Who is God?

Readings for today: Exodus 5-9

John Calvin once said our hearts are idol factories, constantly churning out false gods. It seems human beings will worship anything and everything except for the one true and living God. In ancient Egypt, the people worshipped Pharaoh. They sacrificed for him. They served him. They gave him everything and, in return, he maintained order. Through the elaborate rituals he performed, the sun rose and set each day. The Nile flooded each year. The seasons changed and the ground produced. From birth, the Egyptians were taught to believe this about their god-king. And it wasn’t just the Egyptians who believed these things about Pharaoh. For four hundred years, the people of Israel were also conditioned into this belief. They were conditioned to believe they were his slaves. They were conditioned to believe there was no hope for freedom because of the power Pharaoh held over their lives. This is why they wouldn’t listen to Moses when he delivered God’s message. “But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn’t even hear him - they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.” (Exodus 6:9 MSG)

The Exodus story is more than a story of deliverance. It is about the introduction of God to the world. It is about the humbling of the greatest empire on the face of the earth and the utter destruction of her most powerful king. It is about teaching humanity - not just Israel - who God is and what He’s all about. The goal of this whole enterprise is not just to save Israel from slavery but to teach the pagan world all about God. Listen to what God says to Moses, “Look at Me. I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.” (Exodus‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Why is God so passionate for His own glory? Why is He so zealous for His own Name? Because He knows the false gods of this world can’t deliver on what they promise. He knows the false gods of this world are weak and empty. He knows the false gods of this world don’t even exist. And because He loves humanity so much, He hates to see us fall for the lie. He hates to see us place our trust in something false and untrue. He hates to see us give our lives in service to something that will ultimately never satisfy. But we are stubborn. We don’t give up our idols easily. We don’t let go of false beliefs very quickly. So God has to subject us to judgment, often in the form of pain and suffering. Listen again to what He says to Pharaoh, “For one reason only I’ve kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the earth. You are still building yourself up at my people’s expense. You are not letting them go.” (Exodus 9:16-17 MSG) If we are honest, we are all like Pharaoh. Hardening our hearts against the will of God. Only the Holy Spirit living inside us can soften our hearts. Only the Holy Spirit doing His sanctifying work inside us can loosen our grip on the idols we’ve created. Only the Holy Spirit can do the work of regeneration we all so desperately need. Pray today for the Holy Spirit to reveal the idols you worship and ask Him to give you the strength to cast them down.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 10-13

God Remembers

Readings for today: Exodus 1-4

My family has a history of dementia, early onset Alzheimer’s, diseases that rob us of our precious memories and make strangers of those we love. My grandfather died in his middle thirties due to this disease. My aunt died when she was in her early sixties. My grandmother on my mother’s side spent the last few years of her life in an almost catatonic state. So I know the journey. I know the pain of watching someone you love slip away from you while they are still living. I know what it’s like to say the long goodbye. I’m also a pastor. As such, I’ve spent countless hours with people who wonder if they’ve been forgotten by God. They go through incredible hardship and pain. They face great tragedy in their lives. They wrestle with deep depression and demonic powers. And they feel all alone. They cry out to God in their suffering and they wonder if He hears their cries. I often take them back to these verses from Exodus…

“Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God: God listened to their groanings. God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. God understood.” (Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Surely the people of Israel must have wondered if God had forgotten them. Remember, God had not yet revealed Himself on Sinai. He had not yet given them the Law nor the plans for the Tabernacle. They have not seen His presence. They have not witnessed His miracles. The Red Sea. The wilderness wandering. The journey to the Promised Land. All of that is still in the future for Israel. All they have to go on is a few stories that have been handed generation after generation about a God who chose the family of Abraham to be His people. That’s it. And now they’ve lived in Egypt for many years. They’ve been enslaved. They’ve been abused. They’ve even suffered genocide at the hands of Pharaoh who attempted to kill all their male children. Such is life when one serves a man who sets himself up as a god-king.

Thankfully, God listens. God remembers. God sees. God understands. He is a God who draws near the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit. He is a God who stands with - not apart from - His people. When Israel cries out, God hears and God answers. He calls the midwives to save Moses. He delivers him into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughter where he will be raised to lead as a prince of Egypt. God sends him into the wilderness to prepare him for the Exodus journey. Then, in the fullness of time, He calls Moses from a burning bush. He sends Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh. He delivers His people with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. He brings the world’s mightiest empire and the world’s mightiest ruler to their knees. He hardens Pharaoh’s heart. Not allowing him to escape until God has had His way. He rains down plague after plague until all the magicians in Egypt are exhausted and spent. He defends and protects His people from any and all harm. In this way, they will know and come to understand their special place as His chosen people.

Friends, God still remembers His covenant promises. It’s why He sent His one and only Son. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all God has promised. He is the Second Adam. The Faithful Israelite. He lives a life of perfect obedience. He is the perfect Passover lamb who was sacrificed on our behalf. He delivers us from the powers of sin and death and evil by dying on the cross. He parts the Temple curtain so that we might gain access to God. He clearly demonstrates His authority over Satan and all his demonic forces by rising from the dead. All this He does for us. All this He does to deliver us. All this He does to save us. Yes, in this world we will face suffering. In this world, we will face trials and temptations. In this world, we will experience pain but we look to Jesus and take heart. In Christ, we know God listens. God remembers. God sees. God understands. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Knowing our Place

Readings for today: Job 40:6-24, 41-42, Psalm 29

It was theologian Sally McFague who once defined sin as a refusal to accept our place. We refuse to accept the place in God’s created order. We refuse to accept the role God planned for us to play in His great salvation story. We refuse to accept the purpose for which we were created and the result is chaos. Suffering. Pain. Death. Humanity abandoned the call to care for the world God created and instead seeks to exploit it for our own ends. Humanity rejected the call to cultivate the earth and help it thrive and flourish and instead enslaves it to satisfy our insatiable desires. Humanity walked away from the call to love and serve one another and instead chose to compete with fellow human beings for resources thus resulting in warfare and violence. Why does Job suffer? On a cosmic level, it is because a key cog in the universe is missing. Humanity has yet to take her rightful place as God’s representative and image-bearer on earth. We have yet to fulfill the creation mandate to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over it as God had originally intended. Our unwillingness to accept our responsibility is what creates the mess we find ourselves in.

I love how the Message version puts it in Job 41:11 where God plainly says to Job, “I’m in charge of all this - I run this universe.” In the face of God’s holiness and power, Job can only bow his head. He says, “I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head…I admit I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand - from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry - forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!” (Job 42:3, 5-6 MSG) Job finally understands his place. He finally understands his position before God. He finally grasps the vastness of the gap that exists between us and God. And he is humbled. Notice he never receives an answer to all his questions but those questions have ceased to have any meaning for Job. Even if God did give him an answer, it wouldn’t matter because Job has seen God face to face and it is enough.

At the end of the day, what does the Book of Job teach us? It teaches us that God is God and we are not. It teaches us that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. It teaches us that God is infinite and we are finite. Most of all, it teaches us humility before God. He has a plan. He is working all things for our good. We don’t need answers so much as we need His presence in our lives. And the great news is that when we seek Him with all our hearts, He promises He will be found.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 1-4

Confronted by God

Readings for today: Job 37:1-40:5, Psalm 19

I am blessed to be the father of four wonderful children. Each one unique in their own way. Each one different with a mix of gifts, talents, passions, and abilities. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to raise them but like anyone, we’ve had our moments. I remember when each of them hit about 8th grade. All of a sudden I went from being the smartest person in their world to the dumbest. It happened almost overnight. All of a sudden our conversations were challenging. All of a sudden there was conflict as they began to chafe under our rules. All of a sudden they questioned everything and it was hard to watch them make mistakes I could have helped them avoid. Thankfully, this phase came to an end after high school when all of a sudden I got smart again. ;-)

I thought about some of those conversations when I read God’s response to Job this morning. God’s knowledge is so much higher and greater than our own. His wisdom is vast. His understanding is deep. His power is infinite. Time holds no meaning for God. There is nothing in the universe that remains a mystery to Him. He created it all. He knows it all. He sustains it all. It is utter foolishness for human beings to question God. A conclusion Job rapidly reaches once God shows up. “God then confronted Job directly: “Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?” Job answered: “I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” (Job‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Job is working off of limited information. He doesn’t see the whole field. He can’t begin to plumb the depths of God’s purposes. He can’t begin to fathom the reach of God’s plan. So he shuts his mouth and finally begins to listen.

