Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Joshua 1:1-9

Joshua 1:1-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So often when we are called to something new, we focus on all the things that intimidate us.  Our eyes and our hearts are fixed on what we cannot do, and as a result we tremble and wonder what might go wrong.
  Think about Joshua -- he was called to fill the shoes of Moses.  Moses led the people through the wilderness for 40 years and communed with God -- they often had to cover his face with a veil because it glowed after Moses spent time with God.  Joshua was the next leader of the community -- he could have spent his life intimidated, thinking about how he would never live up to Moses.
  God called him to be strong and courageous, focusing on the most important thing -- that God would never leave nor forsake him.  Joshua was not on his own, and we know that God works through our weaknesses to show his glory.  If we meditate on God's Word and trust in him to lead us, drawing closer to God each day, we need not be frightened.  The Lord your God is with you wherever you go!

Monday, October 30, 2017

1 Peter 1:22-25

1 Peter 1:22-25
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I'd be a little nervous to live just below a dam -- if water overflowed from the dam, it would surely go beyond the banks of the river and inundate my house.  It would be a powerful outflow that would greatly change my life.
  In the same way, how we treat one another is out of the overflow of our hearts.  If we allow the love of God to shape our hearts, treasuring the unconditional love and grace and mercy of God and meditating on his law and love, that will overflow out of our hearts and change the way we treat everyone.  The more time we spend with God and his Word, the more challenged we will be to love and serve our neighbors.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Hebrews 6:17-20

Hebrews 6:17-20
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  I read with great sadness of the passing of my friend, Dewey French.  One of the kindest people I've had the blessing of meeting, he stopped by the church office at least 3 times a week, sometimes just for a cup of coffee.  Seeing Dewey was often the highlight of the day. 
  In the midst of the storms of life, the idea of an anchor is so appealing.  When the rains pound and death knocks at the door, the anchor holds fast, a certain hope that has the resurrection of Jesus Christ to secure it.  There is no power in life, no power in death, that can take us from him, and so while I mourn, I give thanks for the hope we share in Christ -- we have a way through the curtain, beyond the veil, because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As sorrowful as death is, there is a greater hope that holds to me now, and I give thanks for that eternal peace that is promised.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Isaiah 66:12-14

Isaiah 66:12-14
English Standard Version (ESV)

  As a father, I understand the feeling of uselessness well.  There's nothing quite like the sensation of holding a crying, hungry baby, knowing that there is nothing I can do -- that's a problem only mom can fix.  I do what I can to soothe and assure, but it's limited.
  In the same way, there are so many problems with humanity that we struggle to fix.  We long for peace, for the end of hatred and violence, for the earth to be restored.  While it's important for us to work to do our part to work for peace, for shalom, we can only do so much -- there are certain things we cannot do.
  The complete restoration, true and lasting and complete peace, can only come from God.  Only God can do this, and so while we join in his efforts, we ultimately depend on him to bring about lasting peace.  As a child resting at peace on his mother's lap, so too are we in the hands of God, at peace with someone who can wholly provide for our needs and restore us to peace.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Exodus 3:7-12

Exodus 3:7-12
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We often suffer in silence.  We think that our problems don't matter, or we take a position of pride and struggle through them without letting anyone else in on the hardships we are facing.  We put on a brave face, and so often we tell those around us, even those closest to us, that we are OK, even when it seems like our life is often falling apart. 
  We sometimes even do this in prayer, assuming that we don't want to burden God, or that we need to hold it together when we approach God.  Maybe we feel shame because our problems of our own making.
  Whatever it is, God has surely seen the affliction of his people.  God notices our pain, and God cares.  The message of Scripture is that God intervenes in our brokenness so that we might find healing.  Here in Exodus, God sends a messenger to remind the people of his love and provision for them.  There is a path forward, however unexpected it may be, if they want to trust that he has heard their cries and that God cares.
  So cast your cares upon him.  Our afflictions and hardships matter to God, and if we as a community are going to love others the way God loves us, may we be willing to be vulnerable and willing to listen to those around us who are in need.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Deuteronomy 34:1-4

