"I am the LORD: that is my name…” (Isa.42:8a)
God has many names, but, according this verse, this is the one He prefers. Probably because, if spoken in sincerity, it indicates not only a personal relationship with Him, but an acknowledgment of chosen obedience to Him. Romans 10 tells us that our confession of Him in salvation should include recognition of His Lordship (10:9). Salvation is not just an exchange of our sins for His righteousness; it's a surrender of our will to His.
My husband sometimes compares the Lordship of Christ in our lives to a woman's promise at the marriage altar to love, honor, and obey her husband (for those who even do that anymore). She may not fulfill her commitment at all times, but that does not nullify the vow she made. In the same way, I took Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord many years ago, and that sealed forever our relationship as Father and child. Through the years, I have not always lived up to that commitment, and that has altered our fellowship from time to time; but it has never once put our relationship in jeopardy.
Someone or something is always going to have ultimate control in our lives. Even those who pride themselves as always playing by their own rules got those rules from someone else. Many people who think they are in the driver's seat, are really being maneuvered by peer or media pressure. But one way of the other, a life that is not under the control of God is in a state of futile rebellion against Omnipotence. According to Philippians 2:9-11 and Romans 14:11, eventually every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. Personally, I have chosen to confess Him here and now as the LORD of Heaven and earth...and, more importantly, the LORD of me.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Strength Training
"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isa.40:29-31)
Forgive my lengthy opening text, but we needed it. There is something in these verses for young and old alike. As it says, even the young and most fit among us are not immune from periods of sheer exhaustion. But there is more than one kind of strength, and in today's world, it appears to me that moral strength can wane before physical strength has petered out, and with far greater consequences.
When Joseph outran Potiphar's seductive wife (Gen.39), it was not physical strength that gave him the edge, but moral muscle. On the other hand, Samson had enough stamina to slay a thousand men with the "jawbone of an ass" (Judg.15:15); but he didn't have enough moral fortitude to withstand the pressure of a whining woman. Moral strength can pick up when physical potency is running low to carry one beyond what seems humanly possible. But when moral integrity has been allowed to grow flabby, no amount of physical vitality can take up the slack. That's why, spiritually speaking, it is possible, as the verse says, for older people to walk, run, and even "mount up with wings as eagles," when young folks around them have grown weary, become faint, and fallen.
The secret to both physical and moral stamina is "strength training," something widely touted in today's body-conscious society. We should strengthen our bodies, by all means, but if we're more faithful to physical exercise than Biblical exhortation, it is easy to see which part of our lives will be stronger. And make no mistake; there are times when no amount of strong will and determination will win the victory. Only those who are spiritually fit can hope to overcome; and only those with well developed moral muscle will be spiritually fit.
Forgive my lengthy opening text, but we needed it. There is something in these verses for young and old alike. As it says, even the young and most fit among us are not immune from periods of sheer exhaustion. But there is more than one kind of strength, and in today's world, it appears to me that moral strength can wane before physical strength has petered out, and with far greater consequences.
When Joseph outran Potiphar's seductive wife (Gen.39), it was not physical strength that gave him the edge, but moral muscle. On the other hand, Samson had enough stamina to slay a thousand men with the "jawbone of an ass" (Judg.15:15); but he didn't have enough moral fortitude to withstand the pressure of a whining woman. Moral strength can pick up when physical potency is running low to carry one beyond what seems humanly possible. But when moral integrity has been allowed to grow flabby, no amount of physical vitality can take up the slack. That's why, spiritually speaking, it is possible, as the verse says, for older people to walk, run, and even "mount up with wings as eagles," when young folks around them have grown weary, become faint, and fallen.
The secret to both physical and moral stamina is "strength training," something widely touted in today's body-conscious society. We should strengthen our bodies, by all means, but if we're more faithful to physical exercise than Biblical exhortation, it is easy to see which part of our lives will be stronger. And make no mistake; there are times when no amount of strong will and determination will win the victory. Only those who are spiritually fit can hope to overcome; and only those with well developed moral muscle will be spiritually fit.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
"My Days" Kind of People
"Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days." (Isa.39:8)
What was this "word of the Lord" that Hezekiah considered as being so "good?" Would you believe the loss of all his possessions and the castration of all his sons (v.6-7)? It would appear, Hezekiah, considered one of Israel's good kings, was somehow gratified by Isaiah's dire prediction of the future, on the basis that when these things came to pass, he would be dead and gone. All that mattered to him was that there be "peace and truth" in his own days. Hezekiah was a prime example of a "my days" kind of person.
