Judge of Nations

Readings for today: Nahum 1-3, Psalms 132

Every day I try to read the news. I scan the headlines from the BBC to CNN to FoxNews. I read the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. I keep up with breaking news on Twitter. It’s not easy. The headlines are often heartbreaking. Most of the time, I have to wade through all sorts of disinformation. Truth is in scarce supply these days. Not only that but every single article seems to cry out, “there is no god!” After all, how could a righteous God allow such political corruption to exist? How could a good God allow such human suffering? How could a just God allow tyrants to sit on thrones? How could a compassionate God allow things like life-threatening poverty while others live in luxury? If I dwell on these things too long, I start to lose hope. The forces arrayed against the righteous in this world seem so strong and my faith is so weak. That’s why reading a book like Nahum is so important.

In Nahum’s day, Assyria was the dominant world power. She had conquered the nations around her with absolute ruthlessness and cruelty. Just over one hundred years prior to Nahum’s prophecy, Assyria had destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, literally wiping her from the map. Jonah had been sent to Nineveh about 15 years after the destruction of Israel to preach revival but the fires his preaching kindled had clearly gone out. Assyria was back on the warpath. As she rampaged through the Middle East, it must have been hard not to be afraid. It must have been challenging to maintain faith. It probably felt like the future was bleak at best. After all, Assyria had no rivals left. No one powerful enough to check her power.

Nahum, however, is not fooled. He knows God reigns sovereign over the nations. He knows God rules the world with justice. He knows God will bring His righteous judgment in due time. I love how Nahum puts it, “The Lord has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name. I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible. Look to the mountains — the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace. Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.” (Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬) What a great reminder that God is in control. No matter how bleak things may seem, God is at work to bring about His will. He simply will not let this world go. He loves it - and He loves us - far too much to walk away.

As you engage the world around you, don’t give into fear. Don’t let despair set in. God is still in charge after all these years and God will bring His will and His way to pass. Our job is simply to trust.

Readings for tomorrow: Habakkuk 1-3, Psalms 133

Turning Evil to Good

Readings for today: Genesis 48-50, Psalm 16

God specializes turning what we intend for evil to the good. The history of humanity is replete with example after example of humanity making decisions that serve their own selfish purposes. The problem with this approach to life is that it creates a ripple effect that invariably impacts others in a negative way. All of us fall prey to it. All of us struggle with it. There is no such thing as a decision that has no consequences. Every decision or even non-decision creates conditions that others experience as frustrating, painful, or disappointing. Some even create conditions that are harmful or life-threatening. The more power and influence one has, the greater the ripple effect but even those who have little to no power or influence can still have an impact.

Several years ago, I was traveling with a team to one of the poorest places on earth. As we ministered all week alongside and among those living in life-threatening poverty, one of the members of our team pulled me aside and asked how God could allow such conditions to exist. It was a great question. One everyone should ask when they come face to face with extreme suffering. As we talked, I asked her why she was so quick to blame God. She replied with the classic theological answer that since God was in control over all things, He must be responsible when things go south. I then asked her if she felt any responsibility herself for the conditions of the people we were serving. She did not. I asked her why. She shared with me that her life was lived on the other side of the world, in a different country, and she didn’t have either the power or the opportunity to change things. I challenged her on this line of thinking. Imagine, I said, if she reoriented her entire life around relieving conditions like what we had just experienced. Imagine if she recruited friends and family and neighbors to the cause. Imagine entire communities or even nations rallying together to provide clean drinking water and food security to every single person on the planet. It certainly could happen. We simply lack the will because we all ultimately want to take care of ourselves first. And therein lies the problem. Thankfully, God is faithful. He works through His people in all sorts of amazing ways to meet the needs of the poor and powerless and marginalized and broken. Billions of dollars are given each year to relieve life-threatening poverty and provide access to education and all sorts of other opportunities for people around the world. God promised Abraham that it would be through him that all the nations of the earth would be blessed and God has never wavered on that promise. It is through us that God will work His perfect will for the world, turning what we often intend for evil for His good.

