Praise the Lord

Scripture:
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him,
    for I will be glad in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
    and let the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 104:33-35

Observation: In this song of praise, the psalmist focuses on the creations of God. It is a song about God and nature ... the beauty of creation, and also how God continues to interact with that creation. He set it in place, cares for it, feeds the animals, engages continually in the natural world, and renews it seasonally. And the summary response to all this is prayer and praise. The psalmist will sing praises to the Lord, meditate on God's glory, and praise him.

Application: While I have had a song in my heart lately, I could not do better than God's own words to sing to him today. While I am troubled and clouded in my mind, I will praise God's glory. I have been stressed by many different factors coming from multiple directions, and am today reminded of the beauty of God's nature and in fact for the reason it exists, which is as pure and sweet evidence of God's greatness, love, authority, and majesty.

He feeds the animals himself, and they worry only when they feel he has turned away. He created the sea and all the creatures who live in it, and watches them frolic. He shaped mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, and all natural beauty. How much more should I not be concerned, knowing his love.

Praise the Lord ... Hallelujah!

Prayer: Lord, please remove my stress this day. I surrender my work to you. I know you have blessed me, and you will guide me through all issues. May I also have peace in you, in your words, in your wonderful nature, and I will meditate on you and your world. Amen.

Worship Over Rituals

Scripture: Indeed, thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

Seek Me and live!
    But do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
    or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal will surely go into captivity,
    and Bethel shall be no more.

Seek the Lord and live,
    or He will break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it will devour Bethel,
    with no one to quench it.

Amos 5:4-6

Observation: As Amos is pronouncing judgment on Israel - several times declaring judgment and at least twice referring to the future exile of Israel by the Assyrians - he makes this specific instruction - seek the Lord and live! There are qualifying statements. They are not to seek out the holy places of God. The given reason is that these places will be captured. In other words, the attacks and judgment are coming regardless of any effort to seek the Lord.

However, there is also the implication supported by the larger passage that the issue is the heart of individuals. The Lord wants people who will truly seek him. He does not want people who will just ritually visit holy places and conform with sacrificial practices. This is a theme of several prophets leading to the destruction of Israel and later Judah ... that God has always sought simple, loving hearts of worship, and not legal compliance, which was always to be nothing more than an outpouring of faith and a means for closeness to God.

Application: As Christians, we now have rituals ... Sunday service, hymns, communion. These are not bad. However, they are to be the result of worshipful hearts yearning for closeness to God. This was always the problem with Israel, and it is the problem with some churches today - that they perform the rituals as a set of procedures, and not as an outpouring of worship.

Prayer: Lord, I do love you. I sometimes fall into the idea of certain efforts as chores, such as Sunday service or current efforts to coordinate volunteers. However, in my heart I know I do these things due to my love for and faith in you. Help me to keep my mind on you at all times, in all things, please. I seek your kingdom and your face. I seek thy will to be done on earth. I seek to make my body a living sacrifice working to serve you, as my true act of worship. Amen.

Calling All Shepherds

Scripture: The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel two years before the earthquake.
He said:

The Lord roars from Zion
    and utters His voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds languish,
    the top of Carmel withers.

Amos 1:1-2

Observation: Amos is about to prophesy against a half dozen neighboring nations, plus against both Judah and Israel. He is going to declare their destruction and misery - the neighbors due to their warring ways against God's people, and God's people due to their religious rebellion against God. However, with this all about to go down, Amos is introduced as ... a shepherd.

Amos is a "least of these" kind of servant of the Lord. He is not some respected member of a city, or a consultant to a king. He is a smelly, uneducated laborer, who spends his time away from people, in some backwater location. However, we know that his words are true, as he declares even when these words are being recorded so that, when they come to pass (and they all do), there is evidence of the warning.

