Seeking No Other River

Scripture:
For my people have committed a double evil:
They have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug cisterns for themselves—
cracked cisterns that cannot hold water...
Now what will you gain
by traveling along the way to Egypt
to drink the water of the Nile?
What will you gain
by traveling along the way to Assyria
to drink the water of the Euphrates?
Jeremiah 2:13,18

Observation: In defining his charges against Judah, the Lord twice uses the metaphor of water. He first calls their acts a "double" evil, for the both a) abandoned his 'living' water, and b) searched for their own water. Then he asks them what they could gain by turning to the worldly support of other nations for strength, and referring to the nations of Egypt and Assyria he wonders what they get by 'drinking' from the mighty rivers of those nations.

And this is the great point. The Lord is the living water that provides all we need, and it is the greatest of sins to not only reject that water, but to go and seek different water. That might be looking within our own sources for what we need to survive, or looking to worldly sources of life-giving refreshment. The Lord provides all we need.

Application: I am emotionally enticed by the river of life ... the river that flows from the throne of the Lord, and grows and grows as it flows. I don't just like the imagery, but I experience it in my soul. I can feel the gentle current as one wades into the river's edge, I can see the lush trees thriving along the shoreline, I can hear children play in the eddies, I can watch fishermen cast nets and receive their daily provision. And I can wonder at how it is that this river does not begin as a gushing torrent and diminish as it is used, but rather starts as a gentle stream from the Lord and grows in size and resources as it meanders through mankind.

I love this image. I yearn to see it, to cup my hands and drink from it, to revel while I stand in the warmth of the light and experience to cool of the water. This is my image of experiencing Yahweh.

How, oh how has mankind actively decided to reject this?

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your love, flowing from your very being. I desire to always experience that love, and I desire no other source of joy. Soften my heart to you and to others, and may your river always be before my eyes. Amen.

Paul Prayed for Us

Scripture: I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6

Observation: As Paul greets the church at Philippi, he declares he prays for them, remembering their great work in spreading the gospel as they have been doing from the very first day they learned of Jesus, and which he is sure they will keep doing until Jesus' return. He is "sure of this," for the good work the Lord has begun in them will certainly continue until the second coming.

That said, the original church at Philippi doesn't exist today. Clearly the members died millennia ago. They are no longer doing the good work, and yet ... the work is not completed, and Christ has not come again. Paul understood this, and even goes on to immediately ponder his current situation - arrested in Rome - and openly discusses whether he will be able to continue to serve the Lord on earth, or if his death will cut short his service before it is completed.

Paul, therefore, is not addressing "you" as just the few hundred people in Philippi.  "You" is ... the universal Church of Jesus Christ. He was praying for this Church as the ongoing organization that is in partnership spreading the gospel, from the first day of the resurrection until now, and Paul knew this good work would continue for as long as needed until the return of Christ.

Application: This revelation tells me that Paul prayed for us. Paul prayed for Evergreen Church. Paul prayed for believers who gather for worship at Microsoft. Paul prayed for every Christian church of every denomination in every corner of the world, which has ever existed from that day in the first century until now, and ongoing until the Lord decides the time has come for Jesus to return and reap the harvest of believers. Paul prayed for all sowers and all reapers for all time.

And ... Paul prayed for me. Paul prayed for my wife. Paul prayed for my children. He prayed especially for our good work of spreading the gospel, whether it be through Alpha, or church events, or conversations with friends, or words at work.

Prayer: Lord, may I be worthy of the prayers of Paul. May I find the strength and will and patience and conviction to do your good work, carrying on as the lineage of the church at Philippi, until the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Awaiting the Curse to Come

Scripture:
Whatever you plot against the Lord,
he will bring it to complete destruction;
oppression will not rise up a second time.
Nahum 1:9

Observation: Nehum pronounces a prophesy against Nineveh, and it is this ... you will be completely destroyed to the point that you will not even have descendants or a legacy on earth. This was pronounced at a time when the Assyrians - of which Nineveh was their capital - had conquered Israel and sent the northern kingdom into exile. Yet the prophesy is that they would not destroy Judah, and later they themselves would be wiped from the earth, while actually Israel would survive. All of this proved 100 percent true.