Recently, I was talking to my oldest. She and I were reminiscing a bit about her time in high school and some of the challenges we faced and worked through. One of the things she shared with me was that she didn’t always appreciate the fact that I simply knew more than she did. Perhaps even more importantly, she didn’t always trust that our rules were designed for her safety and security. She believed our rules were restrictive when in fact they were set up to create an environment in which she could thrive. Even the hard stuff we asked her to do was for her good. Even those moments when she struggled with disappointment because she didn’t get her way or she had to delay gratitude or she had to suffer in order to build discipline whether in sports or music or academics was ultimately to help her grow and flourish as a young woman.

God is a good Father who loves and cares for His children. He never abandons us. He never forsakes us. He promises to take what this world meant for evil and turn it to our good. He promises to use all things - even human suffering - for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. His plans for us are good. His purpose is to bless us and keep us. He has designed our lives in such a way as to prepare us for eternity.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 40:6-24, 41-42, Psalm 29

Redemptive Suffering

Readings for today: Job 33-36

There is such a thing as redemptive suffering. Suffering with a purpose. We may not always see the purpose and, in fact, it is often only revealed upon reflection after the fact. But that doesn’t mean all suffering is meaningless or all suffering is bad or all suffering is to be avoided. Clearly, the first century believers suffered. Ten of the twelve disciples would be tortured and executed in excrutiating ways for their faith. (Judas committed suicide and John, though he suffered, died of old age.) Throughout the first three centuries of the church’s existence, Christians were burned as torches in Nero’s garden. Thrown to the lions for sport in the arena. In certain regions of the Empire, they were systematically rounded up and killed. This was not only true back then but remains true around the world today. According to Christianity Today, it is estimated that over 70 million Christians have been martyred since the time of Jesus. They suffered and died in places all over the earth. Ottomon Turkey. Nazi Germany. Soviet Russia. Communist China. North Korea. Uganda. Sudan. Mexico. Columbia. And the suffering continues. I have seen it firsthand in Ethiopia and have spoken to eye witnesses from South Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. 

The introduction of Elihu to the narrative represents a turning point in Job. At first glance, Elihu just seems to be piling on. Repeating the same tired arguments of Job’s friends. But a careful reading of the text reveals a significant shift. Elihu bursts on the scene declaring his anger at both Job and his three friends. He believes he has something new to offer that has not yet been said. So what is it that Elihu brings to the table? It is the idea that God does allow the righteous to suffer in order to purify them. Perhaps the key passage from this discourse is Job 33:12-30 (MSG)...

“But let me tell you, Job, you’re wrong, dead wrong! God is far greater than any human. So how dare you haul him into court, and then complain that he won’t answer your charges? God always answers, one way or another, even when people don’t recognize his presence. In a dream, for instance, a vision at night, when men and women are deep in sleep, fast asleep in their beds— God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings to turn them back from something bad they’re planning, from some reckless choice, And keep them from an early grave, from the river of no return….” Remember, they had no Bible. No written records. So the Word of God would come to them in visions and dreams. Why? To punish? To judge? To wound? To destroy? Not at all. It’s so that God may turn us aside from our pride and our foolishness and keep us from perishing. This is deeply significant as it adds a new layer of meaning to the story. God does allow suffering but it’s for our good. He uses suffering to purge the pride from us. The pride Job himself suffers from. Yes, Job is a righteous man. Yes, Job is a blameless man. But Job is also a sinful man. Though he has a heart after God, he is not perfect and God will use his suffering to cleanse the depths of Job’s heart.

Elihu continues…“God might get their attention through pain, by throwing them on a bed of suffering, So they can’t stand the sight of food, have no appetite for their favorite treats. They lose weight, wasting away to nothing, reduced to a bag of bones. They hang on the cliff-edge of death, knowing the next breath may be their last. But even then an angel could come, a champion—there are thousands of them!— to take up your cause, A messenger who would mercifully intervene, canceling the death sentence with the words: ‘I’ve come up with the ransom!’ Before you know it, you’re healed, the very picture of health! Or, you may fall on your knees and pray—to God’s delight! You’ll see God’s smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. You’ll sing God’s praises to everyone you meet, testifying, ‘I messed up my life— and let me tell you, it wasn’t worth it. But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I’m alive again! Once more I see the light!’ This is the way God works. Over and over again He pulls our souls back from certain destruction so we’ll see the light—and live in the light!” God not only warns us in dreams and visions and through His Word, he also uses our physical pain for our good and for His glory. If we follow the logic of Job’s friends - whom Elihu rebukes strongly - we would conclude that those who suffer deserve it. They should go down to death. But that’s not where Elihu lands. His God is not a harsh judge but a faithful, loving Father who ultimately delivers His children from their pain and suffering.

This understanding squares with what Christians have said throughout the centuries. Martyrs facing their death without fear. Saints who endure suffering for the sake of something greater. They all understand God is at work even in the middle of their pain. Not only bringing about His will and His glory but also continuing to sanctify and purify their hearts in the midst of it all. The reality is Job needs to be humbled - and indeed will be humbled - before the Lord of Hosts. This is one of the most important lessons from the Book of Job for all of us.  

Readings for tomorrow: Job 37:1-40:5, Psalm 19

Expectations

Readings for today: Job 29-32

Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.” I remember running across this quote when life was at its darkest and I was struggling to understand what had happened. The people I worked for lacked integrity. They treated me poorly. They were purposefully deceitful and evasive and lacked transparency. Furthermore, one of them made it his mission in life to not only undermine the work I was doing but took every chance he could to speak ill of me. Accuse me. Spread false rumors about me. It was brutal. And then I read these words from Spurgeon and I realized that as badly as I was being treated, I deserved far worse. All of the things I was being accused of WERE actually happening in my heart. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was prideful and arrogant. I harbored resentment and bitterness. I refused to forgive and extend grace. When it hit me that I was all these things and more, I almost laughed out loud. It dawned on me that all my pent up emotions and feelings were just a cover for my own insecurity and fear. And once I confessed those insecurities and fears to God, I was set free. Free from the need to justify myself. Free from the need to be right. Free from the need to see justice done. Free from the need to please them and gain their approval. It was a life-changing experience for me. 

Job’s friends are an easy target in this book. Their theological purity brings little comfort to their suffering friend. Furthemore, their beliefs are far too simplistic for we all know the righteous are not always rewarded nor are the wicked always punished. Therefore, their attacks on Job are without warrant. Having said that...here’s a mind-bender for you...Job actually believes the same way they do! Listen to what he says, “All my dealings with people were good. I was known for being fair to everyone I met. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, Father to the needy, and champion of abused aliens. I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck and made them give back what they’d stolen.” (Job‬ ‭29:14-17‬ MSG) The reality is Job believes his cause is 100% just. He believes he’s done nothing to deserve his fate. Because he is a righteous man, he cannot imagine why God would allow these things to happen to him. “Thrown facedown in the muck, I’m a muddy mess, inside and out. I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer! I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare! You’ve turned into my tormenter— you slap me around, knock me about. You raised me up so I was riding high and then dropped me, and I crashed. I know you’re determined to kill me, to put me six feet under.” (Job‬ ‭30:19-23 MSG‬) Essentially Job is making the same argument his friends have made throughout the book. Why does God not reward the righteous (in this case, Job himself) and punish the wicked? Job clearly believes He should. Clearly is angry with God that He doesn’t. Job has held fast to his integrity. He has not committed any sin worthy of his suffering. He even goes as far as recounting all his righteous deeds in chapter 31, making his closing argument before God. 

