Listening in prayer
Ecclesiastes 5: Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.
Some folks think God wants to hear us pray in the language of the King James Bible: “Almighty God, Thou Who art from everlasting to everlasting….” To them, prayer is a rather formal event that ought to be filled with plenty of pomp and circumstance. Sometimes, as Iām reminded here, Iām better off to pray without words at all and let God be in charge of what happens next. It does make sense. God is always the “first mover.” After all, the Bible doesn’t start off with “In the beginning man…”! So, rather than coming to prayer in what might be called “automatic mode,” in which every prayer is pretty much a copy of the one before, or with a sense of formality, I want to come to him humbly and honestly; not saying what I think he wants to hear, but in a genuine desire to hear from him. If I let him lead the way my prayer time will be more satisfying to both the Lord and to me. Prayer is just as much a matter of listening as it is a matter of talking.
Take Away: Being still before the Lord is a legitimate approach to prayer.
Tag: honesty
Devotional on Proverbs
Leadership, not dictatorship
Proverbs 16: A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit.
Solomon knows a lot about leadership. Heās watched his father, David, lead Israel for many years. Then when he becomes King he asks God for wisdom that he might lead His people. In all this he comes to understand leadership dynamics as well as anyone who ever lived. In the passage before me today I get just a taste of his philosophy of leadership. The guy who says these things isnāt some pastor with an all-volunteer staff of church people who might just walk off if they donāt like the way things are going. Rather, heās King of Israel. He has “off with their heads” authority. In other words, if he wants he can order the direction and everyone has to follow. However, Solomon has learned that dictatorship isnāt leadership. He says his job is to motivate people to move together in positive directions. He says he isn’t supposed to promise what can’t be delivered and he isn’t to get people to do what he wants just to get something for himself. Honesty, unselfishness, persuasiveness — these are leadership qualities Solomon brings to my attention today.
Take Away: Dictatorship isnāt leadership.
Devotional on Amos
Car shopping
Amos 5: You talk about God…being your best friend.
I was talking to a car salesperson about a car. He was a friendly guy, a bit rough around the edges, using a few words I donāt have in my vocabulary. Then, he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was the pastor of a church. Guess what happened? Suddenly, he was a very faithful Christian man. He told me about his church and his pastor and some words disappeared from the conversation. Amos complains about people who claim God as their best friend but live very different lives than what the Lord demands. The big issue to Amos is how the poor are treated. He says that in his society ājustice is a lost causeā and people are ākicking the poor when theyāre down.ā Godās man says that wonāt cut it. I canāt expect to get away with giving the Almighty lip service while ignoring his directions on how I’m to live. Amos says, āYou talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend. Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen.ā By, the way, I bought my car elsewhere.
Take Away: Live like it.
Devotional on Habakkuk
Silent God
Habakkuk 1: God, how long do I have to cry out for help?
Most of the Old Testament prophets have messages from God and usually those messages are calls to repentance with a heaping helping of āor elseā on the side. Habakkuk, who lives 600 years before Jesus is born, brings a different perspective to the ministry of the prophets. His messages start, not with a word from the Lord, but with questions for the Lord. While Habakkuk isnāt the only one to follow this path (we see it a lot in the Psalms) it does set him apart from the average approach of his fellow minor prophets. Thereās some complaining to God in his writings. Habakkuk speaks from his heart as he tries to understand how a righteous God could possibly use an unrighteousness people like the Babylonians to do his will in punishing Israel. This little book is a good one to read when it appears that bad people are getting away with their sin. Itās also a good one to help us work through the unwelcome āsilent Godā times of life.
Take Away: Itās okay to be absolutely honest with the Lord in expressing our disappointment or confusion to him.
Devotional on Habakkuk
Telling it like it is
Habakkuk 1: Why are you silent now?
The complaint of the prophet to God is startling. He comes to the Lord and lays it all on the table, confessing his confusion and disappointment. He knows God to be righteous and loving but what he sees happening has none of that in it. The godless army of Babylon is destroying Godās chosen people and that doesnāt make sense to Habakkuk. Not only that, but his prayers go unanswered. Why, of all times, does the Almighty choose this dark hour to go silent? Where is God when evil is winning the day? Does Godās use of unrighteous people to achieve his purposes make God, himself, unrighteous? Habakkuk writes more on this topic, including a report on how God finally responds to his questions. However, today Iām taken with how he goes into the presence of the Lord to state his fear and disappointment. Thereās something refreshing about Habakkukās approach to the Lord here. Habakkuk isnāt irreverent toward the Almighty, but he openly expresses his disappointment in how the Lord is doing (maybe better, isnāt doing) things at this point. I know Iām called to trust the Lord no matter what, but if Iām having doubts the Lord wants me to bring them to him. To pretend I believe when I donāt does me no good and is dissatisfying to the Lord as well.
