalm 10:1-4) During times of great crisis, we often ask, “Where is God?” What is He doing? Why has He allowed these things to take place? How can He look on the suffering of His people and not step in? Some take it a step further. They see in these times of crisis clear evidence that God doesn’t exist. How can a good God allow such pain? How can a good God be the author of such evil? Truly if God were good and all-powerful, He would never allow such things to happen! But then the Psalmist reminds us that God is God and we are not. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and He shall reign forever and ever. “The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭10:16-18‬)

This brings us face to face with the fundamental reality of our own sinful existence. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. All of us are guilty of selfishness and greed and lust. All of us have turned aside. Each to our own way. Each one of us does what is right in our own eyes. “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm‬ ‭14:2-3‬) Do we not all deserve judgment? Are we not all guilty? Have we not all rightfully earned death and an eternity separated from God? At the end of the day we do have to come to grips with the fact that either we will say to God - Thy will be done - or He will say to us - thy will be done. Either way, we will face the consequences of our decision.

So the encouragement from the Psalms today is to turn to God. To set your mind and heart on Him. To trust Him. Believe Him. Hope in Him. “I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you…The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭16:2, 5-11‬) Friends, this time of crisis has shaken our lives to their foundations. It has brought down the societies we’ve built like houses of cards. It has exposed the utter foolishness of our thinking and the spiritual poverty with which we so often live. It has thrown down the idols to whom we had declared our allegiance. As we sit amidst the ruins of what once was, I pray we humble ourselves before the Lord. I pray we turn from our wicked ways and begin to seek Him anew and afresh. I pray we cling to Him above all else and seek Him with all our hearts. As we do, God promises to meet us. Renew us. Restore us. Revive us. Come, Lord Jesus, do your work in me!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 1-2, Psalms 43-44

Godly Leadership

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 1-4

What our nation needs now more than ever is godly leadership. Men and women who put country before self. The collective good before personal gain. Men and women who are willing to work together to get things done. Cross the aisle for the sake of the future. Put aside petty political differences and grudges and differences in order to bring us together.

Times of crisis reveal the heart of a leader. David lived on the run for years. He was unjustly accused. Unfairly attacked. His life threatened on any number of occasions. He was exiled. Forced to struggle to survive. He fought a running battle with King Saul and yet refused to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed. David took the high road again and again. Calling out to Saul. Seeking reconciliation with Saul. All to no avail. One would think David would become bitter and angry. One would think David would have every right to fight back and seek vengeance. One would think that upon hearing of Saul’s death, David would celebrate. Instead, David wept.

David grieved not just for himself but for all of Israel. David was heartbroken for his nation. For his people. He understood he was part of something bigger than himself. There were more important things at stake than his own political gain. David refused to take advantage of the moment to score political points. Instead, he continued to serve the Lord and his people with humility and respect and honor. This is ultimately what wins him his throne. Over time, David’s godly leadership becomes more and more evident. His influence grows. His power increases. Eventually, he wins even the enemy commander over to his side.

I search in vain for a “David” among our national political leaders these days. Instead of humility, our leaders continue to display their arrogance. Instead of respect, they continue to hold grudges and attack one another. Instead of putting the country first, they continue to try to leverage this crisis for their own personal gain. And the media is no different. They are just as partisan as the rest. Peddling lies and fake news from across the spectrum. They don’t even try to report the news with any kind of objectivity. Everything is subjected to their political and social agenda. This is true for both the Left and Right. And their monumental failures only serve to increase our national suffering and pain.

Today’s reading brings me to my knees in prayer. The leadership vacuum in our country means more people dying. More people suffering. More businesses closing. The lack of unity in our nation means more people getting sick. A growing mental health crisis that will soon rival if not surpass COVID-19. And more people thrust into unnecessary poverty. Is the way forward self-evident? No, it is not. Will the days ahead be easy? Not at all. Will more suffering and sacrifice be required? I think so. What would make it more bearable is if we had leaders like David who could remind us we are all part of the solution. Leaders who remain calm in crisis and who could assure us there are better days ahead. Leaders who appeal to our better angels by modeling what it looks like to work together for the common good. Leaders who seek to unify rather than divide. I am praying for God to raise up such leaders to replace the ones we have or by bringing those in power to repentance. I truly believe our future as a nation depends on it.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 6, 9, 10, 14, 16, 21

Psalms of Ascent

Readings for today: Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130

Psalms of Ascent. Psalms 120-134. Many believe these were the songs Israel sang as they ascended to Jerusalem to keep the three annual festivals detailed in Deuteronomy 16. They are songs of worship. Songs of praise. Songs of thanksgiving. They express the deep gratitude the people feel towards God for all He has done for them. They sing them together. They sing them as they gather. They sing them in good times. They sing them in bad times. One can almost imagine thousands coming to Jerusalem all singing these songs with one voice. It must have been a powerful, moving scene. In addition, many scholars believe these were the songs Israel sang at different high points in their history like the dedication of Solomon’s Temple or the rebuilding of the walls during Nehemiah’s time. Over and over again, Israel returned to these psalms to express their faith and trust in God. 

Christians have built on this tradition. Many churches throughout the world sing these psalms in worship. The Eastern Orthodox Church sings these psalms every Friday during Vespers. The Roman Catholic Church schedules these psalms to be sung during daily prayer. The goal is to remind Christians we are on our own pilgrimage to a Heavenly Jerusalem and these psalms build the spiritual intensity of the worship service as we prepare for the reading of the gospel. It’s a powerful thing to experience. 

These psalms are favorites among believers. Especially in times of trouble. In times of plague and pandemic. In times of national or personal crisis. In such times, we cling to the language of God protecting us. God guiding us. God providing for us. God helping us. “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms‬ ‭121:1-2‬) “To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us.” (Psalms‬ ‭123:1-2‬) “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalms‬ ‭125:1-2‬) There is something special that happens when we gather to sing these praises. Something deeply transformative. Something life-changing. We are encouraged. We are strengthened. We are blessed by the experience of being in God’s presence together and given the strength to endure.

This COVID season is challenging Christians all over the world to think about the priority of corporate worship. What once may have seemed optional or discretionary or perhaps even disposable has taken on a new importance. You never know what you’ve lost until it’s gone, right? Now that we are all living under “shelter in place” orders and are not allowed to gather, it creates a longing in our hearts. A longing for connection. A longing for physical touch. A longing for the presence of other people. Friends, God put these longings in our hearts. God hardwired these longings deep within our souls. It is never good for human beings to be alone and we are all suffering the effects of this lonely, difficult season.

Thankfully, we can still gather. Though not the same - and certainly not an adequate replacement - we can gather virtually online to worship God together. We can gather to sing the songs of ascent. Gather to sing the praises of God. Gather to confess our sins. We can gather under the authority of God’s Word and let His Spirit challenge us, convict us, and encourage us. This is what Christians have done for thousands of years. Yes, even in the midst of pandemics like the Spanish flu or the Bubonic plague or when other diseases have ravaged the earth. I know many of us worship Jesus daily on our own. I know many of us experience Jesus profoundly as we hike or hunt or spend time in nature. But neglecting the worship of God with the people of God places us at risk. Especially in a time like this. Furthermore, it places us out of step with thousands of years of Christian history. It places us out of step with the will of God as revealed in Scripture. It’s frankly arrogant and prideful and foolish to claim we don’t need the church. God loves His bride. God loves His children. God loves having His family together. God loves hearing His people sing. God loves meeting His people in the sacraments. God loves teaching His people through His Word. Jesus said,  “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them." (Matthew‬ ‭18:20‬) 

Friends, I know this is a challenging time. I know this is a difficult season. I know many of us are re-thinking our priorities and wondering what life will be like when we get back to normal. Or even what “normal” will be like once we are able to gather again! My encouragement to you is to use this time to make corporate worship a priority. Plant your flag in the ground. Take a stand for your faith. Make sure God gets the time He deserves and the worship He demands. Don’t fall back into the trap of giving up your Sunday morning gatherings with God’s people! Don’t let anything come between you and your first love! As Christ sustains you during this season, make sure to thank Him by committing yourself more fully to Him in the days and weeks ahead.

