Watch! Be ready

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 23-24; Psalm 92

TO CHEW ON: " 'For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.' " Matthew 24:38-39


Our reading gives us some natural signs that herald the near return of Christ including:

" '…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken' " - Matthew 24:29.

What causes this unnatural darkening? Volcanic matter in earth's atmosphere?

What are those falling stars? Meteors and comets plowing into us?

I can just imagine how such natural disasters will be reported in the news. Scientific experts will analyze and prescribe. They will be the fault of fracking, or fossil fuel use, or CO2, or disturbed ecosystems, or weakened magnetism at the poles, or pollution, or… We will be told, if we only do more of this, less of that, the balance will right itself.

Meanwhile wherever it can, life will go on as usual - Matthew 24:37-38, 40-41.

I describe this scenario because even for those of us who have read these Bible passages and have been forewarned, it's easy to get lulled into complacency by the naturalistic explanations of scientists and those who supposedly understand earth's mechanisms (or at least have lots of theories).

Believers expressing their take on events are / will be mocked no less than Noah was. They're even viewed as dangerous because of their convictions that supernatural forces are at work here and thus they don't buy into scientific prescriptions of how to save the earth.

The billboard sign I take from this passage for myself—for all of us who believe these prophecies—is BE ALERT! Be watchful for Jesus' second coming.

" ' … when you see these things, know that it is near' " - Matthew 24:33. 

" 'But watch therefore…' " Matthew 24:42. 

" 'Therefore you also, be ready' " - Matthew 24:44.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to see Your hand at work in earth's natural events and disasters. Help me to live alert to signs of Your return, not dulled by the spirit of my time. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 92

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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.

Calamities and spiritual warfare

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Job 4-7; Psalm 136

TO CHEW ON: "'Oh that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
That it would please God to crush me,
that He would loose His hand and cut me off!'" Job 6:8,9

Does Job sound depressed or what?

You will recall the beginning of the story, how in one day Job's life falls apart when calamity strikes from all directions. And then he gets sick (Job 1-2:10). His friends come to comfort him. Here he responds to the speech of his friend Eliphaz.

Job sounds like he feels betrayed, double-crossed, and attacked by the God he has been trying to please: "'For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me'" - Job 6:4.

He feels physically unable to bear the agony: "'Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze?'" - Job 6:12.

He begs to die: "'Oh that I would have my request … That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose HIs hand and cut me off.'" - Job 6:8,9.

Is there a reply to what Job has said that isn't shallow and trite? Job's friends certainly don't have it for they keep insisting Job is responsible for the horrible scenario. We, however, have information that Job and his friends didn't have about what was happening behind the scenes. Charles E. Blair, my Bible's commenter on Job says:

"Job's criticisms of God that appear in chapters 6 and 7 as well as in his other responses to his friends can best be understood as a man's feeble attempts to make sense of a scenario for which he is missing an essential piece of information, namely that there is something happening between God and Satan—that there are spiritual purposes overriding earthly circumstances. Because he is unaware of this dimension of the spiritual realm, his understanding is severely impaired" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 652.

Could unseen spiritual battles also be a part of the troubles, illnesses, calamities, and disasters that come to us? I believe they could. When we feel puzzled, let down, even betrayed by God, let's remember this aspect of Job's story. Let's pray over and into the activities in the spiritual realm, of which we're unaware, and let's keep despair and bitterness toward God from creeping into our hearts.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to see troubles that come to me and those around me with insight into spiritual warfare. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 136

The Bible Project - VIDEO: Job (Wisdom 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.

Cry out!

Migratory Locust (from Pestproducts.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Joel 1-3; Psalm 125

TO CHEW ON: "Consecrate a fast,

Call a sacred assembly;

Gather the elders

And all the inhabitants of the Lord your God,

And cry out to the Lord." Joel 1:14

Not much is known about the prophet Joel except that his father's name was Pethuel and that he prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah. And we know too that he wrote against the backdrop of overwhelming devastation.

Waves of locusts had swept over the land. In a matter of hours the countryside had been stripped of all greenery. They had even eaten the bark off the fig trees (Joel 1:7). Drought added to the ruination so that the planted seed shriveled under clods, the seed grain was dried up (Joel 1:17), and orchards of every kind withered under the fire of the unrelenting sun (Joel 1:12).

