Just Tired of Fighting the Fight

Scripture: He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep. 1 Kings 19:8-9

Observation: After defeating all the prophets of baal, Elijah flees due to the threats of revenge by Jezebel. He doesn't just leave the northern kingdom of Israel. He first goes all the way to southern Judah, then to Mount Horeb, a rugged location far south of Judah, completely outside the promised land and the nation of the Jews, well into Arabia. In other words, this isn't just an act of getting out of town to avoid reprisal, he effectively puts the countries of Judah, Edom, and maybe even a corner of Egypt (depending how the roads go) - around 250 miles on foot - between himself and Jezebel's wrath.

Bear in mind, this is Elijah immediately after taking on 450 prophets of false gods in a battle to the death, defeating them by calling down and witnessing the power of the Lord to completely consume anything he wished with tremendous fire. He should know he has nothing to fear from one terrible queen ... and in fact, he certainly does know this. Yahweh will meet with Elijah here in Horeb, and upon giving instructions to Elijah about what to do, he immediately returns to Israel. Elijah does not say he fled because he is afraid. He says he fled because he's the only believer left in Israel. In other words ... Elijah is just tired of fighting the fight, and would rather be physically alone in the desert - but in peace - than spiritually alone but surrounded by enemies and in conflict.

Application: Of course, I am thinking often in the last few days about my 'niece-in-law'. I am truly thankful she did what she did, but I also am disappointed by how she is choosing to create a public fight. She wants to fight the ways of the world instead of talking about the love of Jesus. I would say she doesn't understand how Jesus taught us to make disciples, partly because she has rarely needed to interact with people who ... believe in false gods, worship twisted concepts, and are openly hostile and ready to exact revenge on anyone faithful in Yahweh.

I understand Elijah. I am nowhere near as active in the 'fight' as Elijah was, but it is exhausting to know that there are people out to get you every day, all the time. And we know there are, for they have attacked us. And yes, we have discussed our own plan to someday put 1,000 miles between us and here, retreating to the desert.

So I remind myself again today what I have been wishing my family in Texas already knew: We grow tired of the fight because we aren't supposed to be fighting in the first place.

We should not fight against non-believers who hate the Lord and love the world. We love those people, and we love them by showing them the love of Jesus, and then telling them that Jesus is the source of that kindness, patience, and goodness. It is true they will respond with some level of vitriol 95 percent of the time, but that isn't our fight either.

Prayer: Lord, may thy will be done. As it depends on me, may that will simply be for us to give others the good news of Jesus, and allow your spirit to take everything on from there. Amen.

You're Never Not Working

There's not a broken too broken for you!

This, oh Lord, is a promise we need so very, very desperately!!

This was Supposed to be Our Job

Scripture:
He planted a witness in Jacob,
set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
so their children can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.
Psalm 78:5-7

Observation: The psalmist opens this psalm by even saying his is thinking deeply about a proverb, and then goes into a discussion on the Shema. That specific passage tells Israel to listen, that the Lord is all powerful, and they are to love Yahweh with all their heart, soul, and strength. The next instruction is that this is a lesson that is to be taught continually to all generations. It is to be discussed at the dinner table with the family, and with others while out walking about. It is to be considered as the very first conversation in the morning, and the very last conversation at night. It is vital that parents teach it to their children.

This psalm states why this is important ... so the next generation will know and love the Lord as well. They will learn to trust in the Lord when they are young, and experience that trust as they mature. With personal experience, they can move beyond just the stories of God's work in the past, and receive God's works in their lives as a personal experience. Then they will pass this to the next generation.

And therein lies the problem. When a generation fails to inform the next, the second generation turns away from the Lord, and then the next generation has no one to teach them. This was the spiral that happened in Israel during the Judges, overcome by the reign of David and Solomon, but re-initiated with Jeroboam, resulting in the future total destruction of Israel. When a generation fails, it is hard to recover.

Application: It's pretty clear we are into this downward spiral here in the "western" world, as our younger generations have almost no thought of the Lord or of Jesus, have no context for any kind of faith, and may even consider "religions" to be hateful. And it's not their fault. We have failed them, as the generation that was to teach them in our homes every day. Very few of us did.

I could say we need our 'David' to arise, but Jesus is the living line of David that now rules the world, and to whom we should be pointing the young. I could say we need leaders to help in pointing the way back to Jesus, but those leaders themselves have proven to the problematic humans, full of major shortcomings.

