Pursuing the Plan, Not the Blessing

Scripture: Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us." Joshua 2:23-24

Observation: These two spies (unnamed) go to "look over the land" and especially Jericho. They hide with Rahab and promise her safety, as she also tells them that everyone is afraid of the Israelites. The people of Canaan have heard of everything that has happened over 40 years, from the parting of the Red Sea to the recent defeat of the Amorites. Therefore, when the spies report back, they make this statement, that the Lord has absolutely given Canaan to them, and even the people there are afraid.

This is SO different than the first attempt to enter the land. Those spies (12 of them, named, of which 10 gave the majority report) were fearful of the people of Canaan, even inventing stories about giants in the land. They brought back evidence of abundance ... rivers, olive trees, and fruit so abundant they had to build contraptions to help carry it back. However, they looked upon people and were afraid of them, declaring they could not succeed. This time, the spies ignore the abundant land, go to a majorly fortified city, meet the people, and report that ... yea, this will be easy, the Lord has already made them melt with fear.

There are likely two key differences. One is faith in Yahweh. Though the original generation had seen the parting of the sea, and had met the Lord at Mount Sinai, they still looked at 'invading' Canaan as something they had to do. This generation now knows the Lord is in control and is giving them this land, as they have spent decades in his care. The second difference is the focus of the investigation. The first group coveted the blessing, focusing on what they would receive and then how risky it might be to claim it. The second group pursued the Lord's plan, focusing on forcing idol-worshipping people out of the cities and breaking down their false temples. It didn't become a risk/reward mindset, but rather a purpose-driven mindset.

Application: I do see this kind of maturity progression in believers today. Some first believe in Jesus because they understand they need forgiveness, want God's joy-filled love, and desire eternity in heaven. That's great! But that also creates a shallow relationship, until they begin to pursue God's purposes in their lives, seek obedience to the teachings of scripture, and live into the great commission. That level of relationship is what really changes their life.

I say this, but the truth is I have a lot of maturing to do. I still often think about what I 'get' from my faith, and fail to live a mature, obedient life. I would do better to really be in relationship with God, and thus seek his will - and his approval - every day. "Approval" isn't the goal, but relationship is.

The fact is, I have a purpose in life, and I feel like I'm not pursuing it right now. I'm not even sure what my purpose is, and maybe it's the work I'm doing, but I doubt it.

Prayer: Lord, I believe you still have kingdom work for me to do. Please, may I be worthy again to receive your call into your plan. Amen.

Reverberations from Disobedience

Scripture: About Dan he said:
“Dan is a lion’s cub,
springing out of Bashan.”
Deuteronomy 33:22

Observation: Just before he dies, Moses makes a statement about most of the tribes. Some are long and some are short, and Dan's is very short, and simply makes this description of Dan being a lion cub in Bashan.

The oddity here is that ... Dan's inherited land is nowhere near Bashan. Dan will receive its allotment in the southwest of the promised land, along the Mediterranean near what it today called the Gaza Strip. Bashan is actually northeast of the promised land, an area north of the Sea of Galilee and extending east along the top of what is already Menasseh's trans-Jordan territory.

However, once again, we see the prophesy, as actually Dan WILL move themselves to that region, as we read very far in the future in the book of Judges. They reject the territory given them by the Lord, take a small piece of land about as far away as possible, and commit terrible acts of idolatry as they do so. It is presumed it is for these reasons that, when the tribes are called together as a remnant at the end times in Revelation, Dan is not included.

Application: I remain fascinated by, of all things, the long-term implications of the behavior of the tribe of Dan. This is documented by many smarter than me, but effectively ... Dan refused to stake their claim that the Lord gave them, leaving a place where the Philistines could establish themselves in Canaan. These foreigners became the greatest foreign problem throughout the time of the judges, were a key reason the people wanted a king like Saul, and continued to contend with Israel for centuries. Even today, it is the place where Palestinian terrorists strike against Israel.

Dan refused to obey the Lord, and for 3,000 years that remains a problem.

Prayer: Lord, there are times on a daily basis that I do not obey you. Certainly I am not as bad as fully rejecting your word and promise, but I willfully sin and disobey your instructions. I see how such behavior, even when forgiven, can leave lasting damage. Please do forgive my sins. Also, please never lose patience with me, but continue to show me your will for my life and for my daily actions. I desire to obey. Amen.

Earthly Authority is an Earthly Construct

Scripture: One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” Luke 20:1-4

Observation: In this famous exchange, as the Pharisees and priests look to challenge Jesus, they ask about his authority to teach and lead in the temple. He turns the table and asks them to explain John the Baptist's authority, and they refuse to answer because if they say 'heaven' he can question them as to why they didn't believe, but if they say 'human' the people will be angry.

This is actually the same question they are asking Jesus. By Jewish tradition, Rabis were trained by an elder, who then effectively 'certified' their knowledge and understanding. They are asking Jesus whom his master teacher was, likely knowing he had none. The trap will be, if he names someone they can dispute it, and if he claims heavenly authority they can demonstrate that as false, declare he has no training, and perhaps accuse him of blasphemy.

Interestingly, when Jesus flips this, he really is giving them the same two choices, and that - the two choices - is the real trap. For the priests and Pharisees, there are other possible answers ... such as the people themselves gave John authority by their response ... or even just defining a difference between one who gives hope through baptism in the wilderness versus one who teaches in the temple. However, they couldn't think that way; They were locked into a mindset that says authority comes from either earthly structures supported by policies and procedures, or some grand heavenly miracle that is obvious and impossible to contend.

Yes, the Lord can work that way, as when he parted the Red Sea in a manner visible to millions. However, even that is short-lived in the minds of those who witness it. More often he works through empowering individuals with his Holy Spirit in a way that their small actions change the lives of millions ... like emboldening Gideon's courage to lead, or positioning Ester as queen, or guiding Jacob in the ways of sheep rearing, or revealing to Daniel a king's dream, or giving Bezalel amazing crafting skills.

The real issue is that the priests are seeking to challenge Jesus' earthly authority to teach. However, earthly authority is always an earthly construct. What they should have been wondering about is the source of Jesus' wisdom.

Application: I don't want to make this political, though the implications are too obvious. Instead, keeping it neutral, my takeaway today re-enforces something the Lord showed to me about two weeks ago. Authority - especially the authority of a worldly leader to influence an individual's mindset in both negative and positive ways - is a power completely granted by the individual. Earthly authority granted to a person an earthly construct created by people.

I recognize only one authority, and it is not a president, or political party, or high priest, or teacher. My authority is Jesus. Sure, I'll do what my boss tells me at work ... because I knowingly accept a level of earthly authority he has within the earthly construct of my job ... but that is a decision that exists within the broader context of heavenly authority, and if there is ever a conflict, I side with the Lord. He is the source of wisdom and joy and blessing and judgment.

Prayer: Lord, I look to you this week for all direction and wisdom and guidance. May I have the wisdom myself only to obey you. Amen.

