Future

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

I hate uncertainty. I struggle with not knowing the future. I do all I can to predict and prepare for what’s next. I don’t like surprises. I don’t like it when life takes an unexpected turn. These things make me feel insecure. At the same time, I believe in the sovereignty of God. I trust God holds my future in His capable hands. I believe God will use all things in my life for my good and for His glory. I just wish sometimes He would give me a glimpse of what’s to come.

David had no idea what the future held for him. One day, he’s tending sheep. The next, he’s fighting a giant. One day, he’s laboring in obscurity, a complete unknown. The next, he’s famous for delivering Israel from the Philistines. One day, he’s outdoors, in the fields, hunting for his food, living with smelly, dirty sheep. The next, he’s in Jerusalem, living at the king’s court, eating at the king’s table, making a name for himself as he wins battle after battle. How did David get from here to there? It’s actually pretty simple. “So David got up early in the morning, left the flock with someone to keep it, loaded up, and set out as Jesse had charged him.” (1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Nothing extraordinary. No voices from heaven. No miraculous signs. Just following his father’s request to check on his brothers. This ordinary, mundane decision literally changes the course of his life as well as the future of Israel.

How many times can we look back on our lives and say the same? How many times did a simple, ordinary, mundane decision lead us to an opportunity that changed our lives? Can we see God’s hand in it? Using the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary? Using our everyday decisions to accomplish His will? I certainly can see this dynamic in play in my life. My choice of a college coming out of high school led me to an opportunity to accept Christ and meet my future wife. My choice of a church in Boulder led me to an opportunity to attend Princeton Seminary. My choice to serve a small church in Mobile, AL prepared me to lead the church I currently serve in Parker, CO. My choice to apply for a fellowship program at Columbia Seminary led me to an opportunity to be mentored by Steve Hayner. My connection to Steve gave me the opportunity to get my doctorate which has opened all kinds of doors professionally for me over the years. The list goes on and on. It’s astounding to see and nothing I could ever have planned. Not in my wildest dreams.

Someone once famously said, “We may not know the future but we know the One who holds the future in His hands.” We do have a sure and certain hope. Not because we know the future. Not because we can predict what’s next with any degree of accuracy. Not because we are prepared for whatever may come. We have a sure and certain hope because we trust the Lord. We know He guides and directs our steps. We know He is faithful to be with us wherever we go. This is what set David apart from all the other warriors in the army of Israel. Though he didn’t know what awaited him when he rode into camp that day, he knew the Lord was with him so he could face even a giant like Goliath without fear.

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

Vindication

Readings for today: Job 18-21

In the midst of his terrible suffering, Job holds fast to three fundamental convictions...

1. God is sovereign.

2. God is good and just.

3. Job is faithful.  

These convictions give him the strength to resist his friends when they offer their simplistic, superficial, and ultimately heretical explanations for his suffering. They also give him the courage to stand before the judgment seat of God, trusting the Lord for vindication. We see this reflected in what are perhaps the most famous verses in the Book of Job, “But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Job, of course, has no idea who Jesus is. The life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God will not be revealed for many centuries. But Job does have faith. He looks forward, as do all the Old Testament saints, to a future yet to be revealed, trusting in a God who will make all things right and all things new. 

Job’s suffering resists all logic. It resists any and all attempts to make sense out of it. It resists the formulaic notions we have about cause and effect. Blessing and curse. Health and wealth. It forces us to grapple with the hard truth that the righteous do suffer. The unrighteous do prosper. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to evil people. There is no rhyme or reason to these things. Time and chance happen to us all as the writer of Ecclesiastes once wrote. The world we live in is broken. Utterly. Completely. It is a world enslaved to the power of Sin. A world ruled by the tyrannical fear of Death. If things happen to go well for us in this world, it is not because we are good or because we earned it. It is far more likely that it is random chance. This is why we cannot set our hearts on the things of this earth but on things above.  

A friend of mine recently watched a show where the Book of Job was featured. The conclusion of the character who was wrestling with the text was that ultimately all Job received in the end was new children and a case of PTSD. That’s actually a common interpretation of the text both in our culture today and in many churches. Like Job’s friends, it’s a far too simplistic approach to the text. It betrays our unwillingness to really sit and take the time to “hear” Job. To marvel at his courageous faith. To wonder at his steadfast, some may call it stubborn, refusal to let go of the goodness and justice and sovereignty of God. Why doesn’t Job ever throw in the towel? Why doesn’t Job do what his wife suggested at the beginning? Why doesn’t Job curse God and die like so many have throughout the centuries and like so many do today? Because Job believes. Job has faith. He knows his Redeemer lives. He knows he will meet God face to face after he dies and he trusts God to be faithful. Though it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, Job ultimately trusts God for his vindication. 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 22-24

Integrity

Readings for today: Job 1-5

Job was a man of complete integrity. I have long pondered what this might mean. Does it mean Job is perfect? Free from sin? Clearly not. The Bible declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and this would include a man like Job. Does it mean Job never makes mistakes? Never gets things wrong? Never loses heart? Again, clearly not. The rest of the book show Job at his most honest and raw and real. He grieves. He laments. He argues. He fights back. He questions God. So what does it mean that Job was a man of complete integrity? A man who feared God and turned away from evil? A man who retains his integrity even in the middle of incredible tragedy? A man who accepts both good and adversity from God? A man who understands God gives and takes away?

