Weekly ScriptureScope Meditations
Meditations are posted monthly for the 4 or 5 Sundays in the month. Use them for worship, individual or group study. Feel free to comment on them in the Crew Member Blog.
APRIL 2016
April 3 , 2016
Make An Impact
In Ezra 6:8-10 CEB we read the words of Darius: I also issue a decree about what you should do to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this house of God. The total cost is to be paid to these people, and without delay, from the royal revenue that is made up of the tribute of the province Beyond the River. And whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or sheep for entirely burned offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let that be given to them day by day without fail so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
Bob Hope was once asked why he did so many benefits for a variety of religions and religious causes. His response: “I’ve done benefits for ALL religions. I’d hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.”
It seems that King Darius felt the same way. There’s always an angle, isn’t there? King Darius paved the way for the work on the temple to be completed by paying for it out of the royal treasury, much to the dislike of his other officials in the region. Moreover, he made sure the Jews had all they needed to offer sacrifices and keep ‘the God of heaven’ pleased—not entirely out of the goodness of his heart, it seems, but so that the Israelites could pray to Yahweh for him and his sons.
God even works through politicians! And, perhaps Darius was a believer—we read later that God ‘changed his attitude’. One thing was sure, however…he was not taking any chances that these Israelites might really be on to something, like maybe the only true God.
What’s really interesting about this passage is that somehow, during their seventy years in captivity, the Israelites’ captors saw something different in them. Even as strangers in a foreign land, they made an impact.
May it ever be with us today. We are strangers in this place. Our culture of ME-focus, celebrity worship, and constantly-changing standards is not God’s way. We are here in a foreign land, trying to live out our faith. May we make an impact by living in such a way that others take notice and want to learn more about God’s way from us.
April 10 , 2016
Job Needs Jesus
In Job 9:32-34 we read Job’s complaint: He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
The CEB puts it this way: God is not a man like me—someone I could answer—so that we could come together in court. Oh, that there were a mediator between us; he would lay his hand on both of us, remove his rod from me, so his fury wouldn’t frighten me.
Here, in the middle of the Old Testament is a story of man who is presumed to have lived between 1000 and 2000 BC, perhaps pre-dating the Exodus, but whose story sets the stage for the New Testament. In the midst of the greatest crisis of his life, Job instinctively knows that he needs someone to cover for him, someone who understands what it’s like to live in this world, someone to connect him to God, someone to plead his case. Job needs Jesus.
April 17 , 2016
Just Looking In
In Psalm 84:10 we read: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
My favorite translation comes from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer: For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
What could be more comfortable, safer, more peaceful than our room? And yet the Sons of Korah write that just one day in the presence of God is better than a thousand in this safest, most comfortable place. And to just be close by, just stand in the door, looking in on God’s presence exceeds living in luxury among the wicked.
How can this be? Many would wonder, but the psalmist knows. Nothing on earth can compare with the one true God!
April 24 , 2016
No Excuses
In Proverbs 16:2 CEB we read: All the ways of people are pure in their eyes, but the Lord tests the motives.
“It’s no big deal. I’m just…” Ever say that to your parents when you were growing up? Or maybe to your spouse? Perhaps to a co-worker or business partner? This phrase comes to mind when I read this verse. We like to ignore our own motivations, don’t we? We can excuse our obsessions with material things, or pop culture, or pleasure, or ambition, or power or [you fill in the blank] by saying that they are meaningless froth…but God knows our hearts.
MARCH 2016
March 6 , 2016
Lasting Impressions
In Deuteronomy 6:5-9 we read: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Before any other discussion, we should acknowledge the significance of the first sentence in this passage (6:5). It is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-38 when he is asked “What is the greatest commandment?” It essentially sums up the first four commandments of the original ten, and reminds us that God’s love for us merits not just a weekly or occasional response of devotion, but all of us, all the time. The second half of the Great Commandment—Leviticus 18:18 Love your neighbor as yourself—sums up the last six of the ten commandments.
Beyond that, I’d like to focus on the examples Moses gives the Israelites of how to ‘impress’ God’s decrees upon their children–talking, walking, evening, morning, as jewelry and adornment, in front of their homes. I don’t know of many people who meet these criteria in terms of teaching God’s word to their children–I know I certainly have not. But, if not God, what do we as parents and grandparents ‘impress upon our children’?
Maybe things about the university we attended? Perhaps our career? Possibly a professional sports team we follow? A particular style of music, composer, or artist? A favorite hobby that brings us joy? Our love of shopping, dining, or movies? Who are we to our children and grandchildren? If we asked them what they know about us, what would they say?
We certainly talk to our children and grandchildren about something. We adorn ourselves and our homes with something. Something occupies our thoughts, drives our actions, and absorbs our time and money. Why not the God of our salvation–our creator, redeemer, comforter, and friend? What could possibly be more important to ‘impress upon our children’ than a love of God?
March 13, 2016
Over-prepared
In Judges 7:2-3b CEB we read: The Lord said to Gideon: “You have too many people on your side. If I were to hand Midian over to them, the Israelites might claim credit for themselves rather than for me, thinking, ‘We saved ourselves.’”
