Why it Matters - God’s Plan

Readings for today: Jeremiah 29-32

God’s anger lasts but a moment but His favor for a lifetime. God abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness even as He is committed to holding the guilty accountable. Though His judgment extends to the third and fourth generations, His grace far exceeds it, extending to a thousand generations. This is who God is. This is who God has revealed Himself to be. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He always stays true to Himself.

The people of Israel learned this lesson. They refused to turn from their sin and they were judged. God exiled them to Babylon. They became a strange people living in a strange land, weeping as they sang the songs of Zion. They were uprooted from the Promised Land. They lost their Holy Temple. Their entire way of life was destroyed. Their covenant with God seemingly irretrievably broken. So what now? “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and allow your daughters get married so that they too can have sons and daughters. Grow in number; do not dwindle away. Work to see that the city where I sent you as exiles enjoys peace and prosperity. Pray to the Lord for it. For as it prospers you will prosper.’ “For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Do not let the prophets or those among you who claim to be able to predict the future by divination deceive you. And do not pay any attention to the dreams that you are encouraging them to dream. They are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. But I did not send them. I, the Lord, affirm it!’ “For the Lord says, ‘Only when the seventy years of Babylonian rule are over will I again take up consideration for you. Then I will fulfill my gracious promise to you and restore you to your homeland. For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will reverse your plight and will regather you from all the nations and all the places where I have exiled you,’ says the Lord. ‘I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭5‬-‭14‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Do we have the faith to believe these words are as much for us as they were for the people of God in Jeremiah’s day? Do we trust God enough to let go of our ego, let go of our need for control, let go of our need for power and let Him direct our paths? Do we have the courage to live the quiet life? Go about our daily business? Build homes? Plant gardens? Marry and have children? Bless our town? Pray for our community’s leaders? Let God work out His plan in His way according to His timing? This is the essence of faith. It’s living our lives with complete trust in God’s sovereign plan and, more importantly, God’s unchangeable character. God is trustworthy. God is true. God is dependable. God is loyal. God is faithful. God is good. Because of all these things and more, we have nothing to fear. Because of all these things and more, we can cast all our anxieties on Him. Because of all these things and more, we don’t have to push so hard or hold on so tight. God is in control. God knows what He’s doing. God has a plan. He will bring it to pass. He has not abandoned you. He has plans to take care of you. He will give you the future you hope for if you surrender to Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 33-37

Why it Matters - Reality

Readings for today: Jeremiah 25-28

We talk about it all the time in my home…the school of hard knocks. Reality being the best and most effective teacher. As each of my children has grown up, we have done our best to teach them and instruct them in the ways of the Lord. We’ve done our best to help them understand the consequences - good or bad - of the choices they make. We’ve done our best to come alongside them when they stumble and fall. But at the end of the day, each of them in their own way has had to figure some things out on their own. They’ve had to come face to face with reality and learn that the world is not very accommodating. When I take a step back, it’s a fascinating process to watch unfold. I’ve gone from being the smartest person they know when they are young to the dumbest person they know when they are teenagers back to pretty smart again when they get into their early twenties. Through it all, my wife and I’ve learned to be patient. To wait on the Lord. To wait on our children. To let them go through hard experiences and learn difficult lessons so that they will be better for it in the long run. Does it mean crying a lot of tears? Yes. Does it mean dealing with the anxieties and fears that come with parenting? Absolutely. Is it hard to watch your children go through suffering? Without a doubt. It continually keeps us on our knees before the Lord, hoping our children will relent and see the light and return to Him. Thankfully, all of them are on that journey and because we’ve loved them well, we get to be part of it.

Now step back and try to put yourself in God’s position. For generations, He has been reaching out to His people. He has sent them prophets and preachers. He has performed miracle after miracle. He has given them His Word and provided for them a Land. He has done all these things out of love but they have rejected Him. “Over and over again the Lord has sent his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention. He said through them, ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession. Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do. Then I will not cause you any harm.’ So, now the Lord says, ‘You have not listened to me. But you have made me angry by the things that you have done. Thus you have brought harm on yourselves.’” (Jeremiah‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NET‬‬) The natural consequence of the people’s rejection of God is judgment. God will send Babylon against His people and all the surrounding nations. None shall escape. The whole land will become a ruin and a waste. And lest we think God is being too harsh here, God makes it clear that His judgment is righteous and just and good.

Human beings have never truly grasped the depths of their sin. We have never truly understood the depths of our depravity. We were given authority and dominion by God at the beginning of time but have made a complete mess of things. We want to be like God but we reign like a tyrant over a world that is suffering and tormented. We are selfish and greedy. We treat the earth like a disposable resource. We dismiss or ignore other human beings made in the image of God simply because they look different or act different or speak different or spend money different or vote different. And yet, God still loves us. God still reaches out to us. God is still patient with us. “Go stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. Speak out to all the people who are coming from the towns of Judah to worship in the Lord’s temple. Tell them everything I command you to tell them. Do not leave out a single word! Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do. If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭26‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NET‬‬) God longs for us to return to Him. He longs for us to return to His ways. He longs for us to return to His love. Today is yet another opportunity to turn back to Him. Why delay any longer? Why keep holding out? Why keep running from Him? The God who loves you so much is patiently waiting for you to come home.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 29-32

Why it Matters - False Prophets

Readings for today: Jeremiah 21-24

One of the things that makes my job more difficult is the popularity of so many false prophets in our world today. The internet is replete with them. Social media amplifies their voices to unprecedented heights. Their platforms are enormous and cut across all kinds of different demographics. I spend a lot of time sitting down with people I know and love and serve helping them discern whether or not the message they’ve heard from this prophet or that preacher or that person claiming to hear from God is actually true or not. Tragically, most of it is nonsense. I think of all the predictions from so-called “prophets” after the past several elections promising God would overturn the results. I think of all the language of “winds shifting”, “earth shaking”, “movements rising”, etc. and yet none of it ever seems to come to pass. Of course, a lot of it is just general enough to keep the person from ever being held accountable. Too many Christians have ignored the clear teaching of Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) that if a prophet claims to speak for God and what they say doesn’t come to pass, they are to be rejected and never given any kind of influence ever again.

