God's remedy for bad news

Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. (Isaiah 24:1–6)

This reads too much like this morning’s newspaper. All bad news. Much confusion in every part. No mention of hope or trusting God. Some exhortation for human powers  to fix it, but all efforts fail and most of them get a low approval rating. Are we suffering as did the ancients because we are guilty of transgressing the laws of God and His covenant with us has been broken?

Some see good things, progress. Some see only selfishness and hidden motivations. The media promotes their bias. Podcasts and opposing political opinions add to the confusion. AI makes many wonder if truth can be found, or is all of it imagined or it just adds to the deceptions on the minds of the masses? Scams are robbing funds from those who are in the habit of believing everything they hear. How can anyone trust their bank when they send someone to pick up a ‘faulty credit card’ and rob that person of thousands? We are living in a world gone haywire.

The Bible indicates that all falls apart when we trust ourselves and not God. Personally, I know that is true. The Bible teaches me, but so does experience and my own lack of obedience. The above passage says this applies to everyone. It isn’t just for ‘religious’ people or those without thought for God. 

Spiritual truth is outside of opinions and human choices. We can make our choices,  but we cannot choose the consequences. This passage goes on to describe some of them. As my farming dad used to say, “I plant the seeds but God makes them grow” — or not. Without His blessing, our needs and joys go by the wayside.

Jesus, I know that every breath I take is in Your power. You can give me peace and joy. My actions and attitude can ruin my life, but if I am loving and serving You, Your  peace and joy remain, even when the headlines spell doom for the rest of the world. I want people to know that. Yet trusting You isn’t primarily about You changing circumstances, or even about You making our work profitable. It is about You granting peace and contentment no matter what is happening. For this, I am blessed.

When Less is More…

Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’ ” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” (Judges 7:1–4)

Imagine a congregation of 32,000 people being attacked by an enemy bent on destroying them. They are eager to win this battle but more than half of them went home. Was it because they were “fearful and trembling”? Not according to the Lord who sees the heart. He was aware of their tendency to take credit for what God had done. He knew the reason; they were afraid of losing. 

This translates to fear that God was not big enough to deal with this enemy? And I remember the NT verse that says “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

After that the Lord reduced Gideon’s army to 300 men who passed His unusual test of how they drank water. These went against “The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.” (Judges 7:12)

God is asking me to pray for what seems to me a huge issue and a large number of people. Me? Is there anyone else? Has He recruited an army or just me? My hubby sees the need so he is praying? Are we the only ones? 

I can pray for wars on the other side of the world and for cult members and large groups, and I often say, “We have a big God” and He is. Perhaps this one seems  more challenging because it involves people I can see and touch, people I’ve had meals with and spent time with. In any case and no matter how often I try to put it in God's hands, He tells me to keep praying.

Jesus, persistence in prayer is a challenge for ADHD me. I get distracted by what I think is easier to pray about rather than stick to the problem at hand. Grant me a heart that cares and pray with increased desire to see You work a miracle in this situation.

Promises, promises

I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” 
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 
And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 
Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” 
And they said, “We are witnesses.” 
He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 
And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. (Joshua 24:13–25)

This conversation sounds familiar to me. How many times have I wanted to do the right thing, failed, made a promise never to do that again, but did? Yet best intentions and trying harder do not work.

This morning, my hubby and I talked about shared experiences where we admitted our sins AND our helplessness. Instead of promising to do better, or ‘never again’ we knew that was folly and admitted only our inability and weakness — only to realize over time that sin was no longer happening in our lives. How did that happen?

We agreed is that no one wants to feel useless or helpless. We want to be able to do the right thing, but as Joshua said, we are not able to serve the Lord — not in our own strength or initiative or ability. Instead of saying “I can do it” — the only way to be able to do anything well is plead with the Lord not to remove our weakness but to help us embrace it:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Often we say that God's ways are not our ways, and these verses make that clear. I ask to be powerful and He asks me to admit I am not. He asks me to do the impossible when I ask for power. but the secret to being able is admitting that I’m not able and never will be on my own. Most certainly, His ways are not mine.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

Jesus, You are teaching me something many others think is sheer nonsense. You want me to pray for Your strength as I realize my weakness, but not in despair but in joy because I know You will surprise and even shock me with the wonder of how You answer those prayers. How glad I am that I can’t do a thing without You. 

