Called and led

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 15-16; Psalm 126

TO CHEW ON: “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia but the Spirit did not permit them… Now after he had seen the vision (of a man saying ‘Come over to Macedonia to help us’) immediately we sought to go to Macedonia concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel there.” Acts 16:6-7,10

A reader, Judy, tells of a missions trip she took to South Africa (used with her permission):

First of all God supplied the funds. In 1966 I taught school on First Nations reserves north of Souix Lookout. I bought two large paintings for $35 each from Norval Morrisseau when he visited the isolated community I was teaching in. During our years of teaching in the Arctic they hung unframed, tacked up with push pins in several homes.

Fast forward ahead to 2008 when after reading something on Becky's blog I said to Christian, Where are those paintings? I'd done some research on the Internet and realized they just may have some value. I sold one of the paintings for $6,500. Christian said immediately that I should do something very special with this unexpected windfall. I like to imagine our Lord saying on the day I bought the painting, "Do I ever have a surprise for you. It will be arriving in 42 years."

I heard about the volunteer group in South Africa, again through Becky's blog. One of her daughters had worked in an orphanage and had had a very positive experience. I wanted to teach and found a school along the east coast that seemed to be a good fit. I did make it clear that I did not want to teach computers or run an after school recreation program. They said that was fine I could just be in a classroom.

I was picked up in East London by a different volunteer group than the one I'd communicated with. I thought that was a little unusual. The next day I found out that the first group had contracted me out to a second group AND . . . . . perhaps you can guess what is coming; they wanted me to teach computers and run an after school recreational program. For a few moments to use my mother's term, I was floored. Then I thought about the lessons I'd learned in home studies the previous winter studying the life of Abraham. Don't focus on the "problem." Focus on God.

I was sure God could/would enable me to do the tasks but I also knew the desire of my heart and where my strengths lie. I had immediate assurance from Him that there would be a solution to the situation. It took a couple of days until I was at King's Playschool. That was the last name of the people who ran a rural facility out of their home. I had noticed the verse "They shall shine like stars in his crown" from the song "When He Cometh" based on Zech. 9:16, on their sign. So .. . . I knew they were believers but they didn't know I was.

When I had the opportunity I told Tracy that I was a follower of Jesus Christ, that I knew He had led me to South Africa but that I didn't know what I was supposed to do. She said she'd been praying for someone to relieve her of classroom duties while she dealt with the rest of her life. Here's what was on her plate.

Pentecostal Pastor's wife of a growing church.
Home schooling their 3 children
Running the school of 50 children and 10 employees
In the process of adopting two black babies who had been abandoned
Teaching a class

I had three glorious weeks of teaching eager 5 year olds. Most of my ideas were new for them… Both Tracy and I felt so blessed…. Who, but our loving Father, would take a woman from northern North America and team her up with a woman from Southern South Africa at exactly the right time! These kinds of experiences just light a fire under my faith which was already strong. An entire year later I still marvel at it and hope I always do.

They light a fire under my faith too! I never cease to marvel at God’s way of putting together the circumstances of our lives to work for His kingdom and our blessing if that’s our desire.

(Even as I'm preparing to repost this, a song is playing on my husband's computer, reminding me of the same truth: "In His time, in His time, He makes all things beautiful in His time")

In today’s reading Paul and Silas were shunted off the track they were on by the Holy Spirit. How that looked, I’m not sure – a feeling of uneasiness, a prophetic message? However it happened, they knew they were not to go to Asia. At Bithynia likewise “the Spirit did not permit them.” The vision to go to Macedonia, then, was most welcome. Here was clear direction .

In Philippi – one of the largest cities in Macedonia – was Lydia and a band of believers who met at the riverside regularly for worship. Can you imagine how she must have felt the morning Paul and Silas showed up and told her the story of how they got there.

Judy’s story shows us that God still works in behind-the-scenes ways. It freights these familiar verses with a new and personal relevance:

“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:27-28

PRAYER: Dear God, please put my life in the stream of Your usefulness. Help me to hear Your Spirit’s instructions and obey them. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 126

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

One particular day

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Exodus 10-12

TO CHEW ON: "And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:41

Here was the fulfillment of what God had told Moses would happen (Exodus 3:8,10; 6:6; 7:4). It's comforting to read words like "… at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass." Israel's days of slavery in Egypt had a definite ending, a point in time when they were finished.

