Avoiding Today's Trap

Scripture:
When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
Psalms 142:3

Observation: Again the psalmist is in distress, praying to God for guidance and assistance - for delivery from those who would do him wrong. In this one verse, he uses the metaphor for a trap hidden along his walk.

Application: This is where I am today. There is a person doing wrong against myself and my team, and I am contemplating how to address it. However, this path I am contemplating ... the enemy (Satan) has certainly laid a trap. The path is of my own choosing - I am spending time in internal thought considering it - and the trap is my own pride.

I know I can say things that will "win" the argument. God knows that is "my way". However, in so doing I could lose my honor and perhaps even respect I have from others. So instead, today I will do what the psalmist does: I will pray to God for his delivery, not of my own efforts but of his, so that I may follow his perfect plan.

Prayer: Abba, you know the lies that are being told. Please give me the patience and calmness to turn the other cheek and allow them to role away, and then provide me with your wisdom regarding how to act and proceed in response. Do not let this be of my own thoughts and plans. Please speak to me, guide me in this plan, and let even your perfect will be done in this situation, in this time and place, through me, for your glory. Amen.

More on a Complex Relationship

Scripture:
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
    In life and in death they were not divided;
they were swifter than eagles;
    they were stronger than lions.

You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
    who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
    who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.

2 Samuel 1:23-24

 

Observation: At best, David had a complex relationship with Saul. David had been a lowly shepherd who was anointed as Saul's successor. He gained fame in battle against Goliath, but then Saul grew jealous of him. Saul himself was always disappointed that his own son would not succeed him as king, and eventually his jealousy drove him to make multiple attempts against David's life and to hunt him down when he fled.

 

Through all this, David loved and respected Saul. He executed the man who mercifully killed Saul. He composed a song is Saul's honor and commanded the nation to learn it. He exalted Saul at all times as God's anointed one and himself protected Saul even when Saul was hunting him down. Clearly that isn't normal.

 

However, as the man after God's own heart, David is clearly "loving his enemy". In this case, it even goes beyond that concept - Saul is clearly David's enemy my any normal definition of the word, except in the eyes of ... David. He regards Saul only as the anointed king of Israel, to be honored and respected regardless of any act against him. In fact, David regards Saul this way even in the midst of his angry, hateful, erratic, dangerous, violent, and deceitful behavior.

 

Application: This is loving your enemy ... to go so far as to not even make the conversation about loving an enemy, but simply about loving and respecting someone God loves, ignorant of the "enemy" label. How does someone do that? How could I, right now, possibly ignore totally unacceptable behavior intended to harm me, my family, and others, to the point that I simply honor that person?

 

The answer is ... I can't. Or if I can, my attempts are so feeble that I fail, and I fail so quickly that I see no path forward to correct my behavior. Even when I know God loves these people in my mind, the best I can muster is simply not to treat them poorly. I do not understand how I could honor and defend them. This is a difficult concept.

 

In all the ways David was exceptional, this element of his faith it seems to me is the most amazing - that he kept God in the midst over every other relationship in his life. May I seek that way forward, and see how God will change my heart.

 

Prayer: Dear God, I see that you are in the midst of all people, loving all people, and therefore you are in every relationship. The reason you are where "two or more are gathered" is because you are always where two people interact, in all ways, and that includes in conflict. May I seek you in those relationships. May I find you in my heart during conflicts, and strive to respond as you would have me respond. Amen.

 

 

Actions First

Scripture:  The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. Matthew 12:41-42

Observation: Jesus compares those who are in the process of rejecting him as Messiah to two cases in the old testament of belief and repentance. The queen of Sheba heard that Solomon had received wisdom from God, believed it, and came to seek his advice. The residents of Nineveh heard that they were under God's judgment, believed, and repented and thus were spared from God's judgment. Yet the Jews are being told that their Messiah - the Son of Man - is here, and they are rejecting his authority, correction, and teaching.

In all cases, Jesus isn't focused on the prior problems or sins of anyone, but rather in one thing: the active response. The men of Nineveh repented; The queen traveled from a great distance; Yet the Jews aren't doing anything but rather asking for more and more "signs".

