Twigs and forests
Isaiah 11: The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him.
The flow from current events to spiritual events of the future makes some passages hard to read. Isaiah has declared that the army of their enemy, Assyria, was used of God to purge his people, but went too far. He pictures Assyria as a great forest filled with huge trees. However, for all its majesty, that forest will be leveled because of the anger of God. Then, with no real segue Isaiah continues with his “forest” illustration, proclaiming that out of the remains of Judah just one small twig will spring up. Compared to the great āforestā that is Assyria, this green twig might seem insignificant. That ātwig,ā though, will be overshadowed by the Spirit of God. It will grow to such a size that all the forests of the world will seem small in comparison and that ātwigā will reach out in wisdom, understanding, direction, strength, and knowledge. I donāt know what Isaiah or his contemporaries thought of the unexpected direction of this prophecy, but to a Christian reader it makes perfect sense. The army of Assyria is long gone, only of interest to historians and archeologists. However, that ātwigā ā the one who sprang up as a helpless baby in Bethlehem so long ago ā well, his Kingdom continues to flourish to this very day.
Take Away: āAnd he shall reign for ever and ever more. Hallelujah!ā
Tag: God’s power
Devotional on Jonah
The biggest fish story ever
Jonah 1: One day long ago, Godās Word came to Jonah.
As I finish my quick read of little-known Obadiah, I turn the page to find myself on very familiar ground. After all, everybody has heard of Jonah and the āwhale.ā This is surely one of the top five stories of the Old Testament and people who’ve never read the Bible or attended church know about this āfish story.ā A few years ago I was teaching a church membership class and this story came up. The teens in the class wanted to know if Christians have to believe as literally true stories like Noah and the Ark and Jonah and the āwhale.ā Had the question been asked by some fine fundamentalists I’ve known I would have thought I was being set up for the old trap that sounds something like this: āIf you donāt believe in a literal six day creation how can you believe in a literal resurrection of Jesus?ā That question, by the way, ignores the clear teachings of the Bible which says, āIf you confess with your mouth, āJesus is Lord,ā and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.ā (Romans 10:9). Note that Paul doesnāt add, āAlso, you have to believe every statement in the Old Testament is literal.ā Iām not required to believe in a literal six day Creation to be saved, but I do have to believe āGod raised him from the dead.ā Anyway, back to the teens in the membership class. I told them that I believe the Lord created all things and that sending a big flood or making a big fish capable of doing what the book of Jonah says it did would be a simple thing for such a Creator. However, the purpose of stores like this is to tell us something about God and ourselves and that itās a bigger mistake to read the story, believing every word while missing the lesson than it is to read the story and āget itā while doubting that it’s literal. So, ābig fishā or not, Iām supposed to come away from the Book of Jonah knowing more about God and his work in this world than I knew before. Thatās still my goal as I start through this story once again.
Take Away: The Bible tells us the story of God and us. It has no interest in answering every scientific question or providing for us fodder for religious debates.
Devotional on Zechariah
God powered
Zechariah 4: You canāt force these things. They only come about through my Spirit.
This statement to governor Zerubbabel is part of one of the most famous portions of Zechariahās writings. Zerubbabel has already accomplished great things in leading the exiles back to Jerusalem. Now, in response to the urgings of Haggai and Zechariah heās ready to shoulder the task of rebuilding the Temple. His heart, and the hearts of his people, is in the right place. God is pleased with them. The Lordās words to the good man and his people are wonderfully encouraging: the Temple will be rebuilt not because of some extraordinary human effort, but by the power of Godās Spirit. This doesnāt mean that the governor and people can sit back and do nothing while a Temple rises from the ashes of destruction, but it does mean that the power for this project is coming from God. The Lord is with them, not only approving of their actions but empowering them as well. With that in mind I see here that my efforts to accomplish things in the Name of the Lord arenāt limited by my own initiative, skills, or intelligence. Every program of the church should be eligible for the label: āGod powered.ā If that isnāt an encouraging word I donāt know what is.
Take Away: What we accomplish in the Name of the Lord we accomplish by the power of the Lord.
Devotional on Luke
So whereās Jesus now?
Luke 5: As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.