Paying Attention to the Impossible

Scripture: A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. ... The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:33,36

Observation: As Moses tells Israel all the curses that may befall them in the future if they disobey the Lord's commands and precepts and do not follow Yahweh, he begins talking about future situations that seem impossible. He mentions people they do not know, and later he talks about a great people who speak a language they've never heard. Israel has wandered everywhere, and before that their forefathers wandered in other places, so they know about all people-groups in the entire middle east. Moses also tells Israel that their king will be captured by one of these nations. This is impossible because Israel is not to have a king, for they have priests and judges with the Lord as their ruler.

We now know that, several hundred years in the future, Israel will appoint a king over themselves - in fact the battle for that kingship will cause Israel to split in two - and then an empire that doesn't even exist at the time of Moses will drag one of those kings as prisoner into a different land, along with all surviving Jews, where they will be forced to integrate into a new society that worships idols.

Through Moses, the Lord told the Jews that, if they fail to obey, that terrible things will happen through impossible circumstances. I might have been easy to brush off the punishment since the scenario couldn't exist. Therefore, several hundred years, when the scenario DOES exist, the Jews won't be fearful enough of the punishment to correct themselves.

Application: It is interesting to think about this in the context of prophesy. We often think prophesy cannot be true because it describes improbably events within the context of impossible scenarios. Therefore, when those impossible scenarios actually become reality, we better be paying attention.

This is why so many Christians believe we are near the end times ... the impossible scenarios are now all around us in our daily lives. I am one of those who believe this, though I also know 'near' may not be my lifetime. However, between social attitudes and modern technology, fantastical and impossible ideas described two to three thousand years ago are now here and happening. We better be paying attention.

Prayer: Lord, today I run to you and want to fill the holes in my life with meditation on your word, prayer, and worship. Help me crowd out the negative and sinful elements of my life. I choose to pay attention to you. Amen.

Tring to Find the Kingdom of God

Scripture: Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst." Luke 17:20-21

Observation: Jesus often discusses the "kingdom of God," though it is difficult to discern what that phrase means. In some contexts, it seems to refer to the current time when Jesus the Messiah is alive on earth. Other times, it seems to refer to the time after his resurrection when salvation is available and the Holy Spirit is given to believers. In still other conversations, the phrase appears to refer to some other future that is further off, when there becomes a blurring of life here on earth and the perfected life one expects in heaven.

Here, Jesus appears to explain that the "kingdom of God" is ... none of the above, perhaps. He says it cannot be observed. It isn't something that appears and can be pointed to. Instead, it is an experience that happens all around everyone. He goes on to tie it into his departure and second coming, and that people will try to say they have seen him (or maybe even are him) when they have not.

In all of this, it seems that the "kingdom of God" is much more associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is a time when mankind has a comforter and helper, someone with heavenly authority that can aid, instruct, correct, and guide us all, making life easier and helping us understand the Lord's ways and instruction. However, we cannot see it. Rather, the Holy Spirit is in our midst and in our hearts. We don't point to the Holy Spirit, but rather we ideally act in response to the spirit in a manner that reflects the Lord's kingdom value and his purposes for our lives.

Jesus does not use the phrase 'Holy Spirit' here, but the descriptive language is consistent, and the timing of when he says the kingdom will manifest in their midst (after he has been killed (v25)) is consistent.

Application: If I am living in the time of the "kingdom of God" ... it sure doesn't feel like it today, as my worldly worries crash down upon me. Then again, that is certainly the point. If I embrace the kingdom of God, then worldly issues like success in my job are irrelevant. That can be a comfort, however it isn't as comforting this morning as is should be.

Every day I ask 'what is God doing in this situation'. Sometimes I think I see an answer, though in the last 17 hours all those answers vaporized. Maybe that's dramatic and not accurate, but it feels like it. I don't know what to do next, and certainly that is the point, for all I can do is pray and ask the Holy Spirit for instruction and comfort and assistance and strength and hope.

And yes, relying on the Lord, on Jesus, and on the Holy Spirit would certainly seem like the way we should live in heaven ... in the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord, I thought I saw your movement and path, but now I don't again. However, I will still hold your hand and walk this road you have me on. They will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Please give me more of the Holy Spirit to guide me and direct my path and my actions. Amen.

Bringing that Hallelujah

I have been through "times like this" myself, but today I pray this song over my son. I know there will come a time when he will, indeed, bring his great worship and heart before the Lord with song and praise, with a story of faith to tell. However, right now, he's in the storm-tossed hell of uncertainty, doubt, loneliness, and fear. I know he'll make it through, but I pray for him.

I’ll bring my hard-fought heartfelt
Been-through-hell hallelujah
I’ll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail
Story to tell hallelujah

Praying for All the Coins

Scripture: Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ Luke 15:8-9

Observation: In response to the Pharisees commenting on Jesus spending time with "sinners", he tells three parables. The first is of the lost sheep, and leaving the 99 to find the 1. The third is the "prodigal son" story, so famous that even non-believers know the basics of it. The middle parable, however, is very short and not nearly as well known. It is this one, where a woman loses a single coin, so searches her house for it and celebrates upon finding it.

Of course, these are metaphors, and in all of these the lost item is a person and the person seeking them is God. How they differ is interesting, though, because they are not just the retelling of the same idea three times. Rather, they are very different. In the first, the sheep foolishly and likely accidentally wanders off, and the shepherd leaves all the other sheep to go find it. In the third, the son leaves in a hurtful act of betrayal, and the father allows him to do so, though he waits for him, keeps a hopeful eye out for his return, and celebrates his return.

However, with the coin ... the coin is an inanimate object that has gone missing. It didn't leave, it got lost. The woman doesn't 'leave others' to look, and neither does she wait and hope the coin will show up. She makes finding the coin her mission. She uses resources like lamp oil, exerts both physical and mental energy, and performs a detailed "sweep" of everything until she finds the coin. Of the three lost items, the coin is the one worth the least both in intrinsic value, and as just a 'thing' that has no life or thought. Yet the woman exerts the most focused and specialized effort to find it than the other two.

It seems obvious that the sheep and prodigal son is like most humans. Some just wander away from God's love and eventually find themselves somewhere outside of his protection, and the Lord finds them and brings them back. Some decide to reject the Lord and even any concept that there is a God, and when they finally reach a point of depravity and despair in life they seek the Lord who joyfully receives them. However ... who are the coin? What people are there who might even 'think' they are in God's house, owned by the Lord, and yet the Lord knows they are not with the other coins, and is forced to make special effort to look everywhere to find them and put them back where they belong?

Yes ... that sounds like righteous people who think they are living a 'good life' but in truth do not believe Jesus. They think being in the vicinity of God is what they are supposed to do in life. However, God can't see them and can't find them. So he exerts the most possible effort he can ... he himself, in the form of Jesus, assumes the form of mankind, comes to earth, lives a full life, is sacrificed, then resurrects himself.

He did all this to save the straying sheep, and to embrace the rebellious son ... and to return the ignorant coin. 

Application: I wonder if the Pharisees understood this lesson? They heard it all, and certainly understood what Jesus was saying about the Lord's heart for lost sinners. (Whether they agreed with him is a different story.) However, they were absolutely the coin. They think they are close to God, when actually they're in the wrong place and the Lord is working to bring them back where they belong. I doubt they understood that.

If they did understand it, they should also have understood this ... Jesus was there to work hard to help them. Jesus was actually on their side, too, and ready to celebrate their understanding.

