The Nations Rage

     Psalm 2 (NKJV)

1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 

3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." 

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. 

5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 

6 "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." 

7 "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 

8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" 

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 

11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 

12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

In the psalmist’s time, the nations raged. . .and they’re still raging today.  The people too continue to plot and rebel against God.  The noise and tumult this creates can be quite unsettling and distracting.  But God’s not worried.  He looks down upon the raging and plotting in His sovereignty, knowing what the outcome will be. His Anointed, the Lord Jesus Christ, will rule over all.  Yet, despite the audacity of man going his own way and shaking his fist at Almighty God, God is merciful and provides a way for all to be saved, if they will repent. 

Those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior have nothing to fear.  The world can rage but we are blessed.  There is peace in His sovereignty.  With Him is victory and eternal life.

What Does God Risk For Us?

We don't think of God risking, anything, ever. But is that really fair to assume God risks nothing in dealing with us? I'm pretty sure I can make a good case that it is God Himself who teaches us that, without sacrifice, love is meaningless. Sacrifice is inherently risky. It is a type of loss, and the potential of more loss. I stumbled on this concept in a rather unlikely place, Exodus, and specifically, at Mount Sinai as God shows up in Person. Here are his preparatory instructions to Moses:

The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and make them wash their clothes and be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You must set boundaries for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death! No hand will touch him – but he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether a beast or a human being; he must not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast they may go up on the mountain.”

(Exodus 19:10-13 NET)

God is about to show up and turn Mount Sinai into the greatest most dramatic light show in recorded history. He is holy, and the mountain where He shows up will also be holy. Even sanctified people with sanctified clothes and sanctified priests can't approach it. Good grief! The people comply, and the Great I AM makes His appearance! And when Moses goes to speak with Him, this is what He is most concerned about:

The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. The Lord said to Moses, “Go down and solemnly warn the people, lest they force their way through to the Lord to look, and many of them perish. Let the priests also, who approach the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break through against them.”

(Exodus 19:20-22 NET)

All the impressive dramatic appearance, and He still wants to talk about the people not "breaking through" to Him. At first I thought this sounded suspiciously like the Wizard of Oz hiding behind a curtain. But then my thoughts began to change. The character of God isn't one to "hide". What's going on here? Look at Moses' response to God:

Moses said to the Lord, “The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us, ‘Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.’” The Lord said to him, “Go, get down, and come up, and Aaron with you, but do not let the priests and the people force their way through to come up to the Lord, lest he break through against them.” So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

(Exodus 19:23-25 NET)

Again with the "stay away!" message from God. Why descend on Mount Sinai at all if He's so concerned about the people approaching Him? If you read the parts of the chapter I haven't included, you know the answer. For those who didn't, here it is: "The Lord said to Moses, 'I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and so that they will always believe in you.'" (Exodus 19:9 NET) Do you see it? Does the risk of God show up for you yet?

Here's what I think God showed me through this passage about Himself, and His love for His people. I believe that God felt it was worth the risk of the damage to the people of Israel to affirm the leadership of Moses. It showed both love for the people, and love for Moses specifically. Think about it, what would it mean if one of the sons of Israel did "break through" to see God? Isn't that what we, as Christians, are supposed to be doing? Aren't we supposed to be seeking a closer relationship with God? Yet, when He appeared there, to affirm Moses' leadership, He showed up in a way that would destroy rather than affirm His people. Isn't that risky on the part of God to do so? He wants the closer relationship, yet shows up in a way that could potentially damage it. It's a risk. He takes it out of love.

I think, looking at our relationship with our Creator and Savior, we can all see places where He has risked something for our relationship. If nothing else, consider Jesus crucified, buried and raised again as a risk on our Father's part. But trust me when I tell you, there are even more risks, risks for you personally. Consider what your Savior has risked for you lately. And having found it, worship Him because of it. Then, like shampoo, "lather, rinse, repeat".

Seeing & Seeking Understanding

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.  “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” John 9:1-3

I read a passage from a pastor offering two perspectives.  He noted a comment made by an African American author, James Baldwin, which said, “To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage.”  He then followed up with scripture saying, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)  I was fascinated by this, and thus, circled back to him to ask what he was trying to say.  I’m sure he thought I was trying to start a fight, which I was not.  With that being said, he might not have understood what James Baldwin meant.  Baldwin spoke during a time of oppression, and today, many African Americans still feel some level of this.  This rage is not in the sense of lashing out or destructive.  It is the form of hurt, pain, and frustration with the struggles of inequality, and is often hidden.  Despite this, the overwhelming majority like me live fully productive lives with the inner peace Paul spoke of.  The two thus coexist.  It’s a perspective that if heard the right way can help one understand and grow further to help other brothers in Christ.

