Raw Prayers

Readings for today: Isaiah 23-26

Like most, I have good days and bad days. Days when I feel confident and my trust in the Lord seems strong. Days when I feel anxious and afraid and my trust in the Lord remains elusive. I have moments when I can see the silver lining in all we are going through and I have moments where all I see are dark, ominous clouds and I wonder how we’ll make it. My dark days tend to follow rough nights when I don’t sleep well for whatever reason. It could be my weariness over the COVID-19 virus. My worry for those impacted by the economic crash. Or the grief I feel over the divisions in our nation that have broken out into the streets. It could be my yearning for God’s justice and my deep disappointment - even disillusionment - in our country as we continue to refuse to make a full confession of our corporate sins. It could be my frustration and anger towards those who would take advantage of the pain of this cultural moment to press their agenda. It could be my sadness for the good men and women who serve in positions of authority in law enforcement and politics who are demonized on a daily basis. It could be the burdens I carry pastorally for people I love. It could be that I’ve become over-saturated with all the bad news that scrolls across my social media and news feeds. Or it could just be that I’m tired of sleeping on the couch as we make a second attempt to crate-train our new puppy. ;-) Whatever it is, I woke up this morning tired. Weary. Discouraged. And I found myself praying a very raw prayer…“Father, we are such foolish creatures. Blind to our own ambitions. Blind to our own insecurities. Blind to our own failings. We so easily fault those around us. Those who are different than us. Those who don’t look like us or think like us or act like us. We so easily criticize and hyperbolize and sensationalize what we see. Taking things to the extreme. We have become far too comfortable employing shame and fear to achieve our goals which is always power, power, and more power. We excuse the abuses of those on our side while we pretend to be shocked at the abuses of those on the other side. We are a nation of hypocrites. Father, bring us to our knees. Withdraw your hand that we may reap what we’ve sown. May the pandemic spread further and the economic pain last longer and the ethnic tensions burn hotter if that is what it will take to bring us back to you. We are so very proud. So very arrogant. Absolutely convinced of our own self-righteousness. Father, discipline us and then forgive us. Let us fall hard and then bind up our wounds. Break us and then mend us. This I pray in the name of Jesus.”

It’s a scary prayer. One vomited from the depths of my soul. After I wrote these words in my journal, I turned to our reading today and found similar sentiment in Isaiah. “Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.” (Isaiah‬ ‭24:1-3‬) Turns out Isaiah also struggled at times to find hope. (Perhaps it had something to do with him walking around naked for three years?) He looked around at all the injustice. All the corruption. All the greed. All the selfishness. All the unrestrained violence and suffering and pain. And he cries out to God. Empty the earth! Make it desolate! Scatter her inhabitants! Plunder humanity! It’s what we deserve. It’s what we’ve rightly earned. It’s just. It’s righteous. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. All like sheep have gone astray. Each of us have turned to our own way. The Lord would be utterly just in condemning us all and starting over.

And yet He is faithful. To Himself. To His own divine nature and character. God is merciful and gracious. He will never break His covenant with us. He is steadfast in love. He is trustworthy and true. He will never abandon us to our sin. So Isaiah continues…“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah‬ ‭25:6-9‬) In the midst of his discouragement, Isaiah finds hope and as I read these words this morning, I myself began to find hope. A glimmer of light pierced the darkness. My burdens lifted. My eyes looked up. Once again, I found my strength being renewed and soul revived.

How do we find hope in these dark days? How do we find encouragement in the midst of our despair? How do we cling to faith in the midst of our fear? Listen to how Isaiah concludes, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah‬ ‭26:3-4‬) Put another way, we fix our eyes on Jesus. The author and perfecter of our faith. We look to Him and His example. We look to the cross where He bore the sins of the world on His shoulders…including the sins of the particular cultural moment we find ourselves in. Nothing we are going through is new to God. None of it is news to God. There is nothing about the human condition that surprises God. He’s been here before. He knows us deeply. Intimately. Inside and out. Backwards and forwards. And the great news is He loves us, warts and all. So keep your eyes on Him. Stay your mind on Him. Focus your thoughts and your energy on Him. Trust in Him. He is the everlasting rock who will never fail. Amen!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 18:1-18, 2 Chronicles 29-31, Psalms 48

Love for Enemies

Readings for today: Isaiah 18-22

Egypt. The land of slavery. The land of oppression. The land of attempted genocide. For hundreds of years, the people of Israel labored under the whip. Beaten. Abused. Dying young. Their children born to a life of hard labor. Powerless. Helpless. Hopeless. It was a life of constant pain. Constant torment. Constant suffering. Even after they were delivered by God, Egypt continued to be a thorn in their side. Invading. Killing. A perpetual threat on their southern border. It’s tough to overstate the hatred and enmity between these two nations. And yet, God loves the Egyptians.

Assyria. One of the most powerful and brutal empires in the ancient world. They fielded the world’s first professional army. Developed advanced technology like iron weapons and war chariots. They weaponized terror as a military tactic. And they were absolutely ruthless when it came to putting down resistance. They would sack cities. Displace entire people groups. Employed horrific public torture as a means of psychological warfare. Israel hated them. Israel feared them. It’s why Jonah ran to Joppa rather than go to Nineveh. He simply couldn’t stomach the sight of his enemies. And yet, God loves the Assyrians.

The Book of Isaiah is often called, “The Gospel of the Old Testament” and today’s passage is a good reason why…“In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” (Isaiah‬ ‭19:19-25)

This is an incredible passage pointing to an even more incredible reality. The unconditional nature of God’s grace. It comes to us all. Jew and Gentile alike. Egyptian, Assyrian, and Israelite alike. Republican and Democrat alike. Progressive and conservative alike. Black, white, and brown alike. It is no one’s possession. No one has a right to claim it for their own. No one is more privileged than another in the eyes of God. All have sinned and fallen short of His glory and all stand in need of His grace. This is why Jesus gives us this command…”Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons and daughters of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew‬ ‭5:43-48‬) Jesus knows there are no “enemies” in His Kingdom. No “enemies” beyond His reach. No “enemies” beyond His salvation. Jesus knows there is not a single person or single power on this earth who can stand before His love. Jesus holds the power to turn mortal enemies into family. Jesus holds the power to overcome hate and anger and the desire for vengeance with mercy and forgiveness. Jesus holds the power to transform even the hardest hearts. The question is…do we believe Him? Do we trust Him? And do our lives and our conduct and our speech and our interactions reflect this deep and glorious truth?

You may find yourself reacting in anger and rage at what you see on television or through social media. White supremacy. Antifa. President Donald Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Black Lives Matter. Defund the Police. Blue Lives Matter. Refund the Police. The temptation is to react in anger. Weaponize shame to attack those who disagree. Impose ideological purity tests on all relationships. Rest secure in one’s own self-righteousness and reinforce one’s beliefs by interacting only in the social and political echo chambers of our own making. Smugly and sarcastically put down the other side. Such attitudes and actions do not reflect the heart and character of Jesus. In fact, they are sure signs of a disobedient and rebellious heart. One refusing to bow to what Jesus demands. Following Jesus requires self-denial. It requires laying aside all allegiances except the only one that truly matters. Our world stands in desperate need of grace and Jesus has called us to be His agents of grace…will we answer His call?