This essentially is the narrative behind Joseph’s story. God takes what Joseph’s brothers intended for evil - selling him into slavery - and turns it to the good. God takes what Potiphar’s wife intended for evil - falsely accusing him of rape and throwing him in prison - and turns it to the good. God takes what the cupbearer intended for evil - by promptly forgetting Joseph once he was restored to his position at court - and turns it to the good. God takes a massive famine - a natural evil - and turns it to the good by providing an opportunity for Joseph to step into leadership. Over and over again, God uses the circumstances of Joseph’s life to mold and shape and prepare him for the good that was to come. As a result, Joseph was able to not only save his family but all of Egypt from a mass starvation event.

When one looks back at Joseph’s life and takes each incident in isolation, it would be tough to see where everything was headed. However, once the full picture is in view, one can easily see the hand of God at work. The same is true for us. If we focus on the isolated events of our lives, it’s hard to see the impact - good or bad - that we make. However, if we step back and look at the big picture, we can see how God is at work using all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 1-3, Psalm 17

Best Laid Plans

Readings for today: Genesis 29-31, Psalm 9

I don’t know about you but I am a planner. In fact, I make backup plans to my backup plans just in case my original plans don’t come through. I plan out each day. I plan out each week. I plan out each year. I have three year plans and five year plans. I have a professional plan. I have a financial plan. My wife and I have a plan for our family. We teach our kids to plan. We are working with our parents on their plans. Planning is a good thing, of course, but only if it is surrendered to the Lord. Ultimately, we can put together our best laid plans but it is the Lord’s plan for our lives that matters most. That’s why I try to hold onto my plans loosely. Walk with open hands before the Lord because He has a way of changing my plans along the way.

In our story today, it’s clear that everyone has a plan. Jacob has a plan. Leah has a plan. Rachel has a plan. Laban has a plan. Each of their plans is based on what they believe is best for them. Each of them is after something and they are willing to do just about anything to achieve those ends. Jacob has a plan for a wife and a family. Leah has a plan to earn her husband’s affection and love. Rachel has a plan for children to end the shame over her barren condition. Laban has a plan to use Jacob to grow his wealth. They compete. They deceive. They lie. They steal. They scheme. It’s striking to note that none of them seeks the Lord for His plan for their lives. They simply assume God is with them. (As an aside, how often do we make the same mistake in asking God to bless our plans rather than seek His plan?)

Finally, God intervenes. He makes His plan known to Jacob. Once again, it involves returning to the Promised Land. Returning back to the original plan God first gave to Abraham and Sarah. Returning back to the place God has given him and his family. “I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’” (Genesis‬ ‭31‬:‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬) No matter where we go or what we do, God is faithful. He will use all our decisions and all our choices and all our experiences - good, bad, or ugly - to bring about His sovereign will for our lives. God’s plan is for Abraham’s family to inherit the Promised Land. God’s plan is for Abraham’s family to establish themselves in the Promised Land in order to bless the nations of the earth. God’s plan is to grow Abraham’s family until they outnumber the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. No matter what Abraham’s family does, God will make sure His plan comes to pass and this should bring us great comfort.

God has a plan for your life as well. He has made promises to you that He will bring to pass no matter what. This doesn’t mean we should take Him for granted or ignore Him or dismiss Him and do our own thing. There are consequences for the choices we make. The consequences for Jacob and Laban and Leah and Rachel were significant and painful. But when we align our plans with God’s plan for our lives, there is blessing and joy and fulfillment and peace. Before you make your plan for today, take some time and ask God to show you His plans for you.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 32-34, Psalm 10

Where is God?

