Be still; know God

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Revelation 17-18;  Psalm 46
 
TO CHEW ON:"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble...
Be still and know that I am God..."Psalm 46:1,10a


Someone from the Sons of Korah wrote Psalm 46 to encourage and give hope to people who were in trouble. By the things the psalmist mentions it seems the trouble was war with another nation. The writer begins with a declaration about who God is:

"God is our refuge  — shelter, protection, fortress, hope, place of trust — and our strength  — power, security — in trouble" 

He reminds the people about the security of the city (Psalm 46:4-5). It has an underground stream that provides water even if the city's main water supply is cut off by siege. (Though there is no actual river flowing through Jerusalem, "...it is believed by many that there is a subterranean water supply that is the source of various fountains and pools in Jerusalem" New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p. 723.) God's presence in her makes her unshakeable in case of battering. He will help her at sunrise, which is a likely time for the enemy to attack.

He says more about the identity of God (Psalm 46:7-9). He calls Him Yahweh Sabaoth — the Lord of Hosts. Remember the story of Elisha in a city besieged by  Syria's army? In the morning, Elisha's servant saw the army and was afraid. But Elisha drew his attention to another army — an army of heavenly hosts: "Do not fear for those who are with us are more than those who are with them" - 2 Kings 6:8-17.

He also calls God the "God of Jacob." This reminds them of their history with God when, in the past, He preserved their forefather Jacob and his descendants. 

In the light of all this, God Himself steps to the mic, telling the readers/listeners: "Be still and know that I am God."

The comment writer of my Bible suggests this is "God addressing the wicked warring nations." That may be so. But I think God is also addressing the worried, wailing people. He tells them to still the fearful voices around them and in their own heads, perhaps even to shush their own ideas and suggestions to God about how He could help them.

We may not be living in a city surrounded by an enemy army but our lives can feel just as attacked. Circumstances, demands of home, family and church, sickness, sandwich pressures (simultaneously looking after kids and parents), the clamor around us (internet, TV, radio, the constant demands of social networking via the phone, Facebook, Twitter) can make a mighty din, causing us stress, anxiety and fear.

At such times, let's use the encouragements of Psalm 46. We can:

• Know our God — a shelter, strength, the Lord of Hosts.

• Remember our history with God. ("He is the God of ___" [insert your name here]).

• Drink from the river that flows within — get strength from the Bible and the Holy Spirit's application of what we read.

• Be still — turn off the noise in our environment, refuse to listen to the chatter in our heads, even silence our own suggestions to God while we wait for His solutions (Exodus 14:13-14).

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to take advantage of what is available in You when I'm feeling stressed, anxious, surrounded by demands, or trouble. Help me to be still and wait for You to work.  Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 46

************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 Christian's memory

"Return of the Ark" - Gustave Dore (1 Samuel 6:13)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 27-28; Psalm 132

TO CHEW ON: "Behold we heard of it in Ephratheh
We found it in the fields of the woods." - Psalm 132:6

What is the "it" the psalmist is talking about? It is the ark—that box that symbolized the presence of God among the Israelites.

The first verses of this psalm refer to specific stories about the ark that pilgrims marching to Jerusalem* would have known. They recall the time that David vowed to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. They remember an even earlier time when Samuel located it in "the field of the woods," that is, Kirjath Jearim ("City of Forests") - 1 Samuel 7:1,2.

What's the point of bringing up these memories? It is to help the people get a vision for their future with God (Psalm 132:11-18).

Eugene Peterson enlarges on this psalm in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. He says about the importance of memory in matters of faith:

"This history is important, for without it we are at the mercy of whims. Memory is a databank we use to evaluate our position and make decisions. With a biblical memory we have two thousand years of experience from which to make the off-the-cuff responses that are required each day in the life of faith.

"[...] The past is not, for the person of faith, a restored historical site that we tour when we are on vacation; it is a field that we plow and harrow and plant and fertilize and work for a harvest" - Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, pp. 166, 168 (emphasis added).

What are we facing today that is making us nervous, upset, panicky, desperate, scared? Let's recall our history with God and how He has proved Himself faithful to help us in the past. Let's obey His instructions to us, whatever they are in the situation. Maybe it's to:

• acknowledge Him and trust Him for directions (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• pray and not worry (Philippians 4:6-7).
• tell the truth and live with integrity (Matthew 5:37)
• be single-hearted (Luke 6:13; James 1:5-8)
• or ...

Peterson again:

"What we require is obedience—the strength to stand and the willingness to leap, and the sense to know when to do which. Which is exactly what we get when an accurate memory of God's ways is combined with a lively hope in his promises" - p. 171.

PRAYER: Dear God, I bring the specific situation of ___ to You. You know the dis-ease I have in my spirit over it. Please settle me down as I remember Your faithfulness to me in the past. Help me to hear Your instructions about what to do (or perhaps it's to be still)  and to obey. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 132

MORE: Defective memory

"A Christian with a defective memory has to start everything from scratch and spends far too much of his or her time backtracking, repairing, starting over. A Christian with a good memory avoids repeating old sins, knows the easiest way through complex situations and instead of starting over each day continues what was begun in Adam" - Peterson, p. 167 (emphasis added). 

*This psalm is one of the "Songs of Ascent" which pilgrims sang as they went to Jerusalem to celebrate the yearly festivals.

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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 Asaph approach to conquering fear

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 25-27; Psalm 77

TO CHEW ON: "And I said, 'This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.' I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old." Psalm 77:10-11


One characteristic of memory is that it is selective. We tend to remember the good over the bad. Think back to your childhood. Chances are it will seem an idyllic, happy time. "Those were the good old days," we say. Somehow the fears, embarrassments, boredoms and dissatisfactions are not what we remember first about the past.