Nineveh itself was a place the Lord had tried to reach with love and kindness and hope. Jonah had explicitly been sent to that city with news they must repent and love Yahweh, and ... they did and were spared. Yet then they turned again and have now rejected the Lord entirely.

This promise in verse 9 is specific about the nature of their future destruction. Whatever the Assyrians have plotted against the Lord, that is what he will do to them. And what did they plot? They plotted ... to blot out the Jewish people forever by conquering their land and then disbursing them into oblivion. Today, Nineveh doesn't exist, and there is no one who could reliably trace their ancestry to Nineveh, though of course Israel exists and the Jewish people are alive across the entire world.

Application: My country is in a plot against the Lord. We have rejected his hope, his word, his love, and his moral teaching. Many are in active rebellion against everything related to the Lord ... not just rejecting his offer of salvation, but actively rejecting the good things he freely offers everyone in life.

And what do the people of this land plot? They plot for the elimination of gender and the corruption of our bodies. So this will be the destiny of this land. Americans will devolve in their physical and emotional health until they are weak in all aspects of life, their hopes deteriorating, and then the nation will dissolve.

Will this curse apply to all Americans? Or will this apply only to those who actively pursue the agenda that encompasses a total rebellion against the Lord? I do not know, but I know God is faithful to his word, and that while he is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love ... his hand will not be withheld forever.

Prayer: Lord, may thy will be done. Amen.

Danger is Defining Ambition

Scripture: For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Ephesians 5:5

Observation: In the teaching about impurity of thoughts and actions, Paul is especially reminding the church that the acts associated with the sin of coveting - sexual impurity, immorality, greed - should not exist at all among believers. However, he has also pointed out that these things are common in society among non-believers. Non-believers are ignorant, with hard hearts, and demonstrate such by pursuing all kinds of impure sins.

We know that we all sin, even believers, and while sin should not exist among believers, believers do and will sin. Yet there is one key difference ... idolatry. Those who sin, but also are idolaters, are the ones who clearly do not have an inheritance in Christ.

Application: We talked extensively at church yesterday about sexual impurity and the current conversations in society. It is this point on idolatry that clearly takes that issue to a critical level, which is the fact people have turned sexuality into their idol. They declare sexuality as their principle identity trait. They define their lives by their opinions about sex, and/or about issues that revolve around gender and sexual identity.

I am still confused from time to time about what truly comprises an "idol". Sometimes I believe it must be an image. Most often I believe it is any concept someone places as the primary motivation in their lives, above the Lord. When I think about it deeply, but also trying to summarize most succinctly, I believe I would summarize my understanding as this ... an idol is any belief by which I would define myself or my life's ambition.

I can have a lot of ambitions. Some have good qualities and character, such as I would like to be a better husband, and I would like to become a man deemed wise enough to mentor younger men. In my heart, both of these have root in the Lord. Some ambitions are certainly more worldly, such as I would like to shoot an even-par round of golf someday (or at least shoot 75 or lower). Such ambitions are completely worldly, but they are not something I use to define myself outside of a specific conversation about my best golf round ever. These ambitions are born from joy of activities in this world.

In all things, however, I know my true ambition is to be a better man for Christ, and to do what he would have me do. And yes, I fail at that daily. My heart should be softer toward others, and I should be kinder and more loving. I lust, and I enjoy money and the things it brings. I sometimes have pride in my work. But my identity is with the Lord. I am a believer in, and disciple of, Jesus Christ. I am an adopted child of the Lord God almighty, the God of Abraham, creator of heaven and earth.

At the core of ... me ... my ambition is to be more like Christ, and to serve the Lord. It is the Lord alone I honor and worship.

Prayer: Lord, I reject all other concepts of possible idols in my life, elements I may pursue due to a misplaced definition of my personal ambition. You are central in my life. Yes, I know I fail to keep you central in every moment, action, and thought, for I am a weak man of flesh. Please forgive me for wandering ambition, for acts of pride and covetousness, and for all my sins. You alone are my Lord and my God. Amen.