God can prevent great sin before it happens…

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1–9)

Today’s news has a president seizing the leader of another country and planning to charge him with drug trafficking. Regardless of how anyone feels about that action, the only way to stop crime is at the source. Today’s “therefore” describes why that city was called by a descriptive word that means to mix or mingle. His created people were planning to stay in one place whereas He had told them to “fill the earth”. God dealt with the source. 

This plan reveals how sin had created human independence and self-sufficiency apart from God. They thought they had no need of Him and were confident in their own ability. Even though this is the common result and description of sin (see Isaiah 53:6), in this case, God put a stop to the tower and city because it defied His will to use His people to bless the whole world. This came out later in His call to Abram.

However, it points ahead to humanity’s sinful desire to ensure our own security rather than trusting the Lord, and our desire to make a name for ourselves rather than praising God. It also points to the gospel plan. 

“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

“Let us” points to the trinity. “Confuse their language” points to His power over our understanding” and the rest of the passage looks at the result. God came down much later and in that next time, He did not mix up speech but clarified Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. His Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and for all who respond, we belong to His family and live together in His kingdom. 

Babel is also the name used in the OT for the city of Babylon. As a city, Babylon symbolizes humanity’s ambition to dethrone God and make the earth its own (see Revelation 17–18). This story shows the clash of divine and human wills. Interesting also is that the word “Babel” means “gate of God” yet the writer of Genesis used it as a play on words, this time to show the consequences of sin, and then to point ahead to when Jesus came down to defeat the power of sin and give His people a far greater unity than a tower and city every could.

Jesus, how many times I’ve tried to be my own Savior and attempt things without involving You. The results are always thwarted. Yet in mercy and grace, You use what even those things to change my life. You forgive my selfish ambitions and refuse to allow me to leave You out of my life or gain glory for myself. Thank You for rescuing me. To You be all glory. Amen.

Thankful for Jesus

A few weeks ago someone said “All the problems of the world would disappear if all people were simply thankful.” When I repeat this, most who listen stop and stare. One person said, “Instead of greedy.”

I see this in my own life. If I am grumpy about something, that quote makes me realize my bad attitude. I didn’t get what I wanted instead of being thankful for what I already have. An even deeper root is that I’m not trusting God as my supply. He knows my needs far better than I do.

Piper writes about integrity and about standing by our word, even if it hurts. This too is related to trusting God to supply all needs. Piper points to an OT story from 2 Chronicles 25:5–9.  It is about a king in Judah threatened by a pagan nation so he formed an army of his own men, then hired fighters from the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God was not happy and used a prophet to tell this leader, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel.… God will bring you down before the enemy”

It is not hard to imagine his reaction. He made a large commitment of cash to Israeli troops. Should he stand by it when he tells them they are not needed? Money down the tube. While being greedy is not the same as being financially wise, this king was likely not too thankful that God stopped him from using hired soldiers.

God’s answer was a challenge to this man’s faith: “The LORD has much more to give to you than this.” As Piper writes, God told the king to trust Him and keep his word. Stand by your commitment knowing that God would take care of him. Integrity is always rewarded.

When I promise something, I’m to follow through and like God, keep my promises, even if it costs me dearly. My prayer should never be, “Oh dear, I’ve blown it and now I will suffer if I don’t back out.” Instead, it should be: “Lord, I goofed. However, I will do whatever I promised and trust You to cover my losses.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalm 37:5)

This is about living by faith, particularly when getting in hot water because I made decisions that were not made in faith. It happens. I married an unsaved man. That was 54 years ago and we are still married and he is a strong man of faith. My life is filled with more examples of rashly deciding to do something without seeking God's will, and suffered for it, but God used all of it for good.

On the other hand, without faith it becomes easy to break promises. If a rash decision involves loss of money, or reputation, or anything else, that old sinful nature will strive to protect itself instead of trusting God to repair the damages or use them for good.

Thankfulness is a great antidote for all of it. When I think of all God has done, it is much easier to focus on holiness, faithfulness, fulfilling my own commitments, and trusting Him to be there for me, regardless of my goof-ups. Again, He tells me to commit my way to the Him in faith, and He will act to work things for His glory and my good. “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:7)

PRAY: Jesus, I speak of You as the solid rock on which I stand. You are that and more for which I am so thankful. You take care of me, even when I forget You. You never let me down, even when I seek my own will instead of Your will. You are amazing and You are not only my Rock, but also my anchor and my eternal Hope. Thank You.