The Bible speaks of human activities in time as within God's knowledge and control. A phrase that is sometimes used to describe this is "the fullness of time." That's the title of one of the chains of verses in my Thompson Chain Bible. "The fullness of time" is defined as "God's appointed time when everything is ready" - NKJV Thompson Chain Bible, p. 1771.
Some fullness-of-time verses:

• There was a definite moment in time when Joshua and the Israelites had followed all God's instructions to conquer Jericho "…and it happened" (Joshua 6:16, 20).

• John the Baptist preached "The time is fulfilled" (Mark 1:15) just before Jesus arrived on the scene.

• Paul explained Jesus' life on this earth in those terms: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His son…" Galatians 4:4.

• He also speaks of Jesus' return still to come "… which He will manifest in His own time" - 1 Timothy 6:15.

God doesn't have a fulness of time for only the big theological events of history, but also for our lives. David talks about this in Psalm 139:

"You comprehend my path and my lying down
And are acquainted with all my ways…
You have hedged me behind and before
And laid Your hand on me…
And in Your book they all are written.
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them" - Psalm 139: 5, 15, 16 (emphasis added).

We can trust God with His "fullness of time" for us. Whatever trial we're in of sickness, difficult circumstances, money troubles, family issues, He knows and will help us through them until we come to the very day our trial will pass.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your knowledge of my times, and how You have brought me through hard stuff in the past. Help me to trust You to bring me through the things I face today. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 20

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Day of distress, disaster, desolation, darkness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Zephaniah 1:1-18

TO  CHEW ON: "The great day of the Lord is near …
That day is a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of devastation and desolation
A day of darkness and gloominess
A day of clouds and thick darkness." Zephaniah 1:14,15

In the next three days we'll be reading the entire book of Zephaniah. It's written by Zephaniah, a princely prophet (a descendant of King Hezekiah) who was a contemporary of the prophets Jeremiah and Nahum. He prophesied during the reign of King Josiah.

King Josiah was the king of Judah who purged the land of idols and idolatrous priests and practices. During the cleaning of the temple, the priests of God found the Book of the Law. That led to the people again celebrating feasts like Passover.

The feeling in the land was one of relief. The threat of the Assyrians was diminishing. Josiah's reforms led to a sense of complacency: All was again right between God and man in the Kingdom of Judah.

"Into this complacent atmosphere the devastating message (of Zephaniah) comes like a searing blast" writes Mary LaVonne Phillips in my Bible's introduction to Zephaniah (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1231).

Why the doomful message when things were apparently going so well?

"In retrospect the reform was one of externals since the hearts of the people had not been changed" - Ibid.

Like many prophetic messages, Zephaniah's has three parts:
1. A pronouncement of judgment.
2. An appeal for repentance.
3. A promise of salvation.

It's easy to see that the part of the message we're reading today is the pronouncement of judgment. And lest we think predictions of "the day," or "the day of the Lord" or "judgment" are just in the Old Testament, consider these words:

Jesus: " 'He who rejects Me … the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day' " - John 12:48.

Paul: "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" - Romans 2:5.

Jude: "And the angels … He has reserved in everlasting chains and darkness for the judgment of the great day" - Jude 1:6.

John: "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand" - Revelation 6:17.

It's a message of coming judgment that is out-of-fashion for us moderns—even Bible-believing Christians. Hearing about judgment makes us squirmy and uneasy in the climate of the present evangelical world that emphasizes the love, grace, and mercy of God. But there it is in the Bible—an uncomfortable truth that we all must face.

There is a day of distress, devastation, desolation and darkness ahead. But thank God that is only the first part of the message!


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to view You realistically as not only the source of infinite, boundless love, but as Someone whose standards of purity and holiness demand a day of reckoning. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tests

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 105:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." Psalm 105:19


The "his" and "he" referred to in the verses above is Joseph. What is the psalm-writer talking about when he says "...until what he had said came to pass"? I believe it was those outrageous dreams of Joseph's which we read about in Genesis 37:

"Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold we were binding sheaves in the field and behold my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf....Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me..." Genesis 37:6-9.

During his days as a slave in Potiphar's house and later as a prisoner, I wonder if Joseph ever thought back to those dreams and wondered — What was that about? His situation couldn't have been farther from what his dream predicted.

However, there was action toward the fulfillment of those dreams all through that time. The psalm-writer alludes to what was happening behind the scenes. God was testing Joseph.