Memories -- good memories -- are what Asaph, the psalmist, uses to conquer his fearful thoughts during a very bad time. He is in a "day of trouble" where he prays all night long (Psalm 77:2). He feels so overwhelmed even thoughts of God don't comfort him (Psalm 77:3). He is troubled sleepless and speechless (Psalm 77:4).

Then he decides to take himself and his negative thoughts in hand. "But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." He reviews God's attributes in a series of rhetorical questions (Psalm 77:7-8) and recalls times from the past when God appeared unbeatable:

There was the time God redeemed "the sons of Jacob and Joseph" (Psalm 77:15) -- a reference, perhaps, to God saving the Israelites from famine by bringing them to Egypt where Joseph had stored up food.

There was the time "The waters saw You and they were afraid" (Psalm 77:16) -- a reference to the parting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were hot on their heels.

There was the time "You led Your people like a flock, By the hand of Moses and Aaron" (Psalm 77:20) -- a reference to their 40 years in the wilderness.

Are you in a desperate, fearful, can't-sleep-because-of-troubled-thoughts time? Or maybe it's just a thin-cloud-of-anxiety, or bad-premonition, or can't-stop-worrying-about-things-up-ahead time. Whatever causes your spirit to "complain" use the Asaph approach to conquering fear.

1. Ask yourself the rhetorical questions he asks, to remind yourself about the bigness of God:
- "Will the Lord cast off forever?"
- Will He be favourable no more?"
- Has His mercy ceased forever?" etc. (Psalm 77:7-9).
The answer: Of course not!

2. Think back to specific instances in your life when God has come through for you. Has He preserved your life in a dramatic way? Has He helped you through financial difficulties? Has He answered prayers, made you a part of amazing "coincidences," showered you with everyday mercies? Go back even farther to reviewing the history of your family, your people. Reminisce yourself into a place where you can exclaim like Asaph did: "Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples" (Psalm 77:13-14).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for evidences of Your presence in my life. Thank You for memories that reassure me of Your ability, power and love. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 77

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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.

Are you covered?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings  15-17; Psalm 105

TO CHEW ON: “He spread a cloud for a covering…” Psalm 105:39

Psalm 105 is a praise poem recalling the ways God has helped Israel in the past. On the list is the cloud that accompanied Israel throughout their wilderness wanderings.

It was a cloud that served many purposes:

• It gave them direction, i.e. went before them telling them where to go. Exodus 13:21

• It stopped them. When the cloud came to rest, they were to stop and not move on again until the cloud lifted - Numbers 9:17-23.

• It gave them light at night, so they could travel by day or by night, to avoid the desert’s scorching heat - Numbers 13:21.

• It shielded and hid them when the Egyptians pursued them. It was dark on the Egyptian side but light on the Israelite side. Its presence gave them light and time to cross the miraculously dried up Red Sea at night while obscuring the Egyptian’s way - Exodus 14:19,20.

The psalmist calls it a “covering.”

God provided other coverings for people as well.

• He covered Adam and Eve with clothes, animal skin coverings after their disobedience stole their innocence form them (Genesis 3:21).

• His covering or protection is sometimes referred to as wings. The picture is of a mother bird sheltering her young (Psalm 57:1) or rescuing them (Deuteronomy 32:11). Boaz referred to God’s sheltering wings when he singled out Ruth with an invitation to glean in his field (Ruth 2:12).

• Bible writers also refer to God’s covering as a shelter or refuge from the elements of life and nature (Isaiah 25:4).

• And then there are all the references to God covering His people in pure, beautiful clothes—way nicer clothes than those skin tunics of Adam and Eve:

- Robes of righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 61:10).
- Beautiful embroidered garments (Ezekiel 16:10).
- “Best robes” - Luke 15:22.
- Wedding clothes - Matthew 22:11.
- White clothes - Revelation 7:9
- “Fine linen clean and bright” - Revelation 19:8.

Who would not welcome such covering? Sadly, not everyone. In our reading chapters from 2 Kings today, we see how Israel threw off God's covering by disobeying Him and turning to idol worship. Finally God was through with them. We read that God "... removed them from His sight... rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers until He had cast them from His sight - 2 Kings 17:18-20.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, the people who spurned God’s wings of covering with their rejection of His prophets, including the final One—Jesus the Son - Matthew 23:37-39.

He reprimanded the  lukewarm church of Laodicea for their delusions of needing nothing and counseled them to “'… buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed…'” - Revelation 3:17,18.

So, how do we put ourselves under God’s covering, under His protection, in His clothes? Revelation 3 continues on with this answer from Jesus Himself.

We invite Him into our lives: “'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me'” - Revelation 3:21.

Then we listen to His voice and follow Him.  Jesus again: "'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 Jesus, help me to live constantly under Your covering, in Your clothes. Please show me areas where self will, rebellion, laziness, self-deception, impatience, etc. leave me naked and vulnerable. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 105

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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.

Tell your story—and tell it well

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ruth1-4; Psalm 77

TO CHEW ON: "There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz." Ruth 2:1

Don't you just love reading a story as skilfully told as this one? The tale that starts out with two unfortunate widows expands as wealthy Boaz comes on the scene. There is just enough detail and zoom in on specific incidents to make the characters come alive.

We see conscientious Ruth doing all she can to provide for her aging mother-in-law. Her stellar reputation has reached the ears of landowner Boaz who arrives in a flourish of hoofbeats and dust (my imagination here). We watch his gentleness with her and her trusting response. We notice Naomi perk up when Ruth tells her of the day. We look forward to what will happen next as the at-a-safe-distance Boaz-Ruth relationship continues through the harvest season.

