Posts Tagged ‘Old Testament’
“So I forced myself…”
April 25, 2013 | 
Author “So I forced myself…” [25APR2013]
Reading: 1 Samuel 13:1—15:35
Reading today about Saul…
As I read about the actions and heart of Saul, I find similarities between his life and my own that I wish I did not. I’m willing to go out on a limb and say I’m probably not the only one, but I won’t project my thoughts on anyone else… at least not today, not in this post.
Reading in chapter thirteen, Saul had been given specific instructions by Samuel. The details of the instructions aren’t critically important, but Saul’s situation was deteriorating as was his patience. Saul felt as if he had to “do something,” so he did. Against Samuel’s instructions.
I think the interesting points I noted as I read this account was the wrestling it seems that Saul went through. It might not be obvious in the written account, but it certainly seems implied. It is evident that Saul knew his instructions because he waited as he had been told. Also, when he was confronted by Samuel, he began to explain himself and offer up an excuse…even to the point of projecting part of the blame on Samuel.
“When I saw that the people were slipping away, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering…” -1 Samuel 13:11 NRSV
Saul goes on to fully explain himself and then caps his excuse with the words that really caught my attention; “so I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:12).
“I forced myself;” says Saul. Some versions read, “I felt compelled…” In either event, what comes across to me is there was a deliberate weighing of a decision to choose against what he knew to do. “I forced myself.” Indeed. As I reflect on the choices of my life, if I am transparent, I have done exactly as Saul did in this account. There have been more than a few occasions when I have known the right thing to do and I deliberately chose a different path. Some of these decisions were not so obviously blatant rebellion against something I was instructed to do, but I think there have been times when I had a strong sense of what God wanted from me… I sensed the Holy Spirit guiding me and I felt “compelled to go a different direction.” Like Saul.
This attitude in itself is bad enough, but when confronted and rebuked by Samuel for his actions of insolence and disobedience, Saul appears to simply shrug off the rebuke and go his way.
“Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which he commanded you…’ And Samuel left and went on his way…” (1 Samuel 13:13-15)
There are a number of lessons here for consideration, not the least of which is Saul’s continuing downward spiral toward complete self-absorption. Saul continued to “force himself” to make the decisions he wanted to make and then justify his disobedience in words that were couched in religious pontifications. He always did what he did for the glory of God… so he said. Interestingly, every choice he made “for God” was against the instructions and commandments of God.
I think the primary lesson I’m taking from this reading today was how easy it was for Saul to first turn his back to God. I wonder if he had been repentant when first confronted by Samuel if there would have been a different outcome. I also think while this might have been an obvious transgression, there are probably less obvious acts each of us might wrestle with, “feeling compelled” to do what we want to do that ultimately take us in a direction other than where God wished to take us. Perhaps when I “force myself” to do things my way, I don’t turn 180 degrees from God… I just turn 45 degrees away from him. And the slide begins.
I don’t want this to be me, not even a little bit. I’m in a season of seeking God’s direction for a new chapter of life for me and my wife. I don’t want to be second-guessing God and justifying guesses with religious reasoning. I don’t want to pontificate as Saul did that by doing what he did he could glorify God all the more. Samuel responded to Saul’s dogmatic excuses with these words:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
I do not want to take for granted hearing the Word of the Lord to me. When I ask God’s direction, I want to hear Him speak. I want to act in obedience to all He speaks to me. I do not want to reject His Word. I think paying attention to the little decisions and acting with integrity with those choices might be preparations for the bigger decisions. Getting the little decisions right and obedient might be what helps deter me from “forcing myself” to do what I think best instead of choosing to wait and obey God.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Bible Journey-Reading, Old Testament, Shaping Me, Spirituality, The Christian Walk | 
Tags: Bible Speak, Discipleship, Obedience, Old Testament, Samuel, Saul | 
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Lent 2013: Abandoning the LORD — idol and idle worship
Lent 2013
Abandoning the LORD and idol or idle worship
Readings: Psalm 9, 139 ◊ Judges 1—21 ◊ Jer. 13:1—17:10 ◊ Matt. 21:43 ◊
…The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped the Baals; and they abandoned the LORD (Judges 2:11). …The Israelites did what was
evil in the sight of the LORD, forgetting the LORD their God, and worshiping the Baals and Asherahs (Judges 3:7). …As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites relapsed and prostituted themselves with the Baals… The Israelites did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side (Judges 8:33-34).
…The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, worshiping the Baals and Astartes, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. Thus they abandoned the LORD, and did not worship him (Judges 10: 6).
…In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
I think it is easy for us to hold this narrative at arms distance. We might be quick to say; “I don’t worship idols,” or “I do not forget or abandon the LORD.” I’m not entirely sure those arguments would be true for all of us.
Idol Worship
It is rather easy to make the ancient Israelites the bad guys of this story, but is not the story ours too? We distance ourselves from the offenses of the Israelites making distinctions between their ancient idols and our contemporary lifestyles. We might not see ourselves worshiping the god Baal, but during the time of the Judges, Baal was known as the god of nature. More particularly, Baal was the rain god, and subsequently the god of fertility since water was the source of life not only for humanity, but crops and livestock as well.
Asherah aka Astartes, was considered the mate of Baal and the highest-ranking female god. Known as the moon-goddess, she was also considered the god of love and war. The practice of Asherah worship was very sensual in nature and often consisted of ritual prostitution.
