Learning to Pray

Readings for today: Psalms 26, 40-41, 58, 61-62, 64

What is prayer? Communion with God. On our knees. Folded hands. Eyes closed. Forming thoughts in our minds and sending them upwards like sparks from a fire? Is it a conversation or more of a monologue? A task we have to complete each day if we want to stay on God’s good side? Something we do before meals or before bed? Is it the recitation of memorized words learned as a child and carried through to adulthood? “Now I lay me down to sleep...” “Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for this food.” “Our Father, who art in heaven...” What is prayer? 

The Psalms are the prayerbook of the Bible. 150 different prayers written by different people on different occasions as they wrestled with life. Readers of the Psalms are always struck by their raw honesty and transparency. The beautiful way they express the deepest emotions of the human heart. The vivid descriptions of God and His great faithfulness. They are marvelous and great teachers when it comes to prayer.  

One of the biggest things I’ve learned in the years I’ve spent meditating on the Psalms is that prayer comes more from the heart than the head. Prayer is less about me forming thoughts or saying words or reciting texts and more about laying before God the deepest emotions of my heart. Deep prayer doesn’t require much in the way of words. Just letting the feelings flow and trusting God is hearing what’s behind them. This is what makes David such a great Psalmist. He doesn’t seem to stop to think about the “appropriateness” of his feelings. He doesn’t seem to “judge” his emotions. He just lets them fly up to God and trusts God is big enough and great enough to make sense out of the chaos. 

It’s why he can express contradictory emotions all in the same prayer. “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked...O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” (Psalms‬ ‭26:5, 8‬) He feels no need to try to make sense of it all. He trusts God can sort it out. 

He can express his anger and desire for vengeance against those who hurt him. “O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun...The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth." (Psalms‬ ‭58:6-8, 10-11‬) And almost in the same breath, be so tender. “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalms‬ ‭62:8‬)

Ultimately, the Psalms give us permission to be real and authentic before God. To truly be ourselves. To put aside all pretense and performance and let drop the masks we so often wear.  

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 19-21, Psalms 5, 38, 42

Human Nature

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 16-18

In my devotional reading this morning, I came across these words, “Deep in every human life there is somehow that which defiles it.” Written in 1943 in the midst of World War 2 by a prominent pastor in New York City. He saw firsthand the impact “crisis” made on people. He came of age during World War 1. He began his ministry in the Roaring Twenties. He served through the Great Depression until the end of World War 2. He was a national voice. He helped our nation process their pain. And the one thing he kept coming back to over and over again was how all these different crises revealed the “de-formation” of humanity’s soul. We just couldn’t get out of our own way. We kept striving in our own strength. We kept turning to our own wisdom. But it was clear to Rev. Scherer that the world’s resources were now played out. The highest ideals of secularism had descended into the horrors of the Holocaust. Science produced fearful and terrifying weapons of mass destruction. Set free from the shackles of religion, humanity pursued it’s own end with tragic consequences. All that was left was what Nietzsche called, “the will to power.” Millions died as a result. Millions experienced systematic abuse and oppression. Millions suffered the consequences of our collective anger and hate.

I was struck by how little has changed in our reading today. Humanity just hits the “repeat” button with every generation. The people of Israel abandon David. The once-great hero is now on the run for his life. All the power dynamics of this particular ancient near east society are thrown up in the air. Allegiances change overnight. Everyone casting their lot with the person they believe will eventually prevail. Ziba makes a play for his master’s wealth. Shimei takes the opportunity to take out all his frustrations. Abishai reverts to type, thinking he can solve every problem with violence. Ahithophel is so ashamed when his advice isn’t taken, he goes home and takes his own life. Joab seizes the opportunity to kill Absalom against the specific orders from his king. David weeps over the death of his son. Israel will return to David but nothing will ever again be the same. Violence and suffering and warfare will mark the rest of David’s reign. There is just something dark and deep in our nature that continues to defile us.

Now consider our own situation. A pandemic rages across the world. It seems highly infectious. It is dangerous as well especially to those who are vulnerable in terms of age or health conditions. The pandemic exacerbates the highly charged political divisions that already exist. Polarization deepens. The chasm between people widens. Distrust flourishes, fed by corporate and social media platforms who are more committed to their own agendas rather than truth. The flames of fear and anxiety are fanned higher and higher. We are facing the very real consequences of our decisions both personally and politically. More people are getting sick. More people are dying from COVID-19. More people are losing jobs. More businesses are shutting down. The mental health crisis only grows. Domestic violence is on the rise. Substance abuse increases. There is no win here. There is only the hope of mitigating as much loss as possible. But still we look for someone to blame. Still we look for someone to attack. Still we look for a scapegoat. There is something dark and deep in our nature that continues to defile us.

Where can we find hope? Only in Christ. Christ gives us compassion to walk in another person’s shoes. Christ gives us grace to allow people to make mistakes. Christ gives us love for those we disagree with or those whom we call our enemies. Christ gives us joy even in the midst of our trials. Christ gives us strength to persevere through our suffering. Christ gives us humility to ask for help. Christ gives us wisdom to make as good a decision as we possibly can with the limited information we have available to us. Christ gives us peace in the midst of the storm. Friends, we have reached the horizon of our lives. We have reached the end of our resources. No amount of government intervention can possibly save any of us from the effects of this pandemic. Only Christ can deliver us. May we turn to Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 26, 40-41, 58, 61-62, 64

Sleepless Nights

Readings for today: Psalms 3-4, 13, 28, 55

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭3:3‬)

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

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭13:5‬)

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭28:7-8‬)

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭55:22‬)

I needed all these words this morning. Last night was a sleepless night. I tossed and turned for much of it. My heart burdened for those I love. Those I serve. I think of my friend who lost his mother yesterday. I think of another friend with advanced MS who is fighting for his life against COVID-19. Still another friend who lost their job and despairs of any prospects. And other friends who have had to take dramatic pay cuts or lay off most of their employees. I think of the family of a well-known pastor who took his own life last week. I think of the mother whose son was murdered in cold blood. I think of my own children. Their hopes and dreams. Their struggles and frustrations. How I wish I could save them from all the pain! How I wish I could protect them from the hardships and suffering of this world!

I love the Psalms. They give voice to my deepest feelings. The Psalmist invites me to share openly and honestly and transparently before the Lord. The Psalmist reminds me I do not need to be afraid before God. He will not shame me. He will not dismiss me. He will not ignore me. He is faithful and true. Steadfast and loyal in His love. He will never leave me or forsake me. He is with me in the valley of the shadow when sleep is scarce. In the dark hours of the night as I lay my burdens before the Lord, He listens. He hears my prayers. He receives them and lifts them from my shoulders.

As I process my pain. My fear. My anxiety. My worry. My stress. The Psalmist eventually turns my heart to the Lord. To the source of my life. To the source of my strength. To the source of my salvation. He reminds me that though I cannot shield those I love from the brokenness of this world, the Lord can. Though I cannot keep those I love safe from the trials and tribulations of this world, the Lord can. Though I cannot save those I love from the pain and suffering and heartbreak, the Lord can. Though my strength often fails, the Lord’s never does. Though I am weary and heavy-laden, the Lord will give me rest. These promises renew my hope. Even in the midst of this crisis. Even in the midst of all we are going through right now. God is present. He is our help. He is our refuge. He is our sanctuary. May we rest in His everlasting arms.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 16-18

Dysfunction

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 13-15

All families live with some level of dysfunction. Dysfunction occurs where unhealthy behavior (rage, addiction, abuse, neglect, etc.) is normalized, leading members of a family to make unhealthy accommodations rather than pursue repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Left unchecked, dysfunction leads destructive patterns of behavior that often impact generations as unhealthy coping skills are passed down from parent to child. Breaking generational cycles of sin is extremely difficult and requires incredible courage as well as sacrifice as dysfunctional family systems often violently resist change. 