Disbursed to Gather

Scripture:
This is the declaration of the Lord God,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel:
"I will gather to them still others
besides those already gathered."
Isaiah 56:8

Observation: In several ways, Isaiah defines the mission of Messiah and of the priestly kingdom of Israel in chapters 55-56. The time is coming to head out with the message for all nations and all people to come to the Lord. They will be welcomed, forgiven, saved, and rewarded as children of God. This promise applies to all foreigners who choose faith in the Lord. And this mission is part of the dispersal of Israel, for the Lord would never send out his people without a resulting harvest, just like he doesn't send the rain without it watering the fields. How this will be done (captivity by foreign nations; crucifixion of Messiah) may be difficult to understand, but remember that God's ways are higher than our ways.

Application: This is the promise to me and all those around me ... that us Gentiles from other nations have been rightly gathered to the Lord, and that there remains work to do ... "still others besides those already gathered" are to be brought to the Lord.

My very life exists in the blessings of these chapters, that having been called and chosen faith in the Lord, I have an everlasting home and name. In addition, I have work to do ... to continue to be part of the disbursed believers, telling others of Jesus, so they may be gathered. I am part of the disbursed, to be a gatherer.

Just because I have been brought close, does not mean I am not still out there among the "foreigners" who may feel excluded, the ones who need to hear the offer to 'quit working so hard for that which does not satisfy, but come and receive without any cost that which will forever satisfy'.

Prayer: Lord, it is by your wisdom, mercy, and love that I have any hope at all, for I could have remained an outcast from your kingdom forever. Thank you for your great mercy. May I be your servant, sent out into the land of foreigners, with your good news on my lips. Amen.

Praying for Wisdom and Revelation

Scripture: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:17-18

Observation: As Paul opens his letter to the church at Ephesus, he gives a very specific prayer. He prays for their "wisdom and revelation" about God himself. He prayers that they would receive knowledge about God ... about the hope found in the gospel, the purpose for believing in Jesus, and the inheritance to be received through that faith. He desires that they be enlightened about the Lord in every way, and especially about what they receive as children of God.

This is a powerful prayer, for it is really hoping that they receive a revelation of the Spirit about the very nature of being someone who has a relationship with God. It is about knowing God's will for one's life specifically, and for the community of faith more broadly. It is about understanding God's nature and love at a level where one can see his hand and his work, and knows how to participate in it.

Application: This remains my prayer now for some time, that I may better know my purpose within the context of God's love. I was thinking about this again last night, and I do understand how I participate in activities within my church. I see how I can serve, and serve well, to support his kingdom. And perhaps that is my purpose ... to remain in a secular world during the day, through which I receive my blessings from the Lord, and to serve him by small acts of service of assistance to others at my church. There is certainly nothing wrong with any of that.

I keep hoping and praying for some other call. However, right where I am I have great blessing and good work and potential to see the Lord's love around me. This is all good. I will continue to pray for wisdom and revelation about the Lord. I do desire more knowledge and understanding and insight. I fervently want the Holy Spirit to guide me, and for myself to be more obedient to that guidance on a daily basis. But I also see this is good where I am at this time, for as long as the Lord desires me here, and I'm sure I will get new vision and new instructions when his time is perfect.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for my call. May I serve you well, right here and now, in everything you would have me do. I do desire deeper wisdom and understanding, but I also desire your will above all else, for your wisdom is perfect. Amen.

Separation is a Human Act

Scripture:
This is what the Lord says:
Where is your mother’s divorce certificate
that I used to send her away?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?
Look, you were sold for your iniquities,
and your mother was sent away
because of your transgressions.
Isaiah 50:1

Observation: In response to the idea that the Lord has abandoned his people, the Lord says this ... as you can clearly see, I absolutely did not abandon you! There is no act of abandonment or separation initiated by the Lord. He did not 'divorce' his people, no sell them into slavery. Instead, the people left him. By the act of their sins - the fact they actively chose to depart from the Lord and reject his love - the very acts the Lord told them of as promised outcomes occurred. It was people, not the Lord, that chose separation.