It's interesting that the psalmist doesn't say that circumstances tested Joseph, or Potiphar and the jailer tested Joseph but "the word of the Lord tested him," telling us that these circumstances had God's knowledge and permission. They issued as "the word of the Lord," that same creative force that brought the worlds into being (John 1:1-3).

Joseph's response to this testing was positive. With faithful dependability he passed every test. Then on one day that began like every other, the test was over (Psalm 105:20-22). And of course, when his brothers came from Canaan seeking food, the fulfillment of his dreams came true in living color before his eyes.

Your current situation may also be far from what you feel God has promised you for your future. Viewing the unpleasant, difficult, and unfair things in your life as God's tests may help you gain courage, inspiration and the hope to keep going.

Joseph's story shows too, how completely and radically God can turn things around in a short while once the test is over. So don't be fooled or disheartened by appearances.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this glimpse behind the scenes of the way You work in human lives. Please help me to pass the tests You bring my way today. Amen.


MORE: The test of waiting

You may find my article "In the Waiting Room" helpful if your test is waiting...and waiting... and waiting some more

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The crafty gene

Joseph sold - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 37:21-36

TO CHEW ON: "So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?'" Genesis 37:31,32


The dysfunction in Jacob's family continues. To the list of favoritism, jealousy, boasting, and hatred, today we can add craftiness (deceit). Jacob's deceitful gene had not skipped his sons.

By selling Joseph not only did they rid themselves of an annoying, boastful tattletale brother, but they did it without human blood on their hands and made a little coin to boot. Lying to Jacob by implying  that Joseph had been killed by an animal absolved them of all blame.

Craftiness runs through the Bible.

• The first cunning creature was the serpent (and we know who was embodied in that crafty creature) - Genesis 3:1.

• Jacob, the father of these sons, had tricked his twin brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing (Genesis 27:16, 35).

• When Joshua began conquering Canaan, the Gibeonites, a neighbouring tribe, tricked him into signing a peace treaty with them (Joshua 9:1-27).

• The chief priests, scribes and elders "… plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him" - Matthew 26:4; Luke 20:23. However, Jesus was not take in by the attempts of the religious leaders to trick Him into saying something that would get Him in trouble with the Romans (Luke 20:23).

• In Paul's letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he explains that one of the reasons for gifts in the church is to grow Christians to maturity so they will no longer "… be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine and by trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting" - Ephesians 4:14 (emphasis added.

Though the craftiness of Jacob's sons may fascinate us, the scriptures above alert us to its satanic origin.

Let's be aware of who sows crafty thoughts and tendencies within us. Instead of crafty, let's aim to be the kind of person Jesus described to His disciples: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, harmless as doves" - Matthew 10:16.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be alert to crafty tendencies within me and the fact that they are a form of deceit and lying. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tender Shepherd

"The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel" by William Dyce (1806-1864)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 29:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept." Genesis 29:11


Today's reading paints a very human Jacob. A tent-dweller versus outdoorsman Esau, he was a mama's boy (Genesis 25:27-28). Now, due in no little part to his and his mother's cunning, he (at 40+ years - Genesis 24:34) was forced to leave home due to twin brother Esau's threats to kill him after Dad dies.

Traveling east, he arrived at a well where shepherds were gathered with their flocks. He inquired if they know his mother's brother Laban, and they did! Then, even as they were talking, who should come along but Laban's beautiful daughter Rachel with her father's flock.

Jacob promptly removed the stone from the well (he may have been the indoors type but was obviously no wimp), watered Rachel's flock, told her who he was, and kissed her in a patriarchal greeting, so overjoyed at finding his family he broke down in tears.

We know, from reading the whole story, how his trials were just beginning. But God had big plans for him. To put them in motion, Jacob needed to leave home and live under the discipline of Laban. Laban would give him a taste of his own treacherous nature and Jacob would, as a result, develop into a man of character. Unlike Esau who, intent on instant gratification, sold his birthright to quell hunger pains, Jacob would end up working 14 years for the girl he loves.

The happy 'coincidences' in today's reading did no doubt reassure Jacob, as he thought back on them years later, when he again felt Godforsaken. They would remind him that God had led him, caring for him tenderly and personally—the shepherd of a human sheep, if you will—all that time.