Personally, I don’t think it is too far of a reach to connect the idolatry of these ancient peoples to twenty-first century citizens. Nature worship, the War Machines and military complex, Sex Industry, Fertility gods (Wall Street, Financial Investment vehicles, Lottery, Gambling, and other get-rich opportunities), and a host of lesser gods (Entertainment industry, sports industry, and other personal hobbies) exist all around us. I think the reality of our situation is that we have not named these other gods of ours and personalized them.
We will push back against this indictment of idolatry saying, “But we have not abandoned the LORD!” Generally speaking, the ancient Israelites did not abandon the LORD either. In every instance that God turned them over to the care of their idols, when the Israelites were distressed enough, they would cry out for relief to the LORD, so they did remember Him. I think; once again, we are not different from those primitive worshipers who knew the LORD Almighty as their God, but chose to add a host of lesser gods to their collection.
Idle Worship
What does it look like to us that we would abandon the LORD for other gods? What is the context of this in our contemporary lives? How often are we guilty of not remembering the LORD our God? I think that for many of us, at least those of us who profess Christianity as our faith, the moment we walk out of our local church we forget the LORD. Others of us might keep God in the forefront of our minds even in the context of our home life, but the moment we walk out of the bubble of our homes each day we “forget” Him. Our attentions become directed elsewhere and our focus is realigned on the business of the day…often on the gods of happiness and personal survival who are often disguised versions of those ancient Baals and Asherahs.
The primary covenant command of our God was that we are to love him with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our strength. There was to be “no other god” but the LORD Almighty who is One God. Our attention and efforts are to always be “set aside” or sanctified holy unto the LORD our God. While many of us will agree to these covenant stipulations (Israel did too) and believe we are currently living in agreement with them, we will make the distinction that we live in a world that is both secular and sacred. How can this be? We will profess that we embody the Living Spirit of God—the Spirit of God indwells the heart/life of the disciple-believer of Christ. We profess that where God is, that is sacred or holy ground. If then, we embody the Spirit of God, wherever we go and whatever we do as Spirit-filled people, the place we are and the “thing we do” is sacred… or it should be… if we are living as God intended.
Have we become idle worshipers? Is our faith so passive and fragile that we succumb to the lesser gods that society surrounds us with? I think a sad truth is that we have bought into the self-deception that many of these lesser gods are not so bad. As long as we talk with more passion about the LORD that will mean we keep these lesser gods in check. Unfortunately, as is the case with radiation, small doses are just as lethal as the massive doses… one just takes longer to kill than the other.
Another story included in the Book of Judges is the life of a man named Samson (Judges 13:1—16:31). Samson, like us, became an idle worshiper and took his position and his relationship with God for granted. He assumed all was well because he “knew” the LORD. He gambled his very life on this relationship, but he did very little to maintain the health of it. Near the end of Samson’s life a tragic thing happened; he presumed one too many times that God would be with him in spite of his passive relationship (idle worship) with God. What happened follows:
When he [Samson] awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him (Judges 16:20).
What a tragic statement; “He did not know that the LORD had left him.” Do we deceive ourselves as Samson did? Do we make assumptions about our relationship with God thinking it is healthy when we surround ourselves with lesser gods…even if telling ourselves we do not? How high is the LORD in my priority list of life? Do I truly love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength or do I excuse myself by proclaiming “I’m trying to get there…”? The choices I make each day express my trust and my understanding of God. My faith and what I base my faith in, is made manifest by how I live out my days.
I, Yahweh, search the heart, test the motives, to give each person what his conduct and his actions deserve. (Jer. 17:10)
“I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Matt. 21:43)
The Lenten season is a time to take real inventory of my life and relationship with God. It is a time to turn fully in the direction that takes me toward Him alone. Now is not the time to be an idol worshiper or an idle worshiper. He calls. We answer. What will our answer be?
Our Prayer
Yahweh, you examine me and know me, you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar. You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct. God, examine me and know my heart, test me and know my concerns. Make sure that I am not on my way to ruin, and guide me on the road of eternity. (Psalm 139:1-3, 23-24)
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto you.
Lent 2013: Fully Devoted
Lent 2013
Fully Devoted
Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1—30:20
“But if you will not obey the LORD your God…then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you… Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and with gladness of heart for the abundance of everything.” (Deuteronomy 28:15, 45-47)
I proceed with my reading through the Book of Deuteronomy and find the words in chapter twenty-eight absolutely chilling. The chapter begins with God reestablishing His covenant promises with the people of Israel and declaring a blanket of blessing over their lives and livelihoods. All the people of Israel need do is enter into faithful relationship with God and follow the righteous path for living he has instructed for them. The way of blessing is fairly straight-forward, so God’s instructions continue with an explanation for what happens to the people who fail to enter into faithful relationship Him.
It is difficult to fathom the depth and breadth of the curses God announces to the Israelites, but there is something I have considered as I’ve thought about this narrative account. I wonder how much the curses were actual peals of punishment upon the disobedient as opposed to the promised, and natural, fruit of their sin and disobedience. I think the answer might be in-between, but I also lean toward these being natural (according to the rule of God’s righteousness) occurrences based on the legacy of disobedience and selfish promotion.