Joel responded by calling the people, especially the priests and leaders, back to God. This was not for lackadaisical prayer, but for desperate pleading, fasting, and repentant praying: "...lament you priests, wail you who minister before the altar, come lie all night in sackcloth...consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; ...cry to the Lord" (Joel 1:13-14).

I have never gone through such a devastating time as Joel describes, though I can think of modern equivalents: acts-of-God-type tragedies perhaps, such as an earthquake, tornado, or personal trials like a house burning down or loved ones killed in an accident.

At such times you and I may feel like questioning God's goodness. We may be tempted to lash out in anger and confusion, and allow the event to make us bitter.

Or we could cry out to God. I can imagine myself, pouring out my grief and puzzlement, pleading for the trial to cease, begging for God's help to bear up and live through the practical and difficult day-to-day aspects of it. I hope I would view it too, as discipline, causing me to examine my life for areas where I needed to repent so that the tragedy would mature me and draw me closer to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, it's easy for me to tell others to go to You in desperate times. But I wonder, would I do that with the vulnerability and humility that Joel describes? Please prepare me now for whatever I have yet to face, knowing that nothing can touch my life without Your permission, and that You are big enough to see me through it all. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 125

The Bible Project VIDEO: Joel (Read Scripture 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.

The beginning of the end?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 24:1-22

TO CHEW ON: " ' All these are the beginning of sorrows.' " Matthew 24:8

If you had never read today's passage and someone handed you its contents on a scrap of paper, would your impression would be (choose one):
a] This sounds entirely unfamiliar.
b] This sounds a lot like current conditions in the world.
c] This sounds like something that could never happen.

If you're like me, you chose b, because this sounds like the writings of someone in the room with me as I watch the nightly news or scan the latest headlines on the computer.

In early parts of this passage (Matthew 24:5-7) Jesus gives us a list of spookily familiar events that herald the near coming of His return to earth / the End:*
- The appearance of false and deceptive Christs.
- Wars and rumours of wars.
- Famines, pestilences and earthquakes.

But, Jesus says, these things are just the beginning of "sorrows." Some translations call them "birth pains" (NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV)—an interesting comparison suggesting earth-shaking events will become more frequent and intense as they near a climax. Could this be the time we're living in right now? If so, what do we have to look forward to? Jesus' answer:

" 'Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake' " - Matthew 24:9.

Who is the "you" Jesus refers to here? It was to His band of disciples He delivered this private message (Matthew 24:3). So we can, I think, conclude that His disciples of all eras are on notice. That's us. Jesus warns and advises (Matthew 24:10-14):

- We can expect offenses, betrayals, hatred, and death.
- We must be on guard against false prophets.
- We need to be aware of the potential for spiritual lawlessness and coldness.
- Our endurance will be challenged.
- While the above is happening there will also be a great spread of the Gospel to peoples of every nation.

Let's live alert in these perilous days!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to remain watchful, to be unfazed if I am hated, and persecuted for being a Christ-follower, and to stay the course as I do my little bit in spreading the Gospel. Amen.

* "In His private teaching to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responded to three questions, concerning 1] the destruction of the temple, 2] His Second Coming, 3] the End. These topics are interwoven and sometimes it is difficult to determine which event is being described. This difficulty is partially resolved with the realization that most prophecy is capable of both a near and remote fulfillment. Jesus uses the tragic events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D.70 as a picture of conditions preceding His own return" - J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew 24:1-51, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1334.

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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 Lord of storms

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 29:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “The LORD sits enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10,11

In Psalm 29 God is pictured as a storm-bringer. There is noise: “thunder” and a powerful “voice.” There is destruction: the storm “breaks the cedars” and makes them “skip.” It “shakes the wilderness” and even causes the deer to give birth prematurely.

The writer of my Bible’s notes says about this passage:

“Poetically the psalmist refers to an earthquake or thunderous quake in the Lebanon mountain range and at Sirion (Mt. Herman) which splinters the biggest trees, the mighty cedars, as if they were matchsticks” - K.R. Iverson, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 707.

What interests me about this storm, though, is the way the psalmist (David) sees God through it. He sees God not as pagan peoples did—a deity who needed to be placated to stop the storm (Jonah 1:4,5,6)—but as lord over it, commanding it.

We can conclude David trusted God, even His stormy side, because of the way he ended this psalm:

“The LORD will give strength to His people.
The LORD will bless His people with peace” - Psalm 29:11.