Epitaph

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 28-31, 1 Chronicles 10

My dad’s family comes from a small town in western Nebraska. If you go to the cemetery there, you will find all my relatives going back several generations. Grossbachs. Reslers. Arenz’s. They’re all there. You’ll see a headstone for my son Caleb and the plots where Kristi and I will be buried as well. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place. Every time we go back to Wauneta, we make sure we go out to visit. We walk among our ancestors. We read their names. Birthdates. Deathdates. And ponder the messages they’ve left for us. 

In the final analysis, what message will your life send? What will be written about you after you die? What memories will your children and grandchildren hold onto? How will they speak of you? King Saul ruled Israel for a number of years. He started off well but quickly went off track. His life is one of half-measures. A part of him tries so hard to be faithful to God but a greater part keeps taking matters into his own hands. His fear gets the best of him on so many occasions. And now we read about his death. A horrible one. You can almost see him on top of Mt. Gilboa. Wounded. Pierced through by many arrows. The bodies of his sons lying on the ground around him. He’s in pain. Agony. Grief-stricken. Israel has fallen before the Philistines. The glory of the Lord has departed. He’s watching it all come crashing down around him and in his despair, he asks his armor-bearer to finish him off before his enemies come and torture him. His armor-bearer refuses so Saul falls on his own sword. 

What verdict does the Bible render about this man’s life? “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” (1 Chronicles‬ ‭10:13-14‬) Saul’s death did not come at the hands of the Philistines. Not ultimately. His fate was sealed when he broke faith with God. When he did not wait all those years ago for Samuel to come and make the right sacrifices. From that point forward, Saul was doomed to perish and every action he took to stave off his fate only served to seal it further. Seeking out the witch of En-dor was simply the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Saul no longer sought God. No longer pursued God. No longer loved God. And so God put him to death and gave the kingdom to David. 

So back to us? What will future generations say about you when you’re gone? The writers of the Chronicles were looking back at their history. They looked back at their leaders and they judged them primarily based on their fidelity to the Lord. How did they respond in good times? How did they respond in hard times? How did they act in times of plenty? How did they cope in times of want? I think about our cultural moment. The pandemic has exposed the cracks in our society. It has shined a bright spot light on the underlying issues that threaten to tear our nation apart. But I also know the same thing is happening deep inside each of us. What do our fears tell us? What do our anxieties reveal? How are we coping and where are we looking for help in this time of trouble? Is it to the Lord? Or something else? And after this season passes into the pages of history, what will people remember about how we handled things? Saul will forever be remembered by his epitaph in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14. David will forever be remembered as the “man after God’s own heart.” Who are you?

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130

Redemptive Suffering

Readings for today: Psalms 35, 54, 63, 18

So I’ve been thinking a lot about Job this week. If you remember Job’s story from the Bible, it begins with this incredible strange scene in the heavenly throne room where Satan comes to challenge God. For those who don’t know, the Hebrew word “satan” means accuser and that’s exactly what takes place. Satan accuses humanity before God. The Bible gives the sense that Satan has come from “walking to and fro on the earth” and hasn’t found anyone on it who is seeking God. In response, God offers up his servant Job. Satan immediately challenges God. “Does Job fear God for no reason?” After all, has not God blessed Job with tremendous wealth and success and a large family and health and a long life? Satan goes on to suggest that if God were take those things away, Job’s faith would fail. So God allows Satan to put Job to the test. Job loses his wealth. His children are tragically killed. All his property is taken away. His health fails. Everything he has is stripped away, leaving him a broken man sitting in dust and ashes. Despite all this, Job remains faithful. He never loses hope. Yes, he gets angry. Yes, he gets bitter. Yes, he struggles to understand why it is all happening. But at the end of the book, when God finally shows up on the scene, Job humbles himself. He falls on his face before God. He surrenders to His perfect will.

I think about everything we are going through right now. A pandemic sweeping the earth, stealing our health. Economies crashing, stealing our wealth. Jobs lost, stealing our livelihoods. Quarantines in place, robbing us of community. Fear and anxiety rising to overwhelming levels all over the globe as people struggle to cope with it all. Satan, the accuser of the human race, is clearly on the move. God has allowed him to roam free for a season, wreaking havoc where he may. And I wonder how we will respond? Will we respond like Job’s friends? Demanding answers that simply are not there. Shaming the victims of this crisis rather than seeking to help. Casting blame on others for a situation beyond our control. Will we allow outrage and bitterness and frustration to get the best of us? Will we allow the pain and anxiety and fear we are feeling drive how we respond in the days and weeks and months ahead? Will we let hopelessness and helplessness sink in, leading to despair and a loss of faith? Or will we follow Job’s example? Humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. Trust in God’s sovereign purposes even for our pain. Hold fast to the truth that God uses all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose? When we get to the end of ourselves and the end of our resources and the end of our hopes and the end of our addictions and idolatry and sinful dependence on everything except God…will we find faith?

This is where the reading from the Psalms comes in. As we read these words, we find our voice in the midst of all we are going through. When we don’t know how to pray in the midst of this pandemic or what to pray for, the Psalms provide direction. The Spirit praying with us and for us. Listen again to what the Psalmist declares…

“My soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation. All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?" (Psalm 35:9-10)

“But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth. How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭35:13-18‬)

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them. With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭54:4-7‬)

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭63:1-7‬)

God’s promise throughout the Bible is simply this…He will redeem our suffering. He will set all things right. He will make all things new. He will never abandon His people. Does that mean every desire of ours will be fulfilled? Of course not. We have to grapple with the fact that our lifestyles are not guaranteed by God. We have to acknowledge the American Dream is not something God ever promised. We have to humble ourselves and confess the lives we were pursuing pre-COVID were actually sinful on some level as we put other loves before God. Does God promise we will never experience pain? Not at all. God tells us straight up that in this world we will suffer. In this world we will face trials. In this world we will go through tribulation. Anyone who tells you different is clearly not speaking for God. Pain is real because sin is real. Our world is broken at a fundamental level which is why natural evils like viruses exist in the first place. Is following Jesus always positive and encouraging? Sadly, no. Jesus clearly calls us to pick up our cross. To take up a life of redemptive suffering for the sake of others. To sacrifice for the sake of the world around us. To deny ourselves daily so that others around us may flourish. Just as He did.

Friends, I am certainly praying for an end to this plague. I am certainly praying for an end to the suffering and pain we are all experiencing on various levels. I am certainly praying for the least-resourced and those communities most impacted. I am certainly praying for our political and business and medical leaders. But more than anything else, I am praying for the Holy Spirit to drive us to our knees before the Father in repentance and humility. I am praying we fall on our faces before Him in acknowledgement of our personal, corporate, and systemic sin. I am praying for revival to come as the human race all over the globe comes to grip with the fact that we are small and weak and the systems/societies we’ve built and placed our trust in are, at best, castles made of sand. I am praying the challenges of this cultural moment bring us to the end of ourselves so we can come face to face with God and find the grace we all so desperately need. Maranatha!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 28-31, 1 Chronicles 10

Loving our Enemies in the midst of a Pandemic

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 25-27, Psalms 17, 73

The Sermon on the Mount is the litmus test for authentic Christian faith. Filled with challenging words that confront us on issues like anger, anxiety, lust, and greed; Jesus forces us to come to grips with the depths of our sin. Perhaps his most challenging words come from Luke 6:27-28 where He says, “Love your enemies!” Jesus says. “Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who persecute you.” Frankly, that sounds crazy. Mixed up. Naive. Until I read about David. And I watch him spare Saul’s life over and over again. I watch him refuse to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed. I watch him restrain his anger. His desire for revenge. David had every right to strike Saul down when he caught him in the cave. Had every right to pin Saul to the ground with his own spear when he infiltrated the camp. But over and over again, David refrained. Why? 

I believe David understood on some level what Jesus would later teach. God’s great desire is for everyone to be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. (1 Tim. 2:4) This includes a man like Saul. Evil. Paranoid. Drunk with power. This includes a man like Nabal. Proud. Arrogant. Hard-hearted. This includes a man like David who will succumb to the temptations to use his power for his own purposes. It includes a man like Doug Resler who wrestles everyday with pride and ego and selfishness. The reality that David saw. The reality that Jesus taught is that we are all enemies and yet God in His infinite mercy loved us. God in His infinite grace embraced us while we were yet sinners. While we were yet broken. While we were yet weak and wounded and dead in our sin. God came to us. God loved us. God did good to us. God blessed us. God prayed for us. So we should do for others including those who seek our harm.  

