Excuses

Readings for today: Exodus 4-5:21, Matthew 18:1-20, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 5:15-21

Excuses. We all have them. We all have reasons why things have not gone the way we want. Why we can’t live up to our responsibilties. Can’t keep our promises. Can’t fulfill our obligations. We make excuses in our marriages and families. We make excuses at work and at school. We even make excuses for why we cannot worship God in the way He deserves and the way He demands. We have all kinds of reasons. Some of them are good reasons. Some of them are bad reasons. Some of them have nothing to do with the matter at hand. 

Maybe you didn’t realize it but some of our greatest heroes/heroines of the faith also made excuses. Take Moses for example. I get it. He’s eighty years old. He’s built a life in Midian. He’s gotten married. He has children. He has a thriving business. It’s a lot to give up to go back to a country where he’s wanted for murder. It’s a lot to go back to a people who’ve already rejected his leadership. He doesn’t think they’ll believe him when he claims to speak for God. He doesn’t think they’ll listen when he describes his burning bush experience. Besides, he’s not a great speaker anyway. He’s not confident. Not good in front of people. He stutters. He stammers. He has a hard time making his point. He’s frankly not what you’d expect in a strong charismatic leader.

Even the best of us make excuses. Thankfully, God doesn’t take them seriously. Thankfully, God blows right past all our reasons for why this or that won’t work. Why this or that plan will fail. Why we are not the right man or woman for the job. He gives us signs to encourage our faint hearts. A staff that turns into a snake. A hand that becomes leprous and is made clean. Water turning to blood as it’s poured on the ground. An unexpected phone call from a friend. A fresh Word from Scripture. An answer to prayer. A suprise gift. All of these signs are from the Lord that we can indeed do what He’s asking us to do...if we have the eyes to see and the hearts to understand them as such. Furthermore, He reminds us who gave us our gifts and talents in the first place! "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." (Exodus‬ ‭4:11-12‬) God is not limited by our lack of ability or confidence. The One who made us will equip us for every good work. Finally, God sends others to help us out along the way. For every Moses, there is an Aaron. For every Paul, there is a Barnabus. This is how God works. Always in community. Always through relationships. No man or woman is an island. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. 

So what excuses have you been making? What’s been holding you back from serving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? What’s keeping you from community? Is it fear? Is it failure? Is it brokenness? Is it is in? Have you been hurt? Wounded? Are you too old? Too young? Too busy? God has a plan for your life. God wants to use you for His Kingdom purposes in this world. God has blessed you to be a blessing. Stop making excuses and place your trust in God. The One who calls you will provide you with everything you need to accomplish His work. 

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 5:22-7:25, Matthew 18:21-19:12, Psalms 23, Proverbs 5:22-23

God-Forsaken

Readings for today: Exodus 2:11-3:22, Matthew 17:10-27, Psalms 22:1-18, Proverbs 5:7-14

 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalms‬ ‭22:1‬)

Many will recognize these words as the ones Jesus utters while hanging on the cross. It is the cry of dereliction. The Son of God actually becoming sin for us. Taking on all the collective guilt of the human race - past, present, and future. In that moment, the Father turns His face away from His Son. The Spirit is withdrawn. The Son hangs alone. Abandoned. Forsaken. He literally is in hell.  

What many don’t realize is Jesus is quoting Psalm 22. A common practice among God’s people for centuries. Whenever we do not have the words to express our pain, we turn to the Psalms. There we find the words we do not have and we pray with the saints who have gone before us. Jesus takes up this time-honored practice in His own suffering. In His moment of greatest agony and despair, these words are wrenched from the depths of His soul. Why have you forsaken me? I cry out by day but you do not answer me. I am scorned by man and despised by the people. I am poured out like water and my bones are out of joint. Though the Gospel writers only place the first words of Psalm 22 on the lips of Jesus, it is highly likely Jesus recited this whole Psalm as He died. For it is not simply a Psalm of lament but a Psalm of hope as well! “O Lord, my help, come quickly to my aid...Deliver my soul from the sword...Save me from the mouth of the lion...For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him...All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.” (Psalms‬ ‭22:19-21, 24, 27‬) Yes, even in His darkest moment, Jesus placed His trust in His Heavenly Father. 

What about us? The language of Psalm 22 authorizes deep lament. It honors our grief. It gives voice to our pain. God is not afraid of our suffering. God does not turn His back on us when we hurt. He wants us to bring all our heartaches and heartbreaks before Him. Lay them at His feet. Share with Him our deepest fears and darkest doubts. He does not shy away from our cries of dereliction. Instead, He meets us there. He waits for us at rock bottom. When our strength finally fails and our hope is gone. In the darkest moments of our lives, God is with us.  

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 4-5:21, Matthew 18:1-20, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 5:15-21

Everyday Heroism

Readings for today: Genesis 50, Exodus 1-2:10, Matthew 16:13-17:9, Psalms 21, Proverbs 5:1-6

 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” (Exodus‬ ‭1:8‬) One of the darkest chapters in Israel’s history begins with these ominous words. A new Pharaoh has risen. One who did not know Joseph. One who had forgotten what God had done for Egypt through Joseph. One who saw Joseph’s descendents as a threat to his power. One can understand his trepidation. A foreign people living on the eastern edge of the Nile delta who have multiplied exceedingly over the generations and grown strong. They worship a strange god you do not know. They have strange customs you do not follow. They speak a foreign language you do not understand. It is easy to understand the source of this new Pharaoh’s fear. 

So he takes action. He enslaves them. Subjects them to abuse, harsh treatment, and a lifetime of hard labor. But the more they oppressed the Israelites, the more numerous and powerful they became. Anxious about the potential of an uprising, Pharaoh calls for draconian population control. He orders the midwives to kill every male child that is born. In this way, he hopes to reduce their numbers to a more manageable size. But the midwives courageously defy the king. Denying themselves, they save the male children from death. It’s an incredible act of faith. 

Shiprah and Puah. Their names are important. Two ordinary women engaged in an ordinary profession. There is nothing remarkable about them. Nothing special or unique. They have no biblical training. No seminary degree. They come from no special lineage and carry no family name. We do not know their tribe or their background. We simply know their names. Their occupation. And the one thing that does set them apart...their fear of God. These two women pave the way for Israel’s deliverer, Moses, to be born. They make it possible for God’s salvation to come. Through their act of selfless obedience, they create the conditions for what will become the seminal event in Judaism. The Exodus. Without them, there is no Charleton Heston. :-) No Ten Commandments. No Moses. Without them, there is no parting of the Red Sea or journey to the Promised Land. Without them, the Hebrews eventually die out. Cease to exist. The covenant God made with Abraham would be broken and all of salvation history go defunct. All because two women decided to obey God and perform their professional duties faithfully under threat of death. 

