Tag: trust

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Psalms Devotionals 2

When this world seems to be falling apart

Standing on a rock

When the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)

Whenever I look at the news or social media, I often have remind myself to lead my heart.

It’s so easy to see the evil in this world and fret.

But the King is still on his throne. He hasn’t abdicated.

Jesus is watching. And when he returns, he will judge all things. (4-6)

On that day, all will be made right. And I will see his face. (7)

So in the meantime, I choose to set aside my fears, anger, and worry.

And I choose to trust in my good King.

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Mark Devotionals

I want everything to do with you!

open door

What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? (Mark 1:24)

I was thinking of the demon’s words to Jesus, essentially saying to him, “I want nothing to do with you. I don’t trust you, and I certainly don’t love you.”

That’s exactly the kind of attitude Jesus was calling the Jews and us to repent of.

“Your Father loves you. He desires your best and is inviting you into his kingdom as his beloved children. Turn to him! Trust him!”

I do trust him.

And so my heart’s cry is “I want everything to do with you!”

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John Devotionals

Do I trust you?

Praying in the storm

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

As I was thinking on Jesus’ words today, I asked myself, “When my heart is troubled, how often is it because I’m not trusting God?”

Trusting that he is for me.

Trusting that he is with me.

Trusting that he is in control even though my circumstances, and even this world seem out of control.

Trusting that he will never leave me an orphan. That he will always come to me when I cry out.

That nothing, not even death can separate me from his love. That when I leave this life, he will take me to be where he is.

When we find ourselves losing our peace, maybe that’s the question we all need to ask: Lord, do I trust you?

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Exodus Devotions

Hurting? Or defiant?

Complaining to Moses

He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7)

As I was reading those words, it struck me that there are two ways the Israelites could have been saying those words.

They could have been hurting, and saying, “God, I don’t get it. Are you really with us? We have no water. Unless you do something, we’re going to die. Please help us.”

Or they could have been defiant, saying, “Well, God, are you with us or not? What? Are you just going to let us die out here? What kind of God are you, anyway?”

From the way that Moses responded, it seems that the Israelites were speaking more from defiance.

In fact, he warned them against that kind of attitude later. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

When we go through trials, it’s easy to get tossed around by our emotions. And in our hurt, it’s okay for us to express our doubts, our pain, and our fears.

David did this all the time in the Psalms.

But one thing we must guard against is a defiant attitude. To feel like we are in a position to judge God.

We are not. There is so much he knows that we don’t.

And so when we’re hurting, when we don’t understand, we need to take a humble attitude with God.

Satan would have us question God’s goodness, and he would use our trials to destroy our trust in God.

Don’t let him do it.

Instead let’s remember Peter’s words, clinging to God’s goodness, his faithfulness, and his love toward us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

Be sober-minded, be alert.

Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.” (1 Peter 5:6-10)

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Exodus Devotions

Finding God’s rest and peace

God's rest and peace

Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and instructions? Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath…” (Exodus 16:27-29)

“The Lord has given you the Sabbath.”

Those words struck me. God wanted to give the Israelites rest. It was a gift to them.

But they couldn’t find that rest as long as they refused to trust and obey him.

It’s so amazing how quickly they forgot God’s goodness. One moment, they’re singing,

Lord, who is like you among the gods?
Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
revered with praises, performing wonders…

With your faithful love, you will lead the people
you have redeemed;
you will guide them to your holy dwelling
with your strength. (Exodus 15:11, 13)

The next moment, they’re complaining and wishing they were back in Egypt.

I don’t want to be like that, crying out, “How great is our God!” on Sunday, but failing to trust and obey him the rest of the week.

Not only does it sadden my Father, but I lose out on the gift of rest and peace he wants to give me.

Father, I want to know your rest and peace. And the thing is, you want me to experience your rest and peace. So help me to trust you and obey.

You are good. You are trustworthy. And you deeply love me.

Help me to always remember that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Acts Devotionals

Submitting to our (good) Master

When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. (Acts 4:24)

“Master.”

That’s not a word that’s often used of God in the New Testament. “Lord” is the more typical term the early Christians used.

The word translated “Master,” though, emphasizes more of God’s right and power to command.

That’s a truth that many people refuse to accept and fight against.

People fought against that in David’s time, they fought against it in Peter’s time, and they fight it in ours. (25-27)

But Peter and the rest of the Christians recognized God as their Master. And because of that, they willingly submitted to him. (19-20)

Why?

Because they recognized he’s a good God.

Interestingly enough, the word translated “Master” is where our English word “despot” comes from.”

But far from being a tyrannical leader, God is our loving Creator and Father. 

God, you are my Master. A good Master. A loving Master. And though this world seems to be going mad at times, I believe you are in control. And you desire my best.

You are worthy of my trust. You are worthy of my obedience.

So Master, I submit to you. I surrender all to you. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Isaiah Devotionals

Choosing to trust

For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you.

They say, ‘Let’s go up against Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it for ourselves. Then we can install Tabeel’s son as king in it.’

This is what the Lord God says: It will not happen; it will not occur. (Isaiah 7:5-7)

As I read that, I wondered: “How often do I worry about things that will never happen?”

I can remember times I have actually lost sleep worrying about things that never happened.

How much better is it to trust God? How much better to remember that he is with me.

Two thousand years ago, he gave me a sign of his presence. The sign came in the form of a baby, lying in a manger.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. (14)

As Matthew points out, “Immanuel” means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

It’s easy to criticize Ahaz for refusing to trust God. But how often do I fail to look at the sign he has given me and trust him?

Jesus you are always with me. You truly are Immanuel. So whenever I’m tempted to worry, help me to turn to you…and trust.

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Matthew Devotionals

Obey, trust, worship

Matthew

[Jesus] answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3)

Father, there are times in my life you withhold things from me that I need or want. Not because they are not good. But to remind me that while these other things may be good or important, they are not enough to give me a life that is fulfilling.

What truly gives me life is living by every word that comes from your mouth.

So Father, help me to live in obedience to your good Word, just as Jesus did. (John 4:34)

Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” (7, Deuteronomy 6:16; Exodus 17:7)

Father, I do believe you love me. I do believe that you are with me.

So let me not be like the Israelites who questioned your love when times got hard. Instead, help me to trust you completely as Jesus did, as a little child trusts his good father.

Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” (10, Deuteronomy 6:13)

God, you alone are worthy of my worship. So let my words, my thoughts, my deeds, my life, be worship to you every moment of every day. Let me worship or serve no other.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Ecclesiastes Devotionals

In a world where we see evil.

Ecclesiastes

I don’t think anyone can deny we live in an evil world. None of us are untouched by it. But how do we deal with evil when we are touched by it?

I think there are three answers we find in this passage.

1. Don’t break your brains trying to find out all the whys for evil in the world.

As I mentioned in my last article, Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived besides Jesus, and he couldn’t figure it out. Neither will you. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)

2. Trust that God will bring justice in the end. (12-13)

We may never see justice here on earth. (10-11). But our God is good, and ultimately, the Judge of all the earth will do what is right. (Genesis 18:25)

3. Seek God’s wisdom.

We live in a world where people have the power to hurt others. (9) 

Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we’ll escape that. So when people hurt you, seek God’s wisdom on how to deal with them.

When do we seek justice? When do we show mercy? When do we simply leave justice in God’s hands? To answer those questions, we need God’s wisdom.

Solomon said, 

…a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6)

4. Choose to rejoice. (15) 

If our focus is always on our troubles, it will suck us into a pit of despair.

But the Lord is near. He is good. So in the midst of our troubles, let us focus on him, and his goodness to us.

And as we lay our burdens before him, let us not forget all the things we have to be thankful for.

As you do, even though you may be touched by evil in this world, you will know God’s peace. (Philippians 4:5-7)

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John Devotionals

Believe!

John

Do not be unbelieving, but believing. (John 20:27, NASB)

Jesus’ words to Thomas resonated with me this morning. They echo Jesus’ earlier words to the disciples the night before his crucifixion.

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

In a world filled with trouble, we have hope. We have hope because of the resurrection.

Peter talks about that hope we have.

Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

As I said a few days ago, the world is not our home. We have something far greater awaiting us.

For that reason, Peter said,

You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

That’s the hope we cling to.

But we need choose to believe.

To a large degree, after the resurrection, it was easy for Thomas to believe. After all, he saw the risen Lord with his own eyes and was able to touch Jesus’ hands and his side.

But Jesus told him,

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. (John 20:29)

Peter would later remember these words and say this to people like us who had never seen Jesus with their own eyes.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Are you troubled by all that is going on in the world? Are you struggling with personal trials?

Remember the resurrection. Remember the hope we have in Jesus. Trust the Father. Trust Jesus.

Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

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John Devotionals

Who we trust. (Or why we can have peace).

John

I’ve been meditating on the words of Jesus from these passages over the past few days. Particularly the first few verses of John 14.

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

There’s a lot to be troubled about in this world.

Covid-19 to be sure. The moral direction of society. The departure of many people from the truth of God’s word to “everyone doing what is right in their own eyes.”

And yet Jesus says, “Don’t let yourself be troubled.”

What is the basis of this command?

“Believe in God. Believe also in me.”

Though Covid-19 runs rampant, trust God. He has a plan in all this.

Though things go from bad to worse in society, trust Jesus. He has already won the victory on the cross.

Jesus doesn’t say to trust our politicians or judges. He doesn’t say to trust our political or judicial systems. All of these are flawed, imperfect, stained by sin.

Nor does he say to just believe that somehow, someway society will get better.

Instead he reminds us that this world is not our home. That he is preparing a better world. A better society. Not based on human wisdom or effort. But based on what Jesus did on the cross.