God often places us in circumstances so that we can grow in our faith.  I have read today’s verses multiple times.  I always focused on the miracle.  However, I recently read a different perspective on this.  The beauty of Jesus’s teaching here was twofold.  First, He wanted to show God’s work in the blind man.  This went beyond just giving him sight.  It also spoke to the man’s appreciation for what God did for him.  Second, it was for the disciples themselves to see the suffering of others as opportunities to help and grow in understanding Christ.  Jesus gave them the courage to believe they could truly do things that others would say couldn’t be done.  This would come to fruition after Christ ascended to Heaven.  Peter would later heal a lame man saying, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (Acts 3:6b)  As Christians, we should always seek understanding of others.  If we come solely from a place of condemnation, we run the risk of misinterpreting what one is saying.  Furthermore if we are too passive, we lose opportunity to share who Jesus Christ is all about.

Being a follower of Christ can be a balancing act.  We are to be strong advocates for Him and His word.  We are also to be compassionate and understanding showing grace as Christ showed us.  I spoke of the struggle we have with sin a week or so ago.  The struggle here is about discerning what is the right amount to apply of both scripture and understanding.  How much understanding must I show versus what word of God I must deliver?  Well, that is what spiritual growth is all about, isn’t it?  Let us be willing to endure the growing pains of learning to be more Christ-like not only to others but also within ourselves.  Whose perspective do you find difficult to understand?  What situations must you better balance God’s word with His heart?  My prayer is that like the blind man we can open our eyes to better see and like the disciples seek understanding.  Amen.

"Blessed is the man"

“Blessed is the man who walks not

in the counsel of the ungodly, nor

stands in the path of sinners, nor

sits in the seat of the scornful; but

his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day

and night. He shall be like a tree

planted by the rivers of water, that

brings forth its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also shall not wither;

and whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, but are like

the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand

in the judgment, nor sinners in the

congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the

righteous, but the way of the ungodly

shall perish.”

     Psalm 1:1-6 (NKJV)

This psalm gives us wise instruction for our lives. To be blessed, we must be careful not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful. Although we live in the world, we should not let ourselves be influenced by those who are ungodly, scornful or living a sinful lifestyle.  Instead, we should make God’s word our delight, our daily nourishment and let it's truth influence us. The path of life and blessing is found by walking with God according to His righteousness; by contrast, those who follow the ungodly way shall perish.

I pray that we heed God’s word today and every day. Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Flattery

I had a friend years ago that said she would rather hear what she wanted to hear, even if it wasn’t entirely true. I was shocked!!!

After thinking about what my friend said, I realized that she wasn’t any different than most people. Most people probably want to hear what they want to hear. She was at least honest about preferring flattery over the truth!

Flattery doesn’t benefit us, though. We don’t learn, grow and improve without helpful instruction and correction (like Jessica’s Monday devotional on Discipline).

Ecclesiastes 7:5-6

It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
    than to listen to the song of fools.
⁶ Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
    so is the laughter of fools.
    This too is meaningless.

I would much rather hear the truth, even if it hurt in the moment. 

Seeking wisdom is more beneficial than pleasure.

Seeking truth is more beneficial than flattery.

Let’s seek to give and receive truth, in love, rather than give and receive flattery.

Alice

Discipline

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

As a child, when you are disciplined, you typically are not happy about it.  I can’t tell you how many times my son has told me that I’m the worst mom in the world and that he hates me.  That is normally when I know that I’m doing something right.  Why do I discipline him?  Well, because I love him.  I want him to grow up to be a good, God fearing man.

We are children of God.  He disciplines us at times because he loves us.  As simple as it sounds, we need to not resent his rebuke, rather take the discipline and learn from our mistakes.

Have you seen the Lord discipline you in your own life?  How did you respond to that discipline?  Take the time today to thank the Lord for loving you enough to discipline you so you can learn.

Drastic Measures

Jesus said:

 “If your right eye causes you to sin,               “If your hand or foot causes you to sin,

pluck it out and cast it from you; for                  cut it off and cast it from you. It is better

it is more profitable for you that one                  for you to enter into life lame or maimed,

of your members perish, than for your              rather than having two hands or two feet,

whole body to be cast into hell. And                  to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if

if your right hand causes you to sin,                  your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out

cut it off and cast it from you; for it                    and cast it from you. It is better for you to

is more profitable for you that one                     enter into life with one eye, rather than

of your members perish, than for your              having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”

whole body to be cast into hell.”                            Matthew 18:8-9 (NKJV)

     Matthew 5:29-30 (NKJV)

 Sin has serious consequences and Jesus uses hyperbole in these passages to warn of it. We aren’t literally to pluck out our eyes or cut off our hands or feet.  But Jesus seems to be exhorting us to take drastic measures to deal with whatever in our lives causes us to sin.  

First of all, we should not excuse or minimize or ignore our sin, but call it what it is and take action against it.  We may need to remove ourselves from certain situations or cut ourselves off from things that tempt us away from godly living. We may need to stem the ungodly influences of social media, culture, entertainment, the internet that bombard us daily. We need to flee from what lures and distracts us,  put limitations in place to protect our hearts and keep our lives on the right course.

Even trying to do godly things can become a source of sin. For example, I’ve found that pride and envy can beset me in writing these devotions. It’s embarrassing to admit, but true.  So I’ve had to take steps to guard against the temptation to take credit and pat myself on the back; and I must regularly fight against looking for the praise of men and feeling puffed up as a result.  