False prophets are nothing new, of course. Jeremiah had to deal with them in his own day. In fact, most of chapter 23 is a fiery sermon against such people. Jeremiah doesn’t hold back in his harsh critique as he delivers God’s judgment upon them. It’s worth reading again. “‬“The Lord says, “I have heard what those prophets who are prophesying lies in my name are saying. They are saying, ‘I have had a dream! I have had a dream!’ Those prophets are just prophesying lies. They are prophesying the delusions of their own minds. How long will they go on plotting to make my people forget who I am through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! I, the Lord, affirm it! My message is like a fire that purges dross! It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! I, the Lord, so affirm it! So I, the Lord, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. I, the Lord, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare, ‘The Lord declares….’ I, the Lord, affirm that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. I, the Lord, affirm it!” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭25‬-‭32‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Perhaps you’ve found yourself under the influence of a potential false prophet. Perhaps a friend or family member has sent you a link of someone they listen to regularly. Perhaps you’ve found yourself starting to question the wisdom or the predictions of the person you’ve been listening to lately. Pay close attention. Jesus promises in the last days many will be led astray. Many false prophets and false messiahs will arise. Sadly, we’re seeing it happen in real time as too many pastors and preachers merge the gospel with partisan politics. Too many pastors and preachers claim divine authority despite the number of ways they divide and damage the Body of Christ. Too many pastors and preachers refuse to humbly admit where they have made mistakes. Too many pastors and preachers practice revisionist history in an attempt to make themselves look good. Too many pastors and preachers glibly string together all sorts of “prophetic sounding” language from the Bible in order to make themselves seem more credible. Too many pastors and preachers use the gospel and the local church to make a name for themselves and create a lot of wealth and influence and power. We must be wise. We must be discerning. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We must test everything by the Word of God.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 25-28

Why it Matters - Confidence

Readings for today: Jeremiah 17-20

I recently met with a new friend. He remarked on my confidence as a preacher. It’s something he admires deeply. He is often surprised at the things I say and how strongly I say them. He even wonders at times if I will get in trouble or possibly even lose my job. He asked me where I had gained such confidence. What experiences in life led me to become so bold and courageous? What hardships had I endured that made me seemingly impervious to the opinions of others. I told him he had it all wrong. I am not strong at all. I am not courageous at all. I feel like an imposter every time I get up to preach because I know my weaknesses and failures as a man, a husband, a father, and a pastor. My confidence - as it were - does not come from within, it comes from the Lord. I am not confident at all in my “self” because I don’t trust my “self.” My confidence is in God. His nature and character. His power and authority. His promises and presence.

The same was true for the prophet Jeremiah. He too was a bold and courageous preacher. Far more than I could ever hope to be! He was not afraid to say hard things, speak truth to power, or confront even the priests and kings of his time. He was not afraid to tell the people of Israel exactly what would happen should they persist in their wickedness. He was not afraid to call them out, even describing their sin in graphic terms. “The sin of Judah is engraved with an iron chisel on their stone-hard hearts. It is inscribed with a diamond point on the horns of their altars.” (Jeremiah 17:1 NET) For speaking God’s truth, he was persecuted. He was beaten. He was imprisoned. And clearly his experiences robbed him of any kind of “self” confidence. Indeed, he often complained to the Lord about his prophetic calling. “Lord, grant me relief from my suffering so that I may have some relief. Rescue me from those who persecute me so that I may be rescued.” (Jeremiah 17:14 NET) He called on the Lord to punish those who were attacking him. “So let their children die of starvation. Let them be cut down with the sword. Let their wives lose their husbands and children. Let the older men die of disease and the younger men die by the sword in battle. Let cries of terror be heard in their houses…” (Jeremiah 18:21 NET) Clearly, Jeremiah wasn’t afraid to vent his anger and call for vengeance on his enemies! And though Jeremiah even accuses God of “coercing” him into being a prophet (Jeremiah 20:7 NET), he still ultimately places his trust in the Lord. God is his confidence. God is his strength. God is his hope. “The Lord is with me to help me like an awe-inspiring warrior. Therefore those who persecute me will fail and will not prevail over me.” (Jeremiah 20:11 NET)

It’s a great reminder to us all. Especially when we endure difficult times or challenging circumstances. Especially when we feel like we’ve been treated unfairly or unjustly. Especially when we’ve been the victims of oppression and persecution. In those moments, we remember God is our vindication! God is our present help in time of need! God is our hope when everything seems to be crashing down around us and the walls are closing in. No matter what you may be facing today, turn to Christ! Call on Him to be your wisdom and strength! Call on Him to stand at your side as an “awe-inspiring warrior” and fight your battles for you! Trust in Him for He will win the victory!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 21-24

Why it Matters - Prophetic Burden

Readings for today: Jeremiah 13-16

The prophetic burden is a terrible one. It comes with incredible pain and suffering. It is accompanied by conflict and persecution. It is not a call that brings glory or honor, riches or wealth. It is costly. It will sap one’s mental, emotional, and physical strength. It will leave one often feeling weak and helpless. I have met many such prophets in my life. They are serving in some of the darkest places on the face of the earth. Their bodies bear the scars of their work. No one will ever know their name. They are desperately poor. They often go hungry and thirsty. They weep frequently. They feel so alone. They are beaten. They are threatened. They are left for dead. And yet, they never stop preaching. Never stop speaking God’s truth to those around them. They remind me of Jeremiah.

“Lord, you know how I suffer. Take thought of me and care for me. Pay back for me those who have been persecuting me. Do not be so patient with them that you allow them to kill me. Be mindful of how I have put up with their insults for your sake. As your words came to me I drank them in, and they filled my heart with joy and happiness because I belong to you. I did not spend my time in the company of other people, laughing and having a good time. I stayed to myself because I felt obligated to you and because I was filled with anger at what they had done. Why must I continually suffer such painful anguish? Why must I endure the sting of their insults like an incurable wound? Will you let me down when I need you like a brook one goes to for water, but that cannot be relied on?” (Jeremiah‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NET)

I love the raw honesty of Jeremiah. He never sugarcoats his life. He never pretends his call is easy or fulfilling or fun. He is hurting. He is in pain. He suffers tremendously. He is attacked on every side. He has no friends to speak of. No one to share his burden. He sits alone. When he does open his mouth, he is “a man of strife and contention” to His people. They curse him when they see him. They hate what he has to say. They refuse to believe him. When Jeremiah first accepted God’s call, he rejoiced. God’s Word became his joy. It was an honor to be called by God’s name. But his joy has turned to sorrow. His rejoicing has turned to mourning. Honor has turned to shame. For the Lord’s sake, Jeremiah bears reproach. He is hated and despised. God has filled him with indignation. Honestly, it feels to Jeremiah like he got a raw deal.

Though I would never claim the prophet’s mantle, I have tasted a bit of Jeremiah’s pain. I have felt the indignation Jeremiah references when I have felt compelled to preach God’s truth and confront the idolatry of God’s people. I have been cursed for preaching on ethnic reconciliation. I have been criticized for confronting things like preference-driven worship, greedy and power-hungry preachers, or unhealthy and toxic congregational systems. I have taken shots over the years for my biblical views on sexuality and marriage. I have been attacked for the fact that I am pro-life from the womb to the tomb. I have to admit in my darker moments I too have wondered if I got a raw deal. But then the Lord encourages me just as He encouraged Jeremiah.