The question, Who wrote this? occurred to me. My Bible's introduction to Ruth suggests Samuel:

"It is also reasonable to suppose that Samuel, who witnessed the decline of Saul's rule and was directed by God to anoint David as God's heir-apparent to the throne, could have penned this himself. The lovely story would already have attracted oral retelling among the people of Israel, and the concluding genealogy would have secured a link with the patriarchs—thus giving a steady answer to all in Israel who would desire their king's family background" - Jack Hayford, Introduction to Ruth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 349.

Ruth's story brings to mind the power and usefulness of our stories. I love hearing accounts of how God works in lives—stories that reassure us of God's faithfulness and thus build our own faith. Hayford's defense of Samuel as author (above) suggests other things about stories. They are sometimes first told orally before being written down. They serve as a link to the past. They also provide valuable information about the background of a prominent person.

We can tell our stories in many ways:

• Orally to friends and family, and especially to the next generation.
• More formally as part of a talk, presentation, or sermon.
• In a written devotional.
• In a memoir.
• Through poetry. 
• Via the actions and words of a fictional character in a novel.
• In a play.

Do you tell your story? Do you know how to tell it well? Are you conscious of things like how and when to introduce characters and events with a view to timing, tension and keeping the listener or reader on the interest hook?

Your story is worth telling—and worth telling well!


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the beautiful narrative of Ruth and the stories You are telling through each of our lives. Help me to tell my story with skill and Holy Spirit anointing. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 77

The Bible Project VIDEO: Ruth (Read Scripture series)






MORE: More on story-telling

Another word Bible writers use for story is testimony Here are a few verses that encourage us to tell our stories / testimonies:

• Psalm 60:4
• Psalm 107:2
• Isaiah 12:4
• Acts 1:8
• 2 Timothy 1:81 Peter 3:15
• Revelation 12:11

Get some story-telling hints from Jeff Goins:

• "How to Tell Your Story Without Boring Your Audience to Tears"

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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.

Full-circle

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 35-37

TO CHEW ON: "And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother." Exodus 35:7

Have you experienced God as the God of the full-circle. I have. Though I left home at 18 to work and went away to university halfway across Canada, I ended up teaching in the town a few miles from where I grew up and marrying a man who, as a kid, played in a community band with my dad and brother.

It seems that bringing us back to where we've been before is often God's way of working in our lives.

That was His way with Jacob. Years earlier, while running away from his murderously angry twin Esau, he stopped exhausted at a "certain place," put a stone under his head for a pillow and slept. But over the next hours that no-name place became "Bethel" as God met Jacob there in a dream, comforted him with His presence and promised to bring him back to that very spot. Read about it in Genesis 28:10-22.

Now, many years later, on the way back to the home of his childhood, Jacob is coming full-circle in various ways. The first is re-connecting with his brother, that Esau from whom he had run away all those years ago. He was scared about that meeting, but it turned out okay (Genesis 32:1-33:20).

Then he arrived back to the spot of his dream. I can just see him, looking around, trying to identify landmarks, a familiar tree, perhaps, and certainly that stone he had used as pillow. No doubt he thought back to the promise God had made to him those many years ago. (I wonder if he remembered the promise he had made to God, or whether he kept it - Genesis 28:15,22.)

God spoke to him again at that spot (joy of joys!). He reaffirmed his name change from Jacob (Deceiver, Supplanter) to Israel (Prince with God; He Strives With God; May God Persevere) and promised to make a nation of his family. Looking back over the years since he had been there, he could see how faithful God had been in keeping His promise. A part of that promise ("in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed") echoes down through the years even to us celebrating that blessing — the coming of Jesus — during the Advent season just past.

Take a little time today to reflect on how God has brought you full-circle.

• Has He or does He keep bringing the same people into your life?

• Has He brought you back to significant physical locations?

• Does He remind you of past promises He has made to you? What about the ones you've made to Him?

• Ask Him to show you what these full-circle experiences mean.

• Thank Him for His faithfulness.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that you plan, know and see all my days; nothing happens randomly. Help me to notice the patterns in my life and to understand how and why you bring me back. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 11

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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.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

 

The power of a blessing

Jacob leaves home - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 25-28

TO CHEW ON: " ' May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.' " Genesis 28:3 NIV

The answer to Isaac and Rebekah's prayers, the twins Esau and Jacob, are who we read about today. Theirs sounds like a toxic family where father and mother favor different children. Mother and son #2 trick father and son #1 out of bestowing and receiving the blessing usually reserved for the firstborn son. In such a less-than-perfect beginning the destiny of nations is set.

This incident contains three blessings.
- The blessing Isaac gives to Jacob (thinking he is blessing Esau) - Genesis 27:27-29.
- The blessing Isaac speaks over Esau (after the one he has planned for him is spoken over Jacob) Genesis 27:39-40.
- The blessing with which Isaac sends Jacob away from home - Genesis 28:3-4.

["Bless: behrahch #1288 - To bless, salute, congratulate, thank, praise, to kneel down. In OT times, one got down on his knees when preparing to speak or receive words of blessing … From God's side, he is the Blesser, the One who gives the capacity for living a full rich life" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Live Bible NIV, Kindle location 126,606.]

Several things strike me as I read about these blessings.

1. They are a big deal. Esau is distraught when he discovers Jacob has tricked Isaac into giving him the firstborn's blessing (Genesis 27:34).

2. The words of blessings, once spoken, cannot be retracted. My Bible's notes expand:
"The ancients knew far better than we moderns about the power of the spoken word. A blessing, a curse, a creative word, a destructive word, can all have great effects when spoken in faith" - R. Russell Bixler, notes on Genesis, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, KL 9792.

