dayenu

2005-08-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

word - hebrew da-var 'word, saying, matter'; greek lo-gos 'word, speaking, topic'; rhe-ma 'word, expression.' the hebrew davar occurs some five hundred times in the old testament, with meanings ranging from the utterances of the Lord or His prophets all the way to a catchall expression, such as 'something.' the two greek words differ in that logos (occurring about 300 times in the new testament) carries the nuance of a word as a concept or principle, whereas rhema (occurring about seventy times) tends to refer to a word actually spoken.

the more powerful the speaker, the more effective the word. God brought the universe into being by speaking: "let there be light" (genesis 1:3). He also said of His word, "It will accomplish all I want it to" (isaiah 55:11).

no wonder, then, when Jesus Christ is called the Word, who "became human and lived here on earth among us" (john 1:14). not only does He reveal God's glory and truth, but through Him, we also are built into a new creation.

2005-07-28T14:33:00.000-05:00

for the Lord grants wisdom! from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. proverbs 2:6-7

decisions. choices. alternatives. judgments. we face them every day. how we long for wisdom to make good decisions when the way ahead is not clear. how we wish we could know what is the right action to take in a difficult situation. how we yearn for fair judgment among choices that appear gray, rather than the black and white choices we would prefer. how badly we need a treasure of good sense to deal with the complexities of life.

The Lord grants wisdom! that's a promise we can claim. nothing we will face is beyond the understanding of the One who created us. God's wisdom is available to us-but we need to ask for it. we need to pour out our lack of understanding, our confusion, our fears, and our doubts before Him. we need to set aside our own opinions and prejudices. we need to admit we don't know what to do and that we need His knowledge and understanding. then we need to be patient and wait for His sure response.

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
-sarum primer

2005-07-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

since He Himself has gone through suffering and temptation He is able to help us when we are being tempted. (hebrews 2:18)

how often have you heard someone say, 'oh, how awful. i know exactly how you feel.'

but it's not true. you know that this person does not even know approximately how you feel, much less exactly. their presumption only adds to the pain. no one could possibly know.

then there is Jesus.

He is the Son of God, the High Lofty One, seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty, who became a human being. the impossible is true. there is One who knows exactly how you feel.

the letter to the hebrews is the 'epistle of empathy', good news of the most personal nature.

it was necessary for Jesus to be in ever respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. (hebrews 2:17)

this High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. (hebrews 4:15)

consider Jesus' life: the forty days n the wilderness, the three years of struggle in ministry, the prayers in the garden of gathsemane. He faced physical suffering, mental anguish, emotional upheaval, loss, abandonment, as well as being tempted to grab the glory, to rush ahead of the Father's plan, to give up entirely.

He does not understand approximately how we fell, but exactly. His identification with us is complete.

2005-07-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

i have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. you should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: "it is more blessed to give than to receive." (acts 20:35)

where do we direct our eyes? do we look upward in envy at those who have more than us - and then climb to get where they are? or do we look downward in compassion at those who are less fortunate and so stoop to give them a hand?

the apostle paul chose to look downward. he knew a trade - tentmaking - and he put it to good use by earning enough money, not only to support himself (thereby relieving fledgling congregations of their responsibility), but also to give to the poor. he makes a good model for us, embodying as he did the spirit of generosity that permeates the teachings of Jesus.

2005-07-20T20:11:00.000-05:00

you hypocrites! isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, "these people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings." (matthew 15:7 - 9)

the questions came fast. intense. double-edged.

a press conference? more like an inquisition. the pharisees and religious teachers shot their arrows of interrogation at Jesus. He shot them right back. He who had walked on the water now deftly walked around their verbal traps. "Jesus, what are Your motives? where are Your priorities?" these religious leaders asked.

Jesus didn't mince words with these leaders who had proven to be less than spiritual. "what are yours? where are yours? you're just the sort of hypocrites the great prophet described." then Jesus pointed back through the centuries, back to the messengers of old whose message was still current. as ezekiel had written, "so they come pretending to be sincere and sit before you listening. but they have no intention of doing what i tell them. they express love with their mouths, but their hearts seek only after money." (ezekiel 33:31)

Jesus may also have been pointing ahead to the apostle paul's warnings against the worship of traditions instead of worshiping the only true God. "such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them." (colossians 2:22) "but some teachers have missed the whole point. they have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness." (1 timothy 1:6)

do our lips honor God with prayers, with songs? well and good. how far away is our heart? this is the test Jesus put before His 'interviewers' from jerusalem (15:1) at issue is nothing less than the genuineness of our worship.