God is the same with us. For if we examine our histories we will see how God's hand has been with us too, moving the pieces on the game boards of our lives in the big things, like meeting our spouse, to the little, like reminding us that we need to drop by the store. As Jesus put it:

" ' My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.' " John 10:27,28.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for watching over me as closely as you watched over Jacob. Help me to remember this and be reassured when I feel alone and afraid. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the nick of time

Abraham Climbs Mount Moriah - Schirmer

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 22:1-19

TO CHEW ON: “And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham … Do not lay your hand on the lad.’” Genesis 22:10-12


I like to plan things and know beforehand what to expect, how things will go, and what I will say. I am challenged by stories like Abraham, Isaac, and God’s nick-of-time rescue of Isaac from Abraham’s knife.

However, we could say, I think, that God is very much a God of the last minute.

• When the Israelites faced the Red Sea after leaving Egypt, the Egyptians were nipping at their heels when God opened a way before them to cross to the other side - Genesis 14:10,13,21-23.

• Again when Israel was about to cross the Jordan into Canaan, only when the priests carrying the ark entered the overflowing Jordan did its flow stop so the people could cross - Joshua 3:15-17.

Such last-minute events happened in the New Testament too.

• Peter was delivered from prison the night before Herod planned to bring him out (supposedly to execute) Acts 12:6-9.

• Jesus told His disciples to expect the Holy Spirit to give them on-the-spot answers when they would be questioned about their faith in the near (Luke 12:11,12) and distant futures: “'Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist’” - Luke 21:14,15.

God's nick-of-time ways are not, I believe, that He figures out what to do so late in the game, but His “fullness of time” way of testing our faith even as we learn by experience how very faithful He is.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to trust You, not my own devices, as I listen to You moment by moment. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Different routes to the same destination

Jesus calls Philip & Nathaneal - William Hole

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 1:43-51


TO CHEW ON: "The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.'" John 1:43

It's interesting to note how Jesus picked and called His disciples.

Andrew and another unnamed disciple (perhaps John, the writer) were attracted to Him by the testimony of their original rabbi, John the Baptist (John 1:35-37). When they asked Jesus where He was staying, His "Come and see" was invitation enough for them to leave John and follow Jesus.

The following day Jesus went in search of Philip.

Philip recruited his friend Nathaneal (also called Bartholomew) to be Jesus' follower.

It seems the four fishermen (Andrew, Simon [Peter], James and John) may have made their decision to become serious followers in stages, for we see them back fishing. Then one morning after a fruitless night on Galilee followed by a Jesus instigated miraculous catch, they finally "forsook all to follow Jesus" (Luke 5:1-11).

After that Jesus saw Matthew (Levi) at his tax-collecting station. When Jesus invited him to be a disciple, Matthew immediately left all to follow Jesus (Luke 5:27,28).

Still today Jesus finds and calls us in a variety of ways. Some encounter Him through the words of a teacher or preacher. Others are introduced to Him seemingly without human intervention through visions, dreams, and the Bible. Some come through the testimony of friends. Many make the decision to follow Him in stages and over a period of time. Still others decide in an instant.

Let's remember and be encouraged by this variety as we continue to pray for our unsaved family members and friends. Just because they aren't coming to God in the way we did or in the way we expect them to doesn't mean that God isn't involved in their lives, busy drawing them to Himself in ways tailored just to them.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You that Your call to discipleship is unique and personal. I believe You are at work in the lives of those I love who have yet to respond to You. Amen.

 *********Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A real vs. religious relationship with God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Habakkuk 1:1-2:4

TO CHEW ON: "O Lord how long shall I cry,
And you will not hear?
Even cry out to You, 'Violence!'
And You will not save." Habakkuk 1:1

The times felt God-forsaken to Habakkuk. Judah had backslidden from Josiah's reforms. Violence towards citizens and oppression of the poor were rampant. Babylonia was gaining strength and threatened to invade from the north while Egypt and Assyria eyed other borders. It was in this setting that the prophet Habakkuk—a Levite—cried out to God.

His part of the conversation in Habakkuk 1 is refreshingly honest.
- He pours out his frustrations with God who seems deaf and disinterested -  Habakkuk 1:1.

- He confronts God with what appear to be contradictions—if God is holy why doesn't He deal with evil - Habakkuk 1:13?

- He appeals to the order of creation, showing God how man, in his anarchy, is no better than the creatures - Habakkuk 1:14-17.

God's reply (Habakkuk 1:5-11) is delivered with the same feistiness as Habakkuk's questions:

"Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe though it were told you" (Habakkuk 1:5).