Readings for today: Esther 6-10

One of the striking things about the Book of Esther is that there is no mention of God. In fact, some have used this to argue it should be stricken from the Biblical canon. God’s fingerprints, however, are all over the book as it tells yet another story of the salvation of the Jews. It’s a prime example of how God orchestrates things according to His sovereign will, using even pagan kings and emperors to bring His plans to pass. It reminds me of the story of Jospeh and how what human beings so often plan for evil, God plans for good. It reminds me also of what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8 about God working all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We see this principle clearly on display in Esther and Mordecai’s life. Esther is the right age and station to be caught up in the search for a new queen. Despite the clear intent on the part of the king to exploit yet another young woman, Esther achieves a very high and respected status, eventually accumulating great power and authority in her own right. Due to Mordecai’s faithful resistance in refusing to bow before anyone but God, he is targeted with assassination along with all of his people. However, God places him at the right place at the right time to foil a plot against the king. Furthermore, God brings the act to the attention of the king at just the right moment when things seem at their most bleak and Mordecai’s fate is dramatically changed. One can choose to see these things as random events, sheer coincidence that have nothing to do with God but I beg to differ and so does the Biblical author of Esther. The whole point of this book is to explain the deeper meaning behind the celebration Purim as God once agains intervenes - though in a hidden way - to rescue His people from certain destruction.

One of the most common questions I get as a pastor is, “Where is God?” Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when I suffer? Where is God when my loved one dies? Where is God when the world seems so full of violence and pain? Where is God in the face of evil? These are hard but important questions and Esther provides at least one potential answer. God is there all along, orchestrating things behind the scenes if we have the eyes to see Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1-3

It’s so easy to get discouraged these days, especially when it comes to politics. Leaders across the spectrum seem far less interested in serving the people and far more interested in accumulating wealth and power and influence and control. The corruption seems endless. The hypocrisy is blatant. Lies and deceit are the stock-in-trade. This disease is terminal and infects politicians across the ideological spectrum. None are blameless. None are immune. In fact, if you ask me, they all look and sound eerily similar to me which makes things seem even more hopeless. They are two sides to the same rotten coin and it’s hard not to become fatalistic. Adding to my frustration is my firsthand experience in the developing world where the biggest barrier to bringing peace and stability and a chance for greater prosperity is the political leadership of the country. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked into the eyes of someone who is suffering from unnecessary starvation, easily treatable disease, or who has been falsely imprisoned and tortured as a direct result of the corrupt political leadership of their country.

I imagine the ancient Jewish people must have felt much the same. Especially given their condition in exile. But then comes along Cyrus the Great. “Great” not because he’s godly but because he’s the most powerful man in the world. His empire spans continents. His military is unstoppable. He crushes former world powers under his feet. Babylon is merely the latest of his victims. But as powerful as Cyrus may be, he recognizes there is a power much greater than his own. A power not of this world that he must appease. He acknowledges God as the Lord of heaven and earth and he does what he can to right the wrongs of the empires who have come before him. Now there is no indication in the text that Cyrus comes to saving faith. Nothing in the text to suggest that he cares for the Jewish people. He simply wants to honor the gods of the different people groups over which he now holds sway. He wants to win their favor in order to accumulate even more power and wealth and influence. In this way, Cyrus is no different than our leaders today. He sees faith as a means to a selfish end.

Thankfully, God is not limited to perfect vessels as He seeks to bring about His sovereign will. He uses the weak things of this world to confront the strong. He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He even bends the wills of the pagan kings of this world to accomplish his plans. Listen to how Solomon puts it in the Book of Proverbs, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬) Friends, God is not done with our world. He is at work in every nation on earth. He is bending the will of even the most corrupt and the most greedy and the most power-hungry to His perfect ends. Yes, it may take much longer than we would always like. Yes, it may not happen in the way we would always prefer. But God is faithful! God never fails! He will bring to completion the good work of redemption He began in this world the moment Adam and Eve fell into sin. He will use all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He will fulfill His promises to us. All He asks is for us to trust Him, believe Him, and humble ourselves before Him. There is coming a day when every wrong will be made right and every hurt will be healed and every injustice will be redressed.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 4-6