2005-07-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

that is why the Lord says, "turn to Me now, while there is time! give Me your hearts. come with fasting, weeping, and mourning." joel 2:12

"but, God, they are still turned the wrong way! i wonder if they are even able to change. when are you going to say, 'enough is enough'?"

repent, turn, change, the prophet joel had been telling the people of judah. faithful communicator of God's message to His people, did he wonder if it were a limited-time offer? was there a freshness date, or small print saying, "must be redeemed by ______"?

"yes, joel, my people can change," God seems to say. "and I continue to be gracious and merciful. slow to anger. tell the people again, 'return to the Lord your God.' my offer still stands."

we, too, can marvel at God's patience and God's offer. the same invitation, the same call to repentance hits our ears. "turn to Me now...give Me your hearts."

2005-04-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

counsel, warning - hebrew ya-'ats 'to advise, counsel'; e-tsah 'prudence, counsel'; greek nou-the-te-o 'warn, admonish'; nou-the-si-a 'warning, admonition'; bou-le 'counsel'.

sometimes we hear the Lord speaking to us with a word of counsel or warning. this is true to the extent that reading and studying scriptures are part of our lives. maybe we think we know what is right for us without asking for anyone else's advice. but jeremiah reminds us that feelings and desires can easily deceive (17:9). we need the counsel of God to make right and wise decisions. we need His word, and we need other christians to help us hear it.

use His words to teach and counsel each other. colossians 3:16

2004-12-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

Majesty - hebrew ge- "majesty"; ha-dar "splendor, honor"; greek me-ga-lo- -ne "greatness."

our personal worship results in intimate moments with the Lord. he says, "i live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble" (isaiah 57:15). throughout scripture He speaks tenderly to those who are His. yet the bible reveals another side of God's presence: His awesome and overwhelming dignity. "He is robed in majesty. indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength" (psalm 93:1). His presence is like a fire that overwhelms those who oppose Him (psalm 7:3). as the writer of hebrews reminds us, 'it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (hebrews 10:31).

God is our tender, compassionate friend. He is also our majestic and powerful Judge. to worship Him rightly is to perform a balancing act, holding both aspects of His presence in our vision. in Jesus Christ we can do this, for both sides of God are revealed in Him. "all glory to Him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to Him, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. amen" (jude 25).

2004-08-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

wait-hebrew qa-vah "wait, expect"; du-miy-yah "[wait] in silence"; chik-kah "wait."

in an activity-oriented culture, we don't usually associate waiting with worship. the biblical worshiper, on the other hand, sometimes speaks of waiting quietly for the Lord in the context of worshiping Him. (psalm 62:1) it is a waiting of hope and expectation, as God's answer to prayer begins to appear over time.

waiting for the Lord says a lot about our faith in Him. sometimes, when we face difficulties, we're tempted to take control and try to solve our own problems. but the phrase that says "God helps those who help themselves" is not in the bible. getting an accurate grasp of our needs and exploring prudent ways to resolve them is not wrong. but if waiting on God is left out of the picture, unintended consequences can result in a mess. as we seek Him in worship, God's promise is renewed: 'those who wait on the Lord will find new strength." (isaiah 40:31)

2004-07-14T08:47:00.000-05:00

Father-hebrew 'av; aramaic 'ab-ba'; greek pa-ter. the aramaic 'abba' is an intense form of 'av, and one of several aramaic words preserved in the new testament.

some have claimed that when Jesus called God "Father," and taught His followers to do so, He revealed a tender side of God that the Israelite worshiper never knew. true, God isn't often called Father in the old testament. but the awareness that He is Father to His people undergirds the relationship of the covenant, so basic to biblical faith. Jesus built on what His people already knew about God, calling them back to an intimacy long clouded over by tradition. when the gospel message was translated into greek, christian worshipers still joined the aramaic word to the greek one, crying out "Abba Father" or "dear Father"

we shouldn't confuse God's Fatherhood with the spineless situation-comedy fathers of today's media. in biblical times and cultures, a father was a figure of great authority. the burden of his family's welfare and reputation fell squarely on his shoulders, and his word counted in the lives of His children. even the prodigal son realized the need for his father's protection. the wonder, as Jesus tells the story, is that this dignified Father ran to greet His returning son - just as God yearns for His children to come home! in worship, we come home to Him always when we pray, 'our Father in heave...'