Some have asked if we run the risk of further traumatizing victims of abuse. Empowering perpetrators. Turning a blind eye to would-be tyrants. These are very important questions. My response is that God’s love is not passive. It doesn’t make one a doormat. I do not believe Jesus is teaching women to stay with the men who beat them. I do not believe Jesus is teaching us to seek out situations where we would suffer. I do not believe Jesus is teaching us to simply bow our heads before injustice. I do not believe is teaching us to passively bow before tyranny. David didn’t stay in Saul’s palace! David left. He escaped. He found his way to safety. And then he resisted. Fiercely. Faithfully. With the hope that his persecutor. His abuser. His enemy would eventually see the light. I love what Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” King pursued a path of non-violent resistance always with the hope that white racists would become his brothers. This was his dream. And I believe deep down it was David’s dream for Saul as well. 

Times of crisis seem to exacerbate division. The current pandemic is exposing cracks across the foundations of our society. As much as my heart has been warmed by the support our healthcare workers have received, I’ve been so disappointed in the way our political leaders have attempted to turn this season to their own advantage. As much as I’ve admired the way health experts like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx have led us through this crisis, I’ve been frustrated by the ways different media outlets spin information to feed their own false narratives. As much as I’ve been inspired by the response of ordinary people to serve those in need, I cannot believe the selfish greed of those who would hoard needed supplies or price gouge. And I find myself getting more and more angry at those who make a living off of winding up the “outrage machine” that passes for discourse on cable news or Twitter these days. In short, God is teaching me to love my enemies. Those with whom I disagree. Those whose character and integrity I cannot respect. Those who seem hell-bent to assume the worst. The only way I can ever learn to love my enemies is to fix my eyes on Christ. Remember that while I was still His enemy, He died for me. The only chance I have at following the Sermon on the Mount is to make Christ the filter for my life. To see the world as He sees it. To see others as He sees them. And to love them as He loves them.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 35, 54, 63, 18

Resiliency

Readings for today: Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, 142

One of the real issues the COVID-19 virus is exposing is our lack of resiliency on a number of levels. There is the lack of physical resiliency. Because this a “novel” virus, we lack any kind of natural immunity to it which makes it far more contagious and deadlier than other viruses that have been in circulation for a while. There is a lack of mental resiliency. The number of calls to mental health hotlines has increased exponentially as people struggle with the isolating effects of the quarantine. There is a lack of emotional resiliency. People are far more reactive than proactive and this crisis has only exacerbated the problem. There is a lack of spiritual resiliency. Even among Christians. The superficial, self-help, moral therapeutic deism the American church has been peddling for too long simply doesn’t offer enough hope to endure suffering and death on this level. Add to this the lack of resiliency in our communities as social connections have frayed due to the extreme busyness of our former, pre-COVID lives and one can easily see why we find ourselves in such a panic.

Now read the Psalms. Keep in mind the conditions David was dealing with. On the run from his king. Unjustly accused. Persecuted without reason. Captured by the Philistines. Having to pretend he’s gone mad in order to escape. Living in caves in the desolate wilderness. Surviving off what he can scavenge. Fighting running battles off and on for seven long years. It’s a terrifying, stressful, and often brutal existence. Listen to how he describes it as he prays…

“Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭56:1-2‬)

“Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭120:5-6‬)

“Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet. The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭140:4-5‬)

“Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭142:6-7‬)

Medical experts tell us resiliency is built up over time. It is built up as we intentionally expose ourselves to discomfort and pain and suffering. One day a vaccine will be created for COVID-19. Many of us will be inoculated with a weakened form of the virus in order to boost our immune systems. By exposing our physical bodies to the disease, we will build up our strength to fight it off in the future. The same is true for us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, even communally. For far too long, we have believed the lie that we can live our lives without pain. We’ve bought into the false notion that suffering is to be avoided at all costs. We refuse to endure discomfort. Refuse to accept anything less than complete and unconditional affirmation for everything we say and do. We reject any critique or judgment of our lifestyle. We’ve tried to socially engineer failure out of existence by making sure everyone gets a trophy. To what end? We live in the wealthiest, most technologically advanced nation on earth and our biggest fear seems to be boredom. Adjusting to working from home. Teaching our children. Time spent in solitude and silence. Don’t we realize what we seemingly fear the most is simply real, everyday life in most of the rest of the world? So many of my friends who live in deep poverty around the globe are very confused by what they are seeing and hearing from the West these days. They ask me all kinds of questions like “why is teaching your child considered a burden?” “Why is working from home so challenging when you have a job that makes you more money in a year than my people might see in a lifetime?” “Why is life so exhausting when you sit in a chair all day, staring at a computer screen?” I am humbled by their honest, heartfelt questions. They are not seeking to condemn, just understand. What they do not grasp is that the difficulty of their daily lives has built in them a strength and resiliency we simply lack. Our relative wealth and leisure has weakened us to the point where we are far more susceptible to fear and anxiety. Far more sensitive to pain and suffering. Far more vulnerable to panic and alarm.

Please hear my heart. I don’t say these things out of judgment. I am not trying to shame anyone or add to the already heavy burdens we are carrying. I don’t want to minimize the very real trauma that is happening. People are losing jobs. People are getting sick. People are dying. Loved ones are suffering. All of these things are very real. As a pastor, I am deeply engaged in this fight. But I do think our lack of resiliency is worth pondering and praying over. I do think we’re called to reflect deeply on the words of the Psalmist and let his faith inform our faith during this season of crisis. As we endure. As we persevere. As we seek to serve Christ and our communities. I trust the Spirit will build in us a deep resiliency that will serve us well far into the future.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 25-27, Psalms 17, 73

Praying the Psalms

Readings for today: Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52

The longer we live in crisis, the more we find ourselves wrestling with despair. How long, O Lord? How long do we have to wait? How long do we have to suffer? How long does this pain have to last? We are desperate for answers. We look for people to blame. It may be another country. It may be another culture. It may be our political leaders. It may be that person at the grocery store who refuses to wear a mask or that neighbor who’s hoarded all the toilet paper. Our hearts fill with anger and frustration. Why don’t these people get it right? Why didn’t our leaders act sooner? Why don’t they re-open the economy? Why doesn’t the world do something about wet markets? Maybe it’s all one big conspiracy? Still no answers come. All we’re left with are the opinions of talking heads and spin doctors on cable news. Finally, we come to the end of ourselves. We realize there are really no answers to be had. No one person to blame. No enemy to fight. Life is just hard. Pandemics are not new. There actually is no way to protect ourselves from every bad thing that happens in this world. That’s when we turn to God. We surrender to Him. We submit to His will and His way. We praise Him even in the midst of the storm.

Does any of that sound familiar? Any of that ring a bell as you read the Psalms? Of course it does! The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. They are full of the songs of God’s people as they processed all they were going through in their lives. The Psalms are honest. Real. And very raw at times. They register the full range of emotions. They hit every note on the scale. There is joy. There is sadness. There is happiness. There is anger. There is success. There is failure. There is praise. There is despair. There is peace. There is anxiety. Over and over again, the Psalmist shares his heart with God. Almost every Psalm containing peaks and valleys. Spiritual highs and lows. And throughout the centuries God’s people have found solace in them in their time of need.

You and I are living in such a time. A time of great crisis and uncertainty. People are getting sick. People are dying. People are losing jobs. People are suffering in all sorts of ways. The immediate future looks bleak. It’s tough to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Tough to imagine what life looks like in a post-COVID world. That’s why I love the reading for today. I love reading these words over and over again…

“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭7:17‬)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭27:1‬)

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭27:14‬)

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!” (Psalm‬ ‭31:1-2‬)

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭34:17-19‬)

“I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭52:8‬)

May these words bring comfort to you today. May they be your lifeline in the days to come when things get hard. May they give you strength when you feel overwhelmed or anxious or afraid. May they give you hope when all seems lost. God is with us. He loves us. He will never abandon us. May you find your refuge in Him!

