Is God Enough?

Readings for today: Habakkuk 1-3, Revelation 9, Psalms 137, Proverbs 30:10

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.” (Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-19‬)

When I was in college, I attended a Bible study one summer where the leader challenged us all to think about why we loved God. Drawing in material from across the Old Testament, he forced us to ask the fundamental question, “Is God worthy of our love simply because He’s God? Or does God need to earn our love and devotion on some level?” That may seem like an easy question to answer on the face of it but consider the implications. Consider the words of Habakkuk above. What if God withheld His blessings from your life? What if your work didn’t prosper? You never got married? Your children suffered? What if your health failed? You were discriminated against? Or falsely accused and imprisoned? What if your friends walked away from you? Your family turned against you? And you were left alone? What if your body turned against you and you contracted a disease like ALS? Or schizophrenia emerged when you were in your early 20’s? Or early dementia set in robbing you of your faculties? Would you still love God? Would He still be worthy of your devotion? Taking it one step further, would you rejoice? Praise the God of your salvation? 

These are the issues the leader of our group forced us to confront as we wrestled with the fundamental question, “Is God Enough?” From a ministry perspective, consider the call God placed on Habakkuk’s life. He is called to preach judgment. Suffering. Pain. The coming retribution for cumulative sins of the people of God. This is not your best life now. Or seven steps to a better you. Or God has a wonderful plan for your life. This is hard stuff and I am sure it didn’t make him very popular. He probably didn’t pastor a mega-church. Probably didn’t fill an auditorium. Probably would not have appeared on the cover of OutReach Magazine. He fails the seeker-sensitive test. Fails to make faith attractive. He puts a stumbling block to faith in the path of every single person who would give him a listen. And yet, everything he says is true. God’s truth. 

Passages like this force us to grapple with why we believe. Why we love God. Why we worship Him and serve Him. Is it for the eschatological goodies? Eternal salvation? An eternal home where the streets are paved with gold? A place where there is no more suffering, crying, or pain? Is that why we love God? Because He provides a safe and secure retirement plan? Or is it for the temporal blessings? Health. Wealth. Success. Take these things away and we often find our faith on the chopping block. I can’t tell you the number of Christians I’ve counseled over the years who’ve walked away from their faith simply because they felt God had let them down.  

Is God enough? It’s a question every Christian has to wrestle with at some point in their lives. It’s fundamentally the question the great heroes of our faith wrestled with in their lives. Noah believed God was enough even as he watched the world be destroyed. Abraham and Sarah believed God was enough even though they were barren and had no children. Moses believed God was enough even as he was being sent back to what I’m sure he assumed would be certain death in Egypt. David believed God was enough even after he committed rape and adultery. Jesus believed His Father was enough which is why He embraced the cross. Paul believed God was enough which is how he learned to be content in all circumstances. And on and on it goes. Down through the ages. The question is posed to every generation in all times and places. Until it comes to us. Do we believe God is enough? Or do we need more? What if God took away our American Dream? What if God took away our health? Our wealth? Our success? What if it served God’s purposes to strip these things out of our lives? Would He still be enough for us? Or would we find ourselves needing more? 

Especially during this Christmas season, I hope you will take time to ponder and reflect on the gift of Jesus. He truly is more than enough!

Readings for tomorrow: Zephaniah 1-3, Revelation 10, Psalms 138, Proverbs 30:11-14

Two-Faced God

Readings for today: Nahum 1-3, Revelation 8, Psalms 136, Proverbs 30:7-9

“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.” (Nahum‬ ‭1:2-8‬)

The Romans had a myth about a god named Janus. Janus was the god of beginnings and endings. He looked to both the future and the past. He was the god of transitions. The god of dualities. The god of doorways and gates. As such, he was always depicted as having two faces.

One of the most common questions I get when we read the Bible in groups is why God seems to have two faces. Why God seems to have two natures. The Old Testament often depicts Him as a vengeful, angry deity capable of great atrocities while the New Testament often depicts Him as a God of love and grace and mercy. What gives? How can both be true? Should we just jettison the Old Testament as irrelevant to our understanding of God’s nature and character as some are wont to do? Jesus doesn’t leave us that option. He tells us not one “jot or tittle” will pass from the Law. He clearly believes His Messiahship is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as much as He is our God today. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. He is the Lord of life and the Lord of time. In a sense, He is the true Janus with this one critical difference…He only has one face.

God is eternally consistent and He interacts with His creation in an eternally consistent way. From the beginning, God makes the heavens and the earth out of nothing. It is perfect. It is good. He then makes a creature in His own image. Endows it with the ability to discern right from wrong. Good from evil. Obedience from disobedience. He gives this creature dominion over all He has made. The sole reason for this creature’s existence is to steward all creation for the glory of God. Care for creation as the high priest of God. And creation itself is designed to thrive under the authority of this image-bearing creature. Tragically, the creature rebels against God. Rejects his calling. And abuses his authority. Now the world suffers. The world groans. The world cries out in pain. Disease. Pestilence. Violence. Natural disasters. Famine. Drought. These are signs of a world in chaos. A world in turmoil. A world in upheaval because the high priest has abandoned his call in order to serve himself.

All of us are guilty. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory God originally intended for us. All of us are naturally selfish. Self-interested. Self-promoting. Self-absorbed. We are our highest priority. Taking care of self is our number one goal. This is the opposite of God’s design. In God’s eyes, it is “evil” and the source of all the pain in the world. God is just. He is holy. He is righteous. So He judges the people of the earth. He sends His prophets to call them to account for their sin. He rightly demands they get back to work. Return to their high calling. Fulfill the purpose for which they were designed in the first place. But humanity continues to rebel. Continues to dig in their heels. They make other gods. Gods they can control. Gods they can manipulate. Gods who reflect their broken image. These gods are lifeless of course. They offer nothing because they are not real. So sin piles up on sin. The injustice and violence and suffering of the world increases. Eventually, God does step in. He punishes. He puts an end to evil. The results are terrifying in their scope and power. Still humanity protests. Still humanity blame-shifts. How can God be so cruel? How can God be so unfair? How can God be so unloving?

Eventually, in the fullness of time, God sends His one and only Son into the world. This has been God’s plan all along. Hatched in the mists of eternity before time began. God plotting to rescue His creation from the Fall. Planning to redeem the creature made in His image and restore him to his rightful place in the world. Sin has piled up on sin. The injustice and violence and suffering only continues to increase. So God steps in. He takes our punishment. He puts an end to evil. The scope and power of Jesus’ suffering and death is terrifying to behold. How can God be so cruel to His Son? How can God be so unfair as to lay the sin of the world on His shoulders? How can the Father be so unloving towards His beloved Son?

In Christ, the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament come together. Jesus satisfies the demands of the Father’s justice. He turns away the Father’s righteous wrath. He takes the Father’s righteous judgment on Himself. In so doing, He becomes a refuge for all who would come to Him. He becomes a stronghold for all who would run to Him. He becomes a sanctuary for all who would seek shelter in Him. He is good and His love endures forever!