Application: I have been wondering about separation from the Lord ... specifically about my lack of insight, spirit, and understanding about my purpose. I have wondered why the Lord has not given me more clarity, more opportunity to serve, and more of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I have wished he would further soften my heart and show me his will for my life.

It is clearly not the Lord who has pulled away from me. When I am not close to God, it is because I have moved away, not him. The Lord would never separate from me, but by my actions I separate from his love.

Prayer: Lord, today I move closer to you, and desire to always be moving toward you. I desire so much to walk your path, holding your hand, guided by my daddy. Thank you for teaching me about your steadfast love. Amen.

The Spirit Far Above the Law

Scripture: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. [Or Against such things there is no law] Galatians 5:22-23

Observation: These verses are Paul's famous "fruits of the Spirit", declaring those characteristics that we should see within ourselves when we are filled by the Holy Spirit. He ends the list with the line that is usually translated "against such things there is no law", but in this translation reads "the law is not against such things".

The interesting element is that it is "the law" Paul has been discussing for ... well, for this entire letter to the Galatians. "The law" is exactly that, the law of Moses; the law handed down by God to the Jews; the thing which we as Christians are free from, and that we must not be seeking to comply with. Over and over, Paul has said that the law exists to guide our earthly (or 'flesh') lives, and faith exists to guide our spiritual lives, and thus by faith in Jesus we can now live spirit-filled lives instead of being slaves to earthly flesh. And yet now, Paul provides a list of qualities we should have in our lives, and concludes that list by aligning them to that very law.

While I am not certain, I suspect that Paul is actually saying something deeper here, and something that continues his lesson about the law. In verses 19-21, he listed many behaviors that are "works of the flesh", and anyone can read this list and know immediately that all of them are addressed by some law. He then therefore highlights the next list of positive qualities are not addressed by any law. A better translation (in my opinion) might read "about these qualities the law is silent". This would be because - again - the law addresses our weak, earthly, flesh-driven behaviors. These qualities are pure and spirit-driven, therefore the law is silent as to them ... the law is not against them because they aren't even part of the earthly issues the law is designed to address.

In other words, the law exists to address our base sinful behaviors. The Holy Spirit instead leads us to an entirely different set of behaviors, and if we live in that spirit then the correction won't really matter, because we will be living differently. This is truly why we don't need to live by the law ... because if we live by the Spirit, we will live according to the law without even really trying.

Application: I cannot tell you how much I truly wish I lived with the fruit of the Spirit in my heart. It would change my life.

I know I am growing in this. I have SO much more of all these characteristics than I had 15 years ago. Yet I also know I am not filled with them, and struggle most with self-control. I feel this means the Holy Spirit has decided I am not yet worthy for him to fully embrace ... that somehow I push him away too often and so I have a little of him, but not a fullness. I wish this would change.

Prayer: Lord, with all my heart I desire more of you and your Spirit in my heart. May there be more of you, and MUCH less of me, within this earthly body. Amen.

Avoiding Justification Stumbling Stones

Scripture: Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. Galatians 5:2-3

Observation: Paul continues to address the issue of legal compliance. He makes this statement very, very strongly, that if someone attempts to justify themselves through the law, then the salvation of Jesus is meaningless. He even draws a firm line in the sand ... if a gentile gets circumcised - which would be the act that marks someone as a Jewish convert - then they must now obey Judaism and thus are obligated to the entire law.

Application: As I learn the law more and more, and see great benefit in obedience to it, beyond the obvious moral law elements. There were practices instituted in the law that were designed to assist with someone's awareness of the Lord, and thus their faithfulness. One of these included the tassels on their robes, which in time evolved into prayer shawls. Modern versions include scripture to remind the wearer of the Lord's greatness, and there are versions for Christians with New Testament reminders of Jesus.

I have considered getting one of these! They seem like a great way to remind myself to pray ... to have a physical clue that would call my mind to the Lord from time to time, and to pray into my problems more proactively. There seems to me that nothing in that sentence - from the motivation to be closer to the Lord, to the desire to pray more - has any negative implication at all.