Application: I am reminded of how God uses the least likely and ill prepared to do his work, if only they will be open to his Holy Spirit. I have said this recently about modern-day events, like the success of Alpha coming out of an oddish looking Brit leading a hard-to-find church on the outskirts of London. This didn't come out of the great parish and respected leaders of St. Paul's Cathedral, or from the Pope at the Vatican, or from some televised minister at a bible belt mega-church. The fact it came from a no one, at a no place, is further evidence of its spirit-lead power.

Who is a shepherd in the Northwest today? Where is our no-name, no-power, ill-equipped leader of the awakening needed in this region? I would like to encourage them.

Prayer: Lord, please send your servant, for we are in need of revival. If that is through Evergreen, wonderful. If that is through some other medium, great. And if it is just to be the return of Jesus, magnificent! This corner of the world is darkening. Please send your light. Amen.

The Complete Heart of Faith

Scripture: He did what was correct in the eyes of the Lord, only not with a complete heart. 2 Chronicles 25:2

Observation: Amaziah began his kingship of Judah by following God, but he was not really committed to God. Instead, he was only following the was and methods of faith. This is why he can so easily begin worshiping the Edomite gods later ... his heart wasn't committed to God.

Application: My love of God is to be based in heartfelt love, not just head-knowledge about God. This is the source of faith, when my heart longs for God and for his love, mercy, kindness, correction, and laws.

I feel I have moved closer to this in the last nine weeks, watching men like Peter, Don, and Robert grow. I have learned that so many are hurting ... some exhibit strength, some faith, some confidence ... but inside they are broken and searching for love, connection, and purpose. And I have seen God reach them all, and found joy in my heart over this. I have loved watching their transformation. In fact, I have begun commenting to others that it is wonderful to see their transformations while also stating that I do not logically understand it. I have found joy in God's love while having no mental understanding of how it works or why it came to pass.

Looking back, I see that a mental head-knowledge or understanding of God is always superficial. Knowledge-based faith is always more of a learning of the law, compliance with behavior, and understanding of facts. Doing what is correct in the eyes of the Lord "with a complete heart" is to internalize and live out that knowledge through my emotional self. It is to feel joy about Don's transition and delight by the total change in his smile. It is to see Peter finally come alive and sound like he owns his life. And it is to lament with Robert over his lost marriage and feel that pain.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to grow me. I remain yours, and my answer remains 'yes'. It is the will in my heart, and not just my head, that I may love others as your hands and feet in loving the world. Here I am. Call me. Amen.

More than One Sign

Scripture: Then they cried to the Lord and said, “Please, Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not make us guilty for innocent blood, for You, Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and tossed him into the sea. Then the sea ceased from its raging. Therefore the men were very afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. Jonah 1:14-16

Observation: Just earlier, as a great storm rages, sailors were pleading with their gods about the storm and their salvation. When they discover the storm is the work of Yahweh, aimed at Jonah, they throw Jonah off the boat, and to his certain death. However, before doing this, they pray out to the Lord, asking forgiveness for any sin associated with Jonah's death. After throwing him off the boat works, they worship and sacrifice to the Lord, making pledges for their lives.

In other words, after they themselves "kill" Jonah ... who will actually await three days before returning to land ... they convert and believe in God.

Application: Jesus told the Jews he would only give them "the sign of Jonah." I have often heard that the sign of Jonah was his death for three days - like Jonah being in the great fish. However, what if the sign of Jonah was more than that? What if the sign of Jonah was teaching non-believers that, even if they personally participated in his death, God would forgive them and thus they could depart from other gods and evils and have faith?

Or what if the sign of Jonah was, after he returned from 'death', he went to the unbelieving enemies (Nineveh ... or the gentiles), and they believed his message, repented, and believed in God? In this manner, the "sign of Jonah" can be the three-day death, but it can also be the response of the people-groups on both sides of that event. The sign can be the faith of Jews who participated in the death, and the faith of the gentiles who received the message and came to faith after the death.

Prayer: Lord, you remind me today that your word is rich with meaning, and complex in a way that can only prove its truth and authority. Metaphorical parallels that occur many hundreds of years apart, and could not in any way be coordinated by any human, demonstrate full intent and design and control. I praise you this day and every day, as a Ninevite living on this side of Jesus' death, for your wisdom that proves your love. Amen.