Readings for tomorrow: Habakkuk 1-3, Revelation 9, Psalms 137, Proverbs 30:10

God’s Everlasting Arms

Readings for today: Micah 5-7, Revelation 7, Psalms 135, Proverbs 30:5-6

I grew up going to church every Sunday. I said the creeds. Prayed the prayers. Sang the songs. My mom was a music teacher and she instilled in all of us a great love for music, especially the music of the church. My brothers and I all participated in choir and we learned the great hymns. One of my favorites growing up was a hymn titled, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” More upbeat than most, the chorus goes like this. “Leaning, leaning; Safe and secure from all alarms! Leaning, leaning; Leaning on the everlasting arms.” Though I did not come to faith until college, I’ve always experienced God as a comforting presence. Mainly because of songs like this one that declare His nature and character. Even though I was not a believer, God was instilling in me through the music, prayers, creeds, and sermons I heard a deep understanding of who He is. Building a bridge to my heart that I would later walk across at CU.  

I love how Micah concludes his prophetic work. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah‬ ‭7:18-19‬) In this passage we hear echoes of the great epiphany of Moses from Exodus 34 where God literally appears and reveals His divine nature and character to His people. "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." (Exodus‬ ‭34:6-7‬) Throughout their history. Thousands upon thousands of years. Israel leaned on the everlasting arms of their God. They trusted in His forgiveness and grace. They experienced His deep, loyal, steadfast love. They rejoiced in His great compassion. Every week when they would gather for worship, they sang. They prayed. They declared the glory of God. And they passed on their faith to each successive generation. 

Why is worship so important? Why is reading Scripture every day so important? Why is coming before Christ on a regular basis so crucial for our faith? Because we need to be reminded of God’s great faithfulness. We need to be reminded of His great love and compassion. His mercy and grace. His forgiveness. We need to be reminded in the midst of judgment that while “weeping may tarry for a night, joy comes in the morning.”(Psalm 30:5b) We need to be reminded that while God will not be mocked and will by no means clear those who are guilty of sin, He will not remain angry with us forever. “For His anger is fleeting but His favor lasts a lifetime.”(Psalm 30:5a) We need to be reminded that God knows our weakness and has provided a way for us to salvation. “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days...And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.” (Micah‬ ‭5:2, 4‬)

I don’t know what you might be facing today. The challenges. The crises. The difficulties. Maybe it’s a health issue. Maybe it’s a family issue. Maybe it’s a job issue. Maybe you’re staring at an uncertain future. Maybe you’ve made a huge mistake and you’re paying the price. Let me encourage you to lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus! Trust Him. Believe in Him. Place your faith in Him to carry you through! Maybe things are going well for you. Life is blessed. Success seems to follow you wherever you go. Your kids are doing great. Your career is on the upward swing. You’re surrounded by people who love you. Praise Jesus! Thank Him for His great faithfulness! Rejoice in His favor! Share it with others.  

God is the same yesterday, today and forever, friends.(Hebrews 13:8) There is no shadow or turning with Him.(James 1:17) “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers‬ ‭23:19‬) Believe Him for your life today!

Readings for tomorrow: Nahum 1-3, Revelation 8, Psalms 136, Proverbs 30:7-9

Dying to Self

Readings for today: Jonah 1-4, Revelation 5, Psalms 133, Proverbs 29:26-27

Jonah is a great book. Especially when read in it’s historical context. The northern kingdom of Israel has just been destroyed by the Assyrian Empire. They’ve been scattered to the four winds. Forcibly resettled in new lands. Their way of life gone forever. And now we get to read of God’s prophetic attempt to call those same Assyrians to repentance. To say Jonah is an unwilling prophet is an understatement! He must have had a tremendously frustrating career. His own people refuse to follow the Lord. They keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. They are unfaithful. They are unworthy. They are idolatrous. As a result, God sends the Assyrians to punish them. To drive them to their knees in humility and repentance. When that doesn’t work, those same Assyrians become the instrument of His righteous judgment on His own people. One can only imagine the hatred a man like Jonah would harbor for such people. They are Gentiles. Unbelievers. Unclean. Unworthy of God’s grace. But then he receives the call to go and preach the gospel to them. What the heck?! 

Jonah is a great book to read today. Our world is full of hatred and enmity. Social media gives full vent to our anger and rage. Judging others seems to be the order of the day and grace is in short supply. If someone disagrees with you, they are almost sub-human. Worthy only to be unfriended, unfollowed, and publicly shamed. If someone questions you, they become a target. Attacked. Torn down. Their character assassinated. If someone doesn’t affirm you, they get cut out of your life almost immediately. It is sad and disheartening and ultimately self-destructive. 

Perhaps this is why Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Love humanizes. Love requires grace and forgiveness. Love requires listening and humility. Ultimately, love is selfless. It requires us to die to self in order to live for someone else. It forces us to take a good hard look at ourselves, our motives, our intentions, and lay them aside before engaging others. It celebrates diversity and assumes the best of others. It honors difference and dignifies those who disagree. It is deeply practical. And it should set Christians apart from the rest of the world. 

Unfortunately, too many Christians seem to have forgotten this command. They explain it away. Rationalize it. Reject it. And the result is only more pain as the vicious cycle continues. Every Christian should ponder and pray over the closing words of Jonah...“When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die." And the Lord said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" (Jonah‬ ‭4:8-11‬) We need to ask ourselves if we do well to be so angry? So enraged? We need to ask ourselves if we pity those who are like us more than those who are different? Pity those who agree with us more than those who disagree? Pity our friends more than our enemies? Should God not pity Democrats and Republicans? Liberals and conservatives? Whites and blacks? Asians and Latinos? Aboriginal people as well as immigrants? Should God not pity Americans as well as Mexicans? Israelis as well as Palestinians? North as well as South Koreans? Should God not pity Trump supporters as well as Bernie supporters? Rich as well as poor? Privileged as well as under-privileged? The list is infinite but thankfully so is God’s grace. 

The way to life is the way of love. And the way of love is the way of sacrifice. We must die so others might live. We must lay down our lives so that others may thrive. We must give our lives away so that others might rise. Friends and enemies alike. Worthy and unworthy alike. This is what it means to follow Jesus. This is what it looks like to have the heart of God.

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 1-4, Revelation 6, Psalms 134, Proverbs 30:1-4

The Way of Jesus

Readings for today: Obadiah 1, Revelation 4, Psalms 132, Proverbs 29:24-25

“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” - Audre Lorde

At first glance, Audre Lorde is probably the last name you would expect to see cited on this blog. Lorde was a revolutionary. A proud black lesbian feminist whose deeply personal writings - both poetry and prose - contributed significantly to the Civil Rights movement. Most definitely not a Christian, Lorde identified more with the deities of her African roots. However, one of her most famous essays contains this powerful phrase, “The master”s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Her essential argument is that real change requires us to dismantle current frameworks of thinking - the racist, patriarchal system in her mind - and replace them with new systems of thought. Put another way, any change generated from within a broken system remains broken and corrupted by the very system one is trying to change. I agree with her. Strangely enough, so does an ancient Jewish prophet named Obadiah.

“But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.” (Obadiah‬ ‭1:12-15‬)

How many times have we seen it happen throughout human history? A marginalized group of people rise up in rebellion. Overthrow their oppressors. Replace those in authority with their own people. Only to fall prey to the same temptations. I think of what’s happening right now in Bolivia as a charismatic, revolutionary, indigenous leader swept into power by a populist revolt seeks to overturn the very constitution he swore to uphold by ignoring term limits. I think of the number of African nations that have watched this vicious cycle repeat itself over and over again. And I have concerns about the infighting in our own country. I think about the scorched earth policy both political parties employ to deny the other any kind of victory. It’s clearly a struggle for power with the winner gloating over the misfortune of the loser. The victor seeking to loot the wealth of the vanquished. The one who wins not content until they grind their opponent to dust. It’s a zero sum game. And all of us are perpetrators. All of us are victims. We will not find peace until we stop playing the “master’s game.” Stop playing by the “master’s rules.” Stop using the “master’s tools” to tear one another down.