One of the challenges of serving God is giving him room to do his part. When God called Gideon, immediately Gideon went into action, pulling together forces from four tribes for the fight. That’s when God said, “Whoa! You have over-prepared here. You don’t need this many men. Remember…you’ve got me.”
I still need to hear that message sometimes, although my faith is getting stronger. In my zeal to answer God’s call and to serve him, I forget sometimes that he is also on the team! And, like any team, I have my part to do (mostly just show up) and he has his part (mostly everything else.)
We are reminded of this every time we prepare for another High Seas Ministries cruise. About six weeks before we sail, I email the cruise director, requesting a location for the Bible study and notification of the study placed in the Daily Program. If we encounter a cruise director we’ve not worked with before, I send names of other cruise directors as references and include links to our website. I do everything that I can do—but the rest is in God’s hands. I send the email and wait—not too patiently—for the cruise director’s response. When the email comes, welcoming us on board, I am reminded whose ministry this really is and who is in charge!
God does not call without equipping, and he does not abandon those he calls. But, in order for God to be glorified, we may need to go into the battle a little less prepared than we want to be, trusting that God will uplift us, empower us, and be glorified through us—as long as we give him the chance.
March 20, 2016
Rare Grace
In 1 Samuel 24:12 CEB we read: May the Lord judge between me and you! May the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but I won’t lift a hand against you.
These words of David to Saul are a breath of fresh air—not only in the Old Testament but in the 21st century as well. As we read repeatedly in these chapters of death, destruction, vengeance, and justice, seemingly out of nowhere comes this picture of grace. David has multiple opportunities to kill the man who has attempted to kill him and has made his life one of hiding in caves and constant running—a man who would not consider offering the same grace to him.
Yet, David does not touch Saul. Instead, he honors his role as King of Israel and turns the final judgement over to God. My, how different this would seem in our world! The norm in our society is ‘getting even’, whether it’s on the playground, in the courtroom, or among gangs and mobsters. A story of grace and forgiveness seems as rare today as it did three thousand years ago.
Occasionally in the media we will hear of people who forgive the killer who murdered their loved ones (think of the Charleston, SC, church killing in 2015) or the arsonist who burned down their home or the rapist who destroyed a life. And, like David’s men, the world is always surprised, for most people cannot understand how someone could forgive such an offense.
As Christ-followers, we should not be surprised. After all, grace is the essence of our faith and we find examples of what we typically think of as “New Testament grace” sprinkled throughout the Old Testament as well (remember Esau and Joseph?). No, we should not be surprised; in fact, we should look for opportunities to extend Christ’s grace to others in our own lives.
March 27, 2016
Re-turning To God
In 1 Kings 18:37 we read Elijah’s call to God: Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.
Here’s the scene: It’s 450 pagan ‘prophets’ versus one true prophet of the Lord, Elijah. Elijah challenges Baal’s 450 prophets to light the fire under a sacrificial bull by calling on their god, Baal. They try for hours, even hopping around the altar and cutting themselves. Elijah has some fun with them, too, asking if Baal is asleep or out for a walk, perhaps? They finally give up. Now it’s Elijah’s turn.
First he makes the task even harder by setting stones around the altar and building a trench. Then he pours water on the wood so that it runs off into the trench, creating a moat around the bull. He does this three times, until the people are begging him to call on his God to light the fire. You can just imagine the excitement of this spectacle—with Ahab looking on.
Finally, Elijah calls on God to light the fire and make himself known, concluding with the words above. Of course, God’s fire falls from the heavens—and consumes not just the bull but the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water in the trench. But the part of this story I like best is the reason that Elijah gives God for wanting him to do this. We read it above--so that the people, who had forsaken God for Baal, would know that God has not forsaken them.
I once heard someone speak on ‘turning’, or more specifically,‘re-turning.’ We typically use the word ‘returning’ lightly—meaning, we’ll be back soon from our trip, our errands, our day at work. But here, Elijah doesn’t use it lightly at all. He wants the Israelite Baal-worshippers to know that God is aware that they have turned away from him. More importantly, God is at work ‘re-turning’ them to him.
God is many things, but perhaps of most value to us, he is omniscient and persistent—always aware of what is happening with his children. When we turn away, he notices. And he immediately initiates the process of our re-turn. It may take weeks, months, years, even a lifetime. But he does not give up. As the old hymn describes him:
Oh Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee,
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths
Its flow may richer, fuller be.
FEBRUARY 2016
February 7, 2016
Old Testament Grace
In Exodus 33:1, 3 we read: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
Yes, this sounds a bit extreme, but…any parents out there? Has your child ever done something that required you to separate yourself from him or her before you say or do something you might regret? (“Go to your room, I can’t talk to you about this right now” comes to mind.) Actually, I am certain I’ve played both roles in this scenario at different points in my life.
I’m also pretty sure this might be something akin to God’s reaction in this situation. He has saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, only to have them turn on him the minute he has a closed-door session with their leader for a few days. How could their faith be so short-lived?
Moses pleads for God to relent from his decision to abandon them (verses 15-16), and, amazingly, God does. We see here again that God is relational—he desires a relationship with the nation of Israel (indeed, all of humanity). God values the relationship he has with Moses enough to allow Moses to remind him of his covenant and dissuade him from his decision.