“Because of this, the Lord said, “You must repent of such words and thoughts! If you do, I will restore you to the privilege of serving me. If you say what is worthwhile instead of what is worthless, I will again allow you to be my spokesman. They must become as you have been. You must not become like them. I will make you as strong as a wall to these people, a fortified wall of bronze. They will attack you, but they will not be able to overcome you. For I will be with you to rescue you and deliver you,” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NET‬‬) God is faithful. If we take our stand on His Word, we will never be defeated or put to shame. If we walk in His ways, He promises to be with us and save us and deliver us. He will guide us and protect us. He will strengthen us and equip us for every task He sets before us. This call is not just for preachers like me. Not just for prophets like Jeremiah or my friends overseas. It is for every Christian. Every person who calls on the name of the Lord. So stand before the Lord, friends! Utter what is precious and good and righteous and true. Trust Him for your deliverance and salvation. He will stand by your side!

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Power

Readings for today: Jeremiah 9-12

About ten years ago, I had lunch with a former world leader who came as a refugee to my city. At one point in time, he was a hero in his country. He helped overthrow an oppressive communist regime. He became one of two key leaders for the country in a power sharing arrangement. However, the power soon went to his head. He became corrupt. He stole money intended for his people. He had political opponents jailed or even killed. After a few years, the other leader in power had him charged and sentenced to prison for his crimes. He was held in solitary confinement for over a decade before being released and allowed to come to America. Tragically, his is a story I see repeated all over the world, including here in our own country as well. People who initially may have the best of intentions. They may be motivated to set people free or resist tyranny or overthrow oppressive governments end up becoming the very thing they hate when they take up the reins of power. As has often been said, “If you want to know about a person’s true character, watch what they do with power.”

Jeremiah saw similar dynamics in play in his own time. The leaders of his nation had abandoned their love for the Lord. They believed they were beyond accountability. They believed they were beyond judgment. They believed they answered to no one but themselves. But the Lord was watching. “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me. Everyone must be on his guard around his friends. He must not even trust any of his relatives. For every one of them will find some way to cheat him. And all of his friends will tell lies about him. One friend deceives another and no one tells the truth. These people have trained themselves to tell lies. They do wrong and are unable to repent. They do one act of violence after another, and one deceitful thing after another. They refuse to pay attention to me,” says the Lord.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭NET‬) They do wrong and are unable to repent. Let that statement sink in for a moment. They had become so drunk with power and so convinced of their own lies that their hearts became so hard they no longer had the ability to respond to the Lord. It’s not that they wouldn’t repent, it’s that they couldn’t repent. That’s hard for us to swallow and yet I will say I’ve met more than my fair share of people over the years who might fall into this category. It’s always heartbreaking.

Of course, power isn’t just a problem for world leaders. All of us are given some measure of power and authority in our lives. How do we use it? Do we allow it to corrupt or do we use our power to serve? Do we allow it to turn us from the Lord or are we willing to lay it down before the Lord? Does it bring out the worst in us or the best? Does it make us prideful, arrogant, deceitful, violent, and hateful? Do we find ourselves doing all we can to protect it? Guard it? Accumulate it? These are important questions to ask whether one is a spouse or parent, an employee or employer, engaged in public service of some kind, or given some kind of authority - physical, spiritual, or emotional - over other people’s lives. Especially those who are vulnerable. How do you use your power?

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 13-16

Why it Matters - Entitlement

Readings for today: Jeremiah 5-8

I take far too much for granted. I imagine most of us do. The clean water that comes out of the faucet of my sink. The abundance of food available at the grocery store. The protection I received from first responders who dedicate their lives to serve our communities. A secure bank where I can put my money without fear. Reliable heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Peaceful transitions of power politically in local, state, and national elections. Access to education and health insurance and a job I love. A wonderful family, a large group of friends, and a church family that is healthy and thriving and a joy to serve. If I am not careful, it’s easy for me to start to feel entitled. Like I’ve earned all these things. Like I deserve all these blessings. Treat them as if they are mine by right. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are all gifts from God’s own hands and I ignore this truth to my own peril.

Jeremiah preached against the entitlement of God’s chosen people. They had forgotten God, the source of all their blessings. As we read yesterday, they turned to “cisterns of their own making” rather than the “fountain of life-giving water.” The result is destruction. God builds on this theme in today’s reading. “The Lord said, “Go up and down through the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and see for yourselves. Search through its public squares. See if any of you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city. These people make promises in the name of the Lord. But the fact is, what they swear to is really a lie.” Lord, I know you look for faithfulness. But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse. Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected. They have become as hardheaded as a rock. They refuse to change their ways. I thought, “Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way. They act like fools because they do not know what the Lord demands. They do not know what their God requires of them. I will go to the leaders and speak with them. Surely they know what the Lord demands. Surely they know what their God requires of them.” Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority and refuse to submit to him.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬) Noble and commoner. Highborn and lowborn. Master and slave. All of them have turned from God. All of them refuse to be corrected. All of them reject God’s authority. Even though God supplied their needs, they chased after other gods. Even though God provides for them, they refuse to acknowledge Him. Even though God protects them and has compassion on them and shows them mercy, they will not submit to Him. Self-righteous in their own eyes, they believe they are beyond accountability and judgment.

Tragically, God will shatter their illusions. He will destroy their delusions. He will bring them to their knees as they watch their entire way of life be destroyed. The “fiery bellows of judgment” will burn fiercely, consuming all that is in Jerusalem and leaving nothing, not even stubble, behind. It’s not easy to read these words much less preach them. These words aren’t even easy for God to say as even He weeps at the end of the eighth chapter over what is to come. And they serve as a warning for us in our own time. As our nation grapples with the increase of anger and hate, corruption and deceit, violence and pain; we cannot make the assumption that somehow we are immune from God’s judgment. The faithfulness of past generations will not save us. The moral and ethical capital our forebears saved up is almost spent and we seem incapable of producing more on our own. Our only hope is to turn to God before it is too late. Before He unleashes the “fiery bellows of His judgment” on us.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 9-12

Why it Matters - Twilight of a Nation

Readings for today: Jeremiah 1-4

According to Greek legend, Cassandra was a princess of Troy gifted with the ability to see the future but cursed with the inability to persuade anyone what she saw was true. Beloved by the god Apollo, he gave her the gift but when she spurned his advances, he also gave her the curse. Her most famous prophecies had to do with the fall of Troy. She predicted the Trojan Horse. She predicted the downfall of the city and the destruction of the royal family. By the time her prophecies came to pass, it was too late. As a result, her name has become associated throughout history with those who correctly predict disaster but are not believed.

