“They will sing of the Lord’s ways, for the Lord’s glory is great.” (Psalm 138:5 CSB)
What is the measure of greatness? We speak of great leaders of the past whose accomplishments were huge in our eyes. We speak of experiences we have had that we call “great.” We speak of friends or family members who mean much to us and say they are just great. We almost use the word “great” to describe anything we happen to like or approve of or appreciate to an immense degree. But what is the true measure of greatness?
How about: creating the world in 6 days? Might that be great? How about raising the dead? Would that be great? It may be that there is only One who could genuinely be called “great.”
The Lord’s glory is great. David recognized that. In Psalm 138 he expressed his love for God and said, “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings.” He also said a little later that all the kings of the earth would give thanks to God when they hear of His promises, and they will then sing of the Lord’s ways because “the Lord’s glory is great.”
Great glory. What a thought. The glory of God, which none of us have seen yet, must be beyond anything we might describe as spectacular or stupendous. The Bible describes it for us as a “bright cloud” that outshines the sun in the daytime, and a fiery cloud by night that lights the way for all who follow.
Great glory. One day, we will get to see it.
Lord, We thank You for our call upward toward Christ Jesus, and Him we follow. We thank You for “the day” that is ahead when we, too, will experience Your glory. Amen.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
So What Happened?
“By the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. There we hung up our lyres on the poplar trees, for our captors there asked us for songs, and our tormentors, for rejoicing: ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’” (Psalm 137:1-3 CSB)
The once mighty Israelite army and the fortresses of Jerusalem were shattered by the Babylonians. These were the people whose ancestors fought under Joshua and defeated every army that came against them. Now, brutalized by the Babylonians and taken captive to Babylon, their tormentors demanded to hear the songs of Zion. So what happened?
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites won and prospered for one reason – the Lord fought for them. The Lord did this because at that time the Israelites were committed to Him and devoted to obedience. Centuries later, the Israelites had all but forgotten the Lord, the Law, and the worship of the Lord. At one point, Canaanite idols were even set up in the temple. The people turned away from the Lord, and they then reaped the harvest of what they had sown.
Anytime a people who call themselves the people of the Lord turn away from Him, they can expect to reap the profits of their own self-efforts. The Lord seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. God does not coerce. People are free to choose who they will serve. If people turn to themselves or to “other religions” or other forms of spirituality, their strength will be as strong as dust. But if people turn to the Lord, in Him they will find strength, victory, joy, and peace. It comes down to a choice we make.
Lord, We choose You, and we seek after You. Guide us into Your love and into the strength that You provide. Amen.
The once mighty Israelite army and the fortresses of Jerusalem were shattered by the Babylonians. These were the people whose ancestors fought under Joshua and defeated every army that came against them. Now, brutalized by the Babylonians and taken captive to Babylon, their tormentors demanded to hear the songs of Zion. So what happened?
Under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites won and prospered for one reason – the Lord fought for them. The Lord did this because at that time the Israelites were committed to Him and devoted to obedience. Centuries later, the Israelites had all but forgotten the Lord, the Law, and the worship of the Lord. At one point, Canaanite idols were even set up in the temple. The people turned away from the Lord, and they then reaped the harvest of what they had sown.
Anytime a people who call themselves the people of the Lord turn away from Him, they can expect to reap the profits of their own self-efforts. The Lord seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. God does not coerce. People are free to choose who they will serve. If people turn to themselves or to “other religions” or other forms of spirituality, their strength will be as strong as dust. But if people turn to the Lord, in Him they will find strength, victory, joy, and peace. It comes down to a choice we make.
Lord, We choose You, and we seek after You. Guide us into Your love and into the strength that You provide. Amen.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Secret of Our Success
“Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” (Joshua 10:42 CSB)
The Canaan Campaign was a sparkling success. The Israelite army defeated one city after another and several alliances of kings across Canaan. Joshua was in command of the army, and his leadership was stellar. His victories and exploits were huge and legendary. And what is so remarkable about all this is that the Israelite army had just come in from 40 years of wandering in the desert as a nomadic people, mostly herdsmen. They had fought a few battles prior to crossing the Jordan and had won them, but in Canaan they were going up against some of the best warriors around.