I ask myself can I, can we learn to trust God in storms—the physical and the circumstantial—like that? Do we still believe in Him, in His love, righteousness, and justice toward us when the house is torn apart in a hurricane or when our lives are torn apart by cancer, a stroke, or heart attack? It’s easy to proclaim to someone else: “The Lord will give you strength and peace.”  But how does one actually experience it?

Perhaps one way is to prepare to trust Him in big storms by building our trust muscles now, as we exercise them in the little storms we face each day.

PRAYER: Dear Father, these sentiments—God will give you strength and peace—are easy to speak when I’m in the calm. Help me to grow in trust as I lean on You daily in the small storms that come my way. 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.

Sin's misery

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Lamentations 4:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "Now their appearance is blacker than soot;

They go unrecognized in the streets;

Their skin clings to their bones

It has become as dry as wood." Lamentations 4:8

What a catalogue of catastrophe is Lamentations 4.
1. The temple is desecrated (Lamentations 4:1).
2. Leaders and the nobility are no longer privileged or respected (Lamentations 4:2, 5, 7-8, 16).
3. People abandon their responsibilities (Lamentations 4:3).
4. Even the mothers' natural instincts disappear (Lamentations 4:3-4, 10).
5. People long for a quick death (versus this slow death by starvation) (Lamentations 4:9).
6. The nation is humiliated (Lamentations 4:12-15).
7. God no longer seems to be on their side (Lamentations 4:11, 16).
8. They feel besieged and pursued by neighbour nations (Lamentations 4:18-20).

Jeremiah sees all this, not as something that happened by chance but as a direct consequence of the peoples' sins (Jeremiah 32:22-23).

Though we, in our time, hesitate to make such direct connections between sin and calamity, Bible writers made it repeatedly (Romans 1:28-32; 2:2). Without Jesus' intervention on our behalf we would all be destined to drink the full cup to its bitter end (Romans 3:10-18). We know too, that sin is deceptive in its attractiveness. Being aware of its end helps us avoid getting snared by it.

"There is a way that seems right to a man,
       but in the end it leads to death." NIV - Proverbs 14:12.

PRAYER: Dear God, please grow in me an abhorrence of sin. Help me not to be deceived or taken in by its apparent harmlessness. Amen.

MORE: Judge yourself

"Keep yourself steadily faced by the judgment seat of Christ; walk now in the light of the holiest you know. A wrong temper of mind about another soul will end in the spirit of the devil, no matter how saintly you are. One carnal judgment and the end of it is hell in you. Drag it to the light at once and say — 'My God, I have been guilty there.' If you don't, hardness will come all through. The penalty of sin is confirmation in sin. It is not only God who punishes for sin; sin confirms itself in the sinner and gives back full pay.


"No struggling nor praying will enable you to stop doing some things, and the penalty of sin is that gradually you get used to it and do not know that it is sin. No power save the incoming of the Holy Ghost can alter the inherent consequences of sin." Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 16th reading (emphasis added).

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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.

Disaster

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Lamentations 3:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath." Lamentations 3:1

What a depressing succession of woes pours from Jeremiah's pen here. As a stand-in for Judah, Jeremiah sees himself as:
- sick and injured (vs. 4).
- dead and buried (vs. 6).
- a prisoner (vs. 7).
- tortured (vs. 8).
- a traveler on an obstacle-strewn road (vs. 9).
- attacked by wild animals (vs. 10-11).
- a target of arrows (vs. 12-13).
- the butt of ridicule (vs. 14).
- forced to swallow a bitter drink (vs. 15).
- the object of physical abuse (vs. 16).

With this graphic list that touches on what may have been Jeremiah's worst nightmares, he is depicting how terrible is God's wrath. There is no way man can out-maneuver such ferociousness; man is no match for God.

As we read, we may say, or think, whew, I'm glad that's not me! Yet each one of us is a mere breath away from our lives changing in unspeakable ways. View photos of any disaster, natural and man-made (the 2010 landslide in China for example, the floods in Pakistan, the  2013 flood in Alberta, and recent scenes from Aleppo, Syria.) Note the signs of normal, everyday life buried in mud, floating in water, crushed, broken, dirty, useless. Then imagine yourself in that situation. Seems hopeless, doesn't it?

Thus it's interesting that from under this figurative pile of rubble we hear a positive note: "This I recall to mind, Therefore I have hope" (vs. 21).

What gives Jeremiah hope? We'll talk about that tomorrow.

PRAYER: Dear God, You are fierce and powerful. I can never outwit You. I acknowledge Your omnipotence in the world and in my life. Amen.