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 23-26

Will to Love

Readings for today: Isaiah 13-17

‪“Give counsel; grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; shelter the outcasts; do not reveal the fugitive; let the outcasts of Moab sojourn among you; be a shelter to them from the destroyer. When the oppressor is no more, and destruction has ceased, and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, then a throne will be established in steadfast love, and on it will sit in faithfulness in the tent of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness.” (Isaiah‬ ‭16:3-5‬)

Human beings are fearful creatures. We struggle with anxiety. We do not like feeling insecure. As such, we find ourselves coping in different ways. The great Viennese schools of psychotherapy - all founded by Jewish psychotherapists - suggested human beings deal with fear in one of three ways. Sigmund Freud argued for the “pleasure principle.” Human beings are oriented towards pleasure whether it be sex or drugs or some other activity that helps us escape our fears. The problem is we all know pleasure is fleeting at best and there tends to be a crash when we come down from our “high.” Alfred Adler argued for power. Human beings are oriented towards power in an effort to control their environment so they don’t have to be afraid. After all, if you can eliminate “threats” then perhaps you can eliminate fear. The problem is we all know such a pursuit is futile. History is littered with strong men and dictators and the power-hungry who eventually find themselves overcome by the same forces they unleashed. Viktor Frankl argued for meaning. Human beings are ultimately oriented towards meaning and if one can lay hold of some vision greater than themselves, one can endure just about anything. Forged in the fires of death camps like Auschwitz where all pleasure and power were stripped away, Frankl realized he needed something more. Something deeper to hold onto if he were going to survive without giving into despair or going insane. And while I appreciate Frankl’s approach the most, I think there is yet another approach to consider. The way of yet another Jewish “psychotherapist” - Jesus Himself. It is the way of love.

The words from Isaiah today are powerful. They present a vision that is foreign to us. Alien to the human experience. In our experience, thrones and dominions and kingdoms are founded on power. Authority. Control. It doesn’t matter whether one is talking about monarchies, dictatorships, socialist republics, or democracies. All human governmental institutions are established in power. They are maintained through power. They often come to an end because some other power rises up against them. This is the way of the world and it has been like this since the beginning. Furthermore, those in power tend to become corrupt. They begin using their power to pursue their own selfish ends. They chase pleasure. How else can one explain the rampant financial and sexual and criminal abuses that we so often see from our political leaders? Certainly not all of them succumb to such temptations but it must be hard to resist when so many are trying to curry favor. And, of course, the ones who do find the strength to resist are often successful only because they cling to a higher purpose. A greater meaning to their lives that gives them the strength to overcome.

Isaiah identifies that “higher purpose” for his people. It is love. When a throne is established in God’s love, justice and mercy naturally flow. When a kingdom is founded on God’s love, it becomes a light to the world. A beacon of peace and righteousness and goodness that shines for all to see. This was the whole point of the nation of Israel. To show the world a different way. To be a light to the nations around them. To be a country built on the foundation of righteousness and justice where steadfast love and faithfulness undergirded how they lived. In such a nation, outcasts would find refuge. Enemies would become friends. Widows and orphans would find care. The poor would be lifted up. Oppression would cease. Destruction would end. Peace would reign. This is a picture of the Kingdom of God and it is what we pray for when we pray the Lord’s Prayer together.

Jesus affirms this Kingdom. He came to establish this Kingdom on earth through His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is love. He is the love of God incarnate. He is the love of God made flesh and blood. And as He lays down His life for us, He defines love for us. It’s not a feeling. It’s not an attraction. It’s not selfish or arrogant or boastful or impatient or unkind. It is self-sacrificing. Self-denying. It always puts the needs of others before itself. It always focuses on the welfare of others before it’s own. It is costly. It is a high-risk endeavor. It never loses hope. Never gives into despair. It always endures. It always perseveres. It never fails because Jesus never fails.

Ultimately, a passage like the one we read today points us forward to Jesus. He is the One who gives counsel. Who grants justice. Who shelters the outcast and the fugitive. He is the One who puts an end to all oppression and destruction and brings peace. He establishes His throne from the cross, the place where perfect love and justice meet. He sits on His throne with faithfulness and is always swift to do righteousness and justice. As followers of Christ, we acknowledge Jesus is our King. We acknowledge Jesus as Lord. We acknowledge His authority over our lives. As such, we who are called by His name must align ourselves with His Kingdom. We must seek to incarnate His values in our lives. We must reject the ways of this world. The will to power. The will to pleasure. Even the will to meaning and instead find - in Christ - the will to love.

A Foot in Two Worlds

Readings for today: 2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chronicles 28

When I reflect on my journey of faith, I see two very distinct seasons. Because I was raised in the church, God has always been a part of my life. As far back as I can remember, I would pray to Him. Talk to Him. Cry out to Him when I was in trouble. I went to church. I got involved in youth group. I sang in the choir. I went on mission trips. However, during this season of my life, God was more of an accessory. He was someone I could turn to in a time of need. He was there in case of an emergency. I treated worship as just another activity on the long list of things I was already doing in my life. Playing sports. Studying for school. Working at my job. Going out with friends. Boy Scouts. I loved my life and was glad God had a small role to play in it.  

But then I went to college. I was on my own. Trying to keep one foot firmly planted in my own world and one foot planted in the Kingdom of God began to tear me apart. I couldn’t hold these worlds together. There was too much temptation. Too many distractions. And I pretty quickly found myself planting both feet in my own world. Gratifying my own desires. Pursuing my own dreams. Chasing after the wind. My face hit the pavement. I crashed and burned. After a year of heavy drinking, skipping class, partying, and sexual promiscuity; I discovered my world was pretty dark. Pretty lonely. Pretty depressing. Full of failure and pain and regret. So I went back to school determined to rekindle my relationship with God. He was what was missing in my life! If I could just get a little “god” back in my life, then maybe things would return to normal. Things would right themselves and I would be back on the fast track to success.  

I put one foot back in God’s world. I went to church. I attended a Christian fellowship group on campus. I joined a small group Bible study. For about three to four months, I tried everything I could to right my own ship. To no avail. I was still drinking heavily. Still skipping class. Still partying. Still failing. Then I read these words during Bible study one evening, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Slowly it dawned on me that there was no way for me to get to God by my own effort. No way for me to take my feet and place them in His Kingdom. No way for me to keep God as just an accessory in my life. It was an all or nothing deal! I still remember the spot where the living Christ confronted me with this truth the following morning as I walked through campus. In that moment, He took both my feet and placed them in His world. And though I am still prone to wander, He is always faithful to lead me back home. 

I share all of this to illustrate what I believe is happening in our reading today. King Ahaz is evil because his heart is divided. He’s trying to keep a foot in both worlds. On the one hand, he wants to worship Yahweh. He wants to maintain the traditions of his fathers. He doesn’t end Temple worship or get rid of the priesthood or anything like that. On the other hand, he sees the success of the Assyrian king. He sees the power and wealth and authority and influence the Assyrians wield. He craves that for himself. So he copies their altar. He adopts their worship practices. He believes if he can just join the “winning team”, life will return to normal. He will find success. Sadly, the opposite was true. “For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭28:23‬) Ahaz’s attempts to syncretize his faith led to his destruction and the destruction of Israel. Ahaz’s attempts to satisfy all parties. Worship all gods. Serve multiple masters earn him an evil reputation. He is called evil. Faithless. And the eventual exile of his people is laid in no small part at his feet. 

