Relationship Building

 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20 

Do you ever go into a pre-planned conversation and it changes midstream?  Every so often, I will get into a situation where I am focused on a specific discussion, and then right in the middle of it, something changes.  Either the mood shifts, or maybe you hear something that makes you say to yourself, “You know?  Now is probably not the best time for this to be said.”  It could be with a spouse, child, friend, and even coworker.  No matter the person, there is a sense that causes us to shift gears on the fly.  Why is that?  It has to do with the relationship built with that person.  Sure, there are time where we can clearly see it’s a bad time to ask someone to hurry up when they are sobbing.  But other times, we know the other person well enough to gauge the timing of something good to say vs. bad.  When to console instead of being critical.  When to have a lighthearted laugh instead of bringing up a serious conversation.  You are committed to that person’s wellbeing even when they are not directly in your presence.  The deeper it is, the greater all of the above applies.  It’s all about relationship building. 

We should continually check where we are in our relationship with God.  I picked the verses today not because of its focus, which most would know is ‘The Great Commission’ or the end of the book of Matthew.  Today, the view is the culmination of a well-established relationship built between Jesus and His disciples.  They had been through so much together.  There was the beginning where each of them chose to follow Him.  The many miracles witnessed like turning water into wine, watching Gentiles call Him the Messiah, the many healings, and yes, the betrayal and eventual crucifixion all were part of their journey.  There was a lot of joy and pain all in a relative short period of time.  Yet, after the resurrection their bond was stronger than ever.  And Jesus leaves them with the words of, “go and make disciples of all the nations.”  I ask myself when I think of Jesus, do I think of Him just when I need Him?  Kind of like my daughter when she wants the new AirPods?  Or am I laughing when He teaches me something?  Like when my wife shows me she is my better half in a funny way?  You see, when we are only doing God as a ritual and when something is wrong, that may be honoring Him, but it is not a growing and fulfilling relationship.  If you have a dull day and look to God and say, “You know what?  This was pretty bland, but I know better days are ahead.  I am grateful you are with me.  I pray I have done good by you today, and just know I’m thinking of you.”  That does not have a lot to it, but a relationship is not about excitement or fireworks.  It is about showing up each and every day and acknowledging the other’s presence.  While decorum and respect for God is an important part of our relationship, being loving and kind I would argue rates higher because one, they are fruits of the Spirit and two, it comes from a heart for God.  I noted ‘for God’ as Ezekiel 36:26 says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” 

God is delighted when we are invested in Him.  Earlier this week, I read about the baptism of Jesus, and how God said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” (Mark 1:11b) While we are not the Son of God, we are God’s children, and He delights in us.  Our journey of faith is a continuous relationship building exercise in understanding why He loves us so much, and in doing so, we find an even greater love for Him, ourselves, and others.  Let us focus on our continual spiritual growth to build a healthy relationship with Jesus just as His disciples did.  Where are you in your relationship with Jesus?  Are you focused on ritual-based or authentic relationship with God?  My prayer is that we do some additional relationship building with Jesus today and beyond.  Amen. 

Surprising Parent

 One of the oddest elements to the story of Gideon in Judges 6 is the presence of the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole that belongs to his father. It's as if Gideon doesn't even know it's there, and his father wants it gone, but won't take it down. Sound confusing? Well, it's very possible that won't be the only confusing element for you.

Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6:25-27 NASB)

So, after complaining to God that he's so insignificant in an insignificant family, it turns out that Gideon's father is the resident stronghold and worship center for the village. Gideon is both afraid of his father's house and the village. He knows they won't like what God has told him to do. But he does it. Notice, he isn't specifically afraid of his father...

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar. (Judges 6:28-32 NASB, emphasis mine)

The people took exception to the new altar on the local stronghold, but look at dad. Joash makes an interesting point, he defends his son, but threatens the entire village with death if they contend for Baal. He's got an altar to Baal in the yard, but won't contend for this god. In fact, what he poses to the village is a challenge to see if Baal really is a god at all. I think there's more involved there, but we venture off into obscure areas to find it. 

So, oddly, even though he has the level of importance to have the stronghold and the altar to Baal, Joash really isn't invested in Baal. He doesn't claim to be invested in Yahweh, but keep in mind Gideon knows the stories, and know how to build a different altar to Yahweh. Who taught him that? I believe Joash is a good candidate. With God's prompting, Gideon goes farther than his father is willing to go with Yahweh. It seems to me that Joash wants to go farther with Yahweh, but, for whatever reason, won't.