Deuteronomy 34:1-4
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's good to set goals, but sometimes we don't make it all the way to our goals.  They drive us, motivate us, but eventually, they prove to be just beyond our reach.  Maybe they are not ours to grasp?
  Throughout the journey of the Israelites, Moses is their leader, directing them and chiding them and trying to keep the community together.  For forty years, he has surely thought about the Promised Land.  He's directing the entire community there.
  But even if it is Moses' goal, God doesn't intend for him to make it to the Promised Land.  That doesn't mean that Moses is a failure or that God doesn't love Moses, it just means that life doesn't always turn out just like we plan.  Sometimes, God has another vision, and it's important for us to remember that when our plans don't work out the way we intend, all this means is that we don't have a full working grasp of God's plans.  We don't get the final say, and we have to trust God's wisdom and love. 
  Don't be discouraged if goals are beyond your reach.  Keep walking in faithfulness with God, and trust in Him and the bigger picture.  God has always pushed us forward to grow and develop in faith, and he will continue to do so, even if that doesn't look exactly like we anticipate.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Proverbs 1:1-7

Proverbs 1:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Graduation is a glorious day!  No more tests, no more assigned readings, no more lectures.  The achievement of school has passed, and greater things await.
  Proverbs offers us a helpful reminder -- if we are wise, we recognize that our learning doesn't stop.  If we want to continue to grow as Christians, it's vital to continue to find a place where we can learn.  We need to find Christians willing to teach us, and we need to be humble enough to admit our need to learn.  Growth only happens when we gather with people more mature than we are, and they pour into us, just as we should be pouring into other Christians.  To be wise means we recognize how little we know.
  It's not very popular to admit that you don't know everything.  It seems like our political landscape is filled with people who grow in stature the more brash they are -- to engage in humble conversation and engage from a position of vulnerability isn't wildly popular right now.  So it's a different way -- a different lifestyle.  What's it mean for you to continue to learn, to continue to grow in faith?

Friday, October 20, 2017

1 Peter 1:1-5

1 Peter 1:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Know what's great news?  A living hope.  Not a hope that was declared thousands of years ago and is still a moment in history.  Our hope is alive, having shattered the bonds of death.  Our hope is alive, and it's living in us, calling us forward into God's marvelous future, a future that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading.  I can't tell you exactly what that future is like, but the hope that lives within us pulls us towards us, reminding us of its power each and every passing day.  When the beauty of the world around us overwhelms us, when the love of a fellow human surrounds us, when the peace of God dwells richly in our hearts, these are moments in which our living hope is stirring us up to gaze forward, to waken our hearts to the reality of God's great love and the coming Kingdom of God.  Now is not the time to sit back and wait -- now is the time to live along with our hope, to let it form and shape us, to let it guide us into the kind of people God has called us to be!

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Romans 8:18-19

Romans 8:18-19
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This is the hardest thing about being human.  My 6 year old son likes waiting as much as he likes broccoli.  They could be handing out ice cream at the front of the line and he'd get anxious waiting.  We don't like waiting, and so what we often do is choose the easy way out -- we look at distant promises and think they are too far off, and so we settle for something that offers more immediate gratification.  A long way down the road, we may regret this decision, but in the meantime we are grateful that we don't have to wait any more. 
  Christianity urges us to discipline ourselves to be patient, to trust in slow discipleship that takes a lifetime to develop, to focus on spiritual practices that don't feel like they are yielding immediate fruit but will develop our character in the years and decades to come.  It's hard to wait, and there are so many temptations to stop denying ourselves immediate pleasure, but Christianity points to abundance that waits down the road.  It's not 'Your Best Life Now', perhaps, but God has always promised that it would be worth the wait, and God is a promise keeper, so let us keep our eyes and hearts focused on the future glory.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Revelation 3:15-22

