It All Works Out for the Best

Scripture: When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies." 1 Samuel 30:26

Observation: Despite living in exile with the Philistines for years, and despite his and the king's desire for he and his men to join in the battle against Israel, David is denied this opportunity. When he and his men get home, they find their city destroyed and all they have taken. This seems like a low point ... David is denied the right to face Saul, denied the honor of serving those who have befriended him, and has lost everything for himself and his men along the way.

What happens next is ... the Lord delivers the Amalekites into David's hands, he recovers everything plus a lot more, he uses this to send gifts to those in Israel along with the welcome news of the defeat of an enemy and thus restoring favor for himself and his men back in their homeland, and Saul is immediately killed by the Philistines. Just as importantly - perhaps more so - this last event occurs without David, and thus he cannot be viewed by Israel as having taken part in a war against their first king.

In other words, at the exact moment that David seems to have hit an all-time low, everything turns around and immediately it all works out for the best.

Application: There have been many times in life when I have been at an extremely low point in my life, and looking back I know that every time ... God showed up. This example of David reminds me both of how this has worked in my past, and that it will work again this way in my future.

The Lord provides!

Prayer: Lord, you see me, and you see to my needs even when I am in the lowest and darkest places. May I always know this. Thank you for reminding me today. Amen.

No King but Jesus

Scripture: They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?” “We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered. John 19:15

Observation: As the trial of Jesus concludes, this is the final exchange between the priests and Pilot before he decrees Jesus be crucified ... a declaration by the chief priests that their only king is Caesar.

What a terrible final statement of how far the Jews have fallen in their faith, that their leaders would stand before the oppressive authority occupying their capital, and declare in the strongest way possible their allegiance to Caesar. And to do this in order to win the right to crucify the Messiah. This is the strongest possible testament to a people lost to the Lord, that they would openly declare themselves to be aligned to the ways of the world, and not to the Lord, in order to achieve an outcome of explicit rebellion against the Lord.

Application: There are really no words required to "go deep" on this concept as it relates to the world today ... it's almost too obvious.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I will not align myself with the social norms of this world that are in opposition to the Lord's will and commands. I will love others, but I will not embrace and condone wrongdoing done by others. I will not judge others, but I will instead leave room for the Lord's justice and will to be done on earth. I will not decide what is right and wrong, but I will use the very word of the Lord as the measure of right and wrong, striving to then do what the Lord has said is right.

I too have only one king. I have no king but Jesus Christ, the Messiah and son of the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth, ruler over all creation.

Prayer: Lord, you are my king. There is nothing on earth that can unseat you from your throne. May I declare your name and your authority all my days. Amen.

Responding to the Lightbulb Moments

Scripture: When Saul had seen David going out to confront the Philistine, he asked Abner the commander of the army, “Whose son is this youth, Abner?” “Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I don’t know,” Abner replied. The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is!” 1 Samuel 17:55-56

Observation: Immediately after David kills Goliath, Saul's next conversation is very strange. Saul knows David, who is already employed in his home as a harpist. Saul has actually spent the morning this very day with David, preparing him for battle, even giving him his own clothes. Strangely, immediately upon this success, Saul is concerned about ... David's lineage.

The lightbulb has gone on for Saul. This young harpist David is suddenly a threat to his kingship, and he needs to know ... is this the successor prophesized by Samuel? The boy is his neighbor - Bethlehem is <5 miles from Jerusalem, and Judah borders Benjamin - and is now immediately popular with the troops. In the next chapter, Saul's son will become David's best friend, and Saul's daughter will fall in love with and marry David. And even right away, local village women are singing songs about both of them that paint David as more successful that Saul.

It is how Saul responds to this that reveals his character. He does not attempt to prepare David for kingship as his successor, but instead contrives many ways to kill him. These begin as plots to have David die in battle, but will later evolve into direct assault and eventually trying to hunt David down. Yet it is the very first knee-jerk emotion that truly reveals Saul's heart and thus his faith in the Lord. He perceives David's success, remembers the word of God as given to him by Samuel, and is immediately ... paranoid. This rapidly evolves into resentment and jealousy (verses 18:8-9).

To simply this: God has given Saul a word of prophesy that is true and unchangeable. When Saul realizes how that prophesy will manifest, he responds with every possible negative emotion, leading to manipulative behavior and violent actions, instead of embracing and joining in the work of the Lord for the best successful outcome for himself, his family, David, and Israel.