And the day will come when he returns, he judges this world, and he makes all things new.

That’s our hope. And that’s why we can have peace.

And so Jesus says,

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful. (John 14:27)

And again,

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.

You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. (John 16:33)

So in this troubled world, let us rest confidently in our Lord.

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Jeremiah Devotionals

Our response in times of crisis

Jeremiah

As I write this, many people around the world are panicking because of the Corona virus.

How do we respond as Christians? I think we learn the answer through this chapter.

Do not learn the way of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, although the nations are terrified by them, for the customs of the peoples are worthless. (Jeremiah 10:2-3)

These “signs” probably had to do with astrological predictions of disaster. People looked at the stars, saw disaster, and feared.

Perhaps the majority of people don’t think that way anymore, but people look at things like this virus and fear what will happen.

But we are not to be like the people of this world, fearing what they fear.

Instead, we should have three responses: worship, humility, and trust.

Lord, there is no one like you.
You are great;
your name is great in power.

Who should not fear you,
King of the nations.

For among all the wise people of the nations
and among all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. (Jeremiah 10:6-7)

Meditate on these words. Pray these words today. Meditate on and pray Jeremiah’s words in verses 10, 12-13, and 16 too.

Then with humility and trust, pray,

I know, Lord,
that a person’s way of life is not his own;
no one who walks determines his own steps.

Discipline me, Lord, but with justice–
not in your anger,
or you will reduce me to nothing. (Jeremiah 10:23-24)

Of course, be cautious in times like these. But let us not live in panic and terror.

Remember that we serve an awesome Lord. And in humility, let us trust him. 

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2 Kings Devotionals

Satan’s oft-repeated lie

2 Kings

In Assyria’s attack on Judah, we see Satan speaking his oft-repeated lie through the Assyrian Rabshakeh (the king’s official).

What was the lie?

“Don’t trust God. He’s trying to rob you of life.” (2 Kings 18:27, 30)

“Come to me. I will give you true life.” (31-32)

That lie goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-3)

How much do we trust God? Do we believe his way leads to life?

God does not promise a happy life with no problems. Hezekiah was serving God, and yet this attack came.

What will you do when problems come and life gets hard? Will you continue to trust and follow God?

Sometimes we are tempted to compromise what we believe because we think life will become easier if we do.

Hezekiah thought so at first. Instead of trusting God, he trusted the Egyptians. (Isaiah 30:1-5)

And when that didn’t work, he tried to appease the Assyrians by taking silver and gold that belonged to God.

But life didn’t get better by compromising. It got harder.

Satan is not satisfied with getting you to compromise. He wants to destroy you.

But when we put our trust in God, we ultimately find life. That’s what Hezekiah learned in the end.

What problems are you facing now? Are you feeling tempted to compromise your faith because of these problems?

Or will you trust God and follow him?

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Acts Devotionals

Running around? Or trusting in God?

Acts

The contrast between Paul and the sailors couldn’t be more drastic in this story.

The sailors were panicking, running all around trying everything possible to save themselves. The result? Despair.

Paul, on the other hand, heard God’s words of encouragement and remained calm. And he told the sailors,

So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. (Acts 27:25)

When life’s storms hit, (and they will hit), how do you respond? With panic?

Or do you trust God that he will do as he has promised? That even if we must walk through the valley of death, he will be with us?

And if he will do that for us, how much more will he help us overcome any other problem we may face in life?

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John Devotionals

Ramping up our faith

John

Martha’s faith was pretty remarkable when you think about it.

Even though Jesus had delayed in coming when her brother was sick, and as a result her brother died, her faith in Jesus never wavered.

So many people in her position would have been so disappointed in Jesus that they would have just said, “I’m done with Jesus. He doesn’t really care about me.”

But though she was clearly hurting, and couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t come earlier (John 11:21), she said,

Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. (John 11:22)

You see clearly from the next several verses that she was not at all thinking Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead. All she was saying was, “I still believe in you Jesus. I still believe you are from God.”

She later affirms,

I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world. (27)

Martha clearly had faith. But Jesus wanted her to ramp up her faith. He wanted her to deepen her understanding of just who he was.

So he told her,

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. (25-26)

Talk about needing to ramp up your understanding of who Jesus is. No mere human could claim this. There is only one source of life, and that’s God.

Frankly, I think Martha’s head was spinning. With a child’s faith, she said, “Yes,” but it’s clear that she did not fully understand Jesus’ words.

And so when Jesus told her to roll away the stone to Lazarus’ tomb, she objected. At that point, Jesus once again challenged her to ramp up her faith in a very practical way: obey him. (39-41)

And when she did, she came to a deeper understanding of who Jesus truly was. That understanding became even more complete when she saw Jesus himself rise from the dead.

Do you really want to know Jesus better? Obey him.

Even when you don’t understand what he’s doing or not doing. Even when you don’t understand why he’s telling you what he’s telling you. Obey him.

In what area of your life is Jesus now telling you, “Trust me. Obey me.”

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Psalms Devotionals

Trust

Psalms

As those of you who follow this blog know, this has not been an easy week for me.

And when we come face to face with the storms and trials of life, it’s easy to ask, “Why.”

The truth is, many times we will never find out that answer. We simply can’t see all that God is doing. His purposes are much greater than we can possibly comprehend.

So when we face those times, we can respond in two ways. We can scream and cry out “Unfair! Why?”

Or we can trust.

David chose to trust. He said,

“Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.

I do not get involved with things
too great or too wondrous for me.

Instead, I have calmed and quieted my soul
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like a weaned child.” (Psalm 131:1-2)

Will you trust God, even when you can’t understand what he is doing?

It can be a very hard thing. But remember this: because Jesus became a man he understands you.

He understands your pain. He himself experienced pain, even to the point of death. But because of his death, we now have hope.

His pain and suffering were not in vain.

And neither is ours.

So people of God,

“put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.” (3)

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James

That we may be mature and complete

Wholeness

What is God’s intention and desire for us?

In a word, “wholeness.”

That we would be whole in our relationship with him. That we would be whole in our relationships with each other. That we would be whole in every aspect of our lives.

That’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? We all want to be made whole.

The next thought might not be so comforting: It is for the purpose of being made whole that we go through many of the trials and struggles we do.

That’s why it’s hard for us to accept James’ word to us when he says,

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3)

Pure joy? When we face suffering?

Yes. Pure joy. Why? Because these trials produce perseverance in our lives. Why is perseverance so important?

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (4)

In short, the path to wholeness is one of persevering through trial. For through those trials, we learn to cast aside trusting ourselves and our own wisdom.

The reason our lives are so broken is that we have spent our entire lives trusting ourselves and our own wisdom. But through our trials, we learn just how vain life is living that way.

But when we turn to God, learning to trust him and his ways, and we persevere in living that way even through trial, then we find wholeness. In our relationship with him, with each other, and in every aspect of our lives.

That’s why James tells us in the next verse,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (5-8)

As I read this, I can’t help but think of Hebrews 11:6, where it says,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Wholeness comes down to trusting God. If we doubt God’s goodness in our lives, we will never do the things he asks. And if we don’t do the things he asks, our lives will remain the broken shells they are.

How about you? Do you want to be whole, when all the while you’re holding on to your wisdom and your ways? You can never be made that whole that way. That way leads only to brokenness and despair.

But if you will trust in God, he will bring you out of the trials you are going through. And he will bring you out mature, whole, and complete.

What will you do?

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Hebrews

What we love, what we put our trust in

Hebrews

I’ve gotta admit, having money makes life easier.

It makes it easier to deal with serious health problems, as we can afford more expensive types of treatments. It allows us to have better cars or homes when our old ones are breaking down.

And of course, it not only makes life easier, it can make life more comfortable and enjoyable as well.

But I suppose the question we need to ask ourselves is, “What do we love?”

And just as importantly, “What do we put our trust in?”

Those are the questions, the writer of Hebrews poses to us. He says,

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

What do we love? Money, and the things that money can buy?

These things pass away. They can buy happiness for a short time, but eventually we tire of them, or they grow old and break, and discontent stirs in our hearts again.

There are many people in this world who go through that endless cycle of discontent, never finding true happiness.

On the contrary, many people actually wreck their lives out of their love for money and things.

They go bankrupt, they destroy their marriages and families, they wreck their health, all for the love of money and pleasure.

And so God says, “Keep your life from the love of money and be content with what you have. Stop pursuing these things.

“You will never find contentment from these things. You can only find contentment in a relationship with me. I will never leave you nor forsake you. All that you need to make you happy and content you can find in me.”

Who or what do we trust to solve our problems?

Again, it is so easy to put our trust in money. Money can solve a lot of our problems. But it can’t solve all of them. And in some cases, it can actually make things worse.

But when we turn to God, we find the one who can uphold us in all circumstances. More, he will not abandon us in the hard times.

And because of that, we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”

How about you? Who or what do you love? And who or what do you put your trust in?

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2 Corinthians

Why we can have confidence in God

2 Corinthians

Sometimes, in the midst of trials, it can be easy to lose confidence in God.

One wonders if Paul ever came close to doing so, when he and his companions “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)

And yet through that time of hardship, they learned to put their confidence and trust in God (2 Corinthians 1:9).

Why were they able to do that? And how can we be able to live that way?

Paul writes,

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” (2 Corinthians 1:18)

The first thing that strikes me is that God is faithful. And if through the midst of our troubles, we look back on our lives, we will see that.

We’ll see that not only in our lives, but in the lives of people throughout history. More, we will see it in all the promises he fulfilled when he sent Christ to die for our sins.

