It's Too Much

The more I study about Moses and his leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the more respect I have for him. It took some prodding from God and giving him his brother Aaron to help him get started (Exodus 4). It took his father-in-law’s wisdom to appoint officials to hear complaints from the people so Moses didn’t have to spend all day settling disputes (Exodus 18). But it was Moses who regularly talked with God and who, with God’s guidance and help, led the people who likely numbered near 2 million (600 thousand men age 20 and over, the Levites, plus women and children).

At first, the people were excited to be free from slavery in Egypt. But it wasn’t long before they began complaining about living conditions and lack of food and/or water. I can’t fathom leading 2 million people on a camping trip in the desert for a week, let alone 40 years. But here is Moses, being faithful to God, leading these people. It is no wonder to me that Moses is saying, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin." Numbers 11:11-15

I wonder if I would have had the guts to even start out. Moses is thinking about giving up here. He is asking God to cut him loose from the burden he is carrying. Why doesn’t anyone see that it is a huge burden and step up to help him? The people begin to see Moses as the enemy rather than their leader and helper. It is a very painful place to be in leadership. There is much to be learned from how God and Moses handled the problems.

Moses, with God’s help, demonstrated great leadership by having set up an order to traveling and stopping. They were organized by tribes and each had a place to be when they stopped, arranged around the Tabernacle, and a place to be when they traveled, order in line. As they left in order, they opened a space for the Tabernacle and the Holy things as they moved them out. And as they settled, they moved in in order to make space for the Tabernacle and then enclose around it. It was like a chorus getting into place on the risers on stage and leaving in order when they have completed their program. Only this is about 2 million people rather than 40-50.

Even with this all in place and working, the people get hot, tired, hungry, thirsty and testy. And they think Moses should fix it. And so Moses cries to God, “The burden is too heavy for me.” Numbers 11:14 Since the people did not come forth to help Moses on their own, God tells Moses, “Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.” Numbers 11:16-17

Now we have middle management and the people have someone else to wail at besides Moses. And then God says, “Okay, I’ll provide meat for you all. In fact, I’ll provide so much you’ll get sick of it!” (Numbers 11:18-20)

Rather than saying, “Thank you. Now there will be some peace again for a few days,” Moses says, “Where is all the meat going to come from? How can we feed this many people meat every day?” (Numbers 11:21-22)

“The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’” Numbers 11:23 And God did provide enough quail for all to eat and be filled.

This is not only a story of God providing meat for the Israelites in the desert. It is a story of a leader who is burned out. It is easy to be confident in our leadership when people are following and everything is going well. But when people bulk, complain, or in this case wail, it is a different story. Suddenly, our world falls apart and we want out. It was not only the people not trusting God for provision, it was Moses not trusting God to get him through this. Not that I blame Moses in any way for his reaction at that point. It was a very human response. But I can learn from him and from how God dealt with it, that God can be trusted. His arm is not too short. He can deal with the worst of circumstances and get us through it. And so, regarding my ability to trust God to take care of things, I say with the man in the New Testament who asked Jesus for healing for his son, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

I’m so glad these rough times have been documented in the Bible as well as the good times. It gives me hope and builds my trust in a God who can reach down into any situation I find myself in and give me just what I need to not only get through that day, but to thrive – to become stronger and better for having gone through it. I hope the next time I find myself burning out I can reach up to God and trust him to get me through rather than complaining and wailing about the burden being too much.

Not Even a Hint

God is a holy God. There is no room for impurity in his presence. Before Jesus came to offer us a way back to God, the Law gave the people a way for restitution. One particular area of the Law covered unfaithfulness to one’s spouse and jealousy regarding one’s spouse. “… and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure – or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure – then he is to take his wife to the priest…” Numbers 5:14-15

The Law goes on to state that a curse will be put over the woman and if she is guilty, “may the Lord cause your people to curse and denounce you when he causes your thigh to waste away and your abdomen to swell.” Numbers 5:21

I wonder if the women at that time were very careful to not cause their husbands to become jealous. This would mean absolutely no flirting, no making eyes or even letting oneself think of sexual sin let alone participate in it.

Today, emotional and sexual encounters outside of marriage are commonplace in our society. Movies, billboards, and even email coming into our personal accounts flaunt it and invite people to participate in uncommitted, lustful encounters. People are no longer looked down on for this kind of behavior. Rather, they are encouraged. Couples sometimes purposefully try to make each other jealous with flirtatious behavior to check out how much the other loves them. And many find that behavior ‘cute’ and acceptable.

Obviously, we are far from being a holy people living the way God intended for us to live. Jesus taught, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 I’m pretty sure that is true for women as well in how they look at men.

I wonder how much stronger marriages would be and how much less divorce would occur if we as Christians could abide by this simple rule. “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” Ephesians 5:3

If I want my marriage to be strong and to survive, I need to keep my focus on my spouse and not let my eyes wander. I need to look to my spouse for the deep relationship that God intends for us to have. Even when we argue or disappoint each other, my focus needs to be on repairing the relationship, not fleeing it. Forgiveness, not jealously, is the way back to full relationship.

I’m pretty sure the Laws on jealousy are not something Moses made up because he was tired listening to men complain about their wives. It seems God has had in mind right from the beginning of time that “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Genesis 3:24 God’s best for us is to keep focused on each other and keep jealousy totally out of the equation. There is no room for jealousy in a godly relationship – not even a hint!

When Leaders Fall

On my way through this faster read of the Bible, I am seeing something I don’t think I noticed before. I seem to be focusing on leaders as real people rather than just as people God called out and blessed and to whom God gave extra abilities – supernatural powers. These real people faced real decisions and some made good ones and some made poor ones. They faced real temptations and some rose above them and some fell. Rather than aggrandizing these leaders, I am beginning to understand how hard it was to be in their position.

For instance, think about Moses for a moment. He was called to lead Israel out of Egypt. He gave up his comfortable life with his family and put his life on the line as he approached Pharaoh time after time carrying out God’s plagues on Egypt. Then he took over a million people on a 40 year camping trip in the desert without much in the way food supplies. I can’t imagine walking in his shoes. Yet, he followed God closely and didn’t become proud of his position.