In this interaction we also get an important—and often-referenced—description of God. Moses asks to see God, God invites him to return to the mountain, and there God allows Moses to see just his back.
In Exodus 34:6-7, we read: And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
This passage will be quoted throughout the OT and the NT as a description of God’s character. And, more importantly, we will see the compassionate and gracious nature of God. That’s right—God did not “invent” grace with Jesus. We see it right here, in the middle of the Old Testament.
February 14, 2016
Holy Apart
In Leviticus 10:10-11 we read: You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses.
What might we, as 21st-century Christ-followers, get out of Leviticus? Why study these laws given to an ancient people in a world so different from ours? This verse helps, I think.
Yahweh (God) has introduced a new concept to the Israelites—holiness. It’s an abstract thing, and even when he tells them that he is holy and they should be holy also, they don’t really know what he means. We can understand that—it’s hard for us, millennia later, to know how to be holy.
So, always the master teacher, God begins where the Israelites are—with food and basic human necessities. He uses these things to teach the concept of ‘apartness’—separating them as ‘holy’ from the rest of the world as ‘common’. They may not be ready to understand that holiness is thinking, feeling, and acting in a godly way, but they can understand eating and cleansing. They can see that these practices are different from the other nations around them and that they set them apart from others who do not worship the Lord.
Later, these early lessons on outward, physical attributes of holiness will evolve into Jesus’ teachings on what it means to be inwardly holy, teachings we commonly call the Beatitudes (see Matthew 5).
February 21, 2016
God’s Way Of Thinking
In Leviticus 19:9-10 CEB we read: When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God.
This passage is one of many in Leviticus that show God’s compassion for the poor, the widow, and the outsider as well as his expectation that we will demonstrate that compassion also. He even gives us some ‘tips’ on how to do that—“Don’t be so focused on keeping every last grape and every last kernel of wheat for yourselves; leave them for those who need them more than you do.”
This gleaning of the fields was, as we’ll soon read, how Ruth caught the eye of Boaz. They married and had a son, Obed, whose grandson was David, the Shepherd-King of Israel.
Closer to home, I think about this “leaving of the excess” every time I look at my closet—someone surely needs my stuff more than I do. Or when I’m eating—plates of abundance when so many are hungry. The bottom line: This little passage in Leviticus reminds me of how much I have and how little others have. In God’s way of thinking, I believe that means I need to offer some up to the gleaners.
February 28, 2016
God’s Intervention Strategy
In Numbers 22:23a, 24, 26-30 CEB we read: The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Then the Lord’s messenger stood in the narrow path between vineyards with a stone wall on each side. The Lord’s messenger persisted and crossed over and stood in a narrow place, where it wasn’t possible to turn either right or left. The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger and lay down underneath Balaam. Balaam became angry and beat the donkey with the rod. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you’ve beaten me these three times?” Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you’ve tormented me. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on whom you’ve often ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” Balaam said, “No.”
Note God’s intervention strategy. Balaam was on a path that was reckless in God’s eyes. So, what does God do to get Balaam’s attention? He works through Balaam’s donkey, who can see God’s messenger long before Balaam can. The messenger positions himself in Balaam’s path in increasingly tight places, so that ultimately the donkey has no choice but to submit. Balaam beats the donkey repeatedly, failing to see that God is speaking to him.
And don’t we do the same? We are sometimes so intent on our own reckless path that God has to work through others to get our attention—sometimes by talking and sometimes by actions. And, even though they may be trusted sources, we still don’t hear until finally we are halted in our path. Like Balaam, we resent their interference in our lives.
Sooner or later, however, God will get our attention. He will position himself and his message to us in such a way that we cannot avoid dealing with it and him. Sometimes we call that “hitting bottom”. Often, in hindsight, we see that such extreme circumstances would not have been necessary if we had just heeded God’s messengers around us. Of course, they don’t always come in such obvious ways as a donkey who speaks. And some people think Walt Disney came up with talking animals!
JANUARY 2016
January 3, 2016
To Be Like God
In Genesis 1:26 we read: Let us make man [humanity] in our own image to resemble us.
After speaking the universe into existence during the first five days, on the sixth day we now find God referring to himself as “us”. Is this just some archaic Biblical language, God referring to himself in the plural? Absolutely not.
Two points are important to understand. First of all, God is letting us know right up front that he is a triune God, or put another way, the Trinity. This triune nature of God is a complicated thing to understand—theologians have been trying to explain it for millennia. So, we won’t get it completely here, but the important understanding is this: The three God-Persons are God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As we go through our daily reading, we will meet these different Persons at different times in the story, but God is saying in Genesis 1:26: We were all three here in the beginning. We are the Trinity, and we created the universe and everything in it. This triune nature of God is one of the aspects of Christianity that distinguishes it from every other religion.
The second important point is this: God indicates that humanity was created in “our image.” Does this mean that we look like God and God looks like us? Two eyes, two ears, hair on our heads (okay, some of us have hair), two arms and legs? Again, no.
God created man and woman to be in perfect relationship with each other and with him. God’s triune nature means that he is relational within the three God-Persons. By creating humanity in “our image” we are created to be relational in that way as well—with ourselves, with God, and with each other.