2004-07-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

'no doubt about it,' they lamented. 'God has deserted us. probably even forgotten us.'

the poster children for short-term memory disorder, the people of israel thought for the umpteenth time that they, the chosen people, had become the rejected people. or perhaps they had felt like tevye in the musical fiddler on the roof: 'it is said we are the chosen people. could you please choose somebody else?'

isaiah encourages them, 'for the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on them in their sorrow' (49:13). God has comforted and will comfort. then a small word in the next verse reveals much: yet. despite the history, despite the promises, yet jerusalem say, 'the Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.''. (49:14) does 'yet' describe our response to God's faithfulness and promises to comfort? how strongly do we claim He has forgotten us?

His response the charge of forgetting His people is the same as it always was: never!

God does not simply know us 'like the back of His hand.' He turns over His hands and shows us the palms - the same palms that later bore the nail prints of crucifixion, the ultimate proof that He has not forgotten us.

may we lift up our hands in gratitude and praise.

see, I have written your name on My hand. (49:16)

2004-06-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? who holds the wind in His fists? who wraps up the oceans in His cloak? who has created the whole wide world? what is His name - and His son's name? tell me if you know! every word of God proves true. He defends allow ho come to Him for protection. (proverbs 30:4 - 5)

spiritually sensitive people know that the most important thing about any individual is what he or she believes about God. this probably explains why, through sermons, theology books, weekend seminars, and worship music we strive so hard to understand God for ourselves and struggle so much to explain Him to others. but do we do all this in the humble effort to love and serve Him better? or is our deeper motive to figure God out and make Him less mysterious?

one thing is for sure - if we could answer every nagging question about God's character and accurately predict His every action, then in a real sense, there would be no need for trust. we'd have God in a box. and we creatures, rather than the Creator, would have the upper hand.

it won't work. trying to remove all mystery about the Almighty is futile. you may as well try to catch a hurricane in a mason jar. the Lord surely cannot be contained in a definition or poked and prodded the way researches examine lab rats. the great God of the bible is inexplicable and unpredictable. the whole universe can't contain Him. in fact, the only reason we know anything about Him at all is because He has graciously revealed Himself in creation, in Jesus, the living word, and in the written word.

it's not wrong to want to learn about God - in fact, that's what worship is about. but keep in mind that finite creatures can never fully grasp an infinite Creator. it is this sense of mystery that keeps our hearts filled with wonder.

2004-06-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don't last forever, and the crown might not be secure for the next generation. (proverbs 27:23 - 24)

i'm quite sure that i'll never firsthand what it's like to be filthy rich. but i can grasp the crucial truth that, contrary to our frequent financial daydreams, riches and social standing do not provide true security. fortunes can and do disappear. power and influence are quick to evaporate.

we are encouraged in this passage to forget financial fantasies and focus instead on down-to-earth realities like discipline and hard work. the common shepherds n bible times who lived off the land found a simple but good life. in an agrarian society, they had no choice but to depend on God for His provision. and He proved faithful again and again.

what's the lesson in all this? be diligent. do your work well. exercise simple faith. not matter what your job or financial condition, being a true worshiper demands that as you work, you look to God and rely on Him. the issue isn't the amount of money in your bank account, but the amount of trust and gratitude in your heart.

2004-06-21T11:01:00.000-05:00

timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket. valid criticism is as treasured by the one who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold. (proverbs 25:11 - 12)

both unsolicited advice and unexpected criticism can create an almost instantaneous negative reaction if we're not careful. we might feel we are being personally attacked or that our work has been judged to be inadequate.

when we become defensive, however, we are creating barriers to communication that can greatly inhibit our spiritual growth. granted, not every recommendation or critique we receive is well-intended. the key passage describes certain types of advice and criticism in lyrical terms - comparing them to choice fruit and precious metal. the instruction is clear: we are to regard timely advice and valid criticism to be of high value.

responding in a godly fashion to others' suggestions, opinions, or critiques can be one of the most challenging disciplines to which we are called as followers of Christ. thankfully, we have examples in scripture - leaders such as moses and david - whose response to complaints or godly rebuke is model for us yet today.

we can't worship God if our own self-estimation is too high, and God in His wisdom sometimes sends critics not to hurt but to humble us.