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, 142

The Shelter of the Most High

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 21-24, Psalms 91

What a beautiful Psalm! So on point for the crisis we find ourselves in. Written by a man who was no stranger to hardship and struggle. A man who suffered for years in the wilderness as he was unjustly pursued by his enemies. A man who knew pain. A man who knew poverty. A man who knew fear and anxiety. But a man who looked to God in faith for deliverance and rescue. David was truly a man after God’s own heart. He looked to God for His provision and protection. He refused to take matters into his own hands but constantly sought the Lord’s will for his life. Even as he fled from hideout to hideout. Taking refuge in caves and forests. In desert places and barren lands. He was seeking shelter in the shadow of the Most High, trusting God to keep his life every step of the way.

What about us? We are living in dark times. For the first time in history, the entire world has been shut down. The viral pandemic continues to spread and it hasn’t even penetrated some of the most vulnerable places. It is dangerous. It is infectious. It represents on some level a perfect storm. By now, most of us probably know someone who’s been infected. We may even know someone who’s succumbed to the disease. We all know healthcare professionals who are working long hours to fight the battle. We all know first responders who are engaged on the front lines. Some of us work in essential sectors of society like defense, childcare, grocery stores, and gasoline stations. Some of us have been furloughed or laid off as our businesses closed. The economy has taken a massive hit. And what started out for many as an “extended spring break” has now settled into the long, hard reality that life is not going back to normal anytime soon. Calls to mental health hotlines have dramatically increased. Social distancing has given way to social isolation as human beings - social creatures by nature - struggle to adapt to this new world. The stress and pressure has increased and we are not responding well. When they tried to close down liquor stores and pot dispensaries in my state, people almost rioted. These drugs are “essential” in helping us numb our pain. But the pain isn’t just personal. It’s societal as well. This crisis has exposed the cracks in our foundation as a nation. As the virus disproportionately impacts communities of color, historic injustices are exacerbated. As the virus disproportionately impacts the poor and most vulnerable, the gaps in income equality and our social safety nets are revealed. And perhaps most tragically, this viral pandemic has unmasked the corruption and narcissism of many of our political leaders on both sides of the aisle.

So where can we turn for hope? When all seems lost? When it seems like our resources are simply not enough to meet the challenge of this particular moment? When it seems our leadership is not trustworthy enough to depend on in this cultural moment? When it seems like so much information coming from the media these days is carefully filtered to support an already pre-determined narrative? We turn to God. We turn to the one constant in our lives. The One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The One who never changes. The One who is always faithful. Listen to these words again, dear friends…

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭91)

God alone is strong enough to lean on during this pandemic. God alone can be trusted to tell us the truth about what is really taking place. God alone has the power to deliver us from plague and sickness and even death. God alone can give us what we so desperately need. Eternal life. A life that transcends the brokenness and chaos and crisis of this world. A life that is safe and secure because it is sheltered by the Almighty Himself. Make God your dwelling place, friends! Make God your refuge! He will command His angels concerning you! Does this mean we will never suffer? Never experience pain? Never have to go through hardship? Of course not. God has never promised such things! What it means is that even in the midst of the fallenness of this ruined world, God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. And He is at work even now preparing a place for us in His eternal home.

Trusting God

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 17-20, Psalms 59

What does it mean to trust God? As Christians, we talk about it all the time. But then crisis hits. Pandemics rage. Conflict boils over. And our words are put to the test. Do we really trust God? Or are we simply paying lip service to an idea? David trusted God. In our reading today, we discover David was a strong young man. A man entrusted with protecting the wealth of his family. A man who spent his days and nights out in the fields. Through all kinds of weather. Suffering all kinds of hardship. Fighting off lions and bears and other wild animals. David is no novice to conflict. No fearful young boy. His confidence has been forged in the fires of hardship and struggle. 

Now he stands next to his brother as Goliath taunts the armies of Israel. David has as much right to be there as anyone. He may be a little younger but he’s just as qualified. There were no standing professional armies in those days so most of the warriors who had gathered to fight for Saul were much like him. Farmers. Sheepherders. Men of the fields. Men of the forge. Men who spent most of their lives in other professions. Goliath was an exception. He truly was a professional warrior. Someone who had trained for battle since his youth. A man of imposing size who the Philistines used to strike fear in their enemies. He challenges Israel. More importantly, he challenges the God of Israel..  

David trusts God. When asked why he can meet the Philistine with such confidence, David testifies of what the Lord has already done for him. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel‬ ‭17:37‬) David has faced incredible odds before. Fighting off lions and bears is no joke! It required courage to track those animals down and save his sheep. And it will require courage to go out and face this Philistine. David doesn’t blink. Not because he believes in himself but because of his deep and abiding faith in the God who has protected him and guided him thus far. So he grabs his sling and a few stones and off he goes. 

It’s one thing to say you trust God. It’s another to actually place yourself in a situation where that trust is put to the test. “Trusting God” for David meant defending his flocks against lions and bears. “Trusting God” for David meant going out to face the Philistine giant. “Trusting God” for David meant refusing to retaliate when Saul became jealous and sought to kill him. “Trusting God” for David meant continuing to serve Saul even though he was being treated unjustly. Over and over again, David trusts God with his life. His reputation. His relationships. His future. Remember, he’s already been anointed the next king! One would think he might try to grasp after what is rightfully his. Manipulate things in his favor. Use Saul’s mental instability to his own advantage. Imagine him standing on the field of battle, having just cut off Goliath’s head. Is there a better time to claim your throne? David does none of these things because David trusts God to work things out according to His will and His way and in His time.  

We are living in difficult times. And difficult times require a deeper level of trust in God because our own resources are not enough. How many parents are coming to the end of themselves as they both try to work from home and guide their kids through school? How many healthcare professionals and first responders are putting themselves at risk because they lack the PPE they need to safely fight this virus? How many people are shuttering their businesses or losing jobs as a result of the shutdown in place? What are you turning to for comfort in this hour? Alcohol? (I’ve stopped laughing at the jokes on social media about the amount of wine being consumed.) Drugs? (The number of mental health calls to crisis lines has gone up over 800% in some places and pot sales are through the roof.) Pornography or some other form of lurid entertainment? (Porn sites have reported double digit increases in traffic and hours are being spent on video games.) Friends, crisis exposes character. It magnifies the pre-existing cracks in our spiritual foundation. It elevates the spiritual emptiness that too many of us have lived with for far too long. It shatters our weak and superficial commitment to our faith. Only by turning to Christ, will we find the comfort we need in this desperate hour. Only by turning to Christ, will we find healing for the trauma we are experiencing as a people. Only by turning to Christ, will we find the strength and the courage to make it through. On this Good Friday of all days, may you turn in confidence to the One who loved you so much He gave His life for you.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 21-24, Psalms 91

Whole-hearted Devotion

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 13-16

"Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature...for the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Sam. ‭16:7‬) 

What does it mean to love God with a “whole” heart? To be fully devoted to Him? To make Him our first love? Does it mean outward perfection? King Saul literally stood head and shoulders above his countrymen.  (1 Sam. 10:23) Eliab, David’s older brother, clearly was an impressive physical specimen. (1 Sam. 16:6) Does it mean achievement or success? I am sure God could easily have lined up a hundred other men who had accomplished a heck of a lot more than David. Is it based on wealth or privilege? Or perhaps great moral character? What kind of heart does God treasure in a man or woman? The key is found in 1 Sam. 15:22-23..."Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.” Humility. Submission. Obedience. These are the qualities on which God places supreme value. Are we willing to listen? Willing to follow? Willing to surrender our plans in favor of God’s plan for our lives? Are we willing to trust God even when our circumstances seem bleak? Are we willing to obey even when it’s hard? 

King Saul was a half-hearted man. Though he was chosen by God and instructed by Samuel in the “rights and duties” of godly kingship, his heart was divided. At times, Saul was faithful and found great success. At other times, he was unfaithful and found only heartbreak.  In times of conflict, Saul seemed to trust in God and therefore win victory after victory. In times of preparation or peace, Saul seemed to forget God and trust in his own understanding. The unlawful sacrifice at Gilgal. A rash vow during the heat of battle. A refusal to devote the Amalekites to destruction. These events illustrate the half-hearted devotion Saul paid to Yahweh and it eventually cost him everything. The kingdom was literally ripped from his hands. The Spirit of the Lord departed from him. And he ended up tormented and paranoid. 