One of the things I love most about the Bible is it’s raw honesty. It doesn’t attempt to whitewash the sins of God’s people. Consider the family of King David as the pre-eminent Biblical example of a dysfunctional family system. Of course, his situation was made much more complex by the cultural practice of polygamy which led to many children by many different wives and concubines, all seeking to ascend the line of succession. Dynastic considerations complicate what we read today but many lessons can be drawn that are helpful in our own lives. Amnon is the oldest son of David and heir apparent to the throne. As such, he has grown accustomed to power and privilege and simply taking what he wants when he wants it. His treatment of Tamar, his half-sister, is horrific in its own right but probably emblematic of how Amnon lives his life. Absalom is not much better. What begins as a noble desire to protect his sister from public shame ends in murder and a coup attempt against his own father. Who knows what prompted Absalom’s move against David but it clearly was pre-meditated and even assisted by some of David’s closest confidants. David doesn’t help matters much. As king, he should have punished Amnon for his crime but instead appears to give him a pass. Once Absalom takes matters into his own hands, David appears both relieved and appalled. He refuses to forgive and reconcile with Absalom which only isolates him further and divides the royal household. David chooses to ignore the growing conspiracy until its almost too late and thus has to flee into exile. His family shattered. His kingdom divided. His country on the brink of civil war. 

I think of my own family system. We’ve spent considerable time in counseling as we try to break patterns of sin that have not only been passed down but reinforced by our own sinful choices. I have had to learn to deal with my anger issues. Wrestle with my own fears and failures and disappointments. I’ve had to face the fact that I have caused my children pain through the choices I’ve made in how I’ve responded to the difference circumstances we’ve had to face as a family. I’ve had to take a long hard look at myself through Christ’s eyes and repent. Ask for forgiveness. And pursue reconciliation. It’s not easy. It requires humility and sacrifice. I’ve had to relinquish my need for control. My need to protect my kids from the consequences for the choices they make in life. My need to project “success” to the world around me. I’ve had to come to grips with the fact that my family is as broken as any and I am a major contributor to that brokenness because of my own sin issues. Honestly, it’s a painful journey. Then again, dying to self is always painful. 

What about your family system? If your family’s story was included in the Scriptures, what would others see?  What failures? What successes? Would they see patterns of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation? Or would they see pride, neglect, abuse, addiction, and rampant conflict? Or perhaps a mixture of both? Where is Christ at work in your family right now? What areas do you need Christ to pay particular attention to in order to bring healing, wholeness, grace and peace? Are there particular family members you need to be praying specifically for? Who are they? What are the issues? How are you contributing to the pain? Ask Christ to help you chart a different path. One that leads to true transformation. 

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 3-4, 13, 28, 55

Man’s Search for Meaning

Readings for today: Psalms 32, 86, 102, 103, 122

The more I spend time with people, the more I am convinced that eminent Jewish psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl, was right. So much of our pain and heartache and struggle is because we do not truly understand who we are. We have a distorted self-image. We look in the mirror and we are blind to the true nature of the person looking back at us. I love what he wrote at the end of his classic work, Man’s Search for Meaning, “We have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.“ In other words, all of us are capable of great good or great evil. This is why reading and re-reading and re-reading Scripture is so important. Within the pages of this precious book, God teaches us the deepest truths about ourselves and how we can find salvation. The narrative runs something like this...

• “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis‬ ‭1:27‬) You and I were designed to live in a world of perfection. A paradise called Eden. We were made in the image of God so that we might show forth the glory of God. We were given dominion and authority and power to rule over all God has made as a kind of vice-regent or undershepherd. 

• “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms‬ ‭51:5‬) We abandoned our vocation. We rebelled against God. We aspired to be gods ourselves. In so doing, the image of God was marred. Corrupted. Poisoned. Every single human being since Adam and Eve’s fall has been born in brokenness. Born in sin. Conceived in iniquity. From the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, we are lost. 

• “Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John‬ ‭3:3‬) We are lost but we are not hopeless! Out of love, the Father sent His only Son into the world that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish in their sin. All who believe in Christ are born again. Born a second time. This time of the Spirit.

• “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬) Being born of the Spirit literally changes our DNA. Changes the fundamental reality of our existence. Gives us a new nature. A new heart. A heart of flesh sensitive to the leading of God to replace the heart of stone that was so rebellious and resistant. The image of God is now restored. Our vocation renewed. The commission re-issued. Go. Make disciples of all nations. Baptize. Teach. Fill the earth. Subdue. Have dominion. Share my glory with all of creation.

• “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:52‬) The final promise. Jesus will come again. On the last day, a trumpet shall sound. The heavens will open. The dead will rise. And we shall be changed from one degree of glory to another. The imperfect shall be made perfect. The perishable shall be made imperishable. Sin and death will be destroyed. Eternity sets in. We are home.  

This is the fundamental worldview of the Psalmist. It’s the fundamental narrative they are singing about though the revelation of Jesus as Messiah still lies far off in the future. They trust in the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Father to bring about His will on the earth. They also understand this side of heaven that we are broken, sinful, corrupt creatures in desperate need of God’s grace. And grace only comes as we confess. As we repent. It’s more than feeling bad. More than feeling guilty. More than feeling ashamed. It’s about turning from our sin. Turning towards God. Making the necessary changes in our lives in response to all God has done for us.  “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered...I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” (Psalms‬ ‭32:1, 5‬)

What do you need to confess today? Where have you fallen short? Where do you feel enslaved? Afflicted? Ashamed? Guilty? In what areas of your life has the Spirit brought conviction? Is it your thoughts? Attitudes? Actions? Feelings? The life of a believer in Jesus is one of constant confession as we come before the Lord acknowledging our sin, receiving His grace, and learn to follow in His ways. Does this mean we should live our lives in constant guilt? Live our lives in constant shame? Absolutely not! God’s love is everlasting! And His promise is sure! “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalms‬ ‭103:11-12‬) Cling to the love of God, sinner! Let His love be the cornerstone of your life! Let His grace set you free! Trust in His faithfulness to save you from depths of your sin!

Speaking Truth to Power

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 51

”Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7

Imagine you are Nathan. You are David’s closest advisor and friend. You’ve risen to power alongside him. You are the most trusted member of his court. You’ve watched him pile up victory after victory. You’ve seen his heart for the Lord firsthand. He’s confided in you. He counts on you. He trusts you with his most intimate thoughts and desires like when he came to you to ask advice on building God a house. Such a project would have been sealed his fame forever. It would have established his reputation as a mighty king. It was something every significant ancient near east monarch did at some point during their reign. And you sought the Lord for David. And you gave David the Lord’s answer which had to be disappointing on some level to him. So you are the man David relies upon to have the courage to speak the truth he doesn’t want to hear.

Now you watch as David falls. You grow anxious as David stays home during the season when kings normally head off to war. David is not meant for a life of ease. He is a man of action. And he’s missing the fight. He’s missing the challenge of leading his men into battle. Perhaps he even feels guilty or ashamed for not being on the frontlines. He prowls around the palace. He can’t sit still. His mood growing darker with each passing hour. One day he finds himself on the roof. Surveying all he has made. He’s vulnerable. He’s weak. He’s become blind to his own lusts and desires. Then he sees Bathsheba bathing. He sends for her. He rapes her. She gets pregnant. Ashamed, he takes matters into his own hands. Seeks to cover up his terrible sin. He calls Uriah home from the front. One of his mighty men. A man who has fought by his side through thick and thin. But Uriah refuses to sleep in his home. Refuses to enjoy the company of his wife while his fellow soldiers are sleeping in the fields. David’s shame only grows. He knows he should be following Uriah’s example. So he sends him back to the front. Premeditates his murder. All so he can steal his wife and escape judgment for his adultery. It’s a brutal, horrifying episode in David’s life.

You’ve watched all this come to pass and now you know what you have to do. You must confront David on his sin. You must call David to account. You must remind David that even kings are not above God’s law. This will mean taking your life into your hands. After all, David’s already killed one man who stood in his way. So you approach the throne. You approach the man you once considered a great king and even greater friend. You come before him in fear but also with courage. You know what needs to be said. You know it’s for the greater good. The greater good of David. The greater good of the nation of Israel. The greater good of all involved. The truth must come to light. Righteousness must have its day. David must be given the opportunity to repent. You know David well. You know the shame he must be feeling. And you know he will most likely over-compensate for his sin. So you tell him a story. About a rich man who unjustly robs a poor man. David in his righteous indignation calls the man to judgment. Nathan replies, “You are the man.”