Habakkuk is a good example of a man who has a genuine relationship with God. In her Truth-In-Action Through Habakkuk commentary, Leslyn Musch says:

"Habakkuk's transparent interchange with God models for us a real relationship rather than a religious one."

Musch makes these points about how to make ours similar:

• Ask God the honest questions of your heart.

• Understand that He can handle them.

• Draw close to Him through prayer.

• Ask to gain God's perspective on injustice.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the deep things of God - 1 Corinthians 2:10-11.

Of God's reply she says:

• Expect the Lord to answer you.

• Approach God with an open heart.

• Lay down any preconceived ideas of how He will respond.

• Be ready to hear anything He desires to tell you.

- Leslyn Musch, Truth-In-Action-Through Habakkuk, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1229.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for being big enough for any question. Help me to trust You when I don't understand and Your silence and inaction look like a contradiction of who You are. I want to be open to Your answers, however You send them. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The God of counted hairs and split seconds

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 12:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "'Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows'"  Luke 12:6,7


Writer and editor Bret Lott felt discouraged in late 2005. After six months in a new job as the editor of The Southern Review, he had found no time to write for months and questions filled his mind, questions like: Does my writing matter? What's the point? Have I made any difference at all?

On December 13th he recalls (in his book Letters and Life): "That morning I prayed to God that, despite how self-centered I was being in asking this, he would give me a sign, that he would somehow let me know that, well yes, I was making a difference, and that he would do it today. That day, Tuesday, December 13th" -Bret Lott,  Letters and Life, Kindle Location 791.

He was on the lookout for signs all day, but nothing. Despite the silence, he recalls that he had peace when he crawled into bed that night, for he knew he was worthwhile, not because of anything he had written but because God loved him as shown by Jesus' death for him.

The next morning, however, when he checked his email, there was a letter from someone he'd never met, telling him how his book had deeply affected his life. And guess what the date stamp on the email read? 11:59 p.m., December 13th!

A few days later he got a letter by surface mail from a women who had read another of his books. It also described how deeply the book had impacted her. The postmark on the letter? December 13!

Though Lott, with his story, makes the case for precision in writing because we serve a precise God, I think we can apply the care and precision Lott's story shows to God's interactions with us in all of life. The God who tilted the earth  at the exact angle and placed it at the exact distance from the sun to support life, who programmed a timetable of development into the embryo of a human baby is the God of our moments and days too. He sees you and me. He knows the second-by-second happenings in our lives. He is aware. He cares. Do not fear.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your words of care reported by Luke illustrated by the anecdote of Your servant. Help me today to be alert to Your care for me. Amen.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

A perfect ending

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 138:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me." Psalm 138:8


If you thought of your life as a story, does it sometimes seem to you that the plotter could use some help giving it a better arc? In other words, do you feel disappointed with your progress and growth, as if you're encountering the same issues and problems over and over and not getting any better at dealing with them? You ask, haven't I learned anything? Why does it seem I'm not getting any better in the things that count—the Kingdom of God matters, the becoming-more-like-Jesus goal?

Our chosen verse today answers that. The word "perfect" (the verb) is key.

["Perfect (gamar) means to end, accomplish, perfect, come to an end, cease, perform fulfill… Twice (in the OT) it refers to completing, finishing, and perfecting of God's work in one's life - Psalm 57:2 and here. These two references are the OT parallels to Philippians 1:6" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 792.]

I like how Psalm 57:2 puts the focus on what we do along the way:

"I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me—Who brings to pass [His purposes] for me and surely completes them!" - AMP (emphasis added).

Philippians 1:6 is Paul's confident belief in God's ability to accomplish this:

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ—right up to the time of His return—developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you" - AMP (emphasis added).

Whether we appear to be making progress or not, whether the story arc of our lives looks to be going somewhere or not, we can be sure that God knows what He is doing and is working even in our detours and double-backs. Whenever and however we can, let's cooperate with Him.

PRAYER: Dear Father thank You for this promise of a completed life work for me. Help me to daily live in sync with You. Amen.
 
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

My plans or God's?

Nathan and David - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 7:1-17

TO CHEW ON: " ' Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel saying, "Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?" ' " 2 Samuel 7:17


When David had the idea to build God a permanent house to replace the tent tabernacle, the prophet Nathan was quick to endorse it. But that night God told Nathan what He thought about David's plan. It wasn't what Nathan had said. The answer to the rhetorical question God wanted Nathan to put to David ("… have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?' ") was NO. God had not asked for this before. Neither was He asking for it now.