Application: I am not sure I have ever received a word of prophesy from anyone about anything in my life. I have received some revelations directly from the Lord about immediate issues. So the question is, if/when I receive such information, how will I react when I suddenly see the wheels set in motion? Will I praise Yahweh for his faithful and true word? Will I resist change I do not like? Will I be joyful, or angry?

Saul disliked the prophesy about the end of his reign, but when he realized it was true he doubled down in his fight against it. I hope I learn it would be better to join God in the work and to never fight God's will.

Prayer: Lord, there are of course elements of my walk in life I don't particularly like. I hope I am not fighting you in them, however. If I am, please forgive me. May I be aligned with you, joyful about your word and promises, no matter how they impact me, for I know they will ultimately all be for my good. Amen.

Who Can I Simply Serve

Scripture: "Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better." Then Saul commanded his servants, "Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me." 1 Samuel 16:16-17

Observation: This is how David enters into the royal circle ... as a harp player.

Saul's servants have discovered that, when Saul is afflicted with anger, music sooths him, and one of them remembers that this one shepherd kid in nearby Bethlehem is a good harpist. This occurs after Samuel has declared to Saul that someone nearby - a neighbor - will succeed him as king, and then Samuel has come and anointed David, the eighth son of Jesse, as that next king. Because he is part of the royal court as the harpist, and liked by Saul in that capacity, he will have the authority to speak to Saul about challenging Goliath, even convincing him to allow him to try. This will win him marriage to Saul's daughter, and thus residence in the king's home, friendship with Jonathan, future command of the army, and ultimately position him for the kingship both practically and in the eyes of the people.

This does not happen because David is known as a great fighter, nor military strategist, nor conniving politician, nor great seducer of princesses, nor profound orator. It happens because, despite having been anointed as the future king, David is willing to serve as a simple harpist.

Application: Last night, I sent an email to a friend who has just gone through - is going through - a professional situation with similarities to my own. In it, I used the phrase "completely and permanently destroyed" in reference to my career. Even I now know this is only partially true, as many doors are closed to me for certain, yet there are other things I can do. However, the 'career' of David presented here gives me pause to think of two questions about myself.

1) Is there a skill I have that I am known for doing well?

2) Who can I simply serve with that skill?

There was a time not so long ago that my answer to the first question would have been simply 'no'. Now, however, I do know that I am particularly good at problem solving through organization and structured logic. As it relates to the second question, I know the answer I want to give ... the Lord. However, that will likely be achieved through some intermediary job here on earth. For now, that intermediary job involves serving field teams and major customers for one of the largest human businesses in history. I wouldn't mind that changing, but I'm also fine with it as-is.

I am not a harpist, and I am too old to begin some long path to 'greatness'. I no longer have any such aspirations anyway. I would like to simply serve the Lord. I will do so wherever he wishes, for he knows my skills even better than I.

Prayer: Lord, may I serve you, and may I walk with you daily, following your path and holding your hand. Here I am. I will go if you say 'go', and I will stay if you say 'stay'. Amen.

I Like my Stuff Too Much

Scripture:
One person pretends to be rich but has nothing;
another pretends to be poor but has abundant wealth.
Proverbs 13:7

Observation: Repeatedly, the Proverbs make it clear that earthly wealth is meaningless. That remains the case with this verse, where rich and poor are themselves "pretend" states of existence. A person is neither rich nor poor, but merely thinks themselves to be so during their life. However, their true state is likely the opposite. A person who thinks themselves rich (because they value only their worldly possessions) does not therefore value heavenly things, and thus has nothing. A person who thinks themselves poor (and thus has nothing worldly) will value the little blessing from the Lord, and thus has abundance.

Application: Almost all of us, myself included, struggle with materialism. Yes, I know my true riches are found through my faith in Jesus and resulting hope of heaven, and that all I have is a blessing from the Lord I have not earned myself. That being said ... I like my stuff a lot. Too much. Nice things make me happy. The freedom to enjoy good food and drink, and to travel to restful places, pleases me. And sometimes I think I work in order to have such things.

I work, and I have such things, and there is no relationship between those two statements. I only pretend to be well-off here on earth. I need to sincerely work for and pursue abundant wealth in heaven alone.

Prayer: Lord, may I store up treasure that will not be destroyed, that being treasure in heaven. May your work be my true work today, and whatever blessing you wish to provide for me through what seems to be my earthly labor, so be it. Amen.

He Gave Me Joy for the Morning

Ain't NOBODY love me like Jesus!!

