“Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.” (Psalm 95:6-7 HCSB)
Worship is a central to our faith. It is a daily, weekly practice we go through that is the spiritual expression of the deepest thoughts and feelings of our souls. Have you ever wondered why we do this as we do?
One reason we worship God is because of His identity. He is the Lord. That means He is sovereign. He is our Maker. He is the Creator of all things, and we are ourselves created in His image. As our Maker, we owe Him everything we have and everything we are. So we worship. We bow down before Him. He is the holy, almighty, awesome God. We kneel before Him because of who He is.
Another reason we worship God so much is because of our need. We are the people of God’s “pasture.” You’ve seen pasture. Mostly we envision scenes of lush green grass on rolling hills, with white sheep dotting the landscape. The pastures in Israel are not exactly like that, however. Mostly they are pretty rugged and rocky with patches of grass and other edible plants. Shepherds work to find pasture land for their sheep. That is because they care for the sheep and want to provide for them. In case you are not aware, shepherds are rugged individuals. Remember that David once killed a lion with his bare hands, and at another time killed a bear with his bare hands. These are strong, rugged, hardy individuals who use their strength to provide. We are under the care of our God. We trust Him. And we need Him. Thus, it is because of our need that we are constantly turning to God.
Worship that is true and genuine is never just a matter of form. We do not worship because it is some kind of requirement. We do not develop worship services so that we can have something to do. We do this because it is an essential expression of heart and soul. Something within us knows that we cannot be complete apart from worship. Through worship we respond to and glorify our God.
Lord, May our worship always be true and genuine and acceptable in Your sight. Amen.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Confidence
"I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
Certainty and confidence are the DNA of biblical hope. The Christian view of hope is a faith-based certainty. Sounds a little oxymoronic, doesn’t it? We generally do not talk so much about faith and knowledge at the same time because they seem to be polar opposites. Part of our hesitancy in talking about a relationship between the two stems from our Christian history in which a group of people called “Gnostics” tried to displace faith with what they called “knowledge,” (hence their name). Is there any connection between faith and knowledge, though, that is legitimate?
Probably there is. For example, for someone to make a decision about Christ, we need to impart at least a certain amount of information so they can make a decision of faith. There is some body of material they need to know, and then they decide.
There is another possible connection. Faith can become so strong and hope so clear that we can say with Paul, “For I know whom I have believed.” We know Him in the sense that we have a personal, faith relationship with Him. We know Him as we might know another person, that is, have a relationship. But we also know Him in the sense that we believe in Him and believe His word so strongly that we are certain of what we believe, so that we say that “we know.”
Paul expressed this certainty and confidence in his statement to the Philippians that the Lord who began a good work in them would carry it to completion. That had to be encouraging to them. It’s an encouraging thought to us as well. It’s important that we realize that we are a “work in progress.” God continues to shape and mold us. Sometimes it may feel like He’s starting over like a potter with clay. For some it may feel like He’s whittling away the wood, or chipping off the marble that doesn’t need to be there, so that His “artwork” takes the shape of what He has envisioned for us. This may not exactly be comfortable for the clay, the wood, or the marble, but our certainty and confidence tell us that, even though we may not understand, God knows what He’s doing.
Lord, We trust ourselves to You, that Your will may be done. Amen.
Certainty and confidence are the DNA of biblical hope. The Christian view of hope is a faith-based certainty. Sounds a little oxymoronic, doesn’t it? We generally do not talk so much about faith and knowledge at the same time because they seem to be polar opposites. Part of our hesitancy in talking about a relationship between the two stems from our Christian history in which a group of people called “Gnostics” tried to displace faith with what they called “knowledge,” (hence their name). Is there any connection between faith and knowledge, though, that is legitimate?
Probably there is. For example, for someone to make a decision about Christ, we need to impart at least a certain amount of information so they can make a decision of faith. There is some body of material they need to know, and then they decide.
