Category: Blog

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Hitting basement bottom.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation. You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem— and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help. For your people love every stone in her walls and cherish even the dust in her streets. Then the nations will tremble before the Lord. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory. For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory. He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭102‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Psalms have a rhythm, a pattern that often looks down, laying out the reality of grief before turning our hearts and heads upward. This idea of lamenting is often seen as negative and many of us are trained to stop it in ourselves and others, lest we plummet to the bottom. Maybe that’s where we are supposed to go. But, just not stay there.

Daniel (yes, lion’s den Daniel) wrote this Psalm just before Babylon began to release Israel from their 70 year timeout. Notice, there is no stand off between Cyrus the Great and God. Cyrus, the Persian king, had conquered Babylon and sent Israel home. No plagues, no death, no Red Sea, no wandering, just freedom to go home. However, just before Daniel pours out his heart as if he had hit bottom. Daniel didn’t feel like he could stand one more minute of being an immigrant in a foreign land. He wrote, “For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals. My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite. Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones.” Daniel was done. He continued, “I eat ashes for food. My tears run down into my drink because of your anger and wrath. For you have picked me up and thrown me out.” I can’t imagine someone telling him to stop being so negative and just snap out of it. No one seems have been there to tell Daniel how blessed and favored he and his people were for being in captivity because they were being disciplined by God himself. Do we have ANY room in our theology today for suffering or discipline?

But as with most of the Psalms, there is a healthy, true ride to the bottom before coming up again. After pouring out his heart before God and recognizing how disheartening and difficult their situation was, he begins to look up. “But you, O Lord…” How arduous the ride down, but how beautiful the ride back up into the presence of God. “You will arise and have mercy,” Daniel declares.

I don’t know if Daniel and Nehemiah were even aware of each other, it seems they did not know what the other was doing. However, you’ll see a small reference in Daniel’s renewed reflection of God’s grace on their beloved city. Daniel writes, “For your people love every stone in her walls.” Isn’t that amazing! We know from Nehemiah, that the people loved those stones so much that they were able to rebuild Jerusalem’s protective wall in just 52 days!

Daniel’s lament turns into a swell of hope and faith in God, “For the Lord will rebuild….” These Psalms are perfect prayer templates for us. Don’t be afraid to ride the pain, grief, loneliness and sorrow all the way down to the bottom, even the basement. Just make sure after you’ve hit bottom, you push the button of faith and trust God that the ride back up will be filled with His grace and glory. I believe Daniel and his prayer, God will not reject our pleas!

Prayer

Dad,
I should not fear the trip down, even as life, in its reality looks dark. I remember one of David’s Psalms that said, “if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Because even when I hit bottom, I can look up and see your mercy and be embraced by your grace! Thank you.

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Joseph knew.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joseph lived a very long and productive life! He held his viceroy position in Egypt for 80 years and lived to 110 years old. But he knew Egypt wasn’t his final resting place. Moses records, ““Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.”

“So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬. Jewish historians tell us the Egyptians, at the time of Joseph’s death, ALSO knew that the Jews would not stay in their land forever. However, they did not want Joseph’s family to take their beloved leader out of Egypt, when the people would finally leave.

To guarantee the Jews could NOT honor Joseph’s solemn request, one of the stories is the Egyptians put Joseph’s body in lead casket and sunk his remains in the deepest part of the Nile river. Even more mysteriously wild is the story that Moses went to one of Joseph’s long-living nieces, Serach, and asked her where they had sunk the casket. Moses, supposedly went to the edge of the riverbank and called out, “Joseph, Joseph – present yourself or release us from our oath!” Of corse this is all in Jewish folklore and not in the Bible at all. But it is fascinating to think that both the Egyptians and Joseph knew Israel would be moving on.

Jewish history tells us that it was 139 years later that Joseph’s bones would be taken with them and be buried in an odd, full-circle, final resting place. In Joshua 24:32, it is recorded that they bought a piece of land in Shechem, “The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.” Why is that so strange? The Jewish Talmud says, “It was from Shechem that they [the brothers] stole him, and it was to Shechem that he was returned.” And continues, “Remember that when Joseph was sold as a slave by his own brothers and taken away from his dear father, it was in Shechem. Bringing him back to this site was an act of closure and historical justice.”

