Confidence Like 'Mr. Q.'

We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.  In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.  And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.  2 Corinthians 1:8-10 

 

Some days you have it, and other days you do not.  I can recall going into a biology lab final in college where I just didn’t have it.  I missed the first couple of items, and that feeling of not knowing started to overwhelm me.  I would begin to miss some of the easy ones that my instructor knew I had the answer to.  I was able to barely get past it with a little help from the instructor, who must have clearly seen I was flustered.  Looking back, I wondered what had went wrong, but determined the issue was a lack of preparedness.  It had taken a studious and focused student and turned me into a panicked and underachieving young adult.  To cope, I created an inner superhero.  It would change my feeling from one of uncertainty to a man filled with confidence.  A pep in my step became noticeable.  In fact, an old girlfriend used to call it my alter-ego much like when Clark Kent changes to Superman, and Mr. Q was his name (short for my initials KEW).  When Kent was not quite feeling it, Mr. Q stepped in, and beaming with confidence, he was able to overcome fears, apprehension, and doubt to get through a difficult situation.  As I got older, the two separate personalities became parts of the devotion writer you know today.  Yet, it amuses me as situations where Mr. Q still pops up.  It is not when you would think. Usually it is when God’s truth hits me, and His spirit flows freely within where my heart, His word, and He are one.  He then uses me to share something to a friend either who needs uplifting or when they begin to doubt Him. 

We should always have a high level of confidence in God’s provisions.  Paul’s opening in 2nd Corinthians speaks of the danger and trouble they faced in their travels.  All they had left was their faith in God, and somehow, they made it through their trials and tribulations.  This gave them utter confidence that God was all they needed when things were down, and why shouldn’t they feel that way?  To face near death and survive is the ultimate test of faith.  Nothing would ever deter them from the knowledge that God would always be there to carry them through.  Think of Peter when Jesus was out of the boat and he wanted to walk to Him.  “Come,” (Jesus) said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29)  How did he pull that off?  It was the confidence in Jesus that gave him power where he too could walk on water.  This confidence is instilled in each of us waiting to be unleashed as long as we simply believe.  But we must also remember faith does not come overnight.  It is built each day.  We must trust in God, and like having gone through that poor biology final, prepare to receive His blessings such that it is almost not a surprise.  You know God will carry you through. 

God will never leave you hanging out to dry.  We know there will be times things do not look good and we are left with a feeling of uncertainty as to how something will work out.  But we serve an amazing God who is always looking out for us and awaits our call.  So do not hesitate when God is calling you to do His will or you have a God-inspired dream that feels too big or daunting. Walk with the confidence that one should have knowing He will neither leave nor forsake you.  What part of your faith needs strengthening?  How can you be more audacious in your belief of God’s provisions?  My prayer is we trust God is with us with the confidence of … Mr. Q.  Amen. 

Generational

“My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees.  They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever.  And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever.  Ezekiel 37:24-26 

Generational.  My love for jazz music goes back to when I was a child. I was surrounded by parents who both worked and sat back and unwind during the weekends listening to it.  Then when we went on long trips, that is almost all I heard.  So, when I got older I naturally gravitated to it.  I did not realize how that influenced me until one of my grandchildren was playing jazz in the room she was staying.  Keep in mind she is only seven years old.  She had been on trips with me just as I had been with my parents.  But my connection with my grandchildren did not end there.

The other day, one of my other grandchildren came downstairs, and wanted to talk with me.  This is the one simply known as ‘my BFF’ because that is what she called me at the bright young age of two.  She says, “Do you know God is everywhere?”  I said, “Yes, I do.  He’s all knowing, all present, and all powerful.”  She says yes.  And we go on to discuss about going to Heaven and Santa Claus.  It was then it hit me.  God was blessing me with the impact of my decision over fifteen years ago.  I had a choice to follow Him or not back then.  It was one choice, but its impact was exponential. 

Each decision we make to follow God closer has a similar exponential impact.  I was reading through the Book of Ezekiel where God showed His power to Ezekiel where he could bring people to life through God’s commands.  Then He spoke of merging Judah and Israel into one nation and making “a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant.” But note the completeness of God’s promise.  It was everlasting providing not only for them but generations afterward.  Ezekiel’s later prophecies much like today’s verses were ones of hope to the exiled people of Israel.  What can we gather from this?  One is that God’s promises are true as Israel would eventually be restored.  Second, we only need be faithful to Him to keep our end of the bargain.  Note that I said faithful.  Not perfect.  It’s like the fundamental truth of excellence by a legendary football coach (Vince Lombardi), who said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”  We need not be perfect in our pursuit of God, but if we excel in the process building on His wisdom and displaying a heart for Him, we will find Him.  As such, we will make better choices in our journey of faith.  This is where God’s impact becomes exponential.  It will continually grow in ways that affect not only us but also those around us. 