The Hebrew word that is translated “complete integrity” or “blameless and upright” depending on which version you are reading, literally means to walk a straight path. It means there is no swerving to the left or the right. No crookedness along the way. It is the Bible’s way of picturing a person of honesty. A person who lives transparently before the Lord and before others. A person who has nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear but God. Such a person sets their mind and heart on God. They seek to honor God in all their ways. They seek to obey God in everything they do. They bring God into the equation in all their decision-making. They trust God with the outcomes of life. They do not expect anything from God. They do not demand anything from God. They walk in humility before Him. They believe God is more than enough.

Decades ago, I was in a Bible study on the Book of Job and the teacher challenged us with some hard questions. If you never received anything from God, would He still be worthy of your worship? If you never received a single blessing from God, would He still be worthy of your devotion? Do you love God simply because He’s God or do you love God for the blessings He brings to your life? How would you answer? I know I had to sit with them a while myself. I wasn’t at a stage where I was ready to accept what Job had to teach me. I was still very young in my faith. But as I’ve grown over the years and experienced a whole lot of life along the way, I have learned to embrace the truth of what Job teaches us. God is enough. God is more than enough. He is worthy of my worship and devotion simply because He is God. He does not owe me. I have no right to expect anything from Him. Everything I receive from Him is a gift. It is grace. It is undeserved and unexpected and unearned. It is mine to steward not to own. He gives and takes away according to His perfect will for me. In all things and in every season, I bless the name of the Lord.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 6-9

Belief

Readings for today: Genesis 14-16

What does it mean to believe God? Too often, we apply a modern lens to our reading and interpreting of Scripture. We fail to acknowledge that though the Bible was written for us, it was not written to us. It was written to a particular people who lived at a particular time in a particular culture with a particular worldview. One that is far different than our own. We live in a post-Enlightenment world. A world shaped and formed by rational processes. A culture built on the dictum, “I think therefore I am.” Therefore, when we talk about “belief”, we shift into the realm of philosophy. Abstractions. Theories. We ask a set of questions that would never have even crossed Abram’s mind. We ask things like, “Is there a god? How would I know? What evidence is there for or against god?” These questions are the hallmarks of what Charles Taylor calls the “disenchanted world.” A world where the bias is against God. A world where God has to prove His own existence. A material world where “reality” is confined to what our five senses can confirm.

Abram lived in a far different world. An “enchanted” world where the spiritual was just as “real” as the material. God was taken for granted. His existence provided the foundation for all of life. “Belief” in Abram’s world was not philosophical. Those questions were assumed. It was deeply practical. Abram didn’t just believe in God as an abstract concept. He trusted God with his life. He trusted God would make good on His promises. He was fully convinced God was able to do what He said He would do. So when God tells Abram he will have a son, Abram believes God. He trusts God. He puts it in the bank. And this is why Abram is declared righteous.

Faith does not make one perfect. Abram is obviously not a perfect man. One chapter after he is declared righteous for believing God will provide a child, he takes matters into his own hands. He grows impatient and decides to follow his own plan and the plans of his wife, Sarai. The Hagar/Ishmael story is a tragic one though God eventually brings good out of Abram’s sinful decision. Hagar will be saved. Ishmael will become great in his own right and the father of many nations. Sadly, many of those nations will become the blood enemies of the descendants of Isaac, the promised child. But still Abram is lifted up as righteous. And this is the insight that hit the Apostle Paul like a thunderbolt. His righteousness must come by faith not by sight. It must be dependent on Abram’s trust in the Lord not the works of his hands. Despite his many mistakes and failures, Abram truly believed God. He trusted God. He followed God. He put His life in God’s hands over and over again. This is what it means to believe in a biblical sense and it remains our challenge to this day.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 17-19

Family

Readings for today: Genesis 10-11

God loves families. God created the first human family. He ordained the first human marriage. He created humanity to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. So He commanded Adam and Eve. So He commanded Noah and his children. So He will command Abram and Sarai in just a few chapters. God’s desire is for humanity to fill the earth. Rule in His name over all He has made. This is why the Tower of Babel is such a problem. The people would not scatter. They were refusing to “fill the earth.” Instead, they sought to make a tower that would stretch to heavens. A physical signpost they could look to as they wandered so they always knew they would be safe. Much like ancient mariners who always tried to stay within sight of the coastline, the people were too scared to accomplish the mission God had set out for them. So God, in an act of grace, confused their languages and scattered them Himself. He pushed them out of the nest. And the people spread out across the globe, each developing their own language and customs. However, no matter how far afield they went, they still remained part of the same family. A family God loves with all His heart.