I have seen a lot of people saved as sheep ... who were just wandering in life, getting into danger, until Jesus found them. I know I was a prodigal who finally realized I needed to humbly return to the Lord. Unfortunately, I worry that I know some coins. I know some people who sit there and kinda think they're "okay" with God, but the truth is they don't have faith, are still firmly on the fence about Jesus, and might even wonder to themselves if they believe in entire 'God thing' anyway. The result is that they don't think they need to hear about Jesus because they already 'know' it, but they don't do anything about Jesus. They just ... lay there, doing nothing, and God is going to have to find them and pick them up.

Prayer: Lord, today I pray for the coins. To the extent these are modern Jews, only you know your covenant relationship with them so I pray they are safely in your hands, or that a great awakening with move them toward Jesus. As for others, you know I have good friends in this category, young and old like. Clearly, they will require effort beyond just hoping and praying. I know you are doing that, searching diligently for them so you may recollect their hearts and souls. If you need a lamp, here I am. Amen.

Offering Just a Good Life

Scripture:
Wisdom has built her house;
     she has set up its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
     she has also set her table.
She has sent out her servants, and she calls
     from the highest point of the city,
"Let all who are simple come to my house!"
     To those who have no sense she says,
"Come, eat my food
     and drink the wine I have mixed."
Proverbs 9:1-5

Observation: Often in the proverbs, both wisdom (righteousness) and folly (sin) are described as women, inviting the unlearned (simple fools) to their home. Both offer food and drink. However, there are several obvious differences.

For folly, her food is typically ill-gotten, and the purpose of drinking is to overindulge. However, most interesting is her method and nature of invitation ... she directly engages with the fools, and is inviting them to herself. Everything else - food, drink, and comfort - is secondary to the invitation of experiencing her. She did not build her house, but it is her husband's house, and he is away. Food and drink are elements that sustain life, and that is not really what folly offers. Rather, she offers the chance to just experience her.

For wisdom, her food is good and well-earned, her drink is specially prepared, and her home is solid and safe. However, her method and nature of invitation is quite different. She isn't inviting the simple people to 'her' but to the good things, in a home that she built herself. She does so not by personally luring them, but by using servants to simply make public pronouncements. She doesn't entice based on her own beauty or what she might personally do, and the offer is not to be with her ... instead, wisdom offers a good meal and therefore a good life, promised openly, without any other agenda. And if someone responds, they will certainly learn from wisdom as a result.

Application: This is truly what the Lord offers ... just a good life. His promise is so much more of course, but this is the basics. The Lord uses others to invite everyone to him, where he blesses, provides, nurtures, heals, restores, and loves. When we obey his instructions for life, our life on earth is richer. When we accept Jesus as our savior, our life in heaven is eternal.

Prayer: Lord, may I always seek wisdom, and not folly. I know when I am going down the path that leads to folly's house, and more and more I will reject that path. And if I am worthy today, may I actually be a servant who calls to others, inviting them to enjoy the feast of wisdom. Amen.

Remember what You Never Saw

Scripture: Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm. Deuteronomy 11:2

Observation: As Moses instructs the Israelites before the enter the land, he makes this reminder, which is that most of them - and all those in the future - will not have seen what the Lord has done first-hand. He begins with a reminder of the exodus, which almost no one else remembers as those who were alive for it would have been very young. He proceeds with how the Lord cared for them these 40 years in the wilderness, and includes the Lord's miraculous punishments upon those who recently attempted to rebel.

The point is that, in the future, these will just be stories. No one will have witnessed them, and therefore the telling of the stories and the purpose of the Lord must be clear. The Lord has done wonderful, powerful, and miraculous things as a way of saving this nation of priests. In return, they should love the Lord with all their hearts and souls and strength, honor and obey his commands, and put an end to the worship of non-existent idols throughout the land.

That's the lesson ... remember what the Lord has done, even if you haven't seen it for yourself, and respond to his love by faithfully loving him in return and obeying his instructions for life.

Application: This lesson echoes through Jesus to us as Christians, of course. I did not see the crucifixion and resurrection. However, I know how it still impacts my life, and I know that my faith in Jesus and belief in what he accomplished offers me redemption and salvation. I am not as good at returning his love as I should be, but I do believe and I do desire to be better, to love him in return, and to obey his instructions by loving others.

Faith means I am to remember what I never saw, believe what I cannot know, and understand what I didn't learn firsthand. And I do, because ... I perceive what I should not be able to experience. I have seen the work of the Holy Spirit. I know God's own voice. I have learned (some of) the ways of the Lord.

I still struggle to do as I should, and have total faith in everything that will happen in the future. However, I am part of the generations that could never have seen everything the Lord has done, and that Jesus accomplished on the cross, and yet - as Moses instructed - I have learned of his majesty, his mighty hand, and his outstretched arm.

Prayer: Lord, you are everything you have always been, from the great ruler of the universe who parts seas and calms storms and defeats even death, to the father who provides me daily bread and comforts us in times of troubles. I have learned of you. I remember what you have done. Amen.

Hypocrisy is so very Human

Scripture: Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." Luke 12:1-3

Observation: Jesus is now in the phase of ministry where he is regularly teaching large crowds and using analogies and parables to instruct. He is also in regular conflict with the Pharisees, especially the most 'legalistic' of them who are continually looking to trip Jesus up on matters of legal compliance (using policies and procedures they made up). Jesus directly calls out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees here. They declare themselves as pious and righteous in public due to their compliance, but then violate the actual spirit of the law when in private. And it is this form of hypocrisy that Jesus compares to yeast

And what is yeast really? It is an unseeable yet living thing. It consumes that which is nutritious, and expels gaseous air. While doing this, it spreads rapidly, even aggressively, so that it permeates the entirety of the thing it entered. The result is clear and obvious change, however what actually happened is completely invisible. Finally, in the end, it doesn't die, but just goes dormant and waits for the chance to be put into a new situation where it can awaken and do it all again.

That is what the Pharisees do. They are hypocrites, and thus they should really know that sin is a part of life and that we all need grace and help. By invading all parts of society with their declarations of rules and procedures, they have spread the feeling of unease, conflict, guilt, and judgment throughout everyone. Yes, now everyone can look at each other and judge their actions, look down upon their behavior, and otherwise demonstrate distain, because the Pharisees have taught them the parameters for doing so. Even if you do that in private ... you still do it.

Application: One way - the most common way - of interpreting the lesson of the Pharisees is to apply it to Christians and know that, indeed, we do this today. We declare ourselves forgiven and blessed and loved, and tell others that salvation through faith is Jesus is the good news ... and then we sit around our homes and gossip about what others are doing, or judge the behavior of secular sinners. And sometimes we do these same things aggressively in public and social media. Yes, many Christians are modern Pharisees.

However, so too modern people in general are Pharisees. In our society today, we have seen a new set of "rules" take hold. These are rules whereby we judge people who seem unaccepting of sinful lifestyles. We get into conflict with people who don't defer to new types of grammar that have become popular. We create training programs to condition individuals on new ways to interact, and hold each other accountable to these newly created standards.

Forget whether or not the root topics of these new rules and standards are biblically aligned ... while they absolutely are not, they are also not aligned to any rational history of human behavior and standards. They are new, invited by a new type of Pharisee, one that has taken it upon themselves to create these standards then spread them through society.