The day of the Lord is coming, friends. A day of judgment. A day of recompense. When God Himself will arrive to judge the nations of the earth. As we have done…so shall it be done to us. Our deeds will return on our own heads. Our work will be tested with fire. Those who have placed their trust in Christ. Who have refused to play the by the rules of this world. Who have refused to conform to the patterns of this world. Who have refused to surrender to the powers and principalities who rule this world will be saved. As Christians, our primary allegiance is to the King of kings. Our primary loyalty is to the Lord of lords. Our citizenship belongs to the kingdom of heaven. Our identity is grounded not in race. Not in sexuality. Not in gender. Not in wealth or power or privilege. But in Christ alone. As such, we are no longer slaves to the broken systems of this world. No longer servants to the corrupt frameworks of this earth. No longer bound and oppressed by the hate-filled, rage-fueled, violence-driven authority structures of this age. We can choose a different way. We can choose the way of peace. The way of hope. The way of joy. The way of love. We can choose the way of Jesus.

Readings for tomorrow: Jonah 1-4, Revelation 5, Psalms 133, Proverbs 29:26-27

Psalms of Ascent

Readings for today: Amos 7-9, Revelation 3:7-22, Psalms 131, Proverbs 29:23

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalms‬ ‭131:1-3‬)

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

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

I think these Psalms are particularly potent during the Christmas season. For centuries, Christmas dedicated the weeks leading up to Christmas for reflection and prayer and fasting. Advent is one of the “penitential seasons” of the church where we spend intentional time denying ourselves the pleasures of this world in order to prepare for the coming of the Christ child. Sadly, we have commercialized this season. We’ve turned it into a season of excess. We eat too much. Drink too much. Spend too much. While there is greater generosity and greater joy, there is also a lot of stress and anxiety and fear as well. Depression rates skyrocket. Suicide rates go through the roof. People experience crisis after crisis. All because we have taken our eyes off of Jesus - the reason for the season - and fix them on the things of this world. This is where the Psalms of Ascent come in. They help focus us back on God. They lift our eyes above the hills to the One who comes to our rescue. They draw us into the presence of God where we can quiet our souls and calm our fears. They restore our hope in the Lord.

Imagine if you took the next twelve days and intentionally slowed things down. Imagine if you took the next twelve days and intentionally quieted things down. Imagine if you took the next twelve days and you filled your time with the Lord and the people you love. How would that change your experience of Christmas this year? Instead of feeling rushed and overwhelmed, you may find yourself feeling peace and joy. Instead of struggling to fit everything in, you may find yourself more focused on those relationships that are most important to you. Instead of barely making it to Christmas and through Christmas, you may find yourself with plenty of time to sit at the manger wondering at the glory of it all.

Readings for tomorrow: Obadiah 1, Revelation 4, Psalms 132, Proverbs 29:24-25

Let Justice Roll Down…

Readings for today: Amos 4-6, Revelation 2:18-3:6, Psalms 130, Proverbs 29:21-22

Whenever I read the words from Amos 5:24, I immediately think of Martin Luther King Jr. This verse was one of many that formed the bedrock of the Civil Rights struggle in the 1960’s. Delivered August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, this sermon is one of the greatest ever delivered. Sadly, Martin’s dream has yet to be realized but his words remain timely and relevant for our own time.

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the Nation. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of light and hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as the joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chain of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corner of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to the capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men -- black men as well as white men -- would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But it is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check -- a check that has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity in this Nation.

So we have come to cash this check. A check that will give us the riches of freedom and the security of justice.We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America that the fierce urgency is now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to life our Nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the Nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning.Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will be content will have a rude awakening if the Nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquillity in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwind of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our Nation until the bright day of Justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever continue our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people -- for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is inextricably tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone, and as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights: "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can not be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied so long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied and will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi. Go back to Alabama; go back to South Carolina; go back to Georgia; go back to Louisiana; go back to the slums and ghettoes of our northern cities knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed--"we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the conduct of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its Governor, having his lips dripping the words of interposition and nullification -- one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted: every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plane, and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our Nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together; to pray together; to struggle together; to go to jail together; to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring."   

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring. From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring.  From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring, from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring, from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the crevatial slopes of California.

But not only that.  Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill in Mississippi.  From every mountainside.

Let freedom ring and when this happens...And when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at Last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, We're Free at Last!”

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 7-9, Revelation 3:7-22, Psalms 131, Proverbs 29:23

God’s Justice

Readings for today: Amos 1-3, Revelation 2:1-17, Psalms 129, Proverbs 29:19-20

We all want justice. We want those who do evil to get what they deserve. We want those who commit the crime to do the time. No one can stand above the law. No one should get a pass. Be they a President or a member of the US Congress. Be they a lawyer or a doctor. A pastor or a priest. Everyone is subject to the governing authorities and all should be held accountable for their actions. We believe this passionately. It’s driving our political debates right now. It’s the underlying premise behind the Mueller Report and the Horowitz Report and the Impeachment process. Justice is all we seem to talk about these days.

But what about God’s justice? What about when God judges the nations of the earth? What about when God judges Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab for the violence and suffering they caused? What do we think when God applies the “eye for an eye” standard against those who transgress His Law? We start to backpedal. We start making excuses. We reject justice in favor of mercy and even begin to question the character of God. Why?

Because down deep. In places dark and secret in our hearts. We all know we are guilty. We all know we are sinful. We all know we make mistakes. We all know we commit crimes against God and our fellow human beings every single day. And while we will cry out for justice against others, we certainly don’t want that same standard applied to us. While we will go on social media and attack others, we never want those guns turned on us. While we cast aspersions on other people’s character, question their motives, and assume the absolute worst of their intentions; we definitely want to be given a break. Shown a little grace. Given a little mercy. In short, we are so quick to judge others but so unwilling to judge ourselves.

The same was true for Israel. As they people of God, they enjoyed a special relationship with their Creator. “"You only have I known of all the families of the earth…” (Amos‬ ‭3:2‬) God had chosen them from among the nations of the earth. He had shown them favor. Showered them with blessing. Given them His Law. God’s desire was that they would become a light to the pagan nations that surrounded them. They would serve as His instrument of salvation in the world. But Israel rejected God’s Word. They rebelled against God’s Law. They betrayed God at every turn. So God lays down His judgment on His own people. They would not escape His righteous justice.

What was true for the people of Israel remained true for the churches of Revelation. What was true for the churches of Revelation remains true for us today. We all stand under God’s judgment. We are all subject to God’s justice. All of us are guilty. All of us stand condemned. Left on our own with no advocate to speak for us before the Father, all of us would suffer the same fate as the pagan nations that surrounded Israel or the Nicolaitans whom God hated. This is why we need Jesus. The Righteous One who took our place. Stood as our substitute. Took the punishment we deserved. Satisfied the demands of God’s justice. Turned aside God’s wrath. It is only through faith in Christ that we escape the wrath to come. This is the true message of Christmas. God loving the world so much He sends His only Son to suffer on our behalf. God desiring none to perish so He takes the sin of the world on His own shoulders. God unwilling to watch the creature made in His image continue their descent into darkness, evil, and pain so He plunges into the depths to rescue. To save. Thanks be to God for the gift of Jesus!