God loves the human family. In fact, He loves us so much He chose one particular family to bring about His covenant promise. They don’t know it yet but God has great plans for them. If you stop at Genesis 11, there is nothing remarkable about this family that would suggest what’s to come. Nothing foreshadowing the miracles and signs and wonders God will do in and through and for them. In fact, there are problems with this family. Sarai is barren so it seems the family name will be carried on through Nahor rather than Abram. Haran, the father of Terah, has died in Ur and something prompts Terah to take his clan to Haran. What it is, we don’t know. God has yet to reveal it to us. While they settle in Haran, tragedy strikes again and Terah dies, leaving childless Abram and Sarai, along with Nahor and Milcah, to decide what to do next. Should they return to Ur? Stay in Haran? Continue on to Canaan? Again, if you don’t know the story, these are open questions.

God loves the human family. God loves Abram and Sarai’s family. God loves your family. Perhaps you’re facing some open questions today? Perhaps the future of your family seems unclear? Perhaps you’re wrestling over what to do next? A relocation? A career change? Kids leaving home? Parents moving into graduated care? There are so many open questions in life. The other day, one of my daughters left for Australia for six months. We put her on a plane with no idea what she will experience while she is over there. She is nineteen years old. So much of her life in front of her. So many different directions she could go. So many things she could see and do. We have no idea what God has waiting for her only that God IS waiting for her over there. And He will be faithful. Just as He was faithful to Abram and Sarai and all who have come before us.

Readings for tomorrow: No readings on Sundays

By Faith

Readings for today: Hebrews 11-13, Psalms 30

Some say faith is blind. Some say faith is foolish. Some say faith is an opiate of sorts for the masses. A delusion we are indoctrinated into by religious institutions. That’s not how the Bible defines faith. It is a fundamental belief. A conviction that what remains unseen is nonetheless very real. It is an assurance for the future where all our hopes and dreams for eternity will come to pass. It is ultimately a deep and abiding trust in God and His plan for our lives and for our world.

Hebrews 11 is rightly called the “Hall of Fame” of faith. It lists the many heroes and heroines who walked by faith. Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Why? Because he offered it in faith. Enoch did not taste death. Why? Because he walked with God. Noah risked it all to build an ark. Why? Because he loved God more than he loved the things of this world. Abraham left home, kindred, and country. He left behind all that was familiar. All that was safe. All that was secure. Why? Because he had his eyes fixed on a better country. A heavenly one. Sarah embraced a miraculous pregnancy in her old age. She carried Isaac to term though the toll on her body must have been enormous. She risked her life to bring the child of promise into the world. Why? Because she knew God was faithful. The list goes on and on. And it’s not meant to be exhaustive. It’s meant to be illustrative. To encourage those of us who are still fighting the good fight of faith in this world. It’s written to encourage those of us who are still seeking a homeland, eternal in the heavens.

What does walking by faith look like for you today? In what areas of your life are you being called to trust God? How are you placing your life, your future, your hopes and your dreams into His hands? Are you intentionally seeking to live by faith? Remember, “without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬) Living by faith requires intentionality. Walking by faith requires self-discipline. It means dying to self every moment of every day. Laying aside the desires of the flesh in favor of the fruit of the Spirit. It means trusting God to reveal His will in His time. It means taking all that we are and all that we have and placing it at God’s disposal to use as He sees fit. It means walking with open hands before the Lord, allowing Him to guide and direct our steps.

I can tell you from personal experience there is nothing more exciting and nothing more daunting than following Christ. You end up on these amazing journeys you never thought possible. You have these experiences you never would have imagined. You get taken to the end of your own wisdom and strength and resources again and again as God teaches you to rely on Him. It’s not easy. It’s often scary. But God is faithful and He always delivers on His promises.

Readings for tomorrow: James 1-3, Psalms 31

Rational Faith

Readings for today: Luke 1, Psalms 112

I often meet and talk with people who struggle with the concept of faith. Typically, they are more “left-brained” in their thinking. They are more analytical and methodical and scientifically and/or mathematically minded. They want to know what evidence exists for the Christian faith and how one can believe in events that, by definition, defy the laws of physics. They tend to bracket out, a priori, the existence of miracles. And they tend to think of faith and reason as oppositional concepts. I love talking with them. Mainly because these are my people. I too am an analytical thinker. I too want to know the evidence that exists for the Christian faith and if Christianity presents the best explanation of what’s available. I too struggle to accept events that defy the laws of physics, though admittedly my struggle has diminished the more I travel to places like South Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia. I too used to think that faith and reason were opposing concepts.