Paul says “Our message is not ‘yes’ and ‘no.'” In other words, the gospel is something that you can rely on. It’s not a message that ever changes.

God doesn’t tell people, “You need to believe in Jesus to be saved,” only to tell them at heaven’s gate, “Sorry, I changed my mind.”

His word is constant and his promises are true, although everyone else’s may not be.

As Paul said,

Let God be true, and every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

Paul adds,

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.”

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:19-20)

Put another way, Jesus is the one constant in a world that is always changing. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

All God’s promises are confirmed in Christ. Jesus fulfilled all the prophesies that said he would come preaching the good news, healing the sick, and dying for our sins.

And the day will come when Jesus will fulfill the rest of the prophesies, bringing his everlasting kingdom into the world.

If that’s true, then how much more can we believe all his other promises.

His promises to be with us through trial. His promises that these trials we are going through are just for a little while. His promises to bring us victory and to bring us out as gold through these trials.

And so through Jesus we can say, “Amen. You have promised these things. So be it. I will believe you.”

And just in case that wasn’t enough, he’s given us more. Paul writes,

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

God has anointed us with his Spirit, setting us apart for himself and his purposes.

He has placed his seal of ownership on us, a seal that says, “This person is mine. I have bought him/her at a price: the blood of my own Son.”

And the Spirit he has given us is his deposit guaranteeing all that he has promised will come to pass.

So whatever we’re going through, let us put our faith and confidence in God.

God is true though everyone else may fail us.

How about you? Will you choose to trust him today?

Categories
Romans

True freedom

Romans

Why do so many people flee from following God? I suppose it comes from a desire to be free.

What does freedom mean to most people? It means being able to live however they want to.

But if they follow God, they feel they can’t do that. Instead, they have to follow a series of dos and don’ts that will put a crimp on their happiness.

I think that a lot of what Paul faced, these questions of “Shall we sin so that grace may abound even more,” and “Shall we sin because we no longer under law but under grace” came because of this kind of thinking.

These people simply wanted to live however they wanted to.

But is true freedom simply the freedom to live however you wish? Or is there something more to it?

I think there is something more.

Let’s put it this way. One problem I face in Japan is whenever I’m dealing with Japanese electronic goods, the instructions are always in Japanese.

Now my Japanese level is okay on a speaking level, but reading and writing is another thing altogether. I can do it to an extent, but whenever I do my Japanese blogs, I make sure my wife edits it to get rid of any embarrassing mistakes.

At any rate, I bought a new Blu-Ray recorder recently and was trying to connect it with my TV and our cable box. But because the instructions were in Japanese and I couldn’t understand them.

As a result, I was left trying to figure things out on my own and was in utter frustration for hours.

At least, though, I had an excuse for not following the instructions.

So many other people who can read Japanese try installing their Blu-ray recorders, or computers, or other electronic goods, and just think, “Who needs the instructions? I’ll just do what I think looks right.”

And they end up, like me, in total frustration. Is that freedom?

In the same way, people look at their lives, and God tells them, “This is how I designed your life. This is how it works best. Just trust me, and you’ll find blessing.”

But people say, “Forget that, God. I’ll do things how I think is best. I’ll do things my way.”

In doing so, however, they destroy their relationships with their wives and children and the people around them. They make decisions that destroy their health or even their very lives. And ultimately, they end up in utter frustration.

The happiness they sought by doing things their way ends up utterly eluding them. Is that freedom?

And that’s what Paul says in verses 20-21,

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! (Romans 6:20-21)

In other words, “Yes, you were ‘free’ from God. But what did your ‘freedom’ get you? It brought you shame. It was destroying you.”

But when we put ourselves in God’s hands, and we follow his leading, what happens?

The benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

Like I said yesterday, the idea here is that we become whole.

And eternal life doesn’t start with heaven. It starts here on earth, living a life that is full and complete.

Why? Because we are living as we were designed to live.

That’s true freedom.

The key to freedom? Trusting God.

Trusting that he knows best. Trusting that he loves you and actually wants your best.

And because of that trust we have in him, offering our lives to him every day. As we do, that’s when we find true freedom.

How about you? Have you found true freedom?

Categories
Luke Luke 22 Mark Mark 14 Matthew Matthew 26

When my will is not God’s will

Gethsemane

There are times in our lives when we go through trials and suffering. It may be an illness. It may be family troubles because of our Christian faith. It may be problems in our ministry. And so we pray for relief.

Sometimes God says yes, and we see him work in a powerful way to transform our situation.

But sometimes, God says no. And we see that in this passage.

Jesus asks three times that the Father would take away the cross from him. He says first,

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. (Matthew 26:39)

This was no calm, serene prayer. So troubled was he that he fell to the ground praying to the Father. (Mark 14:35)

So stressed was he that he sweated blood. (Luke 22:44)

So often we think of Jesus as being perfectly calm and collected at all times. This was certainly not true at that moment.

God knew his feelings. God sympathized. God cared for and loved his Son. But God said no.

Knowing this, when Jesus started to pray again, he said,

My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. (Matthew 26:42)

Still, I have to think that he continued to pray that God would provide another way.

But each time, God said no.

What can we get from this? I think there are several things.

There are people out there, Christian people, who claim that if you just have enough faith, God has to do what you ask.

But if we are going to claim that, then we have to say that Jesus didn’t have enough faith.

Are we going to condemn the Son of God for not having enough faith? I don’t think any rebuttal to that notion is needed.

The truth is that there are times when our will is not God’s will.

God is not a genie that we should make his will bend to ours. Rather, we need to bend our will to his. And that’s exactly what Jesus did.

Rather than insisting on his will, he conformed his will to the Father’s. We need to do the same.

And faced with his no, we need to do as Jesus did at the end of this story. Rise up, go, and do the Father’s will.

But when we make that decision, know that you are not alone. You don’t have to face your situation alone. Jesus didn’t.

In the midst of his struggle, in the midst of his agony in the garden, God sent an angel to comfort and strengthen him. God will do the same for you.

I actually think we can say more than that. Through his Holy Spirit, God himself will comfort us. That in fact, is one of the names of the Holy Spirit: the Comforter. (John 14:16—KJV)

And as I mentioned in an earlier blog, Paul tells us in Romans 8 that when we are weak, he intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will.

Because of that, we can have confidence that God will work out everything for our good. (Romans 8:26-28)

So what do we do when God says no?

Trust him. Trust that his way is better than your way. Trust that he will see you through whatever you’re going through.

Then rise up, go, and continue to do the things he has asked of you.

Categories
John John 14

If we truly love Jesus

John

This is one of those passages that would probably make many people turn their heads if they really thought about it.

Jesus says to start off,

If you love me, you will obey what I command. (John 14:15)

Think about that a minute. If your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend said to you, “If you love me, you will obey what I command,” what would your response be?

Most probably, “I’m outta here. Forget this relationship.”

I think there are certain things to keep in mind, however.

First, Jesus is not only our Savior, but our Lord. Yet he’s not some tyrant looking to make our lives miserable just for his own pleasure. Rather, he genuinely loves us and is looking out for our good.

More than that, he’s our creator, and he knows exactly how our lives were designed to work.

And so this idea of obedience is not so much a matter of, “Do what I say!”

Rather, Jesus is telling us, “Trust me. If you really love me, trust me. I truly know what is best for you, and I truly want what is best for you.”

Our problem is that we’ve seen so many people trying to order us around not because they’re looking out for our best, but because they’re looking out for their own interests.

That’s why when God tells us, “Trust me, I want what’s best for you,” we tend to look at him with a jaded eye.

This is not a new problem. It goes all the way to the garden of Eden.

God told Adam and Eve, “Trust me, I want what’s best for you. So stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Believe me, you don’t want to know what evil is.”

But Satan caused Eve to become jaded to God’s intention. To start thinking, “God doesn’t really want what’s best for me. He’s holding something back from me.”

And to this day, people hold that same way of thinking.

The other thing to remember is that our sin really hurts God. He is so pure, and righteous, he can’t even stand the sight of sin.

Do we really want to do something that hurts him? Rather, wouldn’t we want to do things that please him?

If you love your wife or husband, for example, will you purposely do things that hurt them? “Yes, I know it will hurt them, but I’ll do it anyway.” Of course not.

Rather, we do things that we know will bring a smile to their faces.

And that’s what our relationship with God should look like.

We love him so much that we do the things that please him, and we stay away from the things that we know will hurt him.

Jesus modeled this with his own life while he was on earth.

He loved and trusted his Father so much, he always did what his Father said, even though it meant going to the cross.

Why? Because he believed his Father knew what was best.

How about you? What does your relationship with God look like? Do you trust him enough to do what he says?

Categories
John John 11

That we might believe

John

This is one of the most famous miracles Jesus performed, and I’ve spoken on it at church more than once. But as I read it through this time, these words strike me:

So that you may believe. (John 11:15)

We see this theme again and again throughout the passage, and it was the whole purpose for everything that Jesus did in it.

In this story, he challenged Martha,

Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

Again, when he prayed at Lazarus’ tomb, he said to his Father,

I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me. (John 11:42)

And at Lazarus’ resurrection, John tells us,

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. (John 11:45)

If there is one thing that Jesus wants us to learn, it’s to trust him. And all that we go through in life, with all the struggles and pain we endure, is directed toward that end.

Sometimes we ask God, “I love you. Why is this happening to me? Do you really love me?”

That’s what I see in the first part of this passage. It talks about Mary’s great love for Jesus. That she was the one who would later pour perfume on him and wipe his feet with her hair.

And because she loved Jesus and thought he loved her, she immediately called for Jesus when her brother Lazarus got sick. She had no doubt that he would come.

