Deaf

Readings for today: Jeremiah 25-28

In the Ancient Greek myth, a priestess of Apollo named Cassandra was given the gift of seeing into the future but the curse of never being believed. She prophesied the doom of the city of Troy but no one took her seriously. Some versions of the myth suggest it’s because she rejected her god’s romantic advances, others suggest it’s because she betrayed Apollo. Either way, she was doomed to prophesy and never be believed and was considered insane by her own people.

I imagine Jeremiah can sympathize with a woman like Cassandra. He too was doomed to prophesy and never be believed by God’s people. Throughout the reigns of several kings, Jeremiah faithfully preached the Word of the Lord. He faithfully delivered the messages God gave him. He obeyed God’s call to speak God’s truth but was rejected over and over again. He spoke in the streets. He spoke in the Temple. He spoke in the royal courts. Still no one believed him. In fact, they imprisoned him. Some even sought to put him to death. Thankfully, there were faithful people like Ahikam who protected him much like Frederick the Wise would do for Martin Luther centuries later.

However, as bad as we might feel for Jeremiah and his plight, the greatest tragedy is that God’s people refused to believe God. They refused to listen to God. His pleas for obedience fell on deaf ears over and over again. Even when He raises His voice and “roars from on high” or “roars loudly over His grazing land” or “calls out with a shout” and the “tumult reaches the ends of the earth”, God’s people still plug their ears and close their eyes. Even when He forces the nations to drink the cup of His wrath, they reject Him. It’s painful to read. It’s even more painful to witness.

The reality God is still roaring from heaven. He is still calling out to us with a shout. He is still making His voice heard across the earth. He wants us to believe. He wants us to trust. He wants us to obey. He knows what’s coming if we refuse to turn and repent. He remains the righteous judge who will not let sin and unrighteousness and oppression and injustice persist forever. There is coming a day when God will bring an end to it all.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 29-32

Life and Death

Readings for today: Jeremiah 21-24

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a matter of life and death. It’s not just a philosophy. It’s not just a set of abstract ideas. It’s not just a solid ethical system. Our life and the lives of those we love and the lives of those we live among in our communities rest on whether or not we believe in the truth of Jesus, follow the way of Jesus, and receive the life of Jesus. Our problem, as Christians, is that we too often forget this fundamental fact. We too often believe the gospel is an accessory to our lives rather than the very thing on which our lives depend.

Jeremiah understood this fundamental fact. He knew the reason why Judah found herself in such dire straits was because they had abandoned the Lord. They had forgotten the covenant. They no longer walked in God’s ways nor did they follow God’s commands. As such, they had lost their distinctiveness. They had lost their exalted position among the nations as God’s chosen people and treasured possession. So God treats them like He does any other pagan nation. “I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, with anger, fury, and intense wrath.” (Jeremiah 21:5 CSB) These are hard words. Harsh words. Words that disturb us because we don’t like to think about God in this way. We don’t like to think about God’s judgment. We simply do not take Him seriously enough.

Thankfully, even in the midst of His terrifying judgment, God provides a way out. He provides a way of escape. “But tell this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war.” (Jeremiah 21:8-9 CSB) The way of life and the way of death. This is what God offers His people and it’s what God offers us as well. There is a way to escape the judgment. There is a way to escape the violence, famine, and plague. The people of Judah must humble themselves and surrender to their enemies. For us, the way is through faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith, we escape eternal judgment and damnation. We escape the fires of hell where a fate much worse than what Judah faced awaits all who reject the Lord.

God doesn’t just provide a way of escape. He also provides a way forward. A pathway to the future. A highway full of hope and promise. ‬‬“This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor.  Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses, they, their officers, and their people. But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself - this is the Lord’s declaration - that this house will become a ruin.” (Jeremiah 22:2-5 CSB) The way of life begins today. It begins this side of eternity. It begins right here, right now, in our day to day lives. Everyday we have the opportunity to treat others with justice and righteousness. To rescue those who have been oppressed. To comfort those who have been exploited. To care for and advocate for the alien, fatherless, and widow. If we are intentional about following God’s ways then He will hear and see from heaven and renew our lives and our families and our communities and our nation. But if we choose to turn a blind eye or walk away or not step into what He is calling us to then we will experience ruin. Again, the gospel is a matter of life and death.

Jesus, of course, believed the gospel was a matter of life and death. It was the reason for which He came and this is the hope Jeremiah points His people to even in the midst of all the death and destruction. “Look, the days are coming - this is the Lord’s declaration - when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The great news of the gospel is that Messiah has come! The Christ is here! He lived. He died. He rose again. And He now lives and reigns in glory until He comes again to judge the living and the dead. Believe the truth of Jesus! Follow the way of Jesus! Receive the life of Jesus! This is what it means to be saved!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 25-28

Faith and Doubt

Readings for today: Jeremiah 17-20

Life with God can be a roller coaster. It’s not always unicorns and rainbows and bubbles and sunshine. It’s not always a mountaintop spiritual experience. It’s not always positive and encouraging. Sometimes it’s painful and hard. Sometimes confusing and complex. Sometimes depressingly difficult. That’s what I love most about Jeremiah. He doesn’t hold back at all with God. He’s honest and transparent. He’s unafraid to come before God as he is, warts and all.

“You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” so the word of the Lord has become my constant disgrace and derision.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭20‬:‭7‬-‭8 ‭CSB‬‬) Jeremiah has been whipped and beaten and imprisoned for preaching God’s Word to His people. He has been abused and mistreated and oppressed. It’s not fair. It’s not just. It’s not okay. And Jeremiah lays the blame at God’s feet.