God’s love for us is never-ending.  He pursues us relentlessly, and it takes a great deal to ignore Him.  If we simply surrender to Him, the rewards go well beyond our current situation or circumstance.  This is what makes our spiritual journey truly impactful.  Let us be determined to see through a Godly lens and make choices that honor Him.  How can you focus on God when making decisions?  Do you consider God’s Kingdom as a factor in your choices?  My prayer is we are weighing all factors to know that our decision to follow Jesus Christ is in fact generational.  Amen. 

Hope Transformed

Have you ever witnessed someone being punished for something, properly, for something they did? How about when it was something you had done as well, only you didn't get caught? If you have, as an adult or even as a child, remember that feeling. Were you afraid? Did you look around to see if anyone knew you were guilty as well? Did you get a feeling in the pit of your stomach that told you that you had been spared, but not why?

I remember learning something, an internal process at work, was wrong by witnessing someone else being punished for it. I remember thinking, "Oops, better not do that again!" And I changed, either what I did, or how I did it. I tried not to follow the path that led to being punished. At least, I usually did, but I confess, not always.

Judah, the favored tribe, did not learn from their brothers to the north. The nation of Israel, living right alongside Judah, was taken by the Assyrians, but Jerusalem was spared. As the major empires of the world formed, and convulsed against each other, Judah sort of was left like an island between two major world powers. They witnessed the destruction of their brothers, the Ten Tribes, being carried off into captivity for their sins of rebellion against God.

And yet, for Jerusalem, for Judah, it was different. They had the favor of God, the promise to David of always having a king, of Jerusalem being where God placed His name. They could not be compared with the North, who never again worshiped in Jerusalem, at the great Temple of Solomon. What happened in the north would never happen to them, God wouldn't let it...

The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim is trodden under foot.

And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,

Which is at the head of the fertile valley,

Will be like the first-ripe fig prior to summer,

Which one sees,

And as soon as it is in his hand,

He swallows it.

In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown

And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people;

A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment,

A strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate. 

(Isaiah 28:3-6 NASB)

When this passage was translated into Greek, about 200 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the translators used "hope" instead of "glorious beauty". It wasn't actual beauty, but beauty expectantly counted on. Only this beauty was not to be. The crown of Ephraim was cast down and trodden under foot by the Assyrians, and the people of Judah saw it. They nearly succumbed themselves, but narrowly dodged the disaster because of the faithfulness of Hezekiah.

Of Israel's prophets, God says this:

For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place.

“To whom would He teach knowledge,

And to whom would He interpret the message?

Those just weaned from milk?

Those just taken from the breast?

“For He says,

‘ Order on order, order on order,

Line on line, line on line,

A little here, a little there.’”

Indeed, He will speak to this people

Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue,

He who said to them, “Here is rest, give rest to the weary,”

And, “Here is repose,” but they would not listen.

So the word of the LORD to them will be,

“Order on order, order on order,

Line on line, line on line,

A little here, a little there,”

That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.

(Isaiah 28:8-13 NASB)

Here, again, hope is used, but now for the babbling of the prophet, "order on order, line on line". For the scholars translating the Hebrew, it was "trouble on trouble, hope on hope". The drunken babbling of the prophets in the north were as the gibberish of a baby. But their God turns it back on them, and they are taken away from the Land of Promise.

Judah witnessed, but did not learn. They saw what happened, but trusted in Jerusalem, believed that God would preserve His beautiful temple. So, they filled this temple with the worship of false gods, but still thought Yahweh would protect it...

Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers,

Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,

And with Sheol we have made a pact.

The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by,

For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”

(Isaiah 28:14-15 NASB)

And where is the hope in this passage? Their "refuge" is their "hope". Think about that for a second. Their hope is falsehood. They think it's David's Covenant, they claim it's Jerusalem and the Temple, but it's not. They think they will escape God's judgement because of those things, yet despise the One having given them. God will not see, He will not act, He will not hold us accountable. The deception is ridiculous, like grown man hiding behind a single leaf.

And so, the tables turn, God arrives for judgement, and it's like no one expects, even the prophet, Isaiah:

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,

A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.

He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

“I will make justice the measuring line

And righteousness the level;

Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies

And the waters will overflow the secret place.

“Your covenant with death will be canceled,

And your pact with Sheol will not stand;

When the overwhelming scourge passes through,

Then you become its trampling place.

(Isaiah 28:16-18 NASB)

Does this begin by sounding familiar? A "cornerstone"? That's Jesus! (Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:6) And He is the Cornerstone established by the measuring line of justice and the level of righteousness. And the very next line is where the Greek has "hope": "And I will set judgement as hope and the charity of Me as a standard." The Cornerstone is placed with judgement as our "hope", and love as the standard.

We are constantly tempted to trust in things instead of the One having made all things. We are constantly distracted by things below away from the face of Him above. The Savior of the world, the Creator of the universe, has, indeed, given us promises. We, as disciples of Jesus, have unimaginable blessings, both now, and for the future. But those blessings and promises are never to distract us from the One making the promise and providing the blessing.

Let's be so weird about our focus and our challenge that we will be called to give an account of the obvious, but confusing, hope we have within us. 