Several additional readings have been strongly influencing my reflections and meditations. These readings are from Oswald Chambers (The Relinquished Life), Thomas `a Kempis (The Royal Road), and various excerpted writings from Henri Nouwen. The common theme with all these writings is the desire for utmost devotion from us toward our LORD and God.
“There will always be many who love Christ’s heavenly kingdom, but few who will bear his cross. Jesus has many who desire consolation, but few who care for adversity. He finds many to share his table, but few who will join him in fasting. Many are eager to be happy with him; few wish to suffer anything for him. Many will follow him as far as the breaking of bread, but few will remain to drink from his passion. Many are awed by his miracles, few accept the shame of his cross.” -Thomas `a Kempis
Total and complete devotion is what God desires in us. We will be the victims and bearers of our own sin, if we are unwilling to deny self and follow Christ.
A Prayer
Most holy God of heaven, you who paint the shining center of the sky with the brightness of fire, illumine our hearts, banish sordid things,, release the chain of guilt, and make void our crimes. O God, hear my cry! From the end of the earth I call. Let me dwell in you tent for ever. For You, O God, hear my prayer. I will always praise your Name.
+ In the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Posted in Bible Speak, Lent, Lent 2013, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Shaping Me, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Deuteronomy, Henri Nouwen, Jesus, Lent, Lent 2013, Moses, Old Testament, oswald chambers | No Comments »
Reading Scripture: Jeff’s Journal 13Nov2012
Reading Scripture: Jeff’s Journal 13Nov2012
Sharing a couple pages from my journal after reading the selections from the Daily Office Year Two (Book of Common Prayer). I started the book of the Prophet Joel and continue reading from the Gospel of Luke. My reflections follow:
“Cleansing the Temple”
A terrible thing has happened… the people of God have failed to live in right relationship with him. We know this because Joel calls the people to repentance; “Turn back to God…” (see Joel 2:12-14). What I read that is most tragic to me is the curse and devastation is so massive and far-reaching that it completely prevents the people from worshiping God in the way they have previously known and the way worship has been prescribed for centuries. There was a certain protocol for worship; there were certain sacrificial offerings for the remittance of sin requiring grain, oil, wine, and specific animals. Because of the devastation that had befallen the people, this form of worship and sin offering was not an option.
8 Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband. 9 For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the LORD… 10 The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone. 13 …For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God. (Joel 1:8-10, 13)
I am familiar with the Book of Joel, so I know the people are called to repent and turn back to God…and the LORD makes provision to do this despite the people’s inability to follow Temple protocol. The heart-breaking observation here is the realization of how disorienting and disheartening this loss of identity…this stripping away of self must be to the Hebrew people. Not only are their lives disrupted to the point of famine and ruin, but the thing they “know” to do (go to the Temple and offer sacrifices in a show of repentance), they cannot do.
I wonder if this is an example of and call to “die to self?” Is this God helping his people to strip away and remove a false identity? I think it is possible.
The people of God had relied upon their Temple worship as a means of supporting their relationship with God for generations. It seems the relationship that came with sharing the Dwelling Place of God had been taken for granted and was being used as a means to an end. When the people were backed into a corner or they felt “God was angry,” the thing to do was find a priest, offer sacrifices, appease the “angry god,” and move on. It is true that God had been the originator of the rules for Temple worship, but it was the people who had subverted what God had intended for good. In the process of subversion, the people had lost the thing that set them apart from the surrounding nations; they had lost their relationship with God.
I wonder if this might be a foreshadowing of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple.
…For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
“Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Exclaims a man who is listening to the teaching of Jesus (Luke 14:15).
Jesus taught his disciples to pray; “Lord give us this day our daily bread…” It seems to me, that one of God’s greatest delights is the communion of fellowship. The unity and fellowship of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is (I think) the greatest example of this perfect unity and communion, but God also reveals His passion for relationship and desire for communion with humanity in number of ways. The Bible teaches us about the joy God derives from walking with man as His friend (think Enoch, Abraham, and Moses as a few examples). We are taught about God “dwelling” in the tents of men (Moses and the Tabernacle in the wilderness). God enjoying sharing meals (with Abraham, providing manna for the Israelites for 40 years, Jesus’ delight in sharing food and wine…). Clearly, ours is a God of relationship, One who enjoys creating memories, traditions, a living history and shared heritage—feasts, festivals, dancing and singing with His cherished Creation. There really seems nothing that gives God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit greater joy than to “hang out” with His children… and it seems He also likes to provide “fresh bread” for the most of these gatherings.
“Give us this day our daily bread, we pray”
In the reading of Luke 14:15-24, I see a tragic parallel to our contemporary world. I hear a man exclaim how great it is to “eat and fellowship with God.” This doesn’t seem too far removed from conversations and the words of Christians in our world today. We might find ourselves in a Christian gathering or a church potluck and proclaim how wonderful it is to be in the presence of God, eating and sharing our blessings together, but Jesus offers a raw look into what is all-too-often our real world.
Jesus tells the people at his table about a man (God) who has prepared an elaborate banquet—a great feast—for which he has sent out many invitations. When the time draws near for the date of the banquet, many RSVPs are returned with excuses and reasons for people unable to attend; “They all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’” (Luke 14:18-20).
This parable is some two-thousand years old, but it seems that not much has changed. When I have the opportunity to spend devoted time with God, how often have sent him my RSVP with words like, “I’d love to go to church or read my Bible, but I have to work; I have chores at home; it’s my only day off; I have family obligations…”?
“Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
God has provided us with a banquet of fellowship fit for a king and unrivaled by anything imagined in the history of humankind. We have unparalleled access to God through the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit and His written Word to us. How can we justify not taking the time or making the time to fellowship with the Creator of All Things?
I think an even greater tragedy is how easy it becomes for us to take for granted this access to God and the “daily bread” He has prepared for us. As the people in the time of Joel took for granted their access to, and relationship with, God, He took that access away from them.
“…For there is no grain or wine to worship in the Temple of God.” Joel 1:13
In Jesus’ parable, so it happens also. If we fail to enter his fellowship… our fellowship, our access to the banquet and Bread of God may result with us being denied entry.
“For none of these I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.” Luke 14:24
May we never take for granted the gift of daily bread from our Heavenly Father. Blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God. Amen.
They Despised the Pleasant Land
“They Despised the Pleasant Land” (Psalm 106:24)
“Yet he saved them for his Name’s sake… He saved them from the hand of the foe… Then they believed his words; they sang his praise, but they soon forgot his works; and they did not wait for his counsel. They had a wanton craving… He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. Then they despised the pleasant land, for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.” Ps. 106:8-15, 24-25
My goodness! There is a lot here to chew on.
Talk about making yourself vulnerable… Here our omniscient, all-knowing God determines to reveal himself in power, in presence, and in deed to a people who will receive him, and worship him, adore him and reject him, praise him…and forget him. He knows this, but he draws near anyway. He makes promises and delivers on them for his own Name’s sake. He makes covenant with himself because he knows the people he wishes to covenant with won’t keep the promise. Who are these forgetful and tasteless people? Let’s point a finger. Let us also be sure we are in front of the mirror before we point; however, because we are those people.
The people the psalmist reminds us of are the Hebrew people making their exodus from Egypt. Here they escape the oppression and bondage of many generations of slavery. Their God had promised their ancestor, Abraham, possession of a beautiful land and prosperous community—the object of their dreams for centuries—here it was before them.
As beautiful as some dreams may be, most of them are only realized through a cost that is sometimes proportional to the dream itself (ie., the bigger the dream, the bigger the cost). I’m not saying this is some divine law, but it seems to be a somewhat common experience. In this case and particularly in the case of those who profess the way of Judeo-Christian faith, there are some additional dynamics to consider.
Most Christians confess that God is omnipotent, sovereign, good, omniscient, and loving. In the case of the Hebrew people, God had shared a plan that he had expressed to Abraham (the patriarch of the Hebrew people) that was good. We believe God knew every detail of his plan and was in the very details himself. Most Christians believe that God even knew how people would respond at each point of the unfolding of his plan. God had promised Abraham his progeny would be blessed; he had promised an inheritance to Abraham’s offspring that would include land, prosperity, and much more. The cost of this blessed inheritance would be patience, trust, and faith in all the confessed attributes and promises of the God who was a friend of father Abraham. The point to remember here is this; God is good and promised good and although the specifics and the path to the “goodness” might be costly and difficult, in the end, all would be good according to the character and Name’s sake of God.
Repeatedly the Hebrew people complained and distrusted God. They were even willing and eager to return to slavery under the Egyptians. Ultimately, they not only rejected the Promised Land God had delivered them to, and it to them, they outright refused to obey the commands of God; “they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.“
The irony of this situation is found in our ability to identify the fault of the Hebrew people without seeing the parallel and similarities in our personal journeys and exodus delivery with God.
I do not think I stand alone when I consider the times that I have refused to wait upon the LORD and moved ahead with my own plans and agenda when God was not moving fast enough for me. I suppose had I been in the company of Hebrew people leaving Egypt, I might have been content to wander and find my own land to settle in or maybe I would have ran back to Egypt like many were suggesting. I know when times have been tough (work, family, relationships, economy, etc.), I have often been quick to blame and complain about leadership—not trusting God with a plan, not being patient and developing a mature faith—not very different than the Hebrew people I’ve criticized as being weak.
I know there have been countless times when I have cried out to God with “wanton” cravings, impatient and dissatisfied with what He has provided me. I wonder; how many times did God give to me what I asked for and a wasting disease creeped into my life with my “answered prayer.”
I do not want to reflect or consider that I stood before a “promised land” in my life and looked upon it with disdain refusing to walk into it. It may have been an opportunity of some sort, a change in life direction, a career change, new relationships, or any other myriad circumstance… but I was hardheaded and hard-hearted. I saw the prospect before me as difficult…filled with warrior giants… I didn’t want to work for the promises much less trust a God who made me wait without clarity—a God who gave me what was good for me and not what I wanted. How many times did I turn around from the beautiful promises of God, stumble back into my tent to grumble and complain against Him?
The saddest thing of all in this reflection is realizing the countless times I may have done this without even realizing it. This thought terrifies me. I never want to miss another direction or opportunity to know God more. I’m thankful for the presence of God in my life now who teaches me to hear his voice and learn his gentle guiding ways. I am prayerfully hopeful that I will not be one who ever “despises the pleasant land again.” By His grace, I pray this.