The prophet Jeremiah found himself in a similar position. Only his life and his prophecies about the coming destruction of Jerusalem were no myth. Imagine being Jeremiah. Called to prophesy of your nation’s destruction at a time - during the reign of Josiah - when you are experiencing a national revival? “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations…Know for certain that I hereby give you the authority to announce to nations and kingdoms that they will be uprooted and torn down, destroyed and demolished, rebuilt and firmly planted.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬, ‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬) Jeremiah didn’t want this call. He was too young. He was too inexperienced. He was too ill-equipped. But God’s call, when it comes, is relentless. It is irresistible. It cannot be denied. So Jeremiah begins to see visions. Visions of the coming destruction of his city and his people and his nation. He is given God’s Word to preach, reminding God’s people of God’s former faithfulness and how they abandoned God to chase after false gods. God calls him to speak in graphic terms, pulling no punches. God even expresses His own incredulity through him at one point saying, “Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, for a god that cannot help them at all!” (Jeremiah‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NET‬‬)

Like all God’s prophets, the primary message God gives Him to proclaim is repentance. God is merciful and compassionate. Despite generations of sin, God is quick to forgive and turn away His anger. So even in the midst of the harsh words Jeremiah has to say, there is a note of grace. An opportunity for God’s people to turn back to the Lord. “Come back to me, my wayward sons,” says the Lord, “for I am your true master. If you do, I will take one of you from each town and two of you from each family group, and I will bring you back to Zion. I will give you leaders who will be faithful to me. They will lead you with knowledge and insight. In those days, your population will greatly increase in the land. At that time,” says the Lord, “people will no longer talk about having the ark that contains the Lord’s covenant with us. They will not call it to mind, remember it, or miss it. No, that will not be done any more! At that time the city of Jerusalem will be called the Lord’s throne. All nations will gather there in Jerusalem to honor the Lord’s name. They will no longer follow the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. At that time the nation of Judah and the nation of Israel will be reunited. Together they will come back from a land in the north to the land that I gave to your ancestors as a permanent possession.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭18‬ ‭NET‬)

Sadly, like Cassandra, Jeremiah seems cursed to speak God’s truth about the future and not be taken seriously. He is called to share God’s vision of what’s to come, issue the invitation to repent, and be rejected over and over again. He is doomed, so to speak, to preach during the twilight years of the nation of Judah as the era of the kingdom of Israel comes to a close. It is painful. It is hard. It is why Jeremiah becomes known as the “weeping prophet.”

It’s hard not to see parallels to our own time. The nation to which I belong - America - just celebrated her 250th anniversary. In many ways, she has been a positive, transformative force in the world. In many ways, she has acted corruptly and selfishly and unjustly. Like all human nations, her history is a mixed bag of good and evil. And as we enter the middle part of the 21st century, it is becoming harder to see how she can continue to stand. She is divided. She is being torn apart from the inside by extreme political forces across the spectrum. It may be that we too are living through the twilight years of an empire. Jeremiah’s words to Judah are just applicable to us today. Repent. Return to the Lord. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call on Him while He is near. Perhaps He may hear from heaven and heal our land.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 5-8

Why it Matters - Disaster

Readings for today: Joel 1-3

I have seen the devastation of a locust plague firsthand. Crops that are destroyed. Herds decimated for lack of food. Famine in the land as people struggle to find enough to eat. A few years ago, locusts came to East Africa. They marched through nation after nation. Kenya. Ethiopia. Somalia. Uganda. South Sudan. Literally trillions of insects devastating fields and pastures. The plague lasted for almost three years and put millions at risk of starvation. It makes what we read today from the Book of Joel seem very relevant. “It is a huge and powerful army - there has never been anything like it ever before, and there will not be anything like it for many generations to come! Like fire they devour everything in their path; a flame blazes behind them. The land looks like the Garden of Eden before them, but behind them there is only a desolate wilderness - for nothing escapes them! They look like horses; they charge ahead like war horses. They sound like chariots rumbling over the mountain tops…they charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers…they burst through the city defenses and do not break ranks.” (Joel 2:2b-8 NET)

Where do people turn in the face of such calamity? Where do people go when faced with such a disaster? For the people of God, we turn to the Lord. We return to Him with our whole hearts. We cry out to Him for help. We ask the Lord to do what only He can do. Restore the years the locusts have eaten. Restore the fields and pastures. Restore the trees and vines. Fill our threshing floors with new grain and our vats with new wine. We call on God to fulfill His promise - “I will make up for the years that the arbeh-locust consumed your crops - the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust - my great army that I sent against you.” (Joel 2:25 NET) We call on Him because we can trust His character - “for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love - often relenting from calamitous punishment.” (Joel 2:13 NET)

Books in the Bible like Joel do beg an important question. One we wrestle with constantly in our modern understanding of the world. We struggle to understand how natural disasters like locusts plagues could be signs of God’s judgment. We struggle to understand why God would allow such things to happen. In fact, many today believe the presence of suffering in our world to be the greatest apologetic against the existence of God. This is was not an issue most believers throughout history. They believed in God’s sovereignty. They trusted God’s sovereignty. They understood that everything that happens in life - the good, the bad, and the ugly - is used by God to draw us back to Himself. Back to a right relationship with Him. And that’s why Joel calls on them to repent even in the midst of their suffering.

Our world is full of all kinds of suffering and pain. It serves as a daily reminder that this world is not as it should be. It is not as it was created to be. We feel this deep in our bones. It’s like we all have this longing deep inside for another world. A different world. A world where we walked with God. The Bible calls it Eden. Many cultures call it Paradise. Many religions call it heaven. It’s the persistent echo of another time and another world that seems hardwired into our souls. Thankfully, God wants to lead us there. God wants us to join Him there. All He asks is that we turn to Him in faith.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 1-4

Why it Matters - Questioning God

Readings for today: Habakkuk 1-3

God loves our questions. God is not afraid of our doubts and fears. He can handle our anger and frustration. Many times over the course of my life, I have found myself questioning God. Asking Him “why” over and over again. When those I love suffer. When those I care about struggle. When those I know work so hard to get ahead only to fall short. As a pastor, I’ve sat at the bedside of terminally ill children and prayed for healing. I’ve been called to scene of tragic accidents. I’ve been asked to preside over the funerals of those who died way too young, way too early, way too suddenly. I’ve also traveled the world and witnessed incredible suffering firsthand. Starvation. Disease. Injustice. Oppression. Persecution. Death. It’s overwhelming and I’ve cried out to God, “how long, O Lord?”