Application: Faith has always been about responsive action. While we are not saved by our actions, our actions reflect our faith. This is always a complex truth and one that makes some Christians uncomfortable. Many love the idea that we are saved "by faith not works" and thus dismiss all actions. However, Jesus - not to mention Paul, James, and Peter who all explicitly address this - wouldn't agree. For all of them, faith requires action.

In fact, in many cases action is the first step. In Jesus' examples, actions were taken before faith was made real. Conversely with the scribes challenging Jesus, they are requiring Jesus to take action before they'll believe.

Jesus has already acted. God had acted greatly throughout the world. Jesus has died on the cross and resurrected from the dead. God continually works in lives of people for healing and blessing. They don't need to act any more. We need to act. I need to daily do what I am called to do and worry about my 'faith' as an offshoot of those actions, not as something I need to grow before I act.

Prayer: Lord, I seek your will for my actions today. I will act as you desire, and take up the causes to which I am called. Please show me your will and I will respond. Amen.

That's a Song

Scripture:
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:5-8

Observation: This psalm feels like a composed song. It is lyrical and poetic, conveying the writer's (David's) emotions and practical actions. It uses metaphors of daily life to convey internal feelings, and it interplays between spiritual and physical interactions between the write and God.

Application: It is in these times I wish I could have heard the psalms sung. Then I realize ... I hear them every day, for they are still being written.

I already prayed through a song today for my friends who still don't understand God's love. I have sung along with a couple songs during my commute. These are all psalms ... holy songs, written about God, paying respect to him, using worship and praise to express joy and pain and love and trust and wishes. These are exactly what the psalms did - it was the way David pursued God's own heart.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of worship!! Thank you for the gift you have given whereby we can connect our hearts and souls with you through song and praise. And thank you for the burden you placed on me over a dozen years ago that have caused worship to so deeply effect me. I call it a burden, but I know it is a gift, and I never, ever, ever want to lose it. May I be moved by your love every day in worship and praise. Amen.

The One True Relationship

Scripture: See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 1 Samuel 24:11-13

Observation: David had the chance to kill Saul in the cave, but instead he refused - even making the case to his men that he must not do so. Afterwards, he shows Saul that he in fact cut off a piece of Saul's robe to prove he could have killed him easily.

However, in so saying, David stops short of crediting Saul with worthiness to live. David instead makes three points very clear. First, that Saul is in the wrong - that Saul is hunting down David due to false reasons. Second, that it is God's right to judge Saul - that the Lord will judge between them and his own hand will not hand down judgment.  And third, that Saul is in fact guilty and is David's enemy - openly asking the Lord to avenge David against Saul.

In other words, David himself forgives Saul for the evil he is doing against David by attempting to kill him, and yet he understands God's judgment well enough to know that there is a major difference between forgiveness and judgment. David knows that the relationship between Saul and God is a matter for Saul to settle, but that his forgiveness of Saul is not about Saul, but is about his own relationship with God.

Application: As David models, how I interact with other people is not just about my relationship with other people ... it is about my relationship with God. God has provided me with instructions on how to interact with others - love them, care for them, be kind and gentle, be patient, tell them about Jesus, do not harm them or think badly of them, respect them. Therefore, when I do these things, it is because I am living out my relationship with God, not because I am living out relationships with people here on earth.

So in this way I can know if my relationship with God is improving: My actions and interactions with other people are looking more and more like how Jesus interacted with others. Jesus was attentive, caring, patient, kind, approachable, direct, instructive, and gentle. He spoke strong truth but not harsh words. He was mild with the meek, and bold with the stubborn. He had time for anyone who asked for it.

How can I be more like Jesus today?

Prayer: Lord, my question is my prayer today - how can I be more like you today? I look forward to opportunities to practice patience, gentleness, and kindness. I will take time with people. I will speak directly when necessary, but I will speak softly when appropriate. Amen.

God's Cunning Ways

Scripture: Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon? Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.” And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning." 1 Samuel 23:19-22

Observation: While Saul is seeking David, he describes David's ability to allude him as "cunning". He has reached the point now where he is hesitant to even come search for David, and instead needs a full and comprehensive scouting report of every David and his men might be before proceeding.

However, David is not cunning - he is not attempting grand schemes of subterfuge and feints of direction. David instead simply goes where God tells him. He repeatedly asks God where he should go, received direction, is told when to move, and follows God's instructions. This alone is enough for Saul not to find him.