When Earthly Rule Becomes Important

Scripture: Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves. 1 Samuel 12:17

Observation: Saul has been anointed as the first king of Israel. He has twice been acknowledged as such, and has in turn received gifts of prophesy, and then defended Israel against an invading enemy. God is with Saul, and Samuel has acted obediently to the Lord by installing him as king. However ... having requested a king still isn't right. During the final installation of Saul, Samuel calls down a storm to ruin the annual wheat harvest as punishment and a sign against this act.

The Lord was the king of Israel, with Judges as their individual leaders, for over 300 years. Yes, they had an individual they agreed was called to lead them, but not having that person set up as a central governmental figure - with the authority to tax, command, administer, and represent them as a nation - made them different from other people-groups. The point had been that the Lord did these things. It was the Lord's law that defined internal authority, and the system of festivals and sacrifices that provided for administering the nation. Obedience to the law negated the need for other government functions. Meanwhile, "foreign affairs" were to involve the people using their very lives as a way of teaching and showing Yahweh to others, so that every nation would understand the existence and authority of the Lord.

Asking for a king means Israel has lost the ability to receive such direction from the Lord as individuals. Internally, they can no longer function in harmony with one another because they have lost their common understanding of the laws and practices that were to govern life, from the shared experiences of festivals, to the guidance for moral living. Externally, the diminished blessing that is the result of their worship of other gods means their prosperity no longer represents the love and hope of Yahweh to neighboring countries, and as such 'foreign affairs' now look like traditional international politics.

For Israel, earthly rule became important and necessary because they lost sight of what heavenly rule actually looks like. They think they have earthly problems that need earthly solutions, coordinated by human leaders. They have lost sight of the fact that all challenges can be solved by the Lord, and thus all earthly issues can be resolved by faith, coupled with a behavior model that minimizes such issues in the first place.

Application: It goes almost without saying that the ever-increasing political issues with have in our world is a direct result of us moving away from any common understanding of faith in Jesus Christ. As our nation - and much of the western world - decides that alignment to the values taught by Jesus and defined by the word of God is no longer a necessary or even desired component of earthly governance, we sink deeper into internal and external conflict.

This idea re-enforces for me the idea that I need to continue to be removed from consideration and attention to earthly political issues. If I focus instead on the Lord, he will help in such matters as they pertain to me personally, and if the universal Church could convey that same heart to the world, many matters would melt away. Yes, we are far from such a time and place as that, but we have to start with our own focus of attention. Earthly rule cannot be important.

Prayer: Lord, may you guide your church into a right alignment of our hearts and mind to you. Thank you. Amen.

Praying to the Lord of Armies

Scripture:
Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;
he will thunder in the heavens against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed [*Messiah].
1 Samuel 2:10

Observation: Chapter 1 of Samuel introduces the name "Lord of Armies" for God. This is more commonly translated "Lord of Hosts," and was Yahweh Tzevaot (Jehovah Sabaoth). It is a name of action. It is a name for the Lord that connotes an ability to not just defend himself and his people, but to do so with mighty strength, and even going on the offensive when necessary. This isn't just the protective yet passive "strong tower" metaphor for Yahweh. It is this name Elkanah evokes when he is at the tabernacle, and it is this name that Hannah prays to.

After Hannah has received Samuel and dedicated him back to God, her song also declares the Lord's strength in defending her. She doesn't just say that "those who oppose the Lord will lose". They will be shattered. He will judge them, thunder against them, and then ... give power to Messiah! It is by this king that those who hate God will be overcome. Throughout Hannah's song, she indicates how the proud and powerful will be brought down, and the weak will be raised up. 

Application: I try to focus on other aspects of life, but I live in a place and time where this is front and center in my life ... I am surrounded by people who absolutely hate God. They oppose everything about him, to the point that they destroy their own lives in order to take a stand against the good guidance he has given us for a joy-filled life. And they are getting more and more aggressive.

However, I stand with the Lord's anointed one. It is this king - Jesus - who has the power. He brings with him judgment. Jesus brings both death and life, and make no mistake ... he is not just some castle in which we hide, but he is fully capable of action.

The Lord of Armies may seem passive here in the northwest, but those who believe that - who deny his comprehensive authority and power - are deceived.

Prayer: Lord, your people in this region need Yahweh Tzevaot. We need the power of your anointed king, Jesus. I have seen over the last couple of weeks that yes, us on the front lines are weary, but even so are the supporting guards. May revival start here and now. Amen.