And they have spread like yeast. They have consumed the rich lives of our young. They have expelled a type of poison. There are many, many people who would say they have no idea what I'm talking about - that they "don't see anything at work" like this - and yet they would agree that our society looks nothing like what it did just 25 years ago.

I tell you, those people who have spread this yeast in our society, love nothing more than judging people whom they think are judging them. The hypocrisy is thick.

Hypocrisy seems to be core to the flawed human condition, side by side with judgment and independence.

Prayer: Lord, yes, I know I am a hypocrite. I hate what is happening in society, and I sit in my home condemning those who are leading these issues in our world. You didn't command us to agree with them, just to love them, and to not judge them ourselves. Please forgive my hypocrisy, and may your will simply guide our society more and more. Amen.

Ten Easy Rules for Us All

Scripture: The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. It was not with our ancestors that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. Deuteronomy 5:2-4

Observation: As part of the final process of sending Israel into the promised land, Moses gives to them the Law again. This is both a retelling for this generation, and a new telling to ensure they understand that the precepts and laws and instructions still hold now that they will have a permanent land and homes. As he begins, he makes this important clarification. Yes, all of this took place at Mount Horeb before anyone in this assembly was even born, however that does not mean it was intended only for those people who were there. It applies to all generations as fixed instructions.

Moses will next restate the ten commandments. In so doing, he tells the story of how it all went down, with Yahweh speaking from the fire so all could hear, but with Moses between so they would not die. Moses will ensure they understand that Yahweh gave only those commandments and "he added nothing more" (v22), and that the Lord himself wrote these ten commandments on stone tablets.

This is it. Moses will make some closing reminders about these ten laws, then he will pivot the conversation, declaring the Shema - the greatest commandment - and then providing all the instructions and precepts the Lord had to layer onto these basics so Israel knew how to behave. Again, there is one element of faith at the center of everything ... love the Lord completely ... and then really just ten easy rules to show that love, and these rules apply to all generations.

Application: It is so easy for my next thought to be ... 'but the Israelites couldn't get those basic things right'. However, I know that isn't fair. These commandments apply to me, too, and I don't get these basic things right either.

I put no other gods before the Lord, though I do allow the activities of life on earth to preoccupy my thoughts and influence my behavior sometimes more than I am influenced by the Lord's instructions. I have never worshipped an image. I have sworn using the Lord's general name, misusing it. I have done work on the Sabbath, even considering it a good day to get chores done. I have been disrespectful toward my parents. I have never murdered. I did have premarital sex. I have stolen. I have lied. I do covet the things others have.

The conclusion is that I have kept only two of these basic, easy rules (no murder; no idol worship). I have maybe sorta obeyed two more (I've honored no other god but do have 'stuff' that I prioritize sometimes; I've improperly used the informal but not true name of the Lord).

Here's the kicker: When I read the Shema tomorrow, I will need to confess that, while I do truly love the Lord, I fail to do so with ALL my heart and soul and strength. I let my love for other things cause me to wander, or I think on improper things and corrupt my soul, or I do not do the physical acts the Lord would have me do. The result is that I violate the ten easy rules because I fail at the greatest command.

I know we all do this, but I SO want to do better.

Prayer: Lord, I do mean this. I want to do better. I am a weak human, and therefore while that means I can never do perfect, it is a poor excuse for how badly I honor you on a daily basis. May I have you before me. May I have tassels around me to remind me of what I am doing. May I regularly consider whether or not I am clean or unclean. And in so doing, may I be more worthy to be in the presence of your Holy Spirit, which is the only way I can become stronger and honor you better, with all my heart and soul and strength. Amen, and amen.

Again with the Dead Prophets

Scripture: Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” Luke 9:18-19

Observation: This is the passage where Peter declares Jesus is the Messiah, and the conversation begins with Jesus asking who others say he is. This is in several of the gospels, and the response is the same ... John the Baptist brought back to life, Elijah reincarnate, or some other random prophet also reincarnate.

Soon, Jesus will be raised from the dead and most won't believe it, yet they are willing to believe John was raised from the dead. Jews know their scriptures well and know that only Elijah (and Enoch) never died, yet they are ready to guess Jesus might be one of those dead prophets. As for Elijah, yes he never died, and yes there is a prophesy that somehow he proceeds Messiah, so at least those thinking of Elijah are on the path to thinking about Messiah.

The bottom line is, truly none of these "guesses" fits Jesus and his ministry, and most don't fit any part at all about the Jewish faith and their scriptural teachings. Again, it is wildly confusing that the Jews would be willing to think that Jesus is someone - doing something - that does not align at all with their scriptures and faith, instead of thinking that Jesus is exactly that one person who was always predicted to do exactly the things Jesus is doing.

There is little to no context to this thought, but here is a total guess as to why this happens:

1) Messiah represents massive change. Some think it's great change (leading rebellion against Rome), some might be less certain (war against an empire?), and in all cases it means an overhaul of their systems of life and faith. All of that, even the good parts, are scary, so the idea gets shoved aside.

2) An ancient prophet represents the good ol' days of Israel. Elijah spoke truth to power and condemned corrupt rulers. Other prophets corrected bad kings while speaking hope. Even John was fun and eclectic and encouraged personal growth while standing up to a king. Such prophets would oppose Roman (and/or Herodian) rule, but do so in their proven formula, and all while the people just sit back and listen while the prophet takes all the risk.

Application: The promise of history in every culture is clear. First, it was always better than today. Second, great people did great things, and thus when situations repeat "average citizens" can either just kick back and benefit, or maybe 'become' that great and famous person. Third, outcomes are known, so we can either embrace and receive them, or correct them.

Jesus doesn't call Christians to live safely in the good ol' days. The bible doesn't show us the mistakes of the Israelites so that we can live through the exact same things while waiting for a hero to emerge. At no point are we to think our past lives were better, but we are to always strive toward change and improvement, leaning into the promises of Jesus that come with obedient faith.

Ancient prophets corrected and tried to teach the powerful, and protected the weak. Jesus calls and then teaches everyone, weak and powerful alike (during which we discover we are actually all weak).

No one needs the return of any dead prophet. We all need Jesus.

Prayer: Jesus, you are my savior and my Lord. I am not a person of power, yet I hope, I pray, you will correct and teach me today as an outpouring of your love and mercy. Amen.

The Always-Wrong Timing Issue

Scripture: Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. Luke 8:41-43

Observation: As Jesus returns to the Galilee region, he is sought out by many, and in this circumstance the stories of two females merge. One is a poor older woman who has spent everything she has to try to heal her long-term health issue, and the other is a young girl from one of the finest families in town who is sick and dying. These might be considered just two events that occur simultaneously by coincidence, except for two facts Luke highlights in the narrative. Both involve a timeframe of 12 years.

Diving deeper, there are many aspects of these two characters and their shared timeframe that compare and contrast them. The young girl is the daughter of a synagogue leader and has likely spent her entire 12-year life in and out of that facility, however the older woman is permanently ceremonially unclean and thus barred from synagogue for these 12 years. The death of the young girl would be a tragedy as 12 years is such a short life, yet the woman bleeding and weakened for 12 years represents a very long and prolonged hardship.