At the same time, Jeremiah knows he cannot quit. He cannot help himself. If he tries to walk away from his calling, he will regret it. The pressure builds deep in his gut. He simply cannot turn a blind eye to all the sin and injustice he sees on display. “I say, “I won’t mention him or speak any longer in his name.” But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.” (Jeremiah 20:9 CSB)

Throughout his struggles, his faith in God endures. His trust in God never seems to waver. Despite the ups and downs, Jeremiah continues to place his hope in the God who fights at his side. He knows God isn’t sending him into these battles alone. “But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed, an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten. Lord of Armies, testing the righteous and seeing the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for I have presented my case to you. Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord, for he rescues the life of the needy from evil people.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭20‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

It’s been my experience that faith and doubt often go together. Deep trust and hard questions can co-exist. Praise and pain are part and parcel of the Christian life. There are so many pressures, particularly in the American church today, to pretend like everything’s okay. We have a hard time expressing our deepest, most heartbreaking emotions or asking our most difficult questions. Somewhere along the way, we convinced ourselves that sharing these things somehow reflected a lack of faith when, in fact, the opposite is true. Life with God is not always up and to the right. Not every prayer gets answered in the way we want. Not every act of obedience will result in praise from those around us or material blessings in this world. This is probably one of the biggest lessons I learn from my brothers and sisters who practice their faith in the developing world. Their lives are full of immense hardship and suffering and persecution and yet, they cling to God. May we have the courage to do the same.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 21-24

Cling

Readings for today: Jeremiah 13-16

“Just as underwear clings to one’s waist, so I fastened the whole house of Israel and of Judah to me, this is the Lord’s declaration so that they might be my people for my fame, praise, and glory, but they would not obey.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

It’s a weird scene. God tells Jeremiah to buy a loincloth. Wear it. Bury it. Dig it up. All in an effort to illustrate for His relationship with Israel. I don’t know about you but I feel for these prophets. They are often called to do the strangest of things. I often wonder what their friends and family thought of them. I wonder what kind of ridicule and abuse they suffered. How isolated and alone they must have felt. I think of John the Baptist who was described as the “lone voice crying in the wilderness.” It had to be such a hard life. At the same time, I love the message God sends through Jeremiah. The picture of God clinging to us like an undergarment. Clinging to us in the most intimate of places. Clinging to us and never letting go. Why would God do such a thing? Especially when His people harden their hearts and refuse to listen?

God has a plan for your life. How many times have you heard that message? It’s true! From the beginning, God has made His plan clear. Humanity’s purpose is to fill the earth with the glory of God. Fill the earth with the image of God. Fill the earth with the praise of God. This is why God made us in the first place. This is the condition Adam and Eve were born into in the Garden of Eden. This is what all of us will one day experience when heaven comes to earth. No matter what we do or where we go or how much we sin, God’s plan never changes. He never relents from His purposes. He never stops working to bring about His will in our lives. Though we may resist Him. Though we may run from Him. Though we may rebel against Him. God refuses to let go. His grip remains tight. His love steadfast and true.

I think of when my children were younger. How I would scoop them up in my arms at times and try to hold them close. Sometimes they would arch their backs and try to wiggle from my grasp. Sometimes they would fight me and try to push me away. But in the end they always laid their head down on my shoulder and snuggled in close. I think of when my kids became teenagers and how upset they would get at times. They’d yell. They’d cry. They’d say hurtful things. One of the things I learned was not to fight them but simply hold out my arms. Wait for their emotions to calm down and give them a big hug. Then we talk things out. I think God is like that.

If you are a Christian, you are part of God’s people. You have been given His name. You were created for His praise and glory. You are not insignificant. You are not worthless. You are not hopeless. You are not lost. You are not alone. You are not on your own. God is with you. He clings to you even now. He is as close as a loincloth around your waist. Engaged in the most intimate spaces of your life. Stop running. Stop resisting. Stop fighting. Turn and embrace the One who loves you more than you can ever know. Cling to God even as He clings to you.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

The Way

Readings for today: Jeremiah 9-12

I listen regularly to a great podcast titled, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God. It’s hosted by an author named Justin Brierly and he regularly interviews former skeptics, agnostics, and atheists on how and why they have reconsidered the Christian faith. Some, like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the noted atheist intellectual, have even become Christians. Even Richard Dawkins, who has spent so much of his career attacking the Christian faith, has recently talked about being a “cultural Christian.” Noted agnostic historian, Tom Holland, wrote a best-selling book called Dominion where he charted the liberating impact of Christianity on human culture. His studies led him to conclude “that actually, in almost every way I am Christian.” Now he may be talking more about the cultural inheritance he received in terms of ethics and morals and worldview rather than being born again but the point stands. There is a rising tide of belief in God taking place around the world as people realize the way of Christ simply is the best way to live.

Strikingly, Jeremiah comes to the same conclusion centuries ago. “Who is the person wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through? The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction,  which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it. Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB) As he surveyed the cultural and national landscape of Israel, he was heartbroken. All he saw was violence and suffering, pain and devastation. The fires of revival that emerged under the reign of Josiah quickly died out under his successors and the nation was in steep decline. Beset by enemies on every side. Economy in shambles. Their military power significantly weakened. Their political influence almost non-existent. He knew it wouldn’t end well and he also knew why. They had abandoned God’s instruction. They did not obey God’s voice or walk in His ways. Instead, they followed their own hearts and chased after idols. Idols of gold and silver that were not real and certainly held no authority.

Why do we continue to reject God’s authority? After all, He is the maker of the heavens and the earth. He is the one who set the universe in motion and upholds it by the word of His power. He is the one who set up every biological and ecological and sociological system in our world. He is the one who shaped and formed us when we were in our mother’s wombs. Why wouldn’t we trust Him? Why wouldn’t we assume He knows best? Why is it we spend so much time and energy resisting Him rather than embracing Him? The reality is the way of Jesus is the best way to live. It is the best way to live personally and individually. It is the best way to live corporately and communally. It is also the only way God blesses. This is why God tells Jeremiah, “The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me   — that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.”(Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 13-16

Emotions

Readings for today: Jeremiah 5-8

The passage from the end of Jeremiah 8 is one of the most poignant in all of Scripture and it bleeds into the beginning of chapter 9. Most English translations put these words in Jeremiah’s mouth. Primarily because of how uncomfortable we are with God experiencing deep, heartbreaking grief. As Western Christians we are heavily influenced by Greek Platonic thought whether we realize it or not. We tend to believe God is fundamentally distant. Fundamentally different. Fundamentally beyond all human experience, including emotions. We believe He is untouchable. Unmovable. Unchangeable. We associate emotions with feelings of change. Instability. Unpredictability. And these things cannot be true of God...right? 