One verse in Joshua’s book explains the secret of their success. “The Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” The Israelites were not better warriors or better equipped or stronger. They were successful because their God was the sovereign God of the universe, and this God fought for them and enabled their victory. He did this because of His promises to Israel and to the forefathers of the Israelites, and because these Israelites were obedient to Him, carrying out all of His commands.
Christians are involved in a “spiritual warfare,” a campaign against the evil one and the kingdom of darkness. Our strength is insufficient for this task. Our abilities fall short of what is needed to win. In fact, it is not even possible for us to win this fight in the strength that we have. The only possibility for success is for the Lord to fight for us, and for us to then engage the enemy alongside God and carry out His commands, His command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and to disciple the nations. The work of the Holy Spirit is the secret of our success.
Lord, All glory and honor to You, for Your power and strength are sufficient for anything and everything we need to experience this victory You promised. Amen.
The Canaan Campaign was a sparkling success. The Israelite army defeated one city after another and several alliances of kings across Canaan. Joshua was in command of the army, and his leadership was stellar. His victories and exploits were huge and legendary. And what is so remarkable about all this is that the Israelite army had just come in from 40 years of wandering in the desert as a nomadic people, mostly herdsmen. They had fought a few battles prior to crossing the Jordan and had won them, but in Canaan they were going up against some of the best warriors around.
One verse in Joshua’s book explains the secret of their success. “The Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.” The Israelites were not better warriors or better equipped or stronger. They were successful because their God was the sovereign God of the universe, and this God fought for them and enabled their victory. He did this because of His promises to Israel and to the forefathers of the Israelites, and because these Israelites were obedient to Him, carrying out all of His commands.
Christians are involved in a “spiritual warfare,” a campaign against the evil one and the kingdom of darkness. Our strength is insufficient for this task. Our abilities fall short of what is needed to win. In fact, it is not even possible for us to win this fight in the strength that we have. The only possibility for success is for the Lord to fight for us, and for us to then engage the enemy alongside God and carry out His commands, His command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and to disciple the nations. The work of the Holy Spirit is the secret of our success.
Lord, All glory and honor to You, for Your power and strength are sufficient for anything and everything we need to experience this victory You promised. Amen.
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Necessity of Faith
“The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17 CSB)
How interesting! The 11 disciples saw the resurrected Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. We do not know how soon after the resurrection this was, and we do not know who it was who doubted. The fact that some did doubt, however, raises a question or two: For what reason did they doubt? And what did they actually doubt?
We recall that when Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, they were terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost. It may well be that some doubted the resurrection because they thought that maybe this was just the “ghost” of Jesus, and not a real body.
We should also recall the parable Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus. At the end of the parable Lazarus asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers about the place where he was. Lazarus was certain that if Lazarus were resurrected his brothers would repent and believe. But Abraham said, “No, even if someone were to return from the dead, they will not believe.” So, it may also have been a stubbornness of heart in some of the disciples.
This suggests something to us about the resurrection. The resurrection is not necessarily a cause for faith; rather, it is something that is received by faith. Even those disciples who did not doubt received what they saw by faith. Their minds did not go to the "ghost" idea, and they believed and trusted that this was the resurrected Jesus. We sometimes think that they believed because they saw, meaning that they did not really have to believe per se because they knew the resurrection to be a fact. Possibly, but the reality appears to be otherwise. The reality is that they saw, and then believed. Their belief eventually became so strong that it became a certainty for them, or, knowledge that Jesus was in fact resurrected.
Today, some will say, “If I were to see Him, then I would believe.” Not necessarily so. Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Faith is an essential ingredient for receiving the resurrection as the truth.
Lord, We believe in You, and we believe the truth of Your resurrection. We pray for all who doubt it, that they may come to faith and truly believe that You were in fact raised from the dead. Amen.