Listening to Others

Scripture: When Jehu had returned to his master’s servants, one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this madman come to you?” And he said to them, “You know this man and his babble.” They said, “A lie! Tell us.” Then he said, “Thus and thus he spoke to me, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: I am anointing you king over Israel.’” Then they hurried. Each took his clothes, put them under him on the bare stairs, and blew a horn, saying, “Jehu is king.” So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. Joram had been guarding Ramoth Gilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Aram. But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds with which the Arameans had stricken him when he fought with Hazael king of Aram. So Jehu said, “If this be your minds, let no fugitive exit the city to go tell Jezreel.” 2 Kings 9:11-15 

Observation: After a prophet, commissioned by Elisha, anoints Jehu as king of Israel, he at first brushes it off. However, his companions see the truth of the matter, celebrate his appointment, and then it is they who take the first actions to vanquish Joram. Ultimately, Jehu not only leads the coup, but quotes from the prophesies of Elijah about the downfall of Joram (knowing even which family plot of land the line of Ahab would end in), and the death of Jezebel (stating how she would be devoured by dogs).

Jehu is attempting to return to God, and certainly is learned enough about the words or Elijah to conclude that he is part of the faithful remnant still following God in Israel. However, while he seems to have taken the words of the unnamed prophet who anointed him to heart, he was not quite ready to actually believe in faith and proceed as the new king ... until others reinforced what he had been told and took action. Once they did, he was all-in.

Application: Is there someone I should be listening to? Is there someone who is near me - maybe not a friend, but someone around me - who has a word of faith to reinforce what God tells me to do?

First, it would be nice to have some clear calling to a specific action. Jehu's calling was pretty darn clear ... a prophet showed up, dumped an entire bottle of olive oil on him, and pronounced him king. The fact Jehu knew what to do next based on his knowledge of God's word - wipe out the damage done by Ahab and Jezebel - is obvious, but he needed others to ignite the spark of his knowledge and faith through their reinforcing response.

What is my call? To seek to transform lives and behavior within the government organization I work. Who around me is reinforcing that call? No one. In fact, there have been setbacks in that regards. It is frustrating, and it often leaves me alone and insecure.

Prayer: Lord, I wish I wasn't alone here. Sometimes I see a flicker of hope in others. However, more often I am restricted from what I wish I could do. I am also accountable, as I get distracted from my true mission in life to focus on "the job" here on earth. Please help me focus on the kingdom goals, and your purposes, where I am every day. And a little reinforcement would be nice. Amen.

God of the Hills and Valleys

On the mountains, I will bow my life
To the one who set me there.
In the valley, I will lift my eyes
To the one who sees me there.

When I'm standing on the mountain,
I didn't get there on my own.
When I'm walking through the valley
I know I am not alone.

Unlawful Use of the Law

Scripture: As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, continue to remain at Ephesus so that you might command some to teach no other doctrine, nor pay attention to fables and endless genealogies, which cause debates rather than godly edifying, which is in faith. Now the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. From this, some have lost their way and turned aside to empty talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, and understanding neither what they say nor what they affirm. But we know that the law is good if someone uses it lawfully. 1 Timothy 1:3-8

Observation: As Paul begins his instructions to Timothy, he first tells him to teach sound doctrine and train others to do so, especially by telling others to avoid teaching things like fables, genealogical study, and ... the law. Paul clarifies that the law is good, but that these people do not understand the law and thus cannot properly teach about it.

As the verse continues, it appears the part of the teaching of the law Paul is against has to do with how and to whom the law applies. The law must be used "lawfully", and thus applies as a means to correct sinners who are not following God's ways. The question, then, is what would constitute an unlawful use of the law?