Joshua followed Moses and had to find a way to energize and encourage the people to move forward and take the land God had given them. There were giants in the way. Yet he followed God closely and led Israel into the promised land.

And then fast forward to Samuel. He was separated from his mother and father at a very young age and taught to serve God. He was wise and the people listened to him, but his sons didn’t. I wonder if he overcompensated and spoiled his sons because he had suffered such emotional loss early in life. At any rate, there was no one to follow in his footsteps and the people asked for a king.

Saul was selected to be their king. He came into kingship humble and not sure how he was chosen out of all the people. But as he led the people into battle and was successful, he began to forget that it was God’s hand that made him successful and began to think it was his own hand and his own brilliance that made him deserve the kingship. He began to like his position and wanted to keep it, so he thought he needed to please the people rather than teaching the people to follow God.

I wonder if that was his downfall. His devotion turned from God to himself and the people. “Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.” I Samuel 15:24 I wonder if Saul also wanted to be known throughout the world as a great king and thought he could get there his way rather than God’s way.

God saw that Saul’s heart had left him and could no longer use Saul as king of his people. I wonder how many leaders in our churches suffer from ‘Saul syndrome’. They begin their ministry really in touch with God and wanting to lead the people to God’s throne. And as their churches grow and people tell them how good they are, their focus changes from pleasing God and teaching his Word to pleasing the people and keeping them happy and coming back so they can have a big church and look good in the eyes of their peers and their congregations.

I would venture to guess that before every fall of a church leader, erosion occurred in their thinking. Rather than seeing themselves as servants of the Most High God, they began to see themselves as pretty smart and deserving of the praise they get from people. And since it feels good to get praise from others, they keep finding ways to get praise from people rather than from God. Sometimes they even go so far as to think they have special power over the people. They become the king in their little kingdom.

Saul had everything. He was tall, good looking, and chosen by God to be king. But he forgot his place and began to think he was a god and could do whatever he wanted. In fact, sometimes he thought he was smarter than God himself and didn’t follow the instructions he was given from God. I believe that was his downfall. And when confronted by Samuel, he blamed the people rather than confessing his own sin. In that slippery slide, he went from being used powerfully by God to being useless to God.

That is frightening. Leadership is a scary thing! Success is something we strive for, yet it is success that can cause us to not see we are standing on the edge of a cliff and we walk right over the edge.

Oh Lord, help me to never be confused about where success comes from. It is from your hand and not from mine. My desire is to labor with you and to follow your leading, to remain humble before you. All that I am comes from you and belongs to you. Amen.

Receiving God's Gifts

“Hear, O my people, and I will warn you – if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:8-10

Over the years, we have had a variety of birds build nests and care for their young near the doors of our houses. As we come and go, we watch the bird build the nest, hatch their eggs and feed their young until they are ready to leave the nest. All baby birds have an instinct to open their mouths wide when they are hungry. In fact, some of them even sleep with their mouths wide open. They don’t want to miss the food that mama bird brings to them.

So when I read this Psalm today, I pictured a baby bird in the nest with its mouth wide open waiting to be fed. And I wondered how I am to be like a baby bird? A baby bird can do nothing to take care of itself – except open wide its mouth and wait on its mother to feed it. And the mother and father birds feed all the young in the nest… and feed… and feed… and feed… Soon the baby birds grow up and become mature birds because of all the good food they are getting.

Birds don’t normally feed each other’s young. A Robin doesn’t feed a Cardinal and a Cardinal doesn’t feed a Carolina Wren. Each bird knows just what their young need. So when that little mouth is hanging wide open, mama and papa put in just the right stuff to help their young grow.

When I come before God each day, I wonder how much like a baby bird I am. Am I completely trusting in him as my provider and the one who keeps me safe? Am I looking to him to satisfy my needs? Am I eating what he brings me and maturing in my faith? Or am I looking other places to have my needs met – my spouse? my children? my friends? the government? comfort food? my doctor? All of those people or things have a place in my life, but not to completely satisfy my hunger. Only God can do that. And I will never be satisfied unless I let God fill me.

Do I open my mouth – maybe even sleep with it open – so God can fill me? Or am I distracted by other people and things and try to leave the nest before I am ‘satisfied’ with God’s provision. Will I become the bird that is maturing and flying high or will I be the baby bird sitting on the ground because I fell out of the nest and now am at great risk because of my own foolishness.

This is another beautiful lesson on trusting God. As I spend time reading and studying the Bible (which I believe is his written Word he gave us to help us find our way back to him), and as I meditate on these words, I continue to grow in my trust in him. As I am fed by time in nature, instruction from others who have matured in their faith, and especially by my own time spent with him, I continue to grow in my trust in him. And trust in him brings peace to each day – no matter how difficult or busy the circumstances. I know that he will give me just what I need to be satisfied each day.

Thank you, God, for caring for me so completely and so continuously. Today may I use what you give me to give back to you and to others. Amen.

Who is this Jesus?

Since the writers of the Gospels are focused on telling us about Jesus, I decided to ask the question, “Who is this Jesus?” as I was doing my fast read through Mark. There is no question that this is someone I want to know and have as a friend and mentor. So what makes him so attractive?

He is confident in his teaching and actions – not wishy-washy. I can count on him to be the same person tomorrow as he is today. “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22

He draws his strength and focus from his relationship with God, the Father – not others, not the news, not his morning coffee. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 I wonder what would happen if we all started our day in this solitary place with God…

Jesus was filled with compassion. He couldn’t walk by someone in need without touching them, healing them, or blessing them. He was never too busy to show compassion. “A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” Mark 1:40-42

He was a healer, not just of physical diseases, but a healer of the body, the soul, the emotion – whatever part of themselves people brought to him for healing and more. When friends brought a paralytic to him for healing, he forgave the man’s sins. He also healed him physically, but Jesus knew the man needed more than that. (Mark 2:1-12)

Jesus was a wise teacher and mentor to those who followed him. Crowds gathered around him and several individuals followed him and sat under his teaching. He told parables to help the people understand and remember what he was teaching. And the disciples developed faith and leadership as he set up learning opportunities for them. (Mark 6:6-13)

Jesus was distressed at stubborn hearts when the religious leaders followed their own interpretations of the Law and hurt people rather than helping them. “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” Mark 3:5

Jesus was full of power. He calmed a storm that had frightened the disciples who were used to the squalls that came up on the sea. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” Mark 4: 41 He was stopped only by lack of faith. “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” Mark 6:5-6

While he was teaching the crowds, he also satisfied their hunger. Mark 6:30-44 Jesus satisfies the hunger of souls as well as meeting the physical needs.