My generation - and maybe the generation before - have failed at our job, and the way back from that failure is now clearly very difficult. We need Jesus himself to intervene.

Prayer: Lord, we need you. Our youth and young adults do not know you, and it isn't their fault. Yet they are trapped in wrong thinking, controlled by an evil they don't even acknowledge. For their sake, we need you Jesus. Amen.

God's Wisdom Toward Gentiles

Scripture: And don’t forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation. People are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonder-working power, who come to pray at this Temple.
          Listen from your home in heaven.
1 Kings 8:41-43a

Observation: As Solomon is dedicating the temple, asking the Lord to listen to the prayers of the people - whether they be praying to seek the Lord's good favor, or asking for forgiveness when they have gone astray - he adds a desire for the Lord to listen to ... gentiles. Solomon looks forward to the day when other people and other nations will turn to the Lord, desire to honor and know him, seeking his favor and wisdom and love, and Solomon desires that the Lord agree. This blessing, therefore, goes beyond Israel, the priestly nation that has now built this temple, and extends to the entire world.

Application: As a gentile, I am touched by the fact that Solomon, empowered by the Lord's own wisdom and widely considered one of if not the wisest man in history, remembered that we would all desire to be close to the Lord, and would seek a relationship with Yahweh. It is by that open door - the wisdom of the Lord as declared here by Solomon - that I can be confident that the salvation of Jesus was always intended for all people. Yes, it began with the Jews, but we know over and over again that it was to spread to all people and all nations, to the ends of the earth.

And we knew this to be true a thousand years before Jesus, with Solomon declaring the Lord's own wisdom, and declaring the desire that we come to the Lord in prayer.

Prayer: Lord, Abba my father in heaven, may I love you more and more every day, and may I enter into a better relationship with you through improving my prayer life. I do wish to talk to you, confessing for certain, but also seeking, knowing, learning, and just being with you. Thank you for prayer, a way to talk to you. May my prayers rise before you, in your home in heaven, rising like incense before your thrown, a pleasing aroma to you, my Lord. Amen.

It Doesn't Get Better than That

Scripture: After the reading of the Scriptures—God’s Law and the Prophets—the president of the meeting asked them, "Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement, perhaps?" Acts 13:15

Observation: After the reading of scripture, Paul is invited to speak, which is common practice. The leader explicitly asks for perhaps an encouraging word for the people to take home with them. Paul responds with the most encouraging word of all ... the fact that Jesus, the promised Messiah, has come and been resurrected from death, for the redemption of all, fulfilling the great promise to the Jews.

Paul's speech covers a bit of history, going back to delivery from Egyptian exile, the promise made to David of an eternal leader to come from his line, and Isaiah's prophesy about another prophet to prepare the way for that Messiah being completed by John the Baptist. However, at its core is the gospel, the good news, the best news possible, that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection completed every prophetic promise of scriptures, and he is the Messiah who will never rot from death but provides eternal life to anyone who believes.

Application: I am reminded today of this very, very simple truth ... the message that Jesus is Messiah and provides salvation by faith alone is well and truly the most encouraging word anyone could ever receive. This message is far better than anything that relates to earthly activities, like a motivational speech about success, or congratulations for a job well-done, or even a statement of support provided when one feels down.

"We know for certain two facts. The first is that, for hundreds of years, the Jewish people documented the words that prophets heard from the Lord about a promised Messiah who would grant salvation to all people who simply place their faith in the Lord. The second is that it is indisputable that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled every single one of those prophetic words, even being resurrected from death. Now you - everyone - can have that salvation by faith alone."

I mean, it just doesn't get better - or simpler - than that!

Prayer: Lord, I believe! Thank you for Jesus, and for the good news of salvation. May I keep that message at the tip of my tongue, ready to go to tell others whenever they need an encouraging word. Amen.

The Practical Wisdom of God

Scripture: He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 1 Kings 4:33

Observation: In presenting the wide-ranging wisdom of Solomon, the record discusses two plants due to their extreme difference in size. However, these two plants are not chosen at random.

Cedar is the largest tree in the world. In the middle east, it was easily the greatest tree for constructing the largest buildings, and it would be the cedars specifically from Lebanon that Solomon would use to build the original temple. Therefore, cedar is not just large, but is also critically important in practical uses.

Hyssop represents a variety of herbs, but the wall-living kind of Solomon's day was likely similar to oregano. It had medicinal qualities that were used to assist with lung issues, and was also used to aid lepers. In Psalms it is called out as a purification medicine. Hyssop, therefore, also has practical health-related uses.