Is your heart divided? Are you trying to serve two masters? Trying to keep a foot in two worlds? Have you fallen into the trap of believing you can achieve both God’s dream for your life and the American Dream? Fallen into the lie that you can truly “have it all?” Is God at the center of your life or is He relegated to the margins? Have you truly embraced Him or do you keep Him at arm’s length? Honestly reflecting on these questions could potentially change your life. 

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 13-17

What Is God Requiring of Us?

Readings for today: Micah 5-7

“The Lord has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” ‭‭(Micah‬ ‭6:8‬)

There may not be a better verse for our time. Our nation is crying out for justice. Our world stands in desperate need of kindness. And humility before God is the key to it all. The people Micah was speaking to were going through all the right motions. They were bringing all the right sacrifices. Saying all the right prayers. Outwardly bowing before God in reverence. But God saw the hypocrisy of their hearts. He saw how their pious words didn’t match up with their actions. He saw the lack of integrity and the dis-integration of their lives. And they fell under His righteous judgment.

We have a choice, you see. Either we will do justice or God will. Either we will follow God’s ways and walk in obedience to God’s commands and live the lives He has created and called us to live or He will judge us for our sins. Friends, our sin impacts the world around us. It may be the people we live with. It may be the neighbors next door. The classmates at school. Co-workers at the office. Even people on the other side of the globe. Every word we say has a chance to give life or take life. Every dollar we spend has a chance to help or to hurt. Every vote we cast is a chance to bring God’s Kingdom a little closer or drive it further away. Every minute of every day is an opportunity to make an eternal difference in this world. Don’t buy it? Check out the studies on the impact of social media on mental health. (https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blog/centre-mental-health-blog/anxiety-loneliness-fear-missing-out-social-media) Now scroll through your posts from the last week. Are your contributions life-giving or life-stealing? Take a look at your budget or your online check register. Where are your dollars primarily going? Yes, we all have bills to pay. But what about the disposable income? Who’s getting the lion’s share? Most American Christians are giving less now than they did during the Great Depression! (https://www.sharefaith.com/blog/2015/12/facts-christians-tithing) And what about churches? What do they do with the dollars they receive? How many of them actually take those dollars and deploy them into the world to make a difference for the gospel? According to a survey by Christianity Today, most churches only give around 5% to missions outside their doors. (https://www.pnwumc.org/news/how-churches-spend-their-money) Consider your voting record. Do you carefully consider the policy platform of the candidates you vote for or do you simply vote down the party line? Are you an advocate for policies that reflect God’s justice and mercy? Remember, God has entrusted the “dominion” of this world into our hands as human beings. He expects us to pursue justice in alignment with His will so that all creation can flourish under His divine love and care.

Of course, the temptation is to try to bring justice about in our own wisdom and strength. We see this happen all the time. We try to bring about God’s Kingdom without the king. Look at the public policies being proposed when it comes to the environment, policing, education, social policy, economic reform, etc. If you take a step back and think about it from a biblical perspective these policies sound a lot like heaven. Equal treatment for all. Equal justice for all. Equal access for all. Resource-sharing for all. No one left behind. Creation care. No need for any police. Surely all of us can affirm the hopes and dreams behind these aims? But we also know it’s unrealistic in a sinful world. We can pass all the laws and formulate all the policies we want but such things only restrain evil at best. They simply cannot change the human heart. The only way to drive out hate, anger, fear, and violence is to bow in humility before Jesus.

So here’s the great news. If we humbly walk before God. If we commit ourselves to love kindness and mercy. If passionately pursue justice. God will hear us and forgive us and heal our land. Listen to how Micah ends his prophecy…“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.” (Micah‬ ‭7:18-20‬) How amazing is our God? His love is steadfast! His faithfulness never ends! His mercies are new every morning! He is our only hope in this world and the world to come.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 16-17, 2 Chronicles 28

Divine Parenting

Readings for today: Micah 1-4

Many of us are parents. We have children we love dearly. We remember when we first held them in our arms. Fed them their first bottle. Changed their first diaper. We watched them learn to roll over, crawl, and walk. We listened with joy to those first words. As they grew, parenting became more challenging. As they developed their little personalities and their will started to clash with ours, they learned discipline. They took “time-outs.” They were sent to their rooms. They were punished from time to time. They didn’t like it. They cried. Screamed. Yelled. Threw their toys. It was hard to watch but we knew it was for their good. They continued to grow. Sometimes the conflict deepened. Their choices became more dangerous. More consequential. Skipping school. Getting involved in drugs. Running with the wrong crowd. Having violent altercations. Things got scary. We were forced to face our worst fears. It felt like we were losing our children. Sometimes things got so bad we had to ask them to leave the home. It was too dangerous for them to stay. They were kicked out of the nest. Forced to make their own way on their own. They went to the streets. Got involved with an even rougher crowd. Sometimes ended up in prison or jail. Our grief only deepened. Our prayers for their salvation never ceased. We begged God to help them hit rock bottom so they could turn back to Him. Back to us. Find the help they needed and begin to recover. Sometimes that happened. We watched with utter joy as the prodigal returned home. Entered treatment. Got a good job. Left their old life behind. 

Now imagine you aren’t talking about just one child but millions. Imagine you are God and your children - the nations of Israel and Judah - have walked away from you. They are greedy. Spoiled. Unjust. Violent. Oppressive. They are barely recognizable as Your people. They even worship other gods. You’ve sent them prophets to warn them. You’ve taken them through difficult experiences to discipline them. You’ve tried to draw them back only to have them walk out the door and slam it in your face over and over again. So you send them into exile. You use the nations of Assyria and Babylon to carry them off. Out of Jerusalem. Out of the Promised Land. With the hopes that they will hit rock bottom and one day return. You weep over them. You grieve over their choices. Your eyes fill with tears as you watch those you love suffer. But you know it is for their good. You know it is the only way they will ever turn back to You. You know you cannot protect them from themselves. They must learn the hard way. Their faces have to hit the pavement. They must come to the end of themselves. Recognize what they’ve done. Come to grips with all they’ve lost. Take responsibility for rejecting their Heavenly Father. Only when they hit rock bottom will they be ready for deliverance and salvation.  

And that’s exactly what you will do! For you will never abandon or forsake them. You will never leave them on their own. Like any parent, you long for their return. You wait expectantly at the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the prodigal. You run to them. You embrace them. You shower them with kisses. You put the signet ring on their finger. The robe on their back. And you throw the biggest party you can imagine to welcome them back home. Listen to how Micah describes it... “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.” (Micah‬ ‭4:1-4‬) It’s a beautiful thing, is it not?