And finally, God, as we will learn throughout our reading, is not interested in outward appearances, but what is in the heart—who and what we are on the inside and have the potential to be. This means that being created in his image should give us hope.
We have the potential—despite all of our human weaknesses and frailties—to be like our gracious, loving, and relational God. Not to be God, but to be like God. And that is very good news!
January 10, 2016
God’s Reminder
In Genesis 9:16 we read: Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and living creatures of every kind on the earth.
These are God’s words to Noah after he destroyed the world with the flood. They are spoken by the God who became so disappointed in his creation that he determined there was no other path but to begin again, with one righteous man and his family. They are also the words of a God who vows never to destroy his creation in that way again, even though he seems pretty sure that men and women will continue to disappoint him.
God creates the sign of the rainbow to remind himself—not us—of this new covenant he has made. When we look at the rainbow, we can remember that this is a sign of a God who created, who is creating, who loved, who still loves, and who ultimately loved us enough to send his own Son to save us once and forever from our sinful natures.
January 17, 2016
Amazing Love
In Genesis 22:10-12 CEB we read: Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. But the Lord’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham?” Abraham said, “I’m here.” The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man, and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.”
Many scholars have argued over the inclusion and meaning of the story of God testing Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac. The rest of us have trouble understanding how a loving God could ask a father to do this. In the big picture, however, this is exactly what God did for us through Jesus.
This passage, like so many in the Old Testament, points directly to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Verse 12 makes the meaning clear: Only a man who loved God as Abraham did would sacrifice his son because God commanded him to do so. Only our God, who so loved the world, could send his Son, his only Son, to die for us.
January 24, 2016
Justice—Mercy—Grace
In Genesis 33:4 we read: But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
Once Jacob finally got away from Laban, he faced another challenge—his twin brother Esau, the same one he had deceived out of his first-born child status and blessing. He certainly had no reason to expect Esau to be anything but angry and bent on revenge, even after twenty years had passed, so he sent gifts ahead with his servants to ‘soften him up’. Jacob soon discovered, however, that it was not Esau who would be given gifts in this situation, but Jacob himself, for Esau had forgiven him and greeted his younger brother with affection.
Remember Isaac’s blessing to Esau in Genesis 27:40? He told Esau that he would serve his younger brother “but when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” Most of us would think that means Esau would get revenge, perhaps even killing Jacob. But, we read here that Esau removed the yoke not by harming Jacob or taking back what was rightfully his but by forgiving his brother. We aren’t told why or how Esau forgave Jacob, but we are shown the result of this forgiveness—peace for both the offender (Jacob) and, most importantly, for the one who forgives (Esau). Jacob, who deserved justice, received not just mercy, but grace.
In the 21st century—as in Jacob’s time—most people want to see justice done, especially justice for everyone else. When a wrong is done, we want to see that wrong avenged—someone must pay! We see justice as “getting what you deserve.”
Mercy, on the other hand, comes by throwing ourselves at the feet of judgment and pleading for the opposite of justice—“not getting what we deserve.” What, then, is grace? Is grace just another word for mercy? Not exactly.
Grace, as dispensed in the Bible both here by Esau and later by Jesus from the cross, can be defined as “getting something you do not deserve and have not earned.” It is more than mercy—more than “not getting justice”—as grace is a gift of new opportunity, new life. In Jacob’s case, he deserved anger and conflict from his brother because of his actions toward him twenty years earlier. If Esau had stood aside and let him pass through his land without harming him, he would have demonstrated mercy toward his brother. But Esau did much more than that—he hugged his brother, kissed him, and offered him hospitality and gifts.
Jacob, who deserved death, received forgiveness and a new chance at life…just as those who believe in Jesus Christ receive forgiveness and abundant new life, despite their brokenness and sin-filled lives. This is grace.
January 31, 2016
Difficult To See
In Genesis 50:20 CEB we read: You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.
These are the words of Joseph to his brothers, who fear his retaliation now that their father Jacob has died. The “something bad” they planned for him, of course, was selling him into slavery. The saving of many lives was the feeding of the Egyptian people and the reuniting of Joseph’s family because of his leadership in the years of famine.
Not only do Joseph’s words demonstrate, once again, the power of forgiveness and grace, but this passage also reminds us that God does work in ‘mysterious ways.’ It’s often difficult to see it at the time–as I’m sure Joseph wondered as he was enslaved in Egypt–but ultimately, God is in charge.
Later, in the New Testament, we will read that Jesus was crucified, an apparent defeat of God’s plan to save his creation. Indeed, we might suspect that the forces of evil rejoiced, thinking that God’s great experiment was finished, with disastrous results. Instead, Jesus’ death was part of God’s plan to accomplish the salvation of his creation–the saving of many lives.
Despite how things appeared to others, God had a plan and purpose for Jesus and for Joseph, and he has a plan and purpose for each of us. Joseph teaches us to look for God’s plan and God’s purpose, even when they are difficult to see. And Joseph’s story always reminds me of a song I learned many years ago at church camp as a youth. It remains one of my favorites:
It is no secret what God can do.
What he’s done for others, he’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, he’ll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do!