I try to imagine the silence that must have settled over the court in that moment. You must have been able to hear a pin drop. David half off his throne in anger. Nathan standing calmly before him with his finger outstretched. The rest of the court holding their breath to see what will happen. David’s speechless so Nathan continues. Delivering the Word of the Lord with clarity, conviction, and power. With each word, you can almost see David shrink back into his seat. What he thought to keep secret has now been shouted from the mountaintop. Everyone now knows. The word is out. There’s no going back. David repents. Nathan delivers the final blow. Their child will die. And then goes home.

Would that we had a Nathan today! A godly man or woman willing to speak truth to power! Willing to speak God’s Word to presidents and governors. Congressmen and women. State legislators and local community officials. Where is the Nathan who refuses to play partisan games? Where is the Nathan who refuses to promote their own political agenda? Where is the Nathan who refuses to represent any party but God? Sadly far too many pastors, priests, and other religious leaders have been captured by the lure of political influence. They’ve sacrificed their integrity before God for a seat at the table. They go on cable news and justify their party’s social policy positions by cherry-picking Scripture. Rather than serving as court prophets, they become court jesters in their twisted attempts to prop up their particular candidate. It happens on both sides of the aisle.

I think the closest we’ve come to a Nathan is Billy Graham. He consulted with presidents over several decades with no fanfare. No photo ops. Just came and went and made himself available for counsel. No one will ever know the content of those conversations but I imagine most would agree that Billy spoke for the Lord in each and every situation. He pushed our presidents to become better leaders and even better people. He challenged them to seek the Lord’s wisdom and to follow the Lord’s ways. He cared for them just as Nathan cared for David. And we can do the same by praying fervently for all our leaders regardless of political affiliation. We can love them by seeking to serve them and care for them in whatever ways we can. We can send them messages of encouragement. We can resist the temptation to tear them down publicly. We can celebrate and support them when they make godly decisions. And if God does give us influence, we can make sure we do all we can to represent Christ in the halls of power where we’ve been called.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 32, 86, 102, 103, 122

Hope

Readings for today: Psalms 65-67, 69-70

Yesterday, despair got to me. I woke up to a horrific video of a young African-American man being hunted and gunned down in broad daylight. I scrolled endlessly through the feeds of my friends of color lamenting, raging, demanding justice. As I prayed, I lifted up my own lament to God. Along with my rage and anger. Shaking my fists at the heavens. How long, O Lord? I don’t understand how such things can happen in 21st century America. I don’t understand why the two men who committed the crime aren’t in jail tonight. I don’t understand why - as Dr. Bryan Loritts and Dr. Eric Mason pointed out yesterday - why black men are murdered while eating Skittles in Florida. Sitting in a church in South Carolina. Sitting in a car with a girlfriend and young daughter in Minnesota. Eating ice cream at home in Dallas. Playing video games with a nephew in Fort Worth. Jogging in a neighborhood in Georgia. I don’t understand why there isn’t justice. I then broadened my appeal to God. I don’t understand why synagogues are attacked. I don’t understand why mosques are vandalized and burned. I don’t understand why LGBTQ nightclubs are targeted. I don’t understand. I don’t understand the greed that feeds off the backs of the poor. I don’t understand why power tends to corrupt. I don’t understand why we human beings always seem to have to find an enemy to fight. A group to organize against. I don’t understand why so many of our ideologies include hate. I was soon overwhelmed. It led me to the point of despair and my soul bore that weight throughout the day. I crashed into bed exhausted and could barely get up this morning.

Then I read the Psalms. I was reminded that David too felt overwhelmed at times. David too knew hardship and injustice and suffering. David too struggled to make sense of it all. And yet he praised God. He praised God for hearing our prayers. Praised God for creating the heavens and the earth. Praised God for each sunrise and sunset. He praised God for the goodness of the earth. The fruit of the vine. The abundance of blessings. He praised God for His mighty acts of deliverance. Cutting a path through the Red Sea. He praised God for His steadfast love and faithfulness. For His grace and tender mercies. He praised God for His righteousness and holiness and justice. He praised God for His forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption. David was not sticking his head in the sand. He was not given to sentimentalism or naive piety. David faced the horrors of this world with eyes wide open. And still he believed. Still he trusted. Still he found hope in God.

I don’t know where life finds you today. People read this blog from all over the state. All over the nation. All over the world. They come from different backgrounds and cultural traditions. Different races and socio-economic classes. Each of you has a story to share. Each of you has seen your share of suffering and pain. Each of you is wrestling in your own way with the crisis we are facing. And maybe, just maybe, you’ve found yourself like me feeling overwhelmed. Exhausted. Fearful. Anxious. Afraid. Weighed down by the weight of it all. Friends, each new sunrise is a gift. A reminder that God’s mercies are new every morning. He is steadfast. He is faithful. He is true. He is at work. He is coming. He will set all things right. He will make all things new. Let Him restore your hope today!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 51

#AhmaudArbery

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, Psalms 20, 53, 60, 75

“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” (Psalm‬ ‭20:1-9‬)

These words have deeper meaning for me today. Especially as the news breaks about the young African-American man who was lynched in broad daylight in Georgia. Ahmaud Arbery was out running in a neighborhood when two armed white men in a pickup truck pursued him and shot him in cold blood. Assuming he had been part of a robbery that had taken place earlier, they believed it was their right to chase him down and execute him. Tragically, this is just the latest example of how we continue to be haunted by our racist past here in America. And it comes in the midst of a pandemic that is killing African-Americans at much higher rates. The US Census Bureau reports that African-Americans represent 13.4% of the general population but counties with higher concentrations of blacks account for more than half of all COVID cases and almost 60% of deaths. Furthermore, we’ve known for a long time that African-Americans are disproportionately targeted by our justice system. 37% of the general prison population is African-American men. 22% African-American women. Clearly, we still have a race problem in our country.

One of the things I love most about reading the Bible in a year chronologically is how it reminds us to combine our prayers with action. In our readings for today, David sends emissaries to the Ammonites to offer condolences for the death of their king. His desire is to build a friendship with the heir to the throne. His plan is thwarted, however, by the princes of the Ammonites who would rather sow suspicion and create a pretext for war with Israel. Tribal conflict, you see, is nothing new in human history. So they publicly shame David’s messengers, gather an army, and set out to destroy Israel. At first, it appears their efforts will be successful. They actually are able to surround the army of Israel. But Joab and his mighty men fight free and end up routing the enemy. In the wake of this great victory, David pens the words to Psalm 20.

I think it’s critical to note that David cried out to God. He cried out to God in the midst of his trouble. He cried out to God in the midst of his fear. He cried out to God for salvation. David knew the battle belonged to the Lord. David knew the fight would be fierce but with God he would prevail. David acknowledges his own strength is not enough. He is humble. He is heartfelt. He is sincere. At the same time, David prepares his army for battle. He arrays his forces as best he can. He devises strategies and implements his plan. The result is a great victory for God’s people.

Now apply those same principles to our situation today. Yes, our thoughts and prayers are with the Arbery family. Yes, our thoughts and prayers are with the African-American community as they continue to suffer from the scourge of white supremacy. Yes, we join our voices together to call on the Lord to answer them in these days of trouble. Protect them from evil. Send them help from His sanctuary. Fulfill their desire for salvation. Yes, we humbly acknowledge that only Christ can purge the evil of white supremacy from our midst. Only Christ can deliver us from the sin of racism. Only Christ can transform hatred into love.Yes, we cannot place our trust in “chariots and horses” or in “legislative powers” or “social reforms.” But that doesn’t mean we ignore them completely. They are simply tools in God’s hand to accomplish His will on earth. Just as David deployed chariots and horses to defeat the Ammonites so we must deploy laws and reforms to defeat white supremacy. We must tear down systems and structures that continue to create uneven playing fields and deny access to people of color. We must hold our political leaders accountable for how they use racism as a tool to retain power and influence and wealth and privilege. We must hold ourselves accountable for the things we say and the ways we think and the ways we act that unwittingly foster hostile attitudes towards those of a different color. We must be proactive in building friendships across racial lines. Actively listening to one another’s experiences and suffering with those who have suffered rather than pre-judging them. We must work towards a more just, more gracious society where no one has to be afraid to go on a jog through a neighborhood.