 

Burdens from God — or me worrying?

 

Over the past few weeks I’m realizing the difference between spiritually-motivated Christian living and that which is from the old nature trying to be godly. Oswald Chambers says, “Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.”

What comes in to counter that power from God? The world says I’m to have self-confidence. I’m to be sure of myself and trust my abilities and judgment, moving forward in everything with an assurance that I can do it without any problem. God says:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

If I don’t conform to the ideas of the world about confidence and instead discern the will of God, what can be expected? Here are some things:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:4–6)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

So much for the wisdom of the world. And the above verses also apply to my so-called confidence in my old nature with its sinful ways of thinking. Jesus adds this just to make sure I’m not putting my confidence in me:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

What about the lies of Satan? I once did a Bible study through much of the NT where I read the truth God says, then pondered the lies that counter it. For instance, God says this… but the enemy says this…

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:9–10)

God does not love you the way you want to be loved. He sent his son to be scorned and die; is that love? You don’t need to accept that because if you do, you are going to wind up like Jesus and suffer.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

God wants you healthy, wealthy and wise. Work hard to make money. Let your lack of contentment drive you. That lack is just more evidence that God does not love you or want the best for you. He is busy with other things and not  even with you because he does not care about you.  

There are many ways to illustrate the lies, but only one way of exposing them; read the Word of God and believe it, keeping sin and doubt confessed and trusting the truth of God. Be spiritual disciplined but not trusting me — only Him. He is the Savior; I am not.

PRAY: Jesus, this day I am bombarded with things I could worry about. Family members who are suffering, Christians who are tangled up in worldly and fleshy thinking, unsaved neighbors without interest in you, and more responsibilities that I can handle. Abiding in You seems difficult. Fruit-bearing? Where is it? Yet the weakness I feel indicates there is power lurking. Enable me to keep trusting You, no matter what the world or my flesh nags me about, and enable me to sort lies from truth so I can live in Your power and not worry about anything.

Sinless?

 

READ Luke 17-20

A man stood up during a church meeting and told the rest of us that he no longer sinned. He said that the salvation made possible by Jesus Christ would be put to shame if it was not complete. At that time I was a new Christian and thought something was wrong with his theology but didn’t have enough understanding on my own to make a response.

Today I read the following parable from Luke and am reminded of what that man said about his ‘righteousness’ . . .

Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you; this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9–14)

I don’t remember if the man in church treated others with contempt, yet his words were similar to this Pharisee. He claimed he was not like everyone else who did sinful things.

Through my Christian life, God warns me against such thinking, whether it is about comparing myself with others in regard to sin, or other things such as being better in school, or having more friends, or selling more articles, or knowing more about a topic, or any other kinds of self-exalting or lording it over people in regard to that cultural value system of ‘bigger, better, more’ that usually flies in the face of truth.

The Bible clearly says this about Christians and sin:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7–10)

When reading the Word of God or listening to a biblical teacher or preacher, or interacting with others, God often speaks to me about my short-comings using what I read or hear or observe. I’m rebuked nearly every day about failing to obey or being hypocritical or falling short of being like Jesus. I see others who are far more compassionate, far less self-centered, and even though the Bible warns about comparing myself with others, obviously I’ve things to confess.

Verse 9 in the above quote has been a long-term guide for me. It is God’s message about how to deal with sin and keep growing more like Jesus. When I sin, I’m to ‘fess up, agreeing with the Holy Spirit. Don’t deny it or hide it or call it something else. He forgave, forgives, and will forgive — and also will clean me up. Otherwise, I’m stuck with it and with the arrogant idea that now that I am a Christian, I never do anything contrary to the will of God. He is the Savior — I cannot save myself from sin’s penalty or its power. Never could and never can.

Jesus warned His disciples about self-righteousness and even did it in the hearing of all the people. He said: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:45–47)

These religious leaders called down everyone who was not like them without realizing that in the act of doing that, they were far worse than others who admitting their sin. They should have known better but pride in their religious activities overcame the truth of the Gospel.

For me, the Lord says to always remember that sin is sin and everyone is guilty. The good news is that because of Jesus everyone can be forgiven. Only Jesus has the power to change lives. One day, when I  step into eternity, I will be like Him, but until then I have to agree with Him that change remains necessary.