Application: This is an interesting observations about the ways and instructions of God - that they are "cunning". Of course they are not cunning in the sense of a sinister plot, however they appear that way within a specific context ... the context of the person who is themselves sinister and plotting against the will of God.

When a person is outside of God's will, that will and direction of God always appears to be a confusing plot. Today, this is true for large groups of otherwise (and worldly) intelligent people. Those who reject the teaching of Jesus often perceive the truth about that teaching as some sinister concept. They believe rejecting a certain sin is crazy, impossible, or even wrong-headed. They believe that radical love for an enemy is bizarre and misguided. They believe that separating oneself from a bad situation is unloving.

When I follow Jesus, I will know those who do not know Jesus by this: They will be distrusting of and confused by my actions. They will interpret their confusion as some sort of plot and plan, which then they must analyze and try to counteract. However, if I am in tune with God's will, my plan will not be any of that ... my plan won't exist. I will simply be following orders step by step, without a plot or plan, and probably without knowledge of tomorrow's next step. I will yield to God's will and instructions, and he will order my steps.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your recent blessings, and for safe travels. I place my daily life in your hands, so please order my steps today. May my actions be by your will and your guidance, and not based on the plot of any man, least of all myself. I am your servant, and I am here to serve you by serving others with the love of Jesus. Please lead me today. Amen.

As You Call Me Deeper Still

At first, this song kinda irritated me because it was on the local radio station ALL the time. However, I now see it for what it really is - a simple, honest, clear, wonderful expression of our relationship with God.

I have been around Christians who, over and over again, look to explain God and his ways, and his knowledge, and his power, and his expectations of us ... I've heard a thousand stories about what they think you're like ...

And I have seen seekers and non-Christians wonder about God, questioning facts about this world, wondering how this life could really be what he created, and how God could possibly relate to them personally ... I've seen many searching for answers far and wide ...

But it's all truly this simple:

You're a good, good father, and I'm loved by you.

That's who you are, and that's who I am.

Prayer, Answer, Response

Scripture:
I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Psalms 66:13-19

 

Observation: The psalmist is praising God as thanks for an answered prayer. In this section, he describes some of the situations of his prayer and praise ... he had been in a time of trouble, and in distress cried out to God who listed and granted his prayer, so the person has followed through on the promise he swore when he made the original prayer.

 

Application: God grants prayers not because we make promises - not because we negotiate with God - but because he loves us. That said, when God does answer our prayer, we need to respond to that answer. It isn't payment to God, it is simply faith ... we made a petition to our father, it was within his will and love for us to grant it and so he did, and we acknowledge that through praise and love for him.

 

The interesting thing for me is, I am having difficulty discerning my prayers from God's instructions. Just this Sunday I had thoughts about my wife, which I prayed to God about, and last night she told me about some guidance she was receiving from God that was a direct response to my prayer. So ... did God answer my prayer, or did he reveal to both myself and my wife his will so we could work together?

 

It doesn't matter. In fact, I think it is both - he revealed his will to me, so I prayed into that will, and knowing that I was volunteering to act, he granted the prayer. And so I praise him, giving God all honor, all glory, all credit, all love, all worship. He is my great and loving father who never turns away from the afflicted, the confused, the frustrated, the hurting. He listens to the longing of our hearts, and he responds, and I return all my love back to him.

 

Prayer: Thank you, father, for your abounding love, and for your wisdom to guide us in all matters at all times. May we now follow up on the promise and return that love to you. You have blessed us, so may we return love, honor, praise, and blessing back to you, forever. Amen.

 

 

Fulfiling the Prayer

Scripture: Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Ruth 2:10-12

Observation: As Ruth is gleaning grain in the field Boaz has noticed her, and had no idea who she was so asked his foreman. The foreman said she was Naomi's daughter in-law, and immediately Boaz knows her story - he has heard of her goodness, kindness, and faithfulness to Naomi. As a result, he says the Lord will repay her, and takes five specific steps himself:

1) He encourages her to always glean grain from his field.
2) He tells his works to leave full sheaths of grain behind for her.
3) He feeds her more lunch than she can eat.
4) He gives her full access to the water provided to his laborers.
5) He explicitly instructs his men to not rebuke her or harm her.