Revelation 3:15-22
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I've been to a few concerts that are general admission, and I'm always amazed by the people that get there early to reserve a seat near the front.  They give up significant amounts of extra time, all to squeeze forward uncomfortably for the experience of being closer to the band.  I find space in the back, hearing the same music, but having a very different experience.  Mine is probably much more comfortable, but more subdued as well.  At least I'm in the concert, right?
  It's pretty easy for most of us to hang back, finding a comfortable spot and waiting for what we consider to be the perfect moment.  The problem is that those perfect moments to engage are often only clear in hindsight.  It requires a risk in the moment, and it can be uncomfortable.  It's much easier to get lulled into the idea that we are in need of nothing, not realizing how much we are missing by preferring our comfort over fully engaging with the Gospel.
  Christ comes to us.  The amazing truth of the Gospel is that the Savior comes to us, knocking on the door and seeking a path into our lives.  We don't have to figure it all out -- we have to accept the gift that comes to us, but the next step isn't to sit back and wait to figure it all out.  We are then charged to go forth with passion, with energy, and let the Gospel transform us.  We must recognize our total need for grace and let our gratitude for God's love and mercy guide every word and action.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Hebrews 13:7-9

Hebrews 13:7-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Walking Caleb to school this morning, it's noticeably colder than it was last week.  There is frost on the ground and leaves blowing in the wind.  Everything around points to the seasons changing, as kids on the playground are bundled in coats and parents assume the posture of trying to keep warm, with hands in pockets or collected around a cup of warm coffee.
  The world around us is in constant flux.  The weather changes, the global political environment changes, storms and political leaders rise and fall.  If we look to the world around us for certainty, we will be sorely disappointed.
  Jesus Christ, however, never changes.  His grace and his love and his mercy are everlasting, and the characteristics of God are unchanging.  Just as God was yesterday, he is today and will be forever.  The promises of God are not based on emotional whims, but eternal truths, and those of us who choose to live by these can take assurances that the things God promised in the Bible will be true because has promised that they will, and just as Christ fulfilled the Old Testament promises that were made about him, so, too, will the promises about the future one day come true.  That means that there is an eternal city prepared for us, and that we are to live in today's changing world with one foot anchored in eternity and hearts prepared to love the people around us enough to tell them about the love God has for them.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Psalm 139:13-16

Psalm 139:13-16
English Standard Version (ESV)

  On Friday, we welcomed a new life into the world.  It's an amazing process, what God does, and simply to catch glimpses of it brings one to wonder.  There are so many miracles about the process of birth, and in the end there is a new life, filled with possibilities.  Who knows what God has in store?
  For so much of life, we should be filled with wonder.  We easily forget that -- we get accustomed to whatever is around us, and we forget about the miracles.  Having a child is a good reminder for me to sit back and wonder.  God is at work in the world around, and part of my life as a Christian is to be in awe of what God is doing, both inside of me and around me.  The world is singing God's praise, and sometimes it is enough to sit back and enjoy the wonder, to listen to the song, and give praise for God's good provision.

Friday, October 13, 2017

John 3:27-30

John 3:27-30
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Everything truly good in your life is a gift from God, and it all points back to God.  The parts of our lives that show true and selfless love -- that points to God.  The moments of pure beauty are windows through which we catch glimpses of the one true God.  The laughter we share reminds us of God's eternal joy.  The times of peace we experience give us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like.  These things are all gifts from God, and we are right to celebrate them with grateful hearts.
  For a life that spreads the Gospel good news, it shouldn't be all about us.  We're not looking to build ourselves up -- the goal is to let God increase, so that our lives might have more of these moments and let others see a glimpse of the Kingdom at work within us.  When God's hope and peace and grace and love shines through, then it's not about us, it's about God, and as we are decreasing, God is increasing.  This is the faithful journey -- it's hard work, but the more God increases, the more we find ourselves at peace, resting confidently in the supreme grace of God.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
English Standard Version (ESV)

  The wisdom of the world teaches us about scarcity.  It teaches us that in order for us to succeed, someone else must slip further down the ladder, because there is only so much to go around.  This creates an urgency in us to get there first, and it also teaches us fear -- for if someone else is getting ahead, then there is only so much left for us.  We fear outsiders due to this mindset, because they are going to consume some of the limited supply, increasing the uncertainty in our own lives.  Scarcity motivates us.
  The wisdom of God seems foolish in comparison.  The wisdom of God teaches us that we can relax, because there is enough.  We don't have to be afraid -- God's favor exists in abundance for each of us, so that even if we were the only ones, there would still be more than enough.  All things are ours, no matter who we are.  Death cannot prevent such blessings, and the richness of God overflows for all, so we can welcome others into our lives and share our abundance with them, because there is enough.
  One of these paths sows fear, while the other spreads life and love.  May we choose to rest in the abundance of God, following it out into the world to announce that the richness of God is enough for us all.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Colossians 4:2-6