So I am praying Psalm 20 differently today. Not for myself. Not for my tribe. Not for my community. I am praying for God to fulfill the desire of my heart and deliver us from the sin of racism. I am praying for the day when we can celebrate and rejoice in the diversity God has created rather than perceive one another as a threat. I am praying for the day when God will deliver us from the worst of our fears and prejudices and lust for power. And I am working towards those ends as well. Listening. Serving. Voting. Advocating. Trusting the Lord to use my meager efforts for His just purposes in this world.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 65-67, 69-70

The Kindness of God

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18

“And King David said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?" (2 Samuel‬ ‭9:3) It’s hard for us to imagine how radical this action would have been. David lived in a brutal world. A world full of violence and suffering and pain. A world where one’s family. One’s tribe. One’s nation was everything. It was a world where honor was paramount. Shame to be avoided at all costs. There were strict cultural expectations regarding how one acted when one was treated dishonorably.

Saul shamed David before Israel. He unjustly accused him. He sought to kill him. He pursued him in the wilderness. He tried to discredit him. He did all he could to destroy him and his family. Now the tables are turned. And the expectations are clear. Everyone in ancient Israel knew what was coming. David would destroy Saul’s family to the last person. He would eradicate Saul’s name from the earth. He would leave no stone unturned. No one behind lest that person become a seed of discontent and rebellion in the future.

But once again, David defies his culture’s expectations. Instead of seeking to destroy the house of Saul, he seeks to forgive. To bless. To honor. So he asks his servants if there is anyone left of Saul’s family. There is. A grandson. A crippled man named Mephibosheth. Even better, he is a son of David’s beloved friend, Jonathan. David has him brought in. Honors him by restoring all Saul’s lands and property to him. Gives him a place at the king’s own table. It’s a stunning act of kindness, mercy, and generosity. And it communicates to the entire nation that David is no ordinary, ancient near east king.

What motivated David? The kindness of God. David was humble at this point in his life. He knew his life was a testimony to grace. David was a shepherd. He fully expected to live his life as a shepherd. But God - through His great mercy - had raised him up to be king. And having been on the receiving end of God’s kindness, David now extends it out even to his enemies.

What about us? The greatest poverty in our world today is the poverty of grace. The poverty of kindness. The poverty of mercy. We are so quick to judge. So quick to become enraged. So quick to attack others. In my experience, very few people engage in any sort of honest self-reflection. Very few people actually acknowledge their biases and privilege and short-comings much less confess their sin. Very few people make themselves vulnerable to the point of revealing their own weaknesses. Sure, people talk about how they’ve been hurt. Wounded. Abused. Those terms - sadly - have almost become cliche. But they almost never talk about how their choices contributed to their own pain. And because they perceive themselves to be the victim, they do not forgive very easily.

But what if we saw ourselves as God sees us? What if we honestly acknowledged the fact that we are as sinful as anyone else. Just as capable of hurting others as we are of being hurt. Just as capable of wounding others as we are of being wounded. Just as capable of inflicting pain as we are of experiencing it. What if we looked in the mirror and saw both perpetrator and victim? And what if - in that moment - we turned to God rather than self-condemnation? What if we experienced the grace and mercy and kindness of God even for sinners such as ourselves? Perhaps then we would be able to extend that same grace and mercy and kindness out to others. Even those who have hurt us. Even to our enemies.

Sadly, I find such faith in short supply these days. And I believe it exposes a fundamental flaw in our relationship with God. We cannot give to others what we have not received ourselves. And too many of us believe the lie that God will bless us because we are “good.” Too many of us believe the lie that God affirms us without reservation. Too many of us believe the lie that we deserve God’s love. In short, we do not believe in grace. We do not believe we’ve done anything to merit God’s mercy. We believe God has to be kind to us or else. And so we live largely graceless, merciless, intolerant lives especially towards those who are not like us. Those who have hurt us. Those we consider to be our enemies. Sure, we are gracious and merciful and kind to those we love and like but woe to them if they should ever betray our trust or speak ill of us or refuse to affirm us. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the sinners do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the unbelievers do the same?” (Matthew‬ ‭5:44, 46-47‬) Grace. Mercy. Kindness. These are not intellectual ideas but eternal realities. They flow from a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus. They are only made possible through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. May you seek these things from God today.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, Psalms 20, 53, 60, 75

Let the Lord Build Your House

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17, Psalms 1-2, 33, 127, 132

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Psalms‬ ‭127:1‬)

One of the things I struggle with the most is my desire to be successful. To make my life count. To do something significant. To strive to be the best. These are values ingrained in me from an early age. They are not necessarily bad in and of themselves. The problem is I too often let these good things become ultimate things in my life. I start to pursue success at the expense of my relationship with God or those I love. I focus on the future rather than finding contentment in the present. I covet what I don’t have rather than be thankful for what I do have. I know I’m not alone. I see these values reflected across all sectors of society.

A few years ago now, the Lord spoke to me during a time of prayer. It wasn’t an audible voice or a lightning bolt from heaven or anything like that. It was simply an impression in my heart. A feeling in my gut. A few random thoughts in my head that suddenly coalesced into a message I needed to hear. It was a short message. Three simple words. Obscurity. Anonymity. Insignificance. I was journaling and these three words started ringing over and over again in my head. Obscurity. Anonymity. Insignificance. Over the years I’ve learned to pay attention to these kinds of things in my prayer time so I sat back from my keyboard and asked the Lord to give me further insight into what He was saying. God said, “I want you to labor in obscurity. Embrace anonymity. Pursue insignificance.” To be honest, my first thought was, “Wait a minute! That doesn’t sound right! Frankly, it sounds unAmerican!” God’s answer? “Exactly.” :-)  

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” King David has a desire to build God a house. It’s a godly desire. A good desire. One that is affirmed by Nathan the prophet. But it is not the Lord’s will. “But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, "Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in?...'Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel‬ ‭7:4-5, 8-13‬) I love how God flips the tables on David here. It is not David who will build God a house but God who will build David a house! It is not David who will make His own name great but God who will make David’s name great! 

Unless God builds the house. Unless God builds David’s house. Unless God builds our house. We all labor in vain. This was the message God was sending me during my devotional time. I was spending so much energy working so hard to be successful. To stand out among my peers. To be faithful to God. And yet all the while God was calling me to rest. To trust. To stand back and let Him do the “building” of my life. Let Him guide and direct my path. Let Him have the glory for the success I was seeking to achieve. 

Recently, I’ve been learning more about the meaning of those three, God-given words in my life…  

• Obscurity - Over the years, I’ve been asked to consider many different ministry positions. Some at much larger churches. Some involve greater denominational influence. But I love where I am. I love the people I serve. I love the team I get to serve alongside. We are not the largest or fastest growing or most “successful” church but we are a family. We serve God faithfully. We are producing gospel-fruit on a regular basis. Lives are being changed. People are being transformed. And God has confirmed my current call over and over again.

• Anonymity - One of the best things about serving at PEPC is I get to simply be “one of the pastors.” We have a great team, each with different gifts. This releases me from the pressure to perform. To succceed. To self-promote. No one needs to know my name. This work isn’t about me. I love the fact that I don’t always have to be up front. Don’t always have to preach. Don’t always have to be in charge. And I can’t wait to finish my career as part of the volunteer cleaning crew!

• Insignificance - My work around the globe is humbling. It makes me deeply aware of how truly insignificant my contributions to the Kingdom of God are in the grand scheme of things. The reality is I will be completely forgotten within a generation or so of my death. My own family won’t remember who I was or what I did. All my accomplishments and achievements will quickly turn to dust. And that’s okay. Because my significance is not found in what I do but in who God is and I am content simply to serve Him in whatever way He sees fit.  

