God working in the extreme
Daniel 4: The High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge.
Once Daniel gives the king the meaning of his dream of warning the ballās in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. He can humbly respond to the Lord’s overtures to him or not. In the terms of tennis, he “whiffs it.” That is, he totally bungles the opportunity he’s given. At the beginning he was ignorant concerning the God Daniel worshiped and could be cut some slack when he didn’t get it. Now, he’s not only seen what this God can do but he’s also heard from him personally; not once, but twice. It’s time for him to respond. Instead, he chooses to tip his hat to the Lord and then continue as he always has. As Nebuchadnezzar congratulates himself for all “he” has done the Lord moves on his life in one last act of mercy: the Lord grants to him a mental breakdown! I know it doesn’t sound much like mercy. Rather, it seems more like judgment. However, if dreams and miracles can’t get this stubborn manās attention the Lord has only two choices: destroy him or humble him. It’s in mercy that the Lord humbles Nebuchadnezzar. Hereās more evidence that God wants to redeem the lost. Human wisdom might dictate giving up and moving on to the next candidate. God says, “Let’s give it one more try; this time, maybe some strong medicine will do the trick.” I don’t think God routinely causes mental breakdowns, but I do think he goes to extreme measures in granting mercy to us. He is, indeed, the God of “Second Chances.”
Take Away: The Lord goes to extreme measures in granting mercy to us.
Tag: God’s sovereignty
Devotional on Daniel
The big picture
Daniel 12: It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen.
Imagine the second part of Daniel as a mural done by a master artist depicting the rise and fall of kingdoms through history. As we examine the mural we see mighty nations rise, then divide, and then fall to some new world power. Some folks have patiently examined Danielās āmural,ā attaching labels to the various kingdoms he describes. Those folks might be right and they might be wrong. Frankly, for me to attempt this is a waste of time. The least of those who seriously attempt to match nations up with Danielās vision is superior to me. I get lost in it all fairly soon. I do come away from Danielās sweeping picture with certain impressions. For one thing, I’m reminded that, even though I firmly believe human beings have free will, there’s an overarching flow of human history that’s firmly in the hands of God. Second, even though it seems some things happen outside of God’s providence, Iām reminded that the Lord remains Sovereign over all. Whether or not I think God is orchestrating, down to some detail, the flow of events I need to remember that nothing’s happening on the world stage that he isn’t at least allowing to happen. Finally, I see that there’s an end to the story. Things wonāt forever continue as they are. Daniel sums it up with a description of everything coming to a head with “the worst trouble the world has ever seen.” The Lord isnāt a bystander to human history. He’s ushering us along to some specific events and, ultimately, to a specific conclusion. As I watch the world news and see the clashes of world powers, it’s good to remember that nothing that happens is a surprise to God. That may not be a very complete view of the nature of prophecy, but it’s not a bad place to start and, while I may not understand the specifics, I do get the big picture.
Take Away: There’s an overarching flow of human history that’s firmly in the hands of the Lord.
Devotional on Micah
Open, Under New Management
Micah 4: Nations will…quit learning how to kill one another.
Micahās promise of world peace always sounds good and itās especially attractive when strife and war are close at hand. Later on, when the Messiah comes his arrival is accompanied with heavenly cheers of āpeace on earth.ā Every reasonable person is drawn to the possibility of world peace. Some have declared the promise of Micah and then of the Gospel writer to be a sham. And why not: we’re no closer to world peace than we were when Micah first said these words. The thing is our world hasnāt cooperated with this promise. Micah describes this when he says, āMeanwhile, all the other people live however they wish.ā The solution offered in the Bible is a spiritual one. As people and nations yield to the sovereignty of God, peace reigns. As people and nations reject God peace becomes more and more distant. Godās answer is to march onto the world scene and reorder it all. When that happens weāll see the equivalent of an āOpen, Under New Managementā sign placed on the world, and peace will, at least, reign.
Take Away: We canāt expect to receive the promises of the Lord while we, at the same time, refuse to cooperate with him.
Devotional on Habakkuk
Trusting without understanding
Habakkuk 2: Look at that man…full of himself but soul-empty.