And indeed, it said, Jesus loved her, her sister Martha, and Lazarus. So… he stayed where he was another two days.

The NIV says, “but he stayed.” But it is probably more accurately translated, “So he stayed,” and most literal translations (KJV, NASB, ESV among others) do translate it that way.

Why did he stay? Because he wanted all those involved to learn to trust him.

By waiting and letting Lazarus die, everyone’s faith was taken to a higher level when Jesus raised him from the dead.

Sometimes we wonder why God remains silent. Why our prayers seem to go unanswered. Mary and Martha probably felt that way.

“Why isn’t Jesus coming?”

Yet Jesus wanted to challenge them to trust him even more than they already did.

I look at Martha’s words. I’ve always thought that her words were a bit bitter that Jesus had waited. Now I’m not so sure. Could it not be that her words were of pure faith?

That she was saying, “Jesus, I know that you could have healed my brother had you been here sooner. But I still trust in you. Even now, I believe God is with you and will do anything you ask.” (John 11:21-22)

Was she saying that she believed Jesus would raise Lazarus? No. Her later words (John 11:39) prove otherwise.

But I think she was saying, “Even though you didn’t do what I had hoped this time, I will still come to you with my needs in the future. I haven’t lost faith in you, Jesus.”

But Jesus challenged her, basically saying, “Have you already given up on this situation? Don’t. Your brother will rise again.

I am the giver of life, and have power to give it to anyone I please. He who believes in me, though he may die, will live. And whoever believes in me will never truly die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:23-26)

Martha answered yes, but I don’t think she had a clue as to what Jesus meant. Even so, she said, “I believe in you. I believe you are God’s Son.” (John 11:27)

What do we call that kind of faith? The faith of a child.

We will not always understand Jesus’ words. We may not always understand his actions (or lack of them). But will we still say, in the face of our confusion, in the face of our disappointments, “I still believe in you?”

Martha had to come to grips with that question at Lazarus’ grave. “Do I trust Jesus enough, despite all that happened, to do what he asks.”

But when she did, when she decided to put her trust in him, she saw God’s glory.

And so will we. The same question Jesus asked Martha, he asks us.

Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

How will you respond?

Categories
Luke Luke 16

Parable of the dishonest manager: Being faithful

Luke

While Jesus praised the dishonest manager in his story for at least planning for his future, he also criticized him, saying,

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10)

Jesus is saying here, “Be careful who you trust. Don’t hand over large responsibilities to just anyone. Watch them. Give them smaller responsibilities to start with and see how they respond.

If they are faithful, give them larger ones. But if they are not, then you know that they cannot be trusted.”

But lest we stop at judging other people, Jesus goes on to say,

So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?

And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16:11-12)

God has given us resources here on earth, money among other things. Are you being faithful with it?

Do you keep in mind that this money is not really your own? Rather it belongs to God who has blessed you with the talents and strength to work and earn money?

You don’t truly own the money you have. You are simply managing it.

And if you are not faithful with your money, what makes you think that God will give you responsibilities in other areas, particularly in ministry?

Not just formal ministry, like being a pastor, although I mean that too. But ministering to the people around you at home, at work, at school or wherever you may be.

As members of his kingdom, we are all called to do what we can to touch people with the love of God. And when we do, this has eternal rewards.

But can God trust you to do these things, if you are not faithful with the temporal things he has given you?

How faithful are you with the things God has given you? Can God trust you?

Categories
Luke Luke 12 Matthew Matthew 6

Sermon on the Mount: Worry

The gospels

This is one of those passages that I know in my head, but I don’t know if it has truly sunk into my heart. In fact, I’m pretty sure it hasn’t.

I know because I still worry about stuff, most recently about my job and my finances.

So when I read this, my mind says, “That makes sense. God takes care of the birds. He takes care of the flowers of the field. Surely he will take care of me.”

And yet, I still find myself worrying about things. How can I save more money? Will I be able to get a better job?

While some things I worry about are to a degree controllable, other things are, at least to some degree, not.

So again, my mind says, “You’ve done what you can. Now leave it in God’s hands. Be at peace.”

But my heart wars against it and continues to worry.

I can just hear Jesus speaking to me, “O you of little faith! The world runs after these things, but don’t you know that your Father cares about you? Don’t you know he’ll take care of your needs?

So take your eyes off these things and put it on him. If you do, if you seek him and his kingdom above all things, he will take care of you.”

To be honest, because I struggle with this so much, all I can think of to do is to pray. Please feel free to join me.

Father, you said that you love me. That you care for me. I do believe it. But Lord increase my faith. I have so little of it, and that’s why I worry so much.

But Lord, you have been faithful to me in the past. I have no real reason to doubt you. Why do I doubt you now?

Lord, help me to get my eyes off of my worries, and on to you, that “all things that surround [may] become shadows in the light of you.”

You are the only true reality. Help me to focus on you. And to trust. In Jesus name, amen.

Categories
John John 5

Desiring wholeness

John

Sometimes I wonder if people really desire wholeness in their lives.

They often complain about their marriage or relationships, they complain about their jobs or their health, but they never seem to do anything about it.

They almost seem to like complaining about their problems. They seem to enjoy receiving sympathy from others.

But Jesus doesn’t want us to be that way. He doesn’t want us to wallow in our brokenness. He wants to bring healing in our lives. We see this in this passage.

A man was an invalid for 38 years, and probably had to make his living begging.

When Jesus found out about his situation, he asked a simple question: “Do you want to get well?” (Or “be made whole” — KJV)

One would think it’s only natural that the person would want to be healed. But perhaps he was happy not working and just begging for a living. Maybe he enjoyed having people wait on him. It was in that sense, an easy life.

But we see from the man’s answer that this was not the case. He wanted to be healed.

Apparently, there was a belief (true or not, it’s not clear from the passage) that the first person that got into the pool of Bethesda when the water was stirred would be healed.

He always tried to get in, but with no help, someone always got in first.

When Jesus heard his reply, he said, “Well then, get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” (John 5:8)

One wonders what this man was thinking. Apparently, he hadn’t heard of Jesus before, or if he had, he didn’t recognize him, as we will see later in the story.

But here is this total stranger telling him to do something he hadn’t been able to do in 38 years.

Whatever he was thinking, he tried it, and immediately, he was healed.

Later at the temple, Jesus came up to him, and said,

See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. (John 5:14)

What can we get from this?

Lots of us experience hurts in our lives. Many of us are broken, and we see no way that we can ever be made whole. But Jesus asks us the same question he asked the man.

“Do you wish to be made whole?”

If you do, you need to do what the man did and obey what Jesus tells you. Don’t question what he says. Don’t complain that it’s impossible. Make up your mind to obey him.

Now this is not to say that wholeness will come as quickly or easily as it came to this man.

When it comes to issues of broken relationships, broken hearts, bitterness, and many other things, it takes time.

You’ll need the help of the Holy Spirit working in you, and the help of Christ’s body, the church. (That’s one reason why going to church is so important).

But wholeness will never come unless number one, you truly want to be made whole, and number two, you make the decision to trust Jesus and do what he says.

And when you do, as he did with this man, Jesus will give you the power to obey him and bring wholeness into your life.

But if you choose not to trust him and continue going your own way, in short, if you continue to live in sin, you’ll find as Jesus warned this man that your life will only get worse. (John 5:14)

What will you choose?

Categories
John John 3

Stepping out into the light

John

I mentioned in my last blog that we are not in danger of being condemned if we reject Christ. We are already condemned. Judgment has already been passed.

And in this passage, we see the verdict that was passed against us. John writes,

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

In other words, Light came into the world through Christ. He showed us who God is. He showed us God’s will for our lives.

But men loved the evil they were doing, even though they knew it was wrong; even though deep in their hearts, they knew their actions bring about shame.

As a result, they remained in darkness and would not embrace the Light. Instead, they rejected him. And for that they stand condemned.

How about you? Are you willing to step out into the Light of Christ? To no longer walk in actions that you know deep down are wrong and are shameful, but to walk with Christ in the Light? To live by his truth?

When we do so, we no longer need to fear God, but can stand boldly before him. John writes,

Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. (John 3:21)

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of relationship I want before God. No shame. No guilt. But walking freely and confidently before him, bathed in his love and grace.

Some people fear to come into the light because they’re afraid of what they might lose if what they’re doing is exposed.

So they stay away from church. They stay away from the Word of God. Or if they read it, they stay away from the passages that they know will expose them.

But God loves you. He wants your best. And while you may think you’re losing something that you love or need by surrendering it to God, you actually gain something so much greater.

The question comes down to this: Will you trust him? Will you trust that he is looking out for your best? Will you trust that he actually knows what is best?

Because until you believe that, you will never step out into the light.

God proved his love for you by sending his Son.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

If he did that for you, can’t you trust him with everything else in your life?

Categories
Luke Luke 4 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 4

Following the Father

The gospels

Happy New Year all!

I suppose there’s no better way to start the year then remembering who we are to follow heading into the New Year. It’s the person whom Jesus followed while he walked this earth, and you see it clearly in these passages.

This is one of the most famous passages in scripture in which Jesus gets tempted in the desert.

But as I read it this time, and looked at the scripture that Jesus quoted in fighting the temptations thrown at him by Satan, one thing struck me: Just how much trust he put in his Father.

Filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus went out into the desert after his baptism, and stayed out there for 40 days.

It seems only fitting, then, that the scriptures he quoted came from Deuteronomy after the Israelites had been wandering around in the desert for 40 years. Because what Moses told the Israelites right after that, Jesus lived out in his life.

What did Moses say?

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

Just as the Father led the Israelites through the desert to test them, so he led Jesus out into the desert to be tested. Like the Israelites, Jesus was humbled, being caused to become hungry.