Friends, unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord builds your house and my house, our labors are in vain. Unless the Lord builds our nation’s house, our collective labor will be in vain. As we continue to struggle through this season of social distancing and stay at home orders, the pressure builds inside all of us to get to work “building our own house.” Protecting our own future. Securing our own lives. Don’t fall prey to that temptation! Take a step back and let God do the work. Engage in some self-examination to find those areas of your life where you need to hand over the tools, stop working so hard, and let God take over. Make sure you are working from His blueprint in your life rather than your own.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18

The Worship God Demands

Readings for today: Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 107

Human beings are naturally selfish creatures. We are self-centered. Self-promoting. Self-protective. Self-indulgent. If you have any doubts, take a scroll through Instagram or Facebook sometime. Selfies. Humble brags. Carefully curated authenticity. Scripted messiness. Real life edited down into a series of highlight reels. Flip open Twitter and what do you see but a platform for “call-out” and/or “cancel” culture. People throwing out their often ill-informed opinions on just about every subject. Perfecting the blame game. Throwing around self-righteous accusations. Setting themselves up as a modern day Pharisees as they seek to “police” other people’s content. Of course, our media is no different. Driven by particular agendas, they report only those facts which support their pre-determined narratives. They spin inconvenient truths out with the hope that their audience won’t notice the verbal misdirection. This game is played by politicians, media moguls, titans of industry, social influencers, you name it. Why? Because we’re all human. And - back to my original premise - to be human is to be self-centered. Self-promoting. Self-protective. Self-indulgent. We just have this innate tendency to make life all about us.

The same is true in the church. We might even be the worst offenders. Why would I ever say such a thing? Well, it’s one thing to have a political hot take. It’s another to take a stand on social issue. If we’re honest, all our selfies and humble brags are pretty superficial and trivial in the grand scheme of things. But to twist the worship of the Living God and make it about us is serious business. To dare to impose our own preferences or judge based upon whether we “got something out of it” is arrogant in the extreme. To assume we know what’s best or to make the mistake of thinking worship is about us getting our needs met, our wants fulfilled, our desires granted is foolishness. Worship is not about how we feel…though we should experience a range of feelings during the experience. Worship is not about what we think…though our thinking should be challenged on any number of levels as we sit under the authority of the Word of God. Worship is not about what we get…though if we are humble we’ll receive any number of blessings for having been in God’s presence. Worship is not about us. It is about God.

One of the most challenging Biblical truths for Christians to grasp is that God’s highest priority is Himself. God’s greatest passion is for His own glory. God’s deepest love is for Himself. And if you find yourself thinking that makes God sound like a narcissist, let me humbly suggest you take a step back and think it through. In the beginning. Before time and space. Before the universe came into being. There was God. He existed eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect communion. There is no lack in God. No deficiency in God. No void God needed to fill. God could have gone on existing in perfect communion with Himself for all eternity and not missed a thing. God doesn’t need us. God isn’t incomplete without us. God is all-sufficient in Himself. But God did choose to create. God created a universe and filled it with all kinds of beauty and artistry and splendor. He created the dualities that mark our existence like light and dark. Sun and moon. Earth and sky. Male and female. Finally, God made a special creature in His own image. It was an act of pure grace. He gave us agency and creativity and responsibility that mirrored His own. His plan was to live in unbroken fellowship with us forever. Inviting us to share in the perfect love He has in Himself. But we rejected His plan, of course. We went our own way. We wanted to be like God. Self-sufficient. Self-governing. Self-propagating. We wanted to be in charge of our own lives. We wanted to be the captains of our own destiny. The masters of our own fate. The rulers of our own souls. So, in a supreme act of love, God let us go. God let us go our own way, knowing it would end in self-harm and self-destruction. God let us go our own way, knowing we would turn His beautiful creation into a means to feed our own selfish desires. God let us go our own way, knowing we would reject Him at every turn as we tried our hand at self-rule. And all God knew and feared would happen took place. It broke His heart.

But God wouldn’t let go. To do so would be to act against His own divine character. So God rends the heavens and comes to earth. God - in some sense - rends the Trinity to come to earth. Sending His beloved Son to become one of us. Sending His beloved Son to suffer and die for us. Sending His beloved Son to deliver us out of the mirrored prisons in which we live - where all we can see is Self - and set us free to love and serve Him again as He planned from the beginning. And yes, God did this for us but more importantly, He did it for Himself. He did it to remain true to who He is. To do anything else would be to deny His very nature and character. Even in our salvation, God’s highest commitment remains Himself. God’s highest priority remains His own glory. And this is why we worship. We worship God not for how He makes us feel. Not for what He’s done for us. Not for the eschatological “goodies” that await us in the life to come. We worship God simply because He is God. He alone is worthy. He alone is deserving. This is what we were created for in the first place.

So listen again to the words of Psalm 96. Lift your voice again in praise. God is God! Let’s give Him the worship He deserves and the worship He demands! “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! Say among the nations, "The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity." Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.” (Psalm‬ ‭96:1-13‬)

The Lord is my Shepherd

Readings for today: Psalms 15, 23-25, 47

I am a “one” on the Enneagram. For those of you not familiar with the tool, the Enneagram helps a person grow in self-understanding. It helps you identify your basic fears, drives, and desires. It gives you a pathway to health, virtue, and holiness. It also reveals your susceptibility to particular temptations, vices, and stress. So, again, I am a “one” on the Enneagram. A perfectionist whose primal fears are corruption, deceit, imbalance, and immorality. These fears lead to stress which creates anxiety. When I am anxious, I tend to be resentful, even angry. My buttons get pushed and I literally can feel my blood begin to boil inside. In the face of these feelings, my temptation is to deny them. Play the hypocrite. Not acknowledge my anger because it is not morally good and therefore must be rejected. This results in continual self-condemnation. The critical voices in my head rise to a cacophony of shame as I fail to live up to my own high ideals. It’s frankly exhausting. 

“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart...” (Psalms‬ ‭15:1-2‬)  

“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalms‬ ‭24:3-4‬)

 “Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.” (Psalms‬ ‭25:20-21‬)

This stuff is music to a “one’s” ears. It speaks my love language. Goodness. Righteousness. Moral uprightness. Holy perfection. All good things. All important things. And yet, none of these things actually lead me to health. They do not assuage my anxiety. They only serve to feed my fears. They throw me back on my own strength. My own effort. Which I already know is never enough. So what’s a “one” to do? Continue playing the hypocrite? Continuing pretending he or she has it all together? Continue presenting an image to the world that is good and upright and moral? 

By no means! The “one” must instead cling to message of Psalm 23. One of my favorites, by the way.  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” (Psalms‬ ‭23:1-3‬) Peace comes as I trust in the Lord. Serenity comes as my soul rests in Him. All my stress. All my anxieties. All my fears fade away when I let the Lord be my shepherd. He takes care of all my wants. He makes me lie down and rest in green pastures, beside still waters. These words are balm to my soul. 

Every morning when I wake, I find my heart ”reset” to its default position. As soon as I open my eyes, the voices in my head start clamoring for attention. “Get up! You have so much to do! So much to accomplish! You’re already behind! You’re already letting people down! You’re already failing!” As I said above, my temptation is to argue. To fight. To try to silence those voices through my own Herculean efforts. But God charts a different path for me. The path of grace. And His Words became my words as I pray, “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me...He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies...The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant...Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” (Psalms‬ ‭25:1-2, 9-10, 14, 20‬) As God’s voice fills my head and heart, I find the other voices retreating into the background. Yes, they are still there but it’s more of a murmur than a roar and I can now go about my day filled with God’s peace. 

We are living through a very stressful time. A time of great fear and anxiety. And the temptation will be to let this season drive you to the darker corners of your heart. Longing to numb the pain or regain control, you may find yourself acting out in ways that are self-destructive or painful for those around you. You may find your relationships starting to strain. The key is NOT to work harder or longer or more efficiently. The key is to rest in the arms of the Good Shepherd. Let go of control. Let go of the need to succeed. Let go of the need to have it altogether. Ask for help if needed. Reach out to those who can come alongside. Make a call to a mental health professional or your pastor and ask for an appointment. Trust God has provided these means for the well-being of the sheep of His pasture.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 107

True Worship

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 5:11-6:23, 1 Chronicles 13-16

What is true worship? Is it a feeling? A style? An experience? How do we know if we’ve engaged in true worship? Is it because we leave feeling inspired? The preacher’s message warmed our hearts? We’ve eaten the bread and drunk of the cup? The music for the morning matched our musical tastes? What are the hallmarks of true worship? Authenticity? Sincerity? Sentimentality? Getting something out of it?