Application: I see an answer to this question from Paul himself. The wrong use of the law is defined by the right use ... to point out and correct sin. Therefore, using the law for some other purpose is "empty talk" without understanding. To me, such empty talk would take the form of legalism within the church - attempting to apply the law in a manner that attacks and tears down others outside of the context and purpose of the law. Especially for a church in "Asia Minor" - modern-day Turkey - teaching Gentile believers about Jewish rituals would be worthless, foolish, and wrong, and those doing so would be so doing only to elevate their own position. Just like Pharisees did (which is why Paul immediately transitions into a conversation of his own past sin).

We have seen and experienced legalism today. I am sure I once practiced it in an attempt to make myself seem more important than I was. This of course was and is wrong. We do not need to instruct believers on Jewish law. We do sometimes need to correct sin, but to do so in "love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from sincere faith."

Prayer: Lord, please protect me from the sin of pride that would lead me to judge and correct other faithful believers. We all have challenges in life, and you work within us all. Yours is the seat of judgment and correction. I explicitly ask you to judge and correct me. And I explicitly ask for guidance so I do not seek to teach others your laws in any legalistic manner. Amen.

Incapable, Unprepared, and Commanded

Scripture: The word of the Lord came to him [Elijah], saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he got up and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get a small cup of water for me to drink.” As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” She said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, but only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a jar. I am gathering two sticks, that I can go in and make it for me and my son, so we may eat it and die.” 1 Kings 17:8-12

Observation: In taking care of Elijah - first by feeding him using ravens near a stream, and now sending him to live with a widow - God uses an interesting definition of the concept of "commanded". God says he has "commanded" a widow in Zaraphath to provide for Elijah. When Elijah gets there, however, he does NOT find a widow who is prepared based on a command from God to provide for him. He instead finds a widow who ...

-- Is not at all expecting Elijah (she is gathering sticks, not waiting for him)
-- Does not herself have strong faith in God (refers to 'your' God)
-- Is preparing to die because she cannot even care for herself and her son (has only enough for their final meal)

This is not someone who has been commanded to receive and feed Elijah ... in fact, she had no possible means of even performing the work described by God.

This seems like one of those "tense" issues with God ... he so loves to speak of what he will do in the past tense. God had not appeared to this widow and commanded her. Instead, he was sending Elijah to her with the command himself. Therefore, it did not matter that she was completely incapable and unprepared to fulfill the command. She would become capable once the command was received IF she obeyed.

Application: This is an interesting thought about receiving God's instructions. I believe we would all like to know God's will and direction for us so we can then prepare and proceed and obey. However, God is much more of a "real-time" instruction giver. God may have a plan for our work, but he may not reveal it and let us figure out how to fulfill it. Rather, he is more likely to drop it on us and expect our real-time obedience whether or not we even think we are prepared.

The widow had one meal left, yet obeyed the instruction to give the first portion of that meal to a stranger. In God's plan, that meant she had already been commanded to feed Elijah for months.

And this begs the question ... have I been commended (past tense) to do something someday (future) that I have never heard of, and for which I am completely unprepared. I'm betting the answer is ... "well, yes, of course you have/will!" I pray I have the courage and faith to say 'yes' when the command finally echoes down to me.

Prayer: Lord, here I am. Please use me according to your plans. I anticipate the work you have prepared for me in advance. Amen.

Should We Stay or Go

Scripture: And he gathered together all of Judah and Benjamin and those who had settled among them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for these had come down to him from Israel in a great number when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 2 Chronicles 15:9

Observation: In the divided kingdom, the kings of Israel continue to evolve in their actions against God. The Lord has already completely destroyed two kings and their entire lineages because of their wickedness, and then is into another who is even worse. Meanwhile, we see that in Judah the kings are at least trying to follow God, and Asa is now doing so in earnest. In the midst of these two narratives, we see this ... that people from Israel are migrating to Judah as part of their discernment of the will of God.

It is so easy to follow the history of Israel and assume that these history books, which reflect snapshots of individuals - often leaders - either obeying or ignoring God, define all society. However, there were people making better decisions. While Jeroboam and Baashal take Israel down a dark path, some follow, but some flee to another country and another leader, whom the Lord is with.