But unlike the Israelites, he refused to complain against his Father during that time. Rather, he trusted that his Father would provide what he needed, when he needed it.

Satan tried to get Jesus to rely on himself and his own powers to meet his needs by turning stones into bread. But Jesus refused, and relied solely on his Father in heaven to provide what he needed.

When Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the temple and let the angels catch him, even quoting scripture to do so (which shows how important it is to understand context when we’re reading scripture), Jesus pointed to Deuteronomy 6, where Moses told the people,

Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

What happened at Massah? The Israelites again showed a lack of trust in God, this time because they had no water, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7)

Sometimes, we question God in the same way. We go through struggles, and say, “Is God really with me or not?”

Satan was basically tempting Jesus to question God in that way too. He was saying, “Is your Father really with you? If you’re going to serve him, you’d better find out by jumping off the temple. If he’s really with you, he’ll catch you.”

But Jesus refused to do so, fully believing that his Father was with him, though he couldn’t see him.

Finally, Satan tempted Jesus to worship him in order to gain the kingdoms of the world. But again Jesus refused. He would not let anything or anyone deter him from following his Father saying,

Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ (Matthew 4:10)

How about you? Who are you following as you head into this new year? Are you following the Father?

Are you trusting that he is with you and will meet your needs? Are you making following him your first priority, above your job, your family, your friends, and everything else?

Who are you following?

Categories
Psalms

When we put our trust in him

Psalms

In Psalm 146, we see a God who is worthy of our trust.  In this psalm, we see the results of trusting in him.

As I mentioned in the blog on Psalm 146, for years, the Israelites had rebelled against God, failing to trust in him, and putting their trust in themselves, in other gods, and other people.

The result?  A broken and ruined nation.

But now the people under Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah, and Haggai were slowly turning their hearts back to God.  And because of that, the healing process had begun.

The psalmist writes,

The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.  (Psalm 147:2-3)

He then reminds the people of the greatness of God, and just why he is worthy of our praise.  Namely, that he is the one that created and sustains all things.  (5-9)

He then reminds the people that God doesn’t delight in the strength of men nor their animals that they have tamed for their own use.  Rather,

The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.  (11)

And so the psalmist exhorts the people to praise and exalt God in their lives, remembering that he is the one who strengthens the gates of the city, and brings blessing in their lives.

He is the one who brings them peace, and provides all that they need.

Finally, he reminds them of the blessing that God had given them simply by revealing himself to them, when he had done so directly for no other nation.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, however, that God has not just revealed himself through the prophets and the words they wrote, but now he has revealed himself through Jesus.  And now, we can all have access to the Father through him.

More than that, because God became man in Jesus, he understands us completely and has great compassion for us.

So let us draw near to him with confidence.  Let us put our trust in him.  And if we do, we will find healing, restoration, blessing, and peace.

Categories
Psalms

The God who is trustworthy

Psalms

So many times in this life, people let us down.  We look to them to help us and support us, but they leave us hung out to dry.

And so the psalmist here writes,

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  (Psalm 146:3)

So often in Israel’s and Judah’s history, they put their trust in the surrounding countries and their kings to be their protection against their enemies, instead of putting their faith in God.

The result?  They were either ultimately betrayed or disappointed by the ones they put their trust in.

And so what the prophets consistently told these kings, the psalmist writes here.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them — the LORD, who remains faithful forever.  (5-6)

But God not only watches over the kings and their nations, he watches over all who love him but are hurting.

He’s with the oppressed, the hungry, the captive, the blind, the alien, the fatherless, and the widow.

And though they may suffer on this earth, he never leaves them lonely.  What’s more, he promises to always meet their needs.

Like I said yesterday, while he is an infinite God, he is also an intimate God who truly cares for those he has created.

So if you are hurting, or even if you’re not, let us draw near to this infinite, but intimate God.  And remember what Isaiah said.

The one who trusts will never be dismayed.  (Isaiah 28:16)

Categories
Psalms

Where we turn

Psalms

Where do we turn when things are against us?  When people are against us?  It’s a question that David had to ask himself numerous times.

He could have, as so many people do, turned to himself.  To his wisdom, to his strength to get him out of the situation.

But instead he turned to God.  From the very beginning of Psalm 143, he prays,

O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;

in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.  (Psalm 143:1)

And in the midst of his darkness, in the midst of his despair, he cried out,

Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD,
for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me
on level ground.  (8-10)

How often do we take things into our own hands, instead of hiding ourselves in God.  How often do we trust in our own wisdom instead of listening to him and what he says we should do?

David didn’t do this.  Instead, he always looked to God for wisdom on what to do.  And he trusted in God’s Spirit to lead him.

So as the apostle James put it,

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  (James 1:5)

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Psalms

Humility

Psalms

Another short but sweet psalm, in which David shows us the kind of heart we need when approaching God, which is appropriate considering that people sang this on their way to worship God in the temple.

What kind of heart should we have?  A humble one.  David wrote,

My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty (Psalm 131:1).

It is impossible to come before God with a heart of pride.

There are a lot of ways people do this, but I think about Job.  When going through his suffering, he started to make himself God’s judge, questioning His justice.  And he was determined to argue his case with God, proving his injustice.

So many people do the same today.  They have an attitude in which they think they are God’s equal intellectually and think they can actually win a debate against God.

Many atheists think, “Even if there is a God, I can give him good arguments why I didn’t believe in him.”

But as with Job, they’ll find that when they actually come face to face with God, all their arguments will be revealed for the empty things that they are.

Other people are like Job’s friends, haughty, looking down on others, and quick to judge them.  But God is equally against those kinds of people, as he showed when he rebuked Job’s friends for making false accusations against Job.

But David was different.  He was humble in his attitude towards God and towards others.

And when there were things he didn’t understand, when he couldn’t understand why God allowed different trials into his life, he humbled himself, and said,

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.  (1b)

Compare this with what Job said when he repented before God.

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  (Job 42:3)

We too will face situations that we can’t understand.  We wonder why God allows things to happen in our lives, and we’re tempted to question him.

But like David, let us put our questions to rest, and simply trust in him, knowing that he is with us and really does care for us.

Let us trust him as a “weaned child,” a child that has all that he really needs, and waits in quietness and trust that his mother will continue to provide for him in the future.

So as David closes this psalm,

Put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.  (3)

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Psalms

The one worthy of our praise and trust

Psalms

Psalm 95 is very interesting to me in that it starts out with great praise and rejoicing and concludes with a solemn warning.

You can easily hear the joy in the psalmist’s voice as he sings,

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.  (Psalm 95:1-2)

Why do we praise him?

  • He’s the great God. (3)
  • He’s King of kings and God above all gods. (3)
  • He’s our Creator.   (4-5)
  • Despite all these things, (or perhaps it’s better to say, “because of all these things”), he loves each one of us deeply and cares for us.  (7)

So the psalmist invites us,

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker (6).

But then he gives us warning, saying,

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.

For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.”

So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”  (7-11)

Twice in the desert, the Israelites failed to trust God, complaining about the lack of water.  This despite all that God had done for them in the past.

The second time complaining about water was especially egregious, leading to Moses’ sin of striking the stone that God had commanded him to speak to.  (Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:1-13).

These were far from the only times that the Israelites failed to trust God.

The reason they wandered for 40 years was because they refused to enter the land God had promised to give them.  Instead they were determined to go back to Egypt.  (Numbers 13-14)

As a result, God told them, “You will never enter my rest.”

And so the psalmist warns us, “Don’t be like them.  Don’t be stiff-necked.  Humble yourselves before God and trust him.  For he is not only worthy of our praise, but of our trust.”

How about you?  Are you trusting God in all you do?  Are you doing things his way, or are you doing things your own?

If we trust him, we will find peace, rest, and joy in our lives.  But we will lose all these things if we insist on trusting in ourselves.

Who are you putting your trust in?

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Psalms

Guarding our hearts in times of trouble

Psalms

Solomon once wrote “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23)

This is always true, of course, but especially in times of trouble.  And Solomon’s father David certainly had his share of it.

Yet in his times of trouble, we can see why God called him a man after his own heart.

He starts out the psalm by crying out for God’s help.  And in doing so, we see where he placed his trust.  Not in his own wisdom and strength to get him through his problems.

Rather, he said,

 I put my trust in you.  (Psalm 86:4)

Then he turns his thoughts to the nature of the God in whom he trusted.  He prayed,

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.

When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.  (5-7)

In other words, “In spite of my problems, I know that you care for me.  And that you are good.  What’s more, I believe you will answer me when I call.”

I suppose as Christians, we should all believe these things, but when we’re facing trials, it’s easy for doubt to creep into our hearts.  But despite his problems, David held fast to these truths.

He then focused on the greatness of God.  On how God was so much greater than his problems.  He sang,

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.  (8-10)

After focusing on God’s greatness, David turned to his own heart.  And he prayed,

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  (11)

The new NIV (which to be honest, I don’t particularly care for — bring back version ’84, Zondervan!) puts it, 

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness.

I think this verse is so important as we face trials in our lives.  Life’s problems can tend to cause our hearts to fray and unravel.

But David prays in the midst of trial, “Lord, teach me your way.  Give me a heart that’s undivided.  A heart that’s united (NASB) in its desire to follow you.  May I walk in your truth and trust in your faithfulness in spite of all I’m going through.”

That’s the attitude we need to have too.  To never lose focus or trust in God.  But to have a heart that’s totally united in its desire to follow him.