Do you think about your profession in this way? Do you connect what you do with what you believe? Is God on your radar screen as you go about your day to day activities? It’s amazing how often God uses the ordinary and mundane to accomplish His purposes. In my experience, it is not the pastors and church leaders who move the dial of the Kingdom but the faithful man or woman who often goes unnoticed. They spend their days working at their job. Caring for their families. Praying and studying the Bible. And eternity moves at the sound of their voice. The wheel of God’s salvation history turns by their hand. It’s truly amazing. What could God do with an accountant? A truck driver? A fast food worker? A sanitation engineer? What could God do with a doctor? A lawyer? A university professor? What could God do with a teacher? A mother? A father? A friend? The answer is...everything. Anything. God uses those who are available and humble and willing. Does that describe you? 

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 2:11-3:22, Matthew 17:10-27, Psalms 22, Proverbs 5:7-14

The Blessing

Readings for today: Genesis 48-49, Matthew 15:29-16:12, Psalms 20, Proverbs 4:20-27

One could argue the main theme of the book of Genesis is blessing. From the opening pages of Scripture, it is clear God desires to bless His people. He blessed Adam and Eve. He blessed Noah and his family. He blessed Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob, Leah and Rachel. Joseph and Asenath. None of these people were perfect. None of them did anything to merit God’s blessing. In fact, they were often disobedient and sinful and prideful and rebellious. Cain kills Abel. Noah gets drunk and curses his grandson. Abraham lies about his relationship with Sarah. Sarah gets impatient with God’s promise and gives Abraham her servant. The consequences of these actions are significant. Each of the characters in the Genesis story face hardship and suffering. They know pain intimately. But God never abandons them. He continues to walk with them and bless them as their hearts return to Him. 

God is not the only one who blesses. We bless as well. In chapter 49 of Genesis, Jacob calls his sons to his deathbed. He is fulfilling his patriarchal duty to pass on the blessings of his fathers. This blessing has to do with power and position within the growing family. It has to do with how the inheritance will be divided and who will lead after Jacob has gone. The blessing carries what passes for legal weight in an ancient near east context. Much like English common law, it is more unwritten than written and it will determine the future for each young man and their descendents. 

Rueben is deposed as firstborn for sexual immorality. Simeon and Levi for their unrestrained rage and violence that put the family at risk. Judah will now become the leader after Jacob dies and his line will reign and rule over all of Israel. Zebulun will become a tribe of merchants and traders. Issachar will serve his brothers well. From Dan will come the judges. Spiritual leaders for Israel in the time before the kings. Not much is said about Gad, Asher, and Naphtali but the implication of blessing is clear. Special treatment is reserved for Jacob’s favored son, Joseph, for all he has endured. And Jacob ends his blessing by calling into question the character of his youngest son Benjamin. Again, these are not just words. With these words would come a certain amount of wealth and possessions. A certain amount of power and authority. A certain position within the family structure and hierarchy. To top things off, these words carry prophetic overtones as well. Even though Jacob’s eyes are failing, he’s sees the future for each of his boys laid out before him. 

Think about the power of blessing in your own life. What kind of blessing - if any - did you receive from your mom or dad? What kind of blessing has come down your family line as a result of the faithfulness of a forefather or mother? How intentional are you as a parent about blessing your own children? Have you shared with them what you see in their future? One of the things I encourage those who are in hospice care to do is call their children and grandchildren and pass on a blessing. It is a powerful testimony that can last for generations. Of course, blessings are not just reserved for those we love. How do you bless your co-workers or classmates? How do you bless your friends and neighbors? How do you bless your brothers and sisters in Christ in your church family? How do you bless even your enemies and those who sin against you? Remember, God’s blessings in no way are dependent on the actions of sinful humanity. They are a product of His grace. The same should be true for us as well.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 50, Exodus 1-2:10, Matthew 16:13-17:9, Psalms 21, Proverbs 5:1-6

The Ways of God

Readings for today: Genesis 46-47, Matthew 15:1-28, Psalms 19, Proverbs 4:14-19

  “Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew‬ ‭15:14‬) 

This verse seems so apropos in our world today where godly leadership is in such short supply. Our political leaders are easy targets, of course. Their hypocrisy is obvious. Their decisions are mostly self-serving. They seem to love self-promotion. They routinely place party loyalty above the collective good of the nation. Godly principles are sacrificed on the altar of expediency. But before we rush to cast the first stone, let’s be honest and acknowledge we are not much different. The decisions we make on a daily basis in our homes, schools, businesses and churches are often guided by selfish desires. We are not immune from the temptation to compromise our godly character for the sake of material gain. The rise of social media gives us all a platform to self-promote. We routinely place loyalty to ourselves above the common good. We are all blind if we’re honest.  

God’s Word is given to us as a gift to open our eyes. To help us see the poverty of our condition. To help us come to grips with the depravity of our hearts. Without Christ, we are all wicked, stumbling about in the deep darkness. With Christ, we are made righteous. Our hearts yearn for God. We want to walk in His ways and allow His commands to guide our lives. As we pursue Christ, our righteousness begins to shine like the dawn and as we grow in Christ, the light of our lives shines brighter and brighter with each passing year. I love how Proverbs 4 put it, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” (Proverbs‬ ‭4:18-19‬)

Why read the Bible? Why pick up this dusty old book? Why does it continue to be the most translated, most purchased, and most treasured book of all time? Because there is something hardwired deep into our souls that knows the truth.  “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb...” (Psalms 19:7-10) The single most important thing you can do for your own spiritual growth is to meditate on God’s Word. To reflect daily and prayerfully on what He has to say. To absorb what God has to say about life. About our world. About love. About grace. About righteousness and holiness and what it means to live for Him. There simply is no substitute. No shortcut. No other way to truly know the Lord than to read His Word over and over again.

I love how the Psalmist concludes his song of praise.  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalms‬ ‭19:14‬) Open our eyes that we may see the glories of your Word, Father! Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake! Let our light shine like the dawn in our darkened world that many will see and believe Your Truth today! 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 48-49, Matthew 15:29-16:12, Psalms 20, Proverbs 4:20-27

Perspective

Readings for today: Genesis 44-45, Matthew 14:13-36, Psalms 18:37-50, Proverbs 4:11-13

Perspective: Joseph looking back over the course of his life. All he’s endured. The trials and tribulations. Betrayed by his brothers. Sold into slavery. Falsely accused and imprisoned. Given position and power in a great empire. All of it by God’s hand. All of it to fulfill God’s plan. What was intended for evil, God intended for good and many were saved. 

Perspective: Jesus looks out on a crowd. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They were sick. He had compassion. He saw them through His Father’s eyes. He miraculously fed them from five loaves and two fishes. He brought healing and wholeness. He showed them the Kingdom. They were more than satisfied. 

Perspective: Jesus is walking across the water to a boat in the middle of a fierce storm. The wind and the waves are tossing the little craft back and forth. The men on board are afraid for their lives. Jesus tells them not to be calm. To keep their eyes on him. One of them, Peter, asks to go to Jesus. Jesus invites him out onto the water. He finds himself walking but soon the fear sets in. The waves are too much. The wind too strong. His faith fails and he begins to sink. Jesus reaches down and rescues him and then settles the storm with a word as he gets into the boat. 