But what if we were willing to embrace a different understanding of emotions? A deeper understanding? Again, it is without question that God experiences emotions. Love. Anger. Frustration. Joy. We read about them over and over again and they are not simply anthropomorphisms. What if our understanding of God could be expanded to include the full range of emotions? What if us having emotions is part of being made in God’s image? What if our “emotionalism”, which breeds the feelings of instability and unpredictability, is actually a result of sin and brokenness? What if God, because He remains untouched by sin, is able to experience all emotions without being driven by them? 

This brings us back to the passage cited above. God is expressing the deepest, most heartbreaking grief possible.  “My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭CSB) God is experiencing an incredible sense of loss. His people have betrayed Him. They have abandoned Him. They have turned around and blamed Him. “Listen! The cry of my dear people from a faraway land, “Is the Lord no longer in Zion, her King not within her?” (Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬ ‭CSB‬‬) They refuse to bow the knee. Refuse to repent and return to Him. Refuse to humble themselves before Him. Quite the opposite. They brazenly continue in sin. "Why have they angered me with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols?" This is a stiff-necked people. A foolish people. A rebellious people. They take their relationship with God for granted. They are entitled. They are spoiled. They assume God will come to their rescue despite their unwillingness to walk in His ways. "Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭8‬:‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The perspective shifts back to God at the beginning of chapter nine which we’ll read tomorrow. (Remember the chapter and verse divisions are somewhat arbitrary and appeared much later than the original text.) “If my head were a flowing spring, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people. If only I had a traveler’s lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭CSB) Again, one pictures deep, heavy sobs. God weeping a flood of tears. God experiencing unimaginable pain. Because He has freely joined Himself in an unbreakable covenant with His people, their wounds become His wounds. Their pain becomes His pain. Their heartbreak becomes His heartbreak. Things get so bad, God wishes He could leave. Abandon them to their fate. Leave the Temple in Jerusalem and return to the wilderness. To the time when He tabernacled with them on the Exodus journey. But the Tabernacle is gone. There is no lodging place in the desert God can run to. He is stuck. He is committed. He will endure. This is the great faithfulness of our God! It is costly. It is hard. It is painful. But it remains true. 

Really, God is being faithful to Himself here. Faithful to the promise He has made. To be our God, come hell or high water. This was the message He communicated through the covenant He first made with Abraham and sealed through the death and resurrection of His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. His steadfast love establishes the fundamental reality of our lives. The bedrock on which we can build our lives. Without fear. Without shame. Without worry that somehow, someway there will come a day when God will finally lose patience and abandon us. God will not leave us or forsake us for in doing so He would be unfaithful to Himself. Let this truth be your firm foundation today, friends!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 9-12

Forgotten

Readings for today: Jeremiah 1-4

Losing our memory is a terrible thing. My family knows this pain deeply. My grandfather developed some kind of Alzheimer’s-like disease when he was in his thirties. A brilliant engineer and gentleman farmer in Western Nebraska. Father of three kids. His whole life ahead of him. He died at age 38. His wife, my grandmother, contracted dementia in her early seventies. She had long periods where she didn’t recognize her own family. It was heartbreaking. My aunt began losing her memory in her late fifties and died in her early sixties. On my mother’s side of the family, my grandmother lived in a catatonic state for a couple of years before passing away though she was in her early nineties at the time. As a pastor, I’ve walked with family after family who has had to face this pain. It never gets any easier. Even though our loved one is still physically present, they are mentally dying. It’s why they call it the “long goodbye.”

God knows exactly how we feel. He expresses it over and over again in our passage from Jeremiah today. The source of all of Israel and Judah’s suffering lay in the fact that they had forgotten the Lord. They had forgotten their history. They stopped looking back and recounting all the things God had done for them. “They stopped asking, “Where is the Lord who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, a land no one traveled through and where no one lived? I brought you to a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but after you entered, you defiled my land; you made my inheritance   detestable. The priests quit asking, “Where is the Lord?” The experts in the law no longer knew me, and the rulers rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭CSB‬‬) As a result, they began taking the Lord for granted. They presumed upon His grace. They became pantheistic and began to follow other gods in addition to the Lord. They looked to the nations around them and adopted their ways. They lost whatever distinctiveness and holiness they once had. All because they forgot the Lord.

We fall into the same trap today. It’s easy for us to go through life and forget all God has done. It’s easy for us to fall for the temptation to believe our own hype. Take credit for everything we’ve accomplished. Trust in our own wisdom and strength. Follow the ways of the world. Recently, I heard a Biblical scholar argue we have revived the worship of the ancient pagan deities of Aphrodite (sex), Mars (violence), and Mammon (wealth). He’s not wrong. How often do we worship at these altars rather than worship God alone? How often do our thoughts and feelings and actions seem more suited to the worship of these pagan gods than the One, True, and Living God? This is why it is critical to regularly recount all the blessings God has given us. All the things God has done for us. All the ways God has come alongside us and defended us and provided for us. Never forget! Never let go of your spiritual memory! Don’t allow spiritual amnesia to set in!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 5-8

11th Hour

Readings for today: Joel 1-3

I have many friends who are convinced Jesus is coming back in our lifetimes. They look around at the world today and they see all the signs. Warfare. Violence. Natural Disasters. Starvation. Famine. Drought. Climate change. Pain. Suffering. Corruption. Evil. It’s hard to disagree with them. The world certainly feels like it’s more worse off than ever. It seems like there is more hatred, more anger, more polarization and it’s hard to see how any of that changes. There is a growing, unsustainable gap between the rich and poor, the powerful and powerless. It’s hard to imagine how that dynamic gets reversed. So I understand where my friends are coming from. It seems like things are at the 11th hour. It seems like the doomsday clock is ticking towards midnight. It seems like things are only getting darker with each passing year. Surely the Lord is on His way!

The prophet Joel saw similar dynamics in play in his own time. He looked around and saw the coming holocaust. Empires were moving. Israel was weakening. The people were suffering. Plagues. Natural disasters. Drought. Famine. It was hard to see any hope. And yet, Joel knew it is when things seem at their most bleak that God does His best work. And all that was necessary for the people of God to see the salvation of God was to return to Him. “Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him, so you can offer a grain offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God.” (Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭CSB‬‬) There was a reason behind Israel’s suffering. They had turned their backs on God. They worshipped idols. They tried to be just like the other nations. But God wanted them to be set apart. God had called them out from the nations to be different. They were chosen among all the nations of the earth to bear God’s image and be His representatives. So Joel challenges them to repent. He challenges them to return to the Lord. To worship God with their hearts and not just with their lips.