Colossians 4:2-6
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We always keep one foot rooted in heaven, reminding ourselves that God is sovereign and that we ultimately belong to him, and one foot rooted in earth, remembering that we love and serve our neighbors, constantly on watch for opportunities to weave threads of the Gospel into conversations.  Our prayers are for wisdom and courage and boldness in evangelism, that we as a church might be equipped to proclaim the Gospel news, recognizing that the proclamation of the Gospel is the single most important thing in our lives. 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Matthew 6:19-24

Matthew 6:19-24
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Treasure doesn't only change us once we find it -- it changes us in the process as well. 
  Think of a pirate with a treasure map, where 'X' marks the spot.  He isn't changed once he finds it -- the second he gets the map and his treasure is defined, everything else in his life rotates around seeking the treasure.  He plans, he prepares, he packs.  He makes choices based on whether they will help him reach the goal.  He might become ruthless, his very behavior changed by whether or not he intends to share the bounty.  He is driven.
  So what is your treasure?  Many of us are chasing financial security or independence.  We think it will bring freedom, and it does offer some degrees of freedom, but the pursuit of it can bind us in ways we don't recognize, and the desire for it can change how we behave, how we interact.  Others may be chasing popularity or acclaim, and that, too, shapes our lives.  Whatever the treasure is, life will not be the same once it is defined.  Some people may not be chasing anything, which is a treasure of a sort as well.
  Jesus invites us to seek the greatest treasure of all, the one that leads our heart deeper into the relationship it was created for.  The quest, while challenging, will ultimately fulfill us in a way nothing else can.  There is abundance and peace for those who seek treasure in heaven, but seeking treasure in heaven means not seeking other kinds of treasure above all else, and if we don't make this a conscious choice, it will be made for us. 
  So the invitation is two-fold.  First, pay attention to your life, to the rhythms of it.  Watch what excites you.  Pay attention to where you spend your time.  What do you think about in your idle hours?  What do you plan for?  That is likely your treasure.
  Second, seek Christ above all else.  Spend time with your Savior, and then make your other choices revolve around that.  Make God first, and the other treasures will be secondary.  They'll no longer motivate you like they used to.  You'll likely recognize that many of the promises made by financial independence or acclaim are empty.  When we lead our heart to seek Christ first, we discover the riches of grace God has in store for us.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Psalm 131

Psalm 131
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  This is one of my favorite Psalms.  I'll admit that my mind often runs far, far forward, worrying about things that I shouldn't even be thinking about.  It's taken me over a decade to find the best ways to calm myself, and this is one of the best resources I have.  I often stop, and imagine myself immersed in the arms of God, awash in his love, surrounded by light.  Like a child in the arms of a loving parent, so are we each held in the arms and presence of God.  As Augustine says, God loves you as if there was only one to love.  There is nothing we need more than the love of God, and so when I get anxious, I try and focus on how the love of God is holding me up, sustaining me, carrying me through.  It calms my mind, it calms my soul, and God is enough.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Malachi 3:6-12

Malachi 3:6-12
English Standard Version (ESV)

  We love the thought of revenge, of getting even.  The internet seems to be a happy place when someone gets what is coming, and when they do not, there is a loud outcry for justice.  It seems to be human nature for us to want to see punishment.
  Here, God accuses the people of robbing him by not bringing their full tithe to him.  I doubt this passage is read very often on stewardship Sundays, but the Bible is consistent about calling us to give a tithe to the church.
  What I love about this passage is that God isn't using this as an opportunity to rebuke or punish the people.  Instead, God is teaching them about God's character.  The flaw is pointed out, and then to answer the question about why they should follow the Law, the reward is pointed to.  God isn't motivating us through threat of punishment -- rather it's through encouragement.  God is pointing to the abundant life that comes when we choose to live according to his commands.  God isn't eager to punish, he is eager to bless.  This is what is so frustrating to me about people who try and threaten others to come to church -- we should want to come to church because we want to experience the wonder of God's grace and love, the kind of God who invites people to follow him by pointing to the blessings that come with discipleship.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua 24:14-15
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Here's the choice, today and every day.  We all have a choice to make this morning -- we have a past that lingers over us, and we can be enslaved to it, remaining in sin because it's what we know, or we can choose grace and mercy, opting to serve the Lord who offers us abundant and eternal life.  It's an easy choice in some regards, but to live into it is the single most challenging thing we can do.  I believe it's worth it, over and over again, but it's not easy.  So choose life, choose grace, and take up the delightful challenge of living in grace every moment today.  The narrow road leads to abundant life.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Exodus 40:36-38