Are you kidding me? That’s so amazing! What’s the takeaway in all this? God is really into keeping His word and the level of detail spanning thousands of years is unfathomable! Everything, and I mean everything, is not just for a specific reason, it is also accurately timed and supernaturally placed to defy the possibility of anything being a coincidence. Everything God does is providentially perfect. The sooner we wrap our brains around that the faster we understand how critical it is that we not only trust God but in total faith believe Him at every second of every day.

Prayer

Dad,
Wow. Just wow. I am always so impressed by the level of detail and perfection that you carry out your will and your ways! No wonder Isaiah said your thoughts and your ways are so far above ours! It is so amazing to see this truth in history, yet so difficult for me to see them in both the present and the future. How can I doubt when there is such consistent evidence of your patient faithfulness in all of our human history? I have faith, but I always seem to need more when facing a dilemma or decision. Thank you for your grace as I grow in that faith.

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Do you worry?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Worrying is an interesting subject. Some worry often, others seem to not worry enough! For some, worry is debilitating, suffocating, causing a mental collapse or stall – an awful state of stuckness.

Jesus used this Greek word, anxious, merimnáō (from mérimna, “a part, as opposed to the whole”) – negatively it is “drawn in opposite directions;” “divided into parts” or figuratively “to go to pieces”. In other words, DO NOT be pulled apart or go to pieces!

Surprisingly, the word can be used positively. It is also used of effectively distributing concern, in proper relation to the whole picture. Paul uses the positive word in Philippians 2:20 speaking of Timothy, who genuinely “cares” (merimnaó – distributed concern) about your welfare. So the word anxious can pull you apart or it can get us to distribute the concern. Paul also uses this word in 1 Corinthians 12:25, saying instead of division (schisma) the body of Christ should have distributed care (merimnōsin) for one another.

I wonder what makes the difference between going to pieces verses distributing the pieces? One feels helpless, like I am so overwhelmed that I just “lose it.” I guess that’s kind of what worry feels like. My life, represented as a ceramic vase, drops to the ground shattering in a thousand pieces. It’s overwhelming! The other is more like several people cooperatively working on a 1000 piece puzzle. The solution is to distribute the FUN, the joy in working together to build and complete the puzzle. There is even an art form called Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. Of course the idea would be that several artists work together, ie: distributed repair verses solo repair.

One “anxiety” is a collapse the other a collaboration! Jesus wasn’t using this unique word as a Greek object lesson. He was simply stating faith-facts. Look for God today instead of looking for tribble-trouble tomorrow – “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬

Prayer

Dad,
As you know, I can receive some small bit of information that just vase-drops my life into a thousand pieces. One criticism, one loss, one negative comment – boom – and I shatter into anxieties. Your Word doesn’t just remind me to stop ruminating long enough to trust you, but also to rest in the fact that you are working in this distributed care fashion. In your Kingdom, all the pieces fit together for those who love you and are called according to your purpose! In your Kingdom, broken things have a way of becoming more beautiful, more effective in your hands. Today I don’t just hand over my worries, I hand over all the broken shards and trust that you are making something spectacular out them! I cast all my cares (merimnan) on you, because you care for me.

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When God shows up.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This short Psalm was written when the first temple was being dedicated and the ark of the covenant was being brought into it’s new home. I’m not sure we even have words to describe the moment. This relief, excitement and sense of well being when the physical presence of God, purposely and symbolically represented in this elaborate gold, hand-crafted container, is in its place. As Ezra describes Solomon’s extraordinary opulent, abundance of decorum and cost of this celebration, no wonder it’s so grand! In 2 Chronicles 7, “Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats.” And so the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God. Chronicles records that God showed up in spectacular glory, “The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it.”

God was so pleased with the unity, worship and massive display of gratefulness that he came to Solomon with a durable promise. The promise we often quote as though we, in our current situation, as citizens of the United States, could claim for ourselves. Even though it is not ours to claim. 2 Chronicles 7:12 “Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices.” Then it says, “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”

WARNING: NSFC (not safe for church)!