Now imagine you aren’t talking about millions of people but billions. God has declared His love and adopted into His family children from every tribe, tongue and nation. No longer focused on national Israel, God has created a new Israel. A spiritual Israel. Having raised up children for Himself from the stones as John the Baptist once said. This new Israel is made up of Jew and Gentile alike. Founded on the Twelve Apostles. Governed by the Sermon on the Mount. Guided by the Great Commission that expands the Promised Land to the ends of the earth. Jesus is Her Lord. Her Messiah. Her King. And God is still at work disciplining His children. Confronting us. Convicting us. Challenging us. All to make us more and more into His image and likeness.  

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 5-7

The Lord is our Salvation

Readings for today: Isaiah 9-12

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah‬ ‭9:6-7‬)

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah‬ ‭11:1-9‬)

“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah‬ ‭11:10‬)

Imagine living in the southern kingdom of Judah and watching in fear as the empire of Assyria rolls through Israel, destroying everything in its path. The people are scattered. The land is plundered. The leaders are killed. Nothing is left. All hope is lost. And you know you’re next. It must have been a scary time. A time of national crisis. A time when the people cried out to God.  

And God answers. Through the prophet Isaiah, He points His people to a glorious future. Though they walk in darkness, they will see a great light. Though they’ve been scattered to the four winds, they will be gathered back home. Though they have suffered and struggled, God will redeem them just as He once did when they were in Egypt. In short, God will bring salvation! Deliverance! He will usher in a new age under the reign of His Messiah.

A child shall be born. A son shall be given. Though the House of David has been cut down to a stump, a tender shoot shall emerge. The root of Jesse will stand as a signal for all people. The Messiah will be given all authority. His rule and reign shall be marked by peace and justice and righteousness. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, giving Him wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might. He will lift up the poor and comfort the meek. His faithfulness shall know no end. He will put an end to all crying and suffering and pain. All wars and conflict will cease. Wolf and lamb. Leopard and goat. Calf and lion. Cow and bear. Toddler and cobra. All shall dwell together in peace in the Messiah’s kingdom. The Lord of Hosts will do this! He will make this happen! He will bring about salvation!

What a glorious promise! I love how the people respond in Isaiah 12. “You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. "Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah‬ ‭12:1-6‬)

Here’s the thing...God has fulfilled His promise! Jesus Christ is the Messiah! The child was born! The Son was given! All authority in heaven and on earth entrusted to His hands! He gathered a people to Himself! Jew and Gentile. Slave and free. Rich and poor. Male and female. He tore down the dividing walls of hostility that existed between us and made peace with us and between us by the blood of the cross. You and I no longer have to walk in darkness. We have seen the great light! We no longer have to go thirsty for we draw our water from the wells of salvation! We can live and walk in light of God’s Kingdom! As we submit our lives to His Lordship, He brings peace. He brings justice. He brings reconciliation. He covers us with His righteousness. He is faithful to forgive. He is mighty to save. He grants us wisdom and knowledge and understanding. This is the promise of God fulfilled in our lives today! 

Once again our world is in turmoil. Once again there is plague and sickness and death and violence and rage all around. Once again our nation faces a crisis. Will we cry out to God? Will we sing? Will we praise? Will we look to God for our salvation?

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 1-4

Faith and Politics

Readings for today: Isaiah 1-4

“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” (Isaiah‬ ‭1:1‬)

The book of Isaiah begins with a political statement. Everything he says from this point forward (66 chapters!) must be viewed through a distinctly political lens. Uzziah. Jotham. Ahaz. Hezekiah. We know their stories. We’ve just read through their histories in the Kings and Chronicles. We know Uzziah reigned for over fifty years and for the most part remained faithful to God. However, at the end of his life he grew proud and brazenly entered the Temple to offer sacrifices. We know his son, Jotham, reigned for sixteen years and also remained faithful to the Lord but failed to address the nation’s ongoing idolatry on the high places. We know Ahaz reigned for sixteen years and was an evil, faithless king. The entire kingdom suffered under his rule. We know Hezekiah returned to the ways of the Lord, experienced the miracle of healing, but also grew prideful and set his descendents up for disaster when he showed off his riches to the envoys of Babylon. 

Isaiah presumably witnesses all of this. He sees it all go past. He lives it. His prophetic career begins at some point during the glory days under King Uzziah and ends at some point during the reign of King Hezekiah. Through it all, he watches his nation shift its allegiance from Yahweh to other gods. He watches his nation descend into cultural chaos as they abandon true worship and true righteousness. He watches the leaders of his nation attempt to reform and revitalize the country. He sees the ups and downs of their efforts. The successes and failures. He sees it all and then offers this Word from the Lord. It is honest. Real. Raw. No holds barred. He confronts. He speaks the truth. He calls out his own people. “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.” (Isaiah‬ ‭1:4‬) “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:10‬) “For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence.” (Isaiah‬ ‭3:8‬) 

At the same time, he offers hope. He calls them to repent. He begs them to return to the Lord to find grace and healing and mercy. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah‬ ‭1:16-18‬) He directs their attention to the glorious day of the Lord when all flesh shall witness the appearance of our God. “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah‬ ‭2:2-3‬) He calls them back to faithfulness. Back to loyalty. Back to a right relationship with God. “In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.” (Isaiah‬ ‭4:2-6‬)

Once can easily recognize the parallels to our own time. We too live in a time of growing evil. A time where sin abounds. A time where each person does what is right in their own eyes. The result is injustice. Oppression. Rampant greed. Lust for power. Division. Hatred. Unrestrained rage. We lament these things. We lament the moral drift of our culture. We lament the pain and suffering we see all around us. We blame our politicians. We blame the other political party. We blame other races. We blame certain professions. But how many of us are willing to look in the mirror and blame ourselves? How many of us are willing to confess our own sin and complicity in helping create the world in which we live? How many of us are willing to examine our own lives? Our own hearts? Our own attitudes and actions? Sure, we can decry the lack of prayer in our schools. The erasure of the Ten Commandments in public spaces. But does prayer fill our homes? Ate the Ten Commandments followed in our churches? Have we marginalized our faith by refusing to share Christ with our neighbors, friends, and co-workers? Are we not as guilty as the people Isaiah was speaking to? And are we willing to hear his words as the Word of the Lord to us? Are we willing to repent and return to God?

The Tenderness of God

Readings for today: Hosea 10-14

In the midst of judgment, hope springs eternal. God loves His people with an everlasting love. He cannot abandon them to their fate. He cannot relinquish them or give them up. He cannot walk out on them. His love is steadfast. True. Loyal. Even in the face of betrayal and adultery and sin. I love how Hosea 11 describes God’s love...

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son...it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.” (Hosea 11:1, 3-4) One thing we must always remember when reading the Scriptures is that God has revealed Himself to us as Father. Abba. Daddy. This description is a precious one every parent can understand. We teach our children to walk. We watch them take those first steps. We hold them in our arms. Comfort them when they fall. Bandage up their nicks and cuts and “owies.” We lead them throughout the course of their lives, always desiring what is good for them. We provide for them. Train them. Discipline them. Teach them. This is our calling as a parent and it is notable that God chooses this particular metaphor to describe His relationship with His people. 