Perspective: David composing a Psalm of praise for his salvation from King Saul. He’s been on the run for a very long time. He’s barely escaped death more than once. Through no fault of his own, he’s become the king’s enemy. But God is with him. God has granted him the victory.  

Joseph. David. Peter. The crowds following Jesus. They are all very much alike. They come to God with their needs. Their wants. Their desires. Their hopes. Their dreams. But their horizons are too small. As is often the case, they look at things from a worldly perspective. Their faith fails. What they need is God’s perspective. They need to take a step back and see things through God’s eyes. Understand God is at work even in the darkest and hardest of times. Trust His faithfulness. Trust His love. Trust His grace. 

Where do you need God’s perspective today? Are you overwhelmed by the challenges you face? Anxious and afraid of what tomorrow may bring? Are you bound by your past? The abuse you suffered? The pain you endured? Have you been falsely accused? Falsely imprisoned? Falsely cut out of the life of someone you love? Is the house of cards you’ve built starting to come down around you? Look to Christ! Lift your eyes above the hills! Above the wind and the waves! Above the storm that rages all around you! Place your hope and trust in God and He will see you through!  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 46-47, Matthew 15:1-28, Psalms 19, Proverbs 4:14-19

The Life We’ve Always Wanted

Readings for today: Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:12, Psalms 18:16-36, Proverbs 4:7-10

Ultimately, there are two ways to live. You can live honestly. Openly. Transparently. Vulnerably. Daily practicing unconditional love and forgiveness and reconciliation. The result being a life of peace. A life of deep joy. A life of gracious self-acceptance because you have nothing to hide. Nothing to fear. Nothing to protect. No false self to prop up. Or you can live dishonestly. Secretively. Opaquely. Guarding your heart against any pain and suffering. You can love conditionally. Forgive selectively. Refuse to reconcile. The result is a life of guilt. A life of fleeting joy. A life of self-regret because you have lots to hide. Lots to fear and be anxious about. Self-protection becomes your highest aim because the image you project to the world has to be carefully curated for self-promotion.  

Sadly, the majority of the people who live with us and among us and around us choose the latter of the two scenarios. Recently, I read an editorial from a major news outlet extolling the virtues of cutting people out of one’s life. The premise from the author was that her life was better without her mother. DNA doesn’t matter. Biological connections simply aren’t worth it. We should discard anyone in our lives who we deem to be “toxic.” Now are there scenarios where estrangement needs to happen? Of course. Some people are so abusive - verbally, emotionally, physically, spiritually - that we need to cut them off. But such tragedies are never to be celebrated. Another editorial I read attempted to normalize the mutilation of the body. Still a third attempted to normalize sexual relationships between adults and minors. The brokenness of our world is legion. It is breathtaking in scope and heartbreaking in depth. And it leads in a direct line to the rise of suicide, depression, anxiety-disorders, opioid and other drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual addiction, etc. The fruit of our lives is rotten. We know it. So we medicate it. 

The Joseph narrative reveals a similar dynamic. As a young man, Joseph was an insufferable fool. The favored son of an aging father from his beloved wife, he was given all kinds of privilege and power in the family. Resentment grew to the point where his own brothers wanted to kill him. After throwing him in a pit, they made the fateful decision to sell him into slavery instead so they could turn a profit. This tragic act will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Fast forward a few decades. Joseph has risen to power in Egypt. He has saved the nation from a devastating famine and now the whole world comes to humble itself before him. His own brothers make the journey and he immediately recognizes them. But he too is suspicious. Why are they here? What do they want? Most importantly, do they regret the decision they made all those years ago? So he puts them to the test. They believe they’re being punished for the sins of their past. The pain is real. It extends back to Jacob, their father, who has to undergo the pain of letting his youngest son - the only son he has left from the wife he loved - go to Egypt with no guarantee he’ll return. Reuben attempts to assuage his father’s concern. “Kill my two sons if I don’t return with Benjamin.” What kind of monster would Jacob have to be to kill his own grandchildren? The dysfunction here is real. 

We all live dysfunctional lives to some extent. We all find ourselves living on the spectrum between the two poles I outlined above. I imagine most of us have days when we are honest and open and transparent and real. I imagine we also have days when we are guarded, dishonest, and secretive. I imagine most of us have days when we are able to love unconditionally. Forgive generously. Reconcile freely. And I imagine we have days when love is difficult. Forgiveness a pipe dream. Reconciliation beyond us. The goal of the Christian life is to surrender more and more each day to the Holy Spirit and let Him move us closer to the abundant life God promises us and away from the self-centered life we naturally choose. It’s not easy. Our bodies, minds, and emotions often rebel. The act of submission is a courageous choice we all have to make in a world that will never celebrate following Christ. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 44-45, Matthew 14:13-36, Psalms 18:37-50, Proverbs 4:11-13

The Real Church

Readings for today: Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13: 24-46, Psalms 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6

I spent the week in Orlando with some great friends. Colleagues who serve churches much like my own. We get together a couple of times of year to share, encourage, challenge, and pray for each other. Some of them are experiencing a season of blessing. Their church is growing. Programs are being launched. Buildings are being built. The lost are being saved. Others are experiencing a season of struggle. Money is tight. Programs are suffering. Attendance has dropped. Their church is in conflict. Life in the church is never easy. Not over the long haul. Not if one makes the commitment to put down roots in a local community. Churches are full both the lost and the saved. Sinners and saints. Lukewarm Christians and those who are on fire for the Lord. It’s a volatile mix. One spark can blow it all up. 

This is why I find such comfort in the words of Jesus.  "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew‬ ‭13:24-30‬) Why are these words comforting? Because they remind me of the reality of life in the Kingdom this side of heaven. It is not pure. It is not holy. We will not all be on the same page or in the same place spiritually. We will frustrate each other. We will hurt each other. We will disappoint each other. We will let each other down. Such is life in the real church. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote that if our “ideal” of community ever got in the way of “real” community then it’s a sure sign we’ve created an idol. I see this taking place all over the church today. A lot of people talk about their desire for “authenticity” but when you dig a little deeper what you find is they want people to be authentically just like them. They are unwilling to let the other person be authentically “other” because that requires hard work. Emotional investment. Active listening. Wrestling with differences. I saw this in Mobile, AL at the church I served when we had a young African-American become a member. One of our older members pulled me aside. “Blacks and whites don’t worship together”, she said. Rather than get angry with her or dismiss her. The young man and I engaged her. I sat down with her and took her through the Scriptures. The young man loved her and treated her with respect. The result was a radical transformation in this woman’s heart. She had grown up with segregation. It was all she knew and her worldview was being challenged by the gospel. Thankfully, the young man could see that and ministered to her even though it was difficult. When he went to seminary a few years later, this woman became one of his financial supporters and prayer partners. It was awesome to witness!  