Application: The prophets often discuss a remnant of obedient believers who follow his will. It is rare that the bible declares that all people obey God. In this case, we see a portion of Israel migrate to Judah. When this happens, of course it demonstrates their faith. However, it also decreases the light of truth in the place they leave. When people are divided in their attitude about God, and the believers depart, that only reinforces the rebellion against God in that place.

How often have a I thought about leaving the Northwest and seeking life in the "bible belt" just so I could quit being inundated with faithlessness and false messages and open rebellion against God? It would be nice to know that people you work with and live near are not somewhere on the "ambivalent-to-actively-hostile" side of the scale when it comes to faith in Jesus.

So I think about this example. The northern kingdom is heading to certain doom. Yes, the leaders are taking them there. But ... when good believers flee ... certainly that is the erosion of the foundation that causes the building the collapse, metaphorically. When the voices of faith simply leave, and all that's left are the voices of rebellion ... the path is set.

God chooses to use people for his purposes. He chooses to use my family to be in one of the most under churched places in the world. I know it is not time to go.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you are so great in your plans. It is a wonder to me that you have created such a beautiful place in your creation as this corner of the planet, and then populated it with the most stubborn and faithless breed of people. We are all proud in our own knowledge and wisdom, pleased with our own strength, and confident in false teachings about love, relationships, and nature. Please forgive me when I display these same traits, and help me stay on the narrow path leading to your gate, even while I walk in the midst of the enemy. Amen.

Clarifying the Priorities

Scripture: Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are mature be thus minded. And if you think differently in any way, God will reveal even this to you. Philippians 3:13-15

Observation: As he encourages the church at Philippi, Paul uses his own maturity as an example. As a mature believer and apostle, yet still he has only one goal, and that is to pursue the call of God in service to Jesus, imitating the life of Jesus and spreading the gospel. This is his only priority, toward which he doesn't just move but presses forward with effort. He further extols the other believers to do the same, and concludes that if any of them do not feel this is their purpose and calling ... don't worry, God will reveal this truth to them.

Application: I often feel I have other things to do than to serve Jesus. Or perhaps more accurately, I believe I have several ways in which I feel I am called to serve Jesus, and I choose the paths more pleasing to me. I do not always want to ... organize volunteers, or lead an Alpha table, or meet earlier than others for worship and prayer. I often want to ... spend time with my family, or relax because I have had a busy day where I have tried to keep peace and bring hope.

Paul is clear. The real goal is to reach forward into the 'high calling' of following Jesus. Whatever is that call, it is the matter to drive into, through labor, strife, and effort. It isn't easy, and shouldn't be.

Prayer: Lord, I do press on. I thank you for small breakthroughs with Don, and I appreciate the fact you are allowing me to serve a small role in that process. I do wish to serve you, and will do so. Please give me physical and mental strength to do your work every day. Amen.

Attacks Against God

Scripture: Jeroboam said in his heart, “The kingdom will return to the house of David. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.” At that point, the king got some advice and made two golden calves and said to the people, “It is too difficult for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 1 Kings 12:26-28

Observation: Jeroboam leads the northern kingdom of Israel to break away from the house of David, and his first act is to sever the tie to the temple in Jerusalem. To terminate the practice of temple worship to God, he creates two idols, places them in temples, establishes his own priests, and institutes new sacrifice and festival practices.

In other words, in order to break away from Rehoboam and the line of David, Jeroboam does NOT attack Rehoboam, Judah, or Jerusalem ... he systematically attacks God.

Application: We were having a family conversation just last night about elements of faith and disagreements about God and faith. This scenario presents an interesting context. Jeroboam does not hate God and is not a disbeliever. He even states the golden calves are representatives of the god who brought them out of Egypt, establishing a context of belief. Instead, Jeroboam is selfish and prideful, seeking ways to secure his kingdom and power, and thinking of ways to undermine Rehoboam and ensure his northern kingdom does not return to obedience of the line of David. In so doing, he does not attack Rehoboam, but rather attacks God.