Take Away: Better to victoriously march on in overcoming faith but when there is doubt we can be frankly honest with the Lord.
Devotional on Malachi
Malachi 3: Return to me so I can return to you.
If my relationship with God is strained or even broken today thereās a remedy. When, like the Prodigal Son, I come to my senses, rise, and return to my Father I find that heās been waiting for me all along. What a relief it is to know that the Lord doesnāt hold a grudge against me. Rather, he patiently reaches out to me, calling me to himself. When Malachi states this spiritual fact of life to his congregation, someone asks for more information on this āreturningā business. Exactly how do they do that? The prophet has an answer ready. A sure sign that a person’s returning to God is honest repentance on their part. In Jesusā parable, the Prodigal is honest with himself and with his father. Heās messed up and he wants to make things right. He knows he doesnāt deserve re-admittance into his fatherās household as a son, so heāll take what he can get. That, my friend, is honesty. In this passage, Malachi points out that theyāve been dishonest with God in the stewardship of their possessions. He tells them that, for them, honesty with God means admitting their failure in this matter. This business of bringing sick and blind animals for sacrifice has to be stopped, confessed, and made right. Their practice of shortchanging God with their tithes has to end and be corrected. Thatās what repentance is all about: confession and change. Through his prophet, the Lord says, āIf youāll return to me in repentance, Iāll return to you and bless your life in wonderful ways.ā When a nation as a whole makes things right with God, Malachi says, itāll be voted āHappiest Nationā and be known as a ācountry of grace.ā Thatās a good place to live.
Take Away: A sure sign that a person’s returning to God is honest repentance on their part.
Devotional on Romans
No Scripture abuse allowed here
Romans 16: Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching you have learned.
The first theology book of Christianity is being concluded. The final pages are more about words of greeting than theology. Now, almost an afterthought, the Apostle warns his readers about the danger of taking ābits and piecesā of the truth and using them in such a way as to create an untruth. Some people, Paul warns them, are pretty good at doing this bad thing. They take true statements and then twist them to their own purposes. He tells his readers to stay away from people like that. As I read this warning I canāt help but think that one of the best ways for me to avoid this trap is to study Godās Word, making the effort to know what it really says. Another thing that comes to mind is that I donāt ever want to be one of these troublemakers who abuse the Bible, making it say what I want it to say. I canāt help but think that had Paul seen the future and how it would be his own words that would most often be abused in this way that this particular admonition would have been given a more prominent place in this letter. It might have been placed on page one, written in capital letters, rather than being shoehorned between words of greetings here on the final page.
Take Away: The Lord doesnāt take it lightly when people abuse Scripture.
Devotional on Genesis
An old wrestling injury
Genesis 32: He deliberately threw Jacobās hip out of joint.
Jacob has a lifetime of taking advantage of people and Esau is the one who has lost the most to him. Hearing that Esau’s coming with a band of 400 men Jacob fears for his life and the lives of all those with him. He shrewdly prepares for the encounter, sending wave after wave of gifts to his brother and instructs his servants to identify Jacob to Esau as āyour servant.ā Having done all he can do, Jacob retreats to a place where he can be alone. As he considers his life he finds himself in a wrestling match with a man. Now, all his life, Jacob has struggled with people. His very name means āheel grasperā and he’s lived down to that name, tripping up others to his own advantage. However, this unknown opponent canāt be beat and they struggle through the night. Finally, his opponent reaches out and throws Jacobās hip out of joint. At that, the wrestling match is over because Jacob can fight no longer. Still, he holds on, refusing to let go. Now, it may be that Jacob knows whatās going on from the beginning or at least through the night he realizes that this battle is of a supernatural nature. As he clings to his opponent he insists on a blessing. In forcing Jacob to say his name his opponent is making him admit that his whole life has been about āheel graspingā ā cheating and taking unfair advantage of others. Once Jacob does that he receives the blessing he requests. His days of āheel graspingā are over. From now on, heāll be known as āIsraelā — a man who knows how to get hold of God and hang on. While I understand that Jacob has wrestled with the Lord through that night, I think he was really wrestling with himself. Finally, the Lord had to bring real pain to him to cause him to realize he can never win unless he confesses to himself and to God who he is. What does it take for us to admit our sin and failure? Restoration starts with confession.
Take away: Sometimes the best victory possible for us is admitting our failures and yielding in defeat.
Devotional on Deuteronomy
Just do it
Deuteronomy 23: If you don’t make a vow in the first place, there’s no sin. If you say you’re going to do something, do it.