“How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord.” (Hosea‬ ‭11:8-11‬) How many of us as parents have watched our children go astray? Watch them wander off the path? Watch them choose self-destruction? How many times have I sat in my office across from parents trying to give them hope for their addicted son or estranged daughter? How many times have I prayed these very words myself over my own children? No matter what they do, I cannot give them up. I cannot hand them over. I cannot let go. I will always love them. I will always cherish them. I will always pursue them. I imagine the same is true for every parent reading these words today. Isn’t a great comfort to know God feels this same way?

All those who believe in Jesus Christ are adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God. God becomes our Father. We, His children. Like Israel, we too have sinned. We too have gone astray. We too have chased after other gods. Idols in our lives. Whatever we wrap our lives around that is NOT God. Thankfully, our Father is merciful and gracious. He disciplines us in His love. And when we feel His discipline, what should our response be? Hosea 10:12, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.” When we repent and turn back to God, we will find Him waiting with open arms. Ready to welcome us back home. 

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 1-4

The Wideness of God’s Mercy

Readings for today: Hosea 6-9

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea‬ ‭6:1-3‬)

What a beautiful prayer for our time! God’s prophet issuing a call to God’s people. Return. Come back. Be healed. Be comforted. Be revived. The same God who allowed the calamity to come. The same God who allowed the plague to persist. The same God who allowed the violence and anger to vent itself in our streets is the same God who will bind up our broken hearts. He’s the same God who will bathe and dress all our wounds. He’s the same God who will end the plague. Bring blessing to our lives and to our nation and to our world…provided we seek Him. Provided we return to Him. Provided we humbly submit ourselves to Him.

God is faithful. His mercy is everlasting. His grace never fails. He is as consistent as the sunrise. As regular as the spring rains. He will never abandon us. He will never forsake us. He will never leave us. He is always available. He never sleeps. His foot never slips. His door is never closed. So we press on to know the Lord. We seek Him with all our hearts. We chase after Him with longing like the deer panting for streams of water. We look for the Lord in the land of the living. We abide in His life-giving presence. We drink from the well of Living Water. We eat the Bread of Life that always satisfies.

I think of the number of people I know right now who are seeking for comfort in all the wrong places. They cling to all they have left. They hoard all they have gained. They believe they must protect themselves at all costs. But these are foundations built on sand. These are treasures stored up on earth. Their lives are based on temporary pleasures that simply will not last. I think about the people I know who are lost and wandering during this time. They are hopeless and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. They are hurting and vulnerable and frightened and anxious. And my heart goes out to them. How I wish I could call them back to the Lord!

I think of our nation right now and the challenges we face. The rampant distrust. The culture of outrage. The post-truth era. We cannot seem to agree on simple facts. Everything becomes about the exercise of power. Everything becomes about control. We have wandered so far from God. The American Dream has become a living nightmare. Our nation is sick and needs healing. Our nation is struck down and needs to be bound back up. We are desperate for revival. The renewal of the Holy Spirit.

Father, may you heal us! Heal our divisions! Heal our hearts! Heal our souls! Father, may you bind us up! Restore the years the locusts have eaten through injustice, corruption, racism, classism, and economic deprivation! Father, revive us as we return to you! Restore us as we repent before you! You are last and desperate and only hope! We long for you!

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 10-14

The Relentless Pursuit of God

Readings for today: Hosea 1-5

As a pastor, I have spent countless hours in marriage counseling. More often than not, they are in my office because one or both have been unfaithful. They have stepped out on their spouse with a friend. A co-worker. Perhaps even a prostitute. The pain is unspeakable. The betrayal beyond words. It is almost impossible to recover. Why? Because even in our sex-saturated culture there is a sense that sexual intimacy is the greatest gift one can give to another person. It is the gift of oneself. The gift of the deepest, most profound parts of oneself. It is an act that transcends simple physical pleasure, joining hearts and entangling souls in a deeply spiritual way. This is why God has always reserved it for the marriage covenant. Sex was something to be enjoyed within the bounds of an unconditional commitment to one other person for as long as you both shall live. 

However, we have made a mockery of this gift. Our culture debases sexuality by promoting a hookup, swipe right culture. We called it sexual freedom and yet suffer from an epidemic of STD’s, unplanned pregnancies, and sexual abuse. We thought it would lead to greater intimacy but the quality of our relationships continues to decline. Marriages fail at ever higher rates as individuals pursue their own pleasure and fulfillment at the expense of the other. The sexual revolution continues to gain steam through social media, television, movies, etc. which are univocal in their declaration that we are at the mercy of our hormonal urges. Whatever feels good is right and true regardless of the collateral damage it leaves in our wake. 

This is the central message of Hosea. God takes up the very real issue of adultery and employs it as a metaphor to describe the relationship between Himself and His people. He even calls His prophet Hosea to embody this relationship by marrying a prostitute. Hosea’s pain is a reflection of God’s pain. Hosea’s heartbreak at Gomer’s continual betrayals is a reflection of God’s heartbreak over Israel’s worship of the pagan gods. The names of Hosea’s children reflect not only his suffering but the divine pathos of God Himself as He wrestles with the unconditional love He pledged to Israel. When Hosea purchases his bride back from the slave traders in Hosea 3, one is reminded of the incredible grace of God which relentlessly pursues us to the day we die. 

It is abundantly clear, throughout the book of Hosea, that our only hope is the great faithfulness of God. The steadfast loyal love of God for His people. No matter what they may do or where they may go or how many times they play the “whore” and chase after other gods, Yahweh will not let go. He will redeem. He will save.  

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.”(Hosea‬ ‭1:10-11‬)

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. "And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.” (Hosea‬ ‭2:14-18, 20‬)

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.” (Hosea‬ ‭3:5‬)

This is the heart of the gospel. No matter how bad things get. No matter how many times we sin and fall short of the glory of God. No matter how far we run into the far country and play the prodigal. God is faithful. God is loyal. Steadfast. True. He will never stop pursuing. Never stop watching. Never stop waiting for us to repent and return. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Nothing that can snatch us out of His hand. Nothing that can break the eternal covenant He first made with us. This is good news! Even great news for those who love God and are called according to His purpose! 

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 6-9

Hope on the Far Side of Pain

Readings for today: Amos 6-9

Reading the prophets is challenging. We don’t like what they have to say. We don’t want to hear their words. They hit too close to home. They cut us to the heart. Deep down we know what they say is true. The reign of Jeroboam II in Israel was a glorious one. He ruled at a time when the nation enjoyed great power and wealth. They felt safe and secure. All was good. But the people grew complacent. They continued to worship at the false shrines Jeroboam I had set up. They continued to oppress the poor and pervert justice. They refused to obey the commands of God. God had raised up king after king but all of them abandoned Him. None of them remained faithful. And the people followed their lead. Kind of feels familiar, doesn’t it?

God’s patience eventually runs out. Sit and ponder that thought for a moment. It’s not that God loves His people any more or any less. It’s not that God is now going to turn His back on them. It’s not that God will abandon His covenant. He cannot. He will not. Instead, His relationship with them will shift. He moves from grace to justice. He stops sending prophets to call them back to faithfulness and instead sends prophets to pronounce judgment. Israel will be destroyed. Israel will be wiped from the face of the earth. Israel will be punished for the full measure of her sins. The Lord disciplining those He loves. The Lord allowing a season of hardship, suffering, and death to come in order to turn their hearts back to Him.