King David was a whole-hearted man. As we will see as we keep reading, David was a man after God’s own heart. This doesn’t make him perfect. His failures are massive and significant and costly. But through it all, David keeps seeking after God. David keeps humbling himself before God. David keeps returning to God in repentance. And God loves David. Honors David. Promises to give the throne to his descendents for generations.  

We are living in difficult times. Times like these test us. Refine us. Cause us to step back and take stock of our lives. So let’s engage in a little self-examination. How’s your heart? Are you half-hearted or whole-hearted in your love for Jesus? Do you find yourself longing for the gathering of the saints? Missing the opportunity to worship alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ? Is your heart drawn to prayer and Scripture during this season? Are you talking to God more or less? Are you spending more time with Him or less time? Do you find yourself searching for ways to serve? The lost and wandering? The least resourced and under privileged? Those who are most vulnerable to this pandemic? What’s the state of your emotions? Are you anxious and afraid? Are you weighed down by the burdens of this world? Do you find yourself struggling to get out of bed each morning? Jesus invites you to come to Him to find rest. Have you accepted His invitation? Jesus invites you to cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you. Are you willing to let go? Jesus promises to be with you always. In the midst of dark valleys. In the midst of all the pain and suffering of this life. He is near the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit, reaching out His hand. Are you reaching back? Friends, in this time of crisis, we’ve been forcibly reminded of how little control we have in this life. Our strength is not enough. Our wisdom has thus far failed. Our power and wealth afford us no protections. We can’t count on these things to save us. Instead we must turn to God. With our whole hearts. Trusting His grace to carry us through.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 17-20, Psalms 59

The Spirit of God

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 9-12

”Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you.” (1 Samuel 10:6-7)

The people of Israel found themselves in a time of crisis. Samuel, the faithful judge who had led them for so many years, was failing. His sons did not possess the character of their father. It would not be much longer and Israel would have no leader. No spiritual authority. No one to point them to God and protect them from their enemies. So they called for a king. Giving into their fears and anxiety, they asked Samuel to anoint someone to take his place. Someone who would reign and rule over them like the other nations. Someone who would guide and protect them. Someone they could look to in difficult times. Samuel is crestfallen, of course. He takes it as a rejection of his own leadership. God, however, reminds Samuel that it is not him they are rejecting but God Himself. Out of grace, God grants Israel’s request. He gives them a king named Saul. A man with great leadership potential. A charismatic leader who can rally Israel and deliver them from their enemies. However, what truly sets Saul apart is the Spirit of the Living God. After Saul meets Samuel and is anointed king, Samuel tells him to expect something miraculous to happen. Saul will actually be changed into a different man by the Holy Spirit. God Himself will rush upon Saul, giving him all he needs to be successful. All Saul has to do is walk in obedience and Israel will be saved.

God is still in the salvation business. God is still at work through His people in times of great crisis like the one we are currently facing. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit rushes upon us and we are reborn. We are changed into different men and women. We are given new hearts. We are transformed from the inside out. God empowering and strengthening us for the work of ministry He’s called us to in this world. Unlike in the Old Testament where the Spirit of God would come and go on a person, in the New Testament the gift of the Spirit is permanent. God coming to take up actual residence in our hearts. God coming to dwell with us on a regular basis. God filling us eternally with His very presence. As such, we are given gifts and graces. The gifts are manifold. Wisdom. Knowledge. Understanding. Discernment. Boldness. Evangelistic zeal. Tongues. Prophecy. Miracles. The list is endless because God is endless. The graces are also manifold and perhaps even more important. They are the fruit of a life lived in humble submission to God. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self-discipline. Taken together, these gifts and graces become the resources a believer draws on as she/he seeks to serve the world in Jesus’ name.

So far in our reading we’ve encountered some amazing spiritual leaders. Moses. Joshua. Judges like Deborah and Gideon. Samuel. All of them filled with God’s Spirit. All of them called to lead God’s people in times of great crisis. All of them given the gifts and graces necessary to do the work God has called them to do. It is tempting as we read the stories of these spiritual heroes and heroines to believe that could never be us. We’re too ordinary. Too weak. Too frail in our faith. It’s tempting to believe our calling is far more mundane. But nothing could be further from the truth! The same Spirit that empowered Moses to split a sea and Joshua to tear down walls and gave Deborah a song of victory to sing is the same Spirit that lives and dwells inside the heart of every true Christian! So in this time of great crisis…as so many live in fear and anxiety of contracting a deadly disease…as so many struggle with lost jobs and lost hopes and lost dreams…as so many feel the isolating effects of social distancing and depression…as so many wrestle with deep grief over those they’ve lost…we have an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ! To offer a comforting word or comforting shoulder in the name of Christ! To point people to the eternal hope they too can have if they place their trust in Christ!

Don’t worry about having all the answers! Don’t worry about getting everything right! Don’t worry about making mistakes! Trust the Spirit to lead you! Trust the Spirit to guide you! Simply “do what your hand finds to do for God is with you!”

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 13-16

Miracles vs. Magic

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 4-8

Today’s reading is critical for us to understand in light of our current cultural moment. Far too many Christians are treating their faith like magic. They are treating Jesus like some kind of magic talisman that will save them from the virus. Over the weekend, I saw interviews with Christians attending church in large numbers in Louisiana which is now one of the epicenters of the disease. When the reporters asked them why they felt safe attending worship, the answer was almost always some variation of “I’m covered in the blood of Jesus so I’m protected.” In addition, I’ve seen post after post on Twitter of scamvangelists claiming to “defeat” the coronavirus with a prayer or a declaration or some other weird act that makes no sense. (I even saw a guy pretend to “spit” on the virus! Smh.) I think God must be doing facepalms on His throne in heaven.

Consider this story from our reading for today. “And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies." So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, "What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight." So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” (1 Samuel‬ ‭4:3-11‬)

The people of Israel were unwilling to confront their own sin. Unwilling to reflect on their own unfaithfulness. They were unwilling to confront the real reason for their defeat at the hands of the Philistines. Instead, they attempted to turn the ark of God into some kind of magical totem to strike terror into their enemies. They tried to use the ark of God for their own purposes. To further their own agenda. Hophni and Phinehas were corrupt priests. Ungodly leaders for Israel who disdained the worship of the Living God. They had no fear of the Lord so when they brought the ark into battle, they were utterly defeated. It was an empty shell without the Lord’s presence. It held no power of its own. God refuses to let His name be abused. He refuses to let His power be co-opted for human ends. He refuses to share His glory with another.

Every time we treat our faith like magic, it will fail. Every time we attribute some power to the “blood of Jesus” rather than Jesus Himself, we will be let down. Every time we try to make prayer an incantation of some kind or claim some sort of special power for our words simply because we say them in the “name of Jesus”, we are committing a grave sin. We are taking the Lord’s name in vain. We are declaring things in His name He has not declared. We are refusing to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. We are refusing to repent and fall on our faces before the Lord. We are trying to use God for our own ends. For our own purposes. To further our own plans. And God will not be mocked. He refuses to allow His name to be abused in such ways. He refuses to let His power be co-opted by religious charlatans. He refuses to share His glory with another. Including you. Including me.

So what should we do? Does this mean we shouldn’t pray for a cure? Ask God for a miracle? Cry out Hosanna…Save us, O Son of David? Of course not! God invites His people to pray for all these things and more! God delights when His people approach His throne of grace with confidence, trusting Him to work according to His divine purposes. God engages His people in their pain and suffering, bringing comfort as only he can bring. God draws near the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit. God is with us. God never leaves us or forsakes us. God promises He will protect us - whether in this world or the next. He has us in the palm of His hand. As long as we pray in faith. Faith that God is for us. God is with us. God knows what’s best for us. We can trust God to answer according to His will and ways which are always perfect. But always keep in mind this world is not our home. This life is not what God intends. God has something far better prepared for us in eternity and that is what He is working towards in each of our individual lives. So we must trust Him. Even if He withholds healing in this world, we know it’s because He has something better prepared for us in the world to come. Even if He doesn’t put an end to this plague on our timeline, we know it’s because He allows suffering for a season in order to draw all people to Himself. So keep praying for a miracle and resist the temptation to turn your faith into magic!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 9-12

Revival

Readings for today: 1 Samuel 1-3

Today’s reading represents a transition point in salvation history. As we’ve already seen, things are really bad in Israel. The people do not honor God. They do not have leaders who honor God. They are simply going through the motions of worship. Saying all the right things. Making all the right sacrifices. But in their hearts, they reject God. The rebel against His Law. Their priests are a disaster, engaging in sexual immorality. Making a mockery of the sacrificial system. Abusing their spiritual authority. Eli and his sons are the last in the line of the judges. A corrupt time in Israel’s history that heartens back to the days of the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel, and slavery in Egypt. And it reminds me of our own time as well. I think of the “scamvangelists” I see on television promising all kinds of miracles and blessings to those who will send in money right now. I think of many preachers who abuse their spiritual power and authority to engage in all sorts of sexual abuse and immorality. I think of the pastors who are trying to leverage this moment for their fifteen minutes of fame while placing their congregations in real danger. It’s scary.