My prayer today from the prayer book of the Irish Jesuits:
In the silence of my innermost being, in the fragments of my yearned-for wholeness, can I hear the whispers of God’s presence? Can I remember when I felt God’s nearness?—when we walked together and I let myself be embraced by God’s love. I ask for grace to let go of my own concerns and be open to what God is asking of me, to let myself be guided and formed by my loving Creator. I exist in a web of relationships—links to nature, people, God. I trace out these links, giving thanks for the life that flows through them. Some links are twisted or broken: I may feel regret, anger, and disappointment. I pray for the gift of acceptance and forgiveness. Remembering that I am in God’s presence, I imagine Jesus standing or sitting by me, I turn to him and I ask his forgiveness for the times I have despised him in my ignorance or in my awareness. I ask for his assistance to help me become the person he desires me to be. I ask him to help me learn what it means to be in relationship with him that is whole and eternally life giving. I praise him and I thank him for the wonderful gift he is to me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Ass it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, World without end. Amen.
Posted in Becoming the Word, Bible Journey-Reading, Bible Speak, Psalms, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality | Tags: Bible Speak, Old Testament, Psalm 106, Psalms, Spiritual Formation | No Comments »
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 5
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:10-14; Luke 8:9-18
“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity…”
I’ve known about Jesus all my life, at least for as long as I can remember. My religious life and my ability to “walk with Jesus” for much of the first thirty-seven years of that time (I am now forty-eight) was start and stop, filled with highs and lows, and more often than not—filled with deception, incongruity, and frustration. And then, all that changed; instead of knowing about Jesus, I actually got to know him.
There is something about the dynamic with which God desires his people to relate with him. Early in the unfolding revelation of the God and man relationship, one of the most important instructions is received with the following words; “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). Our falling short of this mandate has proved to be the weak link in our ability to walk in fullness of experiencing and reflecting God’s kingdom on earth. I know it was the reason for my thirty-seven years of weak representation of Christian living. What changed for me was the sum of what many of these collective devotional writings of the past couple weeks represent—total devotion and desire to seek God wholeheartedly with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I don’t profess to have the Christian walk mastered, not by a long shot, but mastering the Christian walk is not the command…seeking God and loving God wholeheartedly, whole-mindedly, whole-strengthedly, and whole-souled is. True spiritual renewal requires wholehearted participation, surrender and obedience.
Jesus speaks some very challenging and difficult words to his disciples when they ask him about why he speaks in parables. In Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower. After sharing the Parable, Jesus tells them the following:
His disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” (Luke 8:9-10 – compare Matthew 13:13-15)
Jesus actually says he uses parables so that those who aren’t really searching won’t find him. He makes it more clear following his explanation of the parable when he very specifically warns his disciples; “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them” (Luke 8:18). Making our search for God and relationship with God a part-time affair or compartmentalized hobby is simply unacceptable to God. He tells us his very Name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). Halfhearted searching for God usually results in a god of our own making; however, seeking wholeheartedly will be met with fulfillment of God’s promise to find him and finding the one True God makes all the difference in the world in the life of a Christian…I know it has for me.
Our Prayer: O Gracious and Mighty God, help us to desire you more than anything else. We are so easily distracted, but you call us to seek you and love you wholeheartedly. You tell us this is the only acceptable way to find you and love you. Our spirit wants you, but our flesh is often weak, so we pray for strength to follow our spirit as we strive to crucify our flesh daily in our effort to seek and follow you.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Bible Speak, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Old Testament, Shaping Me, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Devotions, Discipleship, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Jeremiah, Old Testament, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | No Comments »
[25APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[25APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 4
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 2:11-18 (see also—Neh. 3-6)
The Book of Nehemiah is a great representation of spiritual renewal. The people of God, the nation of Judah, lay in ruins. This once great nation had lost its identity and was full of shame, embarrassment, guilt, and was without hope. They had realized the repercussions of their sin through the words of the prophets, the sacking of their land, and the exile of their people, but Nehemiah had hope. Nehemiah prayed. Nehemiah examined the situation. Nehemiah made a plan. Nehemiah put his plan into action. Nehemiah did not allow challenges to thwart his plan. Nehemiah, with the aid of God Almighty, saw his plan to completion.
A few of the most important things for us to recognize from these past few days of reading and prayer is that spiritual renewal does not happen in a void or on its own. True spiritual renewal begins with obedient surrender to God the Holy Spirit and depends on His guidance. Spiritual renewal also requires active participation with you taking responsibility for your spiritual growth and well-being; it is intentional, and it is contingent on deliberate planning. Spiritual renewal is also best done in community.
Nehemiah can be a great inspiration and model for our own spiritual renewal. As we read and learned in yesterday’s devotional reading, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. There is also the expectation that we share in the partnership and responsibility to keep the divine nature inside us burning brightly—fanning our own flames. As we bear these thoughts in mind, we take a prayerful and honest examination of our hearts, attitudes, and habits listening closely to the Spirit of God who provides us with direction for our next steps… our plan. If this is something you are uncomfortable doing on your own, perhaps contacting a trusted Christian friend and asking help might be the “first” next step for you. The most important part of your “next step” is taking one.
Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem in 52-days by hearing from God, assessing the needs, implementing a plan, and enlisting the support of his community. What might you be able to do in the same time using the same model?
Examine your spiritual life and disciplines that support it. Are you operating a plan for your spiritual development at this moment? Are you satisfied with where you are in your current relationship with Jesus? Do you sense there are changes that need implemented in your current plan? Is there margin in your life to add structure and spiritual discipline to it? Will you need to stop or remove certain hobbies or activities in order to begin new ones that might be necessary for spiritual renewal?