The church is God’s field. Planted with both wheat and weeds. None of us know who is who. None of us can see what’s happening in the human heart. Many who appear outwardly Christian may just be going through the motions. Others who appear to be struggling with the faith may be deeply faithful. All we can do is love each other like Jesus. Unconditionally. Relentlessly. Steadfastly. Loyally. Even recklessly at times. As we do this over the long haul. Weeks. Months. Years. Generations. God’s promise is we will be shaped and formed in ways we cannot begin to imagine. We will be washed and sanctified and prepared for glory. Embrace the journey, friends. Embrace the struggle. Embrace the community where God has planted you and let Him bring the increase in your life.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:12, Psalms 18:16-36, Proverbs 4:7-10

Life with God

Readings for today: Genesis 39-41:16, Matthew 12:46-13:23, Psalms 17, Proverbs 3:33-35

Over and over again we read how the Lord was with Joseph. He was with him at the heights of his success. He was with him in the depths of his failures. With him when he was rapidly climbing in favor. With him when he was falsely accused and imprisoned. No matter where Joseph went, God was at his side. How do we know? Because of the fruit his life produced. Joseph was a humble man. He submitted his life to God’s will. He walked in God’s ways. He refused to let bitterness or anger or fear get the best of him. Whatever others may intend for evil, Joseph knew God could turn to good if he would trust Him. Joseph’s life is a model of faithfulness. A model of humility. A model of walking with open hands and an open heart to however the Lord would choose to work. Joseph’s steps were determined for him. He did not choose to go to Egypt. Did not choose to be part of Potipher’s house. Did not choose to be thrown in prison. Did not choose to serve Pharaoh. Joseph, like Daniel after him, simply chose to grow where he was planted. Like the seed that fell on good soil, his life bore thirty-fold, sixty-fold, a hundred-fold for the Lord. And the result was the blessing of a pagan nation. 

I am sure Joseph had his moments. Perhaps he cried out like the Psalmist to God for vindication. Cried out for justice. Cried out for peace. I am sure Joseph spent many a dark night in the prison cell asking God why this had happened. Reflecting what God wanted to teach him. I am sure Joseph’s faith was put to the test by his experiences and yet through it all, Joseph chooses the path of faithfulness. The path of trust. Come hell or high water, Joseph throws his lot in with God. It’s a powerful testimony.  

What about us? What does our life look like when we experience the ups and downs? When we are attacked and falsely accused? When the people around us. The people who are supposed to love us intend evil and seek to harm us. What happens then? How do we respond? So often, I find myself reacting in one of two ways. I lash out. I go on the attack. I violently defend myself if necessary. Or I run. I curl up in the fetal position. I let my fears get the best of me and I try to hide. Neither approach is gospel-centered. Neither approach is faithful. God calls us to place our trust in Him. To seek our approval in Him. To place our faith in His will and His way and ultimately, His vindication. To walk with the Lord means blooming where He plants us. Blessing the people He has placed around us be they Christian or pagan. We walk in His ways on the mountaintop when things are going great and in the valley when things are hard. We accept both good and evil from his hands like Job. As we do so, God produces in us a great harvest of righteousness.  

So where does life find you today? And where are you placing your trust? Is it in your circumstances? In the people around you and their opinions of you? Is it being shaped by your successes or failures? Or is your hope in God? Like the Psalmist, do you find your satisfaction in being with Him? “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” (Psalms‬ ‭17:15‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13: 24-46, Psalms 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6

The Counsel of God

Readings for today: Genesis 37-38, Matthew 12:22-45, Psalms 16, Proverbs 3:27-32

 “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalms‬ ‭16:7-8‬)

How do I hear the voice of God? It’s one of the most common and heartfelt questions I get asked. I hear from older men adn women who’ve been in church all their lives. I hear from young men and women who are just getting started. I hear it from students and children who want to know if God is real. I hear it from those in crisis who cry out in desperation. I hear it from the proud who think God needs to prove Himself to them. I hear it from the humble who just wish God would show up for them. People from all walks of life and backgrounds and experiences. All wanting the same thing. All wanting to hear the counsel of God.

David heard from God. A man after God’s own heart, David seemingly enjoyed a special relationship with the Lord. He spoke to Him frequently and God answered. Their conversations form so much of the content of the book of the Bible we call the Psalms. They are hymns of praise. Hymns of thanksgiving. Hymns of lament. Hymns proclaiming the goodness and glory of God. Hymns plumbing the depths of human suffering and pain. The full range of emotion is present in these words as David calls out to God. 

What does it look like for you to call out for God? And are you willing to wait for Him to answer? To train your ears to hear and your heart to understand His voice? Part of the reason David enjoyed such an intimate relationship with God is because of the time he spent in God’s presence in prayer and worship. David loved to worship. He danced before the Lord. Sang before the Lord. Offered sacrifices before the Lord. David loved to talk to God. One gets the sense he prayed for hours on end. As a result, when God answered David, he was prepared to hear. He recognized God’s voice. Among all the other voices clamoring for attention in his life, David could tune in to what God was saying. God was David’s counsel because David made an intentional effort to always set the Lord before him. To fix his eyes on God. Keep Him at his right hand. Lean on Him in times of trouble. Seek Him in times of confusion. Cry out to Him in times of pain.  

Do you set the Lord always before you? What does your devotional life look like? How regular is it? Do you take your time or do you rush through? Do you read the Scriptures reflectively or are they just words on a page? When you pray, do you do all the talking? Do you make any space for listening? When times of trial and temptation come, do you lean on Him for support? Or do you believe you have it all handled? This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes our experience of God. We have to enter His presence with a sense of expectation that He is actually there to meet with us. Waiting for us. And that He has some things to say. We do this every day. Every week. Every month. Over a number of years and our ability to discern God’s voice will grow. Our hearts and minds will be tuned in and we will find uninterrupted communion with God.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 39-41:16, Matthew 12:46-13:23, Psalms 17, Proverbs 3:33-35

Charmed Lives?

Readings for today: Genesis 35-36, Matthew 12:1-21, Psalms 15, Proverbs 3:21-26

When I first became a Christian and started reading the Bible, I made the false assumption that the men and women of the Bible lived charmed lives. Once they came to faith everything was good. They grew healthy and wealthy and happy and nothing bad ever happened to them because the Lord was on their side. This reading became deeply problematic for me for a couple of reasons. First, it certainly didn’t square with my own life experience. I found myself frequently struggling with hardship and pain. Second, the more I read and the more closely I read, I realized these men and women were just as messed up as I was! 