God is gracious and compassionate. God is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. We’ve heard these words before. They come from the Exodus when God revealed Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai. And throughout Israel’s history, God has backed these words up. Israel has experienced His grace and compassion countless times. They have witnessed His love overtake His anger more times than they can count. How many times has God relented from the disaster He planned for them in order to give them yet another chance? Perhaps God is doing the same even now for us? I have no idea if Jesus is coming back in our lifetimes but I do know that when He does, the world as we know it is coming to an end. The opportunity to know Christ and share Christ with others will be over and our eternal destinies sealed. This should provide a great sense of urgency as we think about those we know and love who do not yet know Christ or those we know and love who have turned away from Christ. Take some time today and pray for them. Ask the Lord to call them back to Himself and to give you an opportunity to share Christ with them yet again. Who knows? They may turn even at this 11th hour and come back to Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 1-4

Suffering

Readings for today: Habakkuk 1-3

I have seen starvation firsthand. I have seen the devastating effects of drought and famine. I have seen disease and plague. I have seen the aftermath of war. I have sat with those who are suffering. I have counseled victims of violence. I have ministered to those struggling with mental illness. I have visited those in prison. And I have prayed the prayer of Habakkuk many, many times. “How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save? Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” (Habakkuk‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Last spring, I was in northern Ethiopia and our team was training and equipping women to launch businesses when gunfire broke out sevearl kilometers outside the city we were staying in. Rebel forces engaged the national military. It was a sober reminder of what the indigenous people in that particular area have to live with on a daily basis. This fall, I will be heading to South Sudan. A failed state. I will go to a region where there is often violence and injustice and oppression as those who have power steal and rob and kill those who do not. How long must I call for help? How long must I cry out for salvation? The wicked restrict the righteous and justice comes out perverted. And that is why there is no peace. Not in our world. Not in our time. Humanity is too corrupt. Humanity lives in a constant state of rebellion against her Creator.

My only response is to wait. Wait on the Lord. He alone is strong enough to save. He alone has the power to redeem. Like Habakkuk, my role is to take my place on the watchtower. “I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.” (Habakkuk 2:1 CSB) I watch and wait with eager anticipation for the coming of the Lord. I look for the chariots and horses of the Lord as they ring the hills all around. I am confident the Lord sees all and knows all and He loves the world and humanity too much to let us go. He will act according to His perfect time. He will move according to His perfect will. He is even now in His Temple, seated on His throne. “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence.” (Habakkuk 2:20 CSB) I do not need to be afraid. I do not need to be anxious. The future is in His hands. The wicked will be judged. Evil will be overthrown. Every wrong will be made right. Justice will roll down like an ever-flowing stream. Righteousness will flow from a never-ending spring. This is His promise and it is sure. It is good. And I trust Him. ‭

Readings for tomorrow: Joel 1-3

Confrontation

Readings for today: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35

Many years ago, a mentor of mine told me “it’s not enough to read your Bible, you have to let your Bible read you.” When you open God’s Word, you must expect God to speak. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His Word is living and active. He will encourage you. He will bless you. He will teach you. He will challenge you. And He will confront you. In fact, if you have read the Bible and not been confronted by your sin, I would humbly suggest you aren’t really engaging God’s Word for all it’s worth. You are simply reading for information rather than transformation.

Let me show you what I mean. In our reading for today, King Josiah hears God’s Word read seemingly for the first time in his life. For whatever reason, the Book of the Law has been lost for generations. The people of God haven’t celebrated Passover in decades. All they have to go on is oral traditions that have been passed down. So when Hilkiah finds the book during the Temple restoration, he knows it’s important. He gives it to Shaphan who is overseeing the work who, in turn, reports back to the king. When the king hears the words of the book, his first response is to tear his clothing in repentance. He immediately sends the priest and his officials to “inquire of the Lord” which was a formal way of approaching God for wisdom and guidance. Josiah knew he and his people were in trouble. He knew all the things his father had done. He knew God’s people had not been obedient and he took seriously the warnings of judgment God had proclaimed to many of his ancestors. “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then he commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, the court secretary Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah, “Go and inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah about the words in this book that has been found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.” However, because of Josiah’s tender and humble response, God relented of the disaster He was bringing. In His great mercy, He postponed it one more generation. “Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I myself have heard this is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your ancestors, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’” Then they reported to the king.” (2 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭11‬-‭13‬, ‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Now how does this relate to my life? How does God speak through these verses into my day to day? Here’s where reflection and meditation come in. We ask God to show us where we have committed the same or similar sins as the people of Israel. Where have we been engaged in idolatry? Where have we failed to give God the honor and glory due His name? Where have we failed to keep faith? If we do this authentically and honestly, God will show us where we have fallen short. Once our sin is revealed to us, what is our response? Do we harden our hearts like Manasseh or do we humble ourselves like Josiah? Do we repent of our sins and turn from our self-centered ways or do we dismiss God’s Word, presume upon God’s grace, and keep living for ourselves? When was the last time you experienced a deep conviction over your sin? When was the last time you told God you were sorry for your sin? When was the last time you talked to God about your sin? When was the last time you actually made a significant change in your life to turn away from sin? These are all critical questions for us to ponder and pray over. Be courageous and ask God to show you your sin today. Then ask Him to give you the strength to turn from your sin and turn to Christ. Let Him sanctify you in His great love.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Unity

Readings for today: Zephaniah 1-3

I was asked recently what I loved most about God. Not an easy question to answer! There is so much I love about God but if I had to choose what I love most, it is His heart for the nations. God loves humanity. God loves every human being who has ever been conceived on the face of the earth. God loves every tribe and tongue and nation. God loves every culture and language and ethnicity. God loves every people group. God loves young and old. Rich and poor. Abled and disabled. And His great desire is to get to know each and every one on a deep, intimate, personal level.