Jesus is God’s Son. Several of the disciples got a firsthand introduction on the mountain when Moses and Elijah showed up and God said (referring to Jesus), "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Mark 9:7

Jesus is our Savior, full of love, mercy and grace, a servant of all. He cares deeply about those society tends to trample (the poor, the fatherless, the widow) and has no tolerance for those who use their religion to take advantage of others. (Mark 11:12-20, Chapters 14-16)

Jesus could always see into the heart/motivation of people and prescribed just what the person needed to have peace with God. (Mark 10:17-22)

This Jesus is someone I want to be close to. I want his goodness to rub off on me – to challenge me and to put light on the areas of my life that need changing and to encourage me to be the person I can only be with his great influence in my life. As I let his love wash over me and consume me, I find that I have more love, compassion, mercy and grace for others. His wisdom is constantly available to me when I call out to him. My desire is to become more like Jesus, my Teacher, my Mentor, my Friend.

Tension in God's Family

There is a tension between Paul and the ‘chosen disciples’ of Jesus Christ. While we don’t hear too much about it from Peter or James or John, Paul talks about it in Galatians. First, Paul clearly stated his calling which was revealed to him through Jesus Christ while on the road to Damascus. We sometimes think that Paul got up from his meeting with Ananias and took off on his missionary journeys. While he likely shared what happened to him and began sharing the gospel with others, it seems that he took a few years to ‘restudy’ all that he knew from Scripture and reorganize it in his mind with his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. It was three years before he actually went to Jerusalem to “get acquainted with Peter” and spend a couple of weeks with him likely comparing notes and checking himself on his interpretations (Galatians 1:18). The tension: The disciples were called, but Paul also was clearly called.

Fourteen years later, Paul returned to Jerusalem, this time clearly to recheck what he understood and was teaching with the leadership in the church in Jerusalem. As they left that meeting, Paul says of the leadership in Jerusalem, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10 The tension: Jewish traditions vs. freedom in Christ.

A third tension, very related to the second tension, also comes out as Paul speaks to the Galatians because of the confusion or uncertainty of what is required to be a follower of Christ. Is it following the law (the circumcision group) or is it justified by grace – faith in Jesus Christ? It seems that there is already a ‘denominational’ split here and Paul is trying very hard to prevent it. This comes out in his discussion of the law vs. grace. While the Jews are trying to force circumcision on the Gentiles, Paul says, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.” Galatians 5:3 In other words, if our salvation is hinged on any part of the law, we need to perfectly obey the whole law – which we have proven over and over we are not capable of. The tension: The Law of the Jews; salvation through grace for all.

This third tension comes out when Peter comes to visit and before other Jews show up, he is comfortable eating with Gentiles. But once the Jews show up, they all pull back, including Peter. So Paul confronts Peter with all of them present and says, “Let’s talk about this… Why was Christ crucified if we can be saved by the law?” And then he goes on to talk about what it means to be crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21

Paul then uses Scripture – the story of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael – to further talk about being children of God. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Once Paul is very clear where he stands in these tensions, he goes on to teach what it means to have freedom in Christ. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:13-15

The freedom in Christ that we often miss is the freedom to not be focused on ourselves and our self-centered desires, but rather to love others as Christ loves us and loves them. It is a wonderful peace that comes when I no longer have to compare myself with others or get upset when others don’t cater to my wishes. This freedom comes from caring more about what God thinks than what people think.

When Paul gives his list of things we do in the sinful nature, we tend to see drunkenness and debauchery , pat ourselves on the back for not having problems with that, and ignore “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” Galatians 5:20-21 Yet, I wonder how many times our churches are torn apart by just those things. If we are truly living in the spirit of freedom in Christ, we will see “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 Those come from the transformation that happens when we fully give up our own desires and take on the desires of Christ. Nearly every argument and faction that occurs in our churches, neighborhoods, and families comes from selfish desires clashing with each other. I wonder what it would be like to be part of a church that is full of freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:22) rather than sinful nature (Galatians 5:20-21).

The final tension, then, resides within me. Will I cave in to selfish desires or will I allow God’s spirit to fill me with his desires and experience peace, joy, patience, self-control. Will I choose to live by the law with tidy rules to follow each day (oops, messed up with that one…oh well, no one’s perfect) or will I choose to live in God’s grace being thankful for what Christ did for me and striving to live every breath making sure others know of this freedom in Christ.

Pass It On

Throughout the book of Judges, the Israelites frequently lose their way and various judges bring them back to God. Within a few years of that judge dying, the people are lost again. It brings to mind a verse from Proverbs. “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 29:18 The King James version says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” One of the jobs of leaders is to keep the people focused on the vision. Where are we headed?

After Moses and Joshua both died, Israel did not have consistent strong leadership holding them together. They had multiplied in number and were spread out over the Promised Land. They failed to rid the land of the inhabitants and began to take on the foreign gods and forgot about their God who had freed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. Periodically, God called out leaders to turn their hearts back to him. And so we have the stories of Gideon and Sampson we teach in Sunday School and children especially like to imitate these ‘superheroes’.

But even in those stories there is a lot of unsettling behavior and conflict among the Israelites – horrible stories of prostitution, sexual abuses, civil war, and intermarriage with the nations they were to have driven out. My stomach turns as I read these portions of Scripture. The Israelites lost sight of their laws and of their God who had led them in previous generations. And their behaviors and lifestyles rapidly deteriorated leading them to come under enemy control.

I wonder, did God leave them or did they leave God? Or did God leave them to their own devices so that they would rediscover their need for him? “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” Judges 13:1 That is the lead in to the story of Sampson.