Worship in 21st century North America has turned largely inward. It is focused, evaluated, planned, produced for the human experience. It caters to the preferences and tastes of the worshipper. It is designed primarily to make the human being feel inspired, motivated, and connected. This “inward turn” is as true for the small church as it is for the mega-church and every church in between. And it’s why we see so many Christians bounce from church to church to church over the course of their lives. Long gone are the days when one would INVEST their entire lives into one community come what may. Long gone are the days when Christians would heed the BIBLICAL command to actually practice forgiveness and reconciliation when relationships get hard. Long gone are the days when Christians would DIE TO SELF, laying aside the consumer tendencies of taste. Preference. Personal favorites. As a result, long gone are the days when the church produced robust, courageous, bold, self-sacrificing disciples of Jesus who would give their lives for the sake of the gospel and the Kingdom of God in this world. Not that it never happens, it is simply more an exception rather than the rule. 

So what is true worship? It is the worship God both deserves and demands. Believe it or not, God cares deeply how He is worshipped. In 1 Chronicles 13, we see what happens when God’s people - with sincere and authentic devotion in their hearts - fail to worship God in the way He commands. The people have gathered. They’re excited to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. They call the priests. They call the Levites. They plan a huge celebration.  The whole nation is present to witness this incredible moment. They build a new cart to carry the ark in the procession. David and all of Israel are celebrating, singing, dancing before the Lord with all their might. But then an ox stumbles. Uzzah, seeking to protect the ark, puts out his hand to keep it steady. The Lord strikes him down. One can imagine the shock of the crowd. In an instant, all the music and dancing and celebration stops. Silence. Long, prolonged, awkward silence as the people come to grips with what’s just happened. David is angry. He pouts for three months, refusing to come to grips with the fact that he himself is somewhat responsible for what happened. His decision to do what was convenient (build a cart to carry the ark) rather than what God demanded (Levites carry the ark on their own shoulders) is ultimately what cost Uzzah his life. Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 15. A different picture emerges. David is ready. He is humble. He submits to God’s will. He decrees that “no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.” (1 Chron. ‭15:2‬) Once again, the celebration commences. Singing. Dancing. Music. Right sacrifices. God is pleased. God accepts the worship David offers because it is singularly focused on honoring God. 

What does true worship look like in our context today? Obviously, none of us know where the Ark of the Covenant resides. (Except Indiana Jones, of course!) The ceremonial laws that governed Old Testament worship have been fulfilled in Christ. Does this set us free then to worship as we choose? To do what feels good? To set the needs of the worshipper above the clear, biblical command to worship God and Him alone? And why does it matter? What difference does it make?

Worship exerts a powerful, shaping influence on our lives. It changes us. Refines us. Transforms us. As such, who we worship matters. What we worship matters. How we worship matters. In these days of strict quarantines when the corporate worship of the people of God has been suspended, we have been given a gift. An opportunity to think about what true worship is, what it looks like, and what is essential and non-essential. I think most of us are finding that as nice as it is to worship God from the comfort of our homes and living rooms, it’s just not the same watching a screen. True worship is embodied. It is incarnational. It requires the presence of others worshippers. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” We’re all feeling that loss right now. We have a longing in our souls to hear the saints sing. To extend the peace of Christ. To celebrate baptism. To share in the Lord’s Supper. All of these are embodied actions that require the physical presence of other people. Friends, God loves it when His family gathers together around His throne. This is the worship He deserves and the worship He demands and one of my prayers is that we will emerge from this season with a greater hunger to gather in His presence. Place a greater priority on coming before Him as a community of faith. Find our hearts filled with a greater desire to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 15, 23-25, 47

The Power of Unity

Readings for today: 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12, Psalms 133

Today we read one of my favorite Psalms. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” (Psalm‬ ‭133) It contains an amazing promise. God commanding His blessing of everlasting life on those who seek to come together in Him. I’ve seen the fulfillment of this promise. Especially in my work over in Africa where Christians come together from different tribes and denominations. Speaking different languages and growing up in different socio-economic classes. They come together to grow the Kingdom of God. It’s powerful. And God blesses the work of their hands. Thousands of churches planted. Tens of thousands of new believers. Millions hearing the gospel for the first time.

I’ve also seen it in the prison I worked in during seminary. Men coming together from all walks of life. Men who committed all kinds of crimes. Men doing all kinds of time. Their common bond in Christ united them across denominational lines. Across racial lines. Across class lines. They came together to worship Christ and to serve Him in the most difficult of circumstances. And God blessed the work of their hands. Hundreds of men heard the gospel for the first time. Many came to faith. Violence in the prison went down. Even the prison guards and administration saw the impact of the spiritual unity of these brothers in Christ.

Sadly, I’ve also seen the devastation disunity creates. Think about what’s happening in our nation today. The fight against the coronavirus should bring us together. We should be united in our fight against a common enemy. However, too many of our political leaders simply cannot help themselves. They stir division. They fan the flames of partisanship. They use this crisis to fan their base into a frenzy. And the result is more sickness. More death. More pain. More suffering. And the American church is often no different. For all the great work so many churches are doing across the country in all kinds of communities, a small minority continue to make headlines with their arrogance. They create a false dichotomy. They peddle a false narrative. They claim they are being persecuted or singled out or attacked by the government. Nothing could be farther from the truth but it serves their purposes to sow division. And far too many in their own congregations suffer the consequences.

The key to unity is humility. Humbling ourselves before the Lord first and foremost. Remembering the grace He first gave to us as sinners. Acknowledging how lost we truly would be without His saving death. Having received His grace, we then extend it out to others. Those we love. Those we live among. Those we struggle alongside. We offer it indiscriminately. Unconditionally. Even - and perhaps most especially - to our enemies. Only God’s grace is sufficient to supply our needs. Only God’s grace is powerful enough to tear down every dividing wall of hostility that keeps us apart. Only God’s grace can transcend race or class or language or tribe. Only God’s grace can bring about the unity our hearts so desire.

Friends, more than anything else, we need unity in our community. In our state. In our nation. In our world today. I hope you will join me in praying daily for God’s grace to be poured out on His people all across the earth. May we who are called by God’s name humble ourselves before Him and pray fervently for repentance. Forgiveness. And the healing of the divisions that keep us from experiencing the abundant life God promises!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 5:11-6:23, 1 Chronicles 13-16

Biblical Feminism

Readings for today: 1 Chronicles 7-9

Today’s reading brings us to the end of the genealogies of Israel. Whew! These are some of the harder sections of Scripture to get through simply because they feel so remote. After all, we don’t feel a connection to these people or these particular tribes or these particular families. Sure, we acknowledge they are our spiritual mothers and fathers but there’s very little information about most of these names so it’s hard to feel any kind of tie. However, a careful reading reminds us that behind every name is a story. And behind every story is a powerful testimony of God’s faithfulness.

For example, consider the case of Zelophehad’s daughters. “The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his Aramean concubine bore; she bore Machir the father of Gilead. And Machir took a wife for Huppim and for Shuppim. The name of his sister was Maacah. And the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters.” (1 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14-15‬) Their story is told in Numbers 27 right in the middle of another genealogical section of the Bible when Moses was dividing up the inheritance of the land. It’s a remarkable testimony and worth recapping again.

Five women appear before the gathered leadership of Israel at the Tabernacle to present one of the earliest recorded lawsuits in history. Their claim? Their father died without a male heir which means his inheritance is now in jeopardy. He was not part of the rebellion of Korah so they have legitimate standing to bring his case before the Lord. And they ask Moses to grant them their father’s property rights so they can preserve the family line. 

I cannot imagine the courage this course of action must have taken. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (Zelophehad’s daughters) knew very well that women did not have any rights in the ancient near east. Not in Israel and certainly not in the nations that surrounded them. Women were considered property in that time. Not even counted as human beings. At the death of their father or brothers or husbands, they were not entitled to any inheritance and were often left destitute. Fast forward a few centuries and we see this scene play itself out in the book of Ruth where Naomi loses not only her husband but also her two sons, leaving her to fend for herself.

So imagine you are one of these five women. Raised to believe you have no rights. Your primary value is to bear sons to your future husband so his family line can be preserved. Now imagine making the decision to approach Moses and the gathered leadership of Israel in front of the Tabernacle itself to present your case. You know what you are about to do has never been done. You know what you are about to ask for has never happened before. You know there’s a good chance your petition will fail but you courageously step forward anyway. You argue persuasively for the preservation of your father’s inheritance and you make the audacious claim to be counted among your father’s brothers. 