It is a hard but necessary truth to face. The Lord’s love for us is double-edged. He will show grace and mercy. He will remain steadfast and faithful and true. He will be tender and compassionate at times. But He will also discipline us. He will confront us. He will allow us to suffer the consequences for our sins. Being in relationship with God means trusting Him to love us like a faithful father. He will not always give us what we want but He will provide what we need. And His primary goal is not to make us comfortable. Not to make us happy. Not to protect us from all pain and heartache and suffering. No, His primary goal is to make us more like Jesus. His only beloved Son who Himself was made perfect through suffering.

Friends, I know we are all going through challenging times. There is tremendous fear and anxiety all around us. We watch the news and find our hearts filled with frustration and anger. We suffer and struggle and battle through each and every day. The future is uncertain and that drives us nuts. Some of us have gotten sick. Some of us have been laid off. Some of us have experienced oppression. All of us have been impacted in one way or another. The only hope we have is that God is at work! God will be faithful! Even as we suffer through this difficult time, we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel! There is hope waiting for us on the far side of pain. Listen to the promise God gave Israel and let it turn your heart back to Him today.

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” ‭(‭Amos‬ ‭9:13-15‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 1-5

Judge of the Nations

Readings for today: Amos 1-5

God sits in judgment on the nations. He will judge them just as surely as He will judge every person who walks the face of the earth. It is clear from the Book of Amos that sin is not just personal and individual but also corporate and collective. And God is no respecter of persons. Meaning He shows no favorites. He judges all the nations of the earth. Socialists and capitalists. Communists and democracies. Monarchies and parliamentary systems. It doesn’t matter the form of government. It doesn’t matter what economic system a nation employs. All that matters is does the nation do righteousness? Do they seek the Lord? Do they honor and submit to God’s Word?

Damascus. Gaza. Tyre. Edom. The Ammonites. Moab. Judah. Israel. All of them are judged. All of them are tried before the judgment seat of the Lord. Their crimes are legion. Violence. Conquest. Murder. Rage. Attacking the most vulnerable. Rejection of God’s Law. Mistreatment of the poor and powerless in their midst. Sexual immorality. Worshipping false gods. It’s a comprehensive indictment. Especially against the people of God. They should know better. They should be better. They are the ones God set apart originally to be a light to the other nations. They are the ones God expects to set the example. To show the world a different way. But Israel and Judah failed to fulfill their call. Instead of remaining faithful to God, they became just like the pagan nations.

God is faithful. He will not let a nation persist in her sin. He will judge them. He will punish them. He will force them to face the consequences of their unrighteousness. So God plucks a man named Amos from among the shepherds of Tekoa. Amos is sent from Judah to Israel to proclaim the Word of the Lord. He is called to speak truth to power and to call Israel to return in faithfulness to God. He confronts Israel on her sin. Particularly the sin of injustice. They enslave their fellow Israelites, selling them for silver. They mistreat the poor. They do not care for the afflicted. Though they are still engaging in all the prescribed feasts and festivals, the Lord rejects their worship. Rejects their offerings. Rejects their sacrifices. Because their actions do not match up with their words.

So where can Israel find hope? Only as she seeks the Lord. “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14-15) God is merciful. God is gracious. He forgives those who repent and humble themselves before Him and that includes the nations of the earth.

These are convicting words for us this morning. Coming off a weekend where we celebrate the great blessings God has given America, we also recognize there is still much work to do if we are to fulfill our calling to be the great “city on a hill.” Our nation has largely abandoned God. Largely abandoned His Word and His ways. We have perpetuated injustice for far too long. Whether it is the injustice of abortion or the injustice of racism. The injustice of attacking the family or the injustice of mass incarceration. The injustice of our welfare system or the injustice of runaway capitalism. Where can we find hope? Only in Christ. Only as we turn to the Lord in humble repentance and turn from our wicked ways. Only as we recapture the best of America which is enshrined on our Statue of Liberty…

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 6-9

National Revival

Readings for today: Jonah 1-4

Happy 4th of July! Today I’m praying for spiritual revival for our nation. A revival on par with what happened in Nineveh in Jonah’s day. A revival that would reach the halls of power. A revival that would break out in the streets. A revival so complete it would include the rich and poor. Great and small. Black, white, brown. Republican and Democrat. I’m praying for God to do a work so mighty. So obvious. So clear that it simply cannot be denied. And I am praying for God to get all the glory.

But let me be clear. I am not praying for revival so that America will be great again. Revival is never about us. Never about our wants. Our needs. Our desires. Revival can never be about our own greatness and it cannot be about our own glory. America, like any nation on earth, will only be great as she seeks the Lord. As she submits to His will. Confesses her sin. Repents from her wicked ways. Friends, our hope is not in democracy. Our hope is not in capitalism. Our hope is not in our military might and power or even the freedoms so many brave men and women have died to protect. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. He is our only hope in this life or the next. His name is the only name given under heaven by which we might be saved. His life, death, and resurrection is the only way we find redemption.

So I am praying for revival. I am praying we have the courage in our nation to face our checkered past. I am praying we have the humility in our nation to acknowledge our tragic failings. I am praying we find the strength to repent for the full measure of our sin. This can only come from the Holy Spirit, of course. Only by turning to Him can we find what we need to move forward into a brighter and more glorious future. The people of Nineveh believed God. They heard the Word and they got on their knees. Though they were a great city in a great empire, they humbled themselves before the Lord. They turned from their evil ways. They turned from their violent ways. They turned from their oppressive ways. And God saw their hearts. He relented of the disaster He was preparing for them. And over 100,000 people were saved.

A dear friend of mine shared recently with me that he believes we are living through extraordinary times. He is a pastor. He is a community organizer. He is a leader of non-violent protests in his city. He is African-American and serves a predominantly white congregation in the Deep South. When I asked him how he is feeling about the state of our country, he was excited. He believes there has never been a better time to preach the gospel and that’s why he’s on the front lines in his own community. He is out there sharing Jesus. Like Jonah, he is walking the length and breadth of his city calling for people to repent and place their trust in Christ. He is an inspiration to me. Now he knows how difficult things have become. He is not blind to the challenges of the global pandemic or the racial tensions or the economic shutdown. He is very aware of the impact these things have had on the people he loves and serves. But he also knows this is a time when the very ground beneath our feet has been shaken. Lives have been stripped down to the studs and there is a new openness to the gospel’s call.

Friends, we are living in extraordinary times in our extraordinary country. The task of forming a more perfect union has now come to us. The call to fulfill the vision of a nation where all people are created equal remains. Every generation must accept their responsibility to engage the hard work of bending the moral arc of the universe towards justice and peace. We cannot rest on the work of those who have come before. Each of us must now take our place. Shoulder our part of the load. Bear the responsibility God has called us to bear so that we can leave this nation in a better place than how we found it. Again, not for our sake. Not even for the sake of future generations of Americans. But for the glory of God alone. May we hear clearly the call of the gospel: “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” America will find her greatness as she repents before God and gives herself away for the sake of the world.