MORE: "How Long O Lord" by Brian Doerksen



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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.

Six sinister seals

Image: Pixabay.com

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:1-17

TO CHEW ON: “And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders of the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?’” Revelation 6:15-17

Revelation 6 reminds me of some poetry. Even though I don’t understand specifics, the images and tone are enough to send shivers up and down my back.

My Bible includes notes about the interpretation of the six seals described here (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible Revelation study notes written by Earl Wesley Morey, p. 1825, 1826).

1. Seal 1 (Revelation 6:2): The white horse could be symbolic of international power politics in the form of military conquest, or it could be a symbol of Christ moving in triumph through His church during the events that follow.

2. Seal 2 (Revelation 6:3,4): The red horse is symbolic of civil war and strife.

3. Seal 3 (Revelation 6:5,6): The black horse is symbolic of economic disruption – not famine but inflation and scarcity.

4. Seal 4 (Revelation 6:7,8): The pale horse symbolizes disease and death.

5. Seal 5 (Revelation 6:9-11): The fifth seal is the souls of martyrs praying for the vindication of God’s justice. God assures them the day of vindication will come – but not until all those predestined to join them, as people who have died because of their faith, is complete. (“God is concerned for justice but even more for mercy” – New Spirit Filled Life Bible p. 1826.)

6. Seal 6 (Revelation 6:12-14): Cosmic natural disaster or disasters in the form of earthquakes and galactic events that will impact the sun, moon and stars. This last seal climaxes in the humans left alive on earth screaming for something – anything, to come between them and God’s wrath.

Lately, when hearing news of economic upheaval, or watching the ebola virus ravage whole countries in Africa, or observing scenes from natural disasters like the recent floods in India (together with hearing how they have affected people on the ground from those who live there), or watching
geopolitical disasters on TV like the thousands of Syrian refugees camped on Europe's borders in winter's cold,  I have asked – could it get any worse? This passage assures us – it can, and will!

The question for me and you, then, is what are we doing now, in the light of these coming events? Are we living awake or asleep, prepared or unprepared (Matthew 25:1-12)?  Are we recognizing the tremors that are already shaking our world – the precursors to “the big one”? (Matthew 24:3-8)  Are we busy with God’s assignments  or absorbed in our own business (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 24:45-51)?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live with the awareness of Your plan, present and future. Help me to be expectant and wise, redeeming the time I have. 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.
 

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

Earth's hope

"Sing to the Lord all the earth..." - Psalm 96:1  (Image: cjost/Pixabay.com)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 96:1-13

TO CHEW ON: "Let the field be joyful and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth."  Psalm 96:12,13

The picture of Earth (specifically the world of nature) celebrating as it anticipates God's future judgment brings up the question, what would cause the natural world to look forward to judgment?

Paging back, way back in my Bible, I review what happened to Earth as a result of Adam and Eve's sin in Eden.  At that time God made this pronouncement on Earth:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

- Exodus 3:17-19.

In a sidebar article, Jack Hayford elaborates on how this curse affects us humans and planet Earth:

"Everything of his delegated realm (Earth) comes under  a curse as his relationship with God, the fountainhead of his power to rule, is severed (Genesis 3:17,18). … Beyond the tragedy of man's loss two other facts unfold. First … man's rule has been forfeited to the Serpent. … A second fact offers hope … God begins to move redemptively, and a plan for recovering man's lost estate is promised (Genesis 3:15)." Jack Hayford, "Impact of the Fall" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 10.

I would suggest it is that redemptive plan, that includes judgment of Satan Earth's current administrator, that the heavens, seas, fields, trees, and woods applaud and celebrate.

Though we still inhabit this very-much-under-a-curse planet with every day news of natural disasters wreaking havoc on homes and people, not to speak of what we humans do to each other, let's take our cue from nature. Let's look forward with HOPE to the day God will bring nature and humankind as part of it, back under His reign of righteousness and truth—the last verse in our psalm:

"For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth." Psalm 96:13.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the hope of all being set right in nature and with people when You return. 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.

Alert to the times

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 13:14-23

TO CHEW ON: "But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."Mark 13:23

It is impossible for me to read the list of Jesus' predictions of the end times without feeling a chill of recognition. So many of these things are happening and ramping up right now in our time.