As readers, I am sure we all find ourselves in agreement. We take Job’s side. We’re convinced. But then...if we’re careful to listen...we hear the soft whisper of Satan’s initial question. “Does Job fear God for no reason?” The honest truth is Job does expect something from God. He expects an answer. He expects a justifiable reason for his suffering. His expectations have not been met. Job believes he’s kept his end of the deal so it must be God who has failed. (A notion God Himself will correct in just a few chapters...)

So let me put the question to all of us...do we fear God for no reason? Asked another way, why do we love God? Is it for the eschatological goodies? A guaranteed pass to heaven? Health? Wealth? Blessings in this life and the next? Or is God enough? Do we love God simply because He’s God? If there were no eternal rewards. If there were no promises. If God never gave us a single thing, would He be worthy of our love and devotion? 

Readings for tomorrow: Job 33-36

Cultural Insulation

Readings for today: Job 25-28

Eight years ago, we built a home. We got to see it take shape from the ground up. We walked through it at every stage. We spent time going over all the details with the general contractor. Among the more significant was the insulation. How much? Where would it go? What was the rating? Insulation provides a protective barrier around the home. Keeps the utility bills low. Saves energy. Keeps the home comfortable.  

As a Christian living in 21st century America, I am deeply aware of how much I am “insulated” from so much that goes on in the world. My government is relatively stable and has a history of peaceful transfers of power. My community is protected by faithful men and women who serve on the police force and in fire departments. I have access to the best medical care in the world. My household income places me in the top 5% of the world’s wealthiest people. As such, I can buy what I need when I need it. I live in a warm home in the winter, a cool home in the summer. My children have access to great education. College is not just a pipe dream but an expectation for them. Because of the color of my skin, I have never had to face racism either on a personal or systemic level. I have never been held back or paid less because of my gender. My sexual orientation places me at little to no risk. All these advantages create “layers of insulation” that have afforded me an almost idyllic life. 

However, these layers also create “cultural distance” between myself and those who have had a much different experience in life. This includes many of my African-American, Hispanic, and Asian brothers and sisters. It includes many of my female colleagues in ministry. It includes many of my LGBTQ friends. It includes my global brothers and sisters living in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda. And it most certainly includes a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz during the time of the patriarchs of the Bible. One of the more difficult challenges when it comes to Biblical interpretation is recognizing the “cultural distance” between us and the men and women of Scripture. Job lived at a time when there was no democracy. No rule of law. No peaceful transitions of power. Job lived in an age where pain and suffering was common. There were no police, no firefighters, no first responders. Healthcare was non-existent. Disease, famine, pestilence, drought happened all too often. Job lived at a time where families and clans and tribes lived in an almost constant state of conflict. Women and children were routinely raped and murdered. The wealthiest were often the most envied and most targeted. And there were no guarantees beyond what you could guard and protect through your own strength. As such, when we read about the Sabeans raiding all of Job’s oxen and donkeys or the firestorm from heaven that kills all Job’s sheep or the Chaldeans raiding his camels or hurricane force winds collapsing a home on Job’s children, we cannot imagine what that must feel like because we are largely insulated from such tragedies. But Job is not. His friends are not. They live in a world where these things happen with some degree of regularity. 

The craziest part of this whole book is that Job believes. He holds fast to his faith. The language he uses to describe God in chapter 26 is some of the most beautiful and stirring in all of Scripture. “Hell is ripped open before God, graveyards dug up and exposed. He spreads the skies over unformed space, hangs the earth out in empty space. He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags and the bags don’t burst. He makes the moon wax and wane, putting it through its phases. He draws the horizon out over the ocean, sets a boundary between light and darkness. Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies. Listen! It’s God raising his voice! By his power he stills sea storms, by his wisdom he tames sea monsters. With one breath he clears the sky, with one finger he crushes the sea serpent. And this is only the beginning, a mere whisper of his rule. Whatever would we do if he really raised his voice!” (Job‬ ‭26:6-14 MSG) And I love how he describes his search for wisdom in chapter 28. “But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? Mortals don’t have a clue, haven’t the slightest idea where to look. Earth’s depths say, ‘It’s not here’; ocean deeps echo, ‘Never heard of it.’ It can’t be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it. Even famous Ophir gold can’t buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires. Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can’t touch it. Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets—why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom! Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can’t hold a candle to Wisdom. “So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? It can’t be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, ‘We’ve only heard rumors of it.’”(Job 28:12-22 MSG)

In the face of all Job has suffered, he still trusts in God. One of the great truths I have discovered as I travel and teach the world over is that “insulation” is a faith-killer. The more layers, the more we struggle to believe. The more we have, the harder it is for us to trust in God. The more safe and comfortable we are, the less resilient our faith. The book of Job describes in vivid detail what happens when all the layers are peeled back. Everything we have is stripped away. All we hold dear is lost. In that moment, will we cling to faith? Will we walk the path of wisdom that God lays out for us? “God alone knows the way to Wisdom, He knows the exact place to find it…Fear-of-the-Lord - that’s Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.” (Job 28:23, 28)

Readings for tomorrow: Job 29-32

Doubling Down

Readings for today: Job 22-24

I remember vividly the last time I gambled at a casino. It was in the late nineties before I became a pastor. I was on a business trip to Las Vegas and a friend of mine and I decided to play craps. We had a good night. When it came time for me to roll, I hit a hot streak. Rolled for almost 40 minutes without hitting a seven. It was crazy. People were cheering. Money was being made hand over fist. Frankly, I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. In the middle of all the chaos, a homeless man shuffled in. The lines in his face told the story of a hard life on the streets. He hadn’t showered in days. His teeth were almost gone. His eyes were blurry and unfocused. He held a crumpled up $20 bill he’d found in the gutter somewhere. He threw it down on the table. I promptly rolled a seven. The board cleared. The run was over. Everyone turned on this man. They cursed him. They jeered him. He just turned and shuffled away, never saying a word.  

I sometimes think about that man when I pray. I wonder where he is? Where life took him? If he ever got any help or if he just continued to barely survive on the streets? Doubling down each chance he got when someone gave him some money? I think about my own life. In so many ways, I am just like him. Doubling down on my own sin in my own heart rather than humbly submitting to God. As I read Eliphaz’s words this morning, I can feel his frustration boiling over. The general theological principle he’s held to his entire life - the righteous prosper, the unrighteous are punished - has failed him. But rather than humbly recognizing the failure and taking a step back, he doubles down. He attacks his dear friend Job. He accuses him of crimes against God. “You’re a first-class moral failure, because there is no end to your sins.” (Job 22:5 MSG) You have robbed your brothers. You have stripped the naked. You have withheld water from the thirsty. You have not fed the hungry. You have treated widows and orphans with disdain. Over and over again, he verbally assaults his friend. Someone once asked me why Satan is not more visible in Job after the first few chapters. My answer was that we encounter him throughout the book in the words of Job’s friends. Remember, satan means “accuser.”

How does Job respond? He doubles down on God. “If I knew where on earth to find Him, I’d go straight to Him. I’d lay out my case before Him face-to-face, give Him all my arguments firsthand. I’d find out exactly what He’s thinking, discover what’s going on in His head. Do you think He’d dismiss me or bully me? No, He’d take me seriously. He’d see a straight-living man standing before Him; my Judge would acquit me for good of all charges.” (Job 23:3-7 MSG) Job is confident in God’s justice and righteousness. Confident God will hear his prayers. Confident God would pay attention to him, unlike his friends who seem so bent on contending with him. 

The problem, of course, is Job can’t seem to find God in the midst of his suffering and pain. Though he’s assailed the heavens, they seem shut up. Though he’s cried out, all he’s received so far is deafening silence. Job has done his best but to no avail. “I travel East looking for Him - I find no one; then West, but not a trace; I go North, but He’s hidden His tracks; then South, not even a glimpse.” (Job 23:8-9 MSG) However, he does not despair. Why? Because he trusts God. “But He knows where I am and what I’ve done. He can cross-examine me all He wants, and I’ll pass the test with honors.” (Job‬ ‭23:10 MSG‬) Though Job can’t seem to find the way to God, God knows the way to him. And at the end of all the trials and all the trauma, Job is confident God will make things right. Job is confident he will emerge better than before.