My Bible's study notes on this verse explain: "God reminds David of His original intent in calling him to shepherd My people Israel, not to build Him a house" Sam Middlebrook, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 410.

In this situation we have an example of David making his own plans and asking God to bless them. This fall I took a DVD course (Discerning the Voice of God) by Priscilla Shirer. In the workbook that accompanies the lectures, she talks about our tendency to make plans and then ask God to bless them (instead of waiting for God to point us in the direction He wants us to go). Here are some bits I've underlined in my workbook:

"We have to decide to spend our time either discerning and aligning ourselves with the purposes of God or doing what we want while asking God to bless it" - Priscilla Shirer, Discerning the Voice of God (Workbook),  p. 85.

"We have invited ourselves to do things God isn't doing" - Op. cit., p. 91.

"When seeking God's guidance, always take into account the activity He is allowing in your life at that time" - Op. cit., p. 89.

"We often find God's will when we do what's next and obediently respond to the normal duties of life" - Op. cit.,  p. 90.

"If you feel an overwhelming urge to act spontaneously, pull in the reins" - p. 93.

"Wait for the Father to lead you. If you do not feel an assurance in a decision, then wait. You will be glad you did" - Op. cit., p. 94.

However, let's not get the idea that God didn't appreciate David's heart.  He actually turned David's desire around by promising David his own house—not one of cedar and stone, but of an everlasting dynasty (2 Samuel 7:16). We know that Jesus came from David's line and take this as a prophecy of His forever Kingdom.

God also assured David that a son of his would be the one to build that house of cedar. It happened when Solomon built the temple.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be sensitive to what You're doing in my life and around me, and to get on-board with Your activity instead of cooking up plans of my own. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Promotion in God's time

David crowned king in Hebron

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 5:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years." 2 Samuel 5:4

Though David was thirty when he was crowned king of Judah in Hebron and thirty-seven when he took Jerusalem and became king of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:5), his path to the throne began years earlier.

The story of Samuel anointing him king is in 1 Samuel 16. He is the eighth and youngest son of Jesse. The writer of 1 Samuel describes him as "….ruddy with bright eyes and good looking" (1 Samuel 16:12). But he doesn't tell us David's age at the time Samuel anoints him .

I think we can assume he wasn't full-grown because of the way he reacts to putting on Saul's armor in preparation for facing Goliath: "'I cannot walk with these …'" (1 Samuel 17:39). Let's suppose he is seventeen. That makes a 13-year gap between when he is anointed and when crowned king of Judah, and a 20-year gap before he is king over the whole nation.

The years in between aren't easy either. He spends several running and hiding from jealous Saul. Some of the psalms he may have written while he is on the run show how difficult this time is for him:

• In Psalm 7 he expresses outrage at being wrongly accused and persecuted (Psalm 7:3-6).

• In Psalm 27 he gives thanks to God for keeping him through a time when the wicked came "To eat up my flesh" (Psalm 27: 2), an army "may encamp against me" (Psalm 27:3); "the time of trouble" (Psalm 27:5); even a time "when my father and mother forsake me" (Psalm 27:10).

• In Psalm 31 he describes "the net which they have secretly laid for me (Psalm 31:4). In that psalm he tells of feeing grieved and weak (Psalm 31:10), repulsive to neighbours and acquaintances (Psalm 31:11), forgotten (Psalm 31:12), slandered as they plot against him (Psalm 31:13).

But all through the years between his anointing and his becoming king he never forces the issue. In fact several times when Saul is in his hands, and with the full knowledge that he is God's anointed, David refuses to take the life of his pursuer:

* David to Saul after David spares his life the first time: "'But my hand shall not be against you'" (1 Samuel 24:12,13).
* David to Abishai, his general who is urging him to kill the sleeping Saul: "'…the Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed'" (1 Samuel 26:11).

What an example for us! For if God has put an anointing on our lives, a dream of usefulness or ministry in our hearts, He is the one who can bring it to pass. Even if the delay is long, let's wait for Him:

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" - James 4:10.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time" - 1 Peter 5:8.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this inspiring example of David, who waited for You to lift him up instead of doing it himself. Help me to follow His example. Amen. 