For interest's sake, I've made a list of end-time predictions below, basically repeated in three places: Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. These are parallel passages, reporting on what is commonly called Jesus' Olivet Discourse—His sermon from the Mount of Olives. According to my Bible's "Harmony of the Gospels," Jesus gave this talk on the Tuesday of crucifixion week. So these are some of His crucial and final words.

Here are the things He predicted when His disciples asked: "What will be the signs when all these things will be fulfilled?" - Mark 13:4. He had just predicted the fall of the temple (Mark 13:2):

• False Christs announcing themselves.
• Wars and rumors of wars.
• Earthquakes.
• Famines.
• Troubles and pestilences.
• Natural disasters.
• Heavenly phenomena.
• Sea phenomena.
• Betrayal, even within families.
• Christians hated, arrested, and brought to trial. Some killed, others preserved.
• The Gospel preached to all nations.

All these things are leading toward the climax of the Son of man coming visibly in the clouds in power and glory.

Despite the detail, we're cautioned about trying to predict the exact date of Jesus' return - 1 Thessalonians 5:1,2.

Instead, Jesus told His disciples to observe these things and be prepared (Mark 13:28-29, parallel passage Matthew 24:32-33,  p.p. Luke 21:29-31). We can also be like the Sons of Issachar, who studied their times with a view to gaining wisdom about how to live in them - 1Ch 12:32

I appreciate how the Asbury Bible Commentary summarizes prophetic Mark 13:

"In apocalyptic thought ... the present age is a battleground with no neutral territory. The disasters enumerated are manifestations of this battle, birth pangs that give rise to the fullness of God's kingdom. Threading its way through this discourse is the theme of readiness. Disciples are to stay on guard; stand firm; and, with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, serve as witnesses" - Accessed through Biblegateway.com, emphasis added.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus. please help me to live alert to the time I am in, preparing for, but not fearing what is ahead. 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.

Beastly king of the proud

Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Dore

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Job 41:12-34

TO CHEW ON: "He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride." Job 41:34


If you read these details, what creature would you think I was describing?

He has "mighty power," "terrible teeth all around," "rows of scales," his armor is impervious to spear, dart, javelin, or arrow. Light flashes when he sneezes, sparks shoot of his mouth, smoke billows from his nostrils, his breath is so hot it starts a fire. He moves about with "crashings," churns up the sea to a muddy slurry, and makes pointy footprints on the beach.

It sounds a lot like a dinosaur or a medieval dragon, doesn't it?

The description is for the most part non-judgmental, though we sense from the beast's actions that he is not good, kind or safe. However, in the last verse of Job 41, the writer shows his hand when he says of this creature: "He is king over all the children of pride."

This powerful "king over all the children of pride" beast of Job 41 reminds me of Satan. Satan's identification with pride is seen from his first appearance on the cosmic scene:

"For you (Lucifer—Satan's name when he was an angel) have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; … I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High" - Isaiah 14:12-14.

Let's remember the context here. In Job 41 God is questioning Job. The description of this beast is part of his query from the beginning of the chapter: Can you draw out, snare etc. this beast? The implied answer is, No, Job, you can't, but I (God) can.

The reference to pride also draws us back to Job 40:10,11, when God asks Job if he has the smarts and power to make moral judgements: "Would you indeed annul My judgment … Then … look on everyone who is proud and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low" - Job 40:8,11,12.

In these chapters of Job then (Job 40,41), I think we can conclude that God is not so much impressing Job with His power over these creatures as natural monsters but is using them as images of evil. He is impressing on Job that even the most ferocious evil is still in His power. And that's still true today!


PRAYER: Dear God, whatever the beast Satan throws at the world or at me of fright, upheaval, chaos, and destruction, I take comfort in the fact that You are not intimidated or confused. You can draw him out with a hook, snare him, fill his scales with harpoons and finally overcome him. 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.

More good trouble

s

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 107:23-43

TO CHEW ON: "Whoever is wise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord." Psalm 107:43

If ever there is a trouble that will cause us to cry out to God, it's one that has us hanging off the cliff edge of disaster. That's the scene of the first vignette of our reading today (Psalm 107:23-30). A seagoing businessman is carrying out his routine duties when along comes a storm that "melts his soul" and has the crew staggering like drunk men. At their wits' end, the sailors call on God, who calms the sea, allowing them to reach them to port.

Have you ever been there—at an emergency place where, unless something changes, unless God intervenes, something terrible will happen? Potential disaster whatever form that takes in our lives, can be a good thing when it draws us to God.