I pray that we will take these warnings seriously, confront sin in our lives honestly and take whatever measures are needed to appropriately deal with it. 

Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Greener Pasture

You’ve heard the phrase, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” I’m guessing many of you have seen a cow stretch her head through a fence to eat the grass on the other side. I have! The grass was just as green on her side, but she thought differently.

People do the same thing. They chase after greener pastures, whether it’s a “greener” job, house, spouse, car, yard, body, hobby, etc.

Ecclesiastes 6:7 and 9  Everyone’s toil is for their mouth,
    yet their appetite is never satisfied...
⁹ Better what the eye sees
    than the roving of the appetite.
This too is meaningless,
    a chasing after the wind.

It’s one thing to work hard for God’s glory to take care of and improve the things we already have. It’s another thing to never be satisfied. As we talked last week, finding contentment and joy in the positions, possessions and people God has given to us is a satisfying gift of God.

James and Sarah have very different personalities. One is naturally more content than the other. The other one is quick to want the toy the other sibling has. I keep praying for wisdom to help them learn godly contentment instead of often looking for “greener pastures” elsewhere! 😊

What about you and me? Are we looking for greener pastures elsewhere, instead of enjoying the green pasture God’s already given? Would others say  we have a roving appetite or a satisfied heart?

Let’s regularly enjoy and be thankful to God for what we have been given!

Alice

Being Childish

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  Matthew 18:1-4

Sometimes, God gives you such clarity that writing seems almost too easy.  The other day I was just hanging out with friends and family.  As I sat around, I noticed there were two distinct groups forming.  I do not know if they noticed it, but it was very similar to many situations we see today.  Men and women.  Progressive and Conservative.  Young and old.  Black and white.  We always gravitate to those who we are most comfortable with, and this was certainly the case here.  This dynamic continued until one young mother brought a little baby into the equation.  Suddenly, everyone gravitated to that baby from both sides.  They grinned at this beautiful bundle of joy, and for that moment, everyone was together.  There were no longer separate groups.  All were one.

It brought me to the idea of these verses on the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  God knows more than we do.  However, we often focus on the words, and we are not as clear on the application.  As I saw what unfolded before my eyes, it gave me a whole new insight to these verses.  Yes, God’s word is always true.  However, we always gain greater wisdom in seeing it in action.

The mentality of a child truly leads to greatness in the eyes of God.  Jesus talked about turning away from sin and becoming like children.  My first instinct was to say, “But children sin all the time.”  They will not always tell the truth.  They can be emotional and self-centered.  They do not always understand right from wrong.  However, that is why Jesus was incredibly wise in separating sin from the children.  We should be smart enough to know that we must turn away from sin.  This allows for the second part of these verses.  If sin is removed, what are we left with in a child?  Innocence, love, and joy are the initial responses that we would come up with.  It explains why a little baby is such a unifying force in any situation like the one I encountered.  We all are drawn to these things.  To be blameless, loved, and happy are things we all strive for.  The one thing that is not as clear is the word ‘dependent.’  A child is dependent on the care-taker.  It cannot survive without them.  Thus, a hidden gem in these verses is that the greatest in Heaven understands that they cannot achieve much of anything without Christ.  This is further underlined by Paul in his letter to the Philippians saying, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)  We could even add things such as growing and thirsting for knowledge like the Samaritan woman as Jesus said to her, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Then finally, there is humility.  A child is incredibly powerful as I’ve just outlined, and yet, knows nothing of that power.  That’s Moses when he looks to God after He commanded him to lead the Israelites from Egypt and asks, “Who am I?” (Exodus 3:11)  It’s Paul when he breaks down sharing his own struggle with sin saying, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7:19) Humility simply is about knowing you are a child of God while understanding you are not Him.

Jesus is such an amazing teacher.  In today’s verses, He showed how one so little can be so strong.  The other day, God was able to reveal to me how one so little can be indeed as powerful.  Let us go today and beyond learning how having child like characteristics can be both life changing and empowering.  What inspiration can you draw from your childhood?  What child like characteristic can help you to get closer to God?  My prayer is that as adults we find strength in being ‘childish.’  Amen.

Wealth

Continuing with our instructions for living:

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.

These next couple of verses tell us how we are to handle our wealth.  We are to take the firstfruits of all of our crops, or the first of your earnings if you are not a farmer and honor the Lord with them.  This does not specifically say you have to take only your money and give it to the Lord.  It says to ‘Honor the Lord with your wealth’. 

Are you wealthy in other areas of life?  What about physically?  Have you been given physical wealth where you could lend a hand to someone else?  What about mental wealth?  Are you able to help someone else through a problem mentally?  What about being joyfully wealthy?  Have you shared that joy with another?

While we are certainly told to tithe as well, I think we often forget that we are to honor the Lord with the firstfruits of all of our crops.  When we pour of ourselves into others, we are filled to overflowing in return.

What part of the wealth God has given you do you need to share today?