Based on our conversation last night, I find that people still do that. When non-believers don't understand Christian thoughts on sin, they may certainly attack the Christians, but they are also likely to attack the sin itself. They find ways to undermine the teachings about the sin, even to the point of promoting the sin as culturally acceptable and celebrated. When believers disagree on a subject, they may insult one another, but they are also likely to get into theological debate. At the extreme, this includes making statements like 'the Bible got it wrong' and is open to many interpretations, thus not arguing with each other, but rather assaulting the very word of God.

Jesus said he came not to bring peace, but division. That division involves attacking truth - attacking the law, the teaching, the good news, the sound practices, the promises - often in place of if not in addition to attacking the opposition. Going back to the chosen people, attacking God has brought ruin. As a society, we are doing it again.

Prayer: Lord, may we be on the lookout for attacks on you. But mostly, please help me be wary of possibly attacking you. Yes, I have disagreements with others, and even other believers. Yes, I recognize there was a time in my life when I did just this - when in an act of "rebellion" against my parents I chose to fight against you. May I never again take a position that opposes you! May I never attack your love, teaching, word, and law. I would rather be thought a fool, than be found in opposition to you, my Lord. Amen.

My One and Only Duty

Scripture:
Now all has been heard.
    Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
    for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13

Observation: This is the summary of this soliloquy of Ecclesiastes - all is in vain, all is wearisome, work is pointless, life is temporal, and the outcomes are meaningless, therefore the true purpose of everything is to honor and obey God.

If everything is meaningless, yet life does have one grand purpose - mankind has one encompassing duty - then this provides the final paradox ... our work, talk, and pastimes do have meaning. That meaning is found in God. The purpose of life is to do one things, and while all the ways and methods of doing that may be life vapor, the daily result is still valuable.

Application: In my pointless daily life, what am I doing to honor God? This is the assignment every day - not to lead a department, or fix technology, or correct behavior, or create direction, or make decisions - but to honor and obey God.

I can continue to do better. I can become intentional in how I do my job, the manner in which I behave, and the way I treat others.

Prayer: Lord, I seek your spirit this day so that I may have the qualities that will honor you through my deeds. I seek patience, love, kindness. I desire to honor only you. Amen.

Finding a Moderate Temperament

Scripture:
Consider the work of God:

Who is able to make straight
    what He has made crooked?
In the day of prosperity be joyful,
    but in the day of distress consider:
God has made the one
    as well as the other.
For this reason man will not be able to understand
    anything that comes after him.

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

Observation: As the author works his way through the meaninglessness of life, he begins to arrive at this conclusion ... that since good times and bad times exist, and since there seems to be no rhyme nor reason why people experience either, and since God is the all powerful creator whose ways we cannot understand ... we should not fret the hard times.

Hard times WILL come to all, just like the good times they are a part of this earth and this life created by God, and we cannot understand the reasons for either good or bad times, therefore simply exist through these situations. The writer also gives examples of this. He cautions against celebrating your wisdom (for your success will fade), avoid being foolish (for the celebration of good times will end), do not consider yourself righteous (for you will stumble into sin again), do not listen to praise (for your pride will bring your downfall).

In other words, in all things ... take it all in stride.

Application: I am on the backside of life, into my 50s, and am only just now realizing the wisdom of a moderate temperament. My intensity is too directed; My frustration is too angry; My happiness is too loud; My enjoyment is too gluttonous; My urgency is to impatient; My sadness is too deep.

And all these things occur at the price of my love, which is far too infrequent and limited. Love is the only emotion that should be continued with bouts of directed intensity, yet for me it is the only emotion that is mostly absent and always muted.

I only have about 40 percent of my life left, and I've messed this up for the first 60 percent. I need to find a better balance in my life. A balance that involves a calm and reflective nature through all the ups and downs of life, salted with a passion born of love for others.

Prayer: My Lord, God almighty, I do not know why my heart remains firmly in he "hard" category. I seek a new heart, filled with your love for others, passing through me. May I find this balance with your help. Or rather, may I discover a new imbalanced life, a scale that is not actually balanced with huge weights on all sides, but rather a scale without the burden of emotional weights except for being overloaded with love for all. Amen.