3. These blessings address the big picture and change the course of history.

• Isaac's inadvertent blessing of Jacob contains a blessing of spiritual prosperity (Genesis 27:28), political supremacy (Genesis 27:29), and a curse on enemies (Genesis 27:29).

• Isaac's blessing of Esau is as big as he can make it without contradicting his words to Jacob. The conflict predicted between his descendants (the Arabs) and the descendants of Jacob (the Jews) continues to this day.

• Isaac's blessing on sending Jacob away is warm and expansive, pronouncing a blessing of many children and an inherited land.

Though we don't have a custom of bestowing blessings on our children in a formal way, we do bless and curse them when we praise or belittle them, tell them they have what it takes or give them the message we think they are failures. Let's watch our words to them. We can also bless them even when they're not present as we pray into their futures. We have no idea of the impact our words of blessing or cursing will have on their histories, let alone the destinies of our families, communities, nation, even the world.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to bless my children and grandchildren with positive words and faith-filled prayers. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 8

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  Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Plot points in God's story

Image: Pixabay

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Genesis 16-18

TO CHEW ON: "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you." Genesis 17:11


You probably own a few things that signify watershed moments in your life — the Bible you were given at your baptism perhaps, a wedding ring, maybe the clothes your daughter wore when she was dedicated. As people we benefit from such tangible reminders of our history, the things we've experienced, and the promises we've made.

God has sealed His dealings with humanity with signs and markers too. Here are some of them:

1. Rainbow — a sign marking God's promise to never again destroy all humanity by flood (Genesis 9:12-15).

2. Circumcision — "... a sign to identify the people of the Abrahamic covenant for it literally touches the male at his point of propagating life" - R. Russell Bixler, Genesis study notes, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, p.27.

3. Blood, painted on the lintel and door frames of the house — a sign that the death angel should pass over that house (Exodus 12:13).

4. Unleavened bread — to remind the Israelites that God had brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 13:6-10).

5. Sacrifice of firstborn animals —  a reminder of God sparing Israel's firstborn sons the night the death angel visited (Exodus 13:16).

6. Scarlet cord draped from the window of a house —  a sign that marked Rahab and her family for rescue from Jericho (Joshua 2:12, 17-18).

7. Altar of 12 stones — a sign to remind the Israelites of how God helped them cross the Jordan River to Canaan (Joshua 4:1-7).

8. Dove as the Holy Spirit, ascending and alighting on Jesus at His baptism — a sign of God's favour on Him (Matthew 3:16).


Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God, says this about the way God works—the actions behind the list of signs, above:

"God works in sequence to accomplish His divine purpose. What He did in the past was accomplished with a kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in sequence with the past and with the same kingdom purpose. Every act of God builds on the past, with a view toward the future" Experiencing God Workbook, p. 124.

If you look back over the signs I've listed (and there are many more), can you see a thread? Are they not all part of God's history of salvation—from God's promise to never again destroy all humanity by flood, to His establishing His covenant of nationhood with Abraham, to His keeping of that nation through Egypt's slavery and their wilderness wanderings to, finally, the coming of Jesus, the lamb that would save us all?

God's message of love to us through these markers and signs is a reason for awe, worship, and making our lives available to God, to carry news of that salvation thread to our contemporaries.  

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your plan of salvation and how you have threaded signs of it through the Bible story. Help me to be alert to the signs of Your working in my life. I pray, with David, "Show me a sign for good...." Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: - Psalm 5

MORE: Personal markers

It is good to reflect on the signs, objects or markers that tell the story of God at work in our lives. For me those include significant Bible verses, certain books, a special song...

If we read the accounts of God giving His people signs, one of the reasons He gave the sign, in almost every case, was to help parents explain God's ways their children and grandchildren.

Could you use the signs, objects or markers you recalled to tell to your children and grandchildren the story of how God has worked in your life?

The Bible Project VIDEO - The Covenants (Theme Series)




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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.

Super-natural

"Mount Sinai" - Artist unnamed

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 113:1-114:8

TO CHEW ON: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob
Who turned the rock into a pool of water
The flint into a fountain of waters.” Psalm 114: 7-8

The psalmist has packed years of history into this 16-line poem. It speaks of the time Israel left Egypt and slavery. In the desert, God lived with them – hovering close in a cloud and overshadowing the tabernacle with His glory.

Nature complied with God’s plans. The Read Sea parted to let them cross (Exodus 14:16). After 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Jordan River likewise divided up so they could walk to the other side (Joshua 3:17).

The mountains and hills skipping like rams and lambs probably refers to the rolling and shaking of Mount Sinai when God met with Moses there (Exodus 19:18). The “rock into a pool of water" and “flint into a fountain of water” refer to God supplying their drinking water from rock – at least twice (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

Don’t you just love the psalmist’s saucy questioning of these inanimate natural objects: “What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan that you turned back? O mountains that you skipped like rams? O little hills like lambs?” It’s a type of rhetorical question – to which the answer would have been, “We couldn’t help it. What would you do but comply (tremble) in the presence of God?”

We know, however, that at the time these things were happening the Israelites were anything but confident that God knew what He was doing. It was only in retrospect that His modus operandi became evident.

Does God still intervene in miraculous ways on our behalf? I believe so. I can just see us in heaven, with the benefit of perfect hindsight and insight, thanking and praising God for the stayed storms, the just-missed auto accidents, the at-the-time annoying delays which kept us from being in the wrong place at the right time.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that even inanimate nature is under Your control. Help me to have confidence in You as the God of everything.

MORE: In “The Laws of Physics as God” John Piper makes a defense for a God who is behind the laws of nature, and above them.