Perhaps that’s why I love Luke’s Gospel so much. He sets out from the opening lines to present a clear and compelling case, based on eye witness testimony, of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He carefully investigates all the claims. He writes in an orderly fashion. His goal is for Theophilus - which literally means “God lover” - to find assurance and certainty and peace of mind when it comes to what he or she believes. Luke certainly helped me find this assurance. His Gospel presents a faith that is rational. A faith that is reasonable. A faith that is not blind but rather the best account of the evidence provided.

Now one can certainly argue about the veracity of miracles but one also has to be honest that they are making an argument from deduction not observation. One can certainly argue over the reliability of eye witness testimony and have questions about whether the story changes in the years between the actual events and when Luke was writing but one must also be honest that eye witness testimony has been found reliable in courts of law for centuries and across cultures. Furthermore, one has to set aside their anachronism and cultural definitions of literacy and grapple with the differences between oral and textual societies. One can certainly challenge Luke’s historical chops but one must not impose 21st century standards on ancient authors but instead ask if Luke’s writings represent a compelling account of ancient biography. All of these are important questions to ask and seek answers to but perhaps most important is what one does with the basic facts of the case. What does one do with the person of Jesus Christ who lived and taught and suffered and died and was crucified and buried and whose tomb was empty three days later? No honest historian disputes these basic, fundamental facts so one has to come up with a hypothesis to explain them and to date, no one has come up with anything better than what Luke presents in his Gospel.

One may choose to reject the rationality of the Christian faith but that doesn’t make it irrational. The Christian faith is a rational approach to real events that happened in real time in human history. It is a clear and compelling way to make sense of the empty tomb and it’s implications for humanity and the world.

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 2-3, Psalms 113

Be Strong

Readings for today: Haggai 1-2, Psalms 59

Be strong. In the face of all the challenges this world can bring. Be strong. When you’re disappointed and let down. Be strong. When you are anxious and afraid. Be strong. When life doesn’t go your way. Be strong. When you feel overwhelmed. Be strong. I love today’s words from Haggai. They are words for every generation. Words for every community of believers in every culture and place around the world. Words for those who are old and young, rich and poor, educated and lacking education, powerful and powerless, influential and marginalized, black, brown, or white. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’ve come from or your background or life experience, God says, “I am with you.” I am with you in the midst of life. I am with you in the midst of all the challenges you face. I am with you in success and failure. I am with you in plenty and in want. I am with you in sickness and in health. I am with you to the end.

And what is the faithful response to God’s amazing promise? Work. Keep pressing in. Keep pushing forward. Keep working until the job is finished. And what is the job? For Zerubbabel and Joshua, it was the rebuilding of the Temple. For us, it is the work of evangelism and discipleship. Proclaiming the good news of the gospel to the whole world and teaching those who believe all God has commanded. This is a work that never ends. It is a work that demands our best effort and our best resources. It is a work that is worth doing because eternity is literally at stake. It is a work that will endure. A work that will last. A work that will become a monument in the heavens for all to see just as the work of the ancient Israelites would result in a Temple that would stand as a monument to God’s greatness and glory for all the nations to see.

Listen to Haggai’s words again and think about how they apply to your own life. Insert your name where it mentions Zerubbabel and Joshua. Don’t be afraid to claim these promises as your own. “Even so, be strong,____________— this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, ____________, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land — this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you, __________  — the declaration of the Lord of Armies. This is the promise I made to you, _____________, when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’” For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. “The silver and gold belong to me” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”  — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.” (Haggai‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬) It’s amazing to think about. God shaking the heavens and the earth, the sea and dry land. God shaking the nations to fill His house with His glory. God promising that the final glory of His house will far eclipse the former glory of His house. This is the glory we are working towards as His people. This is the glory we will one day worship and dwell in when we stand before the Lord at the end of days.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 1-4, Psalms 60

The Path of Faith

Readings for today: Ezra 4-7, Psalms 46

I am fifty-one years old and as I think back over my life, I can point to many places where I faced a choice. Would I trust God or would I trust myself? Would I respond in faith or would I respond in fear? When I chose the path of fear, I ended up in a dark place. I became anxious and depressed. I didn’t sleep well. I lacked motivation. I made all kinds of excuses. I blamed everyone and everything around me. My heart was full of regrets. When I chose the path of faith, I found my spirits lifted. I experienced freedom. Peace that passed all understanding. I slept well. I woke up energized every morning. I took responsibility. I owned my successes and my failures. I had no regrets. No second guessing. My life was rich and full.