And I wonder, how did the Israelites get so far from God so quickly? In just a couple of generations, they had completely forgotten what the Lord had done for them as a people. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their families, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” Judges 2:10

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 So what am I to learn from the book of Judges? I can’t help but think of God’s instructions through Moses. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The only way to keep the future generations from falling into deep sin is to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and strength. In doing that, I will instruct my children by the way I live my life. And as I talk about my God and what he means to me, my children will come to know him as their God as well. Maybe this is why in Revelation it says, “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 Taking our children to Sunday School is not enough. Saying memorized prayers at mealtime and/or bedtime is not enough. Our children need to see our dependence upon God; they need to see our active relationship with God and our service to God as we care for those God loves – the widow, the fatherless, the poor, etc. They need to be taught to have an active relationship with God as well. When they see our love for God and how much God loves us, they learn to love him as well.

In our culture, we see so much unnecessary suffering because people have turned their hearts away from God. We have the ebb and flow of revivals as periodically strong evangelists travel and point the way back to God. But within that, just as within the times of the Judges in Israel, there are individuals who love God with all their heart, soul and strength and continue to pass on that love from generation to generation. I’m so grateful my parents did that for me. Now it is up to me to pass that on to the next generation – and to everyone that God places within my sphere of influence.

Suffering for the Sins of Others

I can remember several times through my growing up years when I have been punished for something others did. Once as a child when one of my siblings did something and wouldn’t confess, we all sat on chairs for a couple of hours and when no confession came, we were all punished. Another time in high school, a fellow classmate did something and the teacher kept the entire class after the bell had rung waiting for a confession that never came. And once in college, a student in the class stole the professor’s notebook early in the semester. The professor punished the entire class the whole semester by refusing to teach well and giving tests that covered material not taught. That was the longest ‘community punishment’ I ever endured. But some people sit in prison for many years of their lives because the courts were unable to sort out the truth from the lies only to find out 5 or 10 years later that they were innocent.

God had already shown the Israelites he was looking out for them. First there were the plagues in Egypt that they did not suffer though Pharaoh and the Egyptians did, the final plague being the most devastating when the first born all died. Then he parted the Red Sea for them to cross and gave them light while causing darkness over the Egyptians and finally closing the Sea over them when they kept coming after the Israelites. God provided manna and quail and water for them on their journey and their clothes and sandals did not wear out. Yet, when 12 spies were sent out (one from each tribe), only Joshua and Caleb returned with a good encouraging report that God would be with them and they could take over the land that was promised to them. The other 10 saw the descendants of Anak and how big they were, they panicked and caused the people to panic and they refused to go on. Joshua and Caleb endured 40 years of wandering in the desert for something the others did. That is a long time to be punished for someone else’s wrongdoing.

Joshua became Moses’ assistant and while we don’t hear much about Caleb during those years of wandering, I can’t help but believe he was close by. When it came time for Moses to die, God put Joshua in leadership to take the Israelites into the Promised Land. God made sure the Israelites knew that Joshua was his chosen leader for them. And he made sure Joshua knew he, God, was with him all the way. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 And then, over and over throughout his time of leadership, God said to him, “Be strong and courageous,” and Joshua was. As they began their journey into the Promised Land, God told Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” Joshua 3:7 And that is exactly what happened. This time it was the Jordan that God parted for them.

When it came time to divide the land, Caleb got the choice land of Hebron. Moses had promised him, “He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly." Deuteronomy 1:36 Caleb was over 80 years old when he finally got there. But he was no more intimidated by the descendants of Anak than when he was 40. He understood God was with them and would go before them. He drove out the descendants of Anak and took the land and settled there. What a wonderful gift God had given him because he followed God with his whole heart.

When I try to put myself in the place of Joshua and Caleb, I wonder if I would have had the patience with the people who were rebelling and not ‘coming along’ with the plan – God’s plan – or if I would have walked away. As far as we know, once the spies returned only Moses, Joshua and Caleb believed God would give them the land. The people rebelled. And their punishment was 40 years in the desert until the generation that rebelled died off and their children would be the ones to go on. Joshua and Caleb had to wait (and endure the punishment of the others) for 40 years before the promise was fulfilled to them. It took 40 years for the people of Israel to get with the plan.

This seems to be a good study of leadership in the church. If the leadership in the church is very sure where God is leading, we need to not give up and give in to the people, but continue to lead. Maybe God is waiting for a stubborn, rebellious generation to die off before he will take the church where he is headed with them. If we are wholeheartedly seeking after God, he will lead us and stick with us the whole way. God doesn’t do everything in one generation. He works from generation to generation.

Unfortunately, people often do not respect God’s calling and if the leaders are not giving them what they want, they ‘fire’ them. What a messed up church we have become! It is so important for leaders to stay whole-hearted and steadfastly seeking after God. Leadership today, as always, calls for great wisdom and that wisdom comes only from God. And maybe we don’t have many church leaders who have parted seas or rivers, but if we are seeking whole-heartedly after God, we will see when God has ordained someone to lead. They will not fear the 'giants' of this land and they will move forward with courage following God as he goes before them showing them the way. Very likely, they will end up suffering for the sins of others as they wait patiently for people to get past their rebellion or give the next generation a try at trusting God with their lives.

I wonder where I fit into this… Leader? Encourager? Rebellious one? Maybe in different situations I fall into various places. I think I have a lot to learn from Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. I’ll be pondering this one for a while.

Close to God

When I read the instructions God gave Moses for sin offerings, I am astounded at the detail. And I think about Moses receiving these instructions from the Lord. I am jealous that Moses heard so clearly from God – his call, his leadership, how to get water, what God is going to do next… talking with God on the mountain, in the Tent of Meeting, etc. And then it occurs to me… Moses had to lead over a million people for 40 years in a desert on a camping trip that wouldn’t end. How else could he have done it without those close interactions with God? Maybe I shouldn’t be so jealous… If God is meeting me in the same way he met with Moses, I might need to be leading a million people on an excursion that is anything but easy. No thank you on that one! Okay – maybe I’m not so jealous!

However, I still seek to be close to God and hear his voice. As I read the first nine chapters of Leviticus, I see with the building of the tabernacle, a new practice of sacrifices. This practice had actually begun before the Israelites left Egypt. Each family sacrificed a lamb, putting the blood on their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over them and not take their firstborn child. But on the mountain, God gave Moses some very particular instructions on how to build the tabernacle and how to sacrifice and when.