Wise Without Advantage

Scripture:
Then I saw that there is more benefit in wisdom than in foolishness,
    more benefit in light than in darkness.
A wise man has eyes in his head so he sees where he walks,
    but the fool continues in darkness.
Yet I perceived
    that the same fate overtakes them all.

 

Then I said in my heart,

 

“What happens to the fool will happen to me also.
    So to what advantage is my wisdom?”
Then I said to myself,
    “This also is vanity.”
For there is no lasting memory for the wise or the fool,
    by which in the coming days everyone will be forgotten.
How the wise dies just like the fool!

Ecclesiastes 2:13-16

Observation: The wise author sees that being wise - intelligent, thoughtful, cautious and considered in action and word - is beneficial in day-to-day life over being foolish. However, he also notes the long-term outcome of both conditions. Both the wise man and the fool will die, and in dying their work becomes meaningless and eventually unmemorable. He even goes on that, if any wise work has been done, it will be taken over by another who may be a fool and thus become foolish.

Application: I have been fretting about various earthly issues associated with 'work'. However, God is clear that earthly work is NOT the ultimate outcomes of our lives, for that work will end or even be subverted eventually ... the work itself is vapor and meaningless. It is instead joy in the Lord, and the manner in which we treat others, that matters in our work. This is a lesson I must take to heart ... a lesson that is made clear not only in the teaching of what we must do to love one another, but re-enforced by this fact that all other activity is ultimately pointless.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love this day, and for the feeling of calm you have placed on my heart. I do surrender these thoughts about the future of my son to you, for I know you have a plan for my him, and it is a good plan full of hope and joy. I trust in you alone. Amen.

The Mystery of Unity

Scripture: In Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, which are in heaven and on earth. Ephesians 1:7-10

Observation: Paul introduces his letter to the Ephesians by praising God for his greatness, his love, and his mercy all manifested through the life and sacrifice of Jesus. It is by this act of sacrifice and the resulting grace and forgiveness through faith, Paul states, that God has revealed the "mystery of his will." That mystery is, and always was, to unite all things in heaven and on earth in Christ.

In other words, it is by the sacrifice and Jesus, bringing mercy and forgiveness into the broken world, that heaven and earth - and all things on earth, from people, to nature - are restored as a unified creation.

Application: I am struck by the irony that "religion" is so often a divisive instrument in the world, when faith is actually God's plan for unity. How can this be? Clearly, this is the work of Satan, the great liar, who introduces three lies into conversation.

The first lie is that faith in Jesus has right and wrong attributes. While there are teachings of Jesus to learn, the act of faith itself does not have behavioral qualities. However, this lie is believed by both believers and non-believers, and creates divisions across all boundaries. The second lie is that faith in Jesus is, in fact, a religious alternative. Everyone buys this, though some just because it is easier to use a label like 'religion' as a label in conversation. Faith in Jesus is not a religious system. However, when people believe it to be a religion, is becomes one of many belief-system choices.

These first two lies are intended to create or maintain division, fighting against unity. The third lie, however, is to cover up the idea that there is any division in the first place. This lie declares that mankind is just part of the natural order - a natural order that wasn't created by God in the first place - and thus any division that exists is not a spiritual breaking from God, but rather is an act learned by intelligent and evolved beings that requires greater intelligence and enlightenment to overcome.

Paul's lesson is simple ... the sacrifice of Jesus reveals God's plan for reunification of all mankind with himself and with his perfect plan for all creation. This understanding is true enlightenment - that the creator of the universe wishes to remain connected to his creation.

Prayer: Lord, may I live into your mysterious plan. I see faith and hope as the unifying power of the world. Help us to not create divisions, but to strive to achieve that unity on earth, as their is in heaven. Amen.

You See the Future No One Knows

I will cast my cares on you!
You're the anchor of my hope,
The only one who's in control.
I'll trade the trouble of this world
For your peace inside my soul ...