There is another possible connection. Faith can become so strong and hope so clear that we can say with Paul, “For I know whom I have believed.” We know Him in the sense that we have a personal, faith relationship with Him. We know Him as we might know another person, that is, have a relationship. But we also know Him in the sense that we believe in Him and believe His word so strongly that we are certain of what we believe, so that we say that “we know.”
Paul expressed this certainty and confidence in his statement to the Philippians that the Lord who began a good work in them would carry it to completion. That had to be encouraging to them. It’s an encouraging thought to us as well. It’s important that we realize that we are a “work in progress.” God continues to shape and mold us. Sometimes it may feel like He’s starting over like a potter with clay. For some it may feel like He’s whittling away the wood, or chipping off the marble that doesn’t need to be there, so that His “artwork” takes the shape of what He has envisioned for us. This may not exactly be comfortable for the clay, the wood, or the marble, but our certainty and confidence tell us that, even though we may not understand, God knows what He’s doing.
Lord, We trust ourselves to You, that Your will may be done. Amen.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Slavery
“Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:1a)
Slavery. Not exactly a fun subject, is it? Most if not all of our association with slavery is negative, primarily because of the intense human brutality that is associated with it. Who could forget watching the TV mini-series called “Roots” and not come away with a total condemnation of slavery. Yet, while we recognize slavery’s inhumanity, we also know that this practice continues even into the 21st century. We may not see it in our country, but there are nations where it is still practiced. Sometimes it’s “under the radar,” and sometimes it is not.
There is another form of slavery that was “born” in the 1st century. Slavery as an institution was widely practiced in the Roman Empire. At least one estimate has suggested that one out of every three people in the Roman Empire was a slave. But that is not the concept we are thinking about here. We are thinking more of the concept that Paul introduced. He saw himself and other Christian leaders and workers as slaves of Jesus Christ. Some versions of the Bible prefer to translate the word in Philippians 1:1 as “servant.” That is a legitimate translation, though the meaning of the word itself is “bond-slave.” The idea of the word would not have been lost on Paul’s original readers at Philippi. Some of them may have had slaves and may have been slaves themselves. The Greek word “doulos” can refer either to a voluntary or involuntary slavery. Jesus never forces such on anyone. He Himself came and took the form of a “doulos,” according to what Paul said in Philippians 2. So, what we’re talking about here is a voluntary submission of someone’s life to the Lordship of Christ, acknowledging a total, absolute, and unconditional dependence on the Lord and a total commitment to do His will. Paul is making a clear statement that he has laid aside personal ambition in order to focus his life on serving Jesus.
We have to wonder: what would the state of Christianity be if every believer decided to lay aside any personal ambition in order to follow and serve Jesus as Lord?
Lord, Help each of us to consider and commit to this concept. Amen.
Slavery. Not exactly a fun subject, is it? Most if not all of our association with slavery is negative, primarily because of the intense human brutality that is associated with it. Who could forget watching the TV mini-series called “Roots” and not come away with a total condemnation of slavery. Yet, while we recognize slavery’s inhumanity, we also know that this practice continues even into the 21st century. We may not see it in our country, but there are nations where it is still practiced. Sometimes it’s “under the radar,” and sometimes it is not.
There is another form of slavery that was “born” in the 1st century. Slavery as an institution was widely practiced in the Roman Empire. At least one estimate has suggested that one out of every three people in the Roman Empire was a slave. But that is not the concept we are thinking about here. We are thinking more of the concept that Paul introduced. He saw himself and other Christian leaders and workers as slaves of Jesus Christ. Some versions of the Bible prefer to translate the word in Philippians 1:1 as “servant.” That is a legitimate translation, though the meaning of the word itself is “bond-slave.” The idea of the word would not have been lost on Paul’s original readers at Philippi. Some of them may have had slaves and may have been slaves themselves. The Greek word “doulos” can refer either to a voluntary or involuntary slavery. Jesus never forces such on anyone. He Himself came and took the form of a “doulos,” according to what Paul said in Philippians 2. So, what we’re talking about here is a voluntary submission of someone’s life to the Lordship of Christ, acknowledging a total, absolute, and unconditional dependence on the Lord and a total commitment to do His will. Paul is making a clear statement that he has laid aside personal ambition in order to focus his life on serving Jesus.