In other words, Solomon's wisdom was not just some kind of grand intellect used to show off, or some conceptual philosophy used to think deeply on esoteric topics. The wisdom the Lord had granted to Solomon was practical, with applicability to everyday - and improved - lives.

Application: This is the key to wisdom available to us through the Holy Spirit ... it is practical for our everyday lives. The wisdom is not intellect for intellect's purpose, but rather it is intelligence we can apply to our lives to help our circumstances, improve our lives, care for our health, secure our blessings, and find joy.

The Lord keeps giving me this wisdom, and I fear I keep taking steps opposed to it. The Lord is reminding me daily to stay productive, meditate on him, and lean into my home and family. I keep retreating into mindless distractions and boredom. I need to truly embrace the Lord's wisdom, which always exists to practically improve my life.

Prayer: Lord, again I say it today, may I listen to your guidance and be obedient to your wisdom. Help me to set aside idle, and idol, pastimes, and only embrace your direction and path in my life, in both big and small ways. Amen.

Fritting Away my Life

Scripture:
A life frittered away disgusts God;
he loves those who run straight for the finish line.
Proverbs 15:9

Observation: As part of this collection of one-sentence proverbs is this ... God dislikes it when a life is "frittered away". This is clearly about a life that is unfocused, meandering on so many worthless topics and pursuits, instead of focusing on the Lord's purposes, direction, and prize for one's life.

Application: We spent time as a family yesterday talking about "how" satan has deceived society in recent times, and the root cause is very difficult to identify. However, perhaps this is it. Between phone apps, mindless games, social media, and hours of 'content' online, everyone (myself very much included) is frittering away their lives. We just sit around and consume digital inputs that are meaningless and worthless, instead of putting our minds and hearts into meditation of the Lord.

Only 100 years ago, most down-time for people was spent in thought, and that thought was open to the influence of the Lord. It took a decision to exclusively think on other secular topics. Today, people can go days without thinking ... at all. We even have issues about people losing skills associated with concentration, reading, cognitive recognition, problem solving, and logical analysis. I myself can spend hours mindlessly playing a video game that has no objective point or goal at all, but rather is just a series of puzzles that has no outcome but to progress to the next puzzle.

I am frittering away my life. This disgusts God.

Prayer: Lord, I see this issue in my life. I am becoming mindless, in that I can go hours without thinking on anything, let alone you. May I get this under control, and refocus my thought life on you and your word. Amen.

Making Us More Relevant

Scripture: But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 9:22

Observation: Immediately after Saul is confronted by Jesus, and upon healing his vision receives the Holy Spirit as a believer - within a matter of days at the most - Saul is engaged in debate with Jews about the Messiahship of Jesus. We know Saul is very educated, one of the most brilliant pharisees, and knows the scriptures flawlessly. We also know that, when engaged with Jews, his typical tactic is to show them the nature of Messiah in the scriptures and thus how Jesus fulfilled those prophesies. For days in Damascus, he isn't just saying, "I was blinded on the way here by Jesus therefore he must be Messiah," but rather he is engaged in an educated discussion about the Messiah and Jesus.

In other words ... Saul always knew the truth of this argument. He had learned the history of Jesus, the facts surrounding his life, ministry, death, and resurrection, and he was very much an expert in how the scriptures foretold the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the promised Messiah as the man of woes, the suffering servant, the heir of David's eternal throne. He knew it, he just refused to accept it because it would force him to change his life.

When Jesus confronted Saul on the road, he didn't present him with new information. Instead, he just forced the life-change issue.

Application: I was reminded recently of a conversation I had with a non-believer; someone who, to my knowledge, is still a non-believer. "Jesus" was their most-used explicative. This person seemed to know about faith and Christianity, and their biggest objection was that a) believing required life-change, and b) one could decide not to believe their entire their life, until on their deathbed, then accept Jesus and suddenly be saved anyway. To this day, I'm not certain why either of those issues are negative, especially given how poorly this person's life was going at the time we had this conversation (it was absolutely in need of change).

I think there are many non-believers who actually know with near certainty that ... Jesus is the Messiah. They therefore are not believers because "Messiah" doesn't have relevance in their lives, likely because Yahweh - the one Lord God of the Universe - doesn't have relevance to them, either. I may have been categized like this at one time, thinking that even if God existed he didn't matter to me.