So often when we think of the Great Commission, we think of Matthew 28. But did you know there is a Great Commission in every single gospel? Did you know the Great Commission often shows up in the Old Testament as well? Consider the words of Zephaniah from today’s reading…“For I will then restore pure speech to the peoples so that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with a single purpose.” (Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬) I imagine the people listening would have immediately thought back to the Tower of Babel. The place where God came down and confused the languages of the earth. The place where God judged the people of the earth for not fulfilling His Great Commission to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Zephaniah points them forward to a day when God will reverse the curse. The people will come together in unity to call on the name of the Lord and serve Him with one accord. This is exactly what happens at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is poured out and everyone hears the gospel preached in their own languages. The early church called on the name of the Lord and were saved. They served God with one accord, holding all things in common. They had great favor as a result with all the people and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is what God wants to do in and through His church today. So how does that happen? We open ourselves up to God. We surrender to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We draw near to God in repentance and He then draws near to us. How will we know when He is near? Listen to how Zephaniah describes it…“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet you in his love. He will delight in you with singing. I will gather those who have been driven  from the appointed festivals; they will be a tribute from you and a reproach on her. Yes, at that time I will deal with all who oppress you. I will save the lame and gather the outcasts; I will make those who were disgraced throughout the earth receive praise and fame. At that time I will bring you back, yes, at the time I will gather you. I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes. The Lord has spoken.” (Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬) Friends, these are the signs God has drawn near. Joy. Gladness. Peace. Love. Loud singing. Comfort for those who mourn. Freedom for the oppressed. Healing for the lame. Inclusion for the outcast. Reversal of reputation for those who’ve been put to shame for His name sake. God makes Himself known in the gathering of His people. God makes Himself known among all the peoples and all the nations of the earth. God makes Himself known in favor and blessing. How is God making Himself known to you in your life today?

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35

Honor

Readings for today: Nahum 1-3

Some things you can’t unsee. Like the time I ran my first Bolder Boulder several years ago and saw the male belly dancers around mile four! :-) On a more serious note, now that I’ve become aware of the “honor/shame” dynamic running through all of Scripture, it seems like it’s everywhere. Why does God judge Nineveh with such harshness? Why is He not just content to win a victory? Why does He go further, grinding them to dust? Why does He put their nation to open shame? Lifting their skirts. Exposing their nakedness. Demonstrating before the whole world their powerlessness? Why does He go as far as to throw excrement at them and make them a spectacle? Because God is a jealous God. Jealous for His honor. Jealous for His glory. Jealous for His name. 

The nation of Assyria has enjoyed their time in the sun. Their chariots have rolled all over the Middle East like an ancient blitzkrieg. Their empire is great. Their power limitless. Their military without equal. But they’ve grown proud. They’ve exceeded the limits God set for them. They’ve become drunk with their success. Though they served as the rod of God’s anger against the northern kingdom of Israel, He must now bring them to heel. He must again demonstrate His sovereignty over all the nations of the earth. Remember the words of the Assyrian commander to King Hezekiah when they besieged Jerusalem? How they dared to compare Almighty God with the small tribal gods of the pagan nations? It’s worth going back and re-reading the story from 2 Kings 18 again. Such disdain and disrespect draws God’s ire. Not because it hurts His ego but because it offends His sacred and holy honor. God will not be mocked. The Creator will not allow His creatures to treat Him this way. They will learn to honor God. They will learn to respect God. They will learn to submit to God. He will bring them to their knees one way or the other because there is one thing God cares about more than the creatures He made in His own image and that is His glory. His honor. His fame. It is His will to make His name great upon the earth!

“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up, and he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; even the flower of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles, at his presence — the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before him.” (Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Assyria will learn this lesson in spades. As will the other nations who dare defy the Living God. But what about God’s people? What is our response to this God? How should we approach this God? With fear and trembling? On some level, yes. With humility and submission? Certainly. With terror and dread? Absolutely not! Why? Because our God is also good. He loves His people. He is faithful to His people. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.” (‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

So here’s the million dollar question from today’s reading…are you living a life that honors God? Do you seek to honor God in all you say and do? Does this cross your mind when you work? When you parent? When you’re among friends? When you relate to your husband or wife? Are you living a life of humble submission before the Lord? Is God an ever-present reality in your life or does He seem distant? Someone to call on in case of emergency or a close friend? Do you seek to love God with all your heart or are you apathetic towards His commandments? Do you follow where He leads? Do you seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness?

Readings for tomorrow: Zephaniah 1-3

Contradictions

Readings for today: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33

“How do you experience me?” A dear friend and colleague of mine once challenged a group of us to ask this question of those we love and serve. It’s not an easy one to ask. It makes us vulnerable. It opens the door to all kinds of feedback, some of which may not be positive. It invites the other person to speak into your life and share what they’ve seen. Over the years, I’ve posed this question to family and friends and their responses have been illuminating. The picture that emerged of Doug Resler was full of all kinds of contradictions. Good and bad. Positive and negative. Plenty to admire and plenty to make a person cringe in embarrassment. I’ve had lots of successes and lots of failures in my life. I’ve had days when I’m easy to love and days when I make it hard. I’ve had seasons where I’ve sailed and seasons where I’ve struggled and it’s made an impact on those around me. Depending on when a person’s life intersected mine, they might experience one version of Doug that would be entirely different if their life intersected mine at a different season. For example, I recently sat down with two high school friends. Guys I have not seen since graduation over thirty years ago. Our lives look much different now of course. And as we caught up, it was amazing to see how much we have all changed.

I thought about that conversation with my friends as I read through the life of Manasseh today. When you lay the two accounts side by side, a very different perspective on Manasseh comes into view. One perspective, from the author of 2 Kings, is entirely negative. The man was evil. The man re-instituted all the detestable worship practices of the nations surrounding Israel. The man rejected his father’s godly legacy in favor of a pagan one. He even set an idol up in God’s Temple! Because of Manasseh, the judgment of God falls on the southern nation of Judah. Because of Manasseh, the people of God will go into exile in Babylon. Because of Manasseh, God will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a bowl. (A striking image to say the least!) However, there is more to the story. The author of 2 Chronicles offers a more complex picture. Yes, he confirms much of what 2 Kings has to say but he adds a significant caveat. Manasseh was imprisoned at some point in his life and in his distress, sought the Lord. He repented and returned to faith. As a result, God restored him to his throne and he spent the last part of his life trying to undo the evil he had done in the first part of his life. Some might call the differences between the two accounts a “contradiction”, perhaps even a reason to dismiss them altogether, but I believe the contradiction lies within Manasseh himself and I wonder if the authors simply met him and experienced him at different points in his life?

The human heart is full of contradictions. We love and we hate. We are humble and we are proud. We are kind and we are mean. We are compassionate and we are cold and uncaring. We are peaceful and we are violent. We are truthful and we lie. We are faithful and unfaithful. In fact, the only consistent thing about us seems to be our inconsistency. Our inability to walk a straight and narrow road. Seasons come and seasons go. People change. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes for the worse. In my experience, it’s usually both. Rather than condemn someone for who they were or what they’ve done or where they’ve been or how you experienced them in the past, forgive them and offer them another chance. Assume the best rather than the worst of them. They might surprise you!

Readings for tomorrow: Nahum 1-3

The End

Readings for today: Isaiah 64-66

I meet people all the time who are asking the question, “Is this all there is?” Is this world all there is? Is this life all there is? Are the 70, 80, 90 years of life all I get? And to what end? I spend my life working hard to provide for myself and my family. I achieve some measure of success. I do my best to stay active and healthy. I enjoy some wonderful experiences along the way. My wedding. The birth of my children and grandchildren. Certain milestones or achievements that hopefully leave the world a better place. But then what? Is all I have to look forward to in retirement a slow, steady decline? Or perhaps a tragic diagnosis that robs me of what little strength I have left? Will my mind start to fail along with my body? Will I be missed after I’m gone? These are real, honest questions asked by many thoughtful people I’ve had the privilege of walking beside as a pastor over the years.

Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t leave us guessing. He doesn’t leave us groping about in the dark for answers. He tells us exactly what’s going to happen. He lets us in on the end of the story. Listen to how Isaiah puts it, “““For I will create new heavens and a new earth; the past events will not be remembered or come to mind. Then be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people. The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.  In her, a nursing infant will no longer live only a few days, or an old man not live out his days. Indeed, the one who dies at a hundred years old will be mourned as a young man, and the one who misses a hundred years will be considered cursed. People will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and others live in them; they will not plant and others eat. For my people’s lives will be like the lifetime of a tree. My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor without success or bear children destined for disaster, for they will be a people blessed by the  Lord along with their descendants. Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle, but the serpent’s food will be dust! They will not do what is evil or destroy on my entire holy mountain,” says the Lord.” (Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭17‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

It’s a beautiful picture of the life to come. A life not lived in some vaporous, ephemeral, spiritual existence but one that is physical and tangible and as real as it gets. God is going to renew the heavens and the earth. The heavenly dimension where He lives and reigns will eventually absorb this world and all that is in it. Life as we know it will be transformed. All that is wrong about this world will be set right. Every injustice will be addressed. Every hurt will be healed. Every tear will be wiped away. Every grief will be comforted. Every pain erased. Death will be no more. Sin will be no more. Evil will be no more. God Himself will rule and reign over a renewed creation and a renewed people as He originally intended. This is the end of all things. This is the telos of all things. This is where all of history is headed.

So here’s our challenge. Living with God’s end in mind. Living today for the world tomorrow. Trusting God for the future even as we labor in the present. Believing that every thought, every word, every action carries eternal weight because of what God has done and what God will do. Simply put, heaven is the answer to our deepest questions. Heaven is the satisfaction for our deepest longings. Heaven gives meaning and purpose to every moment of our lives. We are called to live as citizens of heaven in a world full of death. Our lives to be light in a world full of darkness.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33

Truth

Readings for today: Isaiah 59-63

One of my spiritual disciplines for several years now is to read the news. I draw my information from a variety of sources across the political and social spectrum. I follow communists and capitalists, progressives and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, and a host of influencers on social media. I read the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Denver Post, Straight Arrow News, BBC, FoxNews, CNN, Time, Christianity Today and several other news outlets. I do my best to discern what is true and what is a lie. What is real and what is false. What is authentic and what is fake. It’s getting harder. The amount of disinformation is increasing exponentially. Ideological distortion corrupts almost every single article I read. Society is rife with hypocrisy. There are very few that aren’t pushing some form of agenda. The commitment to truth has been sacrificed in pursuit of power. It is honestly very discouraging.

Isaiah must have felt similarly in his day as he watched his nation collapse all around him. His words today struck a chord with me and are worth reading again. “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The Lord saw that there was no justice, and he was offended. He saw that there was no man — he was amazed that there was no one interceding; so his own arm brought salvation, and his own righteousness supported him.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬) As I said, I feel much the same way. There is so little justice in our world. So little righteousness. And all because truth has stumbled in the public square. No one seems interested in the truth anymore. No one privileges truth above their own personal opinions or ideological perspective. All that seems to matter is whose side you’re on. We’ve created a zero sum game where every single disagreement is cast as a battle between good and evil. But no one is righteous. No one seeks justice. No one wants the truth and in fact, probably can’t handle the truth.

Truth has stumbled. Truth cannot enter. Truth is missing. And it offends God. Not only that but there is no one left to intercede. And this breaks my heart the most for this is the role of the church. We are called to be salt and light in the world. We are called to walk in truth and reject falsehoods. We called to proclaim truth and not allow ourselves to be co-opted by the temptation of power. We are called to advocate and fight for justice and righteousness. We are called to pray and intercede for our communities, our nation, and our world. To stand in the gap like so many before us and ask God for mercy and forgiveness and grace to cover our sins. But in order to fulfill our God-given calling, we must become a people of truth ourselves. We must meditate on God’s truth day and night. We must immerse ourselves in the truths of the gospel so we can share them with those around us. We must become so familiar with what is true and noble and righteous and good that we can immediately identify falsehoods. Fake news. Disinformation. Personal or political agendas. And reject them. Only then will we see justice return and righteousness draw near.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 64-66

Reputation

Readings for today: Isaiah 54-58

What do you aspire to? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you want be known for? When I was a teenager, I wanted to be known as a success. I wanted to be known as smart so I worked hard in school. I wanted to be known as athletic so I worked hard in sports. I wanted to be known as a good person so I went to church and got my Eagle Scout. Sure, I got a lot of accolades but they faded fast. I realized all my trophies and awards would just get thrown into a box and gather dust. When I got to college, I wanted to be popular. I attended all the parties. I hit on all the girls. I drank just about every drop of alcohol offered to me. I guess there were moments where I believed I was having a great time but my life was cratering fast. I had no real friends. I was flunking out of school. Everything I had worked so hard to achieve was crashing down around me. After I became a Christian, I wanted to be holy. I wanted to prove myself to God and to everyone around me. I worked hard at my faith. I read my Bible everyday. I prayed regularly. I went to church every week. I went to seminary and got trained to be a pastor. I served in several ministries early in my career, always taking on the more difficult challenges. But I soon found myself burning out. Struggling to find any joy. I went to a counselor and he asked me, “Who are you trying to impress?” It was a question that rocked me to my core. It brought me face to face with my spiritual poverty. It forced me to confront my pride and insecurity. And it was during this season of wrestling with God that these words from Isaiah first hit home. What does the Lord require of me? What does the Lord want for me?

“Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry. Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.” (Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭6‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The calling of God on my life - and the lives of all who claim to be Christian - is to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness. It’s to engage the work He sets before us. Breaking the chains of sin. Lightening the load. Setting people free. Sharing our resources. Refusing to engage in slander, blame, gossip, and maliciously critical speech. Offering ourselves to help those in need. This is what it means to seek the Kingdom first. As we do these things for the Lord with a humble and willing heart, God promises to take care of our reputation. He promises to make our light shine like the dawn. He promises our righteousness will go before us and He will be our rearguard. He promises to answer us when we call and be present with us when we cry out to Him. He promises to to lead us, satisfy us, and strengthen us. He promises to make us life-givers rather than death-dealers. He will use us to rebuild, restore, and repair all that is broken.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

History’s Greatest Mystery

Readings for today: Isaiah 50-53

The suffering of the Messiah has to be one of history’s greatest mysteries. A stumbling block to the Jewish people. Absolute foolishness to non-Jews. Why in the world would anyone worship a suffering Messiah? Why in the world would anyone respect a King who was crucified? Why in the world would anyone look to a man who died a criminal’s death in the most humiliating way possible? It makes no sense whatsoever. By every human measure, Jesus was a failure. His ministry career was brief. He was rejected by His own people. He was betrayed by one of His closest disciples. Abandoned by all His close friends. Denied by the one he called the “rock.” He was tortured brutally. He was mocked and spit upon and publicly humiliated. He was crucified on a cross with a crown of thorns on his head and a sign that proclaimed, “The king of the Jews”, leaving no doubt about what the Romans thought of Him. He was so poor that he had to borrow a tomb. Everything about the way He ended His life should have invalidated all He did and all He said. His teachings should have been lost to history. His life barely a footnote in some obscure historical text somewhere if it appeared at all. So how in the world did we get to a point where billions around the world today claim to believe in Him?

In part, it’s because of this ancient text out of Isaiah. Written hundreds of years before the Messiah was born. It predicts what will happen to the Lord’s servant. It prophecies what the Messiah will have to endure in order to accomplish the salvation of God’s people. It isn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination but it is specific and detailed and it describes what happens to Jesus perfectly. “See, my servant, will be successful; he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were appalled at you  — his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being — so he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him, for they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God,  and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate?  For he was cut off from the land of the living; he was struck because of my people’s rebellion. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, but he was with a rich man at his death, because he had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely. When you make him a guilt offering, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 CSB)

‭‭These words are remarkable for their accuracy as well as their meaning. Yes, Jesus endured everything described in this passage but even more importantly, He did it all for us. He was disfigured so He could sprinkle many nations. He was despised and rejected by humanity in order to bear our sickness. He was pierced for our rebellion. He was crushed for our iniquities. He was punished in order to bring us peace and it is by His wounds that we are healed. He was cut off from the land of the living because of our sin. He was made a guilt offering to satisfy the justice of God. He was assigned a grave with the wicked so the Lord’s plan of salvation could be accomplished. And by humbly submitting to all the suffering and death. By allowing Himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter. By refusing to open His mouth and call down legions of angels for His defense. He justified many. He made atonement for our sin. He saved us from hell and death. He was raised and lifted up and highly exalted and given the name above every other name. This is why the name of Jesus continues to ring out across the earth. Resurrection. The ultimate vindication of the Messiah. God’s victory over the powers of sin and death and the devil.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 54-58

Reward

Readings for today: Isaiah 46-49, Psalms 135

I maintain a demanding pace in my life. I serve as the senior pastor of a wonderful, growing church that is literally changing the world. I chair the board of a mission organization that I deeply love that is planting thousands of churches in unreached villages all over the Horn of Africa. I teach evangelism and mission at a local seminary to brilliant students. I volunteer to serve my denomination in various capacities. I am the primary liaison between my church and several local immigrant fellowships in our local area. I love all of it. I feel called to all of it. I am humbled and blessed by my involvement in each of these areas. But it does take a lot of time and energy and by the time I get to vacation each summer, I am usually running on fumes.

This summer was no different. By the time I got to July, I was dragging pretty hard. Perhaps it’s because I’ve recently taken on some new responsibilities with one of the immigrant fellowships I serve or perhaps it’s due to a denominational commitment I took on a couple of years ago which tackles a delicate subject. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting older? Whatever it may be, I was feeling more drained than normal. And when I feel drained, I am more susceptible to cynicism. I am more easily discouraged and frustrated. Perhaps that’s why the words of Isaiah 49:3-4 hit different this morning. “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” As I said, I do believe God has called me to everything I’m doing so I don’t regret taking any of it on. I do believe God has called me to serve and to sacrifice and to pour myself out for others. But the work is often long and it’s hard sometimes to see the fruit so I can fall into the trap Isaiah did. “But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility…”

Thankfully, God is faithful. He gave me the opportunity to taste some of the fruit of my labors over the years. He gave me a chance to experience a bit of the reward of all my hard work in prayer and evangelism and discipleship. First, on our family vacation. We were able to get away with the whole crew and spend intentional time sharing together and building deep connections with our adult children. It’s truly a blessing to have great friendships with each of my adult children. Second, my wife and I got a lot of time together as well. Kristi and I have done the hard work to build a great marriage and it’s a blessing to see that work pay off. Finally, when we got back from vacation, we were invited to lunch with a family I met years ago. Officiated their wedding. Officiated a funeral for their infant daughter. When I first met them, they were nominal Christians at best. They had both grown up Roman Catholic but barely engaged their faith. I hadn’t heard or spoken to them in years. But they invited us over for lunch to share with us all God had been doing in their lives. They are on fire for Christ. Deeply involved in their church. They recently gave their testimonies and got baptized. And they wanted to share with us how much we had impacted them over the years. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life and it again reminded me, “my vindication is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God.”