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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.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Jog your memory

"Fruit of the Spirit" wall hanging - Photo: V. Nesdoly

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 13:1-22

TO CHEW ON: “It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:9

To help us remember the special days in our lives we use oral and written story-telling, paper and electronic calendars, eating and gift-giving. In today’s reading we see it’s altogether biblical to use concrete things as reminders of our history with God. God instructed the Israelites on this.

The ban on leaven each year at Passover was a reminder of the morning of their hurried exit from Egypt (Exodus 13:4-7).

They were to pass their story on to their children (Exodus 13:8).

And they were to solidify the fact that they were God’s people with an act that was even more radical. They were to redeem the firstborn males of their own families and animals (Exodus 13:1,11-15)—another reminder of the tenth plague, when the death angel killed the Egyptians’ firstborn sons and animals. (The redemption of the Israelites’ firstborn sons is described in Numbers 3:40-51.)

These memorials were to be as visible and obvious as wearing a reminder on a hand or forehead (Exodus 13:9).

Did God expect the people to literally wear such reminders? The Israelites took no chances. My Bible’s study notes on Exodus explain:

“The later Jewish practice of wearing phylacteries while praying is based on these verses. Phylacteries are two small leather boxes attached by leather straps, one to the left hand and one to the forehead of an Israelite. They contain passages of the law” J.C.Tollett, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 93.

We customarily remember birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and holidays—some religious, some secular (the stores don’t let us forget even if we’d want to!). Perhaps we could also put more emphasis on remembering episodes and milestones of our personal walk with God—spiritual birthdays, the date of our baptism, dates of significant answers to prayer, and foundational passages of our faith and practice.

Do you memorialize such things? How?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the stories in the Bible that have given me a record of Your dealings with humankind over thousands of years. Help me to carry it on as I remind myself of what’s important to You and recall and tell the stories of your activity in my life to my children and grandchildren. 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.

Living well in the big picture

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 1:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them …
And they (Egyptians) made their (Israelites) lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor” - Exodus 1:6,7,14


Our reading today continues telling the story of Jacob’s family in broad strokes. Two short verses (Exodus 1:6,7) take us through over 400 years of time: “The book of Exodus is a continuation of the Genesis account, dealing with the 430-year development of a family group of 70 into a large nation” - J.C. Tollett, study notes on Exodus, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 77.

The Israelites had, for all intents and purposes, become Egyptians. Or at least they had lived in Egypt long enough to identify that way. But God had other plans for them, plans hinted at in a promise made to Abraham centuries earlier (Genesis 15:18). And so began the discomfort of hard labor and slavery for Israel, that would eventually dislodge them permanently from Egypt.

The tricky thing about living in time is we don’t understand the times we’re in and the significance of day-to-day events as we’re living them. “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards” - Søren Kierkegaard.

Like the oppression of the Egyptians no doubt vexed and puzzled the Israelites, so many happenings in our time vex and puzzle us too. We won’t know, in the near term, the significance of the 2016 American election of Donald Trump as president of the U.S. or the recent defeat of a long-governing political party in my province. Only time will tell how current events affect history.

But we take comfort in knowing that history never gets away from God. As He declared through Isaiah:

Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’

Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it; I will also do it. - Isaiah 46:9-11 (my emphasis)

We can also, pray and trust God for wisdom to understand and live well during our short span of years on earth. Let's aspire to have the reputation of the "Sons of Issachar" in David's army who were known as those "who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" - 1 Chronicles 12:32.

PRAYER:
Dear God, thank You that You know the end from the beginning and will bring about the things You have purposed. Please give me insight into my time and wisdom to live well in it. 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.

Happy 150th Birthday Canada!

My patriotic planter

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 72:1-20

TO CHEW ON: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 72:8

Today is Canada’s 150th birthday! That’s the reason I diverge from the suggested Canadian Bible Society reading to suggest, instead, Psalm 72. For Psalm 72 played a big part in Canada’s history.

“When the fathers of confederation were assembled discussing the terms and conditions of Confederation and the drafting of the British North America Act there had been considerable discussion the day before and many suggestions as to what the new United Canada should be called, and no conclusion had been reached. The discussion on the name stood over until the next day. The next morning, as was Sir Leonard (Tilley)’s custom, he read a chapter from the Bible and that particular morning he read Psalm 72. When reading verse eight of the said Psalm, 'He shall have Dominion also from sea to sea'—the thought occurred to him, what a splendid name to give Canada. When he went back to the sitting of the convention that morning he suggested the word 'Dominion,' which was agreed to, and Canada was called the 'Dominion of Canada'” - Michael Clarke, in Canada, Portraits of Faith, p. 61.

Let’s take a moment to look at Leonard Tilley (1818-1896).

This pharmacist entered public life in support of the temperance movement (after seeing a young mother murdered by her drunken husband). He eventually served as Premier of New Brunswick, navigating the province into the new union that became Canada. He also helped write the British North America Act.

He came to faith at 21, was active in the Church of England, and stood firm in his convictions on temperance, proposing and passing a bill against alcohol in New Brunswick which resulted in insults and attack: “… burned in effigy, his house attacked, his life threatened, he never flinched” - Michael Clarke, source as above.

Later he became a federal Minister of Customs in John A. MacDonald’s government. When that government fell under charges of corruption, Tilley was not one of the guilty.

I find many points of inspiration for us 21st century Canadians in Tilley’s story.

• His social concerns increased his influence as he supported his convictions about temperance with action.

• He wasn’t swayed from his principled stand by insults, threats, intimidation, and attack.

• When in federal politics he didn’t join in the corruption.

• His faith remained simple and practical. It included reading the Bible every day and paying attention to what it said to the extent of applying its words and ideas to everyday challenges.