Wait, wait, wait… Am I saying that this promise, made to Solomon is not ours to claim. Yes, it is not specifically. Promises, especially these contractual promises are NOT ours to personally or corporately claim. Don’t throw stones at me yet. I do believe there are principles within the context of these circumstances that are applicable and can be emulated. Like the unity, the humble attitude, the outpouring of real worship and rejection of selfishness and evil – these postures are ALWAYS good and acceptable before God. In those moments I am positive that his presence is supernaturally present in abundance. Even in those completely unified efforts of humility and sacrifice of praise, I am sure that God would show up in forgiveness, mercy and possibly even new promises of restoration. The promises may even be better than Solomon’s promise. But this one was to Solomon and the people of God in that place and that time of history. I believe similarly about Jeremiah 29:11. Of course God has plans for us and they ARE good. But that contractual promise was for Jeremiah and again the people of God a that time. Principles can be applied but I do not take those promises as our own.

It’s kind of like, put in the work yourself! Spend the time with God. Press in and humble yourself. Repent and worship him yourself individually or as a community. Then maybe God will move, speak and give you (or us) our own promise, personally, even contractually! I don’t need to take Solomon’s, Jeremiah’s or even Abraham’s, Isaac’s or Joseph’s promises for myself (or our community) – I can go, we can go and get our own. Agree or not, this is a proper way to not only interpret scripture, it’s the better way to apply it!

These days of celebration and community commitments to God were beautiful. God’s response is miraculously amazing. We can even celebrate what God did then. However, we need to have our own experience and not just try to draft off of theirs. God is living and present now, not just in the past.

Prayer

Dad,
I love reading stories of the past and how you worked and moved among people back in time (history for me, present for you). However, I didn’t live, I don’t live back there. I am here now, today. And since I truly believe you are the same yesterday, today and forever (because you’re eternal), I would really like to have our own experiences now. In fact, I would love for us to practice the same posture that prompted your amazing promises back then! I want to practice humility, mercy, confession, worship and wonder before you today. I want us (our community of faith) to do the same. Not to get something from you but to experience an outpouring of Shekinah glory, your presence together! Because we want and need your presence more than just your promises. They needed you then, we need you now.

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Stellar prayer for you!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When you are looking for ways to pray for one another, put this one on your list. What a powerful, helpful prayer for friends.

Every year I write hundreds of birthday cards and dozens of anniversary congrats to friends of mine. When I have the chance, I call and leave voicemails on their birthdays as well. And, for the past decade, I have included a scriptural prayer reference of what I prayed over them in those cards. Like in 2023, the verse is Psalm 20:4-5, asking for God’s favor to go before them. If you’re birthday is still ahead, sorry for the spoiler.

I just think that I need, we need every mean’s possible to encourage one another and a hand written card is like a heart IV straight to the soul! These verses give hint to why some scholars believe that Paul wrote Hebrews (I don’t) because of the phrase, “may the God of peace.” After reading Ezekiel’s own version of the “great shepherd” in chapter 34, I love finding another reference here in Hebrews.

Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep (us). But it’s more than a shepherd’s care and blessing, it’s a reminder of purpose. I know, I am drawn in by Jesus’ provision. But it’s the admonishment of equipping to “do his will,” and producing “every good thing” that is “pleasing to him” that inspires me to stay on task. It’s that kind of prayer I pray for you, the reader; to be at peace, be encouraged, but also stay on task – stay focused on what is right, true and lasting! May this eternal contract, cut with Jesus’ blood be enough to not just hold you, but propel you to purpose – finishing well. You can do it! We can do it together. Share this prayer with a friend and let them know you are cheering them on.

Prayer

Dad,
I read this and so many of my friends, who are struggling, need to hear this. May your peace, that peace that goes beyond, that peace that blows our mind, go before them and surround them. In all the mental messes we find ourselves in, your peace is tangible and sustainable even in the worst milieu of emotions we find ourselves drowning in. My prayer, Oh God, is that you would not only remind me of other’s struggles, but give me the extra push to reach out and let them know they are not alone and to not give up. We need you. We need each other to remind us how much we need you. Be our great shepherd today!

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Ezekiel’s version of Psalm 23.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34‬:‭11‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ezekiel, the prophet (spokesperson) for God writes about the Good Shepherd. I am told that Ezekiel wrote this while in Babylonian captivity and that he was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel.