Let us be like David, constantly focusing on God and his goodness and his faithfulness toward us, even in times of trouble.  Like him, let’s continue praising him singing,

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me.  (12-13)

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Psalms

Where we place our trust

Psalms

Psalm 62 has always been another of my favorite psalms and songs.  In a time of great trouble (when was David ever NOT in trouble), he sang,

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.  (Psalm 62:1-2)

The thing that strikes me is the words, “in God alone.”

David had lived long enough to realize that people are not always faithful.  That things like money and wealth cannot always be depended upon.

He wrote,

Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.  (9-10)

In other words, it doesn’t matter if people are great or small; you cannot always lean on them.  Sometimes they will betray you.

But even if they never do, death claims us all.  The day will come when you will have to learn to stand without them.

And though money, whether honestly or dishonestly gotten by, can seem to buy happiness for a while, it too will eventually leave you empty.

So David says I do not put my trust or hope in these things.  Instead, he says,

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.  (5)

And he tells us as well,

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.  (8)

Where do you place your trust?  In people?  In wealth?  In yourself?  All of these are false refuges.  And in the end, they will fail us.

There is only one place, one person worthy of our trust.  And so David closes by saying,

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.

Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.  (11-12)

Let us place our trust in the one who will never fail.

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Psalms

Placing ourselves in God’s hands

Psalms

When David wrote Psalm 31 is a matter of speculation, as are most of his psalms.

At a guess, it was written during his flight from Saul, and based on verse 21, perhaps after his flight from Keilah.  (1 Samuel 23)

This is purely speculative, however.

The things that strike me from this psalm is that in the midst of his pleas for help, David time and again affirms his complete trust in God.

He says,

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

And again,

I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in your hands.  (Psalm 31:14-15)

All of ourselves go through struggles in our lives.  And it’s so easy to place ourselves in our own hands.  To take the driver’s seat of our lives and try to control our situation ourselves.

But in life and in death, David fully committed himself to God.

He said, “My life is in your hands, Lord.  People are trying to kill me, but I know that as long as you want me here, they will not succeed.  I refuse to take control of my own life, even if it costs me my life.”

And you see on two occasions in I Samuel where David had the chance to take control of the situation, to kill Saul and put an end to his vendetta against David.  But David refused.

Jesus showed this same submission to his Father when he went to the cross.  Though not strictly a Messianic psalm, nevertheless, you see some glimpses of Christ in David’s experience.

Like David, he was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. (Psalm 31:10)

Like David, he was despised.  (Psalm 31:11)

Like David, he was abandoned by those he called friends.  (Psalm 31:11-12)

Like David, people slandered him and plotted to kill him.  (13)

Like David, he cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me!”  (22)

But like David, Jesus refused to take things into his own hands.  He placed himself in his Father’s hands, and with his dying breath, quoted verse 5, saying, “Into your hands, I commit my spirit.”

And because of his submission, we have hope.

Hope that we will ultimately not be put to shame for trusting in him (17).

Hope in his goodness toward us (19).

And hope in our salvation (22-23).

So let us cry out as David did,

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.  (Psalm 31:24)

And let us put our full trust in him.

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Psalms

Crying out for God

Psalms

I often wish that we had a little more insight as to the background of the songs that David wrote.  Some of the psalms have the background written in the title.  This one, unfortunately, does not.

But what strikes me in Psalm 25, is the cry in his soul for God in the midst of the troubles in his life.

He sings,

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.  (Psalm 25:1-2)

In other words, “Lord, I give my everything to you.  Everything that I am, I lift to you.  And in you, I put my complete trust.”

It’s so easy to say those words.  It’s so difficult to live them.

So often I take back from God what I once surrendered.  So often, I lack in faith, failing to trust him completely.

Yet despite my failings, it is the cry of my heart, just as it was David’s.

He then prays,

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.  (4-5)

Here we see the humility of David.

So often we think we know it all.  That we don’t need to inquire of God.

But David humbles himself and says, “I don’t know everything.  I don’t know the best path to take.  Please teach me.  Please guide me.”

Why did he seek God’s ways and path?  Because of his love for God, and his desire to please him.  He said, “You are my God my Savior.  My hope is in you.”

Then in the midst of this psalm, he pleads,

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD…

For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.  (6-7, 11)

I wonder from these verses if perhaps David wrote this during his flight from Absalom.

Perhaps he saw how his sin with Bathsheba, though forgiven by God, had nevertheless led to the events that led to his exile.

And so once again, he prayed, “Lord, don’t hold my sin against me, though I know it was great.  Forgive me.  Not because I deserve it, but because of your love and mercy.”

So often we look at our own lives, and see how our sins, though forgiven, have nevertheless brought about the trouble we are in.  And we wonder if God has truly forgiven us.

God has.  And he will have mercy on us on the day of judgment though we don’t deserve it.

But that doesn’t mean he will necessarily take away the consequences of what we’ve sown in our lives here on earth.

Nevertheless, he will stand with us through the things we’ve brought upon ourselves, as he did with David.

And so David said,

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.  (8-10)

In other words, even though we sin, as long as we seek him, he will never give up on us.  He will continue to lead us and teach us.

Of course, the big difference between us and David is that we live not under law, but under grace.

And so though we fail to keep his law, nevertheless his love and faithfulness towards us never changes.  As Paul wrote,

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.  (2 Timothy 2:13)

David then closes by asking for God’s protection, saying,

Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.  (20-21)

As he started the psalm, so he finishes.  By putting his soul in the hands of God, and his hope in God as well.

Through the trials that we go through in his life, may we do the same.

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Psalms

Refusing to give in to fear

Psalms

Psalm 11 reminds me somewhat of what happened to Nehemiah. 

In an attempt to get the Jews to stop their work on the walls, their enemies bribed a priest to make Nehemiah think his life was in danger and to get him to hide in the temple.  But Nehemiah said,

Should a man like me run away?  Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go!  (Nehemiah 6:11)

In the same way, David wrote,

In the Lord I take refuge. 

How then can you say to me: 
“Flee like a bird to your mountain. 

For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 

When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:1-3)

David and Nehemiah had one thing in common.  They refused to give in to fear.  Rather, they put their trust in the Lord. 

People would have had them panic, saying, “Everything is falling apart!  What are we going to do?”

But they stood firm, and would not be moved.  David wrote about the confidence he had, saying,

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne. 

He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them. 

The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.  (4-5)

In other words, “God is here.  He sees what’s going on.  He’s in control.  He is watching over me, and he will deal with those who would do me harm.”

Then he finishes by saying,

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.  (7)

How about you?  Do you have a similar confidence in the Lord?  When the world around you seems to be falling apart, do you give in to panic? 

Or have you made the Lord your refuge?  Have you put your complete trust in him, knowing that he has his hand on you even if you can’t see it?

As Isaiah wrote,

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.  (Isaiah 30:15)

Let us not be like the Israelites who gave into their fear.

Let us instead be like Nehemiah and David who put their full trust in the Lord who is faithful.

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Jeremiah

Because you trust in me

Jeremiah

One of the nice things of trying to do things chronologically in this blog is that it gives me a better perspective of Biblical events and where everyone fits in history.  It also causes me to speculate a bit more than I have in the past.

For example, it’s very interesting to me that Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Jeremiah be treated well. 

From chapter 40, it’s made clear that he did so because he knew of Jeremiah’s prophesies that God was handing Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar because of Judah’s sins.  The question that pops up then is, “How did Nebuchadnezzar know?”

The easy answer is that with all the exiles that had been taken to Babylon earlier when Jehoiachin was dethroned, Nebuchadnezzar had gained access to these prophesies. 

But the question still remains, “Who told Nebuchadnezzar, and why did he believe the prophesies?”

This is pure speculation, but I have to wonder if it wasn’t Daniel. 

He certainly had the respect of Nebuchadnezzar.  He was considered the chief of the magicians and served in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. (Daniel 4:9)

And from Daniel chapter 9, we know that Daniel knew about the prophesies of Jeremiah.

I wonder if Daniel, when hearing that Jerusalem was about to fall, didn’t tell Nebuchadnezzar, “Hey there’s a guy named Jeremiah living there.  He’s a prophet of the God I serve.  He has even predicted Jerusalem’s fall to you because of their sin.  Please make sure no harm comes to him.”

Like I said, this is pure speculation, but thinking about it now, it’s also purely possible.

At any rate, however Nebuchadnezzar heard about Jeremiah, he ordered his men to look after Jeremiah.  And so they did.

Jeremiah had suffered through a lot through the reigns of the kings following Josiah.  But because he had trusted in God, when Judah fell and all of its leaders were killed or exiled, his life was spared.

The same can be said of a man named Ebed-Melech. 

When Jeremiah had been thrust into a cistern to die, Ebed-Melech was the man who had had the courage to approach Zedekiah to plead on Jeremiah’s behalf.  As a result, Jeremiah was set free. 

And so God told Ebed-Melech,

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:  I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity.  At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 

But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear.  I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’  (Jeremiah 39:16-18)

God was as good as his word and spared Ebed-Melech when the walls were broken through and Jerusalem was captured.

“Because you trust in me.”  

Those words resonate with me.  God promises that if we will trust in him, while others will suffer his judgment, we will escape with our lives.  We will receive his mercy and grace.

This is not to say that we won’t ever suffer for trusting and following God.  Jeremiah certainly didn’t escape it for much of his life.  Many others throughout history have not only suffered, but died for their faith.

But in death, they found rest and reward. 

That’s what faith is about.  We don’t always see deliverance in our lifetime.  We may go through many struggles because we follow Jesus. 

But ultimately, faith says, “Even though I can’t see it now, I believe that in the end, all will be made right.” 

That’s the faith Jeremiah had.  That’s the faith that Ebed-Melech had. 