When the altar was built, it was to have four horns – one on each corner. And when sacrifices were made, blood was to be put on each of the horns before pouring the rest at the ground by the altar. In some ways, I think these horns represent the doorposts which spared the lives of their firstborn. By making sacrifices for their sins, the Israelites were trying to keep a clean record between them and God so that God would continue to lead them. During their ordination, in a carefully prescribed way, Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the head of the animal being sacrificed (Leviticus 8:22). I think it was to keep them close to fact that the animal was dying in their place – sin leads to death.

I wonder if sacrificing animals over and over lost its effect on them. Maybe it is kind of like trying to train a dog where they focus on the reward or what follows rather than on what you are trying to train them to do. For instance, if every time the dog messes on the floor you yell at him and take him outside, he may mess on the floor and then go stand at the door to go outside. Maybe sacrifices became that way for the people. They kept sinning because they could take the sacrifice to the altar and make atonement for the wrong done rather than quit sinning.

God is holy – we cannot come close to him in our sin. Jesus was our sacrifice – our sin lead to his death. I wonder if each time we sinned we had to come close enough to touch him while he was being put to death if that would make us less likely to sin again – at least in the same way. I wonder how common ‘repenting’ has become. Do we just take what Jesus did for granted and keep on sinning because grace abounds? (Romans 6:1) Or do we come close enough to touch him and truly understand what he did for us. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” I John 3:6

I think that to be close to God means that I am very aware of what Jesus did for me and I am looking into his eyes when I repent of sin and I truly turn around and quit doing what I know offends God. I want to please him, not offend him. I do not want to take advantage of his grace. I want to be close to God.

Drilling Down to the TRUTH

In my NIV Bible, this section is entitled, “Laws of Justice and Mercy.” As I read this, I am thinking of words of Jesus in the Gospels, particularly the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew where Jesus begins his sentence with, “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” So I wonder how Jesus would be teaching this part of the Law as he spoke to the crowds. Justice and mercy seem to be at the very center of the heart of God so as I read these verses, I am paying close attention.

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” Exodus 23:1-3

No problem. I’m not going to sit on a witness stand and make up false reports about something to get someone else in trouble. But I hear Jesus saying, “But I say to you…” and I think what about leaving out details when I’m telling someone how another person did something that hurt me. I want myself to look good in their eyes and the other person to look bad. I don’t outright lie, but I am not being totally honest. Maybe I’m not as innocent as I want the other to think I am. Maybe I had a role in what happened there as well. It seems to me that God wants the TRUTH. He wants us to be honest with ourselves as well as others. He wants us to admit our own guilt in a situation because in doing that, we are less likely to go back there and do the same thing again.

“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wondering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure to help him with it.” Exodus 23:4-5

Really? Can’t I just let the person who has been treating me with contempt suffer under their own ‘stupidity’? “But I say to you… Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44-45 Even when a person will not listen to my ‘wise counsel,’ Jesus would have me help them out of the mess they got themselves into. God wants us to show MERCY. He has been so very merciful to us and as his sons and daughters, he wants us to be merciful with others. Maybe sometime we will need someone to be merciful with us.

“Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death for I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:6-7

Again, no problem. I’m kind to the poor and I’m not going to lie about someone in court to have them put to death. But again Jesus says, “But I say unto you…” and I think about participating in gossip that may emotionally ‘put to death’ an innocent person. God says, “I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:7 Oh my! How easy it is to follow the crowd and ‘fry’ someone who has done upsetting things. It is important to God that even as we work at being truthful, we do it with LOVE. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Sometimes I get to thinking that Jesus ‘changed’ the law. But as I read this portion of Exodus where God is giving Moses the original Law, I am seeing God’s justice and mercy and love very clearly. I just need to look at it through the eyes of Jesus as he interpreted the Scriptures to the crowds who listened to him.

Father, forgive me for the times I have joined the crowd in putting someone else down and for the times I have tried to make myself look good in the eyes of others by leaving out some of the truth. Forgive me also for the times I have gloated over my enemy’s pain. Thank you that you do not give me what I deserve but have shown mercy and grace to me. Now open my eyes to see when I need to show mercy and grace to others. Help me to keep growing up in my spiritual journey with you. I love you, Lord.

Free at Last

When Joseph invited his family to join him in Egypt during the famine, none of them dreamed that they would become enslaved by the Egyptians. It was to save them from sure death as the famine was severe over an extended area for seven years. Joseph did, however, just before he died make the request that when they leave Egypt, they take his bones with them. “But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear on oath and said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.’” Genesis 50:24-25

Why would God need to come to their aid? Things were good. They had a place to keep their flocks. They had plenty to eat. What more could they want? But they were not in the Promised Land that God had told Abraham to set out for, that Isaac lived in, and that Jacob had returned to after working for Laban for his daughters Leah and Rachael. I wonder if God intended for them to stay in Egypt so long. Or did they linger there longer than they should have because it was comfortable and moving back to Canaan would be a hassle. As they prospered, the Egyptians began to fear them and enslaved them in order to control them. And now, indeed, God needed to rescue them to get them back on track for the Promised Land.

In the beginning, Moses was a reluctant leader. Who can blame him – 600,000 men plus women and children (probably well over a million all together) to manage on a long journey. How would you begin to manage that many people on a camping trip? There are not too many people who are confident enough to jump into that one and believe they can succeed. Moses tried to talk God out of his choice of him as leader. Finally God agreed to also send his brother Aaron to be his ‘mouthpiece’ and Moses set off to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

It took quite a few plagues to finally get Pharaoh’s cooperation. I wonder how much of it was for Pharaoh and how much was for the Israelites to gain confidence in Moses as their leader. After a rocky start with Pharaoh making it even harder on the Israelites, Moses did gain the confidence of the people. It was obvious that he had been sent by God and that God was working through him and they began to listen to his leadership. Pharaoh just didn’t know who he was up against. He thought he knew. After all, Moses had grown up in his own household. He was sure he could break Moses down and get him to give up. He ran pretty quickly after killing the Egyptian. But each plague was worse than the one before and eventually, it was obvious that Moses and his God were not going to give up.