I Am, in Fact, Blind

Scripture: Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?” “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” John 9:39-41

Observation: Jesus uses the metaphor of the blind man to discuss faith ... how the blind man, once healed, is now forgiven of all sin. However, those who believe themselves to not be blind - and thus do not place their faith in Jesus - still have their sin. It is a matter of confession in the Messiah.

Those who seek redemption through faith in Jesus receive it. Those who believe they are justified by their works in the law, their own understanding of right and wrong, and/or their pursuit of goodness, do not seek redemption by faith and thus do not receive it. This manifests in the question of the Pharisees. The very thing they think makes them good - their works, or metaphorically their sight - prevents them from seeking redemption and therefore faith in Jesus.

Application: There are two things I truly know about the law as it is found in scripture. The first is that it, and not any other moral code defined by humans, is God's standard for "good". The second is that, no matter how much anyone ever learns or studies or attempts to comply with it, they fail.

I cannot be 'good'. I am, in fact, blind. It is by this understanding that I place faith in Jesus, for there is no other hope I could ever find in the world. Every other path leads to death ... and likely to frustration, anger, and pain along the way.

Prayer: Jesus, you are my Lord and my savior. There is no good, and no truth, outside of you. This I confess and declare. Amen.

Dual-Minded in Hardship

Scripture: “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” Ruth 1:20-21

Observation: Upon returning to Bethlehem from Moab, Naomi renames herself. Her original name meant 'pleasant' and her new name means 'bitter'. In doing this, she attributes the blame for her hardships on the Lord. This was also a bit implied previously ... when she tried to send her daughters-in-law back to their homes, she stated that the Lord had turned against her (v13) and that Orpah was returning to her old home and to her own gods (v15).

However, Naomi is returning to Bethlehem because of the Lord's faithfulness and kindness. It explicitly said she had heard that the Lord has paid attention to the situation in Israel and has ended the famine. She also knows that, as a widow, the Lord has created laws that will at least provide for her survival in Israel in the form of explicit care for widows and provisions made to the destitute. It is by these provisions that Ruth would even be allowed to glean from the barley and wheat fields of Boaz. In other words, Naomi simultaneously feels that Yahweh has brought hardship on her - opposed and afflicted her - yet also believes he remains her hope for continued subsistence and life.

Application: Naomi reflects the attitude of many toward God, especially those who believe in the existence of God but without a relationship with him. For those, God is an all-powerful being, in control of the universe, and as such that must mean he controls - and inflicts - both provision and affliction. In times of good, they give God some credit, and in times of hardship they give God much blame ... either in the form of directly believing he caused it, or at least by wondering why he didn't prevent it.

I do wonder sometimes why certain hardships occur. I know the basic answers, but I struggle with the application of those principles in specific situations. And I don't think that's rare or wrong, as long as such confusion doesn't include attributing evil intent upon God. God has tested me, or more accurately he has used earthly circumstances to test and strengthen my faith. He will do that again.

Like Naomi, in the midst of hardship it is possible to see God's hand within the problem while also believing he also has the future solution. And he does.

Prayer: Lord, may your hand always be in my life. I know you are in the storm though you are not the storm, you are in the fire though you are not the fire, you are in the earthquake though you are not the earthquake. Today I listen to follow your still, small voice. Amen.

Bold Lies over Hard Truths

Scripture: “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” John 8:33

Observation: In one of the more direct debates between Jesus and the Jews, both sides throw accusations at each other. The Jews question everything about Jesus' ministry, decide he is a Samaritan, declare him demon-possessed, denounce his prophetic status, and try to stone him. Jesus points out the lies and hypocrisy of the Jews, says they are sinners, explicitly declares they are totally misaligned with the faith of Abraham, clarifies that they have no understanding at all about their own ancestry and mission as Jews, and peacefully yet literally disappears from their midst when they get violent.

This argument orbits the idea of how one legitimizes their faith. Jesus is clear that legitimacy is found through faith in him as Messiah, yet the Jews claim it as a birthright through Abraham. Yet even as they claim that, they get it wrong. Jesus is offering them freedom, but they declare they have never been enslaved and cannot therefore need his offered freedom.

This statement is ... ridiculous. Every Jew knew their people had been enslaved by the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. It was practically the Egyptian enslavement and resulting liberation that defined them as a people-group. Furthermore, they may not be enslaved but they were actively repressed by the Romans at that exact moment. Yet they boldly declare lies they know are false, rather than listen to teaching that tells them how to improve their lives. They go so far as to invent a completely different definition of who they are as a people, then declare that type of people as good by its inherent nature, rather than to admit that ... just maybe ... they should listen to hard truths from the Lord.