In other words, for one person, 12 years is a period of time filled with joy and ease and closeness to the Lord, and therefore is well understood to be far too short of a time. For the other person, 12 years is a period of time filled with shame and pain and isolation from the Lord, and therefore is well understood to be far too long of a time.

While there could be many obvious and nuanced elements of these two females and how they are interconnected by Luke's narrative, this one lesson - a commentary on human perception of time and thus by extension our opinions about the Lord's timing - seems noteworthy. The same timeframe can be both far too long or far too short of a period of time ... and all would agree it isn't the 'right' timeline.

Application: My son - a diligent and responsible young man of uncompromising faith, with a master's in computer science and four years working at one of the most successful software companies in the world - is now 10 months unemployed and without any prospects on the horizon. It's unexplainable. He has had professionals work with him and coach him on everything from resume building, to interview techniques, to search best practices, and he barely gets any response while applying for 12-25 jobs per week. He has run through unemployment insurance, spent his savings, cashed out his stock awards, and is now facing the reality of needing to sell his house. We pray, we cry out, and we all collectively hear nothing from the Lord and see no progress nor hope.

We are sludging through a "God's timing" issue, and frankly ... I absolutely don't understand it. It is top of mind and central in our hearts, and we just don't know why the Lord would take so long to step in and help resolve this earthly matter. Why is this taking so long? What could the Lord have in mind as a plan by placing this hardship and worry and strife on this man of faith?

Today I realize ... we often say over and over and over again that the Lord's timing is perfect, but we have to remind ourselves of that because we - as humans and as Christians - often think over and over and over again that the Lord's timing is always wrong. In hindsight, we get it and see how great it was. In real time, it feels like hopeless neglect.

I feel everything from hurt to anger to frustration to hopelessness to sadness to emptiness for my son's situation. I pray daily, and those prayers now include challenges to the Lord, asking 'why' even more than I ask 'please'. If he wanted to strip away my son's earthly retirement funds, take away his house, and force him to move somewhere else in the world ... he really could have just said so and my son would have complied gladly. I don't understand this approach and this prolonged process.

I have faith. My wife has faith. My son has even more faith than both of us combined. Today, God's timing appears wrong. I will try to adjust my thinking.

Prayer: Lord, you know we cry out to you for action and hope and intervention. I admit I do not understand your plan at all. However, I have faith, and I have hope. Please show up soon. Amen.

Granting Pleas for Destruction

Scripture: A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. Luke 8:32

Observation: In the story where Jesus casts a 'legion' of demons from a man and sends them into a herd of pigs, we see this exchange. The demons have acknowledged who Jesus is - the son of God - and declared they fear him. Jesus is commanding them to leave the man, and as part of that exchange they ask Jesus for a favor. They wish to enter the herd of pigs, and not just be cast out. In fact, it says they "begged" for this option.

This exchange yields two interesting facts. First, the demons pled with Jesus for a specific course of action. They acknowledged that they were so at the command and mercy of Jesus that their destination upon leaving the man was not theirs to decide, but was in the hands of Jesus himself. They were forced and compelled to go wherever Jesus sent them, and they wanted this outcome involving the pigs. Second, and perhaps most shocking ... Jesus agreed! In interacting with evil demons, Jesus listened to their begging and pleading, and instead of having an aggressive attitude of punishment that would reject their requests out-of-hand, Jesus says 'okay' and permits the demons to have the outcome they begged for.

What happens next, with the mass death of the pigs, is the consequence of the demons' request. The point is, Jesus listens to the requests of even evil spirits, and allows their request.

Application: I continue to see so much evil in the world around me, and Jesus might have an interesting response to this evil. He won't condone it or allow it, but he would have mercy on the evil doers. If they asked for a certain outcome, he might even just grant it ... even though the end result for them would still be death.

Jesus does allow people to choose death. Even when he shows himself as the son of God, and the evil entities in the world acknowledge him as such, they can still decide to reject his correction, and beg for an outcome and direction in life that will lead to certain destruction, and Jesus will grant it.

I see people all around, openly declaring their allegiance to sin and evil, and even making appeals that such related actions would be created as a place where they could live. While over and over I pray for the end and correction of such things, surely the Lord will instead say 'okay' and allow people to make their choice. Destruction will be the outcome, and their pleas for a certain kind of life will end in death.

Prayer: Lord, your mercy is so great that it extends even to demons. I know I sin. Please forgive my sin and have your spirit dwell within me more strongly so I may repent of such sin. I do not desire a depraved life, but rather a life with you, Jesus. As for others, in your mercy and wisdom you will listen to their pleas and do what is best. Amen.

Acknowledging the Command Structure

Scripture: That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. Luke 7:7-8

Observation: The Roman centurion in Capernaum is interesting, both as a man who is noble enough to aid this small Jewish town with his resources, and how he interacts with Jesus. His own description of their interaction is a little confusing, but what he does is declare that, since he understands how command structures work, he does not dare to give Jesus instructions.

The centurion himself receives orders from the place of authority, and these orders are often sent from some remote command post. He then he orders individuals to act. He believes Jesus is his superior, so it is not permitted that he would then even ask Jesus to take a course of action. Instead, he only hopes Jesus - as the source of authority - will send remote orders to the disease inflicting his servant, and in some way that command will be enacted and obeyed within his servant.

Jesus is amazed by the centurion's faith, and this amazement extends to his understanding of the authority of God. Indeed, Jesus can give orders, even from a remote place. The Spirit can then enact those orders within a person and command the body and mind to be healed. The centurion might not even fully understand what he is declaring, but what he does understand is that Jesus is the supreme commander, and somehow everything here on earth must obey him.

Application: This might best describe the challenge we all have in interacting with Jesus, both us believers today and the Jews in the time of Jesus ... we want to give orders.

When I pray, I feel like I am "asking" God for his guidance and mercy and forgiveness and love, but other times it comes across more like instructions at best. I want the Lord to do certain things here on earth, or in my life, or for my family.

I know the Lord rules all of heaven and earth, that his purposes will be done on earth, and he has a perfect plan. I want to walk within his plan and obey his purposes. However, that means I must listen to his orders, and not declare my own commands. Yes, I make requests, but I need to remember that I am a man under authority ... I am under the Lord's authority. He is my commander. Related to my life, my community, my family, my work, my country, and my actions, if I make suggestions, he makes decisions and gives me instructions.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to listen more for your commands, and I know that all things obey you. Please, may your Spirit that dwells in me grow louder and stronger so that I may hear him as your centurion that rules over me, your servant who you love. Amen.

What Evil Deception Looks Like

Scripture: The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said. Numbers 16:41

Observation: Israel is in a period of rebellion against Moses. However, the Lord apparently well and truly ended it. As a reminder, Three men led two different movements against Moses ... two of them declared that Moses asked too much of the people and thus the people should refuse to listen to Moses, and one man said it was wrong that Aaron was the priest, and that others (his family represented by 250 men) should be given such status. What happens next is that, in front of everyone in all of Israel, the Lord opens up a fissure in the earth right at the tents of the first two men, causing them and all their families to fall in, then closes the earth back up, burying them alive. Next, fire erupts from the tabernacle and burns the other leader and his 250 men to total ash.