This statement about the prayer habit of Jesus sticks out like a sore thumb in this passage. It feels as if it was just tossed in after the fact, maybe written while Luke was thinking of what to next tell us about the ministry of Jesus. Weāve just heard Jesus preach while sitting in Simonās boat and then watched as, under the command of Jesus, Simon and partners have caught a huge haul of fish. Now Jesus is healing a man with leprosy and soon heāll be surrounded by people seeking healing and with Pharisees seeking arguments. Right in the middle of all this action is this one liner about Jesus slipping away for prayer. Obviously, this is more than random filler from Luke. He wants me to connect the mighty acts of Jesus with his secret prayer life. As he teaches and heals Godās power flows out of him. In his secret prayer life Godās power is replenished in him. This is no chance thought of Lukeās. Rather, heās providing me with insight into the power source of our Lord. Another devotional thought here is that in spite of the fact that Jesus is a busy man he makes time for prayer. When the last needy person has been satisfied and these new disciples find themselves and Jesus finally alone they expect to enjoy some quality time with their Lord, or at least some down time before it all starts again in the morning. James and John look around and realize Jesus isnāt there. āWhereās Jesus?ā they ask. āHeās down by the lake,ā Peter answers, adding, āHe said something about needing some time alone.ā This is to become a daily pattern that the disciples will come to expect. If itās good for Jesus itās good for me too.
Take Away: Thereās always time, and the necessity, for prayer.
Devotional on Romans
The Holy Spirit working through me
Romans 15: The wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me.
Adventures, Paulās had some! Heās pioneered the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the region. Heās been at the forefront of a tidal wave of the work of the Holy Spirit and, because of that, heās not only taken plenty of hits, heās also seen first-hand just what God can do. Paul, though, is quite humble about all that. He doesnāt glorify himself. Rather, he gives glory to the Lord for it all. At times, even though heās in the middle of it all heās found himself more bystander than participant as something āwondrously powerfulā happens. Paul understands that it isnāt his cleverness or winning personality thatās ātriggered a believing response.ā The message about Christ is actually delivered by Christ, through Paul. I wish I had a better handle on this. So often I find myself behaving as though itās all about my performance. I let myself become so focused on how Iām doing that I forget that, actually, Iām not required to do much at all. The Lord wants me to place my full weight of trust on him and allow him to minister through me. My cooperation is required and the Lord will use my personality, education, etc. along the way, but itās all powered by his Holy Spirit and not by me. There are times when Paul is amazed at the response to his ministry. As I cooperate with the Lord, I, too, will be surprised as lives are touched as the Lord ministers to people through me. Letās not be guilty of underestimating the ability of the Lord to minister through us.
Take Away: As we cooperate with the Lord he does amazing things through us that surprise us as much as anyone else.
Devotional on 2 Corinthians
At the end of myself and at the beginning of God
2Corinthians 1: And heāll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.
Since his first letter to the church at Corinth Paul has gone though some hard times. His words remind me of some of the Psalms of complaint when David thought it was all over for him. In words similar to what David used, Paul describes how he was crushed and sure that he was at the end. In his despair he realized he was out of options and that there was nothing he could do to save himself. At that low point, he remembered his greatest Resource. When he came to the end of himself he found himself at just the beginning of God. Throwing himself on the mercy of God is the smartest thing he ever did. After all, Paul reminds us, this is the God who even raises the dead. The Lord was equal to the challenge and, for Paul, the sun rose once again in his life, giving him a new lease on life. This journey to deathās door and back, Paul says, has turned out to be a positive event in his life. These days heās quicker to stop struggling and to start trusting in God to bring about a rescue in his life. This is a lesson I need to learn anew. I serve a God who loves me and who has the power to, when necessary, raise the dead. I may not like it when life brings me my share of uncertainty and even pain. At the same time, I can remember that the same God who has brought me through difficult times in the past can ārescue me as many times as I need rescuing.ā
Take Away: In an uncertain world the Lord remains my steadfast certainty.
Devotional on Exodus
Burning bush
Exodus 3: The bush was blazing away but it didnāt burn up.
I love the story of Mosesā encounter with the Lord. Heās spent 40 years living apart from his own people, tending sheep. The idea of running into God out there in the wilderness must be the farthest thing from his mind. He sees smoke on the horizon and goes to investigate. As he gets closer he sees that itās just a lonely bush thatās ablaze. The thing is, the fire isnāt consuming the bush and has a source of fuel that Moses canāt see. Heās about to find out that the bush is ablaze with the presence of the Lord. I doubt that Moses thought about it, but that bush is doing the very opposite of what he did. When he was younger he burned with compassion for his enslaved kin. However, these years in the wilderness have quenched that fire. Unlike the bush that keeps on burning, he settled for a life in exile, leaving his fellow Hebrews in slavery in Egypt. When I act on my own, doing what I think is a good idea, I tend to run out of energy. After all, Iām drawing on my talents and abilities and it doesnāt take long for me to run dry. However, when I live in the Lord and allow his Holy Spirit to be my Guide and my Source, well, Iāve tapped into the Power Source thatās never exhausted. Lord, let the fire of your Presence burn in my heart today.