2004-06-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor.(proverbs 21:21)

the old adage says, 'cleanliness is next to godliness.' no one would argue that maintaining good hygiene is a positive pursuit, but next to godliness? what exactly does that mean? according to the proverb writer, the pursuit of godliness should be every believer's goal. but what does it take to be a godly man or woman?

the life of the apostle paul is one illustration. a pharisee with high credentials who persecuted christians, his conversion was nothing short of a miracle. paul's desire for godliness consumed him, as he counted all of his educaction, background, and position as nothing. "God forbid that i should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (galatians 6:14). paul died a martyr for his faith, but he would be honored as the foremost writer of the new testament, an apostle to the gentiles, and a godly example to every believer.

in today's world, our first priority is often making out life more comfortable. but God asks us to put first things first. His priorities are that we love Him with all our being, walk in ways that glorify Him, and share His love with others in everything we do and say. that's what it means to pursue godliness.

2004-06-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

to learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. (proverbs 12:1)

discipline is one of those unfortunate words that is largely misunderstood and usually said with a frown and a sigh. it is continually cast in a negative light - doing hard, unpleasant things, or worse, having some measure of pain inflicted on you by another.

but what is it really? discipline is training - training that frees you to be the best you can be. good parents discipline their children not to hurt but to help, to protect them from ultimate harm, and to point them in a better way.

champion athletes discipline themselves. endlessly running and stretching and lifting weights. they spend hours perfecting subtle techniques - twisting this body part or that, dipping or spinning just so.

why do they put themselves through such a rigorous and exacting regimen? are they masochists? not so much. they subject themselves to all this because they know discipline brings freedom and reward. to be prepared, to know you are ready for whatever comes, is a wonderful thing. to be able to respond successfully - is there a joy better than this? that is why the proverb writer exhorts us to 'love discipline.'

worshiping God is no different. it takes discipline to get our selfish souls to acknowledge God, and it take further discipline to learn to honor him rightly. that means reading, studying, observing. it means diligence. it means discomfort. it means a reordering of our priorities. it means loving the process and accepting correction.

2004-06-15T08:07:00.000-05:00

commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed. (proverbs 16:3)

how many people work for love, or as paul urged, for the glory of God? listen to conversations. you'll hear phrases like 'my job,' my goals,' and 'my happiness.' the fact is most people view their lives as their own. even more astonishing, human nature subconsciously thinks, 'what matters most in the world is me and how things affect me.'

then Christ enters the picture, messing up everything. to hear the bible tell it, He is the point. life revolves around Him, not us. even more startling to self-absorbed, self-willed souls is the truth that He owns us, meaning He has the perfect right to command our lives. His eternal job description is not to give us divine assistance in accomplishing all our self-centered plans and dreams. no, He came to invite us to have a meaningful part in fulfilling His agenda.

trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths. (proverbs 3:5-6)

real life is found in trusting God, not ordering Him around like a divine waiter. satisfaction comes when we seek His will, rather than devising our own plans. when we make Him central, when we give Him our hearts and sign off on His plans, then-at last!-we find direction, success, and the significance our souls hunger for.

2004-05-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

the facts to stack up about psalm 119 are fascinating, the stuff to win party games - or at least impress the other guests.

-longest psalm (176 verses)
-longest chapter of the entire bible
-an acrostic poem of twenty-two stanzas (one for each letter of the hewbrew alphabet), with the eight verses of each stanza starting with the hebrew letter of that section
-near the exact midpoint of many bibles
-a remarkable array of terms for the scriptures - laws, decrees, commandments, principles, word, statutes, commands

these facts may be fascinating, but following the word of God is not a trivial pursuit. the psalmist was inspired to write scripture about the scriptures - the word on the word - not to add to his credentials as an author. he was making a commitment to God himself and urging others to do the same. wandering from these commands? you are wandering from God. hiding this word in your heart? you are hiding God Himself there.

the contemporary christian singer sara groves has written a song entitled 'the word,' to express the vital connection we can have with God through the scriptures. as the psalm writer realizes that the only way not to sin is to hide the word in his heart, groves recognizes that she has tried to help herself while her bible sits up on the shelf. she delights that the word was, and the word is, and the word will be.

we can bless and praise our God by learning His principles. we can live a life that sings God's word.