We spend so much energy thinking about how to make Jesus "relevant" to people, but then we define relevance in terms of modern cultural topics and norms and issues. Jesus isn't about being relevant to modern culture, he's about changing lives to make us relevant to his ways. Jesus didn't re-educate Saul, he changed his life and freed him up to properly use his existing education.

Jesus already is relevant to everything in the universe. The goal is to make us relevant by aligning to his love and will and purposes.

Prayer: Lord, may we, all your believers, and especially myself, become more relevant to you and your kingdom today and every day. Amen.

Those who Remain Complicit

Scripture: When David arrived home in Jerusalem, the king took the ten concubines he had left to watch the palace and placed them in seclusion, under guard. He provided for their needs but didn’t visit them. They were virtual prisoners until they died, widows as long as they lived. 2 Samuel 20:3

Observation: The issue of the 10 concubines is MUCH more complex than is understood by a simple reading, and required research. The Law lays out three possible courses of action related to these women:

1) Since they had sex outside of marriage, they should be put to death.

2) If they explicitly had cried out for help but no one came to their aid, they could be spared from death.

3) If spared, there was an option to divorce them. Since they had sex with David's son, David could never be with them again, and if divorced they could never be with another man.

Overall, David keeping them alive and caring for them was the most merciful action available under the Law. It acknowledged them as victims of Absalom, but also did not make them destitute as divorced women outside of any care by anyone.

However, there is a component of this that certainly seems to be part of David's long-term challenges. By opting for mercy, David is declaring that the women were raped in public, cried out for help, and ... absolutely no one in all of Jerusalem attempted to aid any of them. There seems to be a parallel here with the story of Judges and the Levite's concubine that is also raped and killed. Israel now has kings to enforce laws and uphold faith in the Lord, and still the people don't care. They support the evil acts of a usurper, refusing to stand against evil and sin perpetrated right in front of their eyes. Surely the citizens would say they are not the ones who committed such acts, but ... they remained complicit. Perhaps David's decision to confine the concubines and provide for them for the rest of their lives was actually a visual reminder - to the people or maybe just to himself - that Israel was still not aligned with God's laws.

Application: I have no idea if anything I just wrote is correct. However, if it is, it presents a major challenge. I have often thought about how to love those who sin. I seek to preach 'Christ crucified' and declare the love of Jesus, without engaging in legalistic debate. Yet ... if I fail to speak out, does that make me complicit in the violation of God's law? Is it enough to 'not support' such ideals and attitudes and actions, or must I 'actively resist'?

Prayer: Lord, I will say to you today what I suspect millions and millions of your believers have been saying for thousands of year. I do not know how to proceed, and I do not understand how to act within the context of our society. My only hope therefore is to turn to you for wisdom and direction, in every individual and unique circumstance and interaction. I know your perfect love and judgment will prevail. May I simply do and say whatever you would have me do and say, at all times. Amen.

In Terms of Love and Hate

Scripture: What is this—loving those who hate you and hating those who love you? Your actions give a clear message: officers and soldiers mean nothing to you. You know that if Absalom were alive right now, we’d all be dead—would that make you happy? 2 Samuel 19:6

Observation: Joab regularly disregards David's orders, thinking his judgement in what is best for David is better. Despite David's order to bring Absalom back alive, Joab intentionally killed the trapped Absalom. As David now mourns the death of his son, Joab takes that as an offense against the rest of the army ... that by loving Absalom the traitor, David hates the men who were loyal to him.

Joab is a man who regularly thinks in terms of love and hate. He loves those who are on whatever side he is on, and hates those on the other side of an issue or conflict. He can also flip-flop on this, changing his mind and his position and suddenly loving the new allies. As a soldier, these conflicts become deadly, and he has no issue working up the emotional anger to kill those he hates, even (in this case) when such action is opposed to the orders he received from his king. David does see through this, and in a matter of days will relieve Joab of his command.

Application: We talk about the division of our society today regarding so many topics, and most people have an attitude like Joab ... love vs. hate. They love the people on their side of debate and hate those opposed to it. This is so embedded within them that they assume that 'oppose' and 'hate' and synonyms ... they fully believe that if someone is opposed to their position, that person must hate them.

This is the fine line I need to walk, along with all Christians, when it comes to opposing the norms of today's society. We have to be like David, opposing and even fighting the issue, but loving those who believe in that issue. We must not be like Joab, hating them mostly because we disagree with them.