For example, Jacob wrestles with God. Fights with Him all night and as dawn breaks, obtains a blessing. Gets a new name. Essentially a new future. One would think Jacob would walk faithfully from this point forward having had this intense, face to face encounter with God. Not so! Jacob again lies to his brother Esau. He actually never shows up in Seir as he promised. Jacob refuses to demand justice for his daughter’s honor thereby opening the door for his sons to take matters into their own hands. Jacob lives in fear of the tribal nations that surround them. Even his journey to Bethel seems fraught with danger. Finally, grief hits him hard as he loses his beloved wife Rachel in childbirth and his father soon after. Life in the ancient near east was not easy. Even for a man who walked with God. 

Over and over again, the Bible declares God is with His people. God protects His people. God guards the lives of His people. God blesses His people. How can this be true when we read about such tragedy in the life of Jacob? Or we experience similar tragedy and heartache in our own lives? The answer - if we have the ears to hear - is that we, like Jacob, are simply sojourners in this world. We are just passing through. And while it is true that God gives us a home. God gives us a name. God blesses us to be a blessing. It is also equally true that health and wealth and happiness are not going to be found this side of heaven. We may experience these things for a season. Perhaps even a long season. But death comes for us all. Poverty comes for us all because we can’t take anything with us. Sadness and grief find us as we face our own mortality or the mortality of those we love. 

Strangely enough, we all know this isn’t right. Even the ardent atheist experiences death as a violation of sorts. It’s why so much work is being put into longevity projects. Billions being spent to find the “aging gene” in order to turn it off. We want to live forever. We know we should live forever. It’s a primal instinct embedded deep within us. We were made to be fruitful. To multiply. To fill the earth. This is the creation mandate and we see it renewed here in Jacob - now Israel’s - life. “And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.” (Genesis‬ ‭35:11‬) This mandate transcends our lives on earth. It follows us into eternity. It gets passed down through the generations. It will not end even when Christ returns. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 37-38, Matthew 12:22-45, Psalms 16, Proverbs 3:27-32

Broken

Readings for today: Genesis 32:13-34:31, Matthew 11:7-30, Psalms 14, Proverbs 3:19-20

One of the things I love most about God is His willingness to wrestle with us. His willingness to get down in the mud with us. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Not afraid to engage us in the deepest, darkest places of our hearts. Not afraid of our outbursts of anger. Not afraid of our doubts and questions. We can bring all this to God. Meet Him unafraid and unashamed and struggle with Him over His sovereign will for our lives. God is not after robots. He is not after automatons. He doesn’t want uncritical, unthinking obedience. He wants our hearts. He wants our souls. He wants our bodies. He wants our minds. He wants all of us. Every part of us must eventually surrender to Him. And that’s a fight because our sinful nature pushes back. 

My mother would tell you I’ve always been independent. Even as a child. I didn’t like to cuddle. Didn’t like to be held. I would push back against her when she would try to wrap me up in her arms. When I got older and headed off for my first day of school, I shed no tears. Just got out of the car and walked towards the school no looking back. The other day, she and I had breakfast together. We talked about how I am still pretty independent. She loves me. She’s proud of me. She’d love for me to need her for something. Anything. I do the same thing with God if I am honest. I push back. I don’t like to be wrapped up in His arms. I want to be independent. Do my own thing. I don’t want to need Him. I like to pretend like I have it all together. Like I’m good on my own. It’s all a lie of course. I do need God. I do need my mom. I am not an independent creature. It is not good for me to be alone.  

It’s taken some hard experiences for me to learn this about myself. Experiences that almost cost me everything and everyone I hold dear. Like Jacob, I know what it’s like to wrestle with God all night. I’ve been there and done that. I’ve battled Him. I’ve fought with Him. I’ve watched the sun rise and set only to do it all over again. This was my life in the fall of 2009. I averaged 2-3 hours of sleep a night for a few months. God and I went to war over my life. My family. My ministry. My future. Finally, there came a point where He simply broke me. He broke my heart. He broke my spirit. He broke my pride. And while the pain was intense and real, there was relief as well. A profound sense of freedom flooded my being. I’ve never been the same since. 

Where have you wrestled like Jacob? Where are you wrestling like Jacob? Where are you mad at God? Frustrated with God? Upset with God? What questions do you have for Him? Doubts? Fears that need to be expressed? Where are you resisting Him? Pushing back against His will? Struggling to accept His sovereign plan? Today’s passage invites you into the ring! To grapple with God honestly! God’s a big boy! He can handle everything you throw at Him and more! Let your guard down and lay it all out before your Lord. Fight Him until you break before His relentless love and grace.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 35-36, Matthew 12:1-21, Psalms 15, Proverbs 3:21-26

Reckoning

Readings for today: Genesis 31:17-32:12, Matthew 10:24-11:6, Psalms 13, Proverbs 3:16-18

There comes a time in every person’s life when their sin catches up to them. The bill for their mistakes and misdeeds finally comes due. You cannot run forever. You cannot hide forever. You cannot escape from your past. It must be faced. Jacob had spent his entire life scheming to get ahead. A master manipulator, he had robbed his brother of his birthright. Robbed Laban of his flocks and herds. Done everything in his power to get ahead. Secure his own future. He even tried to “deal” with God. "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you." (Genesis‬ ‭28:20-22‬) 

Now Jacob’s caught between a rock and a hard place. He’s burned his bridges with Laban so he can’t go back. The stone they set up serves as a constant reminder of his past sins. He is afraid to go forward. His past is coming back to haunt him. Esau, his brother, is on his way with four hundred men. Doesn’t sound like he’s forgotten everything that happened all those years ago. Jacob is stuck. He’s out of options. No more games. No more cards to play. He’s got to face the music. (That’s a whole lot of cliches...) God has him right where He wants him.  

God is sovereign. He orchestrates all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Jacob has been called. Jacob is loved. Jacob is about to meet God face to face. Unbeknownst to Jacob, God has been looking forward to this moment. God has been planning for this moment. God has brought Jacob to this point because God wants to do something in Jacob’s life that will change him forever. But Jacob has to be broken. Jacob must be forced to submit. Jacob must be brought to the end of himself and meet God on His terms.  

How many of us are facing a similar situation? We’ve schemed and manipulated our way as far as we can go. We’ve accumulated wealth and possessions along the way but it has come at no small cost. We’ve left some bodies in our wake. We’ve damaged our own souls in the process. All of us know what this feels like. It’s the way we shade the truth just a bit to come out ahead. The way we take credit for someone else’s work. The way we tell our stories as if we were the hero. It’s the way we orchestrate life, primarily for our own benefit. We probably have even tried to bargain with God. None of us are clean. All of us have a little Jacob in us. And most, if not all of us, will face a reckoning. A moment in time when the house of cards we’ve built comes crashing down. Our marriage fails. Our business crumbles. Our creditors come calling. Our kids call us out. We come face to face with the consequences of our addictions.  