Our reading from Ezra today illustrates what God’s people can do when they walk by faith. Sadly, it also illustrates what can happen when God’s people walk in fear. “Then the people who were already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build. They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.” (Ezra‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Zerubbabel and leaders of God’s people had rightly rejected the offer of help from the people of the land for the god they worshipped was not the God of Israel. The people who had resettled the land after the Assyrian Empire wiped out the Northern Kingdom of Israel were a mixed group culled from different tribes and nations. They each brought their own gods to the table and the result was a syncretized view of god that bore no resemblance to the God of Israel. If Zerubbabel allowed them to work alongside God’s people as they rebuilt the Temple, there was a very real danger that the worship of God would become polluted and corrupt. The people of the land didn’t take their rejection well. They embarked on a campaign of intimidation, threatening God’s people with the very real consequences of opposing the might of the Persian Empire. The rebuilding work was hanging by a thread.

Thankfully, there were those who chose a different path. The path of faith. Haggai and Zechariah rose up to prophesy. Prophesy in this case had little to do with future-telling and more to do with truth-telling. They preached in the name of the God of Israel. Reminding God’s people of God’s sovereign power and authority. They encouraged the leaders of God’s people to renew the work and trust in God’s faithfulness and so the work resumed. It’s important to note that the people still faced opposition. They still had to overcome all kinds of resistance. The factors that made them afraid in the first place didn’t magically disappear. The difference now was that their focus was on God and not on all the obstacles standing in their way. Their eyes were fixed on God’s mission rather than on all the reasons they couldn’t or wouldn’t be successful. Their faith gave them the strength to persevere through the challenges and setbacks rather than succumb to them.

What about you? As you think about the challenges you face in your own life, are you choosing the path of faith or the path of fear?

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 8-10, Psalms 47

Walk by Faith

Readings for today: Jeremiah 40-44, Psalms 24

As a pastor, one of the things I get to do is help churches who find themselves in crisis. Leadership failings. Trust issues. Organizational chaos. There are lots of reasons churches struggle and when it gets to a certain point, they cry out for help. That’s often when I am called to go in. I begin working with the pastors. Working with the elders. Working with the leaders. And the biggest challenge I face in these situations is to help people who are often hurting, angry, fearful, and afraid, learn to walk by faith. 

Jeremiah faced the same challenge. The national crisis of God’s people deepens with the murder of the Babylonian governor. The people of God come to Jeremiah and ask him to pray on their behalf. What should they do? How should they respond? They are naturally afraid of the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar. Will he return and utterly destroy them? Will he seek retribution for the murder of his official? What’s going to happen? Jeremiah seeks the Lord on their behalf and the Lord graciously answers. “If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will rebuild and not demolish you, and I will plant and not uproot you, because I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought on you. Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon whom you now fear; don’t be afraid of him’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘because I am with you to save you and rescue you from him. I will grant you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and allow you to return to your own soil.’” (Jeremiah‬ ‭42‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What an amazing promise! Even now, after all their sin and rebellion, God is willing to forgive and show mercy and establish them in the Promised Land. Even now, God is willing to bless them and help them and come to their aid. Yes, it will require a step of faith. Yes, it will require them to be humble. Yes, they will have to submit to Nebuchadnezzar once again. But if they will do these things, God will be with them. 

Sadly, their fear gets the best of them. “Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the other arrogant men responded to Jeremiah, “You are speaking a lie! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to stay there for a while!’ Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans to put us to death or to deport us to Babylon!” (Jeremiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) So they flee to Egypt. Back to the place where they were once enslaved. They begin to worship Egyptian gods. They leave the land of promise for a foreign land to serve foreign masters with the hope they will protect them and keep them safe. 

Walking by faith is not easy. It often seems illogical to our human minds. Azariah and Johanan were doing what made sense. It makes sense to run for cover when you are afraid. It makes sense to run to Egypt, the world’s only other superpower, to escape the wrath of the Babylonians. It makes sense to flee when you’ve just been conquered. It is natural to be afraid in such situations. But it is precisely in these moments, when things are at their darkest and most bleak, that we turn to God.  

Many churches I’ve worked with over the years have sadly not been able to make this turn. They keep trying to handle things on their own. They keep turning to their own wisdom. They keep trying to operate according to their own strength. They falsely believe if they can just get another pastor…if they can just get rid of a certain leader…if they can just hit on the right program…attract the right kind of people then success will come. They turn to business principles. They go to conferences. They talk vision and values and policies and procedures. They try so hard and all the while God is in heaven reaching out to them. Calling them to slow down. Simplify. Sit with Him in prayer. Rebuild trust by spending time in the Word and just sharing life together in Him.