However, the prayer shawls are part of the law. The use of tassels to motivate Jewish practices is called out multiple times in the law. The primary modern use is explicitly for devout Jewish men, and the Christian versions - while generalized as 'Christian' - are seemingly marketed toward Messianic Jews. Jesus was known to wear a prayer shawl, and likely all the disciples did too, but Jesus and they were in fact Jewish by birth and education and culture.

So I am left with this question: If I used a prayer shawl, would that place me 'under the law'? Would I be forsaking my salvation because I was seeking justification through Jewish practices and ritual, and not by faith in Jesus?

That is not how I view my heart in this matter. I am not seeking Jewish law as a means to salvation. I am only seeking ways of improving my obedience to the Lord, through methods that he himself recommended. However, I would not want to head in a direction that may confuse such matters, for myself or for anyone else around me. I will give up this thought, and seek other means for improving my prayer life.

Prayer: Lord, may I find ways to be closer to you every day. I do seek to pray more, and to simply find myself praying to you in my every moment of joy, need, worry, stress, and happiness. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Receiving Messiah's Wages

Scripture:
See, the Lord God comes with strength,
and his power establishes his rule.
His wages are with him,
and his reward accompanies him.
Isaiah 40:10

Observation: Taken in hole as a Messianic prophesy, Isaiah 40 defines the amazing truth about the purpose of Messiah. This verse specifically addresses the fact that the Messiah delivers with him the "reward" for faith. All other rewards from the Lord - both before and after - are a secondary outpouring of his love, but the reward brought with and through the Messiah is special. That reward is eternal life with God, found in faith to Messiah.

Application: In total, today I read this chapter in a new way and new understanding. It so well defines many, many elements of Jesus' coming and mission. Verse 3 is often applied to John the Baptist as herald of the Messiah's coming, but even before, verses 1-2 declare that the arrival of Jesus also fulfills Israel's mission ... it is the delivery of Messiah to redeem all mankind for which the Abrahamic covenant existed. The messages then delivered throughout chapter 40 are amazing. The Messiah will:

-- Reinforce the permanence of God's word

-- Bring good news

-- Literally present God to the entire world

-- Protect mankind as the good shepherd

-- Give new direction to the Holy Spirit

-- Prove more real than manmade idols

-- Become the judge of all nations

-- Make the way of God fully known and seen

-- Uphold the endurance of even the old and young and powerless

In all of this, Jesus brings a reward for me. His rule is established, and by following that rule I receive my wages ... a heavenly home. Yes, this requires endurance, but the Lord gives us that endurance by his spirit. Yes, this requires reverence, but the Lord clearly shows his worthiness as the almighty creator of the universe. Yes, this requires faith, but the Lord gave Jesus as my caretaker in whom I can have faith.

Prayer: Lord, you are wonderful and powerful and just and merciful and loving and strong. I praise you in my heart, and with my voice, and by my acts. Holy, holy, holy are you, Lord God almighty. In faith to Jesus I declare you to be my Lord and my God, knowing your promises are sure, your ways are good, and your purposes are wonderful. Amen, and amen.

Prophesy About the Character of Yahweh

Scripture:
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Psalm 107:28-29

Observation: The psalmist sings this song of faithful Jews put out to sea. A storm rises and they are distressed; their courage melts away. They have no ability or skill to survive, but when they cry out to the Lord, he responds. He calms the storm with mere gentle words, and the sea and storm obey.

This is exactly what happened with the disciples and Jesus. They were on the sea and the storm rose. In the midst of the storm their longtime skill as fishermen was overcome by the waves, and they became very fearful. Then they cried to Jesus, and with gentle words he calmed the storm.

The psalm is to be a metaphor of how, in the midst of one's storms of life and living in fear, those storms and fears can be calmed by the gentle love of the Lord, simply by reaching out to him. Then, this very psalm became a prophesy, predicting the actions of both the believing disciples and Jesus. And of course, that act of Jesus becomes again a metaphor for our lives, with the exact same message as the psalm, this time for all Christians and not just Jews.