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation

The Right Confidence

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why

do You hide in times of trouble? The wicked

in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be

caught in the plots which they have devised.

“For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;

he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.

The wicked in his proud countenance does not

Seek God; God is in none of his thoughts."

     Psalm 10:1-4 (NKJV)

The psalmist cries out about the wicked who are prospering. Indeed, the wicked are proud and boastful. They oppress the vulnerable and persecute the poor.  And they seem to commit their evil acts without hindrance or consequence. The psalmist questions (as many others do, even today) why God appears to do nothing about it, why He seems to stand afar off.

“Arise, O Lord!  O God, lift up Your hand!

Do not forget the humble. Why do the

wicked renounce God? He has said in his

heart, ‘You will not require an account.’

“But You have seen, for You observe

trouble and grief to repay it by Your hand.

The helpless commits himself to You;

You are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and the evil

man; seek out his wickedness until You

find none."

     Psalm 10:12-15 (NKJV)

The wicked have also renounced God. They think they can get away with their evil, that they will never be held to account. Their confidence is in their pride and arrogance. This folly will be their downfall because God sees everything, including all they do. And although God is longsuffering, one day He will cause an end to oppression and persecution, He will bring judgment to bear on all evil doers.

“The Lord is King forever and ever; the

nations have perished out of His land.

Lord, You have heard the desire of the

humble; You will prepare their heart;

You will cause Your ear to hear; to do

justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,

that the man of the earth may oppress

no more.”

     Psalm 10:16-18 (NKJV)

By contrast, the humble commit their cause to the Lord. They know that He is not indifferent to their needs and concerns. The helpless trust that God hears and will answer them. They know that while the wicked may be successful for a time, God ultimately will bring justice and cut them off. God confirms the hearts of His suffering people and He never forsakes them, even in the midst of difficult times.

Make sure your confidence is in the Lord today and every day.

Thursday Devotional - Words and Warnings Ignored

Have you ever felt led to boldly speak up about something, but it didn’t seem to make a difference or have an impact?

I felt like that recently. In an outside organization, we needed to fill a particular position. As I was praying about it one night, God brought someone to mind. I mentioned it at my next meeting, including the reasons why they might be a good fit. However, no one else seemed led in that direction or even willing to consider them.   

I wonder if Paul felt ignored over and over again. Not only did he not seem to get anywhere when he talked in front of the Jews, Felix, Festus and Agrippa, but his warning about sailing to Rome was ignored, too!

Acts 27:1-2a, 8-11   When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. ² We boarded a ship… ⁸ We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

⁹ Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, ¹⁰ “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” ¹¹ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

As we’ve talked before, we aren’t responsible for convincing people. We are responsible for being obedient to speak when and what God says. The results are left to Him. He may have different purposes for what He leads us to say. If you read the rest of chapter 27, you’ll see how God used Paul’s warning to give him credibility when disaster did strike.   

When have you prayerfully spoken up and seemingly been ignored? Let’s trust the results to God. Instead of throwing our hands up and getting frustrated, lets continue to pray about any future words or actions that would align with His plans and purposes.

Alice

The Downside of Hope

Games of chance, the Lottery, and any casino on the planet, are just a few examples of bad places to set your hope. There are far more options than these, though. In fact, there are many which are deceptively attractive as object of hope in our culture. One of them should have been pretty well shattered by our COVID-19 world-wide pandemic. Where I live, the pandemic hasn't really touched us, so my community thinks they don't have to worry about it. The Bible speaks to that sort of shortsightedness.

Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were in it living in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no ruler humiliating them for anything in the land, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. (Judges 18:7 NASB)

The life of the people of Laish doesn't sound bad at all, does it? It's the life we want, nice, quiet, peaceful, you can almost hear the idyllic music playing in the background as the camera pans across their fertile valley...And then Dan shows up.

...and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burned the city with fire. And there was no one to deliver them, because it was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley which is near Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city and lived in it. They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father who was born in Israel; however, the name of the city formerly was Laish. (Judges 18:27-29 NASB)

The city of Laish is no more, not even the name. The tribe of Dan, possibly an evil people, certainly idolatrous, were their downfall. But only because they had separated themselves from the rest of their people. They made themselves easy prey for one of the smallest tribes in Israel. 

In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, the attitude of the people of Laish is described as having "hope". They dwelt in hope. They lived peaceably in hope. And they lived quietly and confident on hope. Sounds nice, doesn't it? But it was hope placed in the mistaken belief that things would always continue as they are. When is that ever true?

We, as disciples of Jesus, have no security in the consistency of this world. Change is constant in this place, globally. Our hope must be set on another place, a "heavenly city", not made with human hands, where our Savior intercedes for us (Hebrews 9:11,13:14). So, in this world, let us take care, be alert, and represent the Kingdom of our true citizenship.

Hope is vital for our walk as disciples of Jesus, but it is also dangerous when misplaced. Let us focus on the only true object of hope, and be ready to defend it before any who ask us (1 Peter 3:15). The Savior awaits us in a City which is our true home. Let that place be our sustaining hope in this degenerate world, which is passing away.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation