What we don't do

 

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

     James 4:17 (NKJV)

It can be hard enough to realize that we sin by doing and saying that which is wrong. But we’re also told that we sin when we fail to do or say that which we know we should.  We may think that what we do is more important than what we don't do, but that's not how God sees it. He cares about both.

 Sins of omission are often prevalent in our Christian lives.  We rationalize that we’re too busy, but that doesn’t excuse us in God’s eyes.  The reality is that we make time for whatever is a priority for us.  We may think that covid-19 gives us a pass, but that would be a mistake. The restrictions simply call us to be creative and determined in finding new and different ways. We may intend to speak or act but put it off because it would be inconvenient, uncomfortable or difficult.  Yet good intentions aren't the same as obedience.

 

This was convicting to me and I invite you to do your own assessment. Be honest in searching your heart to see where your sins of omission are.  Then will you resolve to set aside excuses, be obedient and act?

Walking With Our Creator

 Sometimes, the best lesson is clothed in very strange dressing. In a list of rules for good writing, down the list a ways was this rule: Eschew Obfuscation. I had to look those words up. It was a perfect way to get the point across because it broke the rule in the making it, helping the reader realize how important it actually was. In fact, now it's the only rule I can remember from that list.

Scripture can sometimes be like that rule. There are times when, what we read, requires us looking something up along the way to understanding it. And then we discover that it's actually quite simple. Commentators on the verses below rarely fail to point out the clear picture the verses below paint of life before the fall of man.

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 NASB

The verb for what Yahweh was doing is "to walk". It seems that part of the life of Adam and Eve they enjoyed in the Garden included these "walks" with Yahweh. So, part of what they opted against were these walks as well. Consider again what the temptation included:

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 NASB

"For God knows..." with the implication that He's been keeping this "secret" from them, afraid of them being "like Him". The seeds of distrust of Yahweh were dropped, and the two gobbled them up like candy. This distrust was why sacrificing the walk was valid in their eyes. Why walk with someone you can't trust? It's not safe.

Really, there it is, lying on the surface. The walk with our Creator is what was lost in Adam's choice. Yes, they also gained shame. Certainly, they died, and therefore we died. No question, we were cursed. But we lost this walk with our Creator that we have been consistently called to come back to. For instance:

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:21-24 NASB (emphasis mine)

It seems that Enoch figured this out, and received a stellar-passing grade (see what I did there?). Even back before Abraham, before Noah, this "walk" with our Creator was possible to get back. Isn't that weird? You're not convinced? Fair enough, look at the New Testament interpretation of Enoch:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:5-6 NASB

It seems that this one, in particular, figured something out in his walk with Yahweh that indicated acceptance. It wasn't that he was "perfect", but that he walked with his Creator. It wasn't some sort of sacrificial system, a pattern of mystical incantations, or prescribed practices. He walked with his Creator.

Permit me to eschew obfuscation at this point: Jesus came that we might, again and finally, walk with our Creator. Sure, Enoch figured it out before Jesus, but the effect required Jesus (see Hebrews 11:39-40). We want something, but what our Savior offers is a walk with Him. If that's what we want, bingo. But very often, we want something that, instead, is more like Him walking with us. 

So, when we ask, what do we do? How do we "please God", how do we "live out this Christian life?", and so on, the answer is "to walk with your Savior, daily". Micah 6:8, "walk humbly with your God". Ephesians uses the verb 7 times, including Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB emphasis mine)

The simple answer, the clearest description of "what now", is, "to walk with your Savior". Suddenly "pray without ceasing" makes more sense. If you are already walking with Him all the time, talking with Him all the time is assumed. There are other benefits, like not carrying out the deeds of the flesh (sinful nature), and so on. 

So, let's get walking. 

Psalm 24

 

1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

     Psalm 24 (NKJV)

 This psalm opens with the glory of God as Creator and Ruler of all. In light of His majesty and power, lowly man is wise to consider who can stand in God Almighty’s presence? Only those who have clean hands and a pure heart (also a New Testament requirement, see James 4:8). Yet we can’t measure up on our own.  Because of our sinfulness, we can never meet God’s holy standard. But when we trust in Christ as Savior, we are cleansed from our sin and clothed in His righteousness. Then we are accepted by God and receive His blessing.

 Tradition has it that this psalm marks the occasion when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem by David (see 2 Samuel 6:1-19). What a time of rejoicing that was because the Ark represented God’s presence to the Jews.  It’s as if the gates and doors of the city are personified as witnessing this grand event (vs. 7, 9) and lifting up praise as the King of glory comes in. And who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle (v. 8).  He is the Captain of all the angelic armies and all the hosts of heaven (see Gen. 2:1, Luke 2:13). 

 Twice in this psalm (vs. 6, 10) we are exhorted to “Selah,” meaning take time to meditate on the truths here.  Let us ponder our great God Almighty and bow before Him.

 

“Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts, eternal King,

By the heavens and earth adored; angels and archangels sing,

Chanting everlastingly to the blessed Trinity.

Since by Thee were all things made, and in Thee do all things live,

Be in Thee all honor paid; praise to Thee may all things give,

Singing everlastingly to the blessed Trinity.”

(Christopher Worsdworth, 1807-1885)

Being In It

 

 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more.  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.  John 16:7-11

 

What is the difference between being of the world and in the world?  They sound so similar.  I liken it to one of my favorite football players.  The player is ‘of’ the Miami Dolphins, which is my favorite football team.  The player is also ‘in’ the National Football League.  When you are of something, that is who you represent.  When you are in something, you are part of a similar but larger collective.  It’s a subtle but important difference.  We are all living ‘in’ the world, but we are ‘of’ the Christian faith.  But here is what’s important to remember.  All because a person is not ‘of’ the Christian faith does not mean that they are not ‘in’ our world for a reason.  In fact, one might argue God placed them ‘in’ our lives to introduce Christ to them.

We should always be conscious of the differences between people of this world versus in the world itself.  There are many times that I have heard others call people ‘evil’ and ‘of this world.’  I never truly bought into that, but I was not able to figure out why because people would commit sin and do things wrongfully.  It would make sense to call them evil or worldly, right?  But note what Jesus said here.  He said, “The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.”  He is not condemning an individual.  He condemned ‘the world’ or as it would be clearer The Devil.  Why is this important?  It means that no person can truly be judged by us as either ‘evil’ or ‘of this world.’  That’s not to say they won’t be sinful, commit evil acts, or either choose the world over Christ or refuse Him.  What it does mean is no one is beyond redemption.  In the book of Luke, Zechariah, prophesying the coming of Christ, said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.” (Luke 1:68) Our role is not to levy our standards on others (note what Jesus said about the ruler of this world).  It is to tell those the message of Christ for if they are given His truth, they too can distinguish between being in the world versus being of the world.

God loves us.  It’s not about what we feel about others.  It’s about how God would want us to respond to them.  It is clear what He would say, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).  Let us focus on being the lover of God’s people and separate the evil of the world from the people who live in it.  Who have you wrongfully condemned?  Where can you replace judgment with love?  My prayer is that we show mercy toward others and recognize our opportunity to save those in the world to become of God's Kingdom.  Amen.

Psalm 23

 

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

     Psalm 23 (NKJV)

This is probably the most well-known psalm and may be the best-loved. It’s so short that many know it by heart.  Yet despite its brevity, the six verses are a powerful testimony to God’s goodness and grace.

 This psalm speaks of many years of personal experience walking with the Lord. That’s why David could say the Lord is “my shepherd.” But if you don't know Christ as your Savior and if you haven’t submitted to Him as Lord, then this psalm isn’t really for you.  Because that’s what it means to call Jesus your shepherd.

 

David knew what it was to need God’s righteousness, as we all do, and because His forgiveness is so generously extended, our souls are restored.

 

Some consider this a "death bed" psalm since it assures the believer of God’s presence “through the valley of the shadow of death.” (v. 4) That truly is a blessing. But it’s also an "every day" psalm because we all walk in that shadow and find ourselves in many dark valleys of suffering, sickness, fear, trouble, in this life.  Yet we have God’s rod and staff to show us the way and to correct us when needed.  That provides comfort and courage for our daily walk with Him.

 

When we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, our cup runs over with His goodness and mercy; we are blessed with the sure hope of dwelling in His house forever.

                                                 Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Savior like a shepherd lead us, much we need your tender care.

In your pleasant pastures feed us, for our use your fold prepare.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us, we are yours.

Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, you have bought us, we are yours.

(Dorothy Thrupp, 1779-1847)

What Were You Looking For?

 Do things tend to make more sense looking back? For me, this is about 50/50, because I find I'm often still confused later, after the dust settles. The Creator of all matter, the One calling the things that are not into existence, He doesn't always explain Himself to me. I suppose part of the reason for this is that His answer wouldn't make any sense to me. This weekend I was challenged to view another reason, that I'm viewing creation and reading about the Creator from a perspective after the fall of humanity.

Okay, so what does that mean? I was asked by a fairly astute high school student yesterday, why would God put such a dangerous tree in the Garden of Eden? Why give us a choice, when we could have been ignorant and happy without one? It's not a new question, but it prompted me to consider the question. That question only makes sense on this side of the fall. Before that, before the snake lied, it didn't occur to Adam and Eve that the tree of "knowledge of good and evil" (the Tree of KoG&E) was an option. God said they would die, and that settled it.

Only now, when children opt for what is out of reach (the cookie in the cookie jar they've been told they can't have), that which is unknown, who seem driven to explore the dangerous, on this side of the fall, do we ask "why?" of our Creator. Because that question gets asked, and because we give it oxygen, it troubles us. Why create a "rigged system"? But, it wasn't rigged. It was fine until someone introduced another option, an option that contradicted the Creator at every point:

What are the limits?

God says any tree, except...

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (Genesis 2:16 NASB)

​The snake says no trees

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NASB)

Why the exception?

God says they will surely die

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17 NASB)

The snake says you will surely not die, but will become like God

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 NASB)

What's the point of debate?

Think through these changes? The snake redefines for the couple what the tree of death means. Their Creator defined it as the knowledge of good and evil. The snake says that's not death, it actually makes you like your Creator. That may be a little hard to follow, but read through the verses again. The tree of Life and the tree of KoG&E were together in the middle of the garden. We would expect the tree opposite of life to be death, and, as it turns out, our Creator warns that death is actually the result of the tree of KoG&E. 

But the snake challenges that. This "shrewd" animal claims that the tree of KoG&E simply gives what the name states, and nothing more. Inherent in that claim is also a challenge to what it means to die. The Creator claims they will surely die, and the snake says they will surely not die.

I find it ironic to a sad degree that most people agree with the snake. We tend to believe that the tree of KoG&E did what the snake said, and not what our Creator said. Why do we believe that? If that were true, why are there any more chapters? Why more books? Why send Jesus? I suspect that, deep down, we still want the cookie in the cookie jar.

I suspect that we still want the knowledge of good and evil for ourselves. We may be comforted by the thought that we simply have it now, inherently, and can't give it up. And yet, I think the whole point of walking with our Creator and Savior is that we leave off our KoG&E. We enter into this walk through a death, the substitutionary death of Jesus. And we continue this walk through power of His resurrection, in the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us. 

We acknowledge that, but sill want to choose for ourselves to be like God knowing good and evil. But what's the alternative? What does this walk look like if it's not choosing the good and eschewing the evil? Do you believe that your Savior wants you to choose every day to do "good" stuff and avoid "bad" stuff? That can't be it, that can't be sufficient. If it were, then much of Scripture is wrong.

It's not choosing to do good, it is choosing to obey. Symantec difference, you say? When I obey someone I have a relationship with that person, it requires communication, understanding. If I'm doing whatever is good in my own eyes, then I'm the one choosing good & evil, and I'm eating from the wrong tree.

Obedience to my Savior requires me to communicate with Him. Obedience requires me to earnestly seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Obedience means that I listen to Him, I learn from Him, that I spend time with Him. I can obey rules, which requires no real relationship. But to obey a person requires more. And yes, I must choose to obey. But that choice is not deciding on the good and evil, but on the walk with a Person. And what I do is the good in His eyes. 

So, I suppose the question for you this morning is from which tree will you eat? The call is to choose to walk with your Savior in the garden in the cool of the day. Bon apatite!

Psalm 22

 

1 To the Chief Musician. Set to "The Deer of the Dawn." A Psalm of David.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?

2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.

5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts.

10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God.

11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion's mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!

24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.

26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD's, And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,

31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

     Psalm 22 (NKJV)

 

Psalm 22 is the psalm of the Cross at Calvary. It gives an account of the Suffering Savior’s last hours and records His last words. Charles Spurgeon suggested that we should read this psalm reverently, putting off the shoes from our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there is holy ground anywhere in Scripture, it is in this psalm.

 This psalm describes the crucifixion of Christ in amazing specificity.  Interestingly, more detail about Christ’s death on the cross is given here than in the gospel accounts of it.  The fact that David wrote about it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so many centuries earlier and with such accuracy gives added weight to the inerrancy of Scripture.

 Although this is a psalm of David, it contains the words of Jesus – from first verse (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”) to the last (some say the last phrase in the original is “It is finished”), and Christ is there in the in-between. We see both the darkness and the glory of the Cross. For “He has done this” – the perfect Lamb of God, set His face to do the Father’s will, and died for all our sins. Everyone who comes to the foot of the cross as a sinner, trusting in Christ’s atoning work, will be saved.  Hallelujah and amen.

                                                 A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth

A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth to save a world of sinners.

He bears the burden all alone, dies shorn of all His honors.

He goes to slaughter, weak and faint, is led to die without complaint;

His spotless life He offers. He bears the shame, the stripes, the wrath;

His anguish, mockery, and death for us He gladly suffers.

(Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676)

To Infinity And Beyond!

 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43 18-19

I was reading some of my older devotions when I born again.  That’s over fifteen years ago!  As I read some of them, I realized how much I have grown over that time.  It is with that in mind I decided to write  (actually rewrite) a number of other devotions over the next few weeks. I pray you will get as much out of them as I did pausing and reflecting over them.

(Revised from 10/10/05)

When we are born again, we are free from the bondage of our sins of the past.  A month ago, I mentioned that Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 spoke of the painful sorrow of sin that corrects versus worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance (see http://trdailydevotional.blogspot.com/2020/09/more-than-enough.html).  There are an infinite number of sins we could recall not only from our past but even as recent as today to dwell on.  However, we are not to focus on the seemingly infinite number of sins for as today’s verses say, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”  Today, I am focusing on God’s infinite wisdom that figured out a ‘new thing’ for us to get past it all.  Because of that, we have a future with Jesus Christ.

God’s plan always goes beyond what we can see.  Today’s verses are about prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.  As I delved into these verses, I dissected it further than I did when I originally wrote about it.  Back then, it was simply that God made a way to remove the bondage of the past.  Today, I realize what God had done was much more profound.  He looked at the bigger problem of our sinful nature and realized there were more barriers between Him and us than just sin.  Here are some questions I asked myself in trying to understand how God looked at the problem of our relationship with Him.  How can He get us past seeing the rules and focus on loving one another (The Greatest Commandment)?  How can He help us focus on our relationship with Him and not just rituals (James 2:26)?  How can He get others to be saved who don’t even believe they are worthy (the Samaritan woman – John 4:1-26)?  Many of you could come up with a multitude of questions that ultimately Jesus Christ is the answer for.  The key today is to realize how God saw this enormous problem and knew we could not find a way to Him without great difficulty.  As such, He had the solution of sending His only Son to save us.  This is at the heart of what Isaiah is prophesying.  The new thing (Jesus Christ) was to come and make “a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  I can barely solve a problem to get to next week, and God made a way to solve a problem for all eternity!  Then, He sent a prophet to foretell what was to come so future generations would know.  Only the true living God could have that kind of master level wisdom.  I so appreciate that He did this for us! 

God’s wisdom is unimaginable.  His word gives us a wealth of knowledge.  Answers to every problem possible is contained in it.  One might look and say, “Well God can’t fix my internet when Comcast cuts a cable by accident!”  This is true, but perhaps at that moment He wants you to pay attention to other problems He is helping you resolve.  Perhaps God is helping you with your impatience (see 1 Corinthians 13:4) or submitting to His will (Job 22:21).  The point is we cannot know who God is unless we are willing to acknowledge He knows better than us.  Let’s be willing to understand that amazing level of wisdom He brings into our lives.  Will you submit to acquire greater wisdom of what God is trying to teach you?  How will you take time to see problems through a God centered lens?  My prayer is we acknowledge God’s greatness and just how infinite His wisdom truly is or in the words of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!”  Amen.

Are You With Me?

 

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Psalm 41:9-10 (NKJV)

 

My mom and I spent a year in Boston while she was finishing her Masters degree.  She was often sick that year, and while she was finishing a major paper from a hospital bed, I would go home alone to study and rest.  It was not that I did not have people to watch over me.  In fact, several friends would stop by our apartment to just check in on me to ensure everything was alright.  One might suspect that at times I might have had a level of loneliness.  That was not the case at all.  I always felt my mom was there with me, and I behaved as such.  My faith was not as big to me then as it is now.  Today with children and grandchildren, there never seems a moment when I’m alone, but at times when it is late at night and I am trying to figure out what to write in my devotion, there can be a sense of loneliness.  “God?  Are you with me,” I say to myself?  I know He is there.  But it is a subtle reminder of where my focus is for that moment.  I could be watching the game or an episode of one of my favorite shows, but as I have previously written, sometimes you have to tune out the noise around you so that you can focus on God.  The simple utterance of the words, “Are you with me,” ensures for that moment, my focus is truly and exclusively on Him.

It is good for us to take time out to focus on God’s presence in our lives.  I love these verses in Psalms because of how reassuring it is, and while it is easier to understand using the New Living Translation, I preferred the New King James because it both read like a poem and felt more personal.  No matter how far we may seem, God is there, and we are His most prized possession.  We have no reason to be afraid or discouraged.  When we are weak, God will strengthen us, and when we are weary, He will hold us up.  These two simple verses cover so much ground.  Even when we think we are, we are never truly alone.  David prefaced this in the 23^rd Psalm saying, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4a NKJV) This reassurance is invaluable in times where we might be on a solo mission.  When no one believe in you, God does.  He is there to help, talk, guide, instruct, and strengthen.

There are no boundaries that can withstand God’s pursuit of us.  This leaves us with a very simple question.  Why would we ever feel alone?  If we have an authentic and loving relationship with Him, we would not.  So if you are lost or just wondering, remember the old African hymnal:

No, never alone!  No, never alone!  He promised never to leave me, Never to leave me alone!

Never Alone (Unknown)

What is driving your feelings of loneliness?  What void of abandonment can Jesus fill today and beyond?  My prayer is that we know God is with us, and reassure ourselves as much by simply asking God, “Are you with me?”  Amen.

Recoup from Vacation

 Ever need a vacation to recuperate from your vacation? On the other hand, sometimes the vacation is so good that you can't remember what you do for a living. Somewhere in the middle is where I find myself this Monday.

I do remember that yesterday, I was speaking to a group of teens about Gideon. I got a lot of "deer-in-the-headlight" sort of response. The thing is, Gideon is one of those characters we've heard a lot about (fleece wet, fleece dry, and everyone grab your jars and torches!). Yet, when we read the account in Judges, there seem to be a lot of details that seem, well weird. And it's not just Gideon, it's Yahweh too.

If you feel uncomfortable considering something God does to be "weird", don't fret. He makes stars, moves galaxies, and is completely responsible for the particles that make up quarks. So, weird is really what we should expect, not the clearly understandable.

So, when this Creator of all matter seems comfortable having Gideon test Him, it's really okay. It may even be an invitation to us to put Him to the test. And yes, I know Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16 where God tells the Sons of Israel not to test Him as they did when they grumbled about water at Massah. But asking Him to confirm His word to do something completely irrational is not the same as claiming He has somehow deceived us. The call not to test God is a call not to be disobedient, and Gideon is seeking the opposite.

So, God calls Gideon to seek one more confirmation:

Now the same night it came about that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp.” So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp. Judges 7:9-11 NASB

The very idea of facing a number of camels impossible to number with 300 guys with torches and jars is not rational. It's not, regardless of how you figure it. Even with 32,000 it's not sensible, and with 10,000 brave souls it is still a bad idea. So, with 300 men who lap water like dogs, the prospects are beyond ridiculous. And so, down to the camp Gideon goes:

Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.” Judges 7:12-14 NASB

The ridiculous thing Yahweh asked of Gideon was only part of the work He was already doing. Yahweh had already prepared the Midianites for failure. Now, knowing this, Gideon can move ahead with the ridiculous assured of success. And he does. Jars, torches, and blasts from the horns of rams is all that these 300 dog-drinkers need to overcome hilarious odds.

See what Gideon does first, having heard this confirmation from his enemy: "When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands.”" Judges 7:15 NASB (emphasis mine)

That's the right response, worship. Yes, we are to obey, go get busy doing what our Savior has commanded. But we are also to worship Him. Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one returns to praise Him. Jesus heals many in Judea and Galilee, but only a foreign military officer demonstrates the faith in His authority. 

Have we become jaded by years of faith? Have we seen the worst of believers and wondered if faithful churches even exist anymore? Or has our work in obedience become the distraction from the One we obey? Have you had a "good vacation" from service and can't remember what you were doing?

The first thing we need is worship. The second thing may be obedience, but the first thing is worship. I know that when I sense my prayers being hindered, when it seems my Savior is far off, when I just can't work up the needed energy to do the next thing in obedience or fight the next temptation, I need worship.

I need to acknowledge the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and call out His name, His power, and thank Him for the fact that He has revealed Himself to one like me. That is what centers me in Him, and then everything else is easy. I can face the temptation, find the energy to obey, and sense His Spirit at work where I can do nothing.

Gideon did. He suddenly has a plan, suddenly knows what to do with 300 to defeat enemies he can't count. He started with worship. And, I recommend, we start there too.

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