I love the book of Habakkuk for this very reason. The prophet is not afraid to complain to God. Not afraid to question God. Not afraid to confront God with the hardest questions. “How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not intervene! Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present Dan one must endure strife.” (Habakkuk 1:2-3 NET) Habakkuk looks at what’s happening all around him and he cannot understand how or why God would allow such things. Why would the rulers of His own people to engage in such wickedness? God is quick to answer. He will bring the Babylonians to Jerusalem’s gates as an act of judgment. The answer clearly doesn’t satisfy Habakkuk. He goes on. “Lord, you have been active from ancient times; my sovereign God, you are immortal. Lord, you have made them your instrument of judgment. Protector, you have appointed them as your instrument of judgment. You are too just to tolerate evil; you are unable to condone wrongdoing. So why do you put up with such treacherous people? Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour those more righteous than they are?” (Habakkuk 1:12-13 NET) These are hard questions. They are good questions. They are important questions. And the reason God answers Habakkuk’s questions is because he asks in faith. In fact, chapter two begins with the prophet acknowledging his willingness to wait for God’s answers. To watch and wait and remain at his station on the city wall until God brings the answer. God’s answer indeed comes though it is not easy to swallow. However, as hard as it is to digest, Habakkuk still places his trust in God. “I listened and my stomach churned; the sound made my lips quiver. My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, and I shook as I tried to walk. I long for the day of distress to come upon the people who attack us. When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines; when the olive trees do not produce, and the fields yield no crops; when the sheep disappear from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls, I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! The sovereign Lord is my source of strength.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19a NET)

Habakkuk sets a great example for us. In spite of everything he sees happening around him. In spite of all he feels and experiences. In spite of his questions and doubts and fears. He still trusts in the Lord. Even when things appear at their most bleak, he chooses to rejoice in God. It’s often been said that the Christian faith is not a religion but a relationship. The essence of any relationship is the ability to be honest and transparent with the other party. Unlike so many other gods in so many other religions, the God of the Bible invites us to be honest and transparent with Him. And if we will wait on Him in faith, He promises to give us answers as well.

Readings for tomorrow: Joel 1-3

Why it Matters - High Places

Readings for today: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35

I love King Josiah. He is one of my favorite people in the entire Old Testament. I love how he seeks the Lord from a young age. I love his repentant heart before the Lord when he hears God’s Word. I love his commitment to the Lord and his godly leadership of God’s people. “The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant.” (‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭23‬:‭3‬ ‭NET‬‬) Once he sets his course, there is no turning back. He burns every idol. He desecrates every shrine set up to some false god. He tears down every high place he can get his hands on.

High places are an interesting religious phenomenon in ancient Israel. You see them pop up all over the place in the histories of the Kings and Chronicles and the universal opinion of them is not good. Often the righteousness of kings is judged on whether or not they tolerate them. So what were they? Originally, they were sacred spaces where the Canaanite tribes worshipped their gods. If you flip back to Deuteronomy 12, you read these words, “You must by all means destroy all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars, burn up their sacred Asherah poles, and cut down the images of their gods; you must eliminate their very memory from that place.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NET‬‬) I remember hiking to a high place a few years ago when I was in Jordan visiting the famous city of Petra. The climb took about forty minutes or so and when I got to the top I was greeted with a spectacular view of the city and the surrounding region. It’s easy to see why this place would be used as a place of worship. However, according to our guide, the history is pretty dark. Not only was the high place used for animal sacrifice and drink offerings, it is highly likely it was also used for the sacrifice of children which was fairly common at the time. (If you look closely at the picture above, you can see the drains for the blood.) No wonder God wanted His people to have nothing to do with these places!

God had set His people apart. They would be different. They would not be like any other tribe or nation. Because they were a nation of priests, they would worship Yahweh in the way He prescribed. “But you must seek only the place he chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, and you must go there. And there you must take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the personal offerings you have prepared, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Both you and your families must feast there before the Lord your God and rejoice in all the output of your labor with which he has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NET‬‬) Where was this place? Originally, it was the Tabernacle that traveled with them in the wilderness. After Solomon, it was the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the place where God had set His name and indwelt with His presence. This was the “place” the Israelites were commanded to seek when they worshipped. However, the travel could be difficult. The cost was high. It meant time away from the fields. Time away from home. After the kingdoms split, it meant possible defection by the northern tribes so the Israelite kings set up their own shrines (the sin of Jeroboam) and forbade their people from traveling to Jerusalem at the prescribed times. The people set up their own shrines to Yahweh on the very high places He once commanded them to destroy. If we assume the best of them, they were trying to worship Yahweh. Trying to remain faithful. Just not in the way He demanded or the way He deserved. At their worst, they adopted the idolatrous worship practices of the local pagan tribes and worshipped false gods.  

What do we learn from Josiah’s example? God cares about worship. He cares about what happens week in and week out in local churches all over the world. Not because God is taking attendance but because God seeks worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Worshippers who will give Him the worship He deserves. Worshippers who will not compromise. Worshippers who will honor Him as holy. Worshippers who lay aside their wants, their needs, their desires, their preferences to come before the Lord in humility.

Readings for today: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Break Through

Readings for today: Zephaniah 1-3

One of things I love most about reading the Prophets of the Old Testament is how God breaks through. Amidst all the fire and judgment and doom and gloom, visions of glory always seem to appear. Like shoots of grass coming up through the sidewalk. Like an oasis in the desert. Like the sun’s rays piercing the cloud cover. It’s a reminder that while God’s anger may last for a moment, His favor lasts for a lifetime. Though weeping may tarry for the night, joy comes in the morning.

Perhaps this why I love Zephaniah 3:14-17 NET so much. “Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! Shout out, Israel! Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you; he has turned back your enemy. Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.” The prophet spends the first two chapters and almost all of the third chapter laying out the most terrifying visions. Everything will be destroyed. All the plants. All the animals. Nothing will be left. Jerusalem. Gaza. Ashkelon. Ashdod. Ekron. All will be left in ruins. Nations as far away as Assyria and Ethiopia will not be able to escape. God will do this in order to purify the earth. Sanctify the nations. Right the wrongs. Overthrow tyrants. Bring an end to injustice and oppression. And He will leave in His wake a humbled people. A meek people. A people who seek their safety in the Lord alone. He will dwell with them. He will fight for them. He delights in them. And He will renew them with His love and shout for joy over them. What a beautiful picture of what happens when God breaks through!