Application: This is a model repeated everywhere today. People - individually, but mostly by opting into a classification of a people-group - totally invent some classification for themselves, declare that classification by its very nature and definition to have a claim on goodness, and then through some transitive property decide they themselves are good based on those definitions of their group.

Here's the point ...

a) "Good" isn't something for humans to define.

b) Alignment to people-groups is a lie invented by satan.

c) The groups aren't even real either.

Everyone is telling bold lies to align themselves to fake groups, manipulated by satan, instead of simply listening to God's truth about life, hope, joy, salvation, fulfillment, and most of all, love.

Prayer: Lord, there is only one people-group in the world, and that is everyone, created by you, or God and father. May this truth become known. Amen.

So Full of Righteous Anger

Scripture:
But I will sing of your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
your faithful love in the morning.
For you have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge in my day of trouble.
Psalm 59:16

Observation: The psalmist has spent 15 verses seeking the Lord's retribution upon his enemies. He has pronounced all the wrongs they have done to him through no fault of his own, and described their sins that they direct toward himself and toward God. He has asked God to punish them, and not just punish but to do so in a torturous manner ... not to just kill them, but to drive them into poverty and anguish and humiliation.

However, he then summarizes his own action. His is going to worship the Lord. He is going to acknowledge God's greatness and love, declare his protection that has been provided now and in the past. He simply seeks to take no action at all toward anyone who has done anything, but instead will direct his positive attention and works toward the honor of Yahweh.

Application: Even as I have forgiven wrongs done toward me, and received the Lord's absolution for anything I may have done, yet every time I read psalms about the wrongs done toward faithful people I sink into righteous anger. I desire revenge ... the same revenge this psalmist has spelled out, public and painful and humiliating. And I wish to see it, maybe even have a hand in it, or at the very least have the connection between what was done toward me and the punishment imposed by the Lord be clear and known.

I need to drop all this and just worship. The anger only hurts me, in my heart, in my mind, and in my relationship with God. No one else cares about these people and what they've done. I trust God cares, but what he decides to do about it is actually meaningless in the scope of my life and my purpose. I would be so much happier if I just focused on the future path I should walk with God, and not on the past issues of my life.

Prayer: Lord, I pray often to just be able to hold your hand and walk my daily path with you. So why do I keep looking backwards? And why do I do so with such anger? Only you can calm my heart, quiet my mind, and warm me with your love. May I turn aside from all this angst forever. Please help me. Amen.

Seek Eternal, Not a Better, Life

Scripture: Jesus answered, "Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him." John 6:26-27

Observation: After the feeding of the 5,000, the people have been looking for Jesus. Here he will give a major lesson about being "the bread of life", with all kinds of references to ... physical vs. spiritual fulfillment, the meaning of the manna provided in the wilderness, and understanding what it means to receive from the Messiah.

In all of this passage, and summarized by this introduction, the main point of this entire lesson is this: There is a major difference between having faith in the Lord because he provides for your life, and having faith in the Messiah because he is simply the son of the Lord and thus makes the way for your salvation. The first of these is faith, but it is based on earthly ideas around safety, comfort, and needs. The second of these is true faith, where hope is placed - and joy is found - in the promises of the Lord, the truth and authority of his word, and eternal life in heaven.

Those who 'see the signs' - who perceive the truth about Jesus as their Lord and savior - have a faith that will remain rooted in Jesus. Those who are simply 'filled' - who are delighted because God has provided blessing and seen them through hardship - have faith in that provision but are missing the deeper connection. And in verses 36, Jesus even calls this out as a lack of belief. Instead, he calls everyone into a deeper desire for eternal life, and not just a better earthly life ... to eat the bread he offers by his life and sacrifice, and not just the bread he feeds them for lunch.

Application: Belief in Jesus that comes from some kind of saving event - an answered prayer that miraculously delivers a person - is common. It is in fact a very acceptable way of first discovering that God is real, and Jesus is in fact the Messiah. However, faith must go deeper.

I have so many blessing in my life, and I thank God every day for those blessings. However, I must continue to go deeper in my relationship with Jesus, to the point that all earthly 'things' are secondary to the hope I have in salvation, and my desire to serve the Lord in bringing others that same hope.

Prayer: Lord, I do in fact thank you for the blessings of my life. My daily provision is truly a measure that overflows beyond what I could ever need. However, my true hope is not for more blessing, but rather for your promise of eternal life in heaven. May I do all the more every day with that hope in front of me. Amen.