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 4-6, Revelation 2:18-3:6, Psalms 130, Proverbs 29:21-22

Repentance

Readings for today: Joel 1-3, Revelation 1, Psalms 128, Proverbs 29:18

Joel is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament mainly because of how it describes repentance and revival. There is a lot of talk in churches today about revival. A lot of prayers ascend asking God to bring revival. To pour out His Spirit. To bless our nation. To awaken the slumbering hearts of God’s people across our great land. Why then does revival not come? Why does our culture continue it’s rapid descent into chaos? Why is there such a rise in hate and anger and rage? Why is God not answering our prayers? 

According to Joel, the answer is quite clear. Repentance always precedes revival. We have not yet come to the end of ourselves. We have not yet exhausted our strength. We still believe on some level that it is up to us and our programs and our resources to bring this revival about. So we believe the lies. If we could just elect the right person. Just put the right programs in place. Just attend church more often. Just worship with more emotion. Sadly, we will do anything and everything to avoid falling on our faces, helpless before the Lord. We will do all we can to avoid putting on sackcloth and ashes. We simply refuse to bow the knee. Confession of sins both personal and corporate is a lost art. And this is why revival has not and will not come to the American church. We are too puffed up. Too prideful. Too divided. Too rich. Too comfortable. To consumer-driven. We spend more time complaining and arguing than we do in heartfelt prayer. We spend much time guarding our hearts because we’ve been wounded than forgiving those who hurt us. We have such little faith but remain unwilling to put the time and effort in to deepen our relationship with Christ. I know these are broad generalizations but study after study confirms they are true. 

Joel speaks prophetically to the American church. To our church. To my church. To my own heart.  

• “Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.” (Joel‬ ‭1:13-14‬)

• “Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God?” (Joel‬ ‭2:12-14‬)

• “Blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare your people, O Lord, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?” (Joel‬ ‭2:15-17‬)

These are challenging words. Joel is getting in our face. He leaves us no room for equivocation. We either accept or reject them and the consequences of our decision is clear. If we reject them, there will be judgment. If we accept them, there will be blessing.

• “Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” (Joel‬ ‭2:23-25)

• “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel‬ ‭2:28‬)

Friends, the Word of God is clear. God desires to bring revival to His people. But revival requires repentance. Revival requires submission to God’s will. To God’s way. And most importantly, to God’s love. Until we do this, we will not see revival come. We cannot receive from God until we open our hearts and unclench our fists. And this is a process. It’s not something that happens easily. It is a daily decision we make to place ourselves before the Lord. Bow the knee. Believe Him for who He is and what He has to say.

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 1-3, Revelation 2:1-17, Psalms 129, Proverbs 29:19-20

Taking Sin Seriously

Readings for today: Hosea 6-9, 3 John 1, Psalms 126, Proverbs 29:12-14

“For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” (Hosea‬ ‭8:7‬)

We do not take sin seriously enough. We do not know how deep the corruption runs. We do not understand how ruined we are. We are utterly broken. Our desires jumbled up and disordered. Our loves completely out of alignment. We tend to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We tend to think we are pretty good. Graded on a curve against those around us, we measure up. We’re better than most. We’re more thoughtful. More moral. More loving. We care. We’re compassionate when the mood strikes us. Our hearts are tender in the face of tragedy. Our eyes fill with tears when we hear about a soccer team trapped in a cave or a school shooting or we see images of children being separated from their parents on the border. These emotions make us feel righteous. Morally good. So when we read the words of the prophets confronting God’s people on their sin, we have a hard time believing he’s really speaking to us.  

“But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.” (‭Hosea‬ ‭7:2‬) God remembers everything we’ve done. Every word we’ve said. Every thought we’ve had. Every emotion we’ve ever felt. He has seen it. He remembers it. Nothing is hidden from His sight. For Him, these things are continually before His face in living color. God knows what happens in the deepest recesses of our hearts. He knows those things we try our best to keep secret. He sees what happens on business trips. He knows our browser history. He hears those illicit conversations over phone, text, or through that email we like to think is private. 

There are consequences for sin. God’s justice must be satisfied. Who may come into His presence? Who may ascend to His holy hill? “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart...” (Psalms‬ ‭15:2‬) But this does not describe us. We are all weak. Like sheep we have wandered astray. We have turned aside, each to our own way. We do what is right in our own eyes without giving God a second thought. We do not intentionally seek to align ourselves with His will. Frankly, we don’t even know how to do that because we can barely muster up the effort to worship Him on a weekly basis much less spend daily time in His Word and in prayer. We have not surrendered to Him. We do not want to bow the knee before Him. We want to live our lives the way we want to live them and we expect, even demand, God to bless us along the way. This is why Hosea says, “They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins.” (Hosea‬ ‭9:9‬)

We do not take sin seriously enough because we do not take God seriously enough. And because we do not take our sin seriously enough nor take God seriously enough, we do not truly grasp the depth and the breadth of His amazing grace. God looks at us honestly. He is fully aware of how deep the evil runs in each and every human heart. He knows we are broken beyond repair. Sick beyond healing. Dead in our trespasses. Completely unable to save ourselves. This is why He sent His only beloved Son. He gave Him as a gift. Offered Him up freely on our behalf. He did what we could not. He took our place. Died the death we deserved. Satisfied the justice of God. Took all our unrighteousness on Himself. He carried the sins of the world on His shoulders. He who was blameless and did only what was right actually became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. It’s the most astounding, shocking, radical turn of events imaginable! Those on death row receive pardon while the most innocent man in history is executed in their place! This is the good news of the gospel, friends! And available for all who will surrender their lives to Christ! 

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 10-14, Jude 1, Psalms 127, Proverbs 29:15-17

More than We can Handle?

Readings for today: Hosea 1-3, 1 John 5, Psalms 124, Proverbs 29:5-8

How many times have I heard well-meaning people tell those who are hurting or grieving or suffering, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” I think the prophets would beg to differ. As we’ve read through the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel, how many times have we seen God ask - even demand - more from His prophets than any person should ever be able to handle? Speaking truth to power. Risking your life over and over again. Wandering naked through the streets. Embodying the coming judgment of God. And just when we can’t think it could ever get any worse along comes the prophet Hosea. Called by God to marry a prostitute. His life would mirror the broken relationship between God and His people. Hosea’s pain is a reflection of God’s pain. Hosea’s heartbreak at Gomer’s continual betrayals is a reflection of God’s heartbreak over Israel’s worship of the pagan gods. The names of Hosea’s children reflect not only his suffering but the divine pathos of God Himself as He wrestles with the unconditional love He pledged to Israel. When Hosea purchases his bride back from the slave traders in Hosea 3, one is reminded of the incredible grace of God which relentlessly pursues us to the day we die. 

As a pastor, I have spent countless hours in marriage counseling. More often than not, they are in my office because one or both have been unfaithful. They have stepped out on their spouse with a friend. A co-worker. Perhaps even a prostitute. The pain is unspeakable. The betrayal beyond words. It is almost impossible to recover. Why? Because even in our sex-saturated culture there is a sense that sexual intimacy is the greatest gift one can give to another person. It is the gift of oneself. The gift of the deepest, most profound parts of oneself. It is an act that transcends simple physical pleasure, joining hearts and entangling souls in a deeply spiritual way. This is why God has always reserved it for the marriage covenant. Sex was something to be enjoyed within the bounds of an unconditional commitment to one other person for as long as you both shall live. 