Think back over the course of your own life. Where has God broken through for you? Where has He shown up in the most unexpected places? Where has He met you in the middle of your mess? In the hardest places in your life? I know I can think of many times where I was brought to the end of myself and beyond only to find God waiting there for me. Just the other day, someone asked me where my confidence comes from. They wanted to know how I can preach with confidence and lead with confidence and live with confidence. I told them about the hardest moments of my life, when it felt like my entire identity was stripped away, and how God showed up for me in those moments. Making a way where there seemed to be no way. Lifting me up out of the pit and setting my feet on a rock. Those moments taught me that only God is strong enough to hold me together when everything in my life is falling apart. Not only that, He actually delights in holding me together. He is actively fighting my battles for me. And He sings for joy over me.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35

Why it Matters - God’s Power

Readings for today: Nahum 1-3

I recently visited the British Museum. It was amazing. A person could spend days there. It houses one of the most extensive exhibits on the Assyrian Empire. As you walk through the different rooms, you see the enormous Winged Lions and Winged Bulls from the palaces of the kings. You see the reliefs depicting great victories over their enemies and hunts for lions. You see the Black Obelisk which documents military campaigns and tribute and contains the earliest mention in extra-biblical history of an Israelite. It’s a sobering reminder of the incredible power of the Assyrian Empire and the terror of their reign. At the same time, it’s also a reminder of how fleeting even the greatest empires are within the grand sweep of human history. The reality is the Assyrians only achieved and maintained their dominance for about three hundred years which is not much when compared to the Romans/Byzantines (over 1000 years), Zhou dynasty in China (almost 800 years), Pandyan Empire in India (1600 years), or the Ethiopian Empire (600+ years). And it certainly pales in comparison to the power of God.

“The Lord is a zealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and very angry. The Lord takes vengeance against His foes; He sustains His rage against His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will certainly not allow the wicked to go unpunished.” (Nahum 1:2-3 NET) A fundamental biblical principle is that God rules the nations. He is the one who allows empires to rise and fall. He is the one who raises up kings and emperors and brings them down. He is the one who establishes dynasties and brings them to an end. God used Assyria as His rod of judgment on the northern kingdom of Israel but then turned His wrath upon them to bring them down. “This is what the Lord says: Even though they are powerful - and what is more, even though their army is numerous - nevertheless, they will be destroyed and trickle away! Although I afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. And now, I will break Assyria’s yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.” (Nahum 1:12-23 NET)

Although terrifying, the Lord’s wrath against the wicked gives us hope. It serves as an important reminder that evil will not have the last word. God will not allow unrighteousness and injustice and oppression and exploitation to stand. This is as true today as it was in the ancient world. “The Lord is good - indeed He is a fortress in time of distress, and He protects those who seek refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7 NET) He will protect His people. He will deliver and save all those who seek Him. All those who cling to Him. All those who look to Him. Though we may endure pain and suffering. Though we may go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. God’s promise is sure. There will come a day when every tear will be wiped away. Every hurt will be healed. Every wrong will be made right. God will bring an end to all the evil and wickedness on the earth.

Readings for tomorrow: Zephaniah 1-3

Why it Matters - Extremes

Readings for today: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33

Try to imagine living in Israel during the reigns of Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and eventually Josiah. Granted, you’d have to be really old but think of the cultural shifts you would experience. Hezekiah promoting revival across the land. Purifying the Temple. Razing the high places. Destroying the idols. Re-instituting the true worship of the Living God. Manasseh going the opposite direction. Rebuilding the high places. Setting up new altars for Baal and Asherah poles and putting them in the Temple. Dedicating his son to Molech by “passing him through the fire.” Practicing divination and sorcery. Amon following in his footsteps. Then comes Josiah. As we will see, Josiah seeks God with his whole heart. He goes on a rampage, tearing down everything his father (Amon) and grandfather (Manasseh) built in an attempt to ward off the coming judgment of God. The people living under these successive reigns must have experienced political and social whiplash.

One sees the same dynamics in play in here in America as two very different, very distinct visions for the future of our nation emerge. One the one hand is the rise of Democratic Socialism - historically called Communism - and on the other hand is the rise of the America First movement - historically associated with the isolationism and protectionism of the early 20th century. As each party jostles for power, the average person living under their authority experiences chaos as laws are passed and rescinded. Policies are enacted and redacted. Jobs are created and eliminated. Meanwhile the foundations of our country are shaken. Our commitment to the fundamental principles on which our nation was founded are eroded. Corruption. Injustice. Unrighteousness. All run rampant. It’s a vicious cycle.

Is there a way to break the free fall we find ourselves in? Yes. We turn to God. We repent. We seek forgiveness. We humble ourselves before Him. Manasseh tasted the harsh judgment of God when he was led away to Babylon in chains. There he repented and turned back to God. “In his pain Manasseh asked the Lord his God for mercy and truly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. When he prayed to the Lord, the Lord responded to him and answered favorably his cry for mercy.” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13 NET) As Christians, our hope is not in a particular political party or platform or system. Our hope is not in a particular person no matter how influential or successful or gifted. Our hope is in God. Only He can stop the massive pendulum swings we are experiencing and bring us back to a place of rest. A place of peace. A place of hope. A place of joy.

Readings for tomorrow: Nahum 1-3

Why it Matters - The End

Readings for today: Isaiah 64-66

I meet people all the time who are asking the question, “Is this all there is?” Is this world all there is? Is this life all there is? Are the 70, 80, 90 years of life all I get? And to what end? I spend my life working hard to provide for myself and my family. I achieve some measure of success. I do my best to stay active and healthy. I enjoy some wonderful experiences along the way. My wedding. The birth of my children and grandchildren. Certain milestones or achievements that hopefully leave the world a better place. But then what? Is all I have to look forward to in retirement a slow, steady decline? Or perhaps a tragic diagnosis that robs me of what little strength I have left? Will my mind start to fail along with my body? Will I be missed after I’m gone? These are real, honest questions asked by many thoughtful people I’ve had the privilege of walking beside as a pastor over the years.

Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t leave us guessing. He doesn’t leave us groping about in the dark for answers. He tells us exactly what’s going to happen. He lets us in on the end of the story. Listen to how Isaiah puts it, “For look, I am ready to create new heavens and a new earth! The former ones will not be remembered; no one will think about them anymore. But be happy and rejoice forevermore over what I am about to create! For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem to be a source of joy, and her people to be a source of happiness. Jerusalem will bring me joy, and my people will bring me happiness. The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow will never be heard in her again. Never again will one of her infants live just a few days or an old man die before his time. Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred, anyone who fails to reach the age of a hundred will be considered cursed. They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it, or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit, for my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced. They will not work in vain, or give birth to children that will experience disaster. For the Lord will bless their children and their descendants. Before they even call out, I will respond; while they are still speaking, I will hear. A wolf and a lamb will graze together; a lion, like an ox, will eat straw, and a snake’s food will be dirt. They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain,” says the Lord. (Isaiah‬ ‭65‬:‭17‬-‭25‬ ‭NET‬‬‬‬)

It’s a beautiful picture of the life to come. A life not lived in some vaporous, ephemeral, spiritual existence but one that is physical and tangible and as real as it gets. God is going to renew the heavens and the earth. The heavenly dimension where He lives and reigns will eventually absorb this world and all that is in it. Life as we know it will be transformed. All that is wrong about this world will be set right. Every injustice will be addressed. Every hurt will be healed. Every tear will be wiped away. Every grief will be comforted. Every pain erased. Death will be no more. Sin will be no more. Evil will be no more. God Himself will rule and reign over a renewed creation and a renewed people as He originally intended. This is the end of all things. This is the telos of all things. This is where all of history is headed.