I would have loved to see the look on Moses’ face. Was it shock? Confusion? Did he smile at the women’s boldness? There is no indication in the text one way or another. What we do know is Moses recuses himself and takes their petition to the Lord. This, in itself, is a strong affirmation of the women. And then there is the response from God. I have to believe their courage brought a smile to His face and He issues a new law for Israel. From this point forward, “If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.” (Numbers‬ ‭27:8‬) A statute still used today as legal precedent by the American Bar Association. 

The Bible is a history of God’s interactions with many different human cultures. Human culture, by definition, is always corrupt and unjust. Thankfully, God is at work constantly bending the arc of human history towards justice. Towards righteousness. Here is a clear case where God honors the rights of women, granting them a unique status when compared to other ancient near east societies. There is a direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and Deborah who served as judge and spiritual leader for all of Israel. A direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and the female disciples who gathered round Jesus and remained faithful to Him even to the end when all the other male disciples had long since fled. A direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and the women Paul affirms like Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junia who was “excellent among the apostles.” God is still doing this work today as women continue to be affirmed as strong and gifted leaders across all sectors of human society. 

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Samuel 5:1-10, 1 Chronicles 11-12, Psalms 133

Spiritual Crisis

Readings for today: Psalms 81, 88, 92, 93

Today I read something profound a friend posted on Facebook. “We are all in the same storm but we are not all in the same boat.” Those words resonated with me as I think about the number of friends I have facing starvation around the world. The friends I have living in difficult home situations which the quarantine has exacerbated. The friends I have who’ve lost jobs and livelihoods or loved ones during this challenging season. I think about the political leaders I’ve had the chance to interact with and the burdens they carry. The faith leaders I’ve talked to who feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by all the demands. There seems to be no bottom to this pit we find ourselves in. And this has led some of those I love into a deep crisis of faith.

Spiritual crisis is real, friends. It is deep. It is existential. It takes us to the end of ourselves and beyond. It is also quite normal. It is to be expected. It is something many followers of Christ have experienced. The consistent witness of God’s people throughout history testifies to the fact that there will be seasons when God seems so distant. When our lives seem so dark. When the light of Christ is hard to find. When the comfort of Christ seems long in coming. During such seasons, we feel overwhelmed by fear. Doubt. The cares and worries of this world press in on us. We feel trapped. Alone. Unable to be consoled. 

St. John of the Cross, a 16th century Spanish Christian, famously coined the term, “The Dark Night of the Soul.” It refers to particular seasons in the Christian life where we feel stripped of God’s presence. It’s not true, of course. God is still very much present in our lives but we do not feel Him. We do not experience Him. We do not sense His tender mercies and affections. During such seasons, we feel a void. An absence. And it causes us to wrestle on a deep, foundational level with our faith. 

I experienced such a season for 19 months while living in Sun Prairie, WI. The ministry I had been called to was failing. My relationship with those I was accountable to was a disaster. I was struggling daily with fear and doubt and depression. So consumed was I by my own needs, I neglected my wife and children. Things got so bad that my wife gave me an ultimatum. It was either her or the ministry. I was at the end of my rope. I resigned. No idea what was next. No idea how I would feed my family. No idea how I would care for those I loved most in this world. I felt so alone. So afraid. For months I cried out to God. I would pace our living room most of the night praying. Begging. Frustrated. Angry. Where was God when I needed Him most? Where was God when things were at their worst? I was in spiritual crisis and it felt like God was not there.  

These experiences are not unusual. St. John of the Cross. St. Paul of the Cross. Mother Theresa. All testify to similar experiences, though their “dark nights” lasted decades. The author of Psalm 88 was clearly familiar with his own “dark night.” “O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you...For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol...You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep...Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?...O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?...You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.” ‭(Psalms‬ ‭88:1, 3, 6, 11-12, 14, 18‬) It’s a depressing Psalm. One of the few with no resolution. No final ascription of praise. The psalmist seemingly feels God’s absence on a visceral level and is left all alone in darkness. 

So why does God allow the dark night of the soul? Why does God not rescue us from the depths of our spiritual crises? What are such experiences seemingly so common and even necessary for the Christian? I believe it is how we learn the meaning of true faith. True faith must move from the head to the heart to the gut. To the depths of our being. It must become the fundamental reality of our existence. It must transcend what we think. It must transcend what we feel. It has to come from a place so deep within that it can never be overcome. 

Mother Theresa endured her “dark night” from 1948 until her death in 1997. She once wrote, “Where is my faith? Even deep down ... there is nothing but emptiness and darkness ... If there be God—please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul.” Some have suggested she lost her faith. Not true! In fact, her suffering was very much like that of Jesus on the cross who cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In the end, Mother Theresa hoped her personal letters would be destroyed lest “people think more of me and less of Jesus.” 

I wouldn’t trade those 19 months of spiritual darkness in Wisconsin for anything. God had removed any sense of His affections. God had removed any sense of His abiding presence. Doubts and fears assailed my soul as I was stripped to the bone. In the depths of my despair, I was haunted by this one question...do I really believe? Do I believe in God when nothing makes sense? Do I believe in God when I cannot feel His presence? Do I believe in God when all is darkness all around me? Is God more real to me than my thoughts? My feelings? My fears? My doubts? 

Maybe some of you are facing those same feelings today. Maybe you are asking similar questions. Do I believe in God when my loved ones get sick? Do I believe in God when I’ve lost my job? Do I believe in God when there seems to be no end in sight? Do I believe in God when the news just gets worse every single day? Do I believe in God when facing an uncertain future filled with potential new outbreaks?

There’s no way to know the answer to such deep questions unless one is willing to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to the other side. Thankfully, at the end of my own dark road, I found God waiting for me there. I found my faith renewed and strengthened in a way I could never have imagined. And I do not harbor any illusions that somehow my journey is at its end or that I won’t have to walk yet another dark road in the course of my life. What I do know is that God has driven my faith deep into my gut. Deep into the bedrock of my being. And though it can be shaken, it can never be destroyed because God is more real than my circumstances. God is more real than my feelings. God is more real than my thoughts. God is more real than my doubts. God is more real than my fears. God is the fundamental reality of my life and I am thankful. 

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 7-9

Resting in God’s Promise

Readings for today: 1 Chronicles 6, Psalms 36, 39, 77, 78

Some days I don’t feel like I have much to offer. My brain feels fried. My thoughts scattered and unfocused. I don’t feel spiritual at all. The words just won’t come. I am tired and weary. The strain of the season is getting to me. I’m mentally and emotionally drained. Anyone else relate? Sure you can. Life is like that sometimes. It’s not a condition to avoid. It doesn’t mean I’ve failed. It simply means I’m human and need time to rest. Restore. Renew. Just like everyone else. None of us is a machine. None of us are made to run 24/7. Part of what I’m learning in this season is to embrace the slower pace. The inactivity. The lack of production. But that’s hard for me. It cuts against my grain. It pushes back against my naturally activist nature. What I’m learning is how to rest. Rest physically. Rest mentally. Rest emotionally. Rest spiritually. As I lay down my own burdens, I am also learning to pick up the burdens of others. Those less fortunate than me. Those less privileged than me. Because of my relative wealth and position, I have the luxury of rest. Many of my friends around the world do not. So I find myself praying more regularly and fervently. Reaching out to my friends to find out how they are doing. Sacrificially sharing my own resources to help alleviate suffering where I am able. Ultimately, this time is teaching me yet another lesson that life is not about me. It’s not about my needs and my wants and my comfort and my safety. It’s about finding my rest in the Lord and helping others do the same.

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭36:5-12‬)

The Poverty of Prosperity Preaching

Readings for today: 1 Chronicles 3-5

Several years ago, a Christian leader ran across this prayer from Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4. “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!" And God granted what he asked.” (1 Chronicles‬ ‭4:10‬) He wrote a book about it. Claimed that if Christians would pray this prayer for thirty days, they would see significant changes in their lives. It became a bestseller. The forces of Christian capitalism took advantage. The book spawned journals and devotionals and Bible studies and music and sermon series. Preachers encouraged their congregations to pray for an “expansion of their territory.” Pray for “God’s hand” to bless everything they set their mind and heart to. Pray for God to “protect them and deliver them from all pain.” Sadly, these things didn’t happen like the preachers promised. People still suffered pain. People still suffered loss. People saw their “territories” decrease through global recessions. And the prayer fad quickly faded from the scene.