Trouble in the land is another goad that God may use to draw our attention to Him. Whether we are facing problems caused by the forces of nature or bad government, the psalmist reassures us God is big enough to help. He can change the course of nature (Psalm 107:33-35) and is not stymied by any ruler (Psalm 107:39-41).

Yesterday and today we've noted how God uses a variety of problems to drive us to Himself:

• Loss and homelessness (Psalm 107:2-7).

• Rebellion (Psalm 107:10-14)

• Our own foolishness (Psalm 107:17-20).

• Impending disaster (Psalm 107:23-30).

• Trouble in the land (Psalm 107:33-41).

Whatever trouble we're in today, whether it's of our own making or through the actions of others, let's prove our wisdom by going to God in it and looking for His lovingkindness to us through it.


PRAYER: Dear God, I pray that trouble will only draw me closer to You. Please remind me to seek You in it before I panic and go somewhere else to find help. 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 with questions

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Job 37:1-24

TO CHEW ON: "God thunders marvelously with His voice;
He does great things which we cannot comprehend." Job 37:5

After Job's three elderly friends are done speaking, a younger man, Elihu, joins the conversation (Job 32-37). Our reading today is the end of Elihu's final speech. His argument (quoting from my Bible's Introduction to Job) is:

"... God is greater than any human being; therefore a person has no right or authority to require an explanation of Him. He argues that some things that God does are humanly incomprehensible. At the same time, Elihu suggests that God will speak if we will listen. His emphasis is on the attitude of the sufferer, that is, an attitude of humility allows God to intervene .... Elihu's appeal to Job is: 1] to have faith in God Himself rather than demand an explanation; 2] to change his attitude to one of humility" Charles E. Blair, Introduction to Job, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 645.

In our reading, Elihu refers to the mysteries of nature—the grandeur of thunder and lightning, the cycling of rain and snow, the capriciousness of clouds, the instinctive wisdom of animals in response to seasonal changes.

What strikes me about several of these speeches is how closely Job and his friends observe nature and the seasons. They attribute its enigmas and splendours to the mind and intention of God. In today's chapter Elihu describes them in glowing terms: "thunders marvelously .... great things .... wondrous works of God .... awesome majesty .... He is excellent in power."

So much of what they say still expresses our awe of these things.

But what about when nature does more than put on a show for us while we're watching from the safety of our homes? Because when hurricanes and tornadoes bring devastation and floods, when lightning sparks wildfires burning homes along with vast tracts of forest or grass, when earthquakes destroy communities forever we, along with Elihu, are also puzzled:

"He does great things which we cannot comprehend...

"He causes it to come
Whether for correction
Or for His land
Or for mercy" - Job 37:5,13.

Are there any answers to the theological and existential questions Job and his friends have been grappling with? Our consecutive readings in Job end here, but the Bible account continues with God's reply to Job (and his four friends) in Job 38:1-41:34. It's an answer well worth reading for our own lives.

PRAYER: Dear God, I find it uncomfortable to live with questions. Help me to wait for Your answers and to recognize them when they come. 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 Day

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Joel 2:1-17

TO CHEW ON: "For the Lord gives voice before His army,

for His camp is very great;

For strong is the One who executes His word.

For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;

Who can endure it?" Joel 2:11

Have you noticed how, in the Bible, writers see all aspects of life through the lens of God at work? Not only plentiful rain and good crops are seen to come from Him, but also natural disasters and plagues? In our reading today Joel predicts one of these: a plague of locusts. It is sent to discipline and punish the wayward Israelites with the purpose of turning them back to God.

In poetic language Joel paints a picture of this army and then, in verse 11, merges the prediction of the imminent plague with a future "day of the Lord." A footnote in my Bible explains it as "...that future day when the Lord Himself shall lead His armies against the nations and accomplish His judgments; a day when even the natural universe recoils" Jerry Cook, notes on Joel,  New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1164.

The "day of the Lord" or "the last day" or "the great day" appears often in the Bible. It is:

• A day when God will execute kings (Psalm 110:5).

• A day when the proud will be humbled (Isaiah 2:12).

• A day when heaven and earth will shake (Isaiah 13:13).

• Called a "day of Jacob's trouble" — meaning persecution of the Jews? — "But he (Jacob) will be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7).

• A day when the normal means of escape (like paying money) won't work (Ezekiel 7:19).

• A day when even the cycles of day and night are overcome by disaster (Joel 2:31).