It’s easy to think that life in Canada 150 years ago was a piece of cake for people of faith. Mr. Tilley’s story helps us see that wasn’t the case. Let’s continue supporting our beloved Dominion of Canada with Bible-based faith, prayer, and action.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Canada! I pray for my homeland today, that You would bless her with righteousness, justice, and peace (Psalm 72:2,3). Help her to continue to experience Your blessings of flourishing and abundance (Psalm 72:6,7,15,16). May she become more of a haven for the poor and needy (Psalm 72:4). May the fear of God grow in Canada (Psalm 72:5). Help her to be a place on earth that is filled with Your glory (Psalm 72:9). May You truly have dominion in Canada from sea to sea (Psalm 72:8). 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.

Letters old and new

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 15:22-35

TO CHEW ON: “So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
When they read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.” Acts 15:30,31

In these days of instant messaging across the world, it’s interesting to try to put ourselves in the place of these early Gentile Christians. Their missionaries had gone to Jerusalem to get a verdict from church leaders (the Apostles) on how they were to conduct themselves in this new life. Now Paul, Barnabas, and a delegation had returned with the Apostles' decision in a letter. What would the letter say?

Letters played an important role in Bible times.

Sometimes letters sealed a fate.

• Uriah carried his own death sentence letter from David to Joab at the battlefront - 2 Samuel 11:14.
• Jezebel (King Ahab’s wife) sent letters to Israel’s leaders with a plot to kill Naboth so Ahab could take his garden - 1 Kings 21:8.

Kings sent threatening letters to their rivals and enemies.

• The king of Assyria sent one such to Hezekiah, prompting a panicked prayer meeting and divine help - 2 Kings 19:14.

Sometimes kings sent letters on behalf of their subjects.

• The king of Syria asked the king of Israel to heal Naaman of leprosy - 2 Kings 5:5.
• King Artaxerxes sent letters on behalf of Nehemiah asking for safe passage  for him through territory and wood for rebuilding Jerusalem - Nehemiah 2:7-8.

The book of Esther is full of letters.

• The king sent letters mandating male authority in the home - Esther 1:22.
• Haman’s plan to annihilate the Jews was spread by letter - Esther 3:13.
• Mordecai’s victory allowing the Jews to defend themselves was spread by letter as was the establishment of a holiday to remember this event - Esther 8:10; 9:20.

Of course we know how the New Testament is largely made up of letters—missives that, thankfully, do more than threaten or carry evil plots. The letter in our reading today is one such. We discover that the reading of it brought joy and encouragement (Acts 15:31), as did most of the letters of Paul, John, Peter, and James (along with teaching, reproof, and training in righteousness, delivered with large amounts of love).

Do you still write letters? I suppose emails and even text messages could be considered modern letters.

What can we moderns do with letters?

• Send information about plans and events.
• Think through and discuss ideas about anything—how to garden, to faith in God
• Express gratitude and appreciation.
• Assure the recipient of our care, concern, and prayers.
• Tell someone we’re remembering them on a special day (birthday, anniversary etc) 
• Encourage and cheer.

Let’s continue to use this old-to-new way of communicating for good today!

PRAYER: Dear Father thank You for distance communication that has survived the centuries. Help me to use the amazing modern communication resources at my fingertips for good today. 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.

Enter through gates of praise

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 118:15-29

TO CHEW ON: “Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD
Through which the righteous shall enter.” Psalm 118:19,20

Do these verses (from Psalm 118) have a familiar ring?

“Save now, I pray, O Lord…
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”- Psalm 118:25,26.

You may have identified them as the words of the crowd that met Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday:

“‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” - Mark 11:9.

(The word “Hosanna” in the New Testament, was transliterated from the Hebrew hoshiya na which was originally the cry for help “Save now.” Over the centuries between the writing of Psalm 118 and Jesus’ time on earth hoshiya na [Greek: Hosanna]  shifted in meaning to become  “Hooray for salvation! It’s coming! It’s here! Salvation! Salvation”” - from “Hosanna” by John Piper.)

My Bible’s notes name Psalm 118:19,20, that refer to entering the gates, as what “...set the mood for the crowd’s use of Psalm 118:25,26 as praise when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem” - Dick Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 728.

I see in these verses a “gate of the Lord” for us too. It’s praise:

“And I will praise the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD” (emphasis added).

This psalm is full of implied suggestions about when we can praise God:

• When we’ve had a near-death experience and our life has been preserved - Psalm 118:17,18.

• When we recall how God has been with us throughout our history - Psalm 118:17.

• When God has answered prayer - Psalm 118:21.

• When we contemplate God’s plan of salvation - Psalm 118:22,23.

• As we begin a new day - Psalm 118:24.

• When we’re pushed to trust God for our daily needs - Psalm 118:25.

• When we meet with people of like faith in church or our home group or wherever we gather - Psalm 118:26.

In a few days we will celebrate Palm Sunday. Let’s get our hearts tuned up with praise to join that welcoming crowd!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, how my attitude changes and I enter Your gates when I open my spiritual eyes to recognize Your excellence, and open my mouth with praise. 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.

How has God brought you out?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Deuteronomy 6:10-25

TO CHEW ON: “When your son asks you, in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgements which the LORD our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son: “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…’”  Deuteronomy 6:20-21

Here Moses, in one of his last sermons to the Israelites, commanded them to tell their story to the next generation.

The psalmist Asaph gave a similar instruction:

“I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
 Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done….

That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments.” - Psalm 78: 2-4, 7

I am currently involved in a weekly Bible study of Judges. The book is an illustration of what happens when people don’t pass on their stories of faith to the next generation. Judges 2:10 summarizes it in one verse:

“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for them” (emphasis added).