However, we have made a mockery of this gift. Our culture debases sexuality by promoting a hookup, swipe right culture. We called it sexual freedom and yet suffer from an epidemic of STD’s, unplanned pregnancies, and sexual abuse. We thought it would lead to greater relational intimacy but the quality of our relationships continues to decline. Marriages fail at ever higher rates as individuals pursue their own pleasure and fulfillment at the expense of the other. The sexual revolution continues to gain steam through social media, television, movies, etc. which are univocal in their declaration that we are at the mercy of our hormonal urges. Whatever feels good is right and true regardless of the collateral damage it leaves in our wake. 

It is abundantly clear throughout the book of Hosea that our only hope in life or death is the great faithfulness of God. The steadfast loyal love of God for His people. No matter what we may do or where we may go or how many times we play the “whore” and chase after other gods. God will not let go. He will redeem. He will save.  

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.”(Hosea‬ ‭1:10-11‬)

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. "And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.” (Hosea‬ ‭2:14-18, 20‬)

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea‬ ‭3:5‬)

The heart of the gospel has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. The fundamental truth of our lives is that we all fall short of God’s glory. We all run from God to the far country and play the prodigal. We all would much rather wallow in the muck and mire of sin than surrender to God. The reality is life often gives us more than we can handle which is why we need God. And the great news is He is faithful. He is loyal. Steadfast. True. He will never stop pursuing. Never stop watching. Never stop waiting for us to repent and return. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Nothing that can snatch us out of His hand. Nothing that can break the eternal covenant He first made with us. This is good news! Even great news for those who love God and are called according to His purpose! 

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 4-5, 2 John 1, Psalms 125, Proverbs 29:9-11

Discernment

Readings for today: Daniel 11:36-12:13, 1 John 4, Psalms 123, Proverbs 29:2-4

Discernment is a lost art. The ability to determine right from wrong. Truth from falsehood. Good from evil. In fact, recent studies have shown how challenging it is for people to identify fake news, debunk conspiracy theories, and identify propaganda. The crisis is compounded by the rise in online warfare as Chinese troll farms and Russian bots weaponize social media to sow seeds of dissent and confusion in societies that value free speech. All this is made possible, of course, by post-modern philosophies that started taking hold late in the 20th century where truth was intentionally relativized, individualized, and marginalized. The results are not good. We are more depressed than ever. More anxious than ever. More dis-integrated than ever. The social fabric of our culture tearing apart at the seams.

Over and against the prevailing winds come these words from the Apostle John, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John‬ ‭4:1-6‬)

The Graeco-Roman world was a lot like our own. People did what was right in their own eyes. It was a culture that showed little to no restraint. People were encouraged to engage in whatever behaviors felt good and right at the time. John is writing to Christian believers who are trying to remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of all the mess. He wants them to be able to know right from wrong. Good from evil. Truth from error. So he offers them a roadmap as it were. A decision-making matrix that will allow them to find the godly path.

Test #1: Does the thought, attitude, or action align with Jesus? Does it reflect the ethics of the Kingdom of God? Does it bring honor and glory to His name? Will following the “spirit of the age” lead one to confess or deny Jesus?

Test #2: Resist temptation. Once one determines what is good and true and noble and right and godly, one must resist the very real temptation to go the other way. To listen to the false prophets. To follow the ways of the world. It’s tempting to think we are at the mercy of our feelings. Trapped by our biology. But these are lies from the spirit of the anti-Christ. John promises that in Christ we have the power to overcome temptation because greater is He that is in us than is in the world.

Test #3: Hold fast to your identity in Christ. No matter what challenges may come. No matter what difficulties you may face. No matter how much stress and anxiety and fear you may endure. You are from God. You are in Christ. Your heart has been transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Listen to God’s Word. Obey God’s commands. Trust in His will and His way for your life.

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 1-3, 1 John 5, Psalms 124, Proverbs 24:5-8

Daniel’s Apocalypse

Readings for today: Daniel 11:2-35, 1 John 3:7-24, Psalms 122, Proverbs 29:1

Biblical prophets speak truth to power. Biblical prophets bring hope and assurance to God’s people by reminding them of God’s sovereign power and plan. Finally, Biblical prophets often foretell the future. This is certainly the case in Daniel and though our reading today breaks up his final vision, it’s best to read chapters 10-12 as a literary whole. To understand what’s happening in these crazy dreams, you need to know the background. You need to know where Daniel stands in the timeline. You need to know what’s happening in the life of Israel.

535 BC - Third year of Cyrus the Great’s reign. Daniel is now 85 years old and has been serving pagan kings for seventy years. Daniel’s grief is most likely the result of the conflict those who have returned from exile under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra are facing as they rebuild both Jerusalem and the Temple. Daniel fasts for three weeks but unbeknownst to him, a battle is taking place in the heavenly realm. Gabriel - most likely the identity of the angelic being who visits Daniel - is at war with Satan and his demonic forces and only prevails with the help of another archangel named Michael. Gabriel has been sent by God to comfort Daniel. To give him hope for the future. Hard times are coming. Terrifying times. Forces will be arrayed in heaven and on earth against God’s chosen people. Satan is seeking - as he always does - their compete eradication from the face of the earth. God, knowing what is to come, sends his angel to Daniel with a vision of the future so he can record it for future generations. 

Three relatively minor kings follow Cyrus on throne. But the fourth referred to in Daniel 11 is Xerxes who ruled from 486-465 BC. His power and might was unrivaled at the time and as he seeks to expand his empire, he will provoke the might of Greece. After a number of years, Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) will unite the Greek into one empire and head east to destroy the Persians. Alexander dies tragically and his empire is then broken up into four pieces, ruled by four of his closest generals. The Ptolemaic (Southern king) faction goes to war with the Seleucids (Northern king) and their battle rages for generations with Israel as the primary “buffer state” in between. Eventually, a brutal tyrant named Antiochus Epiphanes IV will sweep down from the north and cause tremendous suffering for the people of God. “But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.” (Daniel‬ ‭11:16‬) He will even seek to place a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies (abomination of desolation mentioned in 11:31) which in turn gives rise to the Maccabean revolt detailed in the Old Testament Apocryphal books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees. 

All of this is ancient history to us but it was still very much in the future for Daniel. As God unpacks for him what is to come, he sees tremendous suffering ahead for his people. “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time...” Under the influence of Haman, Xerxes will try to kill every single Jewish man, woman, and child within the borders of his empire. You can read all about this in the book of Esther. The wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid factions will take a tremendous toll on both land and people as many of the battles are fought in and around the borders of Israel. Pagan kings will rape and pillage and burn what God’s people are trying to build. And the worst of them all - Antiochus Epiphanes IV - will literally torture and kill as many Jews as possible. At the same time these conflicts are raging on earth, there is a battle going on in heaven. Michael and his forces are fighting Satan and his demons and though the battle is fierce, they will prevail just as God’s people will prevail on earth. This is why Daniel closes his book with such hopeful words, “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel‬ ‭12:1‬-3) 

What’s the relevance of all this history for God’s people today? No matter what you are going through, know that God is with you. He is literally fighting at your side. He is bringing about His purposes and His will even amidst your hardships. He will send His messengers to serve you. To comfort you. To bless you. He will bring you peace. Though you may experience suffering for a time, He will preserve your life. In fact, He has a reward waiting for you in His heavenly Kingdom. There the righteous will shine like stars in the sky and will reign with Him forever. As Christians, we do not place our hope in the things of this world. We do not place our hope in what we can achieve in this world. We place our hope in God alone. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 11:36-12:13, 1 John 4, Psalms 123, Proverbs 29:2-4

Ancient of Days

Readings for today: Daniel 9:1-11:1, 1 John 2:18-3:6, Psalms 121, Proverbs 28:27-28

So I feel like I need to recap the last few days in Daniel as we head into the home stretch. The latter half of the book is confusing. Visions. Dreams. Terrifying nightmares. So much ink has been spilt trying to interpret the meaning of these chapters. Are they historical? Referring to past events and past kingdoms that have come and gone? Do they tell the future? Of a time when the great Enemy will rise and attack God’s people? Are they both? Can we learn from what has happened in the past and look for those same signs to take place in the future? And what does it all mean for the Christian in 21st century America? How does it all relate to our daily lives? 