APRIL 2016
April 3 , 2016
Make An Impact
In Ezra 6:8-10 CEB we read the words of Darius: I also issue a decree about what you should do to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this house of God. The total cost is to be paid to these people, and without delay, from the royal revenue that is made up of the tribute of the province Beyond the River. And whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, or sheep for entirely burned offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let that be given to them day by day without fail so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons.
Bob Hope was once asked why he did so many benefits for a variety of religions and religious causes. His response: “I’ve done benefits for ALL religions. I’d hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.”
It seems that King Darius felt the same way. There’s always an angle, isn’t there? King Darius paved the way for the work on the temple to be completed by paying for it out of the royal treasury, much to the dislike of his other officials in the region. Moreover, he made sure the Jews had all they needed to offer sacrifices and keep ‘the God of heaven’ pleased—not entirely out of the goodness of his heart, it seems, but so that the Israelites could pray to Yahweh for him and his sons.
God even works through politicians! And, perhaps Darius was a believer—we read later that God ‘changed his attitude’. One thing was sure, however…he was not taking any chances that these Israelites might really be on to something, like maybe the only true God.
What’s really interesting about this passage is that somehow, during their seventy years in captivity, the Israelites’ captors saw something different in them. Even as strangers in a foreign land, they made an impact.
May it ever be with us today. We are strangers in this place. Our culture of ME-focus, celebrity worship, and constantly-changing standards is not God’s way. We are here in a foreign land, trying to live out our faith. May we make an impact by living in such a way that others take notice and want to learn more about God’s way from us.
April 10 , 2016
Job Needs Jesus
In Job 9:32-34 we read Job’s complaint: He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.
The CEB puts it this way: God is not a man like me—someone I could answer—so that we could come together in court. Oh, that there were a mediator between us; he would lay his hand on both of us, remove his rod from me, so his fury wouldn’t frighten me.
Here, in the middle of the Old Testament is a story of man who is presumed to have lived between 1000 and 2000 BC, perhaps pre-dating the Exodus, but whose story sets the stage for the New Testament. In the midst of the greatest crisis of his life, Job instinctively knows that he needs someone to cover for him, someone who understands what it’s like to live in this world, someone to connect him to God, someone to plead his case. Job needs Jesus.
April 17 , 2016
Just Looking In
In Psalm 84:10 we read: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
My favorite translation comes from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer: For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
What could be more comfortable, safer, more peaceful than our room? And yet the Sons of Korah write that just one day in the presence of God is better than a thousand in this safest, most comfortable place. And to just be close by, just stand in the door, looking in on God’s presence exceeds living in luxury among the wicked.
How can this be? Many would wonder, but the psalmist knows. Nothing on earth can compare with the one true God!
April 24 , 2016
No Excuses
In Proverbs 16:2 CEB we read: All the ways of people are pure in their eyes, but the Lord tests the motives.
“It’s no big deal. I’m just…” Ever say that to your parents when you were growing up? Or maybe to your spouse? Perhaps to a co-worker or business partner? This phrase comes to mind when I read this verse. We like to ignore our own motivations, don’t we? We can excuse our obsessions with material things, or pop culture, or pleasure, or ambition, or power or [you fill in the blank] by saying that they are meaningless froth…but God knows our hearts.
MARCH 2016
March 6 , 2016
Lasting Impressions
In Deuteronomy 6:5-9 we read: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Before any other discussion, we should acknowledge the significance of the first sentence in this passage (6:5). It is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-38 when he is asked “What is the greatest commandment?” It essentially sums up the first four commandments of the original ten, and reminds us that God’s love for us merits not just a weekly or occasional response of devotion, but all of us, all the time. The second half of the Great Commandment—Leviticus 18:18 Love your neighbor as yourself—sums up the last six of the ten commandments.
Beyond that, I’d like to focus on the examples Moses gives the Israelites of how to ‘impress’ God’s decrees upon their children–talking, walking, evening, morning, as jewelry and adornment, in front of their homes. I don’t know of many people who meet these criteria in terms of teaching God’s word to their children–I know I certainly have not. But, if not God, what do we as parents and grandparents ‘impress upon our children’?
Maybe things about the university we attended? Perhaps our career? Possibly a professional sports team we follow? A particular style of music, composer, or artist? A favorite hobby that brings us joy? Our love of shopping, dining, or movies? Who are we to our children and grandchildren? If we asked them what they know about us, what would they say?
We certainly talk to our children and grandchildren about something. We adorn ourselves and our homes with something. Something occupies our thoughts, drives our actions, and absorbs our time and money. Why not the God of our salvation–our creator, redeemer, comforter, and friend? What could possibly be more important to ‘impress upon our children’ than a love of God?
March 13, 2016
Over-prepared
In Judges 7:2-3b CEB we read: The Lord said to Gideon: “You have too many people on your side. If I were to hand Midian over to them, the Israelites might claim credit for themselves rather than for me, thinking, ‘We saved ourselves.’”
One of the challenges of serving God is giving him room to do his part. When God called Gideon, immediately Gideon went into action, pulling together forces from four tribes for the fight. That’s when God said, “Whoa! You have over-prepared here. You don’t need this many men. Remember…you’ve got me.”