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New King James Version (NKJV) Used with permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Weeping in the dark

"Rabboni!"  - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 20:1-18

TO CHEW ON: " ' They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him. … they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him. … Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away.' " John 20:2,13,15

Mary's shock, perplexity, and desperation soak these verses. Though John's telling has her coming to the tomb alone, Mark's account includes Mary the Mother of James and Salome in this pre-dawn trek. They come with spices to anoint His body.

But the stone is rolled aside and His body gone!

I can imagine Mary's outrage as she breaks the news to Peter and John. She alone returns to the tomb with them. After they've checked the empty tomb for themselves and return home, she stays behind weeping.

But surely there must be some mistake. On looking into the burial place again she sees two angels (do you think she realized these were angels at the time?). One asks "Woman, why are you weeping?" She answers, "Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Her interchange with the 'gardener' follows the same lines. She remains grief-absorbed until His "Mary" opens her eyes.

Mary's experience here reminds me of what we often go through in our times of desperation before Jesus shows up in one way or another. He could have saved Mary all those tears if He'd showed Himself to her and the others when they first arrived. But He didn't.

In Mary's life and often in ours, that seems to be His way. He comes in His own sweet time, after leaving us to weep in the dark for a while.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, whether my time of puzzlement is short or long, please help me to never lose faith in You and Your good plans for me. Amen.

MORE: Feast of Mary Magdalene

Today the church liturgy celebrates the Feast of Mary Magdalene. The day's readings opens with this collect (the healing referred to in the prayer refers to her being set free from demon possession - Luke 8:2) :

Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Patience to wait for God's time

Moses and the burning bush - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 7:17-38

TO CHEW ON: "'For he (Moses) supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. …"And now come, I will send you to Egypt."'" Acts 7:25, 34

 It's fascinating to get a glimpse into how Bible characters interpret Bible events. Here we see Stephen's version of the story of Moses.

He delves into Moses' mind a bit, adding a layer to the Exodus account of the same events (Exodus 2:11-15): "For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand…"

We can imagine young Moses, a Hebrew, raised by Pharaoh's daughter, mulling over why his life took the direction it did. There must be a reason. It must be to save his people. And so he decided to act on that conviction and the result was a murder committed and a 40-year detour herding sheep in the land of Midian.

But he was right in one thing. It was his destiny to free his countrymen. Only it would happen in God's time when, after forty years, God came to him with "'And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'"

In the first instance he sent himself and it was a disaster. But when God sent him, it was a success.

Do you you have a sense of mission or task that your life is to fulfill, but up till now nothing has fallen into place to bring it about? Let Moses' story be a caution sign to you and me not to force the issue by taking matters into our own hands. Rather, let's wait for God's "And now come, I will send you…"

PRAYER: Dear God I am often impatient wanting my life to fall into place in my own timing. Please help me to wait for Your initiative. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cultivate a faith memory

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 7:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him." Acts 7:9


Here Stephen is before the Jewish council. His "… faith and power… great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 7:8) have caught the attention of the religious rulers. They are jealous (not unlike those "patriarchs"—Joseph's brothers). Trying to discredit him, they find people willing to lie and accuse him of blasphemy. So Stephen is defending himself against false accusations.

In his eloquent speech he traces how God has worked in their nation from Abraham on. No doubt he gets special comfort from remembering Joseph who was also falsely accused. "But God was with him" he reminds them—and himself.

When we're in trouble, forced to defend what we believe, or on the hot seat for something we haven't done, or even in a personal crisis of faith, Stephen's example of recalling God at work is a good one for us to follow too.

• We can read the Old Testament stories (of Joseph, David, Daniel, Esther) and remember how He worked in Bible times.

• We can recall how God has helped us in the past.

• We can review faith-building verses like: "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations…" and "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 90:1; 91:1).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for how You have worked throughout history. Help me to recognize Your actions in my life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God—an Author who planned His story

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 2:13-23

TO CHEW ON: "…that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet … then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet … that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets…" Matthew 2:15,17, 23

In fiction writing there are at least two kinds of writers—pantsers (those who make up the plot of their story as they go along, i.e. write by the seat of their pants) and outliners (those who plan their entire story before they start writing). God, in writing His story—the story of redemption—was not a pantser! The way Jesus fulfilled Prophecies made hundreds of years earlier shows how well-planned this story was—and is.