I think we often miss the forest for the trees when it comes to reading Scripture. We get so wrapped up in the details. So lost in the weeds. And we lose sight of the overarching message God has for us. Daniel and his people are in exile. They have experienced national trauma on a level we simply cannot grasp or imagine. Their pain and suffering is real and terrible. Their hopes and dreams have been crushed out of existence. Ground under the heel of a merciless pagan empire. Everything they once held dear has been destroyed. These are the circumstances in which God has placed Daniel. He has been a counselor to pagan kings. He has served foreign rulers. He has done all he can to embrace the call God placed on His people back in Jeremiah to “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:7) And he has prospered. He has been given power and authority. He has access and influence. He has wealth and privilege. He is considered one of the greatest wise men the empire has ever produced. But one thing continues to set Daniel apart...his great faith.  

Daniel never loses sight of God. Never loses hope in a future restoration where God will act to deliver His people once again. Daniel trusts God. Daniel is faithful to God. At great personal risk, Daniel has demonstrated this faith over and over again. Lions. Fiery furnaces. Under threat of torture and death. Daniel has seen it all and done it all and not only survived but thrived. And now God is again visiting him with visions and dreams. He is showing him the future. Kings and empires will rise and fall. The pain and suffering they inflict will be great. The fear they will engender will cause many to flee. Safety and comfort will be in short supply. But over it all, there is this promise. God is in control. God is on the move. God is bringing human history to a predetermined end with Christ taking His seat in glory and His kingdom shall never end.  

 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened...I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel‬ ‭7:9-10, 13-14‬) Forget the four great beasts. Forget the visions of lions and eagles  and bears. Rams and goats thundering towards one another across the earth. Forget the terrifying beast with ten horns or the little horn with the big mouth. The focus of Daniel’s vision is on the One called the Ancient of Days. The One who reigns and rules over it all. Pure as driven snow. Engulfed in holy fire. Tens of thousands at his beck and call. He judges the earth. He judges kings and rulers. He holds all dominion and power in His hand. And He calls to the Son of Man. Out of the clouds of heaven comes the Christ and He is given all authority on heaven and on earth. All peoples and nations and tribes and tongues shall serve him. His kingdom shall never end. This is the main point of the vision Daniel receives. God letting his beloved prophet know He is not done. There is still hope. There will come a day when Christ shall come and all things shall be set right and made new. 

And what happens to us on that great day? Listen to how Daniel describes it, “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'” (Daniel‬ ‭7:27‬) We get to share in this glory! We get to share in this victory! When Christ comes again in glory, we will be given dominion and power and authority to reign and rule at His side and under His Lordship! There will be no more sin. No more evil. No more crying. No more pain. No more suffering. No more fear. For God Himself will be our God and we shall be His people! This is the great hope of the gospel! The great hope sealed by Christ’s death and resurrection! An empty tomb bears witness! Millions upon millions throughout history all stand to give their testimony! Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again! 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 11:2-35, 1 John 3:7-24, Psalms 122, Proverbs 29:1

Transparency

Readings for today: Daniel 7, 1 John 1, Psalms 119:153-176, Proverbs 28:23-24

It’s the hidden things that kill us. The stuff we bury deep inside. The secrets we keep. Yesterday, I saw the movie, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which tells the story of Mr. Rogers and his friendship with a reporter named Lloyd. Lloyd is a troubled man. He is filled with all kinds of pain. Abandoned by his father as a boy, he watched as his mother died in agony. He’s never forgiven his father. Never forgotten his betrayal. And the anger he feels is poisoning his soul. He is cynical. He is bitter. And these unprocessed feelings warp his view of the world. Then he meets Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers is transparent. He is who he is whether on set or on the street. He has nothing to hide. As 1 John says so well, “He walks in the light.”

I know so many Lloyd’s. I’ve talked with them in my office. Prayed with them after worship. Met them for coffee at Fika. They’ve shared with me a bit of their darkness. Opened up to me about their pain. Confided in me their heartbreaks. So much of their lives are lived in fear of what might happen should they be exposed. They walk in darkness. I know this journey well. I too have walked in darkness. I too wander there every now and again. I am not immune. There are things I’ve done that I’m ashamed of. There are things I’ve said I wish I could take back. There are people I’ve hurt through my carelessness and callousness. And it is so tempting to try and move on. To stuff my emotions down deep inside and pretend I’m okay. But just like Lloyd, those things have a way of rising to the surface. Left unchecked, they begin to infect all we say and do. This is why we seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

John points us to a different way. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John‬ ‭1:5-10‬) For far too long I read “light” and “darkness” in this passage as right and wrong. Good and evil. And I despaired. For I do not walk in the light as I should and so I would beat myself up over and over again. But now I think I understand John better. He’s not suggesting we live a life of perfection before God but a life of transparency. We walk in the light. Nothing hidden. Nothing held back. Nothing secret. We expose all that we are to the light of God’s presence. As we walk transparently before Him, we have fellowship with one another. True, deep, rich, authentic fellowship. Intimate relationships. Spiritual friendships. This is the natural byproduct of a life lived in the light. Walking transparently is not easy. It is scary. It is risky. We will constantly feel exposed and under threat. But we persevere knowing the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover all our sin. We endure trusting God to be faithful and just to forgive us. We push on knowing we are being continuously cleansed from all unrighteousness.

What secrets are you keeping? What parts of your life do you keep hidden even from those you love? Where have you embraced darkness out of fear of walking in the light? Confess your sins to God. Bring those things transparently before Him. Let the promise of His forgiveness wash over you. Let His Spirit cleanse you. Let His grace heal and strengthen you so that you may walk transparently before those you love. Share your deepest, darkest secrets with those closest to you. To be loved for who you are not just the image you project is source of true freedom.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 8, 1 John 2:1-17, Psalms 120, Proverbs 28:25-26

How Long O Lord?

Readings for today: Daniel 6, 2 Peter 3, Psalms 119:129-152, Proverbs 28:21-22

I struggle to find words as an infant-sized casket is lowered into the ground. The sobs of the parents ring in my ears. There are stunned and bewildered looks on the faces of those who gather for support. How long O Lord? How long?

I sit at the bedside of a woman dying from cancer. Her body ravaged by chemo and radiation. Her husband stands by her side weeping. Her children and grandchildren struggling to understand how this could happen so fast. So soon. How long O Lord? How long?