That’s the kind of faith we need too.

As the writer of Hebrews said,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6)

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Jeremiah

For our good

Jeremiah

In this passage, Jerusalem is still under siege, and for that matter, Jeremiah is still in prison. 

Still, God told him, “When your cousin comes here to tell you about an opportunity to buy land from him, buy it.”

Under normal circumstances, it might seem like a good thing to do. 

But with the land under siege and no guarantee that Jeremiah would actually be able to keep the land for any length of time, it seemed like a foolish purchase.  Yet God told him to buy it, saying,

Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.  (Jeremiah 32:15)

In other words, Jeremiah’s purchase was to be a sign to the people of Israel’s future restoration.

It’s hard to tell whether Jeremiah’s response to God in verses 16-25 were a prayer of a faith or one of questioning whether God would really restore Israel or not.  Maybe it was both. 

How often are we like the man who came to Jesus asking him to heal his son, and who, when Jesus challenged his faith, said, “I believe…Lord help my unbelief.”  (Mark 9:24)

That’s what Jeremiah seems to be doing here. 

“Lord, all things are possible with you.  Nothing is impossible for you.  Look!  You said that the Babylonians would come and lay siege to this city, and here they are.  It’s just as you said.  I believe!

“But now you’re saying that I should buy land because Jerusalem will be restored.  Really?  Is this really a wise investment?  Will it really be restored?”

Perhaps Jeremiah was not questioning God’s power to do so as much as he was questioning the people’s willingness to repent and turn back to him. 

They certainly had shown no such willingness when hearing Jeremiah’s warnings.

God answered by basically repeating back to Jeremiah what he had prayed.  But after proclaiming judgment on the people, he added,

I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.  They will be my people, and I will be their God.

I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. 

I will make an everlasting covenant with them:  I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 

I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.  (Jeremiah 32:37-41)

In short, God once again promised to bring the people back. 

But just as he promised in chapter 31, the restoration of the people’s hearts would be by his work, not their own.  He would be the one that would turn their hearts back to him.  And as they did, he promised blessing in their lives.

What can we get from all of this?

First, remember in our times of doubt, that God is looking out for our good. 

He wants to do good in our lives.  He rejoices in doing good in our lives.  If only we could remember that and believe that, it would be so much easier to trust him and obey him.

Second, God is constantly working within us to change us and make us the people he wants us to be.  A people he can bless. 

All we have to do is cooperate with him.  To say yes to him.  And as we do, we’ll find blessing.

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Jeremiah

No genie

genie lamp

We now shift scenes from Babylon, where Ezekiel was, back to Jerusalem, where Nebuchadnezzar had started his siege against Jerusalem.

When he came, Zedekiah panicked and immediately sent messengers to Jeremiah, asking him to pray for them.  This, after years of ignoring Jeremiah’s warnings of judgment.  His messengers said,

Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. 

Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us (Jeremiah 21:2).

Reading this, I very much get the impression that Zedekiah treated God like a genie. 

You stick him in a bottle, stashed away somewhere you can ignore him.  Then when trouble comes, you pull out the bottle, pop the cork, and expect that the genie will rescue you.

But God is no genie.  And basically, he told Zedekiah, “Forget it.  I myself am fighting against you.  I’m giving you into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and he will show you no mercy, pity, or compassion.” (3-7)

Still, God did offer them one last chance.  He told them that they could not escape judgment, but they could escape death.  All they had to do was one thing.  Trust him.  And obey him.

He said,

“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says:  See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 

Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.  But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. 

I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord.  It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’” (8-10)

In other words, “For once in your lives, believe me.  Believe me when I say judgment is inescapable.  And trust me.  I know it’s scary giving yourselves up and surrendering to your enemies.  But if you do, you will be saved.”

He went on to tell king Zedekiah, “Bring justice to your people as you’re supposed to.  And put away your pride.  It is these things that are bringing judgment upon you.”

But as we will see later, Zedekiah refused to do so.  When God refused to be his genie, Zedekiah walked away.  As a result, everything came crashing down around him.

How about you?  How do you regard God?  Do you regard him as your genie, expecting him to perform at the snap of your fingers? 

Or is he your God?  Do you trust him?  Do you put your faith in him to the point that you actually obey him?

So many people think that happiness comes from having your own way.  They think they’d be happy if only God would do what they wanted. 

But the truth is we’ll only be happy if we make him our God, trusting him and following him no matter what.

As the old song goes,

Trust and obey

For there’s no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
Than to trust and obey.

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Habakkuk

Trusting God in the midst of an evil world

Habakkuk

We hit yet another minor prophet here.

Habakkuk probably prophesied during the time of Jeremiah, and this book was probably written sometime during the reign of King Jehoiakim the son of Josiah.

Jehoiakim came to power (so to speak) when his brother Jehoahaz was dethroned by Egypt after a mere three months on the throne, and Egypt made Jehoiakim their puppet king.

And during his reign, Habakkuk was appalled at all the evil he saw going on in Judah.

Once again, the people of Judah had fallen into idolatry, and evil and injustice were rampant.

And so Habakkuk cried out to God saying,

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.

The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2–4)

Does this at all sound familiar to you?

The things Habakkuk saw in his day, we see in ours. Violence. Injustice. A legal system that at times seems paralyzed. Justice that is perverted.

And like so many people today, Habakkuk cried out to God, “Why? Why do you allow this? Why don’t you do something?”

How did God answer? He told Habakkuk that judgment was coming to Judah through the Babylonians.

Up until that time, Egypt and Assyria had been the main powers in the world.

But now Babylon was going to take their place of power, and through them, God would punish not only Judah, but the other nations for their sins. (Habakkuk 1:5–11)

At that point, Habakkuk said, “Wait a minute. The Babylonians are even worse than we are. And you’re going to use them to punish us? How can you allow them to swallow up those who are more righteous than they are?” (Habakkuk 1:12–13)

God basically answered Habakkuk, “Yes, even though they are more evil than Judah, I will use them to punish Judah as well as the other nations.

“But don’t worry about it, they will get theirs. Their day of judgment is coming too, and they will eventually be overthrown.” (Habakkuk 2)

But in the midst of all this, he tells Habakkuk and us something very important.

He says, “These Babylonians are all puffed up. They think they’re so great because of their power and might. As a result, they put their faith solely in themselves. But Habakkuk, the righteous person will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

It is the one verse that the apostle Paul quoted time and again. It was the verse that Martin Luther made as the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation.

And it was one of the main messages God was telling Habakkuk in the midst of a world of evil.

“Trust me. I am good. I am just. And I will make all things right.”

God told Habakkuk,

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2–3)

And after proclaiming judgment on Babylon, he told Habakkuk,

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

In other words, “Habakkuk, I am in control. It may not seem that way now. But I am. And all the earth will bow to me and my will. So Habakkuk, trust me.”

How does Habakkuk respond? He responds with praise and prayer.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

That’s how we should respond as we look at all the evil in this world.

Praise him. Remember his goodness. Remember what he’s done.

And then pray for revival in this fallen world, that God’s mercy might fall on us once again.

And as you do so, continue to walk in faith, trusting him. Habakkuk closes by saying,

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17–19)

Lord, this world is full of evil. I see it every day.

But Lord, help me to trust in you despite all the evil that is there. To believe that you are in control. To believe that one day justice will come.

Lord remember mercy on those who have fallen. Let me be your agent of mercy. And may I walk each day trusting you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Jeremiah

Honor, trust, and obedience

Jeremiah

I suppose it would be easy to just skip over this section in which God tells the Israelites to keep the Sabbath.  Easy because Paul wrote to the Christians at Colosse not to let people judge them concerning the Sabbath. 

I’ve written more on this here.

But I think there are some principals that we can take from this passage. 

The keeping of the Sabbath was something that the Israelites did that showed three things. 

It showed that they honored God as their creator.  They remembered his creative work and how on the 7th day he rested from that work. 

It also showed their trust in him.  They took a day off from work, trusting that God would provide their needs, even if they did so. 

And finally, it showed their obedience.  Trust and obedience are very much linked.  Without trust, it’s very difficult to obey God.

Unfortunately, the Israelites failed on all three counts. 

God told them, “If you will only keep the Sabbath, you will find blessing.  But if you don’t, judgment will come.” 

Why?  Because in violating the Sabbath, they failed to show honor towards God, they failed to trust him, and they failed to obey him, even in something that was pretty easy to do. 

Their failure to keep the Sabbath was but a symptom of the overall problem the Israelites had in their relationship with God.

How about you? 

Do you honor God with your life?  Do you remember all that he has done for you, and praise him for it? 

Do you trust him?  Do you trust that his way is best and that he really does want the best for you?  And do you obey him even in the little things?

That’s what God desired from his people.  And that’s what he desires from us. 

May we be a people that honors, trusts, and obeys him.

Categories
Jeremiah

Remaining fruitful in difficult times

Jeremiah

Let’s be honest.  Life can be difficult. 

Sometimes, it’s through no fault of our own.  Other times it’s directly related to bad decisions we make.

For the Israelites of Jeremiah’s time, they had brought trouble onto their own heads by turning their backs on God and going their own way. 

God told them,

Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. 

I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever.  (Jeremiah 17:4)

Jeremiah, on the other hand, was suffering through no fault of his own.  Rather, he was suffering for doing exactly what God told him to do, preaching the Word to a stubborn and rebellious people.

God gave this word to the Israelites, but I think it was just as much for Jeremiah’s encouragement, when God told him,

Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 

He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. 

He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 

He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. 

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:4-8)

In saying this, God condemned the Israelites for trusting in themselves, but encouraged Jeremiah at the same time. 