We have to wonder: what would the state of Christianity be if every believer decided to lay aside any personal ambition in order to follow and serve Jesus as Lord?
Lord, Help each of us to consider and commit to this concept. Amen.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Hindsight
“Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds!” (Matthew 11:19b)
Jesus spoke about the current generation of His day. He said that they responded to John the Baptist by saying, “He has a demon.” They said that because John did not come “eating and drinking.” What they meant was that John was not a socializer, and besides he wore funny clothes. So many, though not all, concluded that he was demonized.
Jesus, on the other hand, did socialize, but His social life was not limited to the religious elite. He “ate and drank” (meaning, He took His meals) with tax collectors and sinners. So the general response to Him was to call Him a glutton and drunkard.
This is what prompted Jesus to say, “Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” That means that judgment should not be based on appearances or on behaviors but on what is achieved. That sounds close to “the end justifies the means,” but that is not really what Jesus is talking about. Here’s why. Wisdom is not necessarily known to be wisdom before the fact. Normally, it’s when we’re looking back and observing that some decision turned out well that we then say, “That was a wise decision.” Before the fact we tend to say, “I believe that is a wise decision,” but we do not know until we see the results.
Need some examples? One is Matthew, the one who wrote this first gospel. He was a tax collector. He became a believer and a disciple of Jesus. Jesus changed his life. Then, there was Zacchaeus, another tax collector, who, because Jesus was willing to “socialize” with him and his friends, turned his life around and returned to the Lord. Now, wasn’t Jesus wise for taking this approach? Yep, wisdom is demonstrated by the results.
Lord, We have to trust in You to give us the wisdom we need before the fact. Help us to be willing to follow in faith and trust You with the results. Amen.
Jesus spoke about the current generation of His day. He said that they responded to John the Baptist by saying, “He has a demon.” They said that because John did not come “eating and drinking.” What they meant was that John was not a socializer, and besides he wore funny clothes. So many, though not all, concluded that he was demonized.
Jesus, on the other hand, did socialize, but His social life was not limited to the religious elite. He “ate and drank” (meaning, He took His meals) with tax collectors and sinners. So the general response to Him was to call Him a glutton and drunkard.
This is what prompted Jesus to say, “Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” That means that judgment should not be based on appearances or on behaviors but on what is achieved. That sounds close to “the end justifies the means,” but that is not really what Jesus is talking about. Here’s why. Wisdom is not necessarily known to be wisdom before the fact. Normally, it’s when we’re looking back and observing that some decision turned out well that we then say, “That was a wise decision.” Before the fact we tend to say, “I believe that is a wise decision,” but we do not know until we see the results.
Need some examples? One is Matthew, the one who wrote this first gospel. He was a tax collector. He became a believer and a disciple of Jesus. Jesus changed his life. Then, there was Zacchaeus, another tax collector, who, because Jesus was willing to “socialize” with him and his friends, turned his life around and returned to the Lord. Now, wasn’t Jesus wise for taking this approach? Yep, wisdom is demonstrated by the results.
Lord, We have to trust in You to give us the wisdom we need before the fact. Help us to be willing to follow in faith and trust You with the results. Amen.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Life Paradox
“Anyone finding His life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
It seems odd that the key to a life of fulfillment is found in a paradox. A paradox is a truth that cannot be true but actually is true. It appears contradictory and non-sensical but is actually true. The perception of that truth takes place after some in-depth reflection.
Jesus stated such a paradox in this verse, “Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.” How on earth does it make any sense that if you find your life you lose it? One point of view says in fact that seeking and finding your life is what life is all about. Humanly speaking, that is the only thing that makes sense.
The idea is that if you focus your life’s purpose on yourself, your identity, your lifestyle, your needs, and your desires and find all of that as your source of fulfillment, you will miss the point of life altogether. At the end of the day when you have all that, what do you have? You have you, and that’s all. So, how on earth could that be a life of fulfillment?