The great news is God is waiting for us there. He is waiting for us in that space. Waiting to meet us face to face. Deal with us mano y mano. He has been patiently waiting. Patiently working. Patiently bringing us to this point where have no other choice but to surrender. It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. It’s also the best thing for us. Stop running. Stop hiding. Stop pretending. Turn and face your fear. Turn and face your God. Let Him transform your life.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 32:13-34:31, Matthew 11:7-30, Psalms 14, Proverbs 3:19-20

Gospel = Power

Readings for today: Genesis 30-31:16, Matthew 10:1-23, Psalms 12, Proverbs 3:13-15

 “And Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew‬ ‭10:1‬)

The gospel is not an idea. Not a philosophy. Not a moral code. It is quite literally the power of God. To receive the gospel is to receive this power. To believe the gospel is to be filled with this power. To lay hold of the gospel is to lay hold of this power. The power of God fills the life of every believer, granting us authority and dominion over all God has made. Jesus gave power to His disciples. As they went out proclaiming the gospel, they would cast out demons. Heal disease. Raise the dead. These signs and wonders would serve to authenticate the message they were preaching. 

I have seen this in action. The church in Africa is growing at an exponential rate. The preaching of the gospel is accompanied by signs and wonders. The church planters we support are filled with power as they go forth. They cast out demons. They heal disease. They raise the dead. They survive beatings, stonings, stabbing, shootings, and miraculously recover. I have personally witnessed miraculous healings. I have personally witnessed resurrection. I have personally seen demonic spirits get cast out. To see the power of God in action is awe-inspiring to say the least. It brings me to my knees. 

How do we access such power? By keeping the first and greatest commandment. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The more we love God, the more we serve God. The more we serve God, the more He equips us with power for that service. The more we sacrifice for God, the more He provides for us. The more we relinquish to God, the more He is able to use us. The secret to the power of the early disciples or modern-day African church planters or persecuted believers in China is their whole-hearted devotion to Christ. They do not try to live a double life. They do not try to have their cake and eat it too. They understand that holding onto the things of this world while laying hold of the world to come will only pull them apart. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot live with a foot in both Kingdoms. You either give yourself fully over to Christ and die to self or you hold onto “Self” and lose your grip on Christ. There is no neutral ground here. 

So that brings up a really hard question we all have to face...if we are not experiencing the power and presence of Christ in our lives then it is highly likely we have allowed some other “love” to gain a foothold. It could be a relationship we can’t live without. A lifestyle we refuse to relinquish. A preferred future we can’t let go of. A dream we won’t let die. It could be a sin we’ve allowed to enslave us. A lie we start to believe. How does one discern? How do we know? Engage in some healthy, prayerful self-reflection. Look at the life of Christ. What about Him do you find unattractive or unrealistic? Is there anything about what He teaches or how He lived that you find yourself resisting? When you hear His words and see His love, do you find yourself dis-believing on some level? Do you trust the lies of your own heart over the truth Jesus preaches? 

This is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian life. Following Jesus is a lifelong struggle to crucify the flesh with all its sinful desires and allow the Holy Spirit to align us more with Christ. It is a long obedience in the same direction. A marathon not a sprint. It forces us to constantly grapple with our greatest enemy...Self. But here’s the good news! The more the “self” dies, the more the power of God manifests itself in our lives. The more the power of God manifests itself, the more the “self” dies. This is the promise of the gospel and it lies within reach of every single person who calls on the name of the Lord! 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 31:17-32:12, Matthew 10:24-11:6, Psalms 13, Proverbs 3:16-18

Do You Believe?

Readings for today: Genesis 28-29, Matthew 9:18-38, Psalm 11, Proverbs 3:11-12

This morning I had the opportunity to preach at a sister church. A church who is in a significant time of transition. They are about to embark on a search for a new senior pastor which will usher in a new season of ministry. It’s been four years since they had strong, consistent pastoral leadership. Their beloved pastor was called to a different church. They went through one search but that particular pastor only stayed two years and had a very rocky tenure. Many people left. The church began to struggle. Fear and anxiety settled in. But in the last eighteen months, they have begun to recover. They have strong, godly leaders who have stepped forward. Their staff is exceptional. Their elders seek the mind of Christ. I left deeply impressed by their heart for Jesus and for their community. I know they are in great hands. 

One of the things we talked about today was how to walk by faith. Faith tends to be a nebulous term in our culture. Even when you talk to Christians, it seems very hard to define. Some see faith as an intellectual assent to a set of ideas. Others see faith as blind and uncritical. Still others view faith as an emotion we feel. Tingles running down our spine. Warm feelings filling our heart. That kind of thing. Jesus defines it much differently. In Matthew 9, Jesus performs a series of miraculous healings. A young woman is raised from the dead. Another woman is healed from a chronic menstrual disorder. Two blind men receive back their sight and a mute man is given the ability to speak. In the middle of all this action, Jesus poses this question to the blind men when they ask for mercy, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” They do. Jesus stretches out his hand to heal. 

There are more than a few definitions of faith in the Bible but this is one of my favorite. Faith is being fully convinced God is able to do what He has promised. Faith is not blind. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is not intellectual assent. It is walking. Acting. Moving in full confidence that God is able to do what He says He will do. Jesus asks the blind men if they believe He is able. The blind men believe and they are healed. They place their trust in Christ no matter the outcome. Is Jesus able? Yes, He is. Will Jesus always heal? Not necessarily. Does that mean we somehow lack faith? Absolutely not! Faith is not trusting in a particular outcome but trusting in the One who can do all things according to His perfect will. 

We talked about the faith of Abram this morning at the church where I preached. Abram is the perfect example of faith not because he was perfect or always got things right. He clearly did not! But Abram believed God. Abram was fully convinced God was able to do what He had promised. He trusted God to lead him to the Promised Land. Trusted God to give him a son. Trusted God to bless him, make his name great, and make his descendants a great nation. All of which God accomplished and more. Abram saw all this before it happened. He believed it before it came to pass. He trusted it enough to turn his entire life upside down.  

What about you? Do you believe God? Do you believe He is able to do what He has promised? Do you believe God for your marriage? For your children? For your job? For your future? For your finances? Do you trust God enough to let Him run your life? Are you willing to submit to Him and take a Sabbath? One day out of every seven to rest? Are you willing to submit to Him and give generously and sacrificially and regularly to the Lord...no strings attached? Are you willing to submit to Him and let go of the sinful pleasures you secretly delight in on a daily basis? This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to faith, friends. Do you believe?  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 30-31:16, Matthew 10:1-23, Psalms 12, Proverbs 3:13-15

Reflection

Readings for today: Genesis 26:17-27:46, Matthew 9:1-17, Psalms 10:16-18, Proverbs 3:9-10

Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. Rebekah. Jacob. Leah. Rachel. These are the patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith. Men and women we look up to. Examples of faith. Paragons of virtue. Inspiration for millions. Then we actually sit down and read their stories. The bubble bursts. The image shatters. Off the pedestal they fall. Their families are dysfunctional. Full of deceit and greed and a lust for power. Their relationships are broken. Brother against brother. Wives against husbands. Homes in disarray. Reading their stories causes all kinds of questions, doubts, even fears to arise in our hearts. Who are these people? What’s wrong with them? Why do they make such poor choices? Why does God use them? Why are they God’s chosen people and not someone else? We find ourselves sympathizing with underdogs like Hagar, Ishmael, and Esau. What did they do wrong? Why weren’t they chosen? 