Seriously, that should address the idea that Moses has done something. Clearly Yahweh is in charge. But ... no, the very next day another even larger rebellion erupts. This time a huge assembly confronts Moses, accusing HIM of killing the the others. Again the Lord will address this, sending a fast-moving and deadly plague into the assembled rebels, and before Aaron is able to intervene on their behalf 14,700 people drop dead.

The real question here is how SO many people can be totally convinced of something that is so very obviously false that they would rebel against Yahweh to the point of death. These are people who know about walking through the Red Sea, the older ones may have done it, and now they declare that acts of God they witness firsthand - acts that are only possible by the Lord's might and in response to active protests against the Lord's instructions - are somehow magic or violence perpetrated by Moses. They are so convinced of this that they come out en masse, and remain so even as they begin to just drop dead one after another.

This is what evil deception looks like ... people who cling to a belief that contradicts known truth, and retain that belief in the face of life-altering - even mortal - repercussions.

Application: I have had two discussions in the last two weeks about spiritual warfare and deception, and the realization that the issues of our world are not about politics, or ethics, or national violence, or crime, but they are about satan attacking the Lord by deceiving the humans whom the Lord loves. These deceptions are so well planned that many, many people will cling to the false beliefs of the deceptions even while their lives, bodies, homes, and families are hurt and destroyed.

I look around and what is happening in our communities, in our schools, in our families, in our country, and I know ... this is what evil deception looks like.

Prayer: Lord, I know you love people too much to strike down those who rebel against you, instead wishing they would hear the good news of Jesus and turn their hearts to you. You have made a new way to resolve this. However, we are tired of the damage being done to so many by the evil one. I know his time is coming. Amen.

Just Be Still and Wait Patiently

Scripture:
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:7

Observation: This psalm is one of the best in advising others not to worry or fret when evil people plot against them, but rather to simply delight in the Lord, do good, and await both blessing and vindication. This is a common theme in David's psalms, and this one especially provides a balance of comfort and instruction ... of direction for how to behave, and a promise for that behavior.

In all of this, however, verse 7 is slightly different. It isn't (just) a 'don't worry' message, and it isn't a 'you will receive in due time' promise. Instead, it prescribes passivity and patience. It is not only for us to not worry when evil people prevail against us, we are also to just "be still" and "wait patiently" for the Lord. In other words, we don't make effort to not worry, but rather we do nothing. We don't take action, we don't say words, and we don't even fret just a little bit when the evil people take action. We just stay still and be patient.

Application: When I launch my devotions every day, my browser opens three tabs pre-filled with verses, one from Psalms, one from the New Testament, and one from the Old Testament. Today's exact reading - Psalm 37:1-9 - is my default psalm. I personally focus on verses 1-4. Instead of actively worrying about evil doers, I believe they will all pass away (either their deeds on earth or their eternal souls to hell), so I trust in the Lord, reside in and work in 'the land', and take delight in his blessings.

Today, after several discussions over the weeks with my son and wife, I lean into verse 7 here. I embrace the idea of having so little worry over the evil doers of this world that my response can be ... nothing. I can just be still and patient. I don't need to fret or worry, I don't need to discuss and wonder, and I don't need to study and respond.

Whether it is related to global issues, community problems, or personal attacks and hardships ... God's got this.

Prayer: Lord, I pray almost every day to simply be able to relax into your hands. I thank you for that level of care and comfort. I live today in the land into which you have placed me, and I strive to do good here. May that be all I need to do, for you will take care of everything else. Amen.

Taking Time for Music

Scripture: When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God. Numbers 10:9-10

Observation: As Israel is about to march north to enter the promised land, the Lord has them build two horns. These are to be played for military signals and instructions on the movement of the camp, but also they are for rejoicing. They will be played during festivals and times of community gatherings, and these times when the horns are played are explicitly to elicit joyful memories of blessing and celebration.

In other words, the Lord gives Israel songs of music explicitly to positively influence their mood and stimulate their collective memories with joyful thoughts ... just like music often does within the human heart and mind and soul.

Application: There is something about music that is, in fact, spiritual. We know this inside us as humans. Certain songs from my formative years immediately make me contemplative, or happy, or energized, or nostalgic. Old and new songs drive memories and emotions unlike other mediums, and this can be true even when there is no direct memory involves ... a brand new song can invoke thoughts and connections to past times, or create new bonds to this very moment, and even strongly connect the past to the present in our hearts and minds.

God put this in us!! He even uses it, giving us music and instructions for leveraging this part of our existence to create joy and happiness and celebration ... and alignment to him. It is not a human decision that the largest section of the bible is a songbook.

Prayer: Lord, may I always worship you. In fact, in my times when I am enjoying songs that are not tied to worship of you, may my heart be reminded that the very emotions the music stirs within me are because you have created that nature within us all, and thus that joy can become worship before you. You give me joy, my Lord and my God. Thank you! Amen.

We Humbly Pray and Mourn

Scripture:
They repay me evil for good
and leave me like one bereaved.
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
Psalm 35:12-13a

Observation: This entire section of this psalm - and in fact this psalm and several others in this section of the book - is about how the faithful man loves others, yet those people secretly pursue harm upon the faithful. Over and over, the author shows how he cares for other, but then how others plot against him, seek to harm him, cheat and lie about him, and do all kinds of things to bring him down.

David wrote many of these passages, but looking back they were more than personal. They applied to Israel and how it was treated by surrounding nations as well. Israel brought Yahweh into the land and taught the world about the Lord through their writing and actions. However, neighboring countries hated Israel. They would attack their cities, and eventually be gleeful of every outcome that harmed the Jews (even when the outcomes cursed their own country to destruction).

Application: So very, very often over the years, I have applied these psalms to my life. I have remembered how people lied about me, taunted me, and were happy when they saw me humbled and hurt, even though what I had done was to pray for them, seek their success, and sacrificed to aid them. Betrayal like that is so personal that it is difficult to consider a different context to such laments.

However, just as David's writings are not just about his circumstances but about Israel, so today I understand these psalms to not only comfort me, but should comfort all believers. Yes, the Church today spends a good amount of time praying for those who are lost, confused, and lonely. We wish to aid those who would destroy their earthly lives and their earthly bodies, and who throw away even their own selves simply because they do not know the Lord. We offer hope, advice, kindness, and practical assistance, all in various forms.

In return, believers are hated and scorned, both collectively and individually. While it is so much worse in some parts of the world, even here in the U.S. the general tone is that Christians are an enemy to be rejected at least intellectually if not morally and systemically.

So many in our nation are ill, and we have put on sackcloth. We humbly pray, and we mourn when we learn individuals have embraced confusion and hopelessness instead. We grieve and weep for our society, and try to offer love and hope and care. And in return, our every mistake and stumble is celebrated, we a mocked as individuals and insulted as a collective. Lies are told about us, and even our assistance is hated.

David asked when this would end. It will end when Jesus returns.