The last plague was the death of all the first born children and livestock of the Egyptians. It broke down Pharaoh’s resolve to win and gave the Israelites the Passover Celebration to always remember what God had done for them. Fast forward to a Passover Celebration where Jesus and his disciples shared what we now call ‘The Last Supper’. Jesus became our Passover Lamb to set us free from the slavery of sin. Why then do so many of us continue to act as if we are still in bondage? Why are we so slow to accept and live out our freedom in Christ?

Moses, at God’s instruction, told the Israelites, “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” Exodus 13:9 I wonder, what is the sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead? We see this again in Deuteronomy when the commandments are given to Israel. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Another place the hand and forehead appears it in Revelation 13 only here it is the ‘Mark of the Beast’. “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

As I ponder these verses, what seems to be present in each of these references to hand and forehead is that the idea or concept is first and foremost in our conscious thought – consuming us completely. Remembering Passover was remembering God’s salvation and remembering to live like a free person. God’s Laws were given to help us live like people free from sin. If they are first and foremost in our thoughts, we will act (hand) and think (forehead) like the free people we are. And even Satan knows that where our focus is, there our behavior will be as well. I wonder if the ‘Mark of the Beast’ is confidence and trust in the money of this world to save us rather than in God. Come to think of it, if we all lived with full confidence in God and followed his ways, money wouldn’t be necessary. Money is simply a tool for accounting what is yours and what is mine. If everything belongs to God and we all share everything we have in common, money wouldn’t be necessary! We could live like the free people God intends for us to be, no longer enslaved by our constant craving for worldly wealth.

Called and Sent

In almost no time after his conversion, Saul had the religious authorities in Damascus stirred up and calling for his death. The believers in ‘The Way’ helped him escape and he went to Jerusalem hoping to get acquainted with the disciples and Apostles there. Because of fear, they were not willing to invite him in. But there was a man named Barnabas who was willing to risk getting to know Saul. I wonder how or where he met Saul. Barnabas took him to the believers in Jerusalem and introduced him to them telling his story of conversion. Saul was then allowed to stay with them but in no time, he had stirred up the religious authorities in Jerusalem and had to be sent away because of a plot to kill him. So the believers sent Saul back to Tarsus.

How did Saul stir up the synagogue so quickly? Barely converted and he has had to leave two cities already because his life was threatened. It seems that his great knowledge of Scripture and prophecy allowed him to argue intelligently with the rulers. It may have been because they could not refute him in arguments that they tried to get rid of him physically. They did not want to believe what he believed, but they could not defend their views and interpretations of Scriptures. I can’t help but wonder if Saul’s presentation was a bit caustic as well or at least pushy.

Things settled down in Jerusalem and Samaria for a few years after Saul left. And then persecution increased greatly and believers were spread throughout the extended region as they moved to avoid being persecuted. They began to tell their new neighbors about their faith and more and more people began to believe in Jesus Christ and became his disciples. It seems the church grows faster under persecution – maybe because people don’t get too comfortable where they are at and move around a lot more meeting new people and sharing their faith.

“News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:22-26

Barnabas shows up again. He was a good teacher/evangelist in his own right. Many people were becoming believers. But Barnabas doesn’t say, “Look at me! See what I can do! I’m going to build a mega-church and name it after myself.” Instead, he goes and finds Saul because he sees an opportunity to mentor Saul. Saul, as a new believer, had a great story to tell. He had witnessed God’s mercy and forgiveness and he needed to tell others. But it seems that he did it in a very argumentative way and kept riling people up. Barnabas, on the other hand, seemed to have a gentle way about him. He was still in Jerusalem which would indicate he had figured out how to navigate the religious system and yet continue to teach and encourage others.

As I read between the lines, I wonder if Barnabas didn’t deliberately go after Saul in order to encourage him and teach him to be a good evangelist. Saul had all the head knowledge, but he didn’t know how to communicate it effectively. Barnabas was a good teacher and after mentoring Saul for a year in Antioch, Saul (also known as Paul) took off on the missionary journey of his life. The first leg of his journey, he and Barnabas went together. They made a good team. Barnabas likely picked up others to mentor along the way which later led to Paul and Barnabas going in different directions when they couldn’t agree on whether or not to take John Mark with them. Barnabas saw potential. Paul saw a problem.

We don’t hear a lot about Barnabas, but what we do find in Acts is enough to know that he was very instrumental in getting Paul started in his life as a well known missionary. I like Barnabas. He was a peacemaker of sorts – convincing the disciples in Jerusalem to give Saul a chance and teaching Saul to become a bit gentler and kinder in his presentation. I wonder if we looked behind other great teachers and evangelists through the ages if we wouldn’t find a ‘Barnabas’ nearby mentoring each of them, helping them find their calling so they can be sent by the church to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world.

What If Ananias Said No

Anyone who has gone to Sunday School knows the story of Saul’s conversion. But how many of us are familiar with the name Ananias? When we tell the story of Saul, we briefly mention Ananias, but he is not the star of the show.

Ananias had a big decision to make. Would he do what God asked him to do? It was extremely dangerous. In fact, it could cost him his life. What if Saul was pretending in order to get the followers of Jesus to come out so he could catch them and have them thrown in prison or killed?

In a vision, the Lord told Ananias, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” Acts 9:11-12 This is a vision Ananias is operating out of. He is being asked to go meet with a person who is known for terrorizing the followers of Jesus. Not only that, he is being asked to place hands on this person to restore his sight!

I wonder if I awoke from a vision like that if I would get up and go or if I would spend the rest of the day wondering what I ate that made me have that kind of dream. If someone who was terrorizing me was struck blind, I might be happy that he would be hindered in his terrorizing. I might say, “God’s judgment is falling on him for what he is doing.”

Ananias needed a little more convincing, so the Lord said again, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:15-16 The Lord not only told him to go, but he told him why it was so important. And in obedience to the Lord, Ananias got up and went. He did exactly as the Lord asked him to do in the vision.

“Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:17-19 Saul had been struck blind, and heard a voice from heaven. He had been told to go into the city and wait. For a person who was used to ‘doing’, it must have been hard. He apparently was fasting and doing a lot of soul searching for a couple of days until Ananias came.

Saul was already very well educated in the Jewish traditions and laws. He became a powerful messenger of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, able to convince people from all different traditions that Jesus was the Christ who came to save them. Much of our New Testament is made up of his letters to churches he started throughout the Mediterranean area. What if Ananias had refused to go? What then would have become of Saul? Would he have died a cranky old man because he was blind?

And then there was Peter… he also had a vision. His vision was to eat from food that was considered unclean in the Jewish tradition. After that vision, he was told to go down to meet the people who had come to find him. They were servants of Cornelius. When Peter went as asked to, Cornelius and his whole household were saved. “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” Acts 10:44-46

What if Peter had said no? At what point would the message of Jesus have gotten to those not from the Jewish tradition?

It is not that God could not have found another way, but because these men said ‘Yes’ to what the Lord asked them to do in a vision, God used them in powerful ways to advance his kingdom here on earth.

A bigger question I have is why God chose Ananias and Peter in those circumstances. Is it because he knew their hearts and knew that they would be willing to go? If so, then I wonder where my heart is at on the ‘willingness’ scale. If the Lord gave me a vision to go meet with a known terrorist, would I go? How much have I allowed God’s love for all the world – including detestable people – to fill me and make me ready to go when called? Peter didn’t start out at this point. He was arrogant, proud and blustery. But when he realized how much Jesus loved him in spite of all of that and after he failed miserably on his own, he was a changed man. And it was this changed man who was able to say, “yes, I’ll go,” when he was called.

How much am I allowing this same Jesus to change me? What will it take for me to become the humble servant that can say, “Here I am, Lord – send me!”

A Heart of Compassion

Anyone who has ever tried to garden understands how insidious weeds can be. If you don’t keep them under control, they will choke out the flowers or vegetables you are trying to grow. Weeds grow faster than anything and reproduce in abundance. Jesus told a parable about weeds being sown by the enemy in a newly planted field of grain. The servants wanted to pull the weeds to get rid of them, but the owner told them, “No, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” Matthew 13:29-30

The weeds are given a time to grow, but their destruction will come. It is just a matter of time – and only so that the plants are not destroyed. Jesus told many parables to help us understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. This is one of those parables. There will come a time when the ‘weeds’ will be done away with forever. Surely we do not want to be weeds. But this and other parables Jesus taught cause many to ask who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’? We want a set of rules or steps to follow so we can be sure we are ‘in’.

Following Jesus isn’t always so ‘cut and dried’. Jesus spent a lot of time trying to help the people get past the many laws that defined holy living and get to the heart issues. Jesus said many times that it was just as wrong to think thoughts in your head as to do the things you thought of. In his ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus redefined murder: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” Matthew 5:22 He redefines paying someone back for a wrong they did: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn way from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:38-42 And he teaches us to love not only those who love us, but to love our enemies as well. He basically tells us that if we are going to be defined by the law, then we are going to need to be perfect in our following of the law.

Then he talks about heart issues. He tells us that people don’t understand what he is teaching because their hearts are calloused. So even if they hear the words or see the examples, they don’t understand what Jesus is teaching (Matthew 13). Hard hearts don’t have room for compassion for others.

Jesus shows compassion throughout his ministry. Even when he is in emotional pain because John the Baptist had been killed, he didn’t turn people away but had compassion on them and healed their sick (Matthew 14). And then he tells another story which gives us a very clear look at the criteria upon which we will be judged. Interestingly, it does not appear to be based on following the law perfectly. But rather, it is based on our compassion for others.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these bothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25 34-40

So it seems that once we love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be transformed into compassionate people. And that is the final test – the separating the sheep from the goats. Are we compassionate people, caring for the needs of others? In the end, that is the true fruit of a life changed by Jesus.

God, Are You There?

How does God interact with his creation? And specifically, how does God interact with the human race? Did he put everything in motion and then walk away and let it go? Is he concerned with me?

Job and his friends work on these questions and more in the book of Job. It was a common belief that good things happen to the good and bad things happen to the bad. Many people think much that way today as well. It follows then that when something bad happens to you, you must have done something bad. Job’s friends are very sure of this and they pound Job with his need to repent. But throughout their discourse, Job maintains that he is innocent – that he hasn’t done anything deserving of this hardship that has come upon him.

Though much of what is said by his friends is ‘hot air’, we find them also recognizing God’s greatness in creating the world and the universe. These friends are astonished by Job’s boldness in asking for a hearing with God. They are sure he will be struck by lightning. Their view of God is a judge meting out sentences based on the behaviors of individuals. Therefore, it is obvious to them that Job has messed up big time. That is why he is being punished.

Job has had a good relationship with God up to this point. His view of God is a wise, loving, forgiving God who is his friend. He doesn’t understand why God has stepped back from him. And he demands to be heard and be able to state his case. At one point, he attributes all the things Satan has done to him to God asking why he is doing this to him (Job 19:1-20).

As I listen to Job’s well-meaning friends babble on, I wonder how they can be so hard on him. They are filled with platitudes and they desire for him to confess and get things right with God so God will withdraw his judgment on him. Uh-oh… I wonder how many times I have spouted platitudes to friends in need of encouragement. I wonder how many times I have misjudged the situation thinking I know why they are in the difficulty they are in and that if they would repent, they could get out of the mess.

Job, in the midst of all this hardship and even wishing he were never born, still breaks out in a strong faith statement. “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 He longs for his close friendship with God to be restored.

After the friends have all had their say and Job denies their accusations, God shows up. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” Job 38:4 And, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” Job 38:12-13 What a colorful word picture of God and his creation!

I wonder if I were in Job’s place if I would be shrinking in my own estimation of myself as God describes creation and all that he does. For instance, he describes the storehouses of the snow and hail. Recently, it dawned on me just how efficiently and cost effective God is at moving water around on the earth. Have you ever thought about how much energy and resources it would take us to move even one good cloud’s worth of water? And he can get it to places we don’t have roads, railroads or any other access to as well. Awesome!