First Turned; First Returned

Scripture: In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil—the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers. God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them. Judges 9:56-57

Observation: This is the ending of a three-year distraction for Israel. Upon the death of Gilead, his illegitimate son Abimelech declares himself ruler. He has 70 (all but one) of the other sons of Gilead murdered by the people of Gilead, and is anointed ruler. The one surviving son curses both Abimelech and the city of Shechem. The truth is, Abimelech never truly rules Israel, and in a short time the people turn against him. He kills many of them in retribution, but they then kill him. It is a short time in the history of Israel, and likely an insignificant if not completely meaningless to 95 percent of Israel at the time.

However, Shechem is an interesting place. While the place where Gilead came from to become Judge, they then embraced a strange form of honor to Yahweh ... they worshipped the ephod Gilead created, and a god they named the "god of the covenant", all of which appears to be a twisted attempt to idolize the Lord. Shechem is very central in Israel. It is located between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and this area would become a place of worship in various forms after the fall of the 'northern kingdom'. It is close to Jacob's well.

All of this sounds like the characteristics of another village in the bible, some 1,100 years later. It is a village is in the central area of Judea, practices a twisted form of believing in Yahweh, is conflicted about alignment to traditional Jewish practices, believes worship can occur on the nearby mountaintops, and has ... a woman who visits Jacob's well midday to get water. While the New Testament says that village was Sychar, the two are close enough to have been considered the same region "ruled" by Abimelech.

As described in the book of Judges, Shechem is the place where the people of Israel have first really fallen away from the Lord and into some new form of their own worship of Yahweh. They aren't just being led astray to worship a different god ... they have created their own physical items, attributed to them some different view of Yahweh, and created their own worship. As a result, murder and curses are handed down, and we will begin to see the spiral downward of the Jewish people. A millennia later, the gospel of John indicates that the Samaritan woman - in this same place - is the very first person that Jesus definitively tells he is the Messiah.

In other words ... perhaps ... these are the Jews who are the very first to lose their understanding of whom Yahweh truly is and create a different form of worship, and thus these are the people to whom the Messiah first really declares whom Yahweh truly is and embrace Jesus as their savior.

Application: My mind keeps coming back to this idea ... Messiah and salvation was first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. Jesus actually exhibited this, and this parallel - that the first people to really turn away from the nature of God are the first people to whom Jesus demonstrates the nature of God - reinforces it.

There is a motion of prayer for Israel occurring worldwide this week. I truly don't fully understand why, but Israel, and the Jewish people, matter a lot when it comes to all of us understanding God. Even at their worst, we learn from the lessons of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I pray for Israel and for the Jewish people. May the land be under your protection, covering, and blessing, knowing how dear it is to you. May your hand be upon the Jews, and may those who do not yet accept Messiah come to discover and embrace Jesus. Amen.

Seeking the Glory from Only God

Scripture: I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:43-44

Observation: As Jesus is responding to questions about who he is - and proof of that identity - he provides a comprehensive list of those who "testify" about him. In no particular order, that list includes: the Lord, the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, Moses, all the scriptures, and the works he has done in the name of Yahweh. To the Jewish leaders, that is effectively 'everyone and everything'.

Jesus is directly criticizing their understanding of Messiah, calling out how everything in the history of the Jews - from the first writings of Moses, to the one voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way - provided every indication of Messiah, and now that Jesus fulfills all those elements, they want some earthly testimony from him before they will accept it. Jesus points out this as their major failure ... they are experts in the Law, memorizing everything it says, yet clearly do not and cannot understand nor apply it to the truth they are witnessing. In this way, it is the Law itself that will judge them, for they claim to believe it, yet clearly do not believe it.

And what do they believe? They believe in the things of the earth. They don't believe in the truth that is testified before them by the Lord, through his word, yet they will believe an earthly human who answers their questions. They will look at someone who does good work on earth and accept them as strong, good, and glorious, yet they reject the person who does the glorious work of God as direct evidence of greatness. Even as 'religious' leaders, they have learned to judge quality based on earthly criteria, and not based on the Lord's criteria, even when such criteria are defined in scripture.

Application: This is truly a core issue for society today ... a collectively mindset that defines greatness based on earthly criteria, then judges everyone and everything against that criteria. It even reaches the point whereby, as the criteria changes, so too do judgments of who and what is good retroactively. Since by definition something that is "true" cannot change, this is by definition a rejection of truth. And yet this approach to seeking "truth" and "greatness" is everywhere, embraced by our society today.