Exodus 40:36-38
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  I don't really know what to say.  Scores have been killed, hundreds wounded, and there seems to be no explanation given.  Not that an explanation is going to make any of this better -- the deaths will still be senseless tragedies, lives stolen too soon, leaving behind friends and families to grieve what once was and what will never be.
  The Scriptures assure us that God will never leave nor forsake us, that our presence in the depths of the valley of the shadow of death will not be without God at our side.  It's hard, though, to sense the presence through the tears and the heartache, and we so deeply long for understanding that we struggle to grasp the presence of God in the midst of tragedy and chaos and death and pain.
  The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, and throughout that time they were led by a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.  For the Israelites, it was surely a comforting reminder of the presence of God, as well as a useful guide in a time well before the advent of GPS and smartphones and maps.  The pillars served as a visual reminder of the presence of God.
  A stranger, however, might just think that it was a cloud.  Someone unfamiliar with what the cloud meant might think that this was just a mist, a shroud to confuse people caught in its midst.  They might wonder why someone would follow a cloud when it was easier to see away from the cloud.
  It's easy to wonder what God is doing in the world.  It's easy to question what the end goal is, and how we're going to get there when there is so much violence and heartache.  It feels as though there is a cloud of chaos sitting upon us, and it's challenging to hope for the fog to clear.  So much seems senseless right now.
  The Israelites, too, had their moments of weakness, when they wondered if God was still with them.  He was, and he is now, I believe.  I'm hoping for a reminder of the mission of the church, of the promise of healing, of the redemption that is found in Christ.  I need a reminder that the God who endured the cross continues to be present in the ambiguity, in the clouds of today, and that there is certainty in the resurrection, in the hope of tomorrow.  The chaos of today will not break our hope, but we as the church will stand firm and certain in the assurance of resurrection and proclaim our common hope that God is with us and that he rushes into the pain. 
  It's a hard thing to grasp, especially in the midst of so many heartbreaking stories, but I will continue to believe that even though I cannot see through the clouds.  Often the Israelites had to remain in one place for days, waiting for God to signal a way forward.  So I will sit and wait, trusting in God that he will continue to speak and will, one day, signal a way forward that will make things clear and continue the journey.

Monday, October 2, 2017

2 Timothy 2:8-13

2 Timothy 2:8-13
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Christ has died, proving that there is no power able to bind him, and as the Word of God, he goes forward into the world, unbounded by human constraints.  Paul grasped this, and he understood that there was nothing the Roman empire could do to prevent the spread of the Gospel.  Every chain, every soldier, every sword the Romans possessed were powerless against the work of the Holy Spirit, spreading like wildfire from one life to the next.  They would try and stamp it out in one place only to see it rise somewhere else, and everywhere believers stood tall, confidant that the God who overcame death would elevate them to new life in Christ.
  So when you go out into the world today, whatever it is that awaits you, trust in two things. 
  The first is that nothing can stop God's power.  Trust that his grace is sufficient, that his purpose will be achieved, that the Gospel will spread.  Do not see the powers of the world as obstacles to the spreading of the Gospel, but rather recognize them as powerless, holding a place in the world until God returns in glory.
  The second is the comforting fact that God is forever faithful, even if we are faithless.  God's faithfulness is not determined by our sinfulness. When we get distracted and stray, God remains true.  His love is a constant, and we cannot change this.  May we rejoice in the love of God and the grace of our King!