Our Prayer: O Gracious Lord, thank you for your gift of guidance. Thank you for providing me with a plan to set me on the path of spiritual renewal. I confess that I need more of you in my life. I desire to grow fully mature and lacking nothing that you desire for me. I pray, O Lord, that you would help me to hear your voice and surrender myself in complete obedience to your direction. I ask also that you would put the right people in my path who might inspire and help me as I put my plan for renewal in action. Amen.
[19APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[19APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 5
Scripture Reading: Genesis 32:22-32, 47:27-31; Exodus 13:17-22
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God…”
Something that has occurred to me as I’ve studied and meditated on the idea of repentance is that it isn’t just a “change” or “turn.” Repentance is also “on the move.” If all we do is turn and stay where we are, we’ll end up with our “bones scattered over the desert” and never arrive at the destination of our journey (see again from Wk. 1-Day 2. Hebrews 3:1-19). In fact, if we’re not moving, we’ll never have journeyed at all.
While I might be stretching the metaphor a teeny bit, I think we can see this moving repentance in the lives of some of the patriarchs of our faith. Abraham was one of the first fathers of our faith we encounter and see moved by their repentance; Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all followed their fathers and grandfathers in this moving experience. With each of these examples, we see men who are moved… their minds are changed and their directions reoriented so they are always on the move. Abraham had been given a promise—a destination which he never fully realized, but he trusted God and he allowed God to continue moving him…literally, living as a nomad in a land that was not fully his own, but also moving closer to the presence and image of God as he matured spiritually. Isaac, son of Abraham, appears to have followed the lifestyle of his father as he and his family also moved under the influence and guiding hand of God. The life of Jacob provides us with a clearer picture of what personal repentance looks like and the ultimate effect it has on a person who remains submitted and surrendered to God. Jacob, born with the name “deceiver” comes face-to-face with God. During the course of this epic wrestling match, Jacob is changed and given a new name, Israel (means God fights). The rest of Jacob’s life is spent in surrender to the will and way of God…with the visible evidence of this surrender seen in a limp he obtained from a busted hip when he wrestled with God. Other evidence of Jacob’s surrender is seen through his humility and obedience to God. When Jacob “turned” he “changed” and was “on the move” for the remainder of his life…on the move from place to place physically and also spiritually as God revealed more of Himself to Israel.
Repentance isn’t static and it doesn’t come with tent stakes. With a change of heart, mind, and direction comes new destination coordinates. While the destination may seem the ultimate goal, it is the journey of transformation that fuels us onward and upward; thus, it too becomes part of and just as important as the ultimate goal. The journey is often as important as the destination. Jacob and Joseph knew this and it is the reason they made their sons promise not to leave their bones in Egypt. Four hundred and seventy years later, their bones were delivered into the Promised Land. Repentance: it changes us, turns us and reorients our direction, and ultimately moves us into God’s promises. Are you moving closer to God? Is your repentance more static or more moving? How would you describe your journey of change?
Our Prayer Lord, I admit that sometimes when we have “wrestled” and I have surrendered to You, I’ve felt that is the extent of my responsibility. I haven’t realized I needed to move, and part of my submission and repentance included moving or ongoing transformation. I prefer the relaxed feeling that comes with “arriving.” I know now that I need to keep moving…with You and closer to You until you bring me to the place You want me to be. Amen.
[18APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[18APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 4
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 (for comparison—also 2 Kings 21:1-18)
“But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him…”
Manasseh was a very bad man. Really bad…unadulterated evil kind of bad. Part of the narrative of Manasseh’s life reads as follows: “But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the LORD had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land.” (2 Chronicles 33:9)
Based on the list of things Manasseh did, I’m not sure there is a greater degree of evil a person can attain; he pretty much covered every detestable act a person could conceive. Yes, Manasseh was a very wicked man and I emphasize this for a reason. Personally, I haven’t committed the atrocities of Manasseh, but there are numerous choices I have made and things I have done which I regret. Some of these things, I wondered at the time if God would forgive me of them…or if He would forgive me, how long it might be before I received complete absolution or what I might have to do to get my sins absolved. It is for this reason that stories like Manasseh’s bring me great hope.
The story reveals the great wickedness of Manasseh and goes on to tell us “the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people but they ignored all his warnings” (2 Chr 33:10). At this point, God was fed up with Manasseh’s evil ways and sent the Assyrian armies in to take him captive. That is what happened and Manasseh ended up in a Babylonian prison. It was here that Manasseh became despondent, “deeply distressed” the Bible says, and he “sought the LORD” and “humbled himself greatly before Him” (2 Chr 33:12). Here we are witness to the humility that comes with repentance, but Manasseh’s “change of heart” didn’t begin and end with this act of humility and contrition. The story continues with “the LORD listening to Manasseh and becoming moved by his request.” Manasseh was returned to Jerusalem where he initiated changes to clean house and restore the kingdom as a people under the LORD alone.
There were still repercussions for the wickedness of Manasseh’s actions prior to his repentance just as there are repercussions for the choices we make outside of God’s designs. If I am completely transparent, there are still elements of my past that bring me regret, but my regret is overshadowed by the joy I have received since offering my heart to God through my own repentance. And, I suppose, this is the most important aspect of this story to me. Not only has it given me hope, but whether great or small, I have experienced the same forgiveness and heart-cleansing for my sins as Manasseh did for his.