Why didn’t they know the Lord or His work? Because no one had bothered to tell them the stories—of Passover night and the escape from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the daily manna and the cloud that never left them by day or night, the sweetened water at Mara… etc.

Asaph recognized that lack and referred to it and the resulting up and down cycles (sin, conquest, repentance deliverance, and freedom) that Israel went through time and again in Judges (Psalm 78:56-64).

The example of Israel is a lesson to us. Faith for us too is one generation away from extinction. How do we keep that from happening? One way is to tell the stories of God at work in history and in our lives:

1. Read Bible stories to our children and grandchildren.

2. Encourage our elders (parents, grandparents) to tell their faith stories and record them in some way (written, audio, video).

3. Tell our own faith stories to our children, write them in journals or books to pass on and / or make audio and video recordings.

4. Read the stories of Christian pioneers and missionaries (biographies, autobiographies, memoirs) to our children and grandchildren.

In our fast-paced world:

• We may need to become intentional about this, making time and space to do it. 
• We need to be aware of the best moments to share: with children—at bedtime, around the campfire, during car rides. 
• We may need to take a writing course on the best way to write our story, or join a writers group that encourages us along those lines.

Whatever it takes, let’s not neglect to tell our stories, to pass on the stories of how God has brought our forefathers (and how God has brought us and is bringing us) out!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the way You have worked in my life. Help me to be faithful in passing on my story to the next generation. 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 altar call of written words

Simone Martini (Italian (Sienese), about 1284 - 1344)
St. Luke, 1330s, Tempera and gold leaf on panel
Panel: 67.5 x 48.3 x 3.8 cm (26 9/16 x 19 x 1 1/2 in.)
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 

 

(Image used with permission of the Getty Open Content Program)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 1:1-4

TO CHEW ON: “… it seemed good to me, also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke 1:3

Today the church celebrates the Feast of St. Luke. Our short reading of the four-verse introduction to the Gospel of Luke communicates a surprising amount about this Bible-time physician and gospel author.

1. He hung out with and heard the stories of eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus (“… those things which have been fulfilled among us…”) - Luke 1:1,2.

2. He felt that he understood what had happened - Luke 1:3.

3. His goal was to write an “orderly account” - Luke 1:3.

4. He cared for the spiritual well-being of Theophilus to the extent he was willing to write a book for him (a lot harder in his day than simply hauling out a laptop and banging away).

5. He had confidence in the written word—the story—to help birth and nurture faith in his reader - Luke 1:4.

It’s that last that resonates with me. I have probably come to more spiritual forks in the road, wept more tears, made more decisions as the result of something I’ve read than I have as the result of any altar call. Books have been my altar call!

And so as someone who loves to read (and write) these early verses of Luke are a reminder of one of the ways God brings people to Himself, and an affirmation of writing as a tool of the soul-winner. If you’re a writer, don’t underplay the importance of your calling!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for inspiring Luke to write the stories of Jesus for his friend. Help me—help all kingdom writers—to stay true to our calling and put down words with faith that You will use them in some way. Amen.
 
MORE: Feast of St. Luke
Today the church celebrates the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. The liturgy of the day begins with this prayer:

"Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 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.

Chameleon faith

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Hebrews 11:32-12:4

TO CHEW ON: "... through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Hebrews 11:33-34

There is a group of lizards—chameleons— who change color with the changing temperature of their surroundings and their emotions. Paul's description of faith here reminds me of chameleons in the way its outworking changes with the situation. It's another way of looking at the various outworkings of faith we talked about yesterday...

For Jacob faith meant blessing Joseph's sons (and in an unconventional way, trusting that He was hearing from God in this).

For Joseph it meant instructing his descendants to carry his bones back to Canaan. It was faith that God would bring the family back to the promised land.

For Jochebed it meant keeping her boy baby Moses alive, hiding him and, when he could no longer stay hidden, abandoning him to God by setting him adrift in a little pitch-covered boat.

For that same Moses, faith meant aligning himself with his fellow Israelites, though he had been brought up on Pharaoh's palace. It also meant obeying God's instructions to carry out the first Passover, and leading the Israelites through the Red Sea even as the Egyptians were in hot pursuit.

And so we could go on, tracing the changing color of faith on display through the entire chapter of Hebrews 11.

I have often asked myself when I hear missionary stories or stories of people persecuted in places where belief in Christ is forbidden, Would I be as strong as they are? If I were in their situation, would I have their faith? The truth of the matter, though, is that's not the faith that God is requiring of me at the moment. A better question to ask would be, Do I exhibit faith in the situation in which God has me right now?

I reflect on the color that faith takes in my life. It's faith to finish a writing project, trusting that God has a purpose for it. It's faith to keep praying for the family members and friends in my little circle of acquaintance and responsibility who have yet to come to Jesus or who are ill or needy in some way. It's faith that God is leading me in and out of commitments. No, it's not the big stuff of Hebrews 11, though it often feels big to me!

What color is faith in your life?


PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for this inspiring people-of-faith list and the examples of how faith was lived out in their lives. Help me to live with faith today. Amen.

MORE: Chameleons

For interesting information about chameleons and why they change color check out this article on the Reptile Knowledge website.

"Fooled by Nature: Chameleon Colors" is a video on howstuffworks.com that shows chameleons changing colors in different situations.

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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.

Part of a bigger story

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ruth 4:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." Ruth 4:17.

The story of Boaz and Ruth ends happily. The other relative and first-in-line with a right to redeem Naomi's land (and inherit Ruth as his wife) declines. And so Boaz gets the land and the wife, and soon there is a baby on the way.