So here’s our challenge…living with God’s end in mind. Living today for the world tomorrow. Trusting God for the future even as we labor in the present. Believing that every thought, every word, every action carries eternal weight because of what God has done and what God will do. Simply put, heaven is the answer to our deepest questions. Heaven is the satisfaction for our deepest longings. Heaven gives meaning and purpose to every moment of our lives. We are called to live as citizens of heaven in a world full of death. Our lives to be light in a world full of darkness.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33

Why it Matters - Justice

Readings for today: Isaiah 59-63

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi. Dr. Mangalwadi is considered India’s foremost Christian philosopher as well as a leader in political, social, and educational reform movements. The author of over thirty books, he is a sought after speaker in churches and conferences and universities all over the world. He began his work among the rural poor in India, challenging the unjust caste system, and overcoming all kinds of hostility, persecution, and even imprisonment. He has continued to fight for justice and righteousness in the public square in his country as well as around the world. He was the featured speaker at India Christian Day which our church had the privilege of hosting this year and stayed over to speak at both our services on Sunday morning. He offered challenging words to all of us about the desperate need to raise up godly Christian leaders who would carry on the fight for justice and righteousness in our world. He didn’t pull any punches, calling out the church for her failure to be the light in the darkness. Most of all, he called us to again put the Scriptures at the center of our lives and our educational, political, and social systems. I know I walked away feeling deeply convicted.

Then I read Isaiah’s words this morning and my conviction only deepened. “The Lord watches and is displeased, for there is no justice. He sees there is no advocate; he is chocked that no one intervenes. So he takes matters into his own hands; his desire for justice drives him on. He wears his desire for justice like body armor, and his desire to deliver is like a helmet on his head. He puts on the garments of vengeance and wears zeal like a robe.” (Isaiah 59:15b-17 NET) There is no justice. There is no advocate for justice. There is no one who intervenes on behalf of justice. Feels very familiar especially when I consider the corruption and deception and exploitation and oppression that is taking place all around us. Every human system seems rife with it. Politics. Social systems. Educational institutions. All of them have turned away from the truth. They no longer promote justice. They no longer produce righteousness. And their failures are taking their toll on society at large.

God is not blind to what is happening. He sees it. He knows it. And He is preparing His judgment. We have only one hope. We must turn to God. We must seek His face. We must be filled with His Spirit. We must fulfill the commission He has laid upon us to “encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners, to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn, to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement.” (Isaiah 61:1b-3a NET) Yes, we attribute these words to Jesus because He quotes them in the Gospels but they apply all those who follow Him as well. As we live out our high and holy calling, as we pursue justice and righteousness in our communities, nation and around the world; Jesus is faithful. He will make us “oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.” He will use us to rebuild the “perpetual ruins” and restore the “desolate places.” We will be called “the Lord’s priests, servants of our God.” Why? Because the Lord loves justice and will repay us according to His faithfulness. This is His promise.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 64-66

Why it Matters - Tension

Readings for today: Isaiah 54-58

The great Reformer, Martin Luther, taught that we learn to hear God’s voice in three primary ways. Oratio - Prayer. Meditatio - Meditation. En Tentatio - Within the “tensions” of real life. It is this last one that resonates most often with my heart. Many years ago, I took a trip to Rwanda. A nation still recovering from a horrific genocide that resulted in the death of over 1.1 million people. Spurred on by a racist national government with a history of systematic abuse and oppression, many ordinary, everyday people turned into rabid killers. They murdered and raped friends. Family members. Neighbors. Co-workers. Things turned so evil that some pastors turned on their congregations. They turned their church buildings into charnel houses. They lured their parishioners into traps with the promise of safety. One pastor even bulldozed his own church down on the heads of those he served. These events provide a dark backdrop to these words from Isaiah this morning... 

“They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Look, your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights. Do not fast as you do today, trying to make your voice heard in heaven. Is this really the kind of fasting I want? Do I want a day when people merely humble themselves, bowing their heads like a reed and stretching out on sackcloth and ashes? Is this really what you call a fast, a day that is pleasing to the Lord? No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke. I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah‬ ‭58‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭NET‬‬‬)

Rwanda was known for many years as a Christian nation. Some 90% of the population claimed to know Christ prior to the genocide. So how does one rationally explain how these same people ended carrying out one of the most gruesome pogroms in human history? Bishop John Rucyahana, a key figure in the forgiveness and reconciliation movement in the wake of the genocide, suggests it is because their Christianity only went skin deep. It hadn’t penetrated to the heart. Yes, they worshipped. Yes, they fasted and prayed. They had all the appearance of godliness but they did not love God with their hearts. Isaiah was facing a similar situation in his own time. The people of God worshipped, fasted, sang, made sacrifices. They appeared to follow God’s commands but in reality they were seeking their own pleasure. Their own power. The results were obvious to anyone who could see. Oppression of the weak. Violence. Dissention. Pride. All were hallmarks of Israel at the time.

In the face of such evil, God calls His people back to Himself. He calls them to lay aside their comforts, their safety and security, their wants and desires to serve a higher calling. A greater purpose. To humble themselves before the Lord and lay their lives and their future in His hands. Prior to returning to Rwanda, Bishop John was leading a flourishing ministry in Uganda. He was doing God’s work and many people were being saved. But God wanted Bishop John to leave his comfortable life and return to his own country. Bishop John reports hearing God telling him, “If you do not go there and present the healing gospel, then the fate of Rwanda will be in the hands of those who carry guns. If God is the remedy and the solution, whom shall He use, if you don’t allow Him to use you?” This powerful message from the Holy Spirit convicted Bishop John and he laid everything aside to return home. Isaiah calls his people to a similar return. To return back to God in faithfulness and service. To “remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke…to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people.” God promises when His people commit their ways to Him, their light shall break forth like the dawn and the glory of the Lord will be their rearguard.