Application: It is said that, for everything in the New Testament, there is a 'type' of it in the Old Testament. This is both a type, and a prophetic vision. As a type, this is a passage that provides the same provision and promise, which is that the in the midst of life's storms, the Lord will hear our cries for help, and from his outpouring of love he will redeem us.

As a prophesy, this is a little different than others. This prophesy doesn't say, "in the future the Messiah will do the following." Instead, it says, "let me tell you a hypothetical example of what the Lord is like, and then someday when the Lord actually comes to earth in the form of Messiah, he will prove this correct by actually doing the exact thing I describe." In other words, the psalmist/prophet isn't given a word of prediction, but instead is given an insight into the character of Yahweh that he can explain through demonstrated action.

The Lord responds to problems in my life when I cry out to him. We praise him in our storms for this. This is more than just a demonstrable action of Christ, but a key element of the Lord's character that believers have understood for millennia.

Prayer: Lord, you are so loving that you cannot help but save us in our troubles. I thank you for that. I praise you today in the calm of my life, for I know storms will come, and I will cry out to you and praise you then as well. Amen.

Rethinking my Introduction

Scripture: Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. Galatians 1:1

Observation: The manner in which Paul introduces this letter - introduces himself as the author of this letter - is both simple but profound.  First, he is just "Paul, an apostle". His name and title are that simple ... a name, and a job. The job itself is without fanfare or classification. He is not 'the apostle to the gentiles' or 'the apostle he has taught at your church and feasts' or even 'the apostle who loves you as a father.' He is just 'an' apostle, one of the itinerant teachers whose task is to tell others the gospel of Jesus and start churches.

While he doesn't clarify the title, he then does clarify his ... employer. He is explicitly not employed by any person. He does not clarify his position through his commission from the head church in Jerusalem, or claim authority by way of James or Peter leading that church, or throw out references from others like Barnabas or Apollos. Instead, his employee is Jesus Christ and God the Father. His authority is by Christ's resurrection from the dead. Period.

Application: My professional introduction varies by situation, but may include words like "strategy lead" or "program director" or "public sector leader". It would always say I represent Microsoft, and may then clarify my division as Industry Solutions Delivery. In context, these can sound important and portray a need for others to give attention to what I say.

However, my very career is a blessing from the Lord. He has guided me in my work, and given me certain knowledge and skills beyond what I should be able to do, and certainly far beyond what I deserve. When I speak with learned understanding, that understanding itself comes from God. Caring enough to share it comes from my heart for others, which is a lesson I continue to learn from the Lord.

So what if I was just "an analyst - not from Microsoft, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead"? At the very least, within my heart, what if my words on every topic - from government data management, to digital services, to software integration - were commissioned by the love of God, with authority found in the truth about the risen Christ?

How could this attitude change my daily interactions with peers and customers? How could even just the inner movement of the Holy Spirit, opened up by this self-identity, create new conversations and opportunities for the Lord?

Prayer: Lord, I do know how you have worked in my professional life, and I am beyond grateful for your blessings, of which I am totally unworthy. May I find humility in Paul's example. I am insignificant, but the one I work for is everything, and it is in you, not my earthly title, where I find meaning. Amen.

I Fight to Bring you Praise

In truth, almost every thought and plan I have ever had regarding what great things I might do in life has evaporated ...

... my daylight never dawned ...

... my breakthrough never came ...

... my dreams fell to the ground ...

... and I am lost.

But this is ALL because my plans were worthless, and in his great love the good Lord kept me from such emptiness.

Hallelujah anyway!!!!!!!!!!

Explicit Issue with Self-Reliance

Scripture:
For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said:
“You will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing.”
You say, “No!
We will escape on horses”—
therefore you will escape!—
and, “We will ride on fast horses”—
but those who pursue you will be faster.
Isaiah 30:15-16

Observation: Isaiah warns Israel about how to avoid impending hardship and destruction. The principle message is to rely upon the Lord, and not turn to Egypt for help. We know Israel will not heed this warning. Instead of "returning and resting" - remaining in the Lord's safe hands and relying on his protection - they will define their own method for resistance. The example of escaping on horses breaks down as follows:

-- Israel will choose their own method of action.

-- It will (apparently) work at first!