I still need to hear that message sometimes, although my faith is getting stronger. In my zeal to answer God’s call and to serve him, I forget sometimes that he is also on the team! And, like any team, I have my part to do (mostly just show up) and he has his part (mostly everything else.)
We are reminded of this every time we prepare for another High Seas Ministries cruise. About six weeks before we sail, I email the cruise director, requesting a location for the Bible study and notification of the study placed in the Daily Program. If we encounter a cruise director we’ve not worked with before, I send names of other cruise directors as references and include links to our website. I do everything that I can do—but the rest is in God’s hands. I send the email and wait—not too patiently—for the cruise director’s response. When the email comes, welcoming us on board, I am reminded whose ministry this really is and who is in charge!
God does not call without equipping, and he does not abandon those he calls. But, in order for God to be glorified, we may need to go into the battle a little less prepared than we want to be, trusting that God will uplift us, empower us, and be glorified through us—as long as we give him the chance.
March 20, 2016
Rare Grace
In 1 Samuel 24:12 CEB we read: May the Lord judge between me and you! May the Lord take vengeance on you for me, but I won’t lift a hand against you.
These words of David to Saul are a breath of fresh air—not only in the Old Testament but in the 21st century as well. As we read repeatedly in these chapters of death, destruction, vengeance, and justice, seemingly out of nowhere comes this picture of grace. David has multiple opportunities to kill the man who has attempted to kill him and has made his life one of hiding in caves and constant running—a man who would not consider offering the same grace to him.
Yet, David does not touch Saul. Instead, he honors his role as King of Israel and turns the final judgement over to God. My, how different this would seem in our world! The norm in our society is ‘getting even’, whether it’s on the playground, in the courtroom, or among gangs and mobsters. A story of grace and forgiveness seems as rare today as it did three thousand years ago.
Occasionally in the media we will hear of people who forgive the killer who murdered their loved ones (think of the Charleston, SC, church killing in 2015) or the arsonist who burned down their home or the rapist who destroyed a life. And, like David’s men, the world is always surprised, for most people cannot understand how someone could forgive such an offense.
As Christ-followers, we should not be surprised. After all, grace is the essence of our faith and we find examples of what we typically think of as “New Testament grace” sprinkled throughout the Old Testament as well (remember Esau and Joseph?). No, we should not be surprised; in fact, we should look for opportunities to extend Christ’s grace to others in our own lives.
March 27, 2016
Re-turning To God
In 1 Kings 18:37 we read Elijah’s call to God: Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.
Here’s the scene: It’s 450 pagan ‘prophets’ versus one true prophet of the Lord, Elijah. Elijah challenges Baal’s 450 prophets to light the fire under a sacrificial bull by calling on their god, Baal. They try for hours, even hopping around the altar and cutting themselves. Elijah has some fun with them, too, asking if Baal is asleep or out for a walk, perhaps? They finally give up. Now it’s Elijah’s turn.
First he makes the task even harder by setting stones around the altar and building a trench. Then he pours water on the wood so that it runs off into the trench, creating a moat around the bull. He does this three times, until the people are begging him to call on his God to light the fire. You can just imagine the excitement of this spectacle—with Ahab looking on.
Finally, Elijah calls on God to light the fire and make himself known, concluding with the words above. Of course, God’s fire falls from the heavens—and consumes not just the bull but the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water in the trench. But the part of this story I like best is the reason that Elijah gives God for wanting him to do this. We read it above--so that the people, who had forsaken God for Baal, would know that God has not forsaken them.
I once heard someone speak on ‘turning’, or more specifically,‘re-turning.’ We typically use the word ‘returning’ lightly—meaning, we’ll be back soon from our trip, our errands, our day at work. But here, Elijah doesn’t use it lightly at all. He wants the Israelite Baal-worshippers to know that God is aware that they have turned away from him. More importantly, God is at work ‘re-turning’ them to him.
God is many things, but perhaps of most value to us, he is omniscient and persistent—always aware of what is happening with his children. When we turn away, he notices. And he immediately initiates the process of our re-turn. It may take weeks, months, years, even a lifetime. But he does not give up. As the old hymn describes him:
Oh Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee,
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths
Its flow may richer, fuller be.
FEBRUARY 2016
February 7, 2016
Old Testament Grace
In Exodus 33:1, 3 we read: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
Yes, this sounds a bit extreme, but…any parents out there? Has your child ever done something that required you to separate yourself from him or her before you say or do something you might regret? (“Go to your room, I can’t talk to you about this right now” comes to mind.) Actually, I am certain I’ve played both roles in this scenario at different points in my life.
I’m also pretty sure this might be something akin to God’s reaction in this situation. He has saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, only to have them turn on him the minute he has a closed-door session with their leader for a few days. How could their faith be so short-lived?
Moses pleads for God to relent from his decision to abandon them (verses 15-16), and, amazingly, God does. We see here again that God is relational—he desires a relationship with the nation of Israel (indeed, all of humanity). God values the relationship he has with Moses enough to allow Moses to remind him of his covenant and dissuade him from his decision.
In this interaction we also get an important—and often-referenced—description of God. Moses asks to see God, God invites him to return to the mountain, and there God allows Moses to see just his back.