The prophet understands that sinful Babylon is Godās chosen instrument for punishing sinful Judah. As bad as Judah is, Habakkuk is having a hard time understanding how God could ever use such an evil nation as his tool against the Children of Abraham. Habakkuk reverently takes his concern to God and now God answers. A part of that answer is contained in chapter two of this brief book of the Bible. The Lord tells Habakkuk he’s well aware of the sin of Babylon. Although the language used suggests that the remarks are about only the King of Babylon, the context tells us that it’s the nation as a whole that’s being described. The Lord wants Habakkuk to know that he hasnāt underestimated the sin of Babylon and he isnāt about to overlook it. Babylonās self-indulgent pride, its injustice, and its immorality will be dealt with. Just because God intends to use this nation for his own purpose doesnāt mean that he’s going to overlook its sin. The Lord remains sovereign and, in the end, he always has the last word. This godless empire is, indeed, a tool in the hands of the Almighty. At some point it may seem that Babylon is getting the benefit of this arraignment, but the real result will only be seen when the final chapter is written. Today, Iām reminded that all of Creation is in Godās hands. Anytime he wants, he can use whoever he wants for his purposes. The Lord doesnāt need for me to explain his actions or to make apologies for them. He does, however, insist that I trust him even when I donāt understand him.
Take Away: Iām not required to understand the Lord but I am called to trust him.
Devotional on Romans
Iāve been included
Romans 9: They were so absorbed in their āGod projectsā that they didnāt notice God right in front of them.
Big issues are in play here. Paul says that while the descendants of Abraham are the people with the promise of God that promise remains under Godās control. Even among Abrahamās descendants some are excluded and have no part in the promise. For instance, twin brothers (Jacob and Esau), before theyāre ever born are treated differently from one another by God. One will be part of what God is doing in the world and the other wonāt. Some Israelites have the idea that salvation is uniquely theirs because of their lineage. Paul says thatās not how it is. The only real decision maker here is God, so when some of Abrahamās descendants have tried to take the ball and run with it, making salvation their personal property, theyāve run head first into the Almighty who reminds them that this is his doing and not theirs. Israel doesnāt own salvation ā God does. This is Good News for those of us who would otherwise be considered outsiders and ineligible for this wonderful plan of salvation.
Take Away: Thereās a wideness in Godās mercy.
Devotional on Exodus
āDoes not work well with others.ā
Exodus 7: Pharaoh is not going to listen to you
For a true blue āfree-willerā like me, Pharaohās role in the Exodus is somewhat troubling. Before Moses and Aaron ever meet with him the Lord promises that heās going to be stubborn. The reason for that stubbornness is because the Lordās going to make him that way. Thatās not how I see God at work in this world. Instead, I see him supplying sufficient grace to people to respond to his call in their lives if they will. In the story of the Exodus it appears that God not only sees Pharaohās stubbornness but actually stiffens it even more to create conditions for a spectacular deliverance. So whatās going on here? On the other side of this āfree willā coin is āsovereignty.ā God is God and he holds absolute authority over all Creation. The reason we have free will is that the Sovereign has granted it. If I abuse the freedom I’ve been granted I’ll answer to him. In Pharaohās case, I donāt think the Lord looked into the future and saw Pharaoh remain resolutely stubborn, but I do think the Lord saw his hard heart and, in his sovereignty declared, āSo it shall be.ā The Lord takes what Pharaoh does in his free will and hard wires it. From that point on he has no other choice. Pharaoh could have been an example of Godās grace. Instead, he becomes an instrument for Godās glory.
Take Away: Itās a dangerous thing to challenge the sovereignty of God.
Devotional on Exodus
The stubbornness of Pharaoh
Exodus 9: But for one reason only Iāve kept you on your feet…
Things continue to go downhill for mighty Egypt. Dead animals and a plague of miserable boils have struck the land. As Goliath will stager before falling many years in the future, Egypt is near the end. All the wealth and power Joseph brought to Egypt is draining away. One has to believe that the people of Egypt and even the advisors of the king are practically begging him to end this by surrendering to the demand from God that the people of Israel be set free. As Moses promises yet another massive display of Godās power, he explains the absurd stubbornness of Pharaoh. This is Godās doing. Pharaoh hasnāt given in because he canāt give in. After centuries of seeming silence God is making himself known once again. When heās finished with Pharaoh the whole world will know about the God of the Israelites. On one hand I squirm a bit in my spirit as I see Pharaoh stripped of his free will, suffering the consequences of his earlier stubbornness. On the other hand, though, Iām reminded that itās the Almighty whoās doing it. Who has a right to question what the Creator of all things does? Pharaohās life is going to bring glory to God, not only throughout the world of his day, but throughout history as well. As I read about the plagues Iām reminded that every life will, sooner or later, bring glory to God.