Basically, he said, “Jeremiah, I know things are tough.  But if you will trust in me and put your confidence in me, you will be blessed.  Even though your circumstances seem tough, you will always be fruitful for me.  Even if everyone else around you falls to these hard times, you will prosper.”

And God was as good as his word.  Though Jerusalem would eventually fall, God delivered Jeremiah.  Nebuchadnezzar himself gave orders that Jeremiah was to be taken care of and not harmed.  (Jeremiah 39:11-14)

This is not to say Jeremiah’s life was easy and that he lived a life of leisure.  But he was a man that lived a life that was fruitful despite everything that happened around him.

As we face the coming year, what difficulties are you going through?  Are they coming because you’ve turned your back on God? 

Now’s a good time to turn back.  To turn your back on your stubbornness  and sin, and to start trusting God again.

Are things going wrong even though you’re following God?  Keep trusting him.  Don’t get discouraged. 

And like Jeremiah, you will see a life that is fruitful and makes a difference in this world.

Isn’t that what we all want?

Categories
2 Chronicles 2 Kings Isaiah

Laying our problems before God

Kings,Chronicles, and Isaiah

Hezekiah had finally turned his heart back to God, but it was still troubling times for the people of Judah, as Assyria was still bent on taking Jerusalem.

But with his faith in God restored and perhaps taking heart from God’s promise of deliverance after his recovery from illness, Hezekiah told the people,

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 

With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.  (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

Upon hearing this, the people of Jerusalem were initially encouraged.

But that didn’t last long as the king of Assyria sent his field commander to intimidate them while the Assyrian army was laying siege to one of Judah’s major fortified cities, Lachish.

And as Satan is wont to do, Assyria’s field commander used a mixture of lies and truth to try to discourage the people. 

Basically he told them that Egypt couldn’t help them, that no nation had been able to stand against the Assyrians. None of these nations’ gods had been able to protect them from the Assyrians hands either. All this was true.

But then he said that God himself couldn’t help them, and that even if he could, he was really on the Assyrians’ side. He claimed that God himself had sent Assyria to attack Jerusalem. 

This especially was an interesting mix of truth and lies, the lie of course being that God couldn’t help them. 

But I do wonder if they had heard about all the words the prophets of God had warned Jerusalem with.  That Assyria would come and attack. 

It’s possible that they were saying, “See, even your own prophets told you we were coming.  God sent us to destroy you.”

This was of course conveniently ignoring the prophesies of Assyria’s own destruction and the fact that the reason God gave these warning was so that Jesusalem might repent and be saved.

Hezekiah immediately went to the temple upon hearing these words and through Isaiah the prophet was told once again that God would deliver them. 

When the Assyrians were forced to withdraw because of an attack by the Cushite king and his army, they sent word to Hezekiah basically saying (very Terminator-like), “We’ll be back.”

And they once again boasted of all they had done to the other nations.

What did Hezekiah do?  He took the letter out and spread it out before God.  Then he prayed,

O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 

Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 

It is true, O Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 

They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 

Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.  (Isaiah 37:16-20)

I think there are several things we can take from this prayer. 

First, when we are in trouble, the first thing we should do is remember who God is.  That he is God in heaven, and that he alone is God over all the earth.  That he is the creator and that he has the power to help us in our time of need.

Second, lay our problems before him.  Be completely honest with him about our needs and our doubts.

Finally, humble yourself and ask for his help.

And because Hezekiah did this, God heard him and delivered him.  He slaughtered the army of Assyria and then had its king killed  by his own sons.

What troubles are you going through in your life?  Remember that God is bigger than your troubles. 

Lay out your problems before him.  Ask for his deliverance.  And then trust him, doing exactly as he says. 

If you do, like Hezekiah, you will find God’s salvation in your life.

Categories
Micah

When there’s no one else we can count on

Micah

When trust has been broken, it can be hard to restore. Just ask anyone whose spouse has cheated on them.

Sometimes, when trust has been broken, it’s hard to trust anyone. We start to wonder if there’s anyone in this world we can count on.

That’s how Micah must’ve felt. He was in a land filled with violence and injustice. He was in a place where it was hard to trust anyone.

You couldn’t trust the leaders and the judges because they weren’t interested in justice. They were only interested in bribes.

And the corruption had seemingly dripped down to the entire population. Micah said,

The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains….

The best of them is like a brier, the most upright, worse than a thorn hedge. (Micah 7:2, 4)

Micah then adds,

Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words.

For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household. (Micah 7:5–6)

Pretty depressing words. But in the land where Micah lived, with all the corruption he saw, that’s how he felt.

And sometimes, we feel that way too. We wonder who we can trust.

But there is someone we can trust. Micah wrote,

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Though everyone else may fail us, God will not. Though everyone may turn their backs on us, God will never forsake us. And though everyone else may betray us, God will ever be faithful to us.

He sees. He hears. He knows. So let us watch in hope for him, waiting for him,

because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6)

Categories
Isaiah

Stubborn

Isaiah

When I received my training for teaching children, my instructor taught me that if you really want to get a point across, you should repeat it at least three times. 

The first time, they’re usually not really listening, the second time, they’re kind of listening, but by the third time, it’ll most likely stick.  With some children, though, even that’s not enough. 🙂

Anyway, three times certainly wasn’t enough for the people of Judah. 

Under king Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, they continually sought alliances with Egypt in order to keep Assyria at bay. 

King Hezekiah was a good king (one of the best ever in Judah, actually, as we will see later), but there were times during his reign when he faltered in his faith.  And instead of trusting God, he put his trust in his military alliances.

Time and again Isaiah warned him against this. 

In chapter 20, Isaiah even goes so far as to walk around naked for around three years.  (Whether fully naked or not, I’m not sure.  I hope not.) 

This was to be a sign of what would happen to the very people Hezekiah was trusting in.  That they would be taken as captives by Assyria, and that Judah and anyone else who put their trust in Egypt would also be put to shame.

In chapter 30, Isaiah warns them again, and calls Hezekiah and the people obstinate for going through with their alliance with Egypt, saying,

Woe to the obstinate children…to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin put sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge. (Isaiah 30:1-2)

Finally, in chapter 31, he warns them that Egypt will fall, and that if Judah continued to cling to this alliance, they would fall right along with them.

It was only when Hezekiah came to the end of his rope and Egypt proved to be a “broken reed” that he put his full trust in God.  And when he did, God delivered Judah.

The question is, why was he so stubborn?  More than that, why are we so stubborn? 

I really don’t know.  Maybe it’s pride; we feel we can deal with our own problems without God.  Maybe it’s fear that God won’t come through for us.

But how much better would our lives be if we would just trust God from the start.  How much better would it be if we would listen to him the first time and obey him.

Let us not be stubborn.  Let us not be obstinate as Hezekiah and the people of Judah were, clinging to their own plans, and sinning in the process. 

Rather, let us heed the warnings and admonitions of God the first time, and obey him.

Categories
Exodus

“Will you trust me?”

I would’ve hated to be Moses, trying to lead the people of Israel. 

For one thing, they had short memories. 

For another, they had ears that apparently didn’t hear very well.

Once again, the Israelites were grumbling against God and Moses, this time about not having food to eat.  They said,

If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!

There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.  (Exodus 16:3)

These were the same people who while they were in Egypt, groaned under their burden of slavery, and cried out to God for deliverance. 

But they had forgotten all about that and were instead dreaming about the food they had once had in Egypt.

Then God gives them bread from heaven.  But they couldn’t keep the simplest commands. 

“Gather only what you need for the day.  Don’t try to keep any leftovers.” 

So what did some of them do?  They tried to keep leftovers, only to have it spoil on them in the morning.

Then God says, “On every sixth day, gather food for two days.  There won’t be any bread on the seventh, so don’t go looking for it.” 

So what did some of them do?  They went searching in vain for bread on the seventh day.

It drove Moses crazy.

God got upset too, saying, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?”  (28)

Basically, God was saying, “Why won’t you trust me?  More than anything, I want your trust.” 

That’s why he told them to gather the manna every day.  It was teaching them to trust him for their daily needs.

God hasn’t changed in the thousands of years since.  He still desires a relationship with us where we have learned to trust him.

Our whole relationship with God needs to start with just that:  trust. 

When the Jews asked Jesus what they needed to do to please God, Jesus said,

The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.  (John 6:29)

He didn’t say the work of God was to read your Bible, pray, and go to church. 

These are all good things, mind you.  But Jesus said that what God really wants is for us to put our trust in his Son.

The Jews then demanded a sign, saying,

Moses gave us bread from heaven.  What will you give us? (John 6:30-31)

Jesus replied,

I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

In other words, to have true satisfaction in your soul and spirit, you need to go to Jesus. 

You need to put your trust in him for the forgiveness of your sins. 

You need to go to him in order to have a relationship with God.

And as long as you don’t, there will always be a part of you that’s empty, hungering and thirsting for something to fill that emptiness.

But just as the Israelites looked at the manna, and didn’t recognize it for what it was, when the Jews looked at Jesus, they didn’t recognize Jesus for who he was. 

Just as the Israelites looked at the manna and said, “What is this,” the Jews looked at Jesus and said, “Who are you?  You’re just a man.  We know your parents.  How can you say that you’re the bread that’s come down from heaven?” 

They refused to put their trust in him and ended up walking away from him.

How about you? 

Will you be like the Israelites and Jews who constantly went their own way, refusing to trust in God? 

Or will you be like Jesus’ disciples who said,

Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life. 

We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.  (John 6:68-69)

Will you put your trust in him to fill the emptiness of your soul? 

Will you put your trust in him to take care of your daily needs? 

Will you put your trust in him to lead you and guide you in this life?