I was surprised to see a whole different version of Psalm 23 and John 10’s discussion of the Good Shepherd. Those other passages focus on the aspects of care and provision that a shepherd provides for their flock. Ezekiel uses the same imagery, but turns it into a compare/contrast of how the shepherd determines the health of sheep. In Ezekiel’s warning, God is not happy with fat shepherds tending to fat sheep while the majority of flock is barely alive, skinny and wasting away. God says that he will step in to shepherd His people himself and bring them back to health.

In the verses that follow, there is a stern word to those who get fat and keep favorites – specifically saying that to the leaders of Israel. Ezekiel even uses the object lesson/illustration of separation of goats from the sheep – a strong theme in the New Testament of separating those who God is for and those He is against. This version isn’t the toasty-warm, fuzzy-feels you’d get from David’s Psalm 23. This is a wake up call to leaders across all industries who have responsibility for others. Yes, in this context it is only speaking to the proper care of God’s people and God’s ability to step in to judge and overrule the extraordinary, self serving attitudes of Israel’s leaders. However, as one commentator writes, “This message of leadership, drawn from shepherding, is applicable to other occupations. Good leaders seek the interest of others before “feeding” themselves. Leadership that imitates “the Good Shepherd” of John 10:11, 14 is fundamentally an office of servanthood that requires genuine care for the wellbeing of subordinates. Managing people is not about power trips or holding one’s authority over others. Rather, godly and righteous supervisors seek to ensure that the people under their care are flourishing.” http://bit.ly/GG5123. The concept of servant leadership has been popular for over two decades, but it still seems to be difficult when money and power come into the hierarchy structures of businesses and organizations alike. It’s especially nauseating when there are “shepherding” missteps in the Church. I love the fact that God’s eternal Word and Ezekiel’s warning are very applicable today. For a few years now I have strived not to be a Senior Pastor or even a Lead Pastor. I have chosen to be known as our church’s CSO, Chief Servant Officer. Sure, our folks joke with me about the title, but it constantly reminds me that I am an under-shepherd to the good shepherd- Jesus!

Prayer

Dad,
How could I be anything else but be a shepherd that cares, gives, protects and even leads the folks you’ve given me responsibility for? You have led my life so well. You have placed amazing men and women over me (past and present) that are wonderful examples of being a servant. My desire is to continue to serve well. Please help me to grow in capacity to serve and lead as long as I am in position and have any kind of power to do so.

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The law of lazy.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can’t stand the word lazy. The reason; my mother swore I was lazy and told me so. The truth; in comparison to my adopted mother, I was lazy. She worked very hard, ALL-THE-TIME. She was a line-worker at a thermostat company in Long Beach, California – Robertshaw. She was an assembler. Think Lucille Ball on the candy conveyor belt episode. She was a union gal and a fierce advocate for herself and those who worked hard for very little money. She was up and out the door of our house everyday weekday at 4:30am and didn’t get home until 3 or 4pm. Saturdays were clean the house day, so she slept in until 7am when she would flip on the alarm clock/vacuum cleaner announcing that a day of chores had begun. Cartoons on Saturday were always a negotiable luxury. IF all basic, daily chores of bed making, room spotless, teeth brushed, face washed, hair combed, and breakfast (at the dining room table only) was finished. PLUS, the promise of hard-labor, yard work, then and only then was few morning cartoons an option. Mom would continue vacuuming in the back of the house, but we knew it was eventually coming to the living room where we had the one and only television set. So, yes, comparatively, I AM lazy! But I was just a kid, then I was just a teenager – you get the picture.

What my mother was trying to teach me, but I never got it, was this principle: laziness and work yield results! Laziness yields ZERO results. Work yields results like resources, money and opportunities. The Biblical principle is a law of nature. If you put the phrase, “sowing and reaping” into a search engine, it will give you pages and pages of Christian responses. However, if you put “gravity” in the same search engine, you’ll get pages and pages of secular/scientific responses. You know that sowing and reaping is a scientific fact, right? If something isn’t planted, nothing is the guaranteed result. Planting is necessary to reaping. In the odd parable of the talents that Jesus told, the person given one talent, yet buries it, is scolded by the owner. In a very one-talent, defensive response, the one talent person says, of the owner, you are a hard man “reaping where you have not sown.” What? Really? This parable is a lesson of God’s expectation that His kids inherently know. God sows into us and expects to reap results. Those results are certainly salvation, but also to whom much is given, much is required. The last thing I’d want to be is lazy with what God has given me!