Naomi becomes a grandma whose happy lot is lauded by the "chorus"—the women of Bethlehem. They sing the praises of Ruth while Naomi cuddles little Obed (Ruth 4:14-17).

And then the author does something interesting—recites a genealogy. By doing this, I believe he is telling us this story of Naomi and Ruth, Boaz and Obed fits into a much larger one.

Some of the characters of this larger story:

Perez
Perez was the son of Judah (son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Israel's patriarch Abraham) and Tamar. Tamar was that woman first married to Judah's firstborn son, who, when he died, Judah gave her to his second son. When he died too, Judah promised her to the third son. Tamar, not trusting Judah to keep his word, dressed as a prostitute and got pregnant by Judah himself. Yikes! (Read the story in Genesis 38. Perez appears in Genesis 38:29).

Nahshon
Nahshon was the head of the tribe of Judah during their time of wandering in the wilderness under Moses - Numbers 1:7; 2:3.

David
He was the second king of Israel and the prophets predicted Messiah would come from His house and line - Jeremiah 23:5; Isaiah 9:7; 11:1; Acts 13:34.

Flipping over to the New Testament book of Matthew, we see a continuation of the genealogy begun in Ruth and how it eventually leads to—Jesus! (Matthew 1:1-16).

All our stories are also part of a larger story. Just like Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz had no idea they were living out an episode in the narrative of God's big story of redemption, neither do we know the plot line or significance of the story of our lives.

God does, though:

"And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them" - Psalm 139:16

and

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Ephesians 2:10 (emphases added).

I'm looking forward to heaven—when I'll be able to read and understand the whole book, including my little chapter of it! You too?

PRAYER: Dear Father, how exciting to zoom in on these little episodes of Your story and see You working in the details of the lives of ordinary people. May I be a sympathetic character in Your story on earth. Amen. 

MORE: I came across a short video about the book of Ruth by Dr. Daniel I Block (professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College). He has recently written the commentary on Ruth in the  Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series. This under 5-minute video puts a perfect cherry on top of our short study! Watch it. It's so worthwhile!





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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.

Church report card - 4

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 

Revelation 3:14-4:11

TO CHEW ON: “‘Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’” Revelation 3:20-21





The  final church of the seven, Laodicea, has a pretty discouraging report card. It is described as nauseating. It thinks well of itself while it is actually “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked." We could call it a church in denial. It is the only church to which Jesus gives no commendation at all.



Some Bible scholars have interpreted these seven messages to the churches as seven dispensations.* They see them as an outline of stages in church history. In their reading:



1. The Ephesus church represents the church at the close of the first century.



2. The Smyrna church represents the church from the beginning of the 2nd century until Constantine (beginning of the 4th century).



3. The Pergamos church is the church of the 4th through 7th centuries.



4. The Thyratira church is the church of the Middle Ages.



5. The Sardis church  represents the church just prior to the Protestant Reformation.



6. the Philadelphia church represents the “true church” throughout all of church history, especially the segment that experiences revival prior to the last days.



7. The Laodicea church represents the church in its final days, prior to its pretribulation rapture. It is characterized by apostasy.



Many Bible teachers feel we’re living in those last days. If we look at current events and line them up with Bible predictions, it’s easy to agree. On many fronts the modern church has fallen into apostasy. Does that mean we’re doomed to capitulate to the same thing ourselves?


No. Because in the end, it is not as a group that we respond to Jesus but individually. That’s why Revelation 3:20 is one of my favorite verses. Jesus comes to me (and you). He knocks on the door of our hearts. He wants to spend time with us, eat with us. As those of us who have welcomed Him into our lives join together, we will continue as a church that delights Him.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, come in! Make Yourself at home. Let’s visit, eat together, and live together. Please make Your home in my heart. Amen.

* E. A. Morey, in the study notes to Revelation, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, pp. 1818-1822.

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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.

Open my eyes

"Supper at Emmaus" - Rubens

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 24:13-32

TO CHEW ON: "But their eyes were restrained …. Then their eyes were opened…" Luke 24:16,31


This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible, perhaps because it's been my experience.

It's the third day after the crucifixion. Two disciples are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, deep in discussion about what has lately happened with their rabbi, Jesus. At one point they're joined by a stranger. He asks them the subject of their sad conversation. They explain it all—what Jesus was like, their hopes for and in Him, His very recent death by crucifixion, followed by the mysterious disappearance of his body, and the hearsay sightings of Him, alive.

He listens and then He speaks. I love how Henri Nouwen tells this next part in his little book With Burning Hearts—A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life.

"He speaks of things they already knew: their long past with all that happened during the centuries before they were born…. It was an all-too-familiar story. Still it sounded as if they were hearing it for the first time.

The difference lay in the storyteller! … The loss, the grief, the guilt, the fear, the glimpses of hope, and the many unanswered questions that battled for attention in their restless minds, all of these were lifted up by this stranger and placed in the context of a story much larger than their own. What had seemed so confusing began to offer new horizons; what had seemed so oppressive began to feel liberating; what had seemed so extremely sad began to take on the quality of joy! As he talked to them, they gradually came to know that their little lives weren't as little as they had thought, but part of a great mystery that not only embraced many generations, but stretched itself out from eternity to eternity" - p. 45,46 (emphasis added).

And isn't that what we discover too when we meet Jesus? After we've dumped on Him our whole sad situation, He opens our eyes to our place in a story much bigger than our own. And we begin to understand that there is a reason for the hardest parts of our lives, while other aspects, those that we've nurtured perhaps to make us feel good about ourselves or look good in the eyes of the world, don't really fit and should be heaved overboard.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please open my eyes. Help me to see Your story and my place in it as it relates to my circumstances and the everyday situations that I face. 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.