Admittedly, I am partial to these verses. When things have been at their darkest in my own life or I’ve struggled with uncertainty and doubt and fear or when the trials I’ve faced have taken me to the end of myself and the end of my resources and the end of my plans; Job 23:10 has been my comfort and my hope. I know what it’s like to double down on sin. I know what it’s like to double down on self-destruction. I know what it’s like to double down in my pride and arrogance. And in those moments, God has broken me utterly and completely. Humbled me in so many ways. He has laid me low to teach me about His sufficiency and grace. He has used the trials of my life to refine me. Purify me. Sanctify me. And His work is not done. Not until I reach glory. 

Readings for tomorrow: None

Breakthrough

Readings for today: Job 18-21

There’s a scene in the movie, The Perfect Storm, where the crew of the Andrea Gail catches a glimpse of a potential way to salvation. Their commercial fishing vessel is being battered by one of the fiercest storms ever to hit the North Atlantic. Waves measuring over sixty feet in height were tossing their little boat all over the place and the crew was rapidly losing all hope. In the midst of the darkness, a brief pinprick of light appeared. The sun broke through the clouds and illuminated a potential path out of the storm. The captain set his course but simply didn’t have the power to escape. The storm closed back in and all hands were lost as the Andrea Gail sank to the bottom of the ocean.

Job finds himself in the midst of one of life’s fiercest storms. His condition is grave. His future is bleak. His suffering is great. The darkness of despair has closed in all around him to the point where he believes God has become his enemy. “God threw a barricade across my path—I’m stymied; he turned out all the lights—I’m stuck in the dark. He destroyed my reputation, robbed me of all self-respect. He tore me apart piece by piece—I’m ruined! Then he yanked out hope by the roots. He’s angry with me—oh, how he’s angry! He treats me like his worst enemy. He has launched a major campaign against me, using every weapon he can think of, coming at me from all sides at once.” (Job‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬-‭12 MSG‬) I can think of nothing more terrifying than believing God has set Himself against you. You want to talk about hopelessness! If the Lord is against you, who can be for you? If the Lord has determined to destroy you, who can save you? If the Lord is coming for you, who can deliver you? Certainly no one on earth. Certainly no weapon that’s formed by human hands can fend Him off. Certainly no army no matter how large and mighty can overcome the Lord.

Thankfully, in the midst of this passage, a pinprick of light appears. A break in the storm. The Son appears on the horizon, His light piercing the darkness. “Still I know that God lives - the One who gives me back my life - and eventually He will take His stand on earth. And I’ll see Him - even though I get skinned alive - I will see God myself, with my very own eyes. Oh, how I long for that day!” (Job 19:24-27 MSG) Against all hope and human experience, Job trusts God. Though God seems to be his enemy, Job refuses to lose faith in Him. Though God seemingly has taken everything from him, Job continues to seek Him. It’s a powerful Word in the midst of a challenging book that forces us to come face to face with the overwhelming nature of suffering.

Most of us can identify with Job on some level. If you live life for very long, chances are good that you will experience suffering. It might be a terminal disease. It might be mental illness. It might be a financial loss. It might be the implosion of a career. It might be a divorce or estrangement with someone you love. It might be a struggle with an addiction. Whatever it may be, know that God is with you in the storm. He is at work even now creating a breakthrough that will bring deliverance and salvation in this life or the next. He is faithful! He will never leave you or abandon you. He is able! There is nothing beyond the reach of His amazing and all-powerful grace. He is good! You can trust Him because He loves you as a Father and He delights in giving good gifts to His children.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 22-24

Mortality

Readings for today: Job 14-17

Years ago, I was helping lead a service on Ash Wednesday. For those who may not be familiar with the Christian liturgical tradition, Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of a season called Lent. Lent is a time when Christians contemplate their mortality. They spend intentional time reflecting on the brevity and fragility of life. It is a time of preparation as we get ready to celebrate the glorious promise of resurrection on Easter. After the service, a man approached me to let me know how much he didn’t like the service. It was way too scary and somber and depressing. His daughter was disturbed by the imposition of ashes and the words “from dust you came and to dust you shall return.” He argued that such services were inappropriate, especially for minors, and we should never do anything like them again but instead focus our efforts on being positive and affirming. I have to admit there’s a part of me that wishes I could agree with him but God’s Word and the human experience requires us to face our own mortality.

“We’re all adrift in the same boat: too few days, too many troubles. We spring up like wildflowers in the desert and then wilt, transient as the shadow of a cloud…mortals have such a limited life span…men and women die and stay dead. They breathe their last and that’s it. Like lakes and rivers that have dried up, parched reminders of what once was, so mortals lie down and never get up, never wake up again - never.” (Job 14:1-2, 5, 10-12) Job is honest before God. He has come to grips with his own mortality. He recognizes the limits God has set. He acknowledges that he is without hope apart from God. Our lives - at their best - are but a shadow. They are here today and gone tomorrow. We are forgotten within a generation or two. Our impact is minimal. Our influence is fleeting. There is very little that we work for that endures. Remember, Job was the wealthiest man in the world. He had all he wanted and more and it was taken from him in an instant. How many of us have faced a similar circumstance in our own lives?

So where do we find hope? What good is all this reflection on death and mortality and the transient nature of life? Where does it all lead? I’m glad you asked! ;-) Listen to where it leads Job, “O Earth, don’t cover up the wrong done to me! Don’t muffle my cry! There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name - my Champion, my Friend, while I’m weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor.” (Job 16:18-21) Though Job doesn’t know Christ, he points us to Christ. Though Job has not seen the hope of the resurrection and knows nothing about the One Mediator whom God has established, he believes in Him. It’s a striking passage that demonstrates from the earliest writings of God’s people, there was the hope of a Redeemer. A heavenly being who would take up our case before the throne of God. One who would represent us and ultimately save us by taking our place. This is why it is good to reflect on death for it points us to our ultimate need for Jesus.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 18-21

Hopelessness

Readings for today: Job 10-13

Ever felt hopeless in your life? Ever get to a place where no matter what you did, things turned out worse? Ever find yourself in a position where the walls were closing in and you had no escape? No safety net? No one to catch you when you fall? This is what Job felt like in the face of all he suffered. Hopelessness is a terrible thing. The loss of hope is one of the worst things that can happen to a human being. If we don’t have hope, we lose any motivation to keep on living. We lose any desire to keep on striving. The results are often tragic. Either we give up or we find a way to end it all or we shuffle through the rest of life like a zombie with no sense of purpose or direction.

I think of the many people I have counseled over the years who found themselves on the verge of hopelessness. Some of them were fighting terrible, wasting diseases like ALS or Alzheimer’s and they wondered what value their life could possibly hold as their physical bodies failed. Some were fighting terrible addictions and they wondered how life could be worth living under such oppressive, compulsive, and seemingly irresistible self-destructive desires. Some were fighting mental health conditions like schizophrenia or anorexia or clinical depression and they wondered what the point of life might be when so much of what they experienced was darkness. Still others suffered from deep emotional and relational pain. Still others had seen everything they had built come crashing down around them. There is so much pain and heartbreak in our world that leads to hopelessness and despair and we wonder where God is in the midst of it all.