I listen to a friend of mine share about the injustices he has faced. His only crime is the color of his skin. Profiled. Pulled over. Humiliated in front of his children. He is angry. He shakes his fist in frustration at a society that simply cannot get beyond its racist past. How long O Lord? How long?

I pray with a family who’s been in country for over a decade. They work hard. They’ve done everything right. Their visa’s been renewed year after year. But because immigration has become a political football, they are about to lose everything. Their home. Their community. They anticipate being denied access to the US and having to start all over again back in a country they no longer consider home. How long O Lord? How long?

I visit a remote village in Africa. The rains are delayed this year. Drought sweeps the region. Livestock are dying. Crops are failing. Children are suffering. Helpless and hopeless, the men and women of the village look to me but I cannot save them. How long O Lord? How long?

I often find myself asking God, “Why the delay?” “What are you waiting for?” “Why do you not end the suffering in our world?” And God answers me from His Word. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” (2 Peter‬ ‭3:8-10‬) Yes, this world is full of suffering. Yes, this world is full of pain. Yes, this world is full of heartbreak. Evil runs rampant. Sin corrupts all it touches. Creation groans under the strain. This is not how things should be. This is not what God wanted. This was never God’s plan.

The world was designed to flourish and thrive under the care and protection of a high priest God made in His image. The world was designed to house the glory of God as human beings bore His image out to all creation. The world was designed to be cultivated and nourished by the work of our hands. But we abandoned our calling. We abdicated our position. We relinquished our divinely-appointed role. Sin entered the world and the natural consequence for sin is death.

So why doesn’t God act? Why doesn’t God put an end to this world? Think about what you’re asking. On the great Day of the Lord, the heavens will pass away with a roar. Heavenly bodies will burn up and dissolve. Old things will pass away to make room for the new. Those image-bearers who do not repent. Who have yet to bow the knee to Christ. Who refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord will be doomed to an eternity apart from God. This is why God is slow to act. He is not slow because He is sadistic. He is slow because He is patient. Time doesn’t pass for Him like it does for us. He is waiting. Waiting patiently for all to repent. Waiting patiently for all to come to faith. And He is at work among us, drawing us to Himself. He holds the suffering close. He is with those who walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He is near to the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit.

So come to Him if you are weary. Come to Him if you are heavy laden. Come to Him if you are weighed down by the stresses and cares and worries of this world. Come and find rest for your soul.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 7, 1 John 1, Psalms 119:153-176, Proverbs 28:23-24

Thanksgiving

Readings for today: Daniel 5, 2 Peter 2, Psalms 119:113-128, Proverbs 28:19-20

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” (Psalms 119:114)

I am thankful this morning. Thankful for a family I love. Great friendships I treasure. Work that is meaningful and significant. A church family who loves and pursues Jesus. Freedom won for me at great sacrifice by those who serve in our Armed Forces. My life protected on so many levels by our first responders. A warm home. Plenty of food on my table. There is frankly very little want or need in my life.

Beyond and above all of that is a deep sense of gratitude for all God has done for me. He pursued me when I was lost and lonely. He lifted me in His arms and carried me through the darkest times of my life. He rejoiced with me at each of life’s special celebrations. My wedding day. The birth of each of my children. My graduation from seminary and my ordination to the ministry. He has been my hiding place when I am scared. He has been my shield when I felt under attack. He has been faithful to walk with me through every deep valley and summit every high mountain along the way.

I am thankful my God loved me so much He sent His one and only begotten Son to save me from my sin. I am thankful God loved this broken world so much He left heaven, threw Himself on the wheel of history, broke his own body in order to make her whole. I am thankful the Word became flesh and blood and made His dwelling among us. I am thankful God bridged the gulf Adam created between heaven and earth through his sin so that the door might be open and we find our way home. I am thankful God was willing to lay down His life for us. Sacrificing the glory of heaven for the humiliation of earth. Sacrificing the splendor of heaven for the dullness of earth. Sacrificing the sweet communion of heaven for the discord of earth. God gave up so much to save us. As the old hymn says so beautifully, “Amazing love! How can it be that Thou my God shouldst die for me?”

It is so easy to focus on all the ungodliness in our world. The blasphemies committed in Daniel 5 or referenced in 2 Peter 3. But today is a day of thankfulness. A day of gratitude. A day to focus not on how far we fall short but on how far God is willing to go to save! My prayer for you is that your day would be filled with joy and laughter. Fellowship and friendship. Fun and games. Even if it is a hard day because you’ve lost someone you love. Or a tense day because of the relational strain in your family. Or a lonely day because you are separated from those closest to you. I pray even in these spaces that you experience the grace and mercy of God. That you find your heart strangely warmed by His presence. God is with us. This is the heart of the gospel. So we give thanks.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 6, 2 Peter 3, Psalms 119:129-152, Proverbs 28:21-22

Pray for our Political Leaders

Readings for today: Daniel 4, 2 Peter 1, Psalms 119:97-112, Proverbs 28:17-18

One of the most controversial commands in Scripture is the command to pray for our political leaders. To honor those in power over us. To seek the good of those in authority. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:17 commands us to “honor the emperor.” The Apostle Paul commands us in 1 Timothy 2:2 to “pray for kings and others in power so we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God.” Proverbs teaches us that “the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord, He turns it wherever He will.” And throughout the writings of the New Testament there is this command to be “subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1, Titus 3:1-2).

Too many of us reject these commands. Instead we tear down those rulers and governing authorities. We attack their character. We question their motives. We assume the worst rather than the best. Especially if they belong to another political party. We gleefully share fake news. We willingly embrace false narratives. We delight in calling them out or piling onto every single mistake. The examples are legion from the past several administrations. Both Republicans and Democrats are guilty. As are the Libertarians, Green Party, and Socialists. No one is innocent.

Imagine what would happen if we followed Daniel’s example? If we truly sought the good of those who rule over us? If we truly sought to bless those who in authority? If we truly prayed for those who carry the weight of leadership in our nation? Imagine what would happen if we had the courage to speak truth to power - not out of a desire to tear them down but in an effort to build them up? With the hope of godly conviction? Imagine if instead of attacking those in power or engaging in power politics ourselves, Christians instead served as honest brokers? Serving presidents and politicians with no other goal than to encourage them to lead our nation well? Imagine if we could put aside our own sinful desires for photo ops in the Oval Office, influence in the corridors of power, and coercive control over the laws of our country?

Daniel was given a powerful position within Babylonian society. He had the ear of the king. He was known for his wisdom and godly character. He never sought personal gain. Never used political maneuvering for his own personal benefit. Never sought power or privilege or higher status. His allegiance was to a much higher authority. He lived for God alone and this made his position unassailable. When his political enemies came after him, they found nothing to pin on him. They dug up no dirt. They found no one who would speak against Daniel. Daniel’s deep faith led to true freedom. He was free to speak God’s truth to Nebuchadnezzer. Free to confront him on his pride and arrogance. Free to give him the bad news about the meaning of his dreams. Daniel was free to call Nebuchadnezzer to repent which he eventually did.

“King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation…At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?…Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (‭Daniel‬ ‭4:1-3, 34-35, 37‬)

Where did Daniel find such freedom? Prayer. He humbly presented himself before the Lord multiple times a day. He came before the Lord with praise. He confessed his sins. He lifted up his needs and the needs of his people. And I am convinced Daniel prayed fervently for the kings he served like Nebuchadnezzer. Sometimes it is tempting to think we have it bad in our country. To think our leaders have reached a level of corruption that places them beyond the grace of God. Nothing could be further from the truth! Nebuchadnezzer was one of the world’s great tyrants. When Peter and Paul talked about honoring and praying for the emperor, they were talking about Nero of Rome. Christians throughout the centuries and throughout the world today suffer under the harshest of regimes and still they pray for their leaders. Can we do any less?