2004-05-25T10:27:00.000-05:00

enter - hebrew bo' 'go, enter'; greek eis-er-cho-mai 'go, enter'.

the simple words enter and go don't seem very exalted or descriptive of how we worship the Lord. yet both are critical actions in our personal devotion. if we never go to the Lord or enter into His presence, then nothing else is likely to happen. worship begins when we respond to His call and move toward Him.

the scriptures invite us to come into the place of worship: "enter His gates with thanksgiving, go into His courts with praise" (100:4). those 'courts' may be a building, where we meet with others who love the Lord. or they may be the hidden sanctuary of our heart, for we are His temple (1 corinthians 3:17). we enter God's presence to worship Him, but also to receive what He wants to give us in return - the wonderful repose of peace. focusing on ourselves, we're often torn by anxiety, wondering if we've done enough to earn the right to exist. iin the Lord's presence, we're released from our striving, for "God's rest is there for people to enter" (hebrews 4:6).

2004-05-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

the sacrifice You want is a broken spirit. a broken and repentant heart, o God, You will not despise. (51:17)

Jesus is the one who taught us that we have a lot to learn from children. in their wide-eyed curiosity, innocent trust, and unpolished honesty, we are given a picture of what God hopes we will be like when we grow up. children also mirror the tenderness of heart our heavenly Father desires when we have been justly disciplined.

if you have ever been in the presence of a child who has been caught in an act of disobedience, you probably have witnessed the psalm writer's 'broken and repentant heart.' caught with the proverbial hand in the cookie jar, or clasping the bat that just sent the ball through the neighbor's window, the child stands before the parent. the sounds of uncontrollable sobbing (interrupted only by a whispered admission of sorrow), tears rolling down a face, and arms extended in search of a forgiving embrace soon follow.

these evidences of remorse are good indicators that the perpetrator is genuinely sorry. no reasonable parent would withhold love, acceptance, and forgiveness from one so broken. and neither does a loving God distance Himself from His children who own up to their sin and humbly cast themselves on His mercy.

loving God, i mislead myself when i think that rationalizing my self-centered actions and attitudes is a sign of maturity. but i know i don't fool you. help me become more like a child who is quick to admit wrongs and willing to show emotions.

2004-05-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

for You, a thousand years are as a day, Lord, but for me, a day is a day. have mercy on me in my waiting. yet as long as my waiting lasts, and longer still, so long will i trust You. most of all, be near me.

in a world that honors assertive action, it's hard to realize how many of the great heroes of faith spent some of the best years of their lives in what must have seemed unendurable waiting. sarah....jacob...moses...elijah...the jewish exiles...david...

david was no stranger to God's waiting room. he had been anointed as king at 16, but didn't take the throne until he was 30. he spent 24 years chased through the wilderness by the jealous saul.

what are we supposed to do in these times of waiting? what is God thinking when he lets His servants smolder in inactivity?

waiting is never easy. but waiting is a something and it's not a nothing. it's a time when God is working on who we are more so than on what we do. and it is a time when we can learn to worship God for who He is rather than for the immediate benefits we receive.

wait patiently for the Lord. be brave and courageous. yes, wait patiently for the Lord. (27:14)

2004-05-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

life has a rhythm. nighttime and daytime, sleep & wakefulness, workday & weekend, motion & stillness. finding rest in the midst of the rhythm is a difficult task. God Himself rested after laboring six days to make th eworld, and He declared a sabboth for His people.

at different times in my life i have had thoughts like this, 'if i can just skip lunch, just go to bed later, just work on my day off, i can get so much more done.' i've learned the hard way that this way of thinking does not work. the 'always-on' lifestyel is likely to be switched off permanantly.

nothing is wrong with hard work, of course. after all, Jesus pushed Himself pretty hard to meet the needs of the people who came to Him. but He also made time to get away for prayer and to escape the press of the crowds. we also ought to be grateful when our Shepherd leads us to grassy meadows where we can lie down and rest.

i do still struggle with 'off days', still moments. i have to fight boredom.

surely the times are coming when we will have to walk through the avlley of the shadow of death. let us settle gratefully in the meadows while we have them.