Thankfully, God never abandons us. At each point in salvation history when things seem darkest, God Himself brings forth a new light. A new leader. Godly leaders who would seek Him with all their hearts and be “blameless” (not perfect) in their generation. Noah. Abraham. Moses. Now it’s Samuel’s turn to take up the mantle of leadership and lead Israel back to Yahweh. Samuel is really a bridge from the time of the Judges to the time of the Kings. He will oversee a major transition in the life of Israel as they go from a bunch of tribes, each with their own identity, to one nation under a strong, centralized monarchy. It’s also striking to note Samuel’s age when he receives this call. Noah, Abraham, and Moses were all old men. Well beyond their prime. Samuel is a young boy. Not yet come into his own. The message here? God can use anyone at anytime to accomplish His purposes.  

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” (1 Samuel‬ ‭3:1-3‬)

Several things stand out in this passage. The Word of the Lord was rare. There was no vision. Eli, the current judge and spiritual leader of Israel, was going blind. All of these are connected. Israel was so mired in sin that God had gone almost silent. Throughout the Bible we see this dynamic in play.  

• “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

• “For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from Me, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.” (Jeremiah 16:17)

• “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” ‭(Hebrews‬ ‭4:13‬)

God will not be mocked. When God’s people continue to turn to sin instead of turning to Him in faithfulness, He will withdraw His presence. He will withhold His Word. He will give “them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity...give them up to dishonorable passions...give them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) And that is exactly what had taken place in Israel and in Eli’s own family. Eli failed to discipline and restrain his sons. Hophni and Phineas are the very definition of corrupt religious leaders who manipulate the faith for their own benefit. And though things look okay on the outside - i.e. sacrifices are being made, prayers are being said, worship is taking place - the people of God are spiritually dying.

Thankfully, all hope is not lost! The lamp of God had not yet gone out! A young boy lies down in the temple of the Lord ready to receive His Word anew! Note the differences between Eli and Samuel. Eli is old. Infirm. Going blind. Samuel is young. Strong. His eyesight is clear. Eli is alone. Lying down in his own place. Samuel is also alone but makes his bed in the temple to be near the ark of God. Eli is associated in this passage with the rarity of God’s Word and a lack of vision. Samuel is associated with hope because light still flickered in the lamp of God.  

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man (or woman) fully consecrated to him.” (Attributed to Dwight L. Moody) Spiritual revival always begins with one person fully devoting themselves to God. Samuel was set apart from conception to be such a man. His mother gave him to the Lord to be raised in the temple. He was open to hear God’s call when it came. As a result, revival did come to Israel. “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” (1 Samuel‬ ‭3:19-21‬) 

Where do you find yourself today? In the midst of our current crisis? In the midst of all the social isolation and quarantine? Are you like Eli, Hophi, and Phineas? Enslaved to your sinful desires? Pursuing a life apart from God? Is the Word of the Lord rare in your life? Let me strongly encourage you to go before the Lord in honest, even ruthless, self-examination. Ask God to show you the areas of your life that need to be surrendered. Or are you more like Samuel? Do you have a heart for God? Let me encourage you to dig deep into His Word. Dedicate daily time in prayer. Listen for God’s voice as it comes to you through His Word or through other believers or through your own personal prayer time. And when He speaks, may you answer with Samuel, “Speak Lord! Your servant is listening.”

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 4-8

Always Hope

Readings for today: Ruth 1-4

Years ago, I found myself white-water canoeing down the Snake River in Wyoming as part of a Boy Scout High Adventure experience. The weather was beautiful. The scenery was gorgeous. All the hard work of paddling and portaging our canoes was well-worth it. However, part way through the trip, my partner and I got distracted. We were goofing around like teenagers are wont to do and weren’t paying attention. Suddenly, our canoe came up against a logjam in the river and flipped over. My partner was able to scramble to shore but I went under. Now logjams are dangerous for all sorts of reasons. Mostly, you can get caught on the branches underneath and drown. I have no idea how long I was under but I remember feeling panicked beyond belief. Fighting, clawing my way to the surface only to be dragged back down. It felt like an eternity. And just when I reached the point of giving up that’s when I finally popped to the surface. I can still remember taking that first breath of fresh air. Filling my lungs with oxygen. Expelling all the carbon dioxide that had built up. It was glorious.

That’s how I feel when I finally get to Ruth each year. After almost drowning in the chaos and madness of the Book of Judges, I feel like the Bible brings us up for a breath of fresh air. It reminds us that even in the darkest of times there is always hope. Despite all of the rape and murder and violence of the time of the Judges, God was still at work. Behind the scenes. Under the radar. In ways we often cannot see. While the nations raged and the tribes fought and the world descended into darkness, God’s light shines through an ordinary woman meeting an ordinary man with the result being an extraordinary love story.

There’s actually no way the Book of Ruth makes any logical sense. Ruth is a foreigner. A Moabite. When her first husband dies, she should have done what her sister-in-law did and gone back to her family. Instead, she makes this incredibly courageous and faithful decision to remain with Naomi. To leave her family and community and culture and religion behind. In short, she’s leaving her former identity and adopting a new one. With no guarantees. No guarantee she will be accepted. No guarantee she will get married again. No guarantee that she won’t spend the rest of her life in abject poverty. For all she knows, when Naomi returns home, Ruth could be rejected and thrown out onto the street. Still she remains faithful. She follows her mother-in-law home.

And of course we know the rest of the story. In seeking to care for her mother-in-law and ward off starvation, she gleans fields, meaning she picks up the leftovers of the harvest. These are the scraps they will survive on. However, one day she happens to catch the eye of Boaz. The owner of the fields. A distant relative of Naomi’s who can serve as a “kinsman-redeemer.” Someone who can actually bring Ruth and Naomi into his household and provide for them. Boaz and Ruth meet. Sparks fly. Ruth makes the bold request - for a woman in those days - to essentially marry Boaz and he accepts. The result is a son named Obed who will become the grandfather of David.

Remember this whole episode started because a famine hit the land. That natural disaster set in motion a chain of events that led to Boaz and Ruth coming together as the next link in the line of King David which is really the line of King Jesus, our Messiah. And if this is how God worked in the past, can we not have confidence He is working even now? In the midst of our national crisis? In the midst of a pandemic that spans the globe? Is He not working in the ordinary lives of human beings just like you and me, bringing forth redemption? This is why Christians always cling to hope. Not because we have confidence in the plans of human beings, no matter how well-conceived and well-laid. It’s because we have confidence in God. And no matter how dark things may get, we trust God to be our light and lead us through.

Madness

Readings for today: Judges 19-21

Today we encounter some of the most difficult material in all of Scripture. We see Israel at her lowest point. She has forgotten Yahweh. She has become like all the pagan tribes around her. She is more focused on her own gratification than she is on serving and honoring the Lord. Her world is full of idols and sexual perversion and violence. Yes, she still goes through the motions. She still makes her sacrifices. She still prays. Fasts. Appears before the Lord at the appointed times. But it’s all empty at this point. Everyone is doing what seems right to them. They are all following their own ways. They are plumbing the depths of sin. They are pushing the boundaries of evil. Unspeakable atrocities are taking place in Israel such as the gang rape of a woman whose body is dismembered resulting in a genocidal war that basically annihilates an entire tribe. It’s madness.  