Thankfully, I’ve seen some wonderful successes along the way as well. Churches who finally come to the end of themselves and are ready to submit to God. Ready to walk by faith not by sight. Ready to look past attendance and budget and building issues and let God restore them. They are ready to put aside all the talk about vision and values and leadership and let the Spirit show them the way. They are ready to stop looking to organizational solutions for spiritual problems and instead rely on God. It’s a beautiful thing to watch as God builds them back up. Replants the fields and brings in a harvest. Friends, if we trust God, He will come through! 

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 45-48, Psalms 25

What Drives You?

Readings for today: 2 Kings 20-22, Psalms 107

I’ve often wondered what drives the kings of Israel and Judah. What drives some like Hezekiah and Josiah to be faithful to the Lord and what drives others like Manasseh and Amon to be unfaithful? What drives some to tear down the high places and what drives some to rebuild them? What drives some to love and serve Yahweh with all their heart and what drives others to chase after other gods? Frankly, we probably will never know but at the same time, human beings are human beings. We are creatures driven by desire who react in all sorts of ways to the feelings our circumstances engender.

In our reading today, it’s clear the kingdom of Judah is surrounded by enemies. The nations surrounding them are ascending while they are descending. They are slowly but surely encroaching on their borders. Picking off one town after the next. Even invading as we saw with the Assyrians. This creates all kinds of political and social pressure to which the kings must respond. I imagine that’s at least one factor in why some kings responded with faith and others with fear. There was no such thing as separation of church in state in the ancient near east. Kings and emperors, tribes and nations, all believed their gods were intimately involved in their daily lives. When the nation experienced blessing, it must mean their god was pleased and exercising his power on their behalf. When the nation was struggling, it must mean their god was angry and withholding his power from them. Not only that but when nations came into conflict, the battle wasn’t just waged on earth. The gods clashed in the heavens as well. This is why Sennacherib boasted about defeating the gods and not just the nations. Israel, however, was different or at least they were supposed to be. They knew Yahweh was Lord of heaven and earth and had no rival among the gods. The nations around them worshipped empty idols so when those same pagan nations defeated them, it wasn’t because Yahweh was weak or defeated, it was because they had sinned. Typically their sin involved treating Yahweh as if he were just another pagan god. This is what “doing evil in the sight of the Lord” was all about.

You and I are often tempted to treat God the same way. Every time we try to bargain with Him or make some kind of deal with Him. Every time we try to be “good enough” to earn His blessing and favor. Every time we treat Him like a first responder, only to be called upon in case of emergency. We are treating Him like a pagan god. God wants to be involved in every moment of every day. God wants to be part of your day to day life. God wants a relationship with you. He wants you to trust Him. Believe in Him. Submit to Him because He knows what’s best for you. So what drives you? Is it faith or fear? Is it belief or doubt? Is it trust or anxiety? And how do you respond to the ever-changing circumstances of your life? Do you respond like Hezekiah and Josiah or do you respond like Manasseh and Amon? Place your trust in the Lord. The Maker of heaven and earth. The One who holds all authority in heaven and on earth in His hands.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 23-25, Psalms 108

Spiritual Journey

Readings for today: Genesis 12-15, Psalm 4

One of the things I’ve learned as I’ve traveled the world and interacted with Christians from different cultures is to integrate rather than segregate my life. The physical is not separate from the mental. The mental is not separate from the emotional. The emotional is not separate from the spiritual. Our lives are not like lunchables. We are not made up of hermetically sealed compartments. No, our lives are fully integrated so what happens to us emotionally impacts us physically, mentally, spiritually and so on. I cannot tell you how freeing this perspective has been for me. For years, I believed the lie that I could segment out my life. I ignored the warning signs in my physical body when I would bottle up my emotions. I dismissed concerns over how the things I was exposing my mind to impacted my soul and heart. I found myself striving so hard to compartmentalize a life that was meant to be integrated. That’s when God stepped in. He reminded me that His great desire is that I would love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In other words, love Him in a fully integrated way. As I began to embrace this new perspective, my life changed pretty radically. I felt a freedom I had never experienced before. My life got a lot more healthy and whole and I found myself growing in all sorts of ways.