How interesting! The 11 disciples saw the resurrected Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. We do not know how soon after the resurrection this was, and we do not know who it was who doubted. The fact that some did doubt, however, raises a question or two: For what reason did they doubt? And what did they actually doubt?
We recall that when Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, they were terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost. It may well be that some doubted the resurrection because they thought that maybe this was just the “ghost” of Jesus, and not a real body.
We should also recall the parable Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus. At the end of the parable Lazarus asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers about the place where he was. Lazarus was certain that if Lazarus were resurrected his brothers would repent and believe. But Abraham said, “No, even if someone were to return from the dead, they will not believe.” So, it may also have been a stubbornness of heart in some of the disciples.
This suggests something to us about the resurrection. The resurrection is not necessarily a cause for faith; rather, it is something that is received by faith. Even those disciples who did not doubt received what they saw by faith. Their minds did not go to the "ghost" idea, and they believed and trusted that this was the resurrected Jesus. We sometimes think that they believed because they saw, meaning that they did not really have to believe per se because they knew the resurrection to be a fact. Possibly, but the reality appears to be otherwise. The reality is that they saw, and then believed. Their belief eventually became so strong that it became a certainty for them, or, knowledge that Jesus was in fact resurrected.
Today, some will say, “If I were to see Him, then I would believe.” Not necessarily so. Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Faith is an essential ingredient for receiving the resurrection as the truth.
Lord, We believe in You, and we believe the truth of Your resurrection. We pray for all who doubt it, that they may come to faith and truly believe that You were in fact raised from the dead. Amen.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
30 Pieces of Silver
“Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him whose price was set by the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” (Matthew 27:9-10 CSB)
There are a number of tragedies in the Bible but none so great as that of Judas Iscariot. No one knows what his motivations were for his actions. Folks out in Hollywood have tried to make Judas into a good guy, a misunderstood guy, a victim kind of guy. The fact is, however, no one can know what was in his heart and mind that led him to do what he did. All we can know is what he did.
When Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned, he was “full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.” (verse 3) He acknowledged that he had betrayed innocent blood. That suggests that he had some reason for betraying Jesus, but we cannot know what it was. Judas had gone to the chief priests and elders and had agreed to betray Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver, which was the price of a slave. When remorse set in, he tried to return the money, but the chief priests and elders refused to take it back because it was “blood money.” So Judas threw the silver into the sanctuary and went and hanged himself. The chief priests then took the money and bought the “potter’s field” as a burial site for foreigners.
Consider these quotes from Jeremiah and Zechariah.
“Then my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard as the Lord had said and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out to him the money – 17 shekels of silver.” (Jeremiah 32:8-9 CSB) At the time this transpired, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonians and about to fall. Who in their right mind would buy a field that was about to fall into enemy hands? Yet, the Lord had told Jeremiah to do this. It was a prophetic message about redemption and hope.
“Then I said to them, ‘If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.’ So they weighed my wages, 30 pieces of silver. ‘Throw it to the potter,’ the Lord said to me – this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the Lord, to the potter.’” (Zechariah 11:12-13 CSB)
Considering these verses and what we see in Matthew, we can see a number of important words emerge: inheritance, redemption, burial, blood. While these 30 pieces of silver certainly represent the betrayal of Jesus, they may also be considered as symbolic of the event that was about to take place, one where blood would be given for our redemption, establishing an inheritance for us, one that would come only after burial. This simply reveals the power of God to take something evil and redemptively turn it into something good.
Lord, We thank You for the power of Your redemption, which has brought forgiveness to each of us who believe in Jesus. May we ever be faithful to You. Amen.
There are a number of tragedies in the Bible but none so great as that of Judas Iscariot. No one knows what his motivations were for his actions. Folks out in Hollywood have tried to make Judas into a good guy, a misunderstood guy, a victim kind of guy. The fact is, however, no one can know what was in his heart and mind that led him to do what he did. All we can know is what he did.
When Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned, he was “full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.” (verse 3) He acknowledged that he had betrayed innocent blood. That suggests that he had some reason for betraying Jesus, but we cannot know what it was. Judas had gone to the chief priests and elders and had agreed to betray Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver, which was the price of a slave. When remorse set in, he tried to return the money, but the chief priests and elders refused to take it back because it was “blood money.” So Judas threw the silver into the sanctuary and went and hanged himself. The chief priests then took the money and bought the “potter’s field” as a burial site for foreigners.
Consider these quotes from Jeremiah and Zechariah.
“Then my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard as the Lord had said and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out to him the money – 17 shekels of silver.” (Jeremiah 32:8-9 CSB) At the time this transpired, Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonians and about to fall. Who in their right mind would buy a field that was about to fall into enemy hands? Yet, the Lord had told Jeremiah to do this. It was a prophetic message about redemption and hope.
“Then I said to them, ‘If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.’ So they weighed my wages, 30 pieces of silver. ‘Throw it to the potter,’ the Lord said to me – this magnificent price I was valued by them. So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of the Lord, to the potter.’” (Zechariah 11:12-13 CSB)
Considering these verses and what we see in Matthew, we can see a number of important words emerge: inheritance, redemption, burial, blood. While these 30 pieces of silver certainly represent the betrayal of Jesus, they may also be considered as symbolic of the event that was about to take place, one where blood would be given for our redemption, establishing an inheritance for us, one that would come only after burial. This simply reveals the power of God to take something evil and redemptively turn it into something good.
Lord, We thank You for the power of Your redemption, which has brought forgiveness to each of us who believe in Jesus. May we ever be faithful to You. Amen.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gateways Beyond Ourselves
“And Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:75 CSB)
Obviously, we cannot know what thoughts and emotions were going through Peter’s mind and heart as he stood there with the temple police warming himself by their fire. We do know that when Judas led the police to where Jesus was in order to arrest Him that Peter is the one who sprang into action and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. We also know that Jesus rebuked Peter. Again. We know that Peter, along with the other disciples, fled and scattered when the arrest took place. But Peter apparently showed up in the courtyard of the high priest’s home. Given the history and background, it would seem safe to conclude that fear was the dominant emotion running rampant through Peter, and it was this that led to his three denials.
Fear is the fruit of our self-preservation need, and, in turn, it feeds our self-preservation need. The need to survive is meshed with fear, which then drives our actions toward self-preservation. In itself, there is nothing wrong with this, since God created us with this capacity. Whatever dominates us is our master, however, and if fear is the main driving force of our lives and decisions and actions, it then makes us its servant and thereafter colors everything we do. When fear takes on this proportion in our hearts, we then, ironically, are following a self-centered life. That is what happened to Peter. At that point in his life, it was still all about him and his self-effort, his self-determination. He went outside (and metaphorically “outside” as well) and wept bitterly because he was so much weaker than he thought he was. His determination was insufficient, because fear dominated him.
The crucifixion, the resurrection, the post-resurrection encounters and instructions, and the coming of the Holy Spirit eventually led Peter beyond his fear and his own self-effort and self-determination by pointing him to a higher purpose, to a cause and a love that was worth dying for.
Understanding, commitment, and trust are the gateways that lead us beyond ourselves and our fears and our pride. Those are the keys that unlock the gate to the freedom to serve our Lord.
Lord, Turn the keys. Please. Amen.
Obviously, we cannot know what thoughts and emotions were going through Peter’s mind and heart as he stood there with the temple police warming himself by their fire. We do know that when Judas led the police to where Jesus was in order to arrest Him that Peter is the one who sprang into action and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. We also know that Jesus rebuked Peter. Again. We know that Peter, along with the other disciples, fled and scattered when the arrest took place. But Peter apparently showed up in the courtyard of the high priest’s home. Given the history and background, it would seem safe to conclude that fear was the dominant emotion running rampant through Peter, and it was this that led to his three denials.
Fear is the fruit of our self-preservation need, and, in turn, it feeds our self-preservation need. The need to survive is meshed with fear, which then drives our actions toward self-preservation. In itself, there is nothing wrong with this, since God created us with this capacity. Whatever dominates us is our master, however, and if fear is the main driving force of our lives and decisions and actions, it then makes us its servant and thereafter colors everything we do. When fear takes on this proportion in our hearts, we then, ironically, are following a self-centered life. That is what happened to Peter. At that point in his life, it was still all about him and his self-effort, his self-determination. He went outside (and metaphorically “outside” as well) and wept bitterly because he was so much weaker than he thought he was. His determination was insufficient, because fear dominated him.