Yet, given the opportunity, Joash defends the step Gideon takes, and challenges the people about their belief in Baal. We're not told why, we're not clued into anything about Joash except that he threatens the people, and they respect the threat. We can speculate about why (and I do), but the point of the writer is that what Gideon did for Yahweh worked. He made a step toward Yahweh, and people eventually follow. Without the support of his father, that wouldn't have happened. 

There are all sorts of lessons here. As parents, we can find all kinds of lessons, from the need to support our kids "adventures in faith" to the need to be a role model of adventurous faith. As a parent, what do you take away from Joash? As a son or daughter, what do you learn from Gideon and Joash? The main point of the author is that Gideon was successful in his obedience. That isn't the extent of what the Spirit having inspired these words, can teach us thousands of years later.

Regardless of what lessons you see, I hope you also see the redemptive lesson. Joash's failures, the altar to a false god, weren't the defining characteristic of the story preserved by Yahweh, it was his eventual success. We can't let our failures and struggles as parents define us, because our Savior doesn't define us that way. We can't define our parents by their failures because our Savior doesn't define them that way. Whatever else you get from the account of Joash, I hope you also see that.

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

Psalm 19

 

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.

13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 (NKJV)

 This is a well-known and much-loved psalm celebrating the majesty of God in creation and the perfection of His word.  One of my study Bibles describes the psalm as uniting the two ways God has revealed Himself to mankind: by general revelation in His creation (v. 1-6) and by specific revelation in His inspired word (v. 7-14).

 Getting outside everyday to be refreshed by the beauty of creation is a true pleasure. I walk in my neighborhood almost daily and love to observe the changing seasons and nature on display in small and big ways. The glory of God is exhibited in the rising and setting of the sun, and in the changing cloud patterns. God’s magnificent handiwork is set forth in the millions of stars and in the thunder, lightning, rain and wind of a storm.  When we take time to really notice God’s creation, it can make us feel small and that’s a good thing. We should be humbled in the knowledge of Almighty God’s creative power and when we experience it. We should also feel His love in creating us in His image, and praise Him for His mighty works.

 The complete trustworthiness of the Bible is set forth in this psalm, for it declares that God’s word is right, pure, true and righteous.  That is why we are to believe it, obey it and trust it.  To really do so, we should be reading the Bible every day and not just reading it, but applying its truth to our life.  God’s word should be the standard by which we test all things, the truth by which we live. 

 This psalm also instructs us that faith is not presumption. We are to have a fear of the Lord, and while that means we should have reverence and awe for God, I also think it means we should fear Him for His judgments are true and righteous. And we are not to be presumptuous in our actions or our attitudes. One example of presumption is to desire the blessings of God without living a life for God. Let that not be true of us. Instead, let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to the Lord, our strength and our Redeemer.

Thursday Devotional - Anonymous Note

Have you ever gotten an anonymous note? In the past, I’ve usually been able to figure out who it is from, but a note I got this week has still stumped me! She wrote to encourage me with all the illness that went through our household last week, during the first week the twins lived with us.

She included many encouraging verses and several from Psalm 46.

Psalm 46:1-3, 5, 7, 10         God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

 
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.

 

⁷ The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

The note was signed “Someone who loves and cares for you!”

She wanted me to know she was praying for me and for healing for my family. I pray she feels God’s blessing for her anonymous encouragement! We are all finally feeling better and James’ asthma is much improved.

 

What encouragement can you and I give to someone who needs it this week?

 

Alice

More Than Enough

 And forgive us our debts, 

As we forgive our debtors.  Matthew 6:12 

What is the most difficult thing to forgive?  Is it betrayal?  Perhaps it is the transgressions of a close friend who turns out to not be a friend at all.  Maybe it is dishonesty.  Or it could be someone who either fails a loyalty test or does not follow through on their solemn obligations.  There is a list of many things that we could spend an entire devotion talking about.  However, I want to share my greatest challenge.  I read something that reminded me of this, and the more I thought about it, the more I find it to be true.  A marriage is a perfect union made perfect by God between two imperfect people.  Well I must admit that my wife is far closer to perfection than I am.  But here is the thing.  She would tell you that I am a wonderful husband and father.  I’m humbled that she thinks so highly of me.  It is not because I do not try hard, and I don’t know saying I am not good to her.  But to me, being good to her is not enough.  Not because she or anyone else says so.  But I do.  You see the most difficult thing for me to forgive is myself.  When I fail, I do not fail just me.  I fail her.  My family.  My loved ones.  When I did, it was the guilt I carried, and until being born again, I was convinced would define me down until my death.  Then I learned that we all fall short of God’s glory, and if I confessed my sins, I could be born again.  We all know that story.  But for some, the pain remains, and it never has gone away.  This is because we have not truly accepted God’s second greatest gift; His grace. 