Reading the Bible is hard. Reflecting on the Bible even harder. The reality is we all want to keep these stories at arm’s length. We want to externalize these people as if they are not us. As if we do not make the same mistakes every single day. As if our culture is any less evil and immoral. As one friend of mine pointed out recently, moms and dads in our city sell their kids into slavery every single day. We just don’t want to see it. (She works with this population and is an expert in her field.) As much as we look back and want to judge the men and women we read about in the Scriptures, we are no different. We are just as sinful. Just as prideful. Just as prone to jockeying for power, influence, and control. Our relationships are just as broken. We too struggle to forgive. Struggle to reconcile. Struggle to not seek vengeance when we are hurt.  

What makes the Bible so hard to read is that it holds a mirror up to our souls. It exposes our depravity even as it tells us stories of the depravity of the mothers and fathers of our faith. It forces us to come to grips with the fact that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and none of us is clean. This drives us to our knees where we do NOT want to be. It drives us to submission. Drives us to surrender. Our only hope is grace. The grace of God. The love of God. The decision God makes to reach down and save us. We don’t like being at the mercy of God. We don’t like being reminded we are not in control of our own destiny. We don’t like the idea that our salvation depends on God’s sovereign choice alone not some fundamental principle of fairness. 

Prayerful reflection on these stories is not complete until we turn our questions inward. Who am I? What’s wrong with me? Where do I struggle with sin? Why do I make such poor choices? Part of this process is allowing the Bible to interrogate us as much as we are interrogating it. Allowing the Word of God to question us as much as we may question it. This is the dialogue God seeks with us when we read His Word. What is God after? Submission. Surrender. He wants us to finally bow before Him and open our hands and hearts to receive His grace. Just like Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. Rebekah. Jacob. Leah. Rachel. This is what set them apart. Their faith. Their fundamental belief that God was able to do all He had promised. May you walk in that same faith today!

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 28-29, Matthew 9:18-38, Psalm 11, Proverbs 3:11-12

Walking with Wisdom

Readings for today:  Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalms 10, Proverbs 3:7-8

 “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs‬ ‭3:7-8‬) 

I think the biggest part of my job as a pastor is helping people learn to walk with wisdom. True wisdom. Godly wisdom. Wisdom that finds it’s source in the fear of the Lord. Too many of us walk according to our own wisdom. We do what is right in our own eyes. We think we know what’s best for us. We do not. The evidence is legion. We are so prone to self-destruction. So prone to self-condemnation. So prone to self-promotion. We are so prone to self... 

This is not new. Hopefully, as you read the story of the patriarchs and matriarchs, you can see how they struggled to walk with wisdom as well. Noah got drunk. Lot chose the wrong neighborhood in which to live. Abraham lied about his relationship with his wife. TWICE! And Isaac makes the same mistake. Things do not get much better. Rebekah is a schemer and teaches her son Jacob all too well. Joseph is arrogant. Moses is insecure. Miriam jealous. The list goes on and on. The men and women of the Bible are just as broken as we are and just as prone to act in their own self-interest. This has been our problem since the beginning. We prefer our own wisdom to God’s. 

Proverbs, however, teaches us a different path. Fear the Lord. Turn from evil. Walk in God’s wisdom and you will find the healing and refreshment your heart is longing for. How many of us woke up tired this morning? Exhausted by the race we are running? How many of us barely got any sleep last night because of the pain we’re carrying? How many of us find ourselves making the same mistake over and over again? Trapped in the same endless loop? How many of us feel depressed? Isolated? All alone? How many of us walk with fear and shame on a daily basis? How many of us - if we’re honest - know our ways are not God’s ways and our thoughts are not God’s thoughts? And what does it come as such a shock to us when the houses we build on sand crumble at the first sign of storm? Why do we keep playing this game? Why are we so bound and determined to do things our own way? Why do we keep putting “Self” at the center of our lives in place of God? 

God wants to heal your pain. God wants to mend your broken heart. God wants to restore the ruins of your life and lift you out of your shame. God has told you there is nothing that will ever come between you and His love. He has set you free in Christ from all judgment and condemnation. He offers you forgiveness and unending grace. His love is steadfast, true, loyal, and unconditional. Trust the Lord! Trust He knows what’s best for you! Trust His Word! Trust what He tells you! Trust His love! He will never leave you or forsake you! Turn from evil. Turn from sin. Turn from self. Turn to Christ! Take His yoke upon you and you will find rest for your souls!  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 26:17-27:46, Matthew 9:1-17, Psalms 10:16-18, Proverbs 3:9-10

Desiring God

Readings for today: Genesis 23-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalms 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart...” (Proverbs‬ ‭3:5) This may be one of the hardest things for me to do. Trust in the Lord with all of my mind? Check. I love the life of the mind. I love to learn. Love to read. Love to reflect on the Word of God. Trust in the Lord with all of my strength? Check. I work hard to align my outward life with God’s laws. I believe His ways are the best ways to live. I have no doubt a life lived according to His Word is a truly blessed life. Now please understand I am not perfect in either of these areas. I am as much a sinner as the next person. But where I really struggle is to love God with all my heart. To desire God from the depths of my being. 

We are all creatures of desire. Driven more by emotion than we care to admit. We may think we are primarily rational creatures. Products of a Cartesian worldview whose foundation was built on the axiom, “I think therefore I am” but this is a lie. We mainly live in the back of the brainstem. We react. We respond. Love. Hate. Fear. Lust. Primal emotions seated in the most reptilian section of our brains. We meet someone for the first time and feel attraction. We see an image on television and experience hate. We scroll through our Twitter feed and our blood pressure rises. The world encourages us to get in touch with our emotions. To embrace them. To let them define who we are. The problems with this approach are legion. Rates of depression, self-harm, and suicide are now at historic levels and rising. The amount of vitriol on cable television and social media is overwhelming. The casual way we treat our relationships is tearing the social fabric of our lives apart. People feel more isolated than ever which leads to more pain. As they experience more pain, they isolate further. It’s a vicious cycle with no end in sight. 

For most of my life I have believed the answer lies in the transformation of the mind. Behavioral change flowing from new thought processes we begin in our brains and are held accountable to through relationship. What I am learning is that this approach often fails because it doesn’t touch the heart. One cannot change one’s desires simply by thinking/wishing them away. One cannot change one’s desires through self-discipline. No matter how much we may white-knuckle our sobriety, we simply are not strong enough to resist so we succumb. We give in. And the shame we experience only reinforces and compounds our sin. 