The king had brought all these pronouncements upon himself (and his children) by simply seeking to glorify God by showing and telling the heathen how good He had been to him (v.2). At least, that is what he would have said was his motive. You and I, however, might be tempted to suspect pride could be involved here, as well; because, to the heathen, the one who looked good here (and prime for pilfering) was not God, but Hezekiah. No doubt, this is the kind of thing Jesus had in mind when He admonished: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matt.7:6). Practically speaking, it is easy to make the blessings of God appear to be an end in themselves, giving our children and others the idea that they are more to be desired than God Himself. This makes them—and us—easy prey for this heathen, materialistic world.
I have said that it is important to "live in the moment”; and that's very true. But this does not mean we should be unaware of the past and inattentive to the future. Sad to say, some people's knowledge of history begins with the day they were born, and their perspective for the future ends with the day of their death. Sometimes “peace” for the future of our children means war today, and insuring that “truth” persists in the next generation may mean that time and energy we would claim for ourselves must be invested in the lives of the young. Because, if we, like Hezekiah, live only for “our days,” our children may one day curse them.
What was this "word of the Lord" that Hezekiah considered as being so "good?" Would you believe the loss of all his possessions and the castration of all his sons (v.6-7)? It would appear, Hezekiah, considered one of Israel's good kings, was somehow gratified by Isaiah's dire prediction of the future, on the basis that when these things came to pass, he would be dead and gone. All that mattered to him was that there be "peace and truth" in his own days. Hezekiah was a prime example of a "my days" kind of person.
The king had brought all these pronouncements upon himself (and his children) by simply seeking to glorify God by showing and telling the heathen how good He had been to him (v.2). At least, that is what he would have said was his motive. You and I, however, might be tempted to suspect pride could be involved here, as well; because, to the heathen, the one who looked good here (and prime for pilfering) was not God, but Hezekiah. No doubt, this is the kind of thing Jesus had in mind when He admonished: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matt.7:6). Practically speaking, it is easy to make the blessings of God appear to be an end in themselves, giving our children and others the idea that they are more to be desired than God Himself. This makes them—and us—easy prey for this heathen, materialistic world.
I have said that it is important to "live in the moment”; and that's very true. But this does not mean we should be unaware of the past and inattentive to the future. Sad to say, some people's knowledge of history begins with the day they were born, and their perspective for the future ends with the day of their death. Sometimes “peace” for the future of our children means war today, and insuring that “truth” persists in the next generation may mean that time and energy we would claim for ourselves must be invested in the lives of the young. Because, if we, like Hezekiah, live only for “our days,” our children may one day curse them.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Blessing or Curse: Which?
"Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap." (Psl.69:22)
Something given for our welfare, says David, is capable of becoming, instead, a pernicious trap. In this Psalm, he reminds God of the wrongs done to him by his enemies then suggests ways the Almighty might employ to avenge him. And this is his first recommendation: "Let his table become a snare to him." Let his means of sustenance become a means of sabotage. Who would deny that food and/or drink have been the downfall of more than one person? There are those whose health has been impaired, whose lives have been cut short, or even ruined, by either what they have eaten or drunk or how much they have consumed.
Other things come to mind, as well, that fall into the category of blessings capable of morphing into curses. For instance, the gift of sex can be so twisted and abused that all its intimate beauty is turned into salacious ugliness. Not only that, friends who should be a joy and help to us can become tools of the devil to lead us astray from God. Then there is government, that which God surely meant for our welfare, but which has, unfortunately, morphed into a body of all-knowing, intrusive “benefactors.” And, contrary to what you may think, service to God can be a snare, if it becomes a substitute for fellowship with Him, since it can leave one especially unsuspecting of sin.
These were only the first four that came to mind immediately. There are many others you could add to the list, now that I've gotten you to thinking; which, incidentally, is what I meant to do. Ask God to show you if there is a blessing in your own life in danger of becoming a curse. It is such a destructive possibility that David chose to wish it upon his worst enemies.
