Category Archives: Scripture

Good Words

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A few years back, I was given “The Two Year Bible”. Yes, that’s the lite version of “The One Year Bible”, and no, I don’t know why I received it. But I decided to open it up with this new year.

In the midst of a thousand discussions about Christianity, the church, faith and culture, and more; I often feel like my head is swimming. Some of the discussions have merit; some are simply sophisticated-sounding forms of whining or grumbling.

But every so often, something shines through with enough brightness that you know it’s for real. Today, that “something” was Psalm 1:

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

Don’t get sucked into bad stuff.

Delight in what God loves.

This will make your life a good thing.

Call me simple if you must, but I can work with that.

That Darn Jeremiah

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That’s not fair.

I can’t even blame him. In 20:7, he charges God with having overpowered him. A bit later (20:9), he clarifies that God has placed His word so deep within him that it burns like a fire if it’s not spoken: “I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

I liked blaming Jeremiah. It’s an easier option than where I’m going next.

It’s not like blaming God is something new; as old as Adam actually. Still, it’s not ground I love to travel, even if it is well-travelled.

My friend Dave had a troubled but honest post on his blog a while back. No, Dave, I didn’t forget the email you sent me either! I’d link to his blog entry, but it seems to have been deleted (it wasn’t that troubled). What it said was this…

This might be a totally uncalled for post. In fact, I’d rather some people not read it, even though I’d like to hear from some…. heh… I guess you don’t have that luxury online.

I just finished sending off an email to my friendly neighbourhood innocent unsuspecting minister who is thousands of miles away from me, letting him know that its his job to fix the way I think of the Bible.

…and a thought came to mind. A horrible, ugly, little thought.

You see, as I travel around with the choir, these children who’ve come from such desperate circumstances, a lot of people say the same thing… that seeing these children in person has made the statistics they read a lot more personal… it has given it a face, and they say that the statistics mean a lot more now, and look a lot different.

I wonder, then… how our perspectives would change… how the statistics would seem to us… if we could ever see the face of just one of the thousands of innocent children slaughtered by the Israelites in the Old Testament. If we not only read of their death, but we saw the actual act. Picture it for a minute. A grown man… a soldier… trained and ordained… swinging his sword into a little baby. I shudder as I write this.

Joshua and Jesus, I’m told, actually have the same name. Right now I’m having a hard time believing they had the same God…

Dave’s point along with a million other people’s… what do we do with a God who called for His people to strike down entire cities as they took the Promised Land? It’s not like those people asked to be God’s enemies, right? Where do we stick that on a framework that recognizes God as being good, loving, and merciful? That’s a question that’s downright unnerving. It can feel like a breaking point in our minds.

Want the kicker?

Jeremiah pushed me farther last week.

I was reading chapters 19-22. The king of God’s people approaches the prophet, and God replies with this in chapter 20:

1-2 God’s Message to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to him with this request: “Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has waged war against us. Pray to God for us. Ask him for help. Maybe God will intervene with one of his famous miracles and make him leave.”

3-7 But Jeremiah said, “Tell Zedekiah: ‘This is the God of Israel’s Message to you: You can say good-bye to your army, watch morale and weapons flushed down the drain. I’m going to personally lead the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, against whom you’re fighting so hard, right into the city itself. I’m joining their side and fighting against you, fighting all-out, holding nothing back. And in fierce anger. I’m prepared to wipe out the population of this city, people and animals alike, in a raging epidemic. And then I will personally deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, his princes, and any survivors left in the city who haven’t died from disease, been killed, or starved. I’ll deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—yes, hand them over to their enemies, who have come to kill them. He’ll kill them ruthlessly, showing no mercy.’

As I read those words and more like them, I wondered.

Yeah, I wondered, “Why?” Of course. But that’s the easy wondering.

Mine wouldn’t stop that day. Here’s where I ended up.

If I think my senses are stunned by the unthinkable thought that God would command His people to fight others with such ferocity, then I’ve seen nothing yet. Look upon a God who goes beyond that; look at Him who would fight His own people with an equal ferocity.

I was a touch surprised not to feel disgust or fear as I considered such a God as this. Rather, my dominant feeling was a humility before and an awe of a God who possesses a holiness that has seldom been understood even by those claiming to follow Him. This is a God whose desire for righteousness burns hotter than any passion of men. This God over all… His very nature is a love of a type that is so far beyond human affection, emotion, or feeling that it could appear as insanity in our small eyes.