By the same token, how on earth can losing your life because of Jesus result in finding your life? How does that make any sense? Well, follow the same line of thinking as above. If your replace your own life’s purpose of finding your own life with giving your life to the Lord in the fulfillment of His purposes for you and through you, you then discover what the true purpose of your life is – to glorify Him through a personal, faith-based relationship with Him. He completes your life. So, how on earth could that not make sense? In fact, it does make sense.
Finders losers, losers finders. It may sound odd, but it’s true. Jesus is the One who makes it that way.
Lord, In You we have found life in abundance. Help us to live it today. Amen.
It seems odd that the key to a life of fulfillment is found in a paradox. A paradox is a truth that cannot be true but actually is true. It appears contradictory and non-sensical but is actually true. The perception of that truth takes place after some in-depth reflection.
Jesus stated such a paradox in this verse, “Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.” How on earth does it make any sense that if you find your life you lose it? One point of view says in fact that seeking and finding your life is what life is all about. Humanly speaking, that is the only thing that makes sense.
The idea is that if you focus your life’s purpose on yourself, your identity, your lifestyle, your needs, and your desires and find all of that as your source of fulfillment, you will miss the point of life altogether. At the end of the day when you have all that, what do you have? You have you, and that’s all. So, how on earth could that be a life of fulfillment?
By the same token, how on earth can losing your life because of Jesus result in finding your life? How does that make any sense? Well, follow the same line of thinking as above. If your replace your own life’s purpose of finding your own life with giving your life to the Lord in the fulfillment of His purposes for you and through you, you then discover what the true purpose of your life is – to glorify Him through a personal, faith-based relationship with Him. He completes your life. So, how on earth could that not make sense? In fact, it does make sense.
Finders losers, losers finders. It may sound odd, but it’s true. Jesus is the One who makes it that way.
Lord, In You we have found life in abundance. Help us to live it today. Amen.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Affliction
“Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep Your word.” (Psalm 119:67) “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71)
What?
Some folks would read what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119 and wonder if he’s a few cards short of a whole deck. How could anyone view affliction in a positive way? To folks who don’t know the Lord, it makes no sense at all, and to those who do know the Lord, there may actually be a question mark or two.
If you read Psalm 119 all the way through, looking for themes or for repeated words or phrases, you discover words like “Law,” “statutes,” “word,” and “affliction.” Affliction appears in five different verses in Psalm 119, suggesting that affliction and struggle and trouble and problems are at least a sub-theme if not a major theme.
One of the questions that obviously arise is: What is the source of affliction? And there are related questions. Does God cause it? If He does, why does He? It seems like He would want us to have peace and comfort in our lives rather than affliction and problems.
The true source of all affliction is sin. The original sin of man broke everything. There was no affliction prior to that. Adam and Eve messed it up for us all. Their sin is the real source of human ills, but let’s not just play the blame game. The reality is that every one of us has also sinned. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So, some affliction may simply be the result of our own sin.
Some affliction can result from the violation of physical and other laws. Stand in front of a moving freight train, and guess what will happen. Do drugs, and guess what will happen. Cheat on your spouse, and guess what will happen. Rob a bank, and guess what will happen.
But what about the person who tries to live a good and right life and still goes through a time of affliction? Well, the original sin idea is still at work. The only reason there is death and sickness in the world is because of original sin. But we can’t just point to that. The reality is that there are times when God may allow some affliction to come into our lives. There are times when God may actually allow Satan to afflict us in some way. To what end? That is where the psalmist comes in. Hear him again: Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep Your word… It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes.” Affliction is intended to drive us to God, to seek our answers in Him. His intent is to guide us toward a stronger relationship with Him so that we may do what is right. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that a good father will discipline his son so that he will grow in the right direction.
If you find yourself going through affliction, whatever the source may be, turn to God with it and ask Him to apply His redemptive power to it to use it in ways that can glorify Him.
Lord, We still don’t like affliction, but we do pray that as we go through it we may benefit from it spiritually and relationally. Amen.
What?