High Places

Readings for today: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

High places. We see them pop up all over the place in the Kings and Chronicles. Often the righteousness of kings is judged on whether or not they tolerate them. What are 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 shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.” (Deut. ‭12:2-3‬) Yahweh 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 shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deut.‬ ‭12:5-7‬) 

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 worship practices of the locals and worshipped false gods.  

God cares about our 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 demands in the way He deserves. Worshippers who will not compromise. Worshippers who will honor Him as holy. Worshippers who refuse to make themselves the center of the experience. Worshippers who lay aside their wants, their needs, their desires, their preferences to come before the Lord in humility. To do anything else is to create a “high place.” A shrine to another god. And most of that time, that “god” is Self. The besetting sin of the Western Church is the idolatry of self. We are the object of our worship. Our satisfaction is the key performance indicator. We engage worship based on our own personal preferences. We refuse to honor God as holy. God as supreme. God as Lord. We are proud. We are arrogant. We think far too much of ourselves. And if the lives of the kings teach us anything it is this...God will not be mocked. We will be judged on the basis of who or what we worship. 

Where are the high places in your life? How has this season changed the way you think about worship? Worshipping God during a global pandemic looks much different than worshipping Him when things are going well. Worship has had to change to meet the demands of this season. Online. Virtual. Digital. Singing at home on your own is far different than singing in a crowd of fellow believers. Listening in your home with your dogs and cats and kids running around is far different than sitting in a sanctuary. Celebrating the sacraments feels far different than gathering in person around the Lord’s Table with your brothers and sisters in Christ. What will our worshipping life look like as we creep back to normal? Will I find myself craving more worship or less? Craving more fellowship or less? Craving more of God’s presence or less? And what do these things reveal about the state of my heart before the Lord?

Readings for tomorrow: Jonah 1-4

Deja Vu

Readings for today: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

As I read the passages for yesterday and today, I see a familiar and tragic pattern emerging. The same pattern that’s been in place since the Fall. Cain and Abel. The state of the world just before the Flood. Tower of Babel. The time of the Judges. Left to her own devices, humanity inevitably descends into godlessness. Violence. Suffering. Pain. Jehu is called to be God’s hand of justice. He executes God’s will in a brutal, terrifying fashion. It is a harsh reminder of how seriously God takes our sin and serves as a foreshadowing of hell. By contrast, the rise of Joash reminds us God always claims a remnant for Himself. A faithful people who follow His will and provide hope for the nation. Joash lived most of his life in faithfulness and the result is peace and prosperity and security. He restored the Temple. He cleansed the land of idolatry. He led the people back to true worship of the Living God.  

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. We see this dynamic played out over and over again throughout the Scriptures. I love what it says in 2 Kings 13:23, “But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.” No matter how far humanity falls. No matter how bad things may get. No matter how much violence and suffering and pain may be taking place. God is faithful. God is true. God is steadfast. Immovable. He will not abandon us. He will not forsake His people. He loves us with an everlasting love. “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalms‬ ‭30:5‬)

I pray this brings you comfort today. I know we are all living through an extremely difficult season. I asked a retired pastor recently if he had seen anything like this in all his years of ministry. His answer was not even close. A global pandemic. Economic shutdown. Racial tension and unrest. Political division. It feels like the very ground is shifting under our feet. We see the mistreatment and murder of people of color. The rioting and looting. The assaults on our law enforcement. The vandalism and destruction of public monuments that include far more than just confederate statues. It’s hard to get our heads and hearts around the turmoil and chaos we’re seeing and experiencing. It’s tempting to rise up. Marshal whatever power and authority we have. Cling to our rights. Protect our livelihoods and property. Turn inward and make sure we remain safe. But God calls us to a different way. A better way. The way of Jesus. It is the way of prayer. The way of sacrifice. The way of empathy. The way of love. Now more than ever we need revival! Now more than ever we need to turn to God!

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

Leaving a Legacy

Readings for today: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9

“And he departed to with no one’s regret.” Woof. That’s rough. To come to the end of your life with no one to mourn your passing. No one to make fire in your honor. No words shared at your funeral. Nothing to say in your obituary beyond your birthdate and death date. Perhaps Jehoram earned his fate. After all, he killed all his brothers when he ascended the throne. He enticed the people to abandon the worship of the Living God. He lost several battles. Suffered terribly at the end of his life, dying in great agony. He left Judah far worse than he found it. All in all, a terrible king.  

I’ve performed these kinds of funerals. Funerals where very few people attend. Very few words are said. Very few kind sentiments expressed. I remember a tragic funeral for a young woman who was kidnapped and murdered. She ran with a rough crowd all her life and it tragically caught up to her. All her closest friends could talk about was the way she partied. How much she could drink. It was heartbreaking. I remember a funeral for an older man who died from alcoholism. About three or four people showed up for his funeral and they all wanted it over as soon as possible so they could get out of there. No words to share. Nothing about love. Compassion. Family. He died pretty much alone. To no one’s regret.  

These moments are burned into my memory. I cannot shake them no matter how hard I try. They serve as a lesson to us all about how we live and why we live. To honor what’s truly important in life. God. Family. Friends. Seeking the lost. Serving the least of these in our world. Taking the time and making the time to live not for ourselves but for the sake of others. To give ourselves away in an attempt to make this world a better place. To leave this world better than the way we found it. It may be breaking a generational pattern in your family. Speaking kindly to friends in need. Helping a stranger. Sharing the gospel with someone you know. Maybe it’s serving in a particular mission endeavor at home or abroad. Or just taking the time to tuck your kids into bed at night and tell them a story. Sometimes the most significant moments of our lives are the simplest. 

Through it all, the most important thing we can do is seek after God. Ask Him for His wisdom to show us the way. To help make our lives count. Serving Christ is the best way to leave a legacy as we have seen over and over again throughout the books of 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles. The legacies of each king is measured primarily by how they honored God with their lives. Honor God and their lives and subjects were blessed. Dishonor God and their lives and subjects were cursed. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) Or, as my friend Ray Noah likes to say, “You take care of the things God cares about (lost people) and He will take care of the things you care about.”

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 21:10-23:21

Open our Eyes

Readings for today: 2 Kings 5:1-8:15

I have heard it said that the world has yet to see the power that would be unleashed through one man or woman who’s sold out to God. I disagree. I think we see such power all the time. Certainly in Scripture. Take the story of Elisha for instance. He’s a one-man wrecking crew when it comes to Syria. Ben-hadad wanted to destroy Israel. Invaded time after time. He had the best generals. Mighty men of valor like Naaman. The odds were surely in his favor. But Israel had one advantage...Elisha. A man who loved God with all his heart. From Elisha’s deep faith sprung wisdom and insight and even prophetic utterances. He thwarted the plans of Ben-hadad to such an extent that his counselors believed it was like Elisha was hanging out in Ben-hadad’s bedroom! 