• A day that is near (Zephaniah 1:14).

• A day that is hot (Malachi 4:1).

• A day of judgment that is earned (Romans 2:5).

• A day that we live to avoid. Joel advises:

"'Now therefore,' says the Lord,

'Turn to me with all your heart

....rend your heart, and not your garments;

Return to the Lord your God

For He is gracious and merciful

Slow to anger and of great kindness;

And He relents from doing harm" - vs. 12-13.

We don't need to fear the "day of the Lord." We can believe in Jesus and trust Him and His blood to plead our case before God. We can commit ourselves to Him, knowing that He will keep what we have entrusted to Him (our very lives) until that Day. As Paul puts it: "...for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" - 2 Timothy 1:12.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your judgments are fearful. Thank You for sending Jesus who took the blow of Your wrath toward sin for me. Help me to never lose sight that You are a God of judgment as well as a God of love. Amen.

MORE: Locust plagues.

Footnotes in my Bible explain some of the natural phenomenon that accompany a plague of locusts (All info from the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, pages 1163 and 1164).

Joel 2:2: "like morning clouds spread over the mountains" refers to the bright reflection of the sun on the wings of the swarming locusts. Bright glimmers of light dancing off the wings of the myriad of locusts literally turn the sky to a yellow, fog-like texture...a day or more before the creatures actually arrive.

2:2: "a day of darkness" - swarms so thick the sky is turned black as night.

2:3: "a fire devours" - describes a literal fire which often accompanies locust swarms.

2:4: "like the appearance of horses" - The head of a locust looks a lot like a horse.

2:5: "Noise like chariots...noise of a flaming fire" - Locusts when running and flying have a clicking rattling sound. When they eat they can sound like a stubble field on fire.

More on locusts:
"Locust!"
"An Insect's Alter Ego"
"The Reach of the Desert Locust" - all from the Nasa Earth Observatory Site

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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.

Is God in the storm?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 29:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,

And the Lord sits as King forever.

The Lord will give strength to His people;

The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10-11

If you have ever been inconvenienced or endangered by a storm, fire, earthquake or other natural disaster, you’ll know it can be a terrifying, life-changing event. Who can forget the devastation of the Boxing Day Tsunami of December 2004 when entire seaside villages were swept away and whole nations traumatized, the Haiti earthquake of 2010, or the tornadoes that struck parts of the United States in November, 2013?

These kinds of disasters happen every day somewhere on earth. So how can the psalmist David say, at the end of a recitation of times the “voice of the Lord” breaks through with devastation, “The Lord will bless His people with peace”?

Some things being blessed with peace in the face of natural disasters doesn’t mean:
- That those who love God will be spared these “acts of God.”
- That such events, when they hit us, won’t cause physical and emotional pain. Look at Job. After news of one calamitous event after another climaxed by the death of all of his children in a wind storm, he tore his robe and shaved his head – signs of extreme grief (Job 1:13-22).

One of the things it does mean is that even in our tragedy, God will stand with us, helping us cope and put together the pieces of our lives again. It’s all part of the process of maturing us for the destiny He has planned for us (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 8:28-29, 35-36). And should it mean that the worst that could happen does, and He takes my life or yours, then our earthly assignment is done and our heavenly one can begin!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I pray for Your perspective on the disasters of nature. Whether it’s a storm that simply knocks out electricity for a few hours, or a flood, earthquake, or fire that takes my home or my loved one’s life, please give me Your peace. Amen.

MORE: If God allows weather which devastates and destroys homes and lives, though He has the power to stop it, isn’t He then the author of evil? It’s a question that has troubled thinkers for a very long time. That’s one of the questions author Mike Mason grapples with in his children’s fantasy The Blue Umbrella – (link goes to my review of the book, which I recommend as a good read).

Are you care-free or care-full?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 21:20-38

TO CHEW ON: "'But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life and that Day come on you unexpectedly.'" Luke 21:34

In the days leading up to hurricane Sandy unleashing her fury on the eastern U.S. seaboard, residents got lots of warning. The advice, especially to those living right on the beach, was to evacuate. Many did, but some didn't.

I remember seeing interviews of folks who rode out the terrifying storm. When asked why they hadn't followed the evacuation orders, they said things like 'We've lived here for 40 years and always weathered the storms before. We didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.'