One of the preoccupations of Matthew in writing his gospel was to show how Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. "Matthew's aim is to present Jesus, not only as the Messiah but as the Son of David and to elaborate this truth in such a way that it would aid the Christians in their controversies with the Jews. He shows how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, and how the Law is filled with new meaning and supplemented in the Person, words and work of Christ" says J. Lyle Story in his Introduction to Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1287.

In our reading today, Matthew forsakes all subtlety as he says three times, in effect, this segment of Jesus' life was a fulfillment of a specific prediction:

• Matthew 2:5 - "Out of Egypt I called my Son…" was a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1.

• Matthew 2:8 - "A voice was heard in Ramah… etc." was a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15.

• Matthew 2:23 - "He shall be called a Nazarene …" echoes the words of the angel to Samson's mother in Judges 13:5.

Several thoughts rise from seeing how well-planned God's story is:
1. Evidence of God's planning goes back even further than the prophets quoted here. We can see it from the earliest moments of man's history when God says to Satan after he has lured Eve and Adam to sin: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel" - Genesis 3:15.

2. We do well to know and pay attention to Bible prophecies not yet fulfilled. Maybe we will be the witnesses to their coming to pass!

3. Each one of us who is born again (John 3:1-16) is also part of God's story—a part He has planned just as carefully: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Ephesians 2:20 (emphasis added).

PRAYER: Dear God, again I am in awe of Your plan and how through writers You give us glimpses into Your mind and heart. Help me to be faithful to do the good works You have planned for me to do. Amen.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) Used by permission. The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Joshua meets his Commander

"Joshua Meets the Angel of the Lord" 
- Christoph Weigel, 1654-1725. 
From the Pitts Theology Library.

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Joshua 5:9-15

TO CHEW ON: "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 'Are you for us or for our adversaries?'
So He said, 'No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.'" Joshua 5:13,14

The Israelites were camped at Gigal near what was to be their first city of the Canaan conquest—Jericho. We can feel with Joshua as he goes out to have a look at Jericho. He is probably excited but also apprehensive, imagining strategy but also unsure, feeling brave but also realistic. He is certainly alert, for when the Lord appears as an armed man, Joshua approaches and asks His allegiance.

We can imagine the relief Joshua feels when it becomes clear that this soldier is indeed the LORD—Yahweh come down to help, no, to lead as Commander of the Lord's army.

Nowhere do we read anything like this from Joshua: "No, I'm the commander of this army." Instead, he seems more than ready to hand control to this mysterious solder. It is from His mouth that Joshua gets the bizarre order of how to take Jericho (Joshua 6:1-5).

Two things strike me from this incident:

1. The real Commander shows up just in time. Even His words to Joshua have a hint of this timeliness: "... I have now come..." Has Joshua been praying about this? His solitary stroll toward Jericho shows he may well be preoccupied with his next move. And then, at precisely the right moment, his Commander appears on the scene.

God can come to us in the nick of time like that. Now probably not as a theophany, but through what we read in the Bible, or the words of a pastor, or a book, or an article, or a song, or circumstances.

2. The Lord is the real commander of this army. Joshua doesn't dispute that for a minute.

Is God the Commander of our lives? Do we take orders from Him as readily as Joshua does from his Commander?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You are always on time. Please help me to trust You to be the Commander of  my life. Amen.

MORE: Joshua

Joshua is a fascinating character.

• We first meet him when Moses puts him in charge of the Israelite army assembled to fight the Amalekites in the wilderness - Exodus 17:9.

• The Bible describes him as Moses' "assistant" when he accompanies Moses up Mount Sinai - Exodus 24:13.

• He stays in the tabernacle of God's presence even after Moses leaves - Exodus 33:11. Barbara Billett in her book Praying with Fire says of him:

"Joshua had intimate fellowship with God just as Moses did. He lingered in the presence of God and got to know God and to trust God at His word" - p. 65.

• He is one of only two spies that have faith they can conquer Canaan - Numbers 14:6-9. Billett again:

"Because Joshua and Caleb had intimate fellowship with God, God's word to them was magnified over any fear, unbelief, or temptation to not follow the Lord - Op. Cit, p. 66.

• My Bible's introduction to the book of Joshua explains how he is a type of Christ:

"His name which means 'Yahweh is Salvation,' is a Hebrew equivalent to the Greek 'Jesus.' Joshua led the Israelites into the possession of their promised inheritance just as Christ leads us into possession of eternal life" - Ronald Mehl, "The Book of Joshua," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 277.