Prayer: Lord, we seek your strength in our daily lives. I know the world is dark, and that even while the world turns against us, it does so because it rejects Jesus, and so our rejection is evidence of our hope and joy found in you. May your joy always prevail, and your strength always give us what we need daily. And come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Drawing Closer to THE Law

Scripture: Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle. The Lord said to Moses, “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.” Numbers 7:2-5

Observation: As the tabernacle and all its items are completed, and the work of maintaining the transporting the tabernacle has now been assigned to the Levite tribes, the 12 tribes of Israel present the Levites with carts and oxen teams.

There is a unique circumstance at play here. Up until now, the work and elements associated with serving and worshipping the Lord have been instructions that originate with the Lord, are given to Moses, who then orders Israel what to do, and they do it. That doesn't happen here. At no time did Moses tell the tribal leaders to make carts and give oxen to pull them. Instead, the leaders came up with this on their own upon seeing the labor involved in managing both the daily work and regular transportation of the tabernacle. And when they present this gift, the Lord immediately steps in and instructs Moses to accept it and assign these resources to the Levitical teams.

This is significant because it shows that Israel was becoming attuned to serving the Lord and giving to him what was necessary, instead of waiting for orders. The Lord seems to have responded with understanding, quickly telling Moses that yes, indeed this is right and accept the gesture, as it could have been easy for Moses to question the gift since the Lord hadn't asked for it. Instead, this represents a move toward maturity by Israel ... not only are they quickly responding to the will of the Lord, but they are themselves becoming attuned to that will and proactively responding without orders from Moses or Aaron.

Application: I saw an interesting and very short commentary about "The Law" yesterday. The person said that the true "law" was simple ... love and obey the Lord, and love others. The Jews failed, so then they were told a short list of clear commands that exemplified how to comply with that law, and the Jews failed. That was when they had to be given over 600 complex and prescriptive instructions. (Spoiler alert: The Jews failed.) In other words, since they refused to just listen to the Lord - to love and obey him on a moment-by-moment basis - they needed a massive compliance checklist. This is why "The Law" is described as insufficient; It was never intended by the Lord to be what it became, but exists in that form because mankind rejected the only real law we ever needed.

All that said, we see today what happens when people begin to move toward embracing the true law. When people love the Lord, desire to serve him, and have compassion on others, the dynamic changes. Instead of the Lord issuing orders and everyone complying, people see a need and respond to it, and the Lord accepts it. The result will be that life is easier for everyone ... the Lord's tabernacle will be honored, most of the Levites will have the tools they need to perform difficult work, and when the Israel camp moves it won't be impeded by the transportation of the tabernacle.

Of course, the Jews are just the example of all mankind. We all fail to obey the true law, and we all fail to comply with the basic commandments, and we all fail to execute on whatever list of proper daily behavior the Lord would ever create for us. And yes, I could and should replace "we all" with "I".

I would like to remember that, when I simply love the Lord, love others, and then take actions that reenforce those two core tenants of my life ... the Lord is honored, and everything will get better and easier for everyone. That is so basic and fundamental, and that is what living into the Lord's will looks like. And that is what living like the kingdom of heaven is here on earth is like, too.

Prayer: Lord, every day I am presented with situations where, if I simply considered what would demonstrate your love to both you and to others, my resulting action would improve my worship, my life, the life of others, and the overall pleasantness of this world. I know I will fail at complying with your laws and precepts and instructions and commands. However, I wish I would better comply with THE law every day. Amen.

Sin in the Context of Faith

Scripture:
Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
Proverbs 7:14-15

Observation: As the young fool wanders off to commit folly, the woman - temptation and sin - emerges to meet him and take him in. They kiss, and she tells him that her husband is away so they may be together for a long time. This is how the woman greets he fool ... she says that, not only does she have food so they may relax and have plenty together, but that food is from her fellowship offering. She has fulfilled her vows that very day.

In other words, the woman has just returned from pledging her love for Yahweh, and with the sacrificial meat that has been presented before the Lord she will now seduce the one who is foolish enough to come meet her.

In total, this is evidence that the actions of both are not just that of earthly lust. Instead, they are committing their foolish sin with plotting coordination, while also even utilizing the Lord's blessings to empower and complete their actions. They are even declaring that, since they honored the Lord this very day, they can now do whatever they please, perhaps even to the extent of thinking that the Lord has helped arrange certain circumstances (the wandering of the young fool; the departure of the husband on a long trip) to provide for their rendezvous.

Application: This is the most difficult thing for me to acknowledge about my sins ... I do them while declaring my faith and love for the Lord. I use my blessings to create a safe place where I can think and do what the Lord has told me not to do. I worship the Lord, give him my tithe and blessing, then turn around and sin. And then repeat the cycle.

The idea that I both "fulfill my vows" by declaring my love for God, praying, worshipping, and doing devotions, and then think evil thoughts, curse others, and commit sins with my words and thoughts, is as shocking as this proverb implies. It makes me worse than a fool.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to be committed to your path every day, doing your will, obeying your word, embracing your precepts and instructions. I will make mistakes, but may I cease to use my faith as a cover or excuse or enabler of such activities. Amen.

When Many Troubles Come

Scripture:
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.
Psalm 34:19

Observation: As the psalmist prays for protection and redemption, he makes this very basic statement ... those who obey the Lord may have many troubles. Yes, the Lord will deliver them. However, the troubles will still happen. He does say "may" (which implies faithful believers may not have troubles), but also says "many". So believers may have many, or may have only a few.

There are so many verses in the scriptures that imply righteous individuals do not have trouble, or that having many troubles in life is an indication of failure in faith or obedience. However, this verse is clearer on this topic. Troubles come even to the righteous person and they may even have many troubles.

Application: This verse is actually a comfort, for we know we all have troubles. I have often struggled with the idea that the Lord punishes, or at least condones trouble that fall upon believers, as if those troubles are some sort of punishment or justice about their behavior. That just isn't true. The troubles come upon believers, and sometimes the troubles represent the world's way of lashing back at the Lord, by attacking his faithful believers.

There is an honesty in this verse that is comforting. The troubles come; Maybe even many troubles come. By your faith in the Lord, you'll get over it, and he will soften the blow and lift you up when you have fallen, so don't stress over the troubles.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the comfort of your honest and straightforward truth. I do pray for you to uplift me and my family when the troubles arrive, especially for my son right now. May you deliver him, for he is a righteous believer and seeks your protection from crushing his spirit. We know the troubles come, and thank you for staying with us throughout. Amen.

Paying Attention to the Young Man

Scripture: But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. Mark 16:4-5

Observation: It is consistently reported that three women are the first to go to the tomb on what we now call "Easter Sunday" and discover it empty. There, they meet a young man who tells them Jesus has risen, and they need to go report it to the disciples. What really happens next is up for debate. Some versions say Mary Magdalene immediately meets Jesus in the garden; Some versions say, upon receiving the news, John and Peter race to the tomb; Some versions say the disciples were confused and didn't believe the report. Even THIS version in Mark has three different next steps, one saying the women were afraid and said nothing, another that they immediately told the disciples who didn't believe them, and another that they told Peter who took action.

This young man is interesting because ... of course he is an angel, though he is given no title and no name and no other description. He is just a young man dressed in white. In modern recreations of the scene, he gives off a radiance, which is implied by the idea of wearing white. In all cases, his news is a little unnerving, as the reactions to him are typically described in some form of sadness (further expressing grief and wondering where someone has moved Jesus' body) or fear (trepidation about what has really happened). However, almost no further attention is paid to the fact an angel is sitting right there, speaking to them. In fact, so little attention is given him that some accounts say there is one angel, some two, and the ones that say there was only one place him in different locations. In every case, before others arrive, the angel is gone, his only mission being to comfort and give instruction to the three women who arrived first.