Take Away: Ultimately, God is sovereign and ultimately, every life will yield to that truth.
Devotional on Numbers
What God intended in the first place
Numbers 23: How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
Balaam is hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. After the talking donkey incident, Balaam has had a change of heart. After all, part of that unusual event is that he saw the angel of the Lord with sword in hand blocking his way. Now as he arrives, Balak urges him to go ahead and curse the Israelites. Balaam agrees to do his thing, but warns Balak that he can only say what the Lord allows him to say. He enters into his āprophetic tranceā and the words that come out of his mouth are a disappointment to Balak. Right off itās plain that the pitiful prophet, whoās toying with stuff he would be better off leaving alone, isnāt going to do a very good job of cursing Godās people. Instead, Balaam hears himself blessing them. This whole blessing and cursing stuff is off the mark anyway. Godās people donāt believe in spells and magic. Rather, we believe in God. In this case the Lord used Balaamās hocus pocus for his own purposes, but remember this: God already intends to bless Israel. Thatās what heās been saying all along. Even if Balakās plan had worked and Balaam managed to state a mysterious, mystic curse on Israel it would have just been a lot of hot air. Beyond that, Balaamās blessing doesnāt actually mean anything either. God didnāt hear this silly prophet state a blessing and think he had to obey. The Lord continued to do what he intended to do all along.
Take Away: The Lord is sovereign and all the hocus pocus in the world isnāt going to force him to do anything.
Devotional on 1 Samuel
Hide and seek
1 Samuel 23: Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other.
Saul and David are playing a deadly game of hide and seek. In spite of David’s continuing to be a defender of Israel Saul has made him public enemy number one. David’s band is growing, now numbering over 600, but Saul’s army vastly outnumbers them. Beyond that, David doesn’t want to fight Saul or any of his countrymen. The nation of Israel is divided. Some are loyal to Saul and others to David. In fact, one group, the Ziphites, betrays David to Saul. They report David’s whereabouts to Saul and help set up an ambush. Itās nearly successful. At one point Saul almost has David and his men cornered. If not for word of an attack from a real enemy that forces Saul’s attention elsewhere, David’s story would end right here. Because of this, this area is called āNarrow Escape.” So, was the attack by the Philistines at such a critical moment just good fortune for David? I think not. God’s fingerprints are all over this. Still, itās interesting that God used the enemies of Israel, the heathens of the land, to deliver David. The lesson for me is that this is a reminder that God is truly sovereign. Even when godless people act in ways intended to destroy, God can give a gentle push in some particular direction and use their sinful act to accomplish good rather than evil. Even when it seems evil has won the day, God is still God, and heās working in surprising ways in and through it all.
Take Away: When all is said and done itās the Lord who has said the last word.
Devotional on 1 Samuel
Finding God in unexpected places
1 Samuel 28: There’s a witch at Endor.
Life is terribly dark for Saul. Years ago when he failed God at Gilgal Samuel told him that God was finished with him. However for decades it has looked as though Saul can handle things on his own. He builds a strong army and successfully leads the people of Israel. However, through those years things are always going downhill for Saul. As we near the end of his story, heās a fear-filled, pitiful man. Thus we come to this strange incident at Endor. Saul’s afraid of his enemies and with good reason. His past successes against the Philistines are forgotten as a coalition of forces is massing for the biggest battle yet. Saul’s only connection with God has been through Samuel, but now Samuel is dead. Prayer is an unknown thing for Saul, but in fear, he prays. Thereās no answer. Then, with the same denial of God’s authority that was evident many years earlier when he decided to offer his own sacrifices rather than wait for Samuel at Gilgal, he again takes matters into his own hands. If God won’t answer, heāll turn to witchcraft for answers. He knows God strictly forbids this, in fact, as king heās enforced the abolition of witchcraft in Israel. Now, he goes looking for someone who can contact the dead for him, specifically Samuel. I know some view this as confirmation that witchcraft, mediums, sĆ©ances, and the like can be genuine. However, Iām not ready to go there based on this passage. The “witch at Endor” is probably an old faker whoās told fortunes for years. Now, when she starts her act and Samuel appears sheās more surprised than anyone else: “When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out….” In other words, she dropped out of her mystic trance when something actually happened. My take on this is that Saul’s trying to bypass God by moving as far from God’s “territory” as possible. However, he runs headlong into God even there. Hereās the spiritual fact of life: even when a person tries to move out of the light of God into areas where no one is to go they find that God is God even there. This passage is a confirmation of His absolute sovereignty.