Listen to how Job describes his own feelings of hopelessness, “If I’m truly guilty, I’m doomed. But if I’m innocent, it’s no better - I’m still doomed. My belly is full of bitterness. I’m up to my ears in a swamp of affliction. I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out, but you’re too much for me, relentless like a lion on the prowl.” (Job 10:15-16) There is nothing worse than feeling like life has no point. Nothing worse than feeling like no matter what we do, we are all still doomed to suffer. Nothing worse than thinking it doesn’t matter if one is good or evil because we all end up in the same place. This is where Job finds himself in our reading today and yet he refuses to give up hope. He stubbornly clings to faith. He continues to cry out to God. Demanding an audience. Demanding an answer. Somewhere deep down, he knows what he’s experiencing is not right so he throws himself on God’s mercy. “Yes, I’ve seen all this with my own eyes, heard and understood it with my own very ears. Everything you know, I know, so I’m not taking a backseat to any of you. I’m taking my case straight to God Almighty; I’ve had it with you - I’m going directly to God.” (Job 13:1-4)

Some believe the Book of Job is about the loss of faith. Some believe it is about deconstructing faith. I beg to differ. Job is a book that plumbs the depth of faith. It presents faith in it’s most real, most raw form. It shows us what faith looks like under immense pressure. It shows us how faith endures under the most difficult of circumstances. Job is a faithful man precisely because he continues to cry out to God. He refuses to let go. He is like Jacob wrestling with God down by the river. He is broken. He is beaten. He is wounded terribly, perhaps even mortally, and still he will not let go until God answers him. His friends all want him to compromise. His counselors all want him to exchange his deep and profound faith for superficial, theologically correct answers. His own wife wants him to renounce his faith, curse God, and die. But Job perseveres. He endures. He only tightens his grip on his faith. He refuses to give into hopelessness. Refuses to let despair have the final word.

What about you? Where do you find yourself today? Where are you struggling with hopelessness? Where are you struggling with despair? Maybe you’re like some of the people I mentioned above, battling chronic illness, addiction, or mental health issues. Maybe you’ve had a relationship go south or an estrangement with someone you love. Maybe your job or career has stalled or even failed and all your dreams for the future have gone up in smoke. Follow Job’s example. Cry out to God. Hold nothing back. Bring it all to Him. It’s only when we have nothing left that we discover faith in God is more than enough.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 14-17

Empty Platitudes

Readings for today: Job 6-9

I’m reading the Message version of the Bible this year and love how author, Eugene Peterson, translates the ancient meaning of the text into 21st century American vernacular. Take the gut-wrenching questions of Job as an example. “Why didn’t I die at birth, my first breath out of the womb my last?” (Job 5:11) “Why does God bother giving light to the miserable, why bother keeping bitter people alive, those who want in the worst way to die, and can’t, who can’t imagine anything better than death, who count the day of their death and burial the happiest day of their life? What’s the point of life when it doesn’t make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning?” (Job 5:20-23) “Human life is a struggle, isn’t it? It’s a life sentence to hard labor.” (Job 7:1) After experiencing so much misery and tragedy and pain, Job finally reaches the point of utter despair. His friends are at a loss. They don’t know how to help. They are afraid for their friend. As they sit with their friend in the ashes of his life, an anxiousness begins to grow within them. Every word Job speaks only increases their anxiety and fear. Their feelings of helplessness. Their feelings of hopelessness. Finally, they can’t take it anymore and they begin to respond. 

How do I know this is what Job’s friends are experiencing? Because it’s what I experience every time I walk into a similar situation with people I love who have experienced suffering. I have been in the emergency rooms with parents as they said goodbye to their children. I have been in the neonatal units watching infants struggle for every breath. I have sat at the bedside of those dying from cancer and tried to bring comfort to their loved ones. I have been in the developing world and seen life-threatening poverty. I have prayed over men and women whose condition is utterly hopeless because they simply do not have access to the resources they need to survive. In EVERY single case, I feel helpless, inadequate, afraid, frustrated, and I despair. These feelings threaten to overwhelm me and, if I am not careful, can cause me to say things more for my own benefit than for the good of others. This is what we see play out in Job’s conversations with his friends. They are experiencing all kinds of emotions as well as they sit with Job and eventually reach a breaking point where they feel they have to respond. Not for Job’s sake but for their own. 

Eliphaz is the first to speak. “You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow. But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now? Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope? Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap? Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end?” (4:6-7) Now this is a theologically true statement. The fear of God is our confidence.  Walking in integrity with God is our hope. God promises to protect the innocent and the upright. These things are all true. At the same time, speaking these words to a man who has lost all he holds dear and who, even now, suffers from sores and wounds that are infected with worms is insensitive and superficial at best. What Job needs is not an answer to why he is suffering but friends who will simply sit and listen and let him process his pain for however long it takes. Yes, it is true that “mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward.” (5:7) But for Eliphaz to suggest to Job that if he were in Job’s shoes, he’d “go straight to God, I’d throw myself on the mercy of God. After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to his surprises….” (5:8-9) is patently absurd. Eliphaz simply has no idea how he would respond were he in Job’s situation and that’s why his words fall on deaf ears. 

Job responds with a stinging rebuke. “When desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends, at least, should stick with them. But my brothers are fickle…They arrive so confident - but what a disappointment! They get there, and their faces fall! And you, my so-called friends, are no better - there’s nothing to you!” (6:14-15, 20-21) He clearly sees their fear. He clearly sees their discomfort. He clearly sees their anxiety as they sit helpless before him. He knows they are struggling with how to respond. But he also knows Eliphaz’s answer is far too simplistic. Suffering and sin do not exist in a one to one relationship. This situation has nothing to do with cause and effect. Eliphaz’s theology is far too superficial to explain why some people suffer in extraordinary ways when they have not extraordinarily sinned. Nor is it adequate to explain why some people prosper in extraordinary ways when they clearly are extraordinary sinners! So Job rejects what Eliphaz has to say. 

Once again, Job cries out to God. “What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them, that you even give them the time of day? That you check up on them every morning, looking in on them to see how they’re doing? Let up on me, will you? Can’t you even let me spit in peace? Even suppose I’d sinned—how would that hurt you? You’re responsible for every human being. Don’t you have better things to do than pick on me? Why make a federal case out of me? Why don’t you just forgive my sins and start me off with a clean slate? The way things are going, I’ll soon be dead. You’ll look high and low, but I won’t be around." (Job‬ ‭7:17-21‬) This is raw. This is real. This is the kind of honest emotion God welcomes from His children. God’s a big boy. We aren’t going to offend Him with our words. He can handle all we throw at Him. And Job’s words here in this passage invite us to share our deepest, most intimate thoughts and feelings with God. 

But such raw emotion is too much for Bildad. He feels he has to rush to God’s defense. (As if God ever needs us to defend Him.) “Does God mess up? Does God Almighty ever get things backward? It’s plain that your children sinned against him— otherwise, why would God have punished them? Here’s what you must do—and don’t put it off any longer: Get down on your knees before God Almighty. If you’re as innocent and upright as you say, it’s not too late—he’ll come running; he’ll set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes.” (Job‬ ‭8:3-6‬) Brutal. Harsh. Unloving. Uncaring. Your children died because they sinned? Chalk that one up to “things never to say to people who are in pain!” But Bildad goes even further, insisting Job has clearly sinned and therefore deserves what he has received. If only Job will seek God - as if Job hasn’t - then he will be healed and restored. 

But Job clings to his faith. He continues to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. “So what’s new? I know all this. The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’ If we wanted to bring our case before him, what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand! God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense, who could take him on and come out in one piece? He moves mountains before they know what’s happened, flips them on their heads on a whim. He gives the earth a good shaking up, rocks it down to its very foundations. He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t; he pulls the blinds on the stars. All by himself he stretches out the heavens and strides on the waves of the sea…So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God?” (Job‬ ‭9:2-8, 14‬) Though Job is not “guilty as charged”, he understands his position before God. This really isn’t about guilt or innocence because again, suffering and sin do not exist in a one to one relationship. This is about Job’s pain not his purity. This is about Job’s suffering not his sanctity. This is about Job’s heartbreak not his holiness. He is hurting and out of his hurt, he cries out to God. 