Whew.

Now that doesn’t answer the question.  I know.

But it leads me to one that needs even higher priority on my list.

What am I to do with that kind of a God?

Sigh and submit.  That’s all I’ve got.  And for now, I’m all right with that.

And thanks to Jeremiah, that’s where I arrived on ‘just another Tuesday’.

The One

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I’m supposed to be working, but my mind is wandering. And while it is, I’m here to write down something from yesterday.

I grabbed my Bible and journal, and headed for an empty room. Before reading, I tried to get quiet (outside and in). It worked more than usual. The time was prayerful, and in it I found myself amazed at two things:

  1. God’s timelessness. I can’t imagine that concept; without beginning and end, before and beyond all else. Then it dawned on me that I was communing at that moment, in that room, with the God of Adam. My prayers were being received by no less than the One who shaped the dust and shared the Breath. And I was blown away! Pun NOT intended.
  2. God’s knowledge of us. As I sat there attempting to open myself up to Him, I recognized that God didn’t need me to open my doors to Him. He already knew all that was inside. The act of revealing was more for my sake. However, I found a real comfort yesterday in the thought of how deeply known I am. And it passed through my mind that Shannon is that deeply known too. And so is each of my family members; yes, even my in-laws. And the entire Glen Elm church as well. And so are you. And yes, this is the same God who created Adam way back when… and He knew His every in and out as well.  And I was blown away again.

Then…

Upon entering the Word, I found the message of Jeremiah 17:9-10:

“The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be.”

We as creatures in God’s image are wonderfully complex, though sometimes the “wonder” is not entirely wonderful. It can also be very dark and twisted. But God enters as we allow Him to be the Searcher, Examiner, and Figurer of all that is within and around us. That thought felt mighty good yesterday.

It feels good again today.

Prayer

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On Sunday morning, I spoke about prayer as a part of the process of “preparing the way for the Lord”. Any sermon that allows you to impersonate Bob Barker while proclaiming the Word of God… that’s good fun!

At the end of service, we knelt together in the dark and prayed this prayer in unison. It had been requested by someone afterwards, so I figured I’d post it here as well.

The words below are a mix: Some are pure Scripture–prayers taken from Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah, and Daniel. Other parts are my paraphrases of such passages or thoughts that were reached as a result of praying through those prayers last week.

For what it’s worth…

O Lord, there is no God like you in all of heaven or earth.

You keep your promises
and show unfailing love
to all who obey you
and are eager to do your will.

You have promised that we will be Your temple,
that You will live among us and within us.

But how, Lord?

Even the highest heavens cannot contain You;
how much less our divided hearts.

Yet Lord, You are our Father.

We are the clay,
and You are the potter.
We are all formed by Your hand.

So don’t remember our sins forever.

For we are the creatures of Your hands,
born to bear Your image,
and called to carry Your glory
to the ends of the earth.

Father, hear our humble and earnest requests.
We are a needy people:
Needy of Your forgiveness
and needy of Your nearness.

Display for us Your might in powerful ways.

Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down!

How the earth would quake in Your presence!

As fire burns wood and boils water,
Your coming would shake the world.

When You came down long ago,
You did awesome things beyond our dreams.

And oh, how things shook!

For since the world began,
no ear has heard, and
no eye has seen a God like You:

You work for those who wait on You,
and You welcome those who lovingly follow Your ways.

We kneel before You this morning, Lord.

We offer ourselves;
we surrender ourselves.

Your will is our command,
and we will spend our lives upon serving You.

Search our hearts this morning,
and burn away anything in us that is untrue or impure.

For we desire to serve You alone.

Our Father in heaven, great is Your name.
May Your kingdom come
and Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Do not lead us into temptation
and deliver us from the evil One,

for the kingdom is Yours,
and the power is Yours,
and the glory is Yours,
forever and ever,
amen.

Trouble?

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I can hardly say I’m suffering in any significant way today; but for some reason, these words of Peter were most meaningful to me today:

Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.

So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.

So I’d like to propose a toast…

Here’s to refining processes and the escape from tyranny. Care to drink to that?