Then God asks a hard question, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? Job 40:8 Ouch! Anytime I question God’s sovereignty I am doing just this – thinking I am wiser than God – justifying myself. Along with Job, I find myself repenting, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know… Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 52:3b; 6

God, what can I say? You are totally awesome! You created the world and all that is in it. It all belongs to you and you have complete authority over it. Who am I to question you or your methods? I am humbled by your greatness and even more humbled by your mercy. Thank you for your love and your grace. May I never forget these things but rather, help me to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, my God (Micah 6:8).

God Intended it for Good

Joseph had big dreams. He shared them with his brothers and his father. They didn’t like his dreams. “We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” Genesis 37:7 And, “This time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Genesis 37:9

Okay, maybe some dreams are meant to be kept to ourselves. Sharing these particular dreams did not endear him to his brothers. In fact, they hated him. It didn’t help that their father doted on him and favored him above the others. The brothers found Joseph completely unbearable. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have liked him too much either. But that was immaturity. And God provided plenty of opportunity for Joseph to grow up.

Out of their anger and hatred, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery. Joseph must have become very responsible and organized because he moved right up the ranks to being in charge of his owner’s whole household. When Potiphar’s wife was turned down by Joseph (many times), she lied about him and that got him thrown into prison. He did nothing to deserve this, yet there he was – once again busted. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” Genesis 39:20-21 Again, Joseph showed himself to be useful and soon was in charge of the prison.

From the prison, Joseph was able to interpret dreams – those of the cupbearer and of the baker and then of Pharaoh. Pharaoh was quite pleased with Joseph’s wisdom and put him in charge of all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Joseph stored up grain for seven years and then dispersed it for the next seven years. When his brothers came to him for grain, he was able to care for them. Though he didn’t let them know who he was at first, he did on their second trip. And after toying with them a bit, he finally told them who he was. He was able to move his whole family down to Egypt to care for them during the famine.

I wonder… Did God put it in the mind of the brothers to sell Joseph to the traveling Ishmaelites? Or did God say, “This can work too.” What would have happened if Joseph had sported a bad attitude whining and refusing to work? What if Joseph had given in to Potiphar’s wife?

So many things could have turned out bad here. Yet we are told the Lord was with Joseph – even in his rough times. And when his brothers feared for their lives, Joseph said, “’You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” Genesis 50:20-21

I really don’t know whether God ‘orchestrated’ this whole thing or whether he kept taking bad things and because Joseph trusted him and worked with him, he made them turn out good. But I’m not sure I need to answer that question. It has been around for many generations and many books have been written on the topic. Yet, no one really has an answer. What I do find in this story of Joseph is that no matter what my circumstances, I can trust God and work with him. He will use it to his honor and glory and possibly the saving of many lives.

God has the big picture and I may never know in my lifetime why some things happen or how they are used for God’s good. But I don’t need to know that. What I need to know is that God is good and I can trust him. I have seen him take some of the hardest things in my life and use them for good purposes. Just as weather helps greenhouse plants become stronger, so life circumstances give me opportunity to become a better person with stronger faith.

“But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned: the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3

The promise is not that we won’t have any hard times. Rather the promise is that God will be with us no matter what we go through. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I am free to live without fear knowing that my God has the big picture and he is able to take anything I am willing to give him and use it to his honor and glory, whether that is difficult times or good times.

What Gate? How Do We Get In?

“Enter in through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

We live in a time when pretty much anything goes. Even in many of our churches we back off what we believe the Bible teaches and refuse to teach on Scripture that contains hard teachings. We’ve dumbed down our classrooms so anyone can ‘succeed’ and we’ve dumbed down our faith so anyone can participate. This “narrow gate” referred to in Matthew is not taught about very often. Is it because we don’t know what the gate is? Or is it because we have not found it ourselves? Is it hidden? Or do we just not want to see it because we don’t like what it takes to get through it? Do we believe there is life on the other side of this gate? Or do we think we have all the life we need without going there?

Moses knew his time was short. He delivered one last address to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land. “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach… the word is very near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it… See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess… This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:11; 14-16; 19-20

Maybe the problem is that we have wrongly defined life and prosperity! Maybe the reason we miss the gate is because we have so many things we carry with us that we call life and prosperity that we are sure that isn’t the right gate because we can’t fit through it.

Many interpret this narrow gate as being “Salvation.” Say the 'sinner’s prayer' and through the gate you go. I struggle with this because I see so many people who after dong this are still carrying around a lot of baggage and nothing really changes for them. They still are not ‘living’ but rather they are going through the motions of life. Get up, go to work, come home, watch TV, go to bed. Second verse, the same as the first. A little bit louder and a whole lot worse. They are looking forward to retirement when they can ‘vacation’ away the rest of their life. Somehow, I’m not sure they went through the narrow gate.

Matthew follows this teaching with Jesus’ words, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit… Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:15-17; 20-21

I wonder if the narrow gate is ‘wisdom’. Wisdom comes from spending time with God, seeking him and following after him with our whole being – doing his will. When we ‘wise up’ we find that we don’t need to carry around everything we hold on to so tightly because he is faithful to provide for us anything we need. As we drop all the baggage, we find we can fit through that narrow gate that we thought was just a crack in the wall the first time we went by. And when we let go of everything, we find freedom and real life on the other side. Our fruit we bear is not bank accounts and IRA’s, but rather witnessing to what Christ has done for us and giving to the poor and needy and helping those who are in distress. As I read through the Bible, so many encounters with God are regarding caring for the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and seeking justice for those who are wronged. As we get close to God’s heart, those things become important to us as well.

I wonder if the reason it is so hard to get through the gate is that we are so slow to let go of ‘things’ and ‘mind-sets’ so that we can be free to accept what Christ offers – everything we need to navigate this life and join him in the next! We need to redefine ‘life’ so we can see the gate that takes us there. Yes, admitting we have sinned and fall short of his glory and accepting the grace he offers us through Jesus’ Christ is the first step. But if we are really going the whole way in, we are in for some big changes in our lives. Surprisingly, if we are willing, we feel lighter and experience more freedom as we let go of all the things we held on to so tightly before. In fact, we might wonder why we thought we needed them so badly.