-- However, in the end it fails because it wasn't a plan of sufficient execution.

This is the pattern for all human endeavors. We create a plan for our life, our family, our career; We put that plan in motion and it seems to be succeeding; However, the plan falls apart because it actually was never the best plan for our life.

Application: This has been a very hard lesson for me to learn ... that any idea of self-reliance and self-sufficiency, especially in the area of my professional life, is not just worthless but even harmful.

I spent years directionless in my life, and the Lord guided me without me even knowing it into a wonderful life filled with love and joy. Then I tried to direct my career, and found a pit of hostility and failure and depression. I chose to ride on fast horses, but learned the enemy was faster, and he was in fact in pursuit.

This is the issue with self-reliance ... it is ALWAYS inferior to God's plan. At best, self-reliance leads to a lesser 'good' outcome, and most likely results in failure. How I wish I could find, know, and grow within the Lord's plan for the rest of my life.

Prayer: Lord, there are many future plans seemingly intertwined in our near-term lives right now. These include house purchases, finances, and work changes. I place these entirely at your feet. These decisions are not ours to make. Instead, I only ask for your direction about what, where, and when we should be acting. May thy will be done, for I know your will is the best for my life. Amen.

Wielding the Wrong Weapons

Scripture: For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Observation: As Paul prepares to personally confront some of the wrong thinking in Corinth, he calls out this specific act ... that believers use earthly arguments (life "according to the flesh") to define right and proper behavior. Paul his clear that yes, we may live in this earth - live in the flesh - but it is God who defines right behavior. Anyone using "weapons" (arguments) that are based in earthly reason will be called to account by Paul, because his "weapons" will be the will and reason of God.

By ensuring that his logic and reason and thoughts are aligned to the one principle of obedience to Christ, he is prepared to demolish any earthly argument, for all earthly arguments are founded in earthly pride, as proof that the individual is looking to justify oneself instead of humbly submitting to the Lord. Such things explicitly exist to oppose the Lord and his knowledge and wisdom, and are destined to defeat by the Lord's superior knowledge and wisdom.

Application: How frustrated I have been for YEARS by the continued debates by many Christians over a variety of topics, but which are all anchored in ... politics. Pick a topic ... gun control, vaccines, school curriculum, marriage, mask wearing, abortion, racial violence, homelessness, gender equality ... every one of these certainly has a solution to be found in the Lord. And yet the "weapons" many Christians wield in such arguments are political platforms, elected candidates, and court rulings.

About every issue, and about every political "solution", I have an opinion. As a Christian, however, there is absolutely no relationship between cultural, social, and moral issues, and a worldly construct of governmental leadership through elected representation. NONE!! The one and only solution to every single issue is alignment to the will and wisdom of our Lord God, creator of heaven of earth, and faith through his son Jesus Christ.

Oh, I wish for Paul to return and give us all a piece of his mind regarding our engagement in waging such wars according to the flesh!

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me, my family, my friends, and your Church, as we have so utterly lost our way when it comes to addressing the issues of this world. We have misplaced our faith in logic and moral certitude and political maneuvering, and lost sight of our best argument, your love and wisdom, your justice and mercy. Help us to find not our voice, but your voice, again. Amen.

So Very Quick to Doubt

Scripture:
Our ancestors in Egypt did not grasp
the significance of your wondrous works
or remember your many acts of faithful love;
instead, they rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea.
Psalm 106:7

Observation: The author of this psalm is referring to the fear and doubt of the Israelites when they were trapped by the Red Sea. They cried out they had been brought out to simply be slaughtered by Pharaoh. This was very literally days - maybe just three days - after the Passover, a night on which the Lord supernaturally killed every firstborn animal in all of Egypt in order to secure Israel's freedom. Passover was only the last of 10 miracles performed in rapid succession, ranging from extraordinarily rare (massive infestation of frogs) to supernatural (fiery hail).

With all that amazing power in their immediate minds, and the understanding it all occurred to rescue them, all Israel believes they are now doomed, and they 'rebel' ... they reject faith in exchange for fear.