As I read Abraham’s story for the umpteenth time, what struck me this year was the number of times Abraham encounters God or hears from God or builds an altar to God or calls on God as he makes this journey from Haran to the Promised Land. Genesis 12 begins with the call to Abram while he’s living with his family in Haran. Abram obeys God’s call and starts out on his journey. God shows up again at the oak of Moreh outside of Shechem so he builds an altar. He keeps walking through the hillside and comes to Bethel where he builds another altar and calls on the name of the Lord. Because of famine, Abram disobeys God, leaves the Promised Land, and enters Egypt. Notice he doesn’t meet God there. Doesn’t call on God there. Doesn’t build an altar there. Instead, he trusts in his own wisdom and almost train wrecks his family. So he leaves Egypt with his family and heads back to Bethel where he again calls on the name of the Lord. Abram and Lot separate and after Lot departs, God visits him yet again after which he moves to Hebron where he builds yet another altar to the Lord. Finally, he returns from winning a great victory in battle, receiving a special blessing from Melchizedek, and once again God meets him in a vision to give him the promise of a child. Make no mistake, the physical journey Abram has undertaken to get to this point reflects a deeper spiritual journey his soul is making as well. Abram is growing in every facet of his life. Every step represents a concrete act of faith in the God who first called him out of Ur and renewed that call when he lived in Haran. Abram has left everything to follow God. His home. His family. His clan. His business. His safety and security. He did it based on a promise that God would make him into a great nation and give him a great name and use him to bless the people of the earth. Abram believed God and the rest is history.

What about you? As you think back over the course of your life, can you see how your physical journey is tied up with your spiritual journey? Can you see the connection between emotional maturity and mental health? Do you seek an integrated life under the Lordship of Christ or are you striving to keep your life segmented and segregated? Let me encourage you to believe as Abram did. Trust God with everything. Hold nothing back. Lay it all down at His feet. Believe me when I say He’ll never let you down.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 16-18, Psalm 5

The Example of Children

Readings for today: Matthew 17-18, Mark 9:2-50, Luke 9:28-56

I love children. Always have, always will. I love them at every age from baby to teenager. I’ve loved being a dad to all four of my children. In fact, I still send them texts about once or twice a week just to let them know what an awesome privilege it is to be their father. My son recently told me it’s like receiving a note in his lunchbox. Ha! Love it. I love teaching the children at church. It might be during Kid’s Time in the worship service or during Kid’s Ministry on those Sundays when I’m off the platform and get to serve. There’s simply nothing better than being around kids and talking about Jesus.

Jesus loved children. He often used them to illustrate faith. Their simple trust and wide-eyed wonder at the world served as examples for all who followed Him. When His disciples argued over who was the greatest, Jesus pointed to a child. He challenged His disciples to seek to a simple faith. A humble faith. A generous and trusting and accepting faith. When His disciples wanted to correct a man for using the name of Jesus to set people free because he wasn’t part of their group and perhaps didn’t have his theology quite dialed in, Jesus once again challenged them to take a childlike posture. “If you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.” (Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭42‬ ‭MSG‬‬) When His disciples lost focus and started talking about fame and fortune and power and authority, Jesus once again used a child to bring them back in line. “Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me,” he said. “And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.” (Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭47-‭48‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

I love that last line from the Message version. “Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.” Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not determined by influence, power, wealth, success, achievement, possessions, the number of books sold, the number of downloads on Spotify, or the number of followers on Instagram. Greatness in the Kingdom of God is not determined by the social circles you run in or the famous people you may know. It is your condition of your soul that matters most. It is your spiritual maturity that makes the difference. And the key mark of spiritual maturity is not age or station in life. It’s not how long you’ve been attending church or how many leadership positions you’ve held in your life. It’s not connected to a title or a degree or some ordination credential. It’s marked by humility. Grace. Peace. Love. Sacrifice. Submission. Trust. All things that mark most children. In fact, one of the best spiritual disciplines you can put into practice is to spend time with a child. Not to teach so much as to learn. Not to discipline so much as to play. Not to guide and correct so much as to simply enjoy the wonder and joy of their life.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Hopelessness

Readings for today: Job 10-13

Ever felt hopeless in your life? Ever get to a place where no matter what you did, things turned out worse? Ever find yourself in a position where the walls were closing in and you had no escape? No safety net? No one to catch you when you fall? This is what Job felt like in the face of all he suffered. Hopelessness is a terrible thing. The loss of hope is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being. If we don’t have hope, we lose any motivation to keep on living. We lose any desire to keep on striving. The results are often tragic. Either we give up or we find a way to end it all or we shuffle through the rest of life like a zombie with no sense of purpose or direction.

I think of the many people I have counseled over the years who found themselves on the verge of hopelessness. Some of them were fighting terrible, wasting diseases like ALS or Alzheimer’s and they wondered what value their life could possibly hold as their physical bodies failed. Some were fighting terrible addictions and they wondered how life could be worth living under such oppressive, compulsive, and seemingly irresistible self-destructive desires. Some were fighting mental health conditions like schizophrenia or anorexia or clinical depression and they wondered what the point of life might be when so much of what they experienced was darkness. Still others suffered from deep emotional and relational pain. Still others had seen everything they had built come crashing down around them. There is so much pain and heartbreak in our world that leads to hopelessness and despair and we wonder where God is in the midst of it all.