Take Away: If Iām going to be used of God I need to allow him to be my power source, otherwise Iām bound to fail.
Devotional on Exodus
The frightening side of God
Exodus 19: Warning! Donāt climb the mountain.
Of all the appearances of God on earth in the Bible the coming of the Almighty to Mount Sinai is the most impressive. Earlier, the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Now he appears to Israel in a burning mountain. There are thick clouds, thunder, earthquakes, and the sound of trumpet blasts. The people are warned to keep their distance or die. As I read this event I find myself wondering why God came in such a dramatic way. Centuries earlier, he came to the first man and woman for a quiet conversation in the cool of the day. Later on he wrestled with Jacob through the night. However, here at Sinai the appearance of the Lord is the most dramatic event to have ever happened on the face of the earth. I think the Lordās making the point that he’s not a God to be trifled with. If heās to make Israel into his own people they must grasp something of his holiness. They need to see him as more than a God who gives them free food each morning and who helps them win battles. Instead, they need to see the awful power of his holiness. This is a God to serve, to reverence, and to obey. Before Moses ever begins his unforgettable encounter with the Divine there are lessons to be learned. We Christians focus on an entirely different view of God. We see him as a meek Carpenter who loves us even to a cross. That, of course, is a correct view of the Lord. However, thereās more to him than that. Each of us must spend some reverent and fearful time at Sinai if weāre to begin understanding who God is.
Take Away: Mt. Sinai is a good place to take some āreverence lessons.ā
Devotional on Joshua
Stopping the sun
Joshua 10: The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day.
Because of the significant military victories of the Israelite army, word of their success has spread like wildfire through the area. These residents of Canaan are cruel, child sacrificing, warring peoples, but some unite in an effort to stop the advance of Joshua and his army. The battle that ensues is a momentous one. In one fight they’ll either gain a decisive advantage or be beaten back. Itās during this battle that Joshua asks for an unbelievable favor from God. He asks that the sun stand still so that they can continue to fight while they have the advantage. God answers and the sun stops in the sky as the battle rages. Of course, the impossibility of that actually happening is clearer to me than it is to Joshua, who doesn’t understand anything at all about the solar system. I’m no scientist, but I know that if the sun stood still that it would mean the earth quit rotating, and if the earth stopped turningā¦well, it would be the end of the world. Needless to say, I would never pray the prayer Joshua prayed — I’m too educated to do that. But here we have poor, ignorant Joshua asking for something that couldn’t possibly happen. What’s that? You say that the Bible says it did happen? Listen, I have no idea of how God could stop the sun in the sky without the entire solar system crashing. Itās such a big miracle that I, even with my limited knowledge, could never pray for it. Joshua doesn’t know that the earth is round and is spinning and is orbiting around the sun. All he knows is that he needs a miracle from God. And that, my friend, is the whole point. Sometimes I need to throw out all the facts and hold on to the only real Fact, God, Himself. I need to be careful that I’m not so “smart” that God can’t do for me what he wants to do. Take Away: God specializes in doing the impossible and he doesnāt need for me to explain to him what he can or canāt do.
Devotional on Judges
The Bibleās strong man
Judges 14: A young lion came at him, roaring. The Spirit of God came on him powerfully and he ripped it open barehanded.
Samson is the “strong man” of the Bible. When artists depict him, they always draw him as a muscle man. Frankly, I doubt it. Remember that his enemies try to discover the secret of his strength. If heās built like a super hero they wouldn’t do that. I think heās of average build and that the only physical characteristic that makes him stand out in a crowd is hair; hair, and lots of it: long, flowing hair on his head and on his face. This guy has never had a razor used on him. His nickname could be “Harry!” The key to his strength is tied into his faithfulness to God. And, in his case, the symbol of that faithfulness is uncut hair. Really, I don’t even see evidence that Samson is always strong. Itās when the “Spirit of God comes on him” that heās strong. The rest of the time, heās just an ordinary, hairy guy. Thinking devotionally here, Iām reminded that itās when the Spirit of God moves in my life that I move into the realm of extraordinary possibilities. I may not be āmore powerful than a locomotiveā but, when the Spirit of God is directing and empowering, I can do whatever it is the Lord wants me to do.
Take Away: The Lord gives us whatever capability he needs for us to have to accomplish his purposes.
Devotional on Judges
Hair today, gone tomorrow
Judges 16: Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me, dear, the secret of your great strength.”