Some folks would read what the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119 and wonder if he’s a few cards short of a whole deck. How could anyone view affliction in a positive way? To folks who don’t know the Lord, it makes no sense at all, and to those who do know the Lord, there may actually be a question mark or two.
If you read Psalm 119 all the way through, looking for themes or for repeated words or phrases, you discover words like “Law,” “statutes,” “word,” and “affliction.” Affliction appears in five different verses in Psalm 119, suggesting that affliction and struggle and trouble and problems are at least a sub-theme if not a major theme.
One of the questions that obviously arise is: What is the source of affliction? And there are related questions. Does God cause it? If He does, why does He? It seems like He would want us to have peace and comfort in our lives rather than affliction and problems.
The true source of all affliction is sin. The original sin of man broke everything. There was no affliction prior to that. Adam and Eve messed it up for us all. Their sin is the real source of human ills, but let’s not just play the blame game. The reality is that every one of us has also sinned. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) So, some affliction may simply be the result of our own sin.
Some affliction can result from the violation of physical and other laws. Stand in front of a moving freight train, and guess what will happen. Do drugs, and guess what will happen. Cheat on your spouse, and guess what will happen. Rob a bank, and guess what will happen.
But what about the person who tries to live a good and right life and still goes through a time of affliction? Well, the original sin idea is still at work. The only reason there is death and sickness in the world is because of original sin. But we can’t just point to that. The reality is that there are times when God may allow some affliction to come into our lives. There are times when God may actually allow Satan to afflict us in some way. To what end? That is where the psalmist comes in. Hear him again: Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep Your word… It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes.” Affliction is intended to drive us to God, to seek our answers in Him. His intent is to guide us toward a stronger relationship with Him so that we may do what is right. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that a good father will discipline his son so that he will grow in the right direction.
If you find yourself going through affliction, whatever the source may be, turn to God with it and ask Him to apply His redemptive power to it to use it in ways that can glorify Him.
Lord, We still don’t like affliction, but we do pray that as we go through it we may benefit from it spiritually and relationally. Amen.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Day of the Cornerstone
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:22-24)
When you hear someone quote, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” most of the time we think they are talking about today. They are encouraging someone, maybe even themselves, to rejoice in this day today because it is a day the Lord has given us to live in and to serve. Of course, there is great truth there. Each day is a new day that the Lord has given us, and we need to choose rejoicing over every other possibility. Rejoicing wins hands down over anything else.
While this is a great idea, it isn’t necessarily what the psalmist was talking about. When you look at the larger context you see it. He isn’t talking about a particular day but about a time or a season or era. The New Testament in fact quotes verses 22 and 23 of Psalm 118 in reference to its fulfillment in Jesus. The psalmist was looking forward toward that day when the Messiah would come. He would be a stone rejected by the builders but which actually became the cornerstone. It was the promise of the Lord to be fulfilled. The psalmist called it “wonderful,” and we today who know Jesus also call it wonderful. We are now in His day. The Lord made this. It’s wonderful. And we need to choose to rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, We thank You, and we rejoice. Amen.
When you hear someone quote, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” most of the time we think they are talking about today. They are encouraging someone, maybe even themselves, to rejoice in this day today because it is a day the Lord has given us to live in and to serve. Of course, there is great truth there. Each day is a new day that the Lord has given us, and we need to choose rejoicing over every other possibility. Rejoicing wins hands down over anything else.
While this is a great idea, it isn’t necessarily what the psalmist was talking about. When you look at the larger context you see it. He isn’t talking about a particular day but about a time or a season or era. The New Testament in fact quotes verses 22 and 23 of Psalm 118 in reference to its fulfillment in Jesus. The psalmist was looking forward toward that day when the Messiah would come. He would be a stone rejected by the builders but which actually became the cornerstone. It was the promise of the Lord to be fulfilled. The psalmist called it “wonderful,” and we today who know Jesus also call it wonderful. We are now in His day. The Lord made this. It’s wonderful. And we need to choose to rejoice and be glad in it.
Lord, We thank You, and we rejoice. Amen.
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