God's truth should be the only criteria for judging ... anything, and that truth comes from an understanding of his word. Yes, I personally fail to use God's word as my measuring rod for everything, every day, however I do know that should be the criteria. So many reject that criteria.

My heart breaks most for the churches that have rejected the criteria. There is a major difference between ignorance and rejection of God's word ... Jesus is very clear about that. Declaring that one loves God, yet rejects the authority of his word, is a dangerous path.

Personally, I hope I care less and less about 'glory' that comes from one another - from the criteria of this world - and seek more and more the glory that comes from only God. And that glory is love found in Jesus as my Lord and savior.

Prayer: Lord, may I care less and less about the things of this world, and the issue, values, and truths of this society and time in which I live. May I care more and more every day about you, and about your people whom you love. Amen.

Confusing Success and Failure

Scripture: The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, captured it, put it to the sword, and set the city on fire ... At the same time the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day. Judges 1:8,21

Observation: The first references to Jerusalem are ... confusing. For some reason, the tribe of Judah attacks Jerusalem successfully, even though it isn't part of their territory. However, the tribe of Benjamin also fails to take Jerusalem, yet still does live in it.

At best, this is ... confusing. Why would Judah 'take' a city not in their claim? How can they destroy the city - "set the city on fire" - then Benjamin moves in? How can the kill - "put it to the sword" - the Jebusites, and have them still living there? How can the first action of Judah be officially declared a success, and then the immediately in the same place Benjamin is declared to have failed? It seems every component of these two verses is in conflict.

However, this may be more revelation about the true "conquering" of the land. The point of taking of promised land was not a massacre of hundreds of thousands of people. Rather, it was the utter destruction of the belief systems of Canaanite people-groups, and driving them out of the land so it would be populated by only Israel, worshiping only Yahweh. What Judah put to the sword was the pagan idols of the Jebusites. What Judah burned was he wooden images and shrines that housed them. What Benjamin then needed to do was to enforce that change, driving the Jebusites to depart the land and go to worship their gods in a new and different place.

Again, it is impossible to burn a city, kill everyone in it and then ... have those same people still living in that same city. This didn't happen. Judah killed and burned the Jebusite gods. Benjamin allowed the Jebusites to rebuild and continue their practices.

Application: I have a problem in my life of thinking about my past in a favorable light. I was angry, sinful, and sometimes even hate-filled in my past. How could I ever think any of that was desirable? The answer is that ... I killed it and burned it down, but failed to evict it from my heart and mind.

This is the thorn that remains in my side, as the Lord even points out to Israel in Judges 2:3 today. This is something that holds me back from fully receiving the Lord's promise of the full power of the Holy Spirit.

I want to evict my former self. I don't just want to be a believer in Jesus Christ striving to do the will of the Lord every day ... I want to completely forget my past life, casting it aside without any fondness. I want it to effectively go away, and never again be part of any thought process.

Prayer: Lord, I desire more of you Holy Spirit, and I feel caught in a cycle I cannot figure out on my own. I need your Spirit to overcome my thoughts about the past, but I feel my thoughts about the past prevent your Spirit from giving me more of you. Please fill me so my joy may be in you alone, and in the things and promises that are of you. Amen.

Judgment as Evidence of Promise

Scripture: Since every good thing the Lord your God promised you has come about, so he will bring on you every bad thing until he has annihilated you from this good land the Lord your God has given you. If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow in worship to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you. Joshua 23:15-16

Observation: Joshua's farewell to Israel is effectively a warning about remaining faithful to the Lord. In this, he is very clear about the fact that, if Israel turns away from the Lord and worships other gods, they will receive all the wrath and punishment that was pronounced to them in the law of Moses. However, in order to make clear that such judgment and punishment is certain, he juxtaposes it against everything the Lord has done for Israel. The Lord promised to deliver them into the land and drive out the other nations, and he has done so. He promises to bless them as they uphold his laws and worship him, and he has done so. Therefore, his word is trustworthy, and if he has also said he will punish due to transgression, he will do so.

Application: The confusion over how a loving God can also judge and punish people has existed since ... well, probably since the beginning. It seems even Cain was surprised by his punishment. Joshua's explanation is actually very enlightening.

It is by the fact that the Lord cares for us, blesses us, and helps us, that he must also judge us. All of this is evidence of promise. The Lord has promised to love everyone, but to especially uphold those faithful to him, and to determine as evidence of that faithfulness simple belief in Jesus. He has also promised that there are ramifications for rejecting Jesus. If the Lord abandoned that promise - if there were no ramifications for rejecting Jesus - we could not be sure in the promise of salvation.