So...here’s the challenge for us...do we believe these words are as much for us today as they were for the people of God in Isaiah’s time? Do we believe God has called us to place our lives in His service? To loose the bonds of wickedness in our own communities and nation? To give all that we have and all that we are to the higher calling of righteousness and justice and peace? To set aside our own agendas and let God guide and direct our steps so that we might serve the oppressed and hungry and helpless in our midst? This is what it means to follow Christ. There are no other options. There is no other way.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Consolation

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 50-53

“How do people make it without Jesus?” I get this question a lot especially in times of tragedy and great loss. Death comes suddenly for someone we love, leaving us no time to say goodbye. A famine hits or a drought sets in and we watch our children suffer from hunger and malnourishment. Conflict breaks out. War between tribes. Villages are destroyed. Cities are looted. Residents are internally displaced. It’s brutal. It’s hard. All hope seems lost. And yet, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances, people of faith find reserves of strength to draw on. They share what little they have with others. They find ways to serve even though they themselves barely have any strength. They experience joy even in the midst of grief and pain. All because of the presence of Jesus in their hearts and lives.

What set Israel apart from the other nations of the earth? The Lord. His abiding and faithful presence. The Lord persevered with Israel despite her sin, despite her rebellion, despite her rejection. And though He allowed her to suffer the consequences of her actions, He also was faithful to renew and restore. He met His people in the ruins of their lives. He visited them in the wilderness of their wandering. And He brought consolation. Comfort. Peace. “Certainly the Lord will console Zion; He will console all her ruins. He will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the Garden of the Lord. Happiness and joy will be restored to her, thanksgiving and the sound of music.” (Isaiah 51:3 NET)

Those who love the Lord live with a deep assurance. A certainty that undergirds them. A firm foundation on which they can stand. Jesus Himself talked about it. He talked about building one’s life on the rock so when the storms come and the winds blow, your home can stand. Isaiah would agree. “Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return; they will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them, happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and suffering will disappear. I, I am the One who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?” (Isaiah 51:11-12 NET) Do you live with this assurance? In the midst of stressful and difficult times, do you find yourself turning to the Lord for wisdom? When you experience grief and loss, do you find yourself trusting the Lord to give you hope and restore your joy? When you endure suffering and pain, do you find yourself looking to the Lord for healing and strength?

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 54-58

Why it Matters - Reward

Readings for today: Isaiah 46-49, Psalms 135

I maintain a demanding pace in my life. I serve as the senior pastor of a wonderful, growing church that is literally changing the world. I chair the board of a mission organization that I deeply love that is planting thousands of churches in unreached villages all over the Horn of Africa. I teach evangelism and mission at a local seminary to brilliant students. I volunteer to serve my denomination in various capacities. I am the primary liaison between my church and several local immigrant fellowships in our local area. I love all of it. I feel called to all of it. I am humbled and blessed by my involvement in each of these areas. But it does take a lot of time and energy and by the time I get to vacation each summer, I am usually running on fumes.

This summer was no different. By the time I got to late June, I was dragging pretty hard. Perhaps it’s because I’ve recently taken on some new responsibilities with one of the immigrant fellowships I serve or perhaps it’s due to a denominational commitment I took on a couple of years ago which tackles a delicate subject. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting older? Whatever it may be, I was feeling more drained than normal. And when I feel drained, I am more susceptible to cynicism. I am more easily discouraged and frustrated. The work is often long and it’s hard sometimes to see the fruit so I can fall into the trap Isaiah did in Isaiah 49:4 NET. “But I thought, “I have worked in vain, I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” Perhaps you know how that feels? Perhaps you’ve experienced something similar in your own life?

Thankfully, God is faithful. He has given me the opportunity to taste some of the fruit of my labors over the years. He has given me the chance to experience a bit of the reward of all my hard work in prayer and evangelism and discipleship. Without a doubt, I have seen miracles. I think of the people who have come to saving faith. I think of the many lives that have been changed. I think of the impact I’ve been able to have on marriages and families and communities. I think of the global connections I’ve been blessed to make and the opportunities we’ve had to partner with them over the years. It’s truly amazing and humbling and the fulfillment of God’s promise in Isaiah 49:3 NET, “You are my servant…through whom I will reveal My splendor.”

The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction. We may plant. Others may water. But it is God alone who gives the increase and we may not always get a chance to see that increase in our lifetimes. Sometimes it may feel like our work is in vain and we are spending our strength for nothing and in futility. Don’t you believe it! God is at work even when we can’t see Him. He is moving even when we can’t feel Him. He is bringing about His will and His way according to His perfect timing. Trust in the Lord and He will vindicate you. Trust in the Lord and He will reward you. This is His promise and it is sure!

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 50-53

Why it Matters - The Absurdity of Idolatry

Readings for today: Isaiah 43-45, Psalms 80

“But is it true?” I often ask this question a lot when I meet with people who are not yet Christians. We talk about faith. We have deep discussions about the meaning of life. We discuss philosophy and religion and history and how humanity has interacted with the world. We compare and contrast belief systems and ethics. I don’t ever question their sincerity. Many of them are passionately devoted to their faith which I respect. They live lives I deeply admire. But eventually we do find ourselves coming to the fundamental question…is it true? Do the gods they believe in actually exist? Does their understanding of life and the universe and the world around us and even the human heart square with reality? This is where the rubber meets the road in our conversations and I find if I have done a good enough job listening and learning and loving them well, we end up in a sacred space where the Lord makes Himself known.

God is God. Without rival. Without peer. There simply is no other. And this God has made Himself known to His people. He has chosen them from before the foundations of the earth. He loves them and protects them. He guides them and directs them. When they go astray - as we all do - He lovingly disciplines them and corrects them. This is especially true when it comes to idolatry. God knows the poverty of our spiritual condition. He knows how tempting it is for us to worship gods of our own making. And He also knows how futile and empty and powerless such gods are. They are nothing. They have no form. They have no function. They have no authority or power. It doesn’t matter how sincere our devotion to them may be…they simply are not real. They do not exist. They are a lie. And that’s why God goes to such great lengths to make Himself known. He wants His people to know the truth. “I am the Lord and I have no peer.” “No god was formed before Me, and none will outlive Me.” “I, I am the Lord, there is no deliverer beside Me.” “I am the first and I am the last, there is no God but Me.” Over and over again, God makes it clear. He is God. There is no other. He is God. All other idols are worthless. He is God. He alone has the power to deliver and save.

Some place their trust in idols. Some place their trust in themselves. Some place their trust in their wealth and resources. Some place their trust in their influence and worldly power. All of it is an exercise in vanity. None of it has the power to deliver us from sin and death and the devil. None of it has the power to guarantee our eternity. Only God can provide the answers we are looking for. Only God can give us a sure and certain hope for the future. Only God can deliver on His promises. Because God is God and there is no other. Believe and trust and walk in this truth today.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 46-49, Psalms 135