Reading through the middle part of Deuteronomy causes me to feel like Iām back in Leviticus with all of its rules and regulations. Still, there are some gems to be found along the way. When talking about vows, the words of Moses feel a bit more like one is reading in the books of Wisdom than the Law. Here, Iām reminded that itās easier to make promises than it is to keep them. Iāve heard young people make big claims about what theyāre going to do. One said she was going to be a lawyer and another said he was going to enter the ministry. They had big plans and I believe they were sincere about them. However, they first had to work through the smaller details like getting out of bed and going to class each day. I understand that Moses is talking about vows made to God here but I see that to great extent even vows made to God are first vows a person makes to oneself. “This is worth doing, and Iām going to do it.” That works whether Iām talking about doing something for the Lord, or pursing some life goal, or living in harmony with those around me. The council here isnāt against making promises. Instead, itās about making promises worth keeping and then keeping them.
Take Away: Donāt avoid making promises, just be sure the promises are worth keeping.
Devotional on Deuteronomy
Letās make a deal
Deuteronomy 25: Donāt carry around with you two weights.
This portion of Deuteronomy is a grab bag of varied topics. Some of them are pretty hard to read as they deal with stuff like fluid emissions, forced marriage, and rape. Others strike me as mostly curious. The prohibition against plowing with an ox and a donkey yoked together and the one against wearing clothes of mixed fabrics comes to mind. Then there are the practical ones like what to do if a farmer finds his neighborās ox loose and wandering around, rules for charging interest on loans, and the prohibition on carrying differing weights. This is a simple call to honesty. An individual doing business isnāt to have two weights that he claims are the same but are actually different. A dishonest person might reach into bag and grab the heavier weight when purchasing, say, some silver. Then, when selling it, he might use an identical, lighter weight to measure the weight of the silver. That way he gets more silver than he paid for, and then cheats the buyer by selling less than what is shown on the scales. The Lord says, ādonāt do that ā instead, be honest in your dealings with everyone.ā Some of the stuff in these chapters feels dated and even a bit weird. However, a call to honesty in business speaks to every person whoās ever filled out a tax return or sold a used car. In all of business Godās people are free to make the best deal they can; that is, so long as itās an honest deal.
Take Away: Honesty is the best (and blessed) policy.
Devotional on 1 Kings
Praying when in pain
1Kings 19: Elijah, what are you doing here?
More than a month has passed since Elijah fled Jezebel and asked God to take his life. During this time the angel of the Lord has ministered to him and heās traveled 40 days across the wilderness to Horeb which is the mountain range that includes Sinai where Moses met God and was given the Law. In other words, Elijah has retreated to holy ground. Here, even as Moses encountered God, Elijah has an encounter of his own. This meeting though, starts very differently. For Moses, there were earthquakes and thick smoke. For Elijah, things start with God asking him a question, “So, Elijah, what are you doing here?” With that, Elijah begins to state his discouragement, loneliness, and fear. The big stuff is still coming but Iām taken with just this today. I know that prayer should generally start with words of worship and reverence. Sometimes, though, weāre so broken and confused that we can hardly bring ourselves to pray at all. Sometimes we have to travel out into the wilderness for a while possibly ending up at some place that’s significant to us. And then, it isn’t us but God who starts a conversation that doesn’t begin with “Our Father who art in heaven” but instead with words of pain. Know what? Thatās okay with God. Take note of just who it is that asks the opening question here.
Take Away: Our prayers are going nowhere if they donāt come from an honest heart.
Devotional on Job
Telling it like it is
Job 3: Why didn’t I die at birth?
All of my life Iāve heard people speak of the “patience of Job” and, frankly, I don’t get it. Just a quick read through chapter 3 reveals that Job doesnāt stoically accept his condition. Heās miserable and he wishes heād never been born. “May those who are āgood at cursingā curse the day of my birth,ā he says. As I look at this miserable man I canāt help but appreciate his stark honesty. This guy isnāt given to platitudes. Instead, he tells it like it is, and at this moment in his life, life isnāt worth living. Somehow Christians have gotten the idea that we ought to behave as Job does in chapter one when he sincerely declares “God gives, God takes.” We read that and make it our model for dealing with pain and suffering. However, we need to keep on reading. Soon we find this same man crying out against his own life. Beyond that, to excuse Job as being “out of his mind” in pain is such a horrible put-down of Job. Yes, heās in agony but heās still thinking and the things he says reflect exactly what he believes. When we deny ourselves (and Job) the right to be absolutely honest about how we feel we destine ourselves to continue in a shallow relationship with God. You see, when Iām going through a trial God isnāt interested in seeing me put on a brave front and hearing me say all the right things. Itās honesty that he wants and sometimes that includes our telling him, and others, how miserable we are. Such honesty opens the way for God to work in our lives at levels we didn’t even know existed.
Take Away: Thereās never a time to pretend things are different than they are before the Lord.