Prayer: Lord, you know the confusing times we live in, for you have seen similar times throughout the history of humans. I ask that you give your believers the wisdom we need, with a healthy dose of your own love in our hearts, to stand firm against issues that grieve you, while we also love those who take up such issues. Amen.

Setting Up Religious Programs

Scripture: This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.’ This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with. They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what’s happened to him!’ That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together. Acts 7:37-41

Observation: Stephen, on trial for the primary accusation of speaking against Moses and the "customs" Moses handed down, goes on to present his thorough yet brief understanding of Moses' mission. In this summary, Stephen hits on three very interesting points:

1) Moses himself had been rejected by the Israelites to be their leader and protector, but was later sent by the Lord to fulfill that purpose. This purpose included being the one who heard from the Lord and presented God's word and teaching to Israel.

2) Furthermore, it was Moses who predicted that someday another prophet with this same purpose and mission would be raised up within Israel.

3) At all times - while Moses was on the mountain receiving the word of God, the entire 40 years in the wilderness, and throughout the history if Israel - the Jews chose to create their own "religious programs" and adopt their own practices and customs, outside of God's instructions.

This is an amazing sermon. In only a few paragraphs, Stephen both defends the charges made against him, and fully summarizes the mission of Jesus to redeem the world. Israel first, then all the world, need a person to stand between the Lord and themselves, and to give us all proper understanding of the Lord's will. Moses did this, now Jesus does it. But rebellious people will instead ignore this council and create their own practices and programs, their own gods and idols. When they do this declaring the name of God, they are in the wrong. When they especially do this in the pursuit of earthly happiness (the old Egyptian ways) independent of God, they are worthy of punishment by exile.

Application: I have read Stephen's speech before, but this section resonates strongly today. This summary of what a redeemer does, and how those who reject the redeemer subsequently behave, is so accurate.

There are SO many today who have created their own "programs" for how to live their lives. A very good friend of mine last week even discussed 'his' philosophy to pursue 'happiness' as how he was planning to model the rest of his life. Woe to those that pursue their own programs.

Do I do that? What practices, behaviors, or activities have I set up that are of my own design, and outside of the Lord's instructions? I do things like play golf for my joy, but I do not set those up as programs that define my own god and religion. It would be better if I took more intentionality doing the things the Lord DOES tell me to do, like pray continually, love others explicitly, and serve diligently.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you again for Jesus as my savior and redeemer. I know I am a sinner, and that Jesus is the one who stands in the gap and provides the path to receive your love, your instruction, and your word. In my daily life, may I more and more seek your direction, and less and less wander on in my own direction. Amen.

Patience to Not React

Scripture: “Besides,” continued David to Abishai and the rest of his servants, “my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don’t bother with him; let him curse; he’s preaching God’s word to me. And who knows, maybe God will see the trouble I’m in today and exchange the curses for something good.” 2 Samuel 16:11-12

Observation: As David is fleeing from Absolom, a man named Shimei yells curses at David and throws rocks at him. David is actually traveling with a small army, plus his servants and wives ... there are likely 700-1,000 people with David, yet even when pressed he actually refuses to respond to or prevent Shimei from yelling and pelting him. His logic is that perhaps God wants David to be attacked and humiliated, so why prevent it.

Application: Recently, I have developed a very real, very severe problem with ... suffering people who trouble me and my family. This extends to those people who intentionally do things against me just because they 'can', and those who accidentally do stupid things that cause me to react. I have grown weary of the lack of respect and common courtesy others fail to show, and of course I then respond with anger and vitriol and even aggression.

And in context, I am nothing. There is no reason for anyone to show me respect and courtesy. I just some guy. David was the king with an army, and he didn't respond angrily toward a guy being rude to him ... I lash out when I get cut off in traffic.

So I wonder if the Lord is punishing me, or testing me, or teaching me, by intentionally sending these frustrations my way. If so, I am failing miserably. I am failing to maintain peace, patience, kindness, and self-control. I immediately take offense, and I am quick to anger. I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, then do not lean into that same Spirit when I need his influence in my thoughts and actions.

I need the patience to not react to the insults and attacks of this world, those directed at me intentionally, those that simply come into my path and cause inconvenience, and those that target the Lord whom I love. If the Lord himself is teaching me through these insults and attacks, I should trust he is also giving me access to the Holy Spirit to succeed.

Prayer: Lord, every day I pray for your spirit. May I also find the personal fortitude to trust in your spirit. I see so many actions direct toward me, either personally or generally, and I will take those as an opportunity to improve and receive from you. Amen.