In Exodus 34:6-7, we read: And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
This passage will be quoted throughout the OT and the NT as a description of God’s character. And, more importantly, we will see the compassionate and gracious nature of God. That’s right—God did not “invent” grace with Jesus. We see it right here, in the middle of the Old Testament.
February 14, 2016
Holy Apart
In Leviticus 10:10-11 we read: You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses.
What might we, as 21st-century Christ-followers, get out of Leviticus? Why study these laws given to an ancient people in a world so different from ours? This verse helps, I think.
Yahweh (God) has introduced a new concept to the Israelites—holiness. It’s an abstract thing, and even when he tells them that he is holy and they should be holy also, they don’t really know what he means. We can understand that—it’s hard for us, millennia later, to know how to be holy.
So, always the master teacher, God begins where the Israelites are—with food and basic human necessities. He uses these things to teach the concept of ‘apartness’—separating them as ‘holy’ from the rest of the world as ‘common’. They may not be ready to understand that holiness is thinking, feeling, and acting in a godly way, but they can understand eating and cleansing. They can see that these practices are different from the other nations around them and that they set them apart from others who do not worship the Lord.
Later, these early lessons on outward, physical attributes of holiness will evolve into Jesus’ teachings on what it means to be inwardly holy, teachings we commonly call the Beatitudes (see Matthew 5).
February 21, 2016
God’s Way Of Thinking
In Leviticus 19:9-10 CEB we read: When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God.
This passage is one of many in Leviticus that show God’s compassion for the poor, the widow, and the outsider as well as his expectation that we will demonstrate that compassion also. He even gives us some ‘tips’ on how to do that—“Don’t be so focused on keeping every last grape and every last kernel of wheat for yourselves; leave them for those who need them more than you do.”
This gleaning of the fields was, as we’ll soon read, how Ruth caught the eye of Boaz. They married and had a son, Obed, whose grandson was David, the Shepherd-King of Israel.
Closer to home, I think about this “leaving of the excess” every time I look at my closet—someone surely needs my stuff more than I do. Or when I’m eating—plates of abundance when so many are hungry. The bottom line: This little passage in Leviticus reminds me of how much I have and how little others have. In God’s way of thinking, I believe that means I need to offer some up to the gleaners.
February 28, 2016
God’s Intervention Strategy
In Numbers 22:23a, 24, 26-30 CEB we read: The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Then the Lord’s messenger stood in the narrow path between vineyards with a stone wall on each side. The Lord’s messenger persisted and crossed over and stood in a narrow place, where it wasn’t possible to turn either right or left. The donkey saw the Lord’s messenger and lay down underneath Balaam. Balaam became angry and beat the donkey with the rod. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you’ve beaten me these three times?” Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you’ve tormented me. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on whom you’ve often ridden to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” Balaam said, “No.”
Note God’s intervention strategy. Balaam was on a path that was reckless in God’s eyes. So, what does God do to get Balaam’s attention? He works through Balaam’s donkey, who can see God’s messenger long before Balaam can. The messenger positions himself in Balaam’s path in increasingly tight places, so that ultimately the donkey has no choice but to submit. Balaam beats the donkey repeatedly, failing to see that God is speaking to him.
And don’t we do the same? We are sometimes so intent on our own reckless path that God has to work through others to get our attention—sometimes by talking and sometimes by actions. And, even though they may be trusted sources, we still don’t hear until finally we are halted in our path. Like Balaam, we resent their interference in our lives.
Sooner or later, however, God will get our attention. He will position himself and his message to us in such a way that we cannot avoid dealing with it and him. Sometimes we call that “hitting bottom”. Often, in hindsight, we see that such extreme circumstances would not have been necessary if we had just heeded God’s messengers around us. Of course, they don’t always come in such obvious ways as a donkey who speaks. And some people think Walt Disney came up with talking animals!
JANUARY 2016
January 3, 2016
To Be Like God
In Genesis 1:26 we read: Let us make man [humanity] in our own image to resemble us.
After speaking the universe into existence during the first five days, on the sixth day we now find God referring to himself as “us”. Is this just some archaic Biblical language, God referring to himself in the plural? Absolutely not.
Two points are important to understand. First of all, God is letting us know right up front that he is a triune God, or put another way, the Trinity. This triune nature of God is a complicated thing to understand—theologians have been trying to explain it for millennia. So, we won’t get it completely here, but the important understanding is this: The three God-Persons are God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As we go through our daily reading, we will meet these different Persons at different times in the story, but God is saying in Genesis 1:26: We were all three here in the beginning. We are the Trinity, and we created the universe and everything in it. This triune nature of God is one of the aspects of Christianity that distinguishes it from every other religion.
The second important point is this: God indicates that humanity was created in “our image.” Does this mean that we look like God and God looks like us? Two eyes, two ears, hair on our heads (okay, some of us have hair), two arms and legs? Again, no.
God created man and woman to be in perfect relationship with each other and with him. God’s triune nature means that he is relational within the three God-Persons. By creating humanity in “our image” we are created to be relational in that way as well—with ourselves, with God, and with each other.