Have you ever thought there are things in your life that God could not or would not forgive? Have you ever hesitated asking God’s forgiveness because of your doubt? Do you ever feel like it’s futile to “change your mind and turn back to God” because of the things you have done?
Our Prayer: Father God, thank you for the great forgiveness you extend to those with repentant hearts. Sometimes I have thought my sins too big, my wickedness too great, and distance between us too far for me to turn back. I see now this is not true. I see that you are sensitive to the humble heart. I offer my heart and the sins I have held back from you today and ask you to cleanse me and help me to make the changes in my life that need to be made as I turn back to you.
More Quick Hits from Genesis
[18JAN2012] More Quick Hits from Genesis
♦ Genesis 11-35 (Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob)
I’m still in Genesis, reading chronologically through the Bible for the 2012 year. I’ve been journaling many or most of the things that have “jumped out” at me during my reading, but haven’t quite had the time to develop them into blog posts. I do plan on fleshing out my thoughts on some of these points, but I won’t be able to capture them all… that is, if I want to stay on track with my reading schedule. So, I’ll make this “Quick Hits” post a recurring feature of the blog for this year during my chronological journey (see my first Genesis Quick Hits here).
Today’s quick hits covers much of the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…
- Gen. 11:31-32 -One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.
Can’t help but wonder about Terah. The Bible doesn’t say if he was someone that heard from God. I’ve got to think that he had some relationship with Him though… He must have introduced Abram to God at some point in his upbringing. I can’t help but imagine that Terah may have set out for Canaan on a similar quest as Abram would years later. The difference though, may be that Terah couldn’t find the deep and abiding trust that Abram found in God… the type of belief and trust that God counted as righteousness to Abram-Abraham. Perhaps this didn’t happen at all the way I imagine it. One thing we know for certain though… Terah was headed for Canaan, the land of Promise, the land that God did bequeath to Abraham and all his following generations. Terah stopped in Haran, put down roots and never pressed on in his journey. As a result of Terah’s “stopping the journey” he never saw the land of promise…he died still in Haran. I don’t want to be a Terah. I want to be an Abram/Abraham. O God, break me…and make me a foreigner wherever You will; transform me and change my name so it reflects the description of a man who believes You and Your Word. Amen.
- Gen. 12:1, 4, 7, 10 -The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.” So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed… Then the LORD appeared to Abram… a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
This represents an interesting sequence of events to me: The LORD spoke to Abram, Abram believed and obeyed the LORD, The LORD appeared to Abram (establishing a covenant of relationship), and Abram’s trust in God is put to test as he is “forced down to Egypt where he lived as a foreigner.”
Abram’s life and God’s apprenticeship over Abram/Abraham seems to repeat itself with eerily similar fashion over and over and over again with other men and women in the Biblical narrative. I have read and heard stories of this repeated style of mentoring disciples and friends of God throughout history as well. I have experienced similarities in the sequence of Abram’s mentorship in my own life too. Perhaps my storyline is not as dramatic as the storylines of Abraham, Moses, King David, or the apostle Paul (to name a few), but the voice, hand, and guidance of God’s leadership is no less significant and no less real. Additionally, just as with Abraham, the testing of my faith and gentle pressure from God come to me so I might fully mature in the likeness and image of Christ.
- Gen. 12:10 -…a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
Egypt: In the Bible, Egypt has historically been a metaphor for sin… representing bondage, oppression, and persecution. The Bible also teaches us that we were not originally created as people ruled by sin. When I read the words from Gen. 12:10 I thought we will always live as foreigners and sojourners while in and under the circumstances of bondage—this is a place that people of God, the friends of God, do not belong. While on this earth on this side of eternity, we will all find ourselves in “Egypt” living as foreigners. The promise of Christ and the work of His atoning grace is that we are also people of the deliverance. We won’t always live as foreigners—we are sojourners for a season, but even in our nomadic wandering feeling as though we are without a home… God is Present and with us bringing with Him comforting guidance as we are prepared for our final rest.
…”living as a foreigner” will continue to show up as we continue our journey through Genesis, especially through the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Gen. 15:1-10 -in this passage of Scripture we are told “Abraham believed and the LORD counted him righteous because of his faith.” God promises Abraham that He will be with him, protection, land, and many descendents. And, Abraham asks God “How can I be sure of these things…”
- Gen. 17:15-18; 18:12 -in these passages God tells Abraham he’ll have a son through Sarah—Abraham “laughs” to himself in disbelief (Gen. 17:17). Later, Sarah hears the Word of God saying again and affirming she will have a child; Sarah “laughs” silently to herself…
Just recently I was reading the Christmas Story in the Gospel of Luke and was intrigued by the parallel of events between the lives of Zechariah and Mary (Luke 1:5-80). What captured my attention were the questions posed by Zechariah and Mary to the angel Gabriel. Both wondered how the prophetic blessings Gabriel announced would happen to them, but the response of Gabriel to Zechariah was very different than the response to Mary. Similarly, as in the case with Abraham and Sarah, both of them “laugh” and question with disbelief the word of God concerning their own prophetic blessing of a child between them. The response of God to Abraham was very different than the response Sarah received. I want to consider this further in prayer and meditation and hopefully answer some of the questions I have; “What are the differences between Abraham and Sarah’s questions?” “What are the differences between Zechariah and Mary’s questions?” “We often have questions, doubts, and disagreements with God; how do these interactions relate or mirror the accounts of Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah, and Mary?”