Blessings and curses sometimes dress alike; so look deeper.
Something given for our welfare, says David, is capable of becoming, instead, a pernicious trap. In this Psalm, he reminds God of the wrongs done to him by his enemies then suggests ways the Almighty might employ to avenge him. And this is his first recommendation: "Let his table become a snare to him." Let his means of sustenance become a means of sabotage. Who would deny that food and/or drink have been the downfall of more than one person? There are those whose health has been impaired, whose lives have been cut short, or even ruined, by either what they have eaten or drunk or how much they have consumed.
Other things come to mind, as well, that fall into the category of blessings capable of morphing into curses. For instance, the gift of sex can be so twisted and abused that all its intimate beauty is turned into salacious ugliness. Not only that, friends who should be a joy and help to us can become tools of the devil to lead us astray from God. Then there is government, that which God surely meant for our welfare, but which has, unfortunately, morphed into a body of all-knowing, intrusive “benefactors.” And, contrary to what you may think, service to God can be a snare, if it becomes a substitute for fellowship with Him, since it can leave one especially unsuspecting of sin.
These were only the first four that came to mind immediately. There are many others you could add to the list, now that I've gotten you to thinking; which, incidentally, is what I meant to do. Ask God to show you if there is a blessing in your own life in danger of becoming a curse. It is such a destructive possibility that David chose to wish it upon his worst enemies.
Blessings and curses sometimes dress alike; so look deeper.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Creator of Opposites
"The north and the south thou hast created them..." (Psl.89:12a)
God did not merely decide what represented north and south; He actually created them. They did not exist until He brought them into being. As far as our Earth is concerned, north and south (and especially north) are the determinants of east and west. The latter two are variables. That’s why there is no West or East Pole.
The logo for our son Andrew's foundation, Center for Cultural Leadership, emphasizes the premise that the only direction essential to our world is God's North. It's the only perspective that makes the other three true.
Man, a fallen creature, is prone to live his life east to west, from a situational perspective, with the edges of his moral and ethical thinking becoming blurred and indistinct and circular. ("I'm right because I think like the majority; but the majority is only right because it thinks like me...blah, blah, blah.") But God created north and south—opposites—and they are poles apart. He has also created other opposites. Up is not down; black is not white; true is not false; and evil is not good. God has a word for those who reason and judge from this flawed perspective: woe. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isa.5:20). And that is exactly what someone who chooses to ignore God's directives and His directions can expect to experience…woe.
The sincere child of God will find the Truth as surely as a compass finds the true north.
God did not merely decide what represented north and south; He actually created them. They did not exist until He brought them into being. As far as our Earth is concerned, north and south (and especially north) are the determinants of east and west. The latter two are variables. That’s why there is no West or East Pole.
The logo for our son Andrew's foundation, Center for Cultural Leadership, emphasizes the premise that the only direction essential to our world is God's North. It's the only perspective that makes the other three true.
Man, a fallen creature, is prone to live his life east to west, from a situational perspective, with the edges of his moral and ethical thinking becoming blurred and indistinct and circular. ("I'm right because I think like the majority; but the majority is only right because it thinks like me...blah, blah, blah.") But God created north and south—opposites—and they are poles apart. He has also created other opposites. Up is not down; black is not white; true is not false; and evil is not good. God has a word for those who reason and judge from this flawed perspective: woe. "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isa.5:20). And that is exactly what someone who chooses to ignore God's directives and His directions can expect to experience…woe.The sincere child of God will find the Truth as surely as a compass finds the true north.
Monday, June 2, 2008
First-Hand Faith
"The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all here alive this day." (Deut.5:3)
In striving to understand a text in the light of its historical setting, we are tempted to just leave it there. There are at least two dangers in this, I think. First, there are certain principles and standards of behavior that time and culture have no bearing upon. Second, there are general promises (whether conditional or unconditional) which are made to people of God, in whatever age. One thing can be said of the Word of God: from the time it was written until this very day, whether speaking directly to us or not...it is relevant.
When you read great Christian biographies, as I have, you soon discover that although their accomplishments may have been diverse, and the obstacles they overcame were varied, the common denominator in every case was the reality of God within a man or woman. And this is the constant that spans generations.