Boaz states a blessing upon Ruth, and that blessing is that the Lord will repay her, give her a "full reward", because she has cared for Naomi and taken refuge under God's protective wing. He then immediately fulfills that blessing himself ... he provides her a full reward, enough to care for both Ruth and Naomi, and arranges for her full protection.

Application: So often we pray for someone - maybe a strange, maybe a loved one, or maybe just someone we know who is struggling - and ask for specific things. We ask for their encouragement, their recovery, their financial well being, their happiness. We know God will provide those things, but we forget that ... God uses people to provide.

If we want someone to feel joy, we must treat them joyfully. If we wish for someone to be encouraged through a hardship, we must show mercy and encouragement. We are God's hands and feet.

Boaz knew this implicitly. He asks for God's blessing and then immediately acts himself to fulfill exactly everything he asked of God. It's almost as if Boaz wasn't praying to God for action, but was articulating the actions which the Spirit had already placed on his own heart.

This is a pattern I should watch for. It is very "10 second rule" ish. If I feel someone needs something - assistance, encouragement, a kind word, an idea - don't just think 'oh, I'll pray for that for them', but instead go and give it to them. I need to be the action, not the words. I can do what needs done, not just tell God about it (hint: he already knows!).

Prayer: Lord, I sometimes ask that I can be your hands - that I can engage in your work. But then when your Spirit shows me the work, I admire it, pray about it, and watch to see what will happen. Today, let me be a man of action. Let me see a need and do something to fulfill it, not just hope that you do something. You already did something ... you created me to do something. Amen.

The Standard of Judgment

Scripture: But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Observation: This is the "I am weak but he is strong" metaphor. However, this is also an explanation of why God has chosen that model. We are weak - like a clay jar that could easily be broken by a stone, a fall, a knock against the table ... almost anything. But when the power of God is within, we can withstand all sorts of pain, attacks, abuse, and misuse, and still not break. Therefore, when a Christian suffers and yet prevails, this is evidence of the strength of God at work in their lives.

Application: I struggle with two sides of this equation. One side is that strong Christians exhibit Christ through their response to hardships. The other side is that weak Christians do, in fact, crumble, and therefore are exhibiting a weak faith. However, that is clearly both a judgmental and flawed attitude toward others.

Judgment of others begins with believing that I myself am the "baseline" for comparison. Thus, the way I would react to bad life circumstances - death of a loved one, loss of a job, financial hardship - is the "standard". Anyone doing better than I would therefore is 'strong', and anyone doing worse is 'weak'.

That's a terrible, judgmental attitude by me.

First, I have NO idea how I would react in many circumstances. Second, I have no idea what combination of events exist now and in the past in other's lives to evaluate their reaction to any one event. Third, I am completely flawed myself and thus there is no way I am a valid measuring stick in the first place.

This is all at the core of my judgment of others - myself as the standard. When I say it now, I cannot even fathom the arrogance that statement contains. How could I possible consider myself to be some level of earthy norm against which God can evaluate the faith, strength, love, compassion, work, and mercy of others?? The very thought that I would do that is appalling.

As the scripture says, as we judge others, so will we be judged. And I now see what that means: As I judge others against the standard of 'me', so will I be judged against that standard of 'him' ... Jesus. I will fail, and fail big-time. This is why only Jesus can defend me, for only he measures up.

This is a tremendous thought! As I am inclined to judge others, I need to think about how I will be judged compared to Jesus. When I see I will fail, then I need to remove any concept of a 'norm' or 'standard' from the context of any other person, and see them for only who they are ... someone who is much, much less than Jesus, yet immensely loved by God anyway.

EXACTLY the same as me.

Prayer: Lord, I have done this often, but please forgive me for judging others. It is a flaw and a sin I struggle with daily. I ask that you remove the tendency from me, and help me to focus on the truth ... the love you have for others. May I see others more with your eyes, and stop comparing them to myself. Or when I do, may I see the truth - that I am far, far less than they. Amen.

You Are I Am

At one point in time in my life, everything in this song - EVERYTHING - applied to me. I doubted everything, and my only belief in God revolved around what I thought he couldn't or wouldn't do. Now all I can say is ... Jesus, I truly know you are I Am!!

Hallelujah, he lives in me!