Elisha posed such a great threat that Ben-hadad sent his entire army on a seek and destroy mission. Find him. Kill him. Destroy whatever city is giving him refuge. So Elisha and his servant wake up one morning only to see the Syrian army arrayed in all its might before them. It must have been an intimidating sight. The servant is immediately afraid. What will we do? How will we survive? But Elisha doesn’t miss a beat. He asks God to open the eyes of his servant so that he can see what Elisha sees. Horses. Chariots. The mountains ringed with fire from the army of the Lord. 

This is one of my favorite stories in all of Scripture because of the reminder that though my circumstances may seem bleak. Though I may undergo all kinds of trials and tribulations. Though I may suffer and struggle and hurt. Though the enemy wage war against me. Though the government or culture or society grow increasingly hostile to the gospel. No matter what may come, my adversaries - as numerous as they may be - are no match for the armies of the Lord! His sovereign hand continues to lead and guide and protect. His power cannot be measured. His wisdom cannot be fathomed. And if I will simply lift my eyes above the hills, I will see where my true help comes! (Psalm 121) 

Think about where we find ourselves as a culture today. We are drifting away from our Judeo-Christian moorings. Morality is changing. Truth is relative. Scores are abandoning faith altogether. We shouldn’t be surprised. We have only ourselves to blame. Christians largely became complacent over the last several decades, settling for a cultural form of the Christian faith that held no real power to transform. Rather than preach the gospel, we turned to moral therapeutic deism. Self-help with a little Jesus thrown in. As society continued its drift, we turned to political power, seeking to enforce our vision of the Kingdom of God. But for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the harder we tried, the more pushback we received. The result is a nation that is becoming increasing hostile to the Christian faith. Would that we could recapture the spirit of Elisha! He sought no reward for his deeds. He never tried to turn his gifts into political power. Instead, he simply served his people with as much faith as he possibly could and he left the results up to God.

“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:11) I frequently find myself in positions where I am weak. I have no power. No authority. I am not strong or swift or wise or wealthy. In those moments, I am tempted to despair. And that’s when God has me right where He wants me! God does His best work when I come to the end of myself. God does His greatest work when I get out of the way. God is at His most glorious when I am weak and afraid and lonely and have nowhere else to turn. All I have to do is open my eyes. See the power He has brought to bear. Sit back and watch Him go to work. Trust Him for the victory. 

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9

Miracles

Readings for today: 2 Kings 1-4

Today’s reading is full of miracles. God healing the waters of Jericho. God filling up a dry land with pools of water. God creating a supply of never-ending oil. God raising a child from death. Miracles are hard for those of us raised in a scientific worldview to accept. We believe such phenomena need to be observable and repeatable or they can’t have happened. We believe there must be some kind of natural explanation so we do all kinds of mental gymnastics trying to explain them away. Surely the water wasn’t actually bad? Surely the water that filled the pools was a freak rain storm? Surely the woman just wasn’t aware of how much oil she did have? Surely the boy was just sick or unconscious or in a coma of some kind.

Miracles are by definition unrepeatable events. They are one-time occurrences where the Lord of the universe intervenes supernaturally in His creation. If one truly believes there is a God then one must conclude He is not bound by the same laws of nature He established that govern His creation. He is the Creator after all. Not a created being. He exists outside of time and space. He is truly free and unbounded. He is not subject to what He creates and therefore is able to act as He sees fit.

I have personally witnessed miracles in my life. I have many friends around the world who testify to miracles they have seen. I have seen God heal those who are sick. I have even witnessed a resurrection. These are awe-inspiring events that drive me to my knees before the Lord. They are humbling because of how they bring you face to face with the power of God. But I also know many who question God’s miracles. They wonder why they haven’t seen God act in such ways. They wonder why God performs miracles for some and not others. They sometimes reject miracles simply because they seem so arbitrary and unfair. Such thinking only exposes the poverty of our spiritual condition.

We don’t deserve miracles. We don’t earn miracles. We don’t claim miracles. God is not a genie in a bottle who owes us three wishes. He cannot be manipulated or controlled or bound to our will. He is sovereign. He sees all of history and all of creation stretched out before Him all the time. He chooses to act as He wills to accomplish what is often a hidden purpose. Who are we to question His wisdom? Who are we to question His judgment? God never promises us life will be fair. He never promises to treat everyone the same. These are American ideals. Human ideals. And God is not bound to follow our limited understanding of justice. What does God promise? He promises to love us. He promises to be with us. He is faithful to us. He loves each of us with an everlasting love and that should be miracle enough for us.

Accountability

Readings for today: 1 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 18-20

Do you have a Micaiah in your life? Someone who is willing to be honest? To give it to you straight? Someone who is unafraid to spare your feelings? Do you have someone in your life who holds you accountable? Who asks you hard questions? Who is willing to confront you on your sin? Do you have someone in your life who you listen to? Respect? Love enough to receive their critique well? Sadly, it’s my experience that most people, even most Christians, do not have such a person in their life. 

Ahab had such a person...and he hated him. "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." (1 Kings‬ ‭22:8‬) Ahab was an insecure king. He didn’t want to hear the truth. He surrounded himself with people who would tell him what he wanted to hear. Sycophants. “Yes-men.” People who did not have Israel’s best in mind but only their influence and position before the king. This is one of the reasons power tends to corrupt. The more success and fame and influence one gains in life, the more one attracts such people. Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac and it takes great humility and intentionality to surround oneself as President Lincoln once did with a “team of rivals.” Ahab was clearly no Lincoln. It was so obvious, King Jehoshaphat immediately picked up on it as they planned their attack on Ramoth-gilead. Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from the Lord so he asked Ahab to call a real prophet. Someone who was willing to speak the truth. To share God’s Word even if it involved judgement. So Ahab calls Micaiah. And Micaiah delivers the bad news. "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.” (1 Kings‬ ‭22:17‬) Ahab throws up his hands. I told you so. This guy has it out for me. He never brings me good news. And then Micaiah goes on, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; and the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, 'I will entice him.' And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.'” (1 Kings‬ ‭22:19-22‬) 

This section is key. When we refuse to repent. When we refuse to humble ourselves before the Lord. When we refuse to listen to His voice. He brings judgment. He forces us to our knees. He actively opposes the proud. God sends a lying spirit into the sycophants that Ahab surrounded himself with. He uses the very means Ahab had chosen to insulate himself against the Word of God to bring about Ahab’s destruction. Let that sink in for a minute. These men were ALREADY lying to Ahab. In fact, they had based their entire careers on deceit and telling the king exactly what he wanted to hear. So God was not treating Ahab unfairly or unjustly. He simply was using their sin to bring about His sovereign will.

So let me ask again, do you have a Micaiah in your life? Someone who can speak hard truth to you in love? Someone who is bold enough to hold you accountable? Someone you submit to in humility? Someone who is close enough as a brother and/or sister and who is faithful enough to confront you on your sin? If you do not have such a person in your life then let me suggest you have made the same mistake - wittingly or unwittingly - as Ahab. You have surrounded yourself with people who do not have your best in mind and you need to go deeper. You need to challenge yourself. Make yourself vulnerable. Empower another person to hold you accountable. The reality is we do not “die to self” naturally. We must be forced to give up our life. We must be challenged to give up self. We must be held accountable as we struggle along this narrow way.  

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 1-4