Where are you hurting today? What heartbreaks have you experienced in your life? Where have you found yourself crying out to God? Know He hears every word. He listens to every prayer. Where have you been like Job’s friends? Struggling to find the right words to say when all you want to do is escape the situation? Have you ever said things more to ease your own conscience than to help the one in need? Learn to listen more deeply and be willing to sit in silence in the dust and ashes with those you love who are hurting and you will find yourself a much better counselor than Job’s friends.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 10-13

The Book of Job

Readings for today: Job 1-5

“Does Job fear God for no reason?” It’s a haunting question. Job not only feared God, he reverenced Him. He held Him in awe. Job respected and honored God. Job loved God and devoted His life to Him. To fear God in the Old Testament meant giving God His due. Treating God as He rightfully deserved. Humbly acknowledging the infinite gap that exists between us. Job did all these things and more but the Accuser (this is what the word “satan” literally means in the original Hebrew) comes before God to test that loyalty. Some wonder if this book is literal or an allegory. Did a man named Job actually exist or is this a book written to help God’s people process the problem of evil and suffering in the world? It is the oldest book in the Bible. The first one to be written. And that makes sense to me for it deals with one of the foundational, if not the most foundational, question of our existence…why do we fear and love and honor God?

Satan argues Job fears God because of the blessings he’s been given. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” Satan believes if everything Job has is stripped away he will curse God and renounce his faith. It doesn’t work. In response to the loss of all his possessions and the tragic death of all his children, Job responds, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Satan’s next tactic is to attack Job’s physical health and mental well-being. “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” Again, his plan fails. His accusations don’t stick. Job contracts a terrible disease. His body is a physical horror. He is terrifying to look at so he sits alone in the ashes, scraping his sores with the broken pottery of his former life. Still he holds fast to faith, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

The rest of the book is a litany of Job’s anguish and anger at God. He yells. He screams. He weeps. He is bitter. He is resentful. He is demanding. He refuses to accept easy answers. Refuses to settle for superficial theology. He plumbs the depths of unimaginable pain and suffering. It is tempting to start to believe Job has lost his faith or at least is in the process of deconstructing but nothing could be further from the truth. It takes incredible faith to be this raw and honest before God and that’s why when Job finally comes to the end of himself, he finds God waiting for him there.

To be honest, I don’t know if Job was a real person but the anguish he expresses in the midst of his suffering is as real as it gets. The questions posed by this ancient book represent the deepest level of engagement with human pain and heartbreak. Do we fear God for no reason? Do we love God for who He is or because of the blessings He has poured out on our lives? Will our love for Him stand the test of suffering? There are no easy answers. One only faces this question when one comes face to face with the end of themselves and there in the darkness, they find God. 

Andrew Brunson is a missionary and pastor. He was imprisoned for his faith in Turkey. For two years or more, he languished as his fate became a subplot in an international standoff between the United States and Turkey. Everything he had was taken from him. He was barely allowed access to his family or the outside world. The charges he faced were untrue. The trials he endured were unjust. In the midst of his imprisonment, he suffered from terrible bouts of depression and despair. After he was released, he spoke at a national meeting I attended. He relayed all he had endured. He made no attempt to glorify his persecution. He spoke humbly and authentically and powerfully about how, when he reached the lowest point, he lost faith. But in that moment when he had nothing left, when he let everything go, when all hope was lost; he found himself saying, “Jesus…Jesus…Jesus” over and over again. Like Job, Andrew found Jesus waiting for him in the darkness and despair.

You and I may never suffer like Job or Andrew but we are all familiar with pain. We all know heartache. We all know what it’s like to feel bitter disappointment. We’ve all tasted suffering on some level. We all probably know what it feels like to come to the end of ourselves. The question we all have to face in those moments is this…do we fear God for no reason? When everything is stripped away, is God enough? Is He sufficient? Is He worthy of our love and devotion simply because He is God?

Readings for tomorrow: Job 6-9

A Hard Life

Readings for today: Genesis 47-50

I remember being called to the bedside of a man who was dying. When I entered the room, I found him locked up in the fetal position in tremendous pain. The drugs they gave him provided little relief for his pain was more emotional and spiritual than it was physical. Tanner was a man who lived for himself. His sole goal was to work all week so he could make enough money to grab a case of beer on the way to his boat so he could spend the weekend fishing. He neglected his wife and children. He had few, if any, friends. His extended family wanted nothing to do with him. The stated goal for his funeral service was to make it as quick as possible. I thought about Tanner when I read these words from Jacob today, “The years of my sojourning are 130 - a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given.”

I doubt Jacob’s life was as bad as Tanner’s but it clearly didn’t live up to his expectations. Here was a man who schemed and lied and manipulated those around him. He stole his brother’s birthright. He defrauded his father-in-law. He played favorites with his wives and children. He even tried to bargain with God. The natural consequences of his life were not good. He experienced terrible grief and loss. His years were short and hard. His family life was deeply conflicted. And here he is at the end of his life having to flee his home due to a natural disaster and settle in a foreign land under the rule of a foreign king. Thankfully, God was gracious to Jacob. He gave him the gift of seeing his beloved son before he died. He blessed his children and grandchildren. He made them promise to bury him back in Canaan in the very same cave where his ancestors were buried.

It is good for us to spend some time reflecting on death. Set against the backdrop of eternity, our lives in this world are short and hard. So how do we make the most of them? How do we make sure we are spending our time and energy and resources building on the rock rather than sand? How do we make sure we don’t get to the end of our lives and leave only regrets behind? Jesus shows us the way. Love God and love others. Serve God and serve others. Give your life away and you will gain it. Lose your life and you will find it. Do all the good you can for as long as you can with all the strength and energy and intentionality you can and those who come after you will rise up and called you blessed. Those you leave behind will grieve to be sure but with a deep sense of thankfulness and joy. Your legacy will impact the generations who come after you and God Himself will reward you with a crown of righteousness.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Repentance

Readings for today: Genesis 44-46

Repentance is an important word in the Bible. It was central to the preaching ministry of Jesus. “Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand.” It is central to the lives of many saints in both Old and New Testaments. It was the sign of salvation for them. Literally, the word “repentance” means to make a 180 degree turn in one’s life. It means turning around and walking in a new direction. Instead of running from God, one now seeks after God. Instead of striving to be our own gods, we surrender our lives back to God. It is far more than simply feeling sorry for our sin. It is far more than regret over what we have said or done. It is definitely more than the shame we feel when we get caught. It signals change at a fundamental, heart level and it results in new attitudes and actions in our lives.

In today’s reading, Judah models repentance. The first time he appears on the scene in the story, he is conspiring with his brothers to kill Joseph. He is bitter and angry at his prideful little brother and wants to get rid of him. After beating his brother and throwing him into a cistern, it is Judah who comes up with the idea of trafficking Joseph to some Midianite traders on their way to Egypt. Why kill him when you can make a profit? Now here we are many years later and it is Judah who offers his own life in exchange for Benjamin. It is Judah who pulls Joseph aside and intercedes on behalf of his family. It is Judah who offers to traffic himself and remain a slave so that Benjamin and the rest of his brothers can go free. What a turnaround! No wonder Joseph couldn’t control himself at that moment!

As a pastor, I’ve had the blessing of watching many people repent of their sin and come to faith. It is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I have seen marriages and families healed. Addicts delivered. The greedy become generous. The selfish become selfless. The prideful become humble. It’s truly awesome to witness. As a person, I’ve had to engage in the process of repentance myself. It is humbling to sit under the ministry of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to do His sanctifying, purifying work. I’ve become a more selfless, generous, and humble person…though I still have so far to go. I’ve given up my own addictions and compulsions. I’ve seen my own marriage and family be healed as I gave up my former ways and started walking in the newness of life Christ promises to those who place their trust in Him.

What about you? Where do you find yourself today? In what areas of your life is God calling you to repent? To turn around and start walking in a different direction so that you might become a different person? What holds you back? Would it change anything if you knew that all of heaven rejoices every time a sinner repents? Don’t you want to experience the joy of heaven in your life today?