And finally, God, as we will learn throughout our reading, is not interested in outward appearances, but what is in the heart—who and what we are on the inside and have the potential to be. This means that being created in his image should give us hope.
We have the potential—despite all of our human weaknesses and frailties—to be like our gracious, loving, and relational God. Not to be God, but to be like God. And that is very good news!
January 10, 2016
God’s Reminder
In Genesis 9:16 we read: Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and living creatures of every kind on the earth.
These are God’s words to Noah after he destroyed the world with the flood. They are spoken by the God who became so disappointed in his creation that he determined there was no other path but to begin again, with one righteous man and his family. They are also the words of a God who vows never to destroy his creation in that way again, even though he seems pretty sure that men and women will continue to disappoint him.
God creates the sign of the rainbow to remind himself—not us—of this new covenant he has made. When we look at the rainbow, we can remember that this is a sign of a God who created, who is creating, who loved, who still loves, and who ultimately loved us enough to send his own Son to save us once and forever from our sinful natures.
January 17, 2016
Amazing Love
In Genesis 22:10-12 CEB we read: Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. But the Lord’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham?” Abraham said, “I’m here.” The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man, and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.”
Many scholars have argued over the inclusion and meaning of the story of God testing Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac. The rest of us have trouble understanding how a loving God could ask a father to do this. In the big picture, however, this is exactly what God did for us through Jesus.
This passage, like so many in the Old Testament, points directly to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Verse 12 makes the meaning clear: Only a man who loved God as Abraham did would sacrifice his son because God commanded him to do so. Only our God, who so loved the world, could send his Son, his only Son, to die for us.
January 24, 2016
Justice—Mercy—Grace
In Genesis 33:4 we read: But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
Once Jacob finally got away from Laban, he faced another challenge—his twin brother Esau, the same one he had deceived out of his first-born child status and blessing. He certainly had no reason to expect Esau to be anything but angry and bent on revenge, even after twenty years had passed, so he sent gifts ahead with his servants to ‘soften him up’. Jacob soon discovered, however, that it was not Esau who would be given gifts in this situation, but Jacob himself, for Esau had forgiven him and greeted his younger brother with affection.
Remember Isaac’s blessing to Esau in Genesis 27:40? He told Esau that he would serve his younger brother “but when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” Most of us would think that means Esau would get revenge, perhaps even killing Jacob. But, we read here that Esau removed the yoke not by harming Jacob or taking back what was rightfully his but by forgiving his brother. We aren’t told why or how Esau forgave Jacob, but we are shown the result of this forgiveness—peace for both the offender (Jacob) and, most importantly, for the one who forgives (Esau). Jacob, who deserved justice, received not just mercy, but grace.
In the 21st century—as in Jacob’s time—most people want to see justice done, especially justice for everyone else. When a wrong is done, we want to see that wrong avenged—someone must pay! We see justice as “getting what you deserve.”
Mercy, on the other hand, comes by throwing ourselves at the feet of judgment and pleading for the opposite of justice—“not getting what we deserve.” What, then, is grace? Is grace just another word for mercy? Not exactly.
Grace, as dispensed in the Bible both here by Esau and later by Jesus from the cross, can be defined as “getting something you do not deserve and have not earned.” It is more than mercy—more than “not getting justice”—as grace is a gift of new opportunity, new life. In Jacob’s case, he deserved anger and conflict from his brother because of his actions toward him twenty years earlier. If Esau had stood aside and let him pass through his land without harming him, he would have demonstrated mercy toward his brother. But Esau did much more than that—he hugged his brother, kissed him, and offered him hospitality and gifts.
Jacob, who deserved death, received forgiveness and a new chance at life…just as those who believe in Jesus Christ receive forgiveness and abundant new life, despite their brokenness and sin-filled lives. This is grace.
January 31, 2016
Difficult To See
In Genesis 50:20 CEB we read: You planned something bad for me, but God produced something good from it, in order to save the lives of many people, just as he’s doing today.
These are the words of Joseph to his brothers, who fear his retaliation now that their father Jacob has died. The “something bad” they planned for him, of course, was selling him into slavery. The saving of many lives was the feeding of the Egyptian people and the reuniting of Joseph’s family because of his leadership in the years of famine.
Not only do Joseph’s words demonstrate, once again, the power of forgiveness and grace, but this passage also reminds us that God does work in ‘mysterious ways.’ It’s often difficult to see it at the time–as I’m sure Joseph wondered as he was enslaved in Egypt–but ultimately, God is in charge.
Later, in the New Testament, we will read that Jesus was crucified, an apparent defeat of God’s plan to save his creation. Indeed, we might suspect that the forces of evil rejoiced, thinking that God’s great experiment was finished, with disastrous results. Instead, Jesus’ death was part of God’s plan to accomplish the salvation of his creation–the saving of many lives.
Despite how things appeared to others, God had a plan and purpose for Jesus and for Joseph, and he has a plan and purpose for each of us. Joseph teaches us to look for God’s plan and God’s purpose, even when they are difficult to see. And Joseph’s story always reminds me of a song I learned many years ago at church camp as a youth. It remains one of my favorites:
It is no secret what God can do.
What he’s done for others, he’ll do for you.
With arms wide open, he’ll pardon you.
It is no secret what God can do!