The crucifixion, the resurrection, the post-resurrection encounters and instructions, and the coming of the Holy Spirit eventually led Peter beyond his fear and his own self-effort and self-determination by pointing him to a higher purpose, to a cause and a love that was worth dying for.
Understanding, commitment, and trust are the gateways that lead us beyond ourselves and our fears and our pride. Those are the keys that unlock the gate to the freedom to serve our Lord.
Lord, Turn the keys. Please. Amen.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Faith Following
“After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it.” (Joshua 3:2-3 CSB)
Following the safe return of the two spies from Jericho, excitement grew for Joshua and his officers when they heard the report. They knew then it was time to cross the Jordan. So, the officers readied the people, and from what we observe here, we understand at least three elements of what following the Lord in faith means.
The first element of following in faith is getting ready. Preparations had to be made to break camp, pack everything up, and deal with the multitude of logistics involved in moving nearly three million people across a river at one time. This suggests to us that faith has a planning stage. There may be times when God tells us to simply act in faith, but it is just as true that God expects us to go through all the preparatory phases so that we can act in faith.
The second element of following in faith is watching. The officers told the people that they were to maintain a distance of about 1,000 yards from the ark of the covenant, so that they could all see when the Levitical priests picked it up. When they saw that, they would know then that it is time for them to move. The ark of the covenant of the Lord represented the presence of the Lord. Today, we do not need a gold-covered wooden box to represent God’s presence, since the Holy Spirit now dwells in each of us to be His presence. Even so, faith calls for us to be observant, to be perceptive, to be watching for how God is working, so that we can join Him in what He is doing in timely ways.
The third element of following in faith is action. When the priests walked down into the water, the people were to then move out and follow and cross over the Jordan, trusting that God was going to stop the water flow (then at flood stage) so they could cross on dry ground as promised. Faith always leads ultimately to action. Without action, there is no real faith. For faith to be real, we must always act on it, demonstrating our trust in God.
Preparing, watching, and acting are all three part of what it means to follow the Lord in faith.
Lord, Today may each of us demonstrate this kind of faith as we seek to follow You and be faithful to You. Amen.
Following the safe return of the two spies from Jericho, excitement grew for Joshua and his officers when they heard the report. They knew then it was time to cross the Jordan. So, the officers readied the people, and from what we observe here, we understand at least three elements of what following the Lord in faith means.
The first element of following in faith is getting ready. Preparations had to be made to break camp, pack everything up, and deal with the multitude of logistics involved in moving nearly three million people across a river at one time. This suggests to us that faith has a planning stage. There may be times when God tells us to simply act in faith, but it is just as true that God expects us to go through all the preparatory phases so that we can act in faith.
The second element of following in faith is watching. The officers told the people that they were to maintain a distance of about 1,000 yards from the ark of the covenant, so that they could all see when the Levitical priests picked it up. When they saw that, they would know then that it is time for them to move. The ark of the covenant of the Lord represented the presence of the Lord. Today, we do not need a gold-covered wooden box to represent God’s presence, since the Holy Spirit now dwells in each of us to be His presence. Even so, faith calls for us to be observant, to be perceptive, to be watching for how God is working, so that we can join Him in what He is doing in timely ways.
The third element of following in faith is action. When the priests walked down into the water, the people were to then move out and follow and cross over the Jordan, trusting that God was going to stop the water flow (then at flood stage) so they could cross on dry ground as promised. Faith always leads ultimately to action. Without action, there is no real faith. For faith to be real, we must always act on it, demonstrating our trust in God.
Preparing, watching, and acting are all three part of what it means to follow the Lord in faith.
Lord, Today may each of us demonstrate this kind of faith as we seek to follow You and be faithful to You. Amen.
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