In this way, judgment is a comfort, for it provides proof of the promise and thus encourages faith. Perhaps that does not make it less painful when we worry that someone has died is a state of rejection of Jesus, and thus is under judgment ... but it does provide assurance for a future in heaven.

Prayer: Lord, your promises are sure. You have given us so much in life, including proof that your word is true as evidenced by your actions. I cling to your word and your promised salvation through faith in Jesus, knowing it is trustworthy. Amen.

Judged for Avoiding Judgment

Scripture: This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. John 3:19-20

Observation: As Jesus discusses the topic of salvation by faith in him as the Messiah, these strong words conclude the teaching ... that this truth - the light - has now arrived in the world, but the people are going to reject it and thus be subject to God's judgment. However, the reason they have rejected is the harsher statement. They reject God's truth because they do evil and are ashamed, and thus don't want to face the reality of judgment. They will be judged because they desire to avoid judgment.

The truth is that God is real. He is alive, the creator of the universe, and the loving father of all. This does not change based on one's faith, beliefs, or behaviors. As a result, God will judge everyone. However, there are many who reject that judgment and wish to be left outside of that process. Some know they are doing evil and don't want the light of truth of highlight that fact. Others love the ways of the world and don't want or accept any authority that even tells them that what they are doing is wrong. These individuals reject Jesus - and thus reject God's truth and light and love - to avoid God's judgment.

Jesus is pretty clear ... that isn't how it works. Avoiding the light doesn't mean you aren't seen by the light. Rejecting the truth doesn't make it untrue. And there will be judgment for those who love darkness and hate the light.

Application: Our society today is taking this process to another level, attempting to create 'norms' that describe the darkness as "enlightened" and "good".

And make no mistake about this ... those in society who do this, even the everyday people falling into the trap, know they are rejecting Jesus. Even if they don't "know" Jesus, they do know there is a concept of faith in the creator God, and they have chosen to avoid and reject that in favor of worldly concepts. For many, they do this because they have at least a vague understanding that the Lord disapproves of their lifestyle, and they have no desire to even hear or care about that kind of 'judgment'.

They love darkness. They avoid the light. They reject the light because they don't want their deeds exposed. Thus, they try to avoid judgment. It is in that context they will be judged.

Prayer: Lord, perhaps the hardest part of being a Christian is knowing that I do wrong, I commit sin, and my sins are seen by you, in the light. Yet I would rather be exposed in your light, with my hope for forgiveness through Jesus, than to embrace the dark. May we find a way to lead others into the light, for my heart breaks for their future judgment. Amen.

Contesting the Coastline Forever

Scripture: When the territory of the descendants of Dan slipped out of their control, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and struck it down with the sword. So they took possession of it, lived there, and renamed Leshem after their ancestor Dan. Joshua 19:47

Observation: The last tribe discussed to receive their allotment, Dan's description also ends differently. While all the others just say "this was the allotment ..." after listing the boundaries and cities, Dan's states that ... they failed to control their land, and instead took one other city far north (in the far northeast corner of the land, within Naphtali) as their only claim.

Dan's original claim wasn't in a bad place, along any border. It was right next to Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, the area that would remain the very core of Israel for centuries. However ... it was on the coast, and was the northern extension of the Philistine's land. It included Ekron inland. In other words, this is the part of Israel that was most contested, and would remain most contested throughout Israel's history. By the time of the divided kingdom, as other nations overtook Israel's claims, this was well within Philistia. And even today, this is part of the region still contested as an extended part of Gaza.

Application: Even with the initial organization of Israel, it was clear this part of Israel - this eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea - would be problematic from the perspective of world peace. It makes little sense that one coastal area of relative insignificant size could possibly generate such consistent conflict for 3,500 years, and yet it has.

I feel this is significant for understanding ... something about the Lord. Yes, there was a time under David that this area was subdued, but much of the time it was not, Dan as a tribe never really settled it, and it remains in conflict even today. And even in Joshua's lifetime, as the author of this very passage, this fact was effectively documented and understood.

Did God want the Philistines to remain strong and a thorn to educate Israel? Did God punish Israel to the point of cursing this area because Dan gave up to easily on their promised territory? These and other scenarios seem possible. However, the outcome is the same ... millennia of conflict in the "chosen land".

Prayer: Lord, I pray for Israel, and for the land. I do not know why that is your chosen center of the world, but there is no denying that it is. It is a place full of wonder, yet full of violence. It is not something I can understand, but may all that happens there be for your glory and your purposes. Amen.