Application: Recently, I saw a YouTube video about what biblical angels look like. For most, it is no wonder their first words to people are "do not be afraid", for they are odd and almost unimaginably formed. This is true of many, many angels mentioned throughout the bible, as even the ones that have human qualities still have otherworldly features, and most are compared to beasts, with language that implies the person describing them actually lacks the vocabulary to do so and therefore is using comparisons to known things to explain them.

However, messenger angels are often just average men. Gabriel, who appears to Mary and Elizabeth, is just a man. The warrior who confronts Joshua is a man. The angels who go into Sodom are just men. Yet everyone who sees them has a reaction to them ... honor and respect, but also trepidation and fear.

We are told that it is possible angels will walk among us, and therefore if we help others it is possible we are serving angels. I do believe that. However, I also believe that such angels would have a 'tell', and that seeing them impacts something inside us that tips us off, something that sparks a little fear and a little respect.

When I read about the angels that are huge and fantastical, I wonder what it would be like to see one. However, when I read about the angels that are just young men with a message and a mission, I still wonder what it would be like to see one.

Prayer: Lord, if and when I see an angel here on earth, may I have the courage to listen and obey their instructions, and respond to their mission. Amen.

Misapplying the Word of God

Scripture: And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Mark 15:34-35

Observation: On the cross, as one of his final sentences, Jesus calls out to God. He uses the word Eloi, translated as "my God", 'El' being the word for 'God' and 'oi' a version of the word for 'me' or 'my'. However, observers interpret it as being the same as the word Elijah, where 'El' still means 'God', but the suffix 'jah' is a way to invoke 'Yahweh', and thus Elijah means "the Lord is my God".

And just like that, the last public decree by Jesus is twisted and misunderstood yet again.

It is well understood that Jesus was not (just) crying out to God, or challenging God's love by wondering why he had been forsaken. Instead, Jesus was publicly quoting Psalm 22. In those days, scripture chapters were named, not numbered, and psalms were thus referenced by their first line. The name of Psalm 22 was, therefore, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani". The next (and last) thing Jesus is quoted as saying on the cross is "it is finished", which is the last line of Psalm 22. In between those two lines, the rest of that psalm is about ... a good servant of the Lord who is tortured by foreign people, publicly strung out on a tree, and executed, all while people mock him and the executioners gamble to see who gets his clothes.

Jesus is giving a clear and obvious final lesson ... that the prophesy of Psalm 22 is being fulfilled before everyone's eyes. However, the crowd standing there totally dismisses that lesson and invents their own flawed understanding, which is that - somehow, for some reason - Elijah is being called on to be a savior, and might now arrive.

There is no such promise in scripture; There is no teaching that Elijah now exists as some heavenly savior to be called upon to rescue believers in Yahweh. In order to reach this interpretation of the situation, those watching Jesus need to a) create a flawed understanding of scripture by embracing a concept that doesn't exist, and b) almost intentionally misunderstand what Jesus says and does in order to fit him into this flawed narrative.

Application: Misunderstanding the word of God, and then forcing Jesus into that flawed misunderstanding ... I am sure this event on the cross is the only time in human history that people have ever done those two things.

Of course I am being sarcastic. Many of us do this every day. I am SURE I have done this, and probably within the last 48 hours. We often WANT the word of God to say certain things, and to apply to certain situations, so we force our circumstances into some verse or lesson or proverb or parable by twisting the truth about those source-teachings so that they fit.

I want to think the bible has a LOT to say about topics across a wide range of modern issues ... gender confusion, political conflicts, gun violence, social media influence, race relations, drug use, etc. And yes, the bible DOES have a lot to say about these topics. However, I am betting that a Venn diagram representing the verses that address current social issues, and the verses I think address current social issues, has less overlap than I would like to believe. And the true word of God probably doesn't say what I think it says about such issues, either.

What the people hoped would happen at the cross was not a bad thing! It just wasn't aligned to God's word, and it wasn't the thing Jesus was telling them about. Likewise, the things we believe certain scripture teach aren't bad (they might even be accurate), but they may not be what the Lord is actually trying to tell us.

Prayer: Lord, every day I read your word, and I know your Holy Spirit reveals its truth to me in ways that I can understand, and ways that I am prepared to understand. I thank you for that so much. May I continue to seek only your wisdom and truth every day, avoiding my own ideas and misconceptions and expectations. Amen.

A Very, VERY Difficult Topic

Scripture: No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. Leviticus 21:18-21

Observation: As the Lord is giving instructions for the priest - not for all Israel, nor for the Levites, but for the lineage of Aaron who truly serves as priests that present the sacrifices and stand before the Lord - he declares that anyone with a defect may not perform these functions. He goes on to define "defect". This term is about physical issues, listed in general but many of which could be caused by either injury or birth. They include crippled limbs, dwarfism, hunched backs, eye maladies, damaged reproductive systems, and wounds or sores. The Lord clarifies that such people are made holy by the Lord (v23) but may not perform the priestly functions that involve standing before the Lord.

This is a very difficult topic. The Lord is declaring that certain conditions are "defects" and that they make a person disqualified from certain functions that are the most holy acts performed by a very select group of leaders. It is a harsh judgment, and all the more so when applied to a condition one is born with instead of a temporary injury. There are many who would define such an attitude as unjust, oppressive, and discriminatory. However, knowing that the Lord is none of those things ... there are two other ways of thinking about these instructions.

1) The Lord is in control of how people are born (in other sections he declares curses on whether or not couples will be barren). Therefore, the Lord COULD just ensure that no descendants of Aaron are ever born with defects. He does not and will not do that. He allows defects, because even these conditions and the people with them are still completely holy and worthy.

2) The Lord actively declares that, while people with defects cannot serve before him, they receive full benefits of being priests. He therefore is giving them less responsibility and work due to their likely hardships, while giving them no less benefits and honor. This declaration is not judgment, but mercy.

Application: We live in a time when people would come unglued over the very attitude and topic of this section. The declaration of some personal condition as a "defect" makes people irrationally angry.

I don't know God as well as I wish I did, but I know two things about him. First, if he wanted us all to be born into perfect health, he could make that happen ... yet he doesn't. Instead, he allows us to have issues and hardships and 'defects', some in small measure, some in large. Second, the Lord cares for everyone in whatever condition they find themselves, and loves us all.

I choose to understand this passage as saying that, those with hardships - be they temporary or permanent, injuries or birth conditions - will be excused from service and will still receive full provision and blessing. The Lord loves us all as individuals.

I also understand this passage to say that ... the Lord could remove hardships from our lives, and has very actively, explicitly, and intentionally chosen not to. The Lord loves us all as his created people, despite our freewill choice to keep distance between ourselves and him here on earth.

Prayer: Lord, may my heart resemble yours every day. I desire to see others as you see them, and love others as you love them, regardless of their situation, and regardless of how they found themselves in their situations, by birth or choice. Amen.