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 47-50

Dreams and Visions

Readings for today: Genesis 41-43

A few years ago, I was in Ethiopia when I met a man whom God had visited several times in a dream. We were in the middle of a training session of several hundred church planters in a village called Gojo up in the highlands of the country, four and a half hours away from Addis Ababa in a pretty remote area. About halfway through the week, a few of us were walking through the village where we were staying to our training center when a man approached us. He was dressed head to toe in traditional Muslim tribal garb. Long flowing robes. Head scarf. A long scimitar belted to his hip. We weren’t sure what to make of him except that he didn’t seem aggressive so we sent for a translator. He told us the most amazing story. Several months previous, he had been visited by Jesus in a dream. Jesus shared the gospel with him and he woke up and gave his life to Christ. He then went around his village preaching Christ to anyone who would hear and the whole village - about 80 people - came to faith. Then he had another dream. Jesus told him to come to this town called Gojo where he would meet people who could teach him the ways of the gospel. So he started walking. And walking. And walking. Turns out he traveled two or three days to get to Gojo where he “happened” to arrive on the exact same week we were conducting our training session. Crazy!

God often speaks to us in our dreams…if we have the ears to hear and the hearts to listen. Sometimes those dreams are prophetic in that they tell the future. Sometimes those dreams are prophetic in that they convict us of sin. Sometimes dreams bring to light anxiety and fear that we need to bring to our Heavenly Father. Sometimes our dreams affirm us or reveal the deepest desires of our heart. Joseph was a dreamer. Sheaves of wheat. Stars in the sky. Sun and moon. Clusters of grapes. Baskets of bread. Fat cows and thin cows. Somehow Joseph is able to make sense of it all. Why? Because God was with him! 

Over and over again throughout the Joseph “cycle” in Genesis, we see this refrain. “The Lord was with Joseph.” “The Lord caused all he did to have success.” “The Lord showed steadfast love and gave him favor.” Despite all that happens to Joseph, God never leaves his side. And Joseph is faithful in return. “Do not all interpretations belong to God?” “It is not in me, God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.” Joseph never claims his gift as his own. He always acknowledges God. He always gives all the glory and honor to the Lord. And this blows Pharaoh away. “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” You see, the dreams are really beside the point. They are simply the signposts that point to the greater reality of God! 

The same is true of Joseph’s life. Yes, he faces hardship. Yes, he experiences tragedy. Yes, he is the victim of injustice. Yes, he languishes in prison. Yes, he also experiences success and wealth and great honor. But again, all these things are really beside the point. Joseph’s life - and this is what he really grasps on a deep, deep level - is itself a signpost that points to the greater reality of God! Joseph’s life is itself simply a tool God is using to reveal His steadfast love and faithfulness! All that happens to Joseph is not just for Joseph’s sake but for the sake of the greater glory of God, the greater good of God’s people, and even the greater welfare of the pagan Egyptians. It’s mind-blowing.

So what dreams is God giving you these days? Not just when you are asleep. What dreams and desires has He placed on your heart? Where is He calling you to step out for His greater glory? Your greater good? And the welfare of those around you? As you look back over the course of your life, ask the Spirit to give you the eyes to see where He has been faithful. Where He has been with you. Where He has taken the good, the bad, and the ugly and used it for His purposes.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 44-46

God’s Sovereignty

Readings for today: Genesis 38-40

God is sovereign. God stands outside time and space. He is not bound by the constraints of this world. Not human history as it unfolds. Not the laws of physics He set in motion. Not the choices of His people, sinful or otherwise. God is sovereign. God is sitting on His throne in heaven even now. His hand at the controls. He moves according to His will and purpose. He acts in accordance with His character and nature. He is faithfully guiding all of history according to the plan He made from eternity.

We see this on display in the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah makes all the wrong choices in this passage. He marries a Canaanite woman. Two of his three sons are put to death for their sin. Judah reneges on his promise to Tamar. He withholds his third son out of fear of what might take place. He sleeps with someone he believes is a temple prostitute. He hypocritically accuses his daughter-in-law of sexual immorality once it’s discovered she’s pregnant. Finally, he repents when he realizes his own sinful choices have led him to this point. Still God uses it for His glory. Still God bends even Judah’s sinful choices to His sovereign will. The twins Tamar bears will become important figures in the line of Jesus. Tamar herself will gain a mention in the Savior’s genealogy.

We see God’s sovereignty on display in Joseph’s life as well. Arrogant and prideful, he is despised by his brothers. Sold into slavery for a profit, he ends up in Potiphar’s household where he finds great success as an estate manager. Falsely accused of attempted rape, Joseph is sent to prison where he continues to find ways to bless those around him. When Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker become his cellmates, he interprets their dreams. God is slowly but surely orchestrating all things for Joseph’s good. Including the evil he’s endured. Including his suffering and pain and hardship. Joseph will eventually rise to become almost as powerful as Pharaoh himself. He will use his position and influence to save his family. What his brothers intended for evil, God uses for good.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still sovereignly at work, orchestrating all things according to His divine purpose and will. Yes, our choices are real, sinful, godly, or otherwise. Yes, our suffering is real and so is our success. Yes, our pain is real and so is our joy. Yes, our heartbreak is real and so is the love we experience. God promises to use all these things for our good if we but love and trust Him. He doesn’t promise us an easy life. Doesn’t promise us a pain-free life. In fact, following Christ in this world will often result in the opposite.

This world is not our home. This world is not what God intended it to be. Humanity is broken. Deeply flawed at a fundamental level. But God still loves humanity. God still intends to work through humanity to bring about salvation to the earth. God will not give up on humanity. He will not give up on you. He will not give up on me. He is at work even now to bring to completion the good work He began in us in Christ. No matter what you are going through. No matter how many switchbacks you take in this life. Know that God is with you. God is leading you. God is guiding you. He wastes no part of your life. He will use it all to bring about your good and His glory.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 41-43

Dreamers

Readings for today: Genesis 34-37

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A day we set aside in our nation to honor one of our heroes. A man who fought against racism and poverty and war. He dedicated his life to following the way of Jesus. Like Jesus, MLK displayed a fierce commitment to the truth. He refused to let injustice stand. He took great personal risks that put his life in danger on many occasions but never resorted to violence even in self-defense. One would think such a man would have been celebrated in his own time. Hailed as a hero especially in a nation that claimed a strong Christian heritage. Tragically, this was not the case. He was hated and violently opposed for his beliefs. Public opinion polls taken at the time of his death showed a 75% “disapproval” rating. What was it about MLK’s dream that was so dangerous? His radical commitment to peace posed a threat to a growing military industrial complex. His radical commitment to care for the poor posed a threat to runaway capitalism and corporate greed. His radical commitment to equality posed a threat to a nation who refused to repent for the sins of her racist past. And though our nation has made progress since those dark days in 1968, we still have so far to go before we see Dr. King’s dream realized.

I couldn’t help but think of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech as I read our passage today. Joseph’s dreams were similarly dangerous. They posed a threat to a family system governed by the strict rules of an ancient near east culture. Younger sons did not rule over older sons nor did parents ever bow down to their children. Such a notion was deeply shameful and dishonoring which is why Joseph’s brothers respond so violently. They are well within their rights to cast him out of the family. Punish him for his transgressions even if their father will not. They know he is the favored son and perhaps they worried that Jacob may indeed upend the “system” to elevate Joseph and make all his dreams come true. Little did they know how their actions were serving the larger purposes of God. Indeed, decades will pass before Joseph will see his dreams realized. In that time, he would suffer tremendous hardship and pain. He would face disappointment time and time again. He would rise only to fall and he must have had his moments of despair. But eventually he came to a point where he could see what his brothers intended for evil, God intended for good.

I have to believe God is up to something similar in our day. As I reflect back on the events of the past few years, I find myself wondering if what we are seeing are the birth pangs of a new age. I think of the words of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 24:4-8, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” You see, Jesus too has a dream. He dreams of a world where peace and justice reign. A world where wars will cease and hatred is replaced by love. A world where every injustice is made right and every wrong redressed. A world where truth and righteousness are lifted up and lies, deceit, and conspiracy theories laid low. He dreams of a world where the poor and needy and outcast are treated with compassion. He dreams of a world where sinners repent and every human being takes responsibility to steward the gifts and resources they’ve been given for glory of God and in service to His Kingdom.