Samson is a one-man army. Other Israelite liberators inspire people to follow them and rally armies to action. Samson does it all by himself. Itās just Samson and God. Well, really itās just God. Samson’s unshaved head is the symbol of his connection to God and cutting his hair will break that relationship. Subtract God from his life and Samson is a zero. When Samson stupidly tells Delilah his story he breaks that relationship with God. Soon, the wheels come off and all is lost. Iām tempted to say, “Without his hair Samsonās just an ordinary man.” Actually, though, itās, “Without his God, Samsonās just an ordinary man.” Subtract the unique features of this story and weāre left with the truth Jesus stated in John 15:5: āapart from me you can do nothing.ā
Take Away: Every good thing I accomplish is because of the Lordās presence in my life.
Devotional on 1 Samuel
God wonāt be manipulated
1 Samuel 4: When the Chest of the Covenant of God was brought into the camp, everyone gave a huge cheer.
Thereās war between the Israelites and the Philistines and the Philistines have the upper hand. In one battle 4,000 men of Israel are killed. What can they do to turn the tide? Someone has the idea of bringing the sacred Ark of the Covenant to the battle lines. Like the fictional German officers in the Indiana Jones movie these ancient Israelites think the Ark has power of its own that can be controlled by whoever possesses it. As the Chest arrives at the camp everyone cheers. Now they have the Power of God at their disposal and nothing will stop them. However, it doesnāt work out that way. On one hand, the Almighty clearly has an interest in the Ark of the Covenant. As the story continues that becomes abundantly clear. On the other hand, God is in authority over the Ark rather than the other way around. Bringing the Ark to battle doesnāt guarantee victory. They need God much more than they need the Chest. Today, as I read this story Iām reminded that in spite of the Indiana Jones movie, the Ark hasnāt been located and even if it was thereās not much chance that it could be used as a secret weapon now any more than it was in this story from the Bible. In my life, the key to spiritual power isnāt in my waving my Bible around or in my wearing a cross on a string around my neck or in my being anointed with oil. As it was with the Ark, those things may have value, but theyāre nothing in and of themselves. Itās God who I need and Iām wise to remember that no matter how many props I come up with he wonāt be manipulated.
Take Away: The Lord is real and he insists I treat him as something other than some unseen force to manipulate to get my own way.
Devotional on 2 Kings
Swing down sweet chariot stop, and let me ride
2Kings2: Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven.
As I study the Scriptures I find two accounts of people who leave this world without tasting death. One is Enoch who, the Bible says, is ātaken away” by God. The second is Elijah, whoās taken up by a whirlwind into heaven, accompanied by a chariot and horses of fire. Iāve read some interesting explanations of whatās happening on that day including one effort to somehow make this into an alien abduction! While I don’t have the credentials to take this event on from a scholarly point of view itās clear to me that this entire passage is intended to convince me of the uniqueness and spiritual power of this man of God. On this day Elijah is overflowing with God’s power. Nothing like this has been seen on earth. Any understanding of this passage has to start with my recognizing that the intention of the writer is to convince me of the greatness of Elijah, the man of God. Ultimately though, this, and all Scripture, has to be read as a “God story.” God has done something in Elijah’s life. Earlier, Iām given a sobering picture of his humanity. In that account heās a discouraged, exhausted, and fear-filled man. Now I see what the Lord has done for him and in him. Heās been transformed into the spiritual dynamo I see in this passage. Now, as Elijah disappears into the sky, I don’t find myself at the end of anything. Instantly God’s power begins to flow through Elisha. This story continues because God continues to work.
Take Away: The Lord uses some people in wonderful, amazing ways but the story of his work continues long after their story has ended.
Devotional on 2 Kings
The God of Elijah
2Kings2: Now where is the God of Elijah?
Iāve had the privilege of knowing some spiritual giants in my lifetime. These people walked close to God and, like a motor boat crossing a calm lake, leave a broad, expanding wake that influences people far beyond their experience and even their lifetimes. Theyāve influenced me. If not for them I wouldnāt be the man I am today. In fact, it would be easy for me to just focus on them and let them be my example and inspiration. If I do that that Iāll be a better person. However, as potentially positive as that might be, Iād be mistaken to do it. Elisha has known a great man, a man overflowing with the power of God. Now, though, that man is gone. Elijah’s disciples want to form a search party to try to find their master. Elisha, though, doesn’t seek Elijah. Instead, he seeks the God of Elijah. He knows that every good thing about Elijah was because of the God he served. He knows that the great need of his life isnāt more of Elijah. Instead, itās more of the God of Elijah. Today, I thank God for those spiritual giants of my life. Their influence isnāt taken for granted. However, itās not them that I need as I pursue spiritual excellence. No, itās not them; itās the God they served.
Take Away: Seek, not an āElijahā but, rather, the God of Elijah.