- Ishmael and Father Abraham…
Gen. 21:17-18, 20 - “God called to Hagar from heaven, ‘Hagar, do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying… Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.’” “…and God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness.”
Gen. 25:5-6 - (Abraham’s “other” descendants) “Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east away from Isaac.”
Gen. 25:9 - In this passage Ishmael and Isaac come together so they might bury their father Abraham. The text doesn’t allude to any conflict or tension between the two men.
Gen. 28:6-9 - Apparently there is some degree of interaction and relationship between the House of Isaac and the House of Ishmael. In this passage we see Esau visiting “Uncle Ishmael” to get a wife… a wife that would be scorned by his parents Isaac and Rebekah
I don’t know what all of this means or if it means anything at all; I’m certainly not finished thinking on it. I do believe that my awareness of the tension between the Islamic world, Jewish world, and Christian world has made me a bit more sensitive to what the Bible might say about these relationships. I do know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is also the God of Ishmael…and subsequently the God of Islam regardless of how the character and nature…and identity of God may have been subverted or redefined by them or their ancestors. I’m not sure how this transcends to the world we live today, but my guess is that it is relevant and should not be dismissed. Ultimately, I know that Jesus is God and He died to reconcile all of humanity to himself.
- Gen. 26:2-5 - The LORD appeared to Isaac: “Do as I tell you. Live as a foreigner in this land, and I will be with you. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”
“Live as a foreigner in this land”
- Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel— Gen.25:21; 29:31; 30:2 - A distinguished, if not imperfect, group of women who all experienced lengthy spans of “barrenness.” Each of these women took very long times to conceive and give birth to children. These were also the matriarchs of the covenant promise children of Abraham. For so many years of their lives their wombs “seemed” as though they were “closed” – closed until the fullness of God’s timing was realized. When the fullness of time arrived, God’s fruit is delivered.
I think this is true today as much as it was in the above mentioned accounts. I should never become impatient with what seems like unfulfilled promises…faded hopes…old dreams. God’s promises are true and will bring fruit in due time; my responsibility is to continue to pray and remind myself that God’s timing is everything…and always perfect; no matter how tiring or trying the wait may be for me. Trust, believe, and obey… this is my role. What seems on the outside, barren and without hope can bring forth life in the “fullness of time.” Thus says the LORD; “it is I who brings forth rivers in the desert where there were none before…”
-Something like 20 years elapse from the time Jacob first encounters God at Bethel and when God speaks to him telling him to return to the land of Canaan. We don’t know for sure if God spoke to Jacob during those twenty years or not (the text does not say), but we do know God was active and with Jacob preparing him for the return to Canaan and the fulfillment of the His (God’s) covenant promise to Abraham.
Points:
- God is present always.
- God is working always.
- God’ “speaks,” “affirms,” and “reaffirms” with his presence and with his working in our lives
In the midst of Jacob’s oppression and mistreatment by Laban, God was blessing Jacob to overflowing while purposefully fulfilling his covenant will.
God’s mercy “overflowed” on to the house of Laban in not just blessings of protection and wealth, but God even appeared to Laban in a dream warning him to do no harm to Jacob…ultimately sparing his (Laban’s) life.
- Gen. 32:1, 9-12, 22-32
-Angels of God come to meet Jacob on his way back to the land of Canaan. It seems Jacob is on a path to learning humility. He is reminded of his covenant promise to God he had originally made on his first stop through Bethel. He reaffirms his covenant… Inspired by fear and obedience??? Jacob learns humility. Jacob willingly surrenders himself to God and his brother Esau; he refers to himself as “servant” of Esau. Jacob wrestles with God and emerges “forever humbled” with a crippling limp that remains with him the remainder of his life.
- Gen. 33:10 - “…what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is seeing the face of God.” -Jacob to his brother Esau
I wonder about this statement of Jacob and I am curious how often we might observe “the face of God” in others when we approach them with humility while walking in obedience before our God.
- Gen. 35:1-3, 9-15, 27 - “So Jacob told everyone in his household, ‘Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourself, and put on clean clothing… I will build an altar to God. He has been with me wherever I have gone.’”
…God appears to Jacob and renews with him the covenant promise He had established between Himself with Abraham and Isaac. God renames Jacob as Israel…no longer the deceiver, he is the one who has been with the “God who fights” and lived. Jacob’s encounter with God is so life-changing it reverses his identity entirely. Here we see what true repentance is about, a complete turnaround from the life we have previously known.
“So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners.” -Gen. 35:27
There must be something about that “living as foreigners” business…
More on my Quick Hits from Genesis later and I hope to “flesh out” and develop some of these highlights. If you have thoughts or ideas regarding any of them, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share on the blog or contact me using the contact link above.
Posted in Bible Journey-Reading, Genesis, Jeff's Journal, Old Testament, Quick Hits from Scripture, Shaping Me | Tags: Abraham, Disciples, Friends of God, Genesis, Isaac, Jacob, Jeff's Journal, Old Testament, Quick Hits, Scripture | 2 Comments »