He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. (23:2)

2004-05-04T10:05:00.000-05:00

david - son of jesse, shepherd boy, great king, champion, revel leader, collaborator, commander-in-chief, civil warrior, son, brother, friend, husband, father, devout believer, great sinner - capable of astonishing variations of emotion, bold in acting, nimble in reacting, enduring long.

and on top of it all, he had an incredible love for music. he was a talented harp player (1 samuel 16:18). he wrote so many pslams and praise songs, probably the greatest worship leader ever. he danced, he sung, he composed, he led worship.

music is not the only way we can worship, but it's an incredible vehicle for ascribing worth to our God.

i will sing to the Lord because He has been so good to me. (13:6)

"the most valuable thing the psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made david dance." - C.S. Lewis

2004-05-01T16:12:00.000-05:00

entered into the psalms in my studying through the iworship devotional bible.

psalms - hebrew miz-mor "psalm"; te-hil-lim "praises"; greek psal-mos "psalm". a psalm, strictly speaking, is a lyric sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. while some of the psalms of the bible are called "psalms" in this musical sense, the hebrew title for the book of psalms is the word for "praises."

the book of psalms is a treasury of faith and devotion. though we sometimes think of a psalm as a song of exultation, psalms cover every mood, every expression of our approach to God - from despair to delight, confession to confidence, from petitioning God for help to praising Him for His answer. they speak of the Lord's Anointed, the Christ. in the psalms, God speaks words of comfort and reassurance back to His worshipers. in a similar way, our cries to God in prayer and personal worship may range across the same emotional spectrum. seeking His face in prayer, we can do no better than to come before Him with psalms - the psalms of scripture, or psalms of our own.

2004-04-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

Lord Almighty - hebrew Yah-veh tse-va-'ot "Yahweh of armies"; ku-ri-os-sa-ba-oth "Lord of hosts." in the new testament, sabaoth is a transliteration of the hebrew tseva'ot and is mainly found in a few quotations from the old testament.

the ark of the covenant was a sacred container, topped by the golden figures of the cherubim that held the tablets of the commandments. it symbolized Yahweh's presence with His people, and He was said to be 'enthroned between the mighty cherubim' (2 kings 19:15). because the ark went before the people of israel as they wandered through the wilderness and also as they went into battle, Yahweh's name came to be linked with the massed forces of His worshipers. He was called "Yahweh of armies," or Lord Almighty, especially in the psalms and the prophetic writings.

it may seem strange that the "God of peace" (hebrews 13:20) is also the "God of armies." but worship is also warfare. when we praise the Lord, we do battle in the Spirit "against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world" (ephesians 6:12). we have enlisted in the army of the Lord Almighty, and the taste of victory is ours.

2004-04-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

when we suffer - and everyone does, at some level, from the princess in the palace to the jobs of the world who suffer unbelievable pain and hardship - it is almost reflexive that our first reaction is to raise our voice and ask, 'why me? did i do something to deserve this? is God angry with me, punishing me for some sin i've committed? is God involved in my pain at all?'

'why?' is a question we are free to ask God...(job certainly did, over and over); yet God is not bound to answer. perhaps He may provide glimpses into purposes in our pain, but not always. often the reason for our suffering remains a mystery to us. in those times it is good to focus on what we do know - the character of our God.

job acknowledged that, even though he could not penetrate the veil of mystery surrounding God's plan for his trials, he still accepted that wisdom begins with, resides with, and ends with God.

sometimes the only answer to our, 'why?' is that our sovereign God is still in control of our lives and our circumstances even when we are not. we can still trust in His goodness, holiness, compassion, and grace.

God surely knows where it can be found, for He looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens....and this is what He says to all humanity: "the fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding. job 28:23, 28

2004-04-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

if you want to find God in the book of esther, you'll have to read between the lines. there are several characters mentioned in this book: a hotheaded king, an orphaned jewish girl, a murderous small-minded official, and a wise old uncle. however, God is never mentioned by name throughout this book. yet, He is behind the scenes, actively working to turn a nation's mourning into joy.

i think this is a powerful lesson. sometimes we can only see what's right in front of us, an annoying boss, a crippling gried, or a spiteful enemy. to find God's prevailing goodness requires that we read between the lines of our lives.

in esther we find God working effectively even without anyone's conscious knowledge of it. He is working between the lines of my story, too...between fears about my future, even between the glimpses of my understanding and my perceptions of His presence. always active. always loving. His ever-present, transendent caring fills every space. trusting that fact changes our sorrows into gladness and our mourning into joy.

look between the lines of life. God is there.

2004-04-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve and give life to everything , and all the angels of heaven worship You. nehemiah 9:6

sometimes i struggle with the beauty of nature. i miss the awe of creation. but every once in awhile i connect and i can't help but worship the Creator. the One i worship is a God of beauty and order. such a beautiful and well-ordered universe could not be the result of accident and chance, but was engineered by an Intelligent Designer.

the levites - israel's worship leaders - expressed similar ideas as they exhorted the people tha tday to worship the Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. that must have been some worship service! (nehemiah 8 - 10) however, they didn't know what we know today: how the first creation points toward the new creation, when all things are made new in Christ.

2004-04-20T07:57:00.000-05:00

so on october 2 the wall was finally finished - just 52 days after we had begun. when our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. nehemiah 6:15 - 16

accomplishment. a job well done. c.s. lewis once said, 'there are 2 kinds of pride. one is the opposite of humility, and that's bad; the other is the opposite of shame, and that's good.' taking pride in a doing a job well is acceptable.

i'm sure that nehemiah felt some of that pride when he and his fellow workers finished rebuilding the wall around jerusalem in just 52 days. he had enemies and opponents mocking and scoffing, but nehemiah and his team persevered and finished the wall.

the greatest part is how nehemiah didn't take any of the credit in the end. he gave his props to God. far too often i take the glory. i fail to give credit to Him. without Him i am nothing, but with Him i am everything.

2004-04-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

moved over to ezra today, working my way through the iworship daily devotional bible.

it's not too difficult for me to acknowledge and give thanks for God using other Christians, the church, to work in my life. sometimes to bless me, sometimes to call me on something, maybe to encourage. it's the body of Christ working together. though i must admit it's hard for me to recognize the times that God works outside of the box to use unbelieving friends, acquaintenaces, and/or strangers.

in the book of ezra, God shows us that His plans encompass all and He will use whatever He chooses to move his story forward. He even stirred the heart of King Cyrus to issue a decree for the Jews to return home to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple.

God takes the initiative, always. He calls people to Himself, and will work through whatever means available to do so. there is nothing outside of His power to control. He can stir the hearts who don't know Him. He can use their misguided dessires and work through their worldy roles.

i like to think outside of the box. and i'm grateful that i serve a God who works outside of the box, beyond the logical or even the possible.

2004-04-15T07:43:00.000-05:00

david's instructions to solomon: (1 chronicles 28:9)

"and solomon, my son, get to know the God of your anscestors. worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. for the Lord sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and thought. if you seek Him, you will find Him. but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever."

when we pray we seek the Lord's favor, His approval, and His blessing on our endeavors. if it was possible, through our own merit, to make everything work out the way we want, we wouldn't need to ask for His favor. we wouldn't even have to pray. His favor comes not because we've earned it but because He chooses to give it.
FAVOR: chen (hebrew) - "favor, graciousness" ratson (hebrew) - "favor" charis (greek) - "favor, grace"

we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. (1 john 5:14)

2004-04-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

i often wonder why we tend to observe the Lord's Supper at church in a somber mood? you'd almost think we were at a funeral. i was reading in the old testament today, in 2 chronicles 30. when they celebrated the 'love feast' at the end of a fellowship meal it was filled with feasting and joy. after all, the Lord's Supper recalls salvation and freedom.

communion should be cause for rejoicing. it reminds us that Jesus died, came back to life, and is returning to earth for us. next time i am served (or serving) communion i will make a point to sing joyfully and smile as contemplate the Lord's gift of himself.

i found this quote from william willimon:

"we have celebrated the Lord's Supper as a funeral, doleful memorial to a departed hero rather than as the joyous Sunday Resurrection meal it is intended to be....when we eat together, our focus is upon the whole saving work of God in Christ - birth, life, service, Passion, death, Resurrection, Ascension, and present reign.