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 5, 2 Peter 2, Psalms 119:113-128, Proverbs 28:19-20

Humility

Readings for today: Daniel 2:24-3:30, 1 Peter 4:7-5:14, Psalms 119:81-96, Proverbs 28:15-16

There isn’t much in this world a little humility wouldn’t solve. Part of the problem in our current “call-out” and “cancel” culture is our arrogance. We impugn motives. We make false assumptions. We refuse to acknowledge our own blind spots. We believe we are right and others wrong. We believe we are good and others evil. We believe in the righteousness of our own cause which necessarily requires us to believe those who oppose us are unrighteous. This scorched earth approach to politics, religion, economics, race, class, even casual conversation makes it impossible to build the bridges necessary for human life to flourish in all its diversity.

Contrast this approach to what the Spirit says through the Apostle Peter in our reading for today. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 4:8-10, 5:5-7) Can you imagine how much different our world would be if we embraced this way of life? Imagine how different social media would be? Imagine how different cable news would be? Imagine how different our political rhetoric would be? Imagine how different our family conversations around the dinner table would be?

Clothe yourself with humility. What does this actually mean? Humility is not thinking more of oneself than one ought or less of oneself than one ought. It’s simply thinking of oneself less altogether. The more we decrease, the more others around us can increase. The more we seek to serve others in Christ’s name, the more we bring blessing to those around us and the more glory we bring to Christ. The more we live as Jesus lived and love as Jesus loved, the more the world around us changes for the good. Humility is essential to this equation because we’ve been indoctrinated for far too long with the lie that we have to look out for number one. We have to take care of ourselves first. We must make sure our own needs get met before we seek the good of others. What a crock!

Humility is the key to unlocking the peace of God in our lives. It is only after we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. Seeking in humility to obey His commands. Letting Him guide the course of our lives. Submitting to His will and His way that we are invited to cast all of our cares and worries and anxieties on Him. He does indeed care for us. More than we can know. More than we’ll ever understand. But if we hold onto our pride, we will never truly give Him our anxieties and fears. Instead we will believe the lie that our struggles are too small for God’s attention. Our fears too foolish for God to waste His time with. We will hold onto them with a white-knuckle grip all because we are too proud to admit we are weak. We are poor. We are powerless.

Friends, the truth of the matter is that we are all broken creatures. We have all been corrupted by sin. It’s hardwired into our DNA at conception. It is confirmed by our thoughts, feelings, and actions ever single day. No amount of affirmation can assuage the existential guilt we all feel when we transgress the will of God. No amount of legal wrangling will grant us freedom from following God’s commands. The more we run, the more anxious and depressed we become. The more we hide, the more fear takes hold. The more we distance ourselves from the One who loves us, the less secure we will feel. Stop running. Stop hiding. Stop holding your Savior at arm’s length. Humble yourselves under His mighty hand and trust Him to lift you up in due time. Truly relinquish all your anxieties and fears to Him and receive the peace that passes all understanding.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 4, 2 Peter 1, Psalms 97-112, Proverbs 28:17-18

Living a Godly Life in an Ungodly World

Readings for today: Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalms 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter‬ ‭3:15)

Daniel is one of my favorites. He is a man sold out to God. No matter what life throws at him, he never once seems to waver. When he was a young man, he was forcibly taken into exile in Babylon. A traumatic, painful experience. Once he arrived in Babylon, he was identified as a young man of promise and removed from his family. Sequestered in the king’s household, he began training as a wise man. Someone who would counsel the king on the most important matters. Someone who would serve the empire and seek to expand its influence and power. One can easily imagine the internal struggle Daniel must have felt. How does he serve God faithfully while counseling one of the great tyrants in history? How does he speak God’s truth to a pagan power? How does he maintain his integrity even as he counsels a king whose ego is out of control? 

The challenges start early. As part of his training, he is presented with unclean food to eat. Right off the bat, he has a choice to make. Will he trust God or will he compromise his convictions? Here it is critical to note how Daniel responds. It will become the pattern for the rest of his life. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." (Daniel‬ ‭1:8-13‬) First and foremost, Daniel resolves to remain faithful to God’s Law. He will not eat unclean food. At the same time, he recognizes his convictions put the chief eunuch in a tough position. If Daniel and his friends refuse to eat and start to suffer physically, the eunuch is going to be punished so Daniel comes up with a plan. Essentially, let us do it God’s way for ten days and then compare us with the rest of the group. If we don’t measure up, we’ll do it your way. It’s a brilliant approach. Daniel remains faithful to God. He is able to share with the eunuch the reason for his hope. And he treats the man with gentleness and respect. 

Fast forward a few years. Now Daniel has taken his place among the wise men of Babylon. A decree goes out that everyone is to be killed because no one can pass the king’s test. Once again, Daniel approaches the captain of the guard with gentleness and respect. He asks for an audience with the king. He trusts God to reveal the mystery in prayer. And when given his audience, he testifies to the greatness and power of God and the king humbles himself before him. 

A few more years pass. The king grows so insecure he decides to build a monument to himself and demand everyone fall down in worship before it. It’s the height of arrogance. Daniel doesn’t appear in this story but his colleagues do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego follow his example. Confronted with a situation which would force them to break the second commandment, they refuse to bow down in worship and instead stand faithful. The king is furious but the men answer him with grace and truth. "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel‬ ‭3:16-18‬) They are thrown into a furnace of fire. The king and his courtiers watch, waiting for them to be consumed. An incredible miracle happens as God Himself appears and delivers them from death. The result is again the humbling of the king. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:28‬)

More years pass. More dreams and visions. The king actually goes insane for a period of time. Mysterious handwriting appears on a wall. Nebuchadnezzar gives way to Belshazzar who gives way to Darius. Political power shifts and once again Daniel finds himself put to the test. Now an old man, he has lived his life with great integrity. His political opponents try to dig up dirt on him but can’t find any so they attack his faith. The core of who he is. They make it illegal to pray for thirty days. This is old hat for Daniel so he does what he always does. He continued his regular practice of prayer. When arrested, he humbly submitted to the king’s injustice, trusting God with his fate. When God delivered him from the lions, Daniel answered the king with gentleness and respect, giving him the reason for the hope he has lived his whole life by. "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." (Daniel‬ ‭6:21-22‬)

Daniel is an amazing example of faith to us all. In the way he lives his life, he shows us how to live godly lives in an increasingly ungodly world. We do not have to relinquish our faith in Christ to serve in politics or business or education or any other field for that matter. Holding onto Christ in our hearts, we do have to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Him. People will ask. They may wonder why we do the things we do or refuse to act in ways that are dishonest or morally compromised. We may be attacked for our faith at times. Through it all, we are not to respond with violence or anger or fight for our “rights” but instead stand firm with gentleness and respect. We are not to resort to the underhanded ways of this world to accomplish the will of God. We must not use the ways of this world to achieve the purposes of God. Instead, we must let go and let God act as He chooses. Use us as He pleases. Place our lives and our future in His hands.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 2:24-3:30, 1 Peter 4:7-5:14, Psalms 119:81-96, Proverbs 28:15-16