So what’s the answer? Are we left at the mercy of our desires? Are we doomed to ride the roller coaster of our emotions forever? No. The answer is to “trust God with all your heart.” To fan the flames of your affections for God. To invest in your relationship with Him through prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, and mission. Like any relationship, love must be cultivated. Love must be intentionally nurtured. It doesn’t grow in healthy ways on its own and you will not fall more deeply in love with God unless you spend time with Him. As your love for God grows, you will find the other loves of your life reordered. The attractions of your life will begin to change. They will be shaped more and more by God’s desires than your own. In short, you will experience transformation. 

Readings for tomorrow:  Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalms 10, Proverbs 3:7-8

Fear vs. Faith

Readings for today: Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalms 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

Fear is a powerful motivator. Often driving us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do. Make choices out of desperation rather than faith. Fear drove Sarah to mistreat Hagar and eventually cast her out of the house with her son Ishmael. Fear drove Lot’s daughters to commit incest with their father. Fear drove Abraham to lie about his relationship with his his wife. Fear drives a lot of things in our lives as well. I imagine if we sat and reflected for a moment, we can all think back to choices we’ve made that we regret that were driven by similar fears.

One of the most famous stories in all of Scripture is the sacrifice of Isaac.  It has been the subject of amazing artwork throughout the centuries.  It has influenced the plot lines of famous works of literature.  There is just something deeply (and darkly) compelling about this story for believers and non-believers alike.  An old man taking his son. His only son. The son whom he loves and offering him as a sacrifice. In our minds eye, we can see them climbing the mountain together. Abraham with the fire and knife. Isaac carrying the wood. Along the way, Isaac poignantly questions his father, "My father!" And Abraham said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." You can almost imagine Abraham answering Isaac with tears in his eyes. They get to the top of the mountain. Abraham builds an altar. Binds his own son. Lays him down. Raises the knife. And that’s when God steps in. "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 

I’ve often wondered what kind of impact this experience would have had on Abraham and Isaac? What impact would this have on their relationship? How often in the years ahead did they look back and reflect on this moment? Did Abraham ever feel the need to ask for forgiveness? Would that have been enough to address the trauma Isaac would have felt? And yet, even their special father/son relationship was not as important to Abraham as his relationship with God. He believed God. He trusted God. He had faith in God. The writer of Hebrews, as he looked back on this story and reflected on Abraham’s faith, says Abraham “considered that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Heb. 11:19) No matter what, Abraham knew God had promised him a son. He knew Isaac was that son. He knew the future rested on this son. And he trusted God even when it seemed like His commands put all that at risk. 

Some might argue this whole scene makes God into a monster.  What kind of God demands human sacrifice? Christians know it’s simply foreshadowing. Fast forward a few thousand years and we have another Father and Son having this same conversation in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Son asking the Father if this is truly what the Father commands. If there can’t be another way. One can almost see the Father answer His Son. His only Son. The Son whom He loves with tears in His eyes. So Jesus takes up the cross. Climbs the SAME exact mountain Abraham and Isaac did so many centuries before. Is laid on the altar. The Father raises His Hand - there is no ram to take Jesus’ place - and takes His Son’s life. All to save humanity from our sin. From our fear. 

What are you afraid of today? What’s driving the choices you make? Is it fear of what others might say? Fear of facing the consequences of your actions? Fear of losing something you love? Have faith, friends! Believe in God! Trust God! Honor God! Look to the Cross and consider the great love He has for you! As you fix your eyes on Jesus, you will feel the fears that so often drive us loosening their grip and giving way to faith. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 23-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalms 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

Priorities

Readings for today: Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalms 8, Proverbs 2:6-15

I spend a lot of my week meeting with people over a cup of coffee or glass of wine. We talk about family. We talk about jobs. We talk about school. We talk about the future. We talk about the past. We talk about success. We talk about failure. We talk about life. in almost every case, the conversation eventually comes around to balance. How do we balance all the priorities we have in life? Many of the people I meet with are hard chargers. They have worked hard. Achieved much. They have spouses and children who they love dearly. But they’re struggling because there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. And that doesn’t feel good. So again, how to balance everything? 

I used to believe in balance myself. I tried for years to balance my time with my wife, my four kids, my church family, my mission commitments, seminary teaching, etc. It was exhausting. Thankfully, God sent an older, wiser mentor into my life who shared with me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. “Balance is bogus, Doug.” Balance is bogus? What was this guy talking about? Everyone talks about balance! The whole self-help section at the bookstore is all about balance! But something in what he said struck a chord so I listened. “Balance is bogus because it is impossible - even unfaithful - to try to give everything in your life equal time. If you strive for balance, you will feel like you are always falling short in every area.” That’s exactly how I felt! “The key”, he argued, “is to put Christ at the center of everything you do.” Put Christ at the center of your marriage. Christ at the center of your relationship with your children. Christ at the center of your professional life. “If you do that, you will find yourself becoming fully present to everyone and in everything.” 

This is what I believe Jesus meant when he said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) If we put Christ at the center of every relationship and every task, we will find ourselves less distracted. Less tempted to multi-task. And the people we are with will feel more valued. The time spent more fruitful. This results in greater efficiency as the quality of our time/work increases. With this increase in quality comes a corresponding decrease in a need for quantity. We will spend less time in some areas which frees up more time for other priorities. It really becomes a virtuous cycle which deepens every relationship and results in greater impact. 

One quick personal example. When I got to Princeton, I was deeply insecure. I didn’t feel I belonged. I wasn’t worthy of admission to such a prestigious place. Certainly not with my 2.3 GPA from college! HA! So I worked my tail off that first semester. Studied every night. Studied every weekend. Poured all kinds of time and energy and effort into school. My wife felt neglected. I struggled to spend time with my eight month old daughter. It was a rough three months and I didn’t have much to show for it because my grades were average at best. Then I went on Christmas break. Fought with God a bit. Asked Him why He sent me to seminary if it was going to be so difficult. He responded. Challenged me to re-examine my priorities. Follow Matthew 6:33. Put Him to the test. Long story short, I did. I went back for the 2nd semester and only gave Princeton two nights a week and one day on the weekend. The rest of the time I dedicated to family and to ministry in the local church. My grades shot through the roof. My family and I made some great friendships and had some great adventures. The church we served flourished. I even got to volunteer as a chaplain at the maximum security prison. It was one of the best three years of our lives.  

Ever since that experience I have found that when I truly prioritize my life around the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, blessing follows. My life becomes rich and full and deeply meaningful. It’s not always easy but it is always significant because I know the Lord is with me. I trust my labor is not in vain. Friends, what priorities are you pursuing in your life right now? How are you putting Christ at the center? Reading the Bible every day is a great first step! Worshipping God each week is another great step! Asking God to help you find Him at the center of everything you’re involved in is another way to put Matt. 6:33 into practice. Let me encourage you to re-examine your priorities through the lens of Christ. Look at your world through His eyes and then align your life to what you see. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalms 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22