God wants us to forgive ourselves as well.  An easy way to connect the dots would be to look to the Greatest Commandment, where Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39b) This to me is truly the Greatest commandment because it forces us to focus not only on God and others but also ourselves.  We our only capable of loving others as far as we love ourselves.  In today’s verse, the focus is on the portion of the Lord’s Prayer asking God for forgiveness of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  We must love our neighbor and God, and to do so we must certainly love ourselves.  Thus, it makes perfect sense that in order for us to have the ability to forgive we too must fully embrace God’s grace given to us.  To do so, we must agree that indeed His grace is sufficient.  Then, we must forgive ourselves.  Before we go over the deep end of ‘that’s easy enough,’ one must truly repent, and that is indeed painful.  In reading 2 Corinthians 7, we get a full feel for what a true repentant heart sounds like.  Paul wrote addressing the sins of the young church saying: 

 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  2 Corinthians 7:8-10 

Note the last verse where Paul spoke of ‘worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance.’ As I wrote about my inability to forgive myself, it is a pain that is never forgotten.  But the pain God wishes for us to have is the kind that reminds us to not go back to our old ways but to also accept the gift of His grace which leads to eternal salvation.  Thus, we are not to be consumed by this pain.  It is but a wound that will heal, and we are free from it.  It is that which we are given forgiveness, which allows us to forgive both others and equally as important ourselves. 

 

We must always remember that God is simply enough.  His provisions are infinite, and His love is limitless.  His knowledge is without limit, and His presences is all around us.  With a God so awesome, why in the world would we ever tell Him, “No.  I’m sorry, but that is not enough.”  If God gives us the amazing gift of His grace, how can we continue life as if we still have the burden of that which He forgave us for?  Let us focus our attention on releasing the guilt of our old sinful ways and embrace the New Life provided for us through His mercy.  What in your past holds you from committing fully to God today?  Will you surrender it to Him?  My prayer is that we simply remember God’s grace is more than enough for all of us.  Amen. 

God Loves the Spiritually Impaired

Who doesn't think pugs are cute? I mean sure, they're ugly, breathe disgustingly loud, are are tiny. But they are all these things to such an exaggerated degree, and they don't bark much and are typically very friendly. Those things that are so unpleasant actually become cute because of their good nature. I wonder if our Creator specifically created pugs to help us understand how He sees us.

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. Judges 6:1 NASB

So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. Judges 6:6 NASB

Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me.”’” Judges 6:7-10 NASB

The Sons of Israel are oppressed for seven years before they cry out to Yahweh. Seven years. Wow. And then Yahweh sends a prophet to explain to them His perspective of the problem. The Sons of Israel are worshiping the gods of the Caananites. The prophet makes that pretty clear, the "evil in the sight of the LORD" is worshiping other gods. Sounds simple, right?

Maybe the blame lies with the previous generations who didn't pass along the stories of God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt and conquest of the land. Perhaps, had they done that, the people wouldn't have been worshiping other gods, they would have remained faithful, like their fathers...

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:12-13 NASB

Or maybe they did pass on the stories, but the people still didn't get it. I know, it's everyone else, not Gideon, that's why he's confused about the problem or Yahweh's perspective. He and his family are faithful followers of Yahweh, but everyone else worships other gods. That must be it...

Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the  Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Judges 6:25-26 NASB

Nope. That's not it. Gideon has a altar to Baal right in the front yard, but is still clueless about why Yahweh is upset with them. All the negative features are there, they are ridiculously clueless, stupefyingly arrogant, and frustratingly obstinate. And yet, Gideon goes on to tear down the altar, reduce Israel's army down to 300 so Yahweh would get the glory for the victory, and lead those 300 men with jars and torches against so many Midianites, they couldn't be counted. He even leads the 300 to pursue 3 kings of the Midianites without help.

Gideon is so amazingly effective, the people want to make him king, and he refuses! Could he be any more pug-like? And aren't we? You've had them, those days when God seems more annoying than pleasant. You've wondered where He has been during your difficulty. And you've probably been shocked He doesn't approve of your "shrine" to some other aspect of your life. And yet, we cry out to Jesus, worship Him, seek His face, and seek to be a blessing to those around us. We know we're imperfect, yet seek His Kingdom anyway. And we witness our Savior using us to be amazingly effective for Him. Let's face it, we're the "pugs" of our Creator. And aren't we cute?

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