Take Away: Thereās no way to bypass the Lord.
Devotional on 2 Kings
God on the world stage
2Kings 19: Did it never occur to you that I’m behind all this?
If Sennacherib’s threatening letter to Hezekiah is intended to frighten him, it’s a great success. However, in his fear Hezekiah runs, not away, but straight to God. Soon thereafter he receives an answer. As Hezekiah has spoken to God, now God has spoken to his man, Isaiah. Part of the message from God is directed to Hezekiah but part is addressed to Sennacherib, king of Assyria. God isnāt pleased with him and heās about to take action against him. One of the statements in particular draws our attention today. God tells this powerful heathen king, this enemy of his people, that heās been using Sennacherib for his own purposes. This must have been seen by him as an unbelievably naĆÆve word out of Judah. Tiny and powerless Judah says that their God has been behind his military successes of this world superpower. It would have been absolutely laughable except for the fact that on that very night a hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers die without Judah lifting a finger against them. Here are some things to consider. First, I see that God used a heathen king for his own purposes. Just because a nation has success in some area it doesn’t mean that God is smiling on them and is pleased with them. Second, God moves quite comfortably in the international arena. As one of his people I need to be careful I don’t play, to use a baseball term, “small ball” all the time. I serve a God whoās interested in, and working through, events that are global in scale. Finally, no nation is bigger than God. Even if the whole world falls under the command of some conqueror, ultimately God remains Sovereign. Leaders of powerful nations had better remember that.
Take Away: Whether we recognize it or not the Lord is Sovereign; not only over our lives, but around the world and throughout the universe.
Devotional on Ezra
God and āgood old boyā politics
Ezra 5: Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?
Years ago our small south Texas congregation was preparing for a building project. For a larger church, this would have been a drop in the bucket, but for us, it was a big deal. One key element was that we needed a city code variance to build a few feet closer to the street than was normally allowed. The whole project depended on that variance. We went to the city planning commission and presented our case. They took it under advisement and then turned us down. This put our project back to stage zero. Disappointed, we went back to the drawing board. A couple of weeks later I noted that the small grocery store across the street from our church was getting ready to do some remodeling. It just so happened that they needed (you guessed it) a zoning variance that was almost exactly the same as the one we had had rejected. No doubt, small town politics had a hand in it and their variance was approved. We went back to the city and asked to be put on the agenda for the next meeting. When our turn came, one of the members asked, in a perplexed voice, āIsnāt this the exact same plans that we turned down a few weeks ago? What makes you think weāll accept them now?ā I patiently replied, āWe think you should reconsider in light of your giving the grocery store next door to us a variance to do the exact same thing.ā There was a moment as the facts of the matter became apparent to the commission, then one of them said, āI think we should give the church its building permit.ā Isnāt it interesting how the Lord can navigate through small town politics? In light of the passage before us, we see that heās just as good in working through big government. Never count God out of the equation.
Take Away: The Lord can handle building permits, city ordinances, and such.
Devotional on Ezra
God and construction projects
Ezra 6: ā¦you are to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God.
Orders to stop rebuilding the Temple brought the project to a halt for about 3 years. In time, two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, began to urge the people to get back to work. Now, the precise chronology of the letters and which king wrote what is a bit muddy, but that doesn’t diminish the actual story here. First, the king receives a letter that causes him to issue a stop order to the Jews who are rebuilding the Temple. Then, upon the urging of the prophets, the work is started again. The regional governor writes to the king to report whatās happening, and, upon review, the king finds that years earlier they had not only been given permission to rebuild, but were ordered to do so. He responds by directing the governor to allow the work to continue, and beyond that, to assist in any way heās asked to. The temporary halt to the program actually results in the full support of the current king and speeds up the process. Even though thereās a bit of a mystery in these passages about who is king when thereās a clear message that God works even through what we see to be road blocks to our obedience to his will. This is a difficult lesson for us to learn, as we want green lights all the way before we even start. Itās hard to understand how God’s “go” and how the on-the-ground circumstances that force a “stop” can be working together, but, sometimes, thatās just how it is.
Take Away: The Lord works through circumstances beyond our control to accomplish his purposes.