Listen to how Job describes his own feelings of hopelessness, “If I’m truly guilty, I’m doomed. But if I’m innocent, it’s no better - I’m still doomed. My belly is full of bitterness. I’m up to my ears in a swamp of affliction. I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out, but you’re too much for me, relentless like a lion on the prowl.” (Job 10:15-16) There is nothing worse than feeling like life has no point. Nothing worse than feeling like no matter what we do, we are all still doomed to suffer. Nothing worse than thinking it doesn’t matter if one is good or evil because we all end up in the same place. This is where Job finds himself in our reading today and yet he refuses to give up hope. He stubbornly clings to faith. He continues to cry out to God. Demanding an audience. Demanding an answer. Somewhere deep down, he knows what he’s experiencing is not right so he throws himself on God’s mercy. “Yes, I’ve seen all this with my own eyes, heard and understood it with my own very ears. Everything you know, I know, so I’m not taking a backseat to any of you. I’m taking my case straight to God Almighty; I’ve had it with you - I’m going directly to God.” (Job 13:1-4)

Some believe the Book of Job is about the loss of faith. Some believe it is about deconstructing faith. I beg to differ. Job is a book that plumbs the depth of faith. It presents faith in it’s most real, most raw form. It shows us what faith looks like under immense pressure. It shows us how faith endures under the most difficult of circumstances. Job is a faithful man precisely because he continues to cry out to God. He refuses to let go. He is like Jacob wrestling with God down by the river. He is broken. He is beaten. He is wounded terribly, perhaps even mortally, and still he will not let go until God answers him. His friends all want him to compromise. His counselors all want him to exchange his deep and profound faith for superficial, theologically correct answers. His own wife wants him to renounce his faith, curse God, and die. But Job perseveres. He endures. He only tightens his grip on his faith. He refuses to give into hopelessness. Refuses to let despair have the final word.

What about you? Where do you find yourself today? Where are you struggling with hopelessness? Where are you struggling with despair? Maybe you’re like some of the people I mentioned above, battling chronic illness, addiction, or mental health issues. Maybe you’ve had a relationship go south or an estrangement with someone you love. Maybe your job or career has stalled or even failed and all your dreams for the future have gone up in smoke. Follow Job’s example. Cry out to God. Hold nothing back. Bring it all to Him. It’s only when we have nothing left that we discover faith in God is more than enough.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 14-17

By Faith

Readings for today: Ezekiel 13-15, Hebrews 11:17-40

Some say faith is blind. Some say faith is foolish. Some say faith is an opiate of sorts for the masses. A delusion we are indoctrinated into by religious institutions. That’s not how the Bible defines faith. It is a fundamental belief. A conviction that what remains unseen is nonetheless very real. It is an assurance for the future where all our hopes and dreams for eternity will come to pass. It is ultimately a deep and abiding trust in God and His plan for our lives and for our world.

Hebrews 11 is rightly called the “Hall of Fame” of faith. It lists the many heroes and heroines who walked by faith. Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Why? Because he offered it in faith. Enoch did not taste death. Why? Because he walked with God. Noah risked it all to build an ark. Why? Because he loved God more than he loved the things of this world. Abraham left home, kindred, and country. He left behind all that was familiar. All that was safe. All that was secure. Why? Because he had his eyes fixed on a better country. A heavenly one. Sarah embraced a miraculous pregnancy in her old age. She carried Isaac to term though the toll on her body must have been enormous. She risked her life to bring the child of promise into the world. Why? Because she knew God was faithful. The list goes on and on. And it’s not meant to be exhaustive. It’s meant to be illustrative. To encourage those of us who are still fighting the good fight of faith in this world. Who are still sojourning on this earth that is not our home. It’s written to encourage those of us who are still seeking a homeland, eternal in the heavens. The place where God dwells.

What does walking by faith look like for you today? In what areas of your life are you being called to trust God? How are you placing your life, your future, your hopes and your dreams into His hands? Are you intentionally seeking to live by faith? Remember, “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬) Living by faith requires intentionality. Walking by faith requires self-discipline. It means dying to self every moment of every day. Laying aside the desires of the flesh in favor of the fruit of the Spirit. It means trusting God to reveal His will in His time. It means taking all that we are and all that we have and placing it at God’s disposal to use as He sees fit. It means walking with open hands before the Lord, allowing Him to guide and direct our steps.

I can tell you from personal experience there is nothing more exciting and nothing more daunting than following Christ. You end up on these amazing journeys you never thought possible. You have this experiences you never would have imagined. You get taken to the end of your own wisdom and strength and resources again and again as God teaches you to rely on Him. It’s not easy. It’s often scary. But God is faithful and He delivers on His promises. Make your decision right now to live this day by faith!

Readings for tomorrow: None