Prosperity preaching is heretical. The idea that God promises His people only the good things in this life goes against everything we read in Scripture and everything we experience in real life. Prosperity preachers love to lift up certain sections of Scripture, rip them out of context, and use them almost like magic incantations to force God to do their bidding. They believe their obedience binds God to act in certain ways. They believe their faith requires God to bless them with earthly treasures. It’s all a big scam. It’s bogus theology. Spiritually abusive. Shamelessly self-promoting and self-enriching. (All one has to do is look at the lifestyles of these so-called “preachers” to see the rotten fruit of their manipulative, sinful, and evil tactics.)

So why does Jabez pray this prayer? We have no idea. We do not know much about him. We do not know anything about his life circumstances. We do not know the occasion that spawned this prayer. To build an entire theology of prayer off the back of this one verse is incredibly dangerous. I remember when the book first came out. I was at Princeton at the time. Serving as an intern in a local church where one of the pastors encouraged our congregation to pray the prayer. I had concerns almost immediately. When members of our church asked me what I thought about the prayer of Jabez, I told them I preferred the prayer of Jesus. Praying the Lord’s Prayer for thirty days would bear far more fruit in one’s spiritual life than praying the prayer of Jabez.

Ultimately, the problem with the prayer of Jabez is it makes everything about us. Bless me. Expand my territory. Be with me. Keep me from harm. Protect me from all pain. And yet, as I read Scripture I see how God often uses pain and hardship and suffering to shape and form us into the image of Christ. In fact, the Book of Hebrews says that Christ Himself was made “perfect through suffering.” (Hebrews 2:10) The prayer Jesus taught us to pray makes everything about God. Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Our very real needs grounded by our surrender to God’s ultimate will for our lives.

Friends, you and I are living through challenging times. Many of us are experiencing pain. Many of us are experiencing hardship. Many of us are experiencing loss. Our health is threatened. Our wealth is being stripped away. Our territory has shrunk to the homes we are lucky enough to live in. Does this mean God has failed? Does this mean God’s people have lost faith? Is God finally fed up with the world? No. It simply another stark reminder that this world is not our home. This world is broken and ruined and dangerous and hostile. It is cursed by the weight of sin. It suffers and struggles and groans along with us as it waits for the coming Kingdom of God. In such a world, the prayer of Jabez cannot help us. Only the prayer of Jesus can bring us the comfort and the hope we need!

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 6, Psalms 36, 39, 77, 78

No-Win Scenario

Readings for today: Psalms 49, 84, 85, 87

I am a bit of a Star Trek fan. Especially the new movies. One of the scenes that intrigues me the most is the “Kobayashi Maru.” A training exercise developed for cadets which places them in a no-win scenario. The simulation was developed by Spock - at least according to the new movies - and the only cadet to ever beat the test was Jim Kirk though he had to cheat to do it. The point of the exercise is to help a potential captain understand their own limitations, test their character, and teach them how to manage an unmanageable situation in a non-anxious way.

I think about where we find ourselves today. Our political leaders are facing a true “no-win” scenario. On the one hand, they must employ lockdowns and “stay at home” orders in order to prevent the spread of a dangerous and novel viral strain. These extreme measures, along with social distancing, have flattened the curve and helped prevent deaths. However, the economy has now crashed, putting millions out of work not just here in America but around the world. This has created a potential famine that will impact up to 250 million people according to the BBC. People are beginning to realize that the ability to remain home and safely shelter in place is a privilege only the globally wealthy enjoy. The extreme poor simply do not have this choice. If they remain home, they will starve to death. To add yet another layer to this already challenging scenario is the growing mental health crisis. Crisis lines are burning up with people struggling from social isolation, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Truly, we are facing a crisis of biblical proportions!

Sadly, so many of our leaders are failing the test. They are failing to manage their own fear and anxiety and often end up lashing out in divisive ways. They attempt to score political points on their opponents. They accuse each other of having the blood of innocents on their hands. They don’t want to “waste this crisis” and have started promoted economic and social revolution. They proudly and arrogantly proclaim they have the solution to make sure something like this never happens again as if keeping such a promise were even possible. They tell us that even “one death” is unacceptable but that’s simply not facing reality. People are going to die in this crisis. Either from the disease or from the “cure.” Again, it’s a no-win situation. There are no easy answers. No clear path back to normalcy.

So how does a Christian respond when faced with a “Kobayashi Maru?” We lament. We fall on our faces before the Lord. We humble ourselves before God. We acknowledge our own limitations. We refuse to trust in our own resources. Our own talent. Our own wisdom. Our own strength. We recognize such ways only lead to more death. “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.” (Psalm‬ (‭49:12-14) You and I are dust. We were made from dust and to dust we shall return. We are weak and frail. We are vulnerable and fragile. We are foolish and myopic. We are such self-centered creatures.

Why do we feel like the crisis we find ourselves in is a “no-win” scenario? Because we are limiting ourselves to the horizons of this world. We are confining ourselves to life on this earth. We have lost sight of the eternity God offers us in Jesus Christ. I love how the Psalmist proclaims the good news of the gospel. Pointing us in faith to the hope we have in God. “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.“ (Psalm‬ ‭49:15‬) Death has no hold over the true believer. The true Christian faces death not as an adversary but as a vanquished foe. Death has no hold on us. No power over us. No authority to condemn us. For on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus Christ met death in all his macabre glory and put him to shame. He disarmed death, making a mockery of him. Friends, there is no such thing as a “no-win” scenario to God! He has “cheated” death by raising His Son from the grave. He has “robbed” death of her greatest prize! He has defeated death once and for all! And all those who place their trust in Him can know the same victory in their own lives as well.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 3-5

Family Tree

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

There is a massive amount of interest in family history these days. With the advent of the internet, one can research from the comfort of one’s own home. You can trace your family’s origins back centuries. You can see their names. Sometimes get pictures. Find out different tidbits of information about them. What businesses did they run? Who did they marry? What town did they grow up in? You can even send your DNA off and find out who you are related to around the world. My mom and dad did this recently and discovered they had both Neanderthal and Mongolian blood!  It was nuts! (Then again, looking back maybe it makes sense...ha!) 

Genealogies are important because they root us in a specific history. A specific family. A specific story. Three generations ago, most Americans could tell you a lot about their family history. Mostly they lived in the same small town. Farmed the same land. Got buried in the same cemetery. There was a sense of rootedness to their lives. As the 20th century marched on, people became far more mobile and those connections to their history began to diminish. Sure, they might go back for a visit. Might see mom or dad and show their own kids the house where they grew up. Might be able to tell some of the family story but as time passed even those memories began to fade. Sociologists tell us that current generations are marked by a sense of existential loneliness. They don’t know who they are or where they are from. They don’t have a sense of “home” or being rooted in a history. They feel aimless and wandering.  

The genealogies we read about in Scripture are vitally important. If you’ve been following along with the reading, you know a lot of these names. You know a lot of their stories. You remember who they are and what they’ve done. Taken together, they tell the story of God’s people and it is important to the Chronicler to situate David within this specific history. Within this specific story. Within this specific family. Not only to demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy - i.e. the scepter shall not depart from Judah - but also to remind the people of God’s great faithfulness. David was no accident. David didn’t just stumble into the kingship. David didn’t rise up on and seize the kingship on his own. This was the outworking of God’s salvation plan from the very beginning. Going all the way back to Adam in the Garden of Eden and tracing its way down through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. God has been at work. God has brought about His Will for His people. God has been faithful. 

Think about your own life. Think about the legacy you’ve inherited from your family. Good or bad. Think about where you’re from and the stories you tell your children about what it was like growing up. Do you feel connected to something larger than yourself? Do you feel like you are part of a specific history? A specific story? A specific family? And what role has God played or does He play in the unfolding narrative that is your life? 

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 49, 84, 85, 87