The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction. We may plant. Others may water. But it is God alone who gives the increase and we may not always get a chance to see that increase in our lifetimes. Sometimes it may feel like our work is in vain and we are spending our strength for nothing and in futility. Don’t you believe it! God is at work even when we can’t see Him. He is moving even when we can’t feel Him. He is bringing about His will and His way according to His perfect timing. Trust in the Lord and He will vindicate you. Trust in the Lord and He will reward you. This is His promise and it is sure!

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 50-53

Revelation

Readings for today: Isaiah 43-45, Psalms 80

We live in a world full of false gods. False gods who declare all kinds of things that are not true. False gods who promise salvation but cannot deliver. False gods who proclaim their own greatness and glory but it’s all smoke and mirrors. There’s nothing real about any of it. It’s all one big fantasy we create for ourselves. We know deep down there is something bigger and greater than us. We know deep down life must have meaning and purpose. We know deep down there is good and evil and something that holds us to account. And this is why human beings have always been religious. In fact, it’s one of the unique features of our species. It’s something that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. We worship. We seek transcendence. We look for something above and beyond. Sadly, we too often settle for a projection of our worst fears or our best intentions. Our hearts are “idol factories”, a never-ending assembly line that churns out all kinds of gods for all kinds of occasions. This is true whether one lives in remote villages and worships the pagan gods of the rivers and trees or one lives in Manhattan and worships at the altar of high finance, capitalism, and free markets.

God knows this about us. He knows how our hearts work. He placed eternity there so we would seek Him. But rather than abandon us to our fate and leave us in our helpless condition, God does something remarkable. He reveals Himself to us. He knows we are lost without Him. He knows we cannot find our own way to Him. He knows we will always settle for something less. A god we can control. A god who will do our bidding. But such gods are powerless to help us. They are false gods unable to deliver on what we think they promise. So God Himself steps in. He enters space and time and history. He speaks. He acts. I love how the prophet Isaiah puts it in our reading today, “I, I am the Lord. Besides me, there is no Savior. I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed — and not some foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses — this is the Lord’s declaration — and I am God.” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭CSB)‬‬ This statement changes everything. It changes everything we think we know about the world, about ourselves, and most importantly, about God.

What has God declared? Human beings are made in His image. Chosen before the foundations of the world. Predestined in love to be worthy of adoption into His family. As such, we are of inestimable value and worth. We are endowed with a dignity and glory that is not our own. We are God’s representatives on earth. Given His authority to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and exercise dominion over all He has made in His name. There is no greater or higher calling.

How has God saved? He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to become one of us. To suffer and die for us. To rise again for us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus saves to the uttermost those who place their faith in Him. He delivers us from the power of sin and death and the devil. He accomplishes for us what we could not and He makes us righteous in God’s sight.

What has God proclaimed? The good news of the gospel. Unconditional love and grace for the sinner. Peace that passes all understanding. Mercy and compassion. Love and faithfulness. Justice and righteousness. Healing for the hurting. Freedom for the enslaved. Release for the captives. Provision for the poor. Strength for the powerless. The favor of the Lord on all who believe.

We are witnesses of these things. Thousands of years of history documenting God’s interactions with His people. Sixty-six books compiled into what we call a Bible through which God has spoken. Testimony after testimony of the lives God has changed. Records of all kinds of miracles and signs and wonders. What more could we want? What more do we need? So let’s set aside the false gods of our own making and turn to the one, true, and living God. He alone is the Lord. He alone is the Savior. He alone is God!

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 46-49, Psalms 135

Comfort

Readings for today: Isaiah 40-42, Psalms 46

One of my favorite memories is of the first time we took our son Josiah to the beach. We were living in Mobile, AL at the time and we took a short day trip to Dauphin Island. Josiah had just turned two and we were excited to introduce him to the Gulf of Mexico. We parked. Grabbed all our stuff. Chloe ran on ahead. Kristi and I were walking with Josiah. When we got to the beach, he started to run towards the water. I was pumped for him, thinking this was shaping up to be a great day. After getting about halfway, his little legs suddenly dug in. He stopped so fast he almost left skid marks in the sand. He stretched out his little arms and starting shouting at the waves. “You stop! You stop!” They didn’t obey. He got more frustrated, kept yelling, started crying, and finally sat down. His little two year old brain just couldn’t make sense of the movement of the waves and he was scared. Watching all this go by, I quickly dumped all our stuff and went to Josiah’s side. He looked up at me, his dad, with big eyes full of tears. He pointed to the waves and said, “Don’t stop, daddy. Don’t stop.” I picked him up in my arms to calm him down. Then I set him back down on the beach, grabbed his hand, and we walked to the water together. 

That’s the picture that always comes to mind when I read these chapters from Isaiah. God is so tender with us. So loving with us. He takes us by the hand and leads and guides us along the way. In these chapters, Isaiah speaks of a God who comforts. A God who forgives. A God who gathers His people in His arms like a shepherd gathers little lambs. The words are powerful and worth reading over and over again.

• “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that her time of hard service is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

• “He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.” (Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

• “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

• “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people  and a light to the nations…” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

• “I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not abandon them.” (Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is a lot in life that makes us afraid. Crisis. Uncertainty. Unexpected experiences. Illness. Disease. Job loss. Aging. Growing up. These things are like waves crashing on the shores of our lives. We cannot stop them anymore than Josiah could stop the wave action in the Gulf. What we can do is let God take us by the hand. Lead us to the water’s edge. Help us find safety, security, and peace in His presence. When we do, we discover the very things we fear become opportunities for significant spiritual growth. Our greatest trials become the source of our greatest victories. Our greatest struggles become our greatest strengths. Playing in the surf of life is where the action is and with God at our side, we have nothing to fear. Whatever you may be facing today, know God is with you! He is at your side! If you reach out, He will take you by the hand!  

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 43-45, Psalms 80