One of my favorite books is the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. With penetrating insight, he describes the nature of man. Given the right conditions. Given the right set of circumstances. We will all succumb to temptation. In the book, Kurtz sets himself up as a god to be worshipped. He exploits those around him. He uses them for his own personal gratification and enjoyment. He is evil and selfish and insane. Towards the end of the story, he finds himself dying as he “returns” to civilization. His life flashes before his eyes. He reflects back on all he has done. And his final words are, “The horror! The horror!” 

Horror. It’s a good word to describe what we read today from the book of Judges. There simply is nothing redemptive in the story. Nothing good. Nothing godly. Man’s inhumanity to man is on full display. It’s dark. It’s evil. It’s terrifying. Sadly, we see some of the same dynamics in play in our world today. Even amidst a global pandemic, some of our political leaders can’t stop lying. Can’t stop attacking one another. Can’t stop trying to tear each other down in order to make themselves look good. It’s horrifying. But it’s not just them. It’s us as well. Twitter is still full of rage and anger and hate. Racism is alive and well as people target Asian-Americans simply because the virus happened to originate in China. Ignorant and foolish people are being charged with assault for purposefully spitting on others. Greedy, self-serving opportunists try to make a quick buck by purchasing needed supplies in bulk to sell off at a profit. Hoarders strip the shelves bare of necessities leaving the most vulnerable among us to fend for themselves. And we haven’t even begun to see the worst. The next three weeks promise to be among the most difficult we’ve ever faced as a nation. People will get sick. Loved ones will die. Jobs will be lost. Businesses will close. Fear and anxiety will only increase. And that’s just here in the United States. What about those nations where the crisis is just beginning? Nations who do not have the benefit of first world resources? A national healthcare system? Access to technology? Doctors? Medicine? I shudder think of what this virus might do to the slums of Addis Ababa and others like it. Horror, indeed.

If we’re totally honest, we know all of us are guilty on some level. I give into fear. I give into anxiety. As the stress builds, it can bring out the worst in me. Darkness that I’ve tried very hard to bury deep starts to emerge. As I read our passage today, I realize all of us are perpetrators. All of us are victims. We are the Levite. We are the concubine. We’ve sacrificed others and we’ve been sacrificed for the sake of self-protection and self-gratification. In the Bible’s judgment, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans‬ ‭3:10-18‬)

Perhaps it’s providential that we read this section of Judges as we enter Holy Week. A period of time where we reflect on the Cross. On the death of God. The most horrific act in human history. We reflect on the price Jesus paid. The blood He shed. The penalty He bore. This week we will reflect on the suffering He endured. The pain He experienced. The heartbreak of betrayal. We will reflect on the depth of our sin. The depravity of our nature. The darkness of our hearts. We will reflect on the cost of our salvation. On what it took to redeem us from sin and death. To deliver us from all evil. And as we reflect we also remember our salvation! God plunging Himself into the horror of our condition! Plumbing the depth of our darkness! Immersing Himself in the breadth of our madness! And embracing us as His own! Today we declare there is hope for the Levite and his concubine! Today we declare there is hope for the Kurtz’s of our world! Today we declare there is hope for the fearful and afflicted and anxious and afraid! Today we declare there is hope even for us! And that hope is found in Jesus!

Readings for tomorrow: Ruth 1-4

Holy Despair

Readings for today: Judges 14-18

I grew up in church. Sunday school every weekend. Learning the Bible stories via flannel board. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Noah on his ark. Moses parting the Red Sea. Joshua and the battle of Jericho. One of my favorites was Samson. For a young boy, what’s not to like? Strength. Power. One man winning victory after victory culminating in a final heroic act of self-sacrifice where Samson literally brings the roof down on his enemies!  

As I got older, I began to learn about all the stuff my Sunday school teachers left out. (Rightfully, by the way, as I was too young to understand.) Adam and Eve’s rebellion and descent into sin. Noah and his family being saved but at incredible cost. Moses parting the Red Sea but often ending up in these violent clashes that would end in entire families being wiped out. Joshua devoting entire cities to destruction. And Samson. Morally compromised. Selfish. Immature. A man who seems to use his God-given gifts for his own gain and self-gratification. What are we to make of such unlikely heroes? Men and women who are subsequently enshrined in the great “Hall of Fame” of faith in the New Testament Book of Hebrews? 

First and foremost, we are to see them as they are...not as we wish they would be. They are men. They are women. As such, they are sinners just like us. People whom God chooses to use despite their shortcomings, failings, and immorality. This is one of the best arguments FOR the trustworthiness of Scripture. It paints an honest picture of God’s chosen people. Putting their weaknesses on display right alongside their strengths. Compare that to the sacred writings of other major world religions where heroes are whitewashed to perfection.  

Second, we are to look beyond them to the true source of their strength. The true source of their wisdom. The true source of their miracles and great victories. It is the Spirit of the Lord that rushes on Samson and gives him the ability to tear a lion apart. Kill a bunch of Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Trap and tie torches to hundreds of foxes. Tear off a city gate. Bring an entire building down around him. This is not Samson’s doing. It has very little to do with the length of his hair. That’s superstitious nonsense! No, not cutting his hair was simply an outward sign of the Nazirite Vow his parents had taken on his behalf before he was even conceived. (Judges 13:2-5) Keeping the vow was a sign of his devotion and dedication to the Lord, the true source of his strength. When he treated his vow casually or flippantly by allowing his wife to nag him to death, his strength left him. Again, not because he cut his hair but because in so doing, he despised the Lord.

Finally, the entire book of Judges is meant to lead us to despair. Each judge over Israel seems less and less capable of leading well. They are increasingly morally compromised. Increasingly losing sight of the One True God. Increasingly abandoning the ways of the Lord and following their own paths. In fact, the city of Dan - a major city in the Northern Kingdom of Israel - will continue to be a city known for its idolatry. Jeroboam will put one of his golden calves here in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. So what begins with violence and idolatry by the tribe of Dan will continue until the day God sends the Assyrians to wipe out the northern kingdom altogether. 

Why drive us to such despair? To teach us yet again of our need for God. Over and over again, the same narrative is reinforced. Humanity is hopeless. From Adam and Eve to the Great Flood. From Noah to the Tower of Babel. From Abraham to slavery in Egypt. From Moses to the end of Judges. With each generation, man’s inhumanity to man only grows. Only increases. Only becomes more pervasive. And we would be lost except for God. He continues to pursue us. He continues to reach out to us. He continues to be faithful even in the face of our unfaithfulness. The climax of this story is, of course, something we celebrate this Holy Week. Jesus’ suffering. Jesus’ death on a cross. Jesus’ burial in a grave. Jesus’ resurrection. God’s ultimate and final victory over sin and death.  

Readings for tomorrow: Judges 19-21

Living Sacrifice

Readings for today: Judges 10-13

The other night I had a conversation with my kids about sacrifice. We talked about how the greatest sacrifice one can make in our culture is to lay one’s life down for someone else. This ethic, of course, comes from Jesus who Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John‬ ‭15:13‬) Now, we tend to read this individually. We celebrate the individual hero who makes the sacrifice play. It is the basis of every great movie. The basis of every great story. I think of the narrative arc of the recent Avengers series in which a completely self-centered, self-absorbed person (Tony Stark) becomes the hero in the end who gives his life to save the world. It’s the same narrative that underlies the Matrix trilogy. The Lord of the Rings. Star Wars. You name it.

However, Jesus would have understood this differently. Jesus lived in an “honor/shame” society. As such, He didn’t think in individualistic terms. He thought more in terms of community. Nation. Covenant people. When Jesus talks about laying one’s life down for his friends, He’s talking about sacrificing for the sake of the whole. Preserving the honor - not just the life - of the community. Not only that but Jesus’ own sacrifice preserves the honor of God Himself who promised to lay down His life for the sake of His covenant with His people way back in Genesis 15! One simply cannot overstate how important honor would have been in first century culture. And as we rewind back through the centuries. Back to the time of the Judges. Back to the time when Jephthah led Israel, the “honor/shame” dynamic would have been even stronger. This is critically important context to know if we are to understand the story.