The cause of this rebellion is stated. It was an inability to "grasp the significance of your wonderous works" and also "remember your many acts of faithful love". The rejection of faith in the Lord then begins with these two failures:

-- Not understanding the Lord's works

-- Not remembering the Lord's love that drove those works

With those two failings, abandonment of faith - and resulting fear - is nearly immediate.

Application: I like to think I both see and know the wonders of the Lord all around me, and recognize the love of the Lord that created and caused those works. I am sure I am wrong ... that I fail to understand and remember the Lord's loving works properly, fully, and timely. I only need to evaluate the times I am afraid to know that I have entered the final part of this chain, and that I am now living in a place where I have lost my faith because I have lost my memory of, and connection to, God's loving works.

Doubt is certain the source of fear, and as a human I expect I can be as quick to doubt as anyone else. This should not be. The Lord does so much for me every day, from simple provisions in my daily living, to rescuing me from all kinds of destruction in my life. As I remember these things, and recognize them moment by moment and day by day, it stands that my faith would remain strong. With faith, I cannot fear.

Prayer: Lord, may I be slow to doubt, and quick to remember your love and your work in my life. And may others around me do the same, so they are not afraid. Amen.

Claiming the Promise of Guidance

Scripture:
On that day the root of Jesse
will stand as a banner for the peoples.
The nations will look to him for guidance,
and his resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 11:10

Observation: As Isaiah gives this messianic prophesy of the child that will come to lead all people in some time after the exile, this is how that prophesy ends ... this offspring of Jesse's line will become a symbol and celebration for everyone; all the nations will seek his guidance; and yet though he has died (he has a 'resting place'), that very grave will be deemed glorious.

And so the prophesy of the resurrection is given, that Messiah will die, and yet a) his very grave will be considered glorious, b) his wisdom will still be sought, and c) this promise and glory is for all people and all nations.

Application: The resurrection was not just about eternal life. It was also about proving all the promises of Messiah, including that Messiah promises us guidance in our lives. It is by his teaching that we may in fact have life, AND life to the fullest ... two different things! I can receive eternal life by faith, and I can have a fulfilled life through obedience to his teaching.

I have been praying for guidance in my life for a long time. Today, I claim this, not as a hope of something I would like to have, but as a promise already given. By my faith in Jesus Christ, I claim guidance for my life.

Prayer: Lord, today I see this as a settled matter. You will guide my life. May I have life in the fullest, which will be the outcome of obeying your teaching, by your word and your promise. Amen.

Everyone Knows the Fallen World

Scripture: Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 2 Corinthians 5:4-5

Observation: In several different ways, Paul makes this point ... that we intuitively know that our lives are hard, and yet that there is a better life promised to us. He says that we groan within this "earthly tent" due to the hardships of life. By our faith, we believe there is something better - a life without hardships, and beautiful dwelling place, a body free from pain and struggle - and it is that place that is our true home.

Yes, as believers in the Lord, we believe these things, and as believers in Christ we have confidence of the salvation that will lead us home. However, there is a truth to all this that exists even for those who do not believe in Yahweh, and that is found in an intuitive understanding that life is full of hardship. Every person has an understanding that there is something flawed in the "human condition" that results in sadness, misery, strife, and pain, and that the ideal would be something devoid of such experiences. In other words, even non-believers know we live in the fallen world, and that there certainly is something better promised to mankind. They just reject the truth about how to attain it. 

Application: Again I see the wonder of the Lord by the fact he absolutely and unequivocally reveals himself to every single person. God created us to want heaven! He created us to know that the world is not only imperfect, but lacks the ability to be perfect, and that there is a promise of something perfect where all the hardships are removed. Everyone groans about their life, laments pain and hardship and heartaches, and desired better. Some pursue 'better' so aggressively that they cause hardships for others. Yet even the most successful of these suffer in life.

The Lord makes it abundantly clear that this world is not the end-all, and that he has made us with a desire to want a heavenly home. He then told everyone how to get it. I cannot understand those who know the hope, and reject it.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you again for showing yourself plainly and clearly to all creation. May we continue to find ways to help others discover that you are already in their lives, simply asking them to let you in. Amen.