Also, what a tragedy if I were to be so busy sowing and find myself sleeping when it comes time to harvest. Again, I’m no farmer, but I have seen some great movies about living off the land. To think of all the work, money and time it takes to prep and plant seed in a field and then to watch it all rot because it was not harvested. When it’s harvest time, everything and everyone makes it the top priority to bring it in! God has been planting seeds of the gospel in the culture right around us – even today. He has been working long hours cultivating the soil of human hearts. Some of us have been participating with him in this endeavor. I tell you, there is a harvest coming. There is another revolution on the horizon. Who knows, it may be the last big one! I do not want to be lazy nor unprepared to get out into the fields and reap God’s abundant harvest that’s coming.

Prayer

Dad,
I not only want to be a part of sowing seed, the good news of your love, salvation, rescue and redemption. I also want to be a part of the great harvest. I want to be the Dad who goes out to the road everyday, looking for signs that our prodigals have returned. And with fast legs, waving open arms and rejoicing voice, I want to say welcome home.

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Who talks like this?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can’t imagine any babbling conversation between two people going like this, let alone a talk with God. The only people I know that babble are my grandtodds. And they are adorable, btw. Jesus says “don’t do this.” Of course, we do anyways. There lots of denominations and different sects of Christianity that teach repetitive prayers and I feel it loses the whole point of praying. Praying isn’t only one directional, again – it’s conversational.

There is praise, declaration, requests or petitions, then there is also listening and being still to receive from God. There are even plenty of persistent prayers as if we needed to remind God of our urgency, but there are ways to consistently ask even as Jesus told the stories of the persistent requests from neighbors. I don’t think God minds persistent, consistent prayers, I think He loves knowing we’re serious about things – especially when it comes to others.

My prayer life exploded with wonder and delight when I prayed like the Psalmists prayed – gutsy, angsty, even angry prayers. Prayers of deep emotions and substance. Prayers that I’ve had to work at translating feeling into words. My prayers also changed when I finally realized that I could ask God anything. I could ask Him hard questions that no one else seemed to ask and definitely no one wanted to give answer to.

I love Jesus phrase, “your Father knows exactly what you need before you ask him.” Leading some to think, “well, why should I pray then?” Maybe like any quality relationship, words and communication are critical. When there is little or none, it is a signal that something is wrong. Maybe it’s also just the fact that God loves hearing our thoughts, words, questions and long conversations. When the world began God had communion and communication with humans. I just believe that God still desires to walk and talk with us. Start with the “Lord’s prayer,” although it’s really the children’s prayer. “Our Father who is in heaven, holy is Your name!” Start there to get you going and then just keep on going after reciting this beautiful memorized prayer.

Prayer

Dad,
I love our conversations in the morning when facing a brand new day. Thankfully it begins FULL of your mercy. I even love the conversations before drifting off to sleep when I have gone total mercy-bankrupt at the end of each day. I don’t necessarily like the 1, 3 or 4 am conversations that get a little creepy or desperate while wondering why I am awake. But even then, I know you hear me and often comfort me and pour out your peace. My favorite times are the drives into work, around town or to vacation locations. I have been preferring the quiet, no music and no verbally correcting other drivers. Prayer time has become much more like breathing, a regular refreshing time in your presence. If this is what “old-er” age affords me, well, I like it.

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Coming home.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord. Lift your hands toward the sanctuary, and praise the Lord. May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Jerusalem.” Psalms‬ ‭134‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Seventy years of serving under a foreign king, in a foreign land, as forced refugees. If anyone understands being homeless, displaced and living as strangers, it’s Israel. And you and I both know it was intentional. The golden deal made with God and his people were well known. The blessings were clear, the consequences were clear. Yet, that did not stop millions of people from doing what they wanted to do. It didn’t stop an entire nation from jealously pursuing the cultures of its neighbors – it’s enemy neighbors. They had a king, we want one. They had flashy… fill in the blanks – clothes, riches, palacious palaces. Israel wanted all that and more. They wanted clout, power and significance that reflected their appetites. And, they had that under Solomon. But it wasn’t enough. The one thing that finally caused them to break their contract with God was the one thing that still breaks God’s heart. They wanted another lover, another God.