Friends, our world is not friendly to dreamers. Especially those who dream God’s dreams. It will take courage to hold fast to God’s dreams in a world where violence and hatred and outrage and injustice are on the rise. It will take courage to turn the other cheek, repay evil with good, and offer a gentle answer in response to wrath. It will take courage to follow the dreams of Jesus.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 38-40

Supplanter

Readings for today: Genesis 30-33

Jacob is one of my favorites. He and I are so alike. I can remember when I was young making all these pacts with God. If God would take care of me…if God would provide for me…if God would come through for me…then I would be faithful. I would serve Him. Ultimately, of course, I was asking God to bless my plans. I was treating God like a genie in a lamp. I wanted Him to meet my needs. I wanted Him to give me what I desired. I never thought to ask Him what His desires were for my life. Nor was “submission” in my vocabulary. So I went about my life trying to make it all happen on my own. In my own strength. According to my own wisdom. There was a lot of manipulation and scheming and lying in those days. I hurt a lot of people I loved. Eventually, it all caught up to me and I found myself in a very dark place. That’s when I first wrestled with God. 

Back in 2009, my life was at a breaking point. My job was not going well. I could feel the walls closing in. Every conversation with those I reported to seemed to end in conflict. I felt helpless. I was discouraged. It took a huge effort just to get out of bed each day. Rather than own my responsibility for the condition I found myself in, I blamed others. I retreated emotionally and relationally from those I loved. I neglected my wife and children. I spent hours distracting myself. All to no avail. This went on for months. My wife grew more and more distant and angry and upset. My children bore the brunt of my frustration. And I justified every bit of it because I was hurt. I was misunderstood. I was being let down. Finally my wife sat me down for the hardest conversation we’ve ever had in our marriage. “I never thought I’d ever say this but I don’t like being married to you. You need to decide between me and your job. You have 24 hours.” Her words broke me. That night I wrestled with God. I yelled at Him. Shook my fists. Blamed Him for everything that had gone wrong. For hours I paced the floor, pouring out all my fears and frustrations at Him. He simply listened and waited. Eventually I exhausted myself and said, “God, I need your help. I’ve made a mess of my life. I’ve got nothing left. And I’m afraid I’m going to lose everything I hold dear.” God replied, “I know. I’m sitting in the middle of the mess with you. I’ve never left your side. I know you are afraid. I know you’ve failed. I know you’ve hurt those you love the most. But I can restore all things if you will simply hand your life over to me.” Thankfully, I did. It’s taken years but God has not only restored my marriage and my family and my career but He has given me so much more. 

Jacob begins his journey to Laban’s household in much the same way. He makes pacts with God, assuming God will bless his plans. Genesis 28:20-21, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God...” And for the next two decades, he worked hard at life. He got married. He had children. He amassed a fortune. He thought he was doing it all on his own. And he’s not the only one. Everyone involved in the story seems to think they are in charge. Leah and Rachel battle over who gets to sleep with Jacob, each trying to win Jacob’s affections by having as many children as possible. Leah even “buys” a night with Jacob from Rachel with mandrakes (an ancient aphrodisiac)! Laban and Jacob try to outscheme one another as they compete for flocks of goats. Laban removing a certain number. Jacob countering this (or so he thinks) by superstitiously having his goats breed in front of certain trees that have been peeled, etc. It’s all very humorous in a way and I actually think we are meant to laugh along with the story as it unfolds.  

Of course, the impact of all this scheming and manipulation is brokenness. Jacob’s relationship with Laban deteriorates to the point where he realizes he needs to flee. For seven days, Laban chases him until God comes to him in a dream warning him not to touch Jacob. But that’s not the worst of it. Jacob has gone from the frying pan into the fire as he knows he will have to face his brother Esau again. The last time he saw Esau, his brother wanted to kill him and now he hears Esau is bringing four hundred men to meet him. Jacob’s scared. Anxious. Afraid. He’s trapped between Laban and Esau. Two men who hate him for what he’s done. He cannot escape. So he does the only thing he knows how to do. He puts together a plan. He divides his camp with the hope one can escape. He puts together a large gift and sends it on ahead hoping to ease Esau’s anger. And after he has completed all his preparations, he finds himself alone. Alone with his fears. Alone with his anxiety. All alone in the dark.

That’s when God shows up and He begins to go to work on Jacob. Wrestling with him. Struggling with him. Forcing Jacob to come to grips with himself on a lot of levels. Forcing Jacob to face his past, his sin, his fear, his brokenness. But Jacob is a strong and stubborn man. He fights God all night long. He doesn’t want to give in.  Doesn’t want to surrender. Finally, God dislocates his hip. And Jacob is defeated. But even in his defeat, Jacob won’t let go. Not until God blesses him. So God gives him a new name. From this point forward Jacob will be known as Israel which means “God-contended.” Jacob had fought with God and had prevailed. Not that he beat God but that he beat himself. He finally came to grips with who he was before God. Something he confirms in 32:30 when he says, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been spared.” Jacob is humbled. He’s finally surrendered. He’s finally submitted himself to God and one can see his heart change in his reconciliation with Esau. 

What’s your relationship with God like? Is it transactional? Meaning, you scratch God’s back and He scratch’s yours? Do you find yourself asking God to bless your plans or are you seeking His plan for your life? Have you ever wrestled with God like Jacob? Have you ever been humbled by God? Broken by God? I certainly have been at several points in my own life. It’s part of the discipleship process. We must learn to surrender our own will to His and it’s not an easy or always pleasant process.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 34-37

Family Dysfunction

Readings for today: Genesis 27-29

Family dysfunction. It’s universal. Every family has their issues. Every family has skeletons tucked away in the closet. Every family passes on sinful patterns from one generation to the next. This is as true for the families in the Bible as it is for our own families in the 21st century. This is also one of the reasons the Bible continues to hold such authority after thousands of years. It is raw. It is honest. It doesn’t cover up or make excuses for the sins of believers. It lifts them up and puts them on full display in order to convey the fundamental message that all human beings are broken. All human beings are sinful. All human beings have wandered and gone astray and stand in desperate need of God’s saving grace.

Consider what we read today. The sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob has escalated to the point where even their parents have taken sides. Isaac favors Esau while Rebekah favors Jacob. Things come to a head when Isaac calls Esau in to prepare him to receive the “blessing.” This was a legally binding arrangement whereby all the power and authority of the clan would pass from one generation to the next. Esau stood to inherit everything while Jacob would be left with nothing. Rebekah catches wind of the plan and hatches a plot to elevate her favored son. The whole story is full of deception, rage, betrayal, and murderous plots. Jacob is successful in stealing his brother’s birthright and inheritance but has to flee for his life to Haran where Abraham’s brother settled years earlier. There he is served a dish of his own medicine by his cousin Laban who tricks him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.

Amazingly enough, God meets Jacob in the midst of all this turmoil. Jacob sets up camp for the night on his journey from Beersheba to Haran. As he slept, God spoke to him through visions and dreams. (Cue “Stairway to Heaven”…) “I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I’m giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.” (Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Once again, note the unilateral nature of God’s promises. Their fulfillment is not contingent on anything Jacob will or will not do. They are not dependent on Jacob’s works or even his faith. God simply declares to Jacob that He will be his God and Jacob will be His servant. This is the essence of grace.

All of us grew up in dysfunctional families to a certain degree. Some more so than others. Thankfully, God is gracious and merciful to work through our dysfunction to make us into the men and women He calls to be. The great news of the gospel is that God will indeed stick with us until He has fulfilled all His promises towards us. And what has God promised us? He will wash away every sin. He will wipe away every tear. He will use all things for our good and for His glory. He will make us new. Take a moment and rest in the assurances of these promises today!

Readings for tomorrow: None