In today's reading Jesus predicts an end-time storm that involves more than nasty weather. He tells His disciples that a Day of brutal warfare against Jerusalem is coming (Luke 21:20-24). Space phenomena will accompany it, along with distress amongst nations and widespread fear (Luke 21:25-26). The return of Jesus ("'the Son of Man'") will climax this time.Then Jesus says: "'Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads...'"

But like those warned of Sandy, many won't take these words seriously. Instead their hearts will be "'...weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life...'" and the storm will catch them by surprise.

The seemingly increasing recurrence of natural disasters, storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, economic upheaval, and national unrest has caused some prophecy watchers to suggest we are now in the time Jesus referred to: "'...when these things begin to happen.'" Are we taking Him seriously?

Though we may not be the partying type, the distraction of "cares" is something else.

["Cares - merimna. From meir 'to divide' and noos 'the mind.' The word denotes distraction anxieties, burdens and worries. Merimna means to be anxious beforehand about daily life. Such worry is unnecessary because the Father's love provides for both our daily needs and our special needs" - Dick Mills, Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1769.]

At this pivotal time in history, let's put those cares where they belong ("Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7) and keep our heads up and our focus clear.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to watch the times and discern the time we're in on Your calendar. Help me to give my daily cares to You and to keep free of being distracted by life's details. Amen.

MORE: A sobering observation

Joel Rosenberg in his book Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges In Time? draws the following conclusion in his chapter "The Natural Disaster Scenarios":

"While the Bible doesn't specifically tell us which natural disasters will hit which countries in the last days, Scripture clearly warns us that a wide range of game-changing, life-altering disasters will occur with growing frequency and intensity as we get closer to the return of Jesus Christ. We can currently see 'historic,' 'rare,' and 'unprecedented' disasters happening with growing frequency around the world and here in the United states. Furthermore, scientists say we are due for even more powerful and cataclysmic disasters" - Joel Rosenberg, Implosion, pp. 184, 185.

God's voice in the key of nature

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 29:1-11

TO CHEW ON: "The voice of the Lord is powerful;

The voice of the Lord is full of majesty." - Psalm 29:4

I loved thunderstorms when I was growing up on a Saskatchewan farm (loved with just a tinge of fear). My parents treated them with respect. If one rolled in overnight, they herded us all from our upstairs bedrooms into the living-room to sleep on pullout couches, so I knew they could be dangerous. (In fact, some tall prairie houses were built with a lightning rod. Ours didn't have one so perhaps our parents' fear for our safety on the upper story was well founded).

I remember not being able to keep my eyes from the window as I waited for the next burst of light followed by the crack-crash-rumble of thunder. I felt safe and secure, like an onlooker, curious, even excited to see how bad this would get. (The wind, with its ability to knock things down and rattle them around, scared me more than the thunder.)

David in this psalm seems to write from a similar vantage point of safety, even detachment. With poetic details he word-paints cataclysmic acts of nature:

• Storm: "The God of glory thunders / The Lord is over many waters" (vs. 3).
• Earthquake: "The Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon / He makes them also skip like a calf" (vs. 5-6).
• Wildfire: "The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire" (vs. 7).

However, nowhere in this Psalm does David attribute God-like qualities to nature in a pantheistic way. A footnote in my Bible comments:

"There is no evidence of superstitious fears as in pagan cultures (Jonah 1:4-6), nor is God equated with the storm and thunder as polytheistic religious depict; but here God is above and over nature commanding it with His spoken word as at creation (Genesis 1)" - New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 707.

We all know that natural events can bring with them devastation and death to believers and nonbelievers alike. The note of peace on which this psalm ends ("The Lord will give strength to His people; / The Lord will bless His people with peace.") reminds us that we can ultimately trust God who is behind and allows both the calm and the storm. They are part of His conforming us into the people of His destiny:

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" - Romans 8:28, 29.

PRAYER: Dear God, Your power in nature can be fearful. I have only to see the after effects of an earthquake or tsunami to remind me of how puny I am. Help me to face whatever You allow into my life with peace, knowing that Your purposes for me in going through it are good and constructive. Amen.


MORE: Nature's power in pictures

The website Boston.com runs a feature called "The Big Picture: The News in Photographs." It contains sets of newsworthy photos. Below are links to some of the natural disasters our world has seen within the last few years (be patient; these are large files which take a little longer to load than some):

"Massive earthquake hits Japan" - photos of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the east coast of Japan.

"Remembering Katrina, five years ago" - photos of the August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina that devastated the Gulf Coast, centered on New Orleans.