None of their deep generational lessons would stick. None of ours will either. God let them chase after another, and another and another. Then out of love, God put them in several generational time-outs. By the way, living, serving and existing under the Babylonian kings wasn’t all bad. God had placed some undercover high-level operatives in the upper echelons of leadership. Yet, it wasn’t home and a remnant still ached to return to their first love, their God.

You can wander, you can search, you can party with friends and pursue the life you think will fulfill you, but it’s all a mirage with no lasting substance. Ezra writes this Psalm on the way home! Back to their homeland, way of life and their now broken down temple where God no longer visited. Yet, there was hope that this time the people were serious and there would be forgiveness, reconciliation and most importantly a restoration of the contract. Israel would, once again, be God’s favorite. This theme runs the length of our human story. In some way or another we are always longing to come home – and stay home. I’m not talking about a location, I’m talking about a way of life. I don’t know what has kidnapped or enticed you away from home, from a life filled with God. But I do know that at anytime, you are welcome to come home.

Prayer

Dad,
I was born a refugee, in terms of family and any sense of home. I did not know of, nor have a sense of belonging or of home – not with You. I felt lost and I wandered because I didn’t know any better. Even in those dark and blurry days, I had a tiny little sense that someone, something was watching over me. Then I found out it was you. And when you called me to yourself and offered me a forever home, I gladly said YES. I still feel the tug of other loves and other lovers, but none of them could possibly fulfill that place in my life of being home with you. Thank you for giving me that permanence! I pray that others who search will find, others who ache will turn and come home.

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A Sailor’s Life?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I wonder if Peter had a sailor’s mouth, or a fisherman’s mouth at least. I know he was Jewish, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle with the workman’s culture of talking up the weekend or the night out with the guys. Peter wasn’t always a saint.

Here in his letter to the Church he lays down the admonishment of better behavior now that Christ had redeemed their lives. He generalizes getting rid of all evil behavior, but then gets more specific. The general word, “kakia” is wickedness, better understood as an intentional desire to injure. Wow! Right? Proverbs talks a lot about intentional wickedness in a couple of Hebrew words for fool, the worst of the two is Nabal: an obsession to do wrong, causing pain to anyone and everyone. Peter encourages those to cold-turkey-quit several evil habits that are inappropriate for followers of Jesus. Eliminate deceit. The word “dolos,” baiting the naive, employing decoys to snare people, especially the innocent. Kick hypocrisy. The word, “hupokrisis,” someone acting under a mask. A theater term used to describe a performance by actors playing a part. If you’ve ever been around theater people you know that are able to quickly move in and out of roles, alternating their voice and persona to fit the part. In relationships, we want to be known for who we really are, and not some projection of a fake representation of ourselves. For jealousy, Peter uses the word, “phthonos,” or envy. A jealous envy that negatively “energizes” someone with an embittered mind, conveying “displeasure at another’s good.” Whoa, that one hurts! How often do I de-celebrate another’s success or accomplishment? Unkind speech is “katalalos,” a defamer. A person that slanders, employs back-biting, and tries to de-rail a person’s life!

Getting rid of these qualities just reminds me of the power of transformation and the character of Christ who creates this change in me. Given my nature and proclivity, I would likely be deceitful, possibly even hypocritical, envious and slanderous all just to get what I want! Wouldn’t that make sense if I didn’t live by a godly code of conduct? Maybe I get ahead, make more money or just get there faster than people around me. Believe it, that is a lot folks “truth.” I like how Peter tells us that getting rid of these qualities helps us grow into what he writes is the “full experience” of salvation! The word, “auksánō,” is to grow and it is key to authentic discipleship.

Prayer

Dad.
Do I lead a life of former thoughts, attitudes and behaviors? Not always. And, certainly not purposefully! Do I strive to lead the counter-life of Jesus? Do I yield more and more to the Holy Spirit allowing him to lead and guide me into this “full experience” of salvation as Peter says? I sure hope so. I often check and catch my thoughts just before they come out as behaviors (translated: WORDS). Should I be thinking this? Should I be a dualistic life? Should I be celebrating someone’s failure? These are the small decisions of detail that form who I becoming, right? I want to keep growing and maturing becoming like Jesus!