Here’s a second piece of context as well. When we travel to Ethiopia, we often head into the rural areas to visit village churches. As we walk along the dirt paths, we pass home after home. Most of them are mud huts surrounded by a little brush fence. In the evenings, we see children driving whatever livestock (donkeys, chickens, goats, etc.) the family owns into the enclosure. This keeps the animals safe and the house warm. It’s a common custom all over the Middle East even to this day. So when Jephthah made his rash vow, he fully expected the first thing to greet him when he returned home to be a goat or a sheep or some other animal. He most certainly did NOT expect it to be his daughter! So when she comes dancing out of the home with her tambourine, he tears his clothes. He instantly regrets the vow he made. But he feels trapped. After all, his honor is now on the line. The honor of his family. And in his own limited understanding, the honor of his God. His daughter understands this as well which is why she willingly lays down her life to preserve her family’s honor! She willingly gives her life to help her father save face! She willingly accepts her fate and believes her family’s reputation - and her God’s reputation - is worth her sacrifice.

It’s a story that baffles us on a lot of levels. How could Jephthah go through with it? How could he sacrifice his own flesh and blood? How could Jephthah’s daughter willingly lay down her life? And where is God in all of this? Is He pleased? The cultural distance between this world and our own is almost insurmountable. However, a key to understanding is provided from the letter Jephthah sends the king of the Ammonites in Judges 11:23-24, “So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess? And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess.” You see, everyone in the ancient near east believed in the gods. Dagon for the Philistines. Chemosh for the Amorites. Molech for the Ammonites. Every tribe had their own deity. And every deity demanded honor. Demanded worship. Demanded sacrifice. If you made the right sacrifices, you were rewarded with great wealth, military might, and political power. If you honored your god, he would, in turn, honor you. However, make the wrong sacrifices or bring dishonor to your god in some way and you would face judgment. Defeat. Plague. Famine. Drought. Death. Sadly, as Jephthah’s letter suggests, Israel had begun to buy into this way of thinking. They began to adopt the ways of the Canaanites - just as Yahweh said they would - and so Yahweh ceased, in their eyes, to be the One True God and became just another petty tribal deity. Thus, Jepthah’s tragic choice to sacrifice his daughter and her tragic choice to accept her fate.

The most important takeaway for me today is God’s silence. Nowhere does the Bible say God is pleased with Jephthah’s decision. And just because something appears in the Bible doesn’t make it good or godly or honoring. In fact, one of the things I love most about the Scriptures is its raw honesty about the character of the people God chooses to love. Gives me hope for myself! So how then should we respond to this text? What does it mean to give God…the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…the God revealed fully and completely in Jesus Christ…the honor He deserves and demands? Does it require human sacrifice? Not in the way Jephthah believed. Instead, it requires us to become “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is our spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) We honor God with the lives we lead. We honor God with the words we say. We honor God by how we treat others. Particularly those who are lost or struggling or lonely or afraid. In this particular cultural moment, we bring honor to God by the loving our neighbor. Remaining indoors. Submitting to the governing authorities. Praying for God to make Himself known in the midst of our national and international pain and suffering.

Readings for tomorrow: Judges 14-17

Humility

Readings for today: Judges 6-9

One of my favorite books is by Andrew Murray. It’s a classic titled Humility. A short little read with insights packed into every page. Here is how he defines humility. “Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all...The highest glory of the creature is in being only a vessel, to receive and enjoy and show forth the glory of God. It can do this only as it is willing to be nothing in itself, that God may be all. Water always fills first the lowest places. The lower, the emptier a man lies before God, the speedier and the fuller will be the inflow of the diving glory.”

I think we can all agree humility is a virtue sorely lacking in our world today. Even in the face of a life-threatening pandemic, too many of us still cling to our pride, arrogance, entitlement, and self-indulgence. I think of the young kids ignoring the danger to party on the beaches of Florida during spring break. I think of the politicians who simply cannot help themselves and use this crisis to score political points against the opposition. I think of the blame game the media engages in as it attempts to stoke our fears and outrage. I think of the pastors who still gather their churches in defiance of the best advice our public health officials have to offer. It’s heartbreaking. It’s sinful. It’s the spirit of self-righteousness that God hates so much. And none of us are immune. Sure, we know how to say the right things. “God is first in my life!” “I love God the most!” “God is my all in all!” We sing songs that declare these truths. We sit through sermons where these truths are proclaimed. We tell these things to our Christian friends. But one look at our schedule. One look at our bank account. A glance at our Twitter feed, Instagram, or Facebook account. A moment of honest self-reflection. All these conspire to reveal what we really believe. We are our own gods. 

Gideon was different. Not perfect. Not blameless in his generation. Not powerful and mighty among men. No, what marked him was his humility. The angel of the Lord found him treading out grain in a winepress. Providing for his family at great risk to himself. When the Lord called him to become the next judge over Israel, Gideon echoes Moses at the burning bush. “Who am I that you would send me?” So unsure of himself, he puts God to the test by laying out a fleece not once but twice! God honors his humble heart. Gideon was humble enough to place his faith and trust into action. He tears down the altar of Baal. He sends home his entire army before battle. And then, when confronted at the beginning of Judges 8 by the Ephraimites who wanted to claim the glory, he humbled himself before them and honored them. It’s a stunning display. Finally, when it is all said and done, the people want to make him king. He refuses the crown. He refuses to take God’s rightful place in their lives. In the words of Murray, Gideon understood “the highest glory of the creature is in being only a vessel, to receive and enjoy and show forth the glory of God.” 

What about us? What does humility look like in our own lives? Surely, it is more than words. It is life lived intentionally under the sovereign authority of God. A life lost in the vision that God is all. A life lived before God, submitted to God, surrendered to God. What does such a life look like in the 21st century in the midst of a global pandemic? It is a life of worship. Daily. Weekly. It is a life of Sabbath rest as we shelter in place. It is a life of prayer. It is a life of reflection on the Scriptures. It’s a life spent serving those we love. Our families. Our friends. Our neighbors. Ultimately, it’s a life of service to the Kingdom. It’s a life of devotion to our Lord. It’s a life that intentionally directs all its resources - time, talent, treasure - towards God. It is a life that engages the world while remaining set apart. A life of risk where safety and comfort are sacrificed for the sake of the gospel. 

Readings for tomorrow: Judges 10-13

Testing

Readings for today: Judges 2-5

The Bible talks a lot about how God uses the circumstances of our lives to test the veracity of our faith. Do we believe God is who He says He is? Not just in the good times but in the bad as well? Do we praise God only when times are calm or are we able to praise Him in the storm? Do we consider it all joy - as James 1 says - when we face trials of various kinds? Do we understand in those moments that God is up to something in our lives? Can we see how He uses all things - even worldwide pandemics - for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose? Do we trust God enough to let the testing of our faith produce in us a steadfastness that actually leads to a deeper, fully, richer, more complete faith?

The beginning of the Book of Judges makes it clear that Israel has failed. She has not followed through. She has not driven out the nations who occupied the Promised Land. This will become a massive problem for her in the years ahead but God is faithful. He will use even their disobedience for His sovereign purposes. Yes, their presence will become a thorn in Israel’s side. Yes, their gods will seek to ensnare Israel along the way. But rather than break faith with Israel. Rather than abandon the covenant He had made. God turns what they meant for evil for their good. He uses the pagan nations of the earth to test His people. Refine them. Strengthen them. Bring them to repentance. “These nations were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” ‭‭(Judges‬ ‭3:4‬)

I do not believe God created COVID-19. I do not believe God sent COVID-19 to punish our country for our sins any more than He’s sent it to any other country to punish them for their sins. There is plenty of sin to go around. The world is full of disobedience. In what will become a common refrain in the Book of Judges, “everyone does what is right in their own eyes.” However, I do believe God is sovereign. I do believe God is omnipotent. I do believe God is omniscient. I do believe God is using this cultural moment as means of drawing the world back to Himself. The more we repent. The more we cry out to God. The more we reach out for Him in the midst of our grief and suffering and pain, the more He will make Himself known to us. After all, He promises He is with the “broken-hearted and those crushed in spirit.” (Psalms 34:18)

So the question for us today is this…will we allow God to use this testing to shape us more into the image of Christ? Or will we stubbornly cling to our self-sufficient ways? Will we trust God to use even our pain for His purposes? Or will we accuse God of falling down on the job? Will we believe God when He says He is with us always even to the end of the age and that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will one day be revealed in us? Or will we cling to the things of this world with all our might? Will we have faith to walk with open hands before the Lord? Or will we clench our fists in fear and frustration?

Readings for tomorrow: Judges 6-9