In our text, Moses tells this second generation of Israelites that the covenant God made with their fathers when they left Egypt was not made with them alone. On the contrary, he says, this covenant was made "with us, even us, who are all here alive this day." He was concerned that they understand the significance of God's promises in their own personal lives. We like to sing, "Faith of Our Fathers"; but, understand this: if those fathers had not made the Faith of their fathers, their own, there would have been none to pass along to us. The seed of faith (Matt.17:20)—especially, the Faith—can only be planted. After that, it must be individually germinated and be cultivated before it can, in turn, be propagated. Just because one has been blessed with a "goodly heritage" (Psl.16:6 ) does not mean he or she is obliged to accept it or act upon it.
Religion may be second-hand, but Bible Faith comes first-hand...or not at all.
In striving to understand a text in the light of its historical setting, we are tempted to just leave it there. There are at least two dangers in this, I think. First, there are certain principles and standards of behavior that time and culture have no bearing upon. Second, there are general promises (whether conditional or unconditional) which are made to people of God, in whatever age. One thing can be said of the Word of God: from the time it was written until this very day, whether speaking directly to us or not...it is relevant.
When you read great Christian biographies, as I have, you soon discover that although their accomplishments may have been diverse, and the obstacles they overcame were varied, the common denominator in every case was the reality of God within a man or woman. And this is the constant that spans generations.
In our text, Moses tells this second generation of Israelites that the covenant God made with their fathers when they left Egypt was not made with them alone. On the contrary, he says, this covenant was made "with us, even us, who are all here alive this day." He was concerned that they understand the significance of God's promises in their own personal lives. We like to sing, "Faith of Our Fathers"; but, understand this: if those fathers had not made the Faith of their fathers, their own, there would have been none to pass along to us. The seed of faith (Matt.17:20)—especially, the Faith—can only be planted. After that, it must be individually germinated and be cultivated before it can, in turn, be propagated. Just because one has been blessed with a "goodly heritage" (Psl.16:6 ) does not mean he or she is obliged to accept it or act upon it.
Religion may be second-hand, but Bible Faith comes first-hand...or not at all.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Lookin' Good, Kid!
"Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments...Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." (Deut.4:5-6)
We all like to look good and appear smarter than we actually are. For instance, when someone asks if I've lost weight when I wear a certain outfit, you can bet your life you'll be seeing me in that outfit a lot! And, if I relate something I've just seen or read that causes those around me to snap to attention, don't be surprised if the next group I'm with hears the same bit of information.
God, who created human nature, obviously knew of our innate desire for appreciation when He told the Israelites that if they would live by His statutes and judgments, the heathen nations around them would consider them wise. After all, the wisdom of God is so far superior than man's that 1 Corinthians 2:25 says even His foolishness is wiser than their "great" understanding. (I love that!) The longer I pour over the pages of this amazing Book, and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for me, the more I am convinced that every bit of wisdom needed for life is found within it. Especially after I read what men and women have tried to offer in its place. The self-help, self-exalting books that line the shelves of bookstores are only man's feeble effort to "de-Christianize" many of the principles found in the Word of God, to make them more palatable to so-called "New-Agers" (Read: “old pagans”).
You and I, on the other hand, can assimilate the very mind of Christ (1 Cor.2:16) by reading (and accepting) His living, breathing Words. The wisdom that framed the universe and set our world in motion, may lie within your reach at this very moment. You have only to open and read. And, who knows, they may soon be saying of you, "Surely this is a wise and understanding... woman!"
We all like to look good and appear smarter than we actually are. For instance, when someone asks if I've lost weight when I wear a certain outfit, you can bet your life you'll be seeing me in that outfit a lot! And, if I relate something I've just seen or read that causes those around me to snap to attention, don't be surprised if the next group I'm with hears the same bit of information.
God, who created human nature, obviously knew of our innate desire for appreciation when He told the Israelites that if they would live by His statutes and judgments, the heathen nations around them would consider them wise. After all, the wisdom of God is so far superior than man's that 1 Corinthians 2:25 says even His foolishness is wiser than their "great" understanding. (I love that!) The longer I pour over the pages of this amazing Book, and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for me, the more I am convinced that every bit of wisdom needed for life is found within it. Especially after I read what men and women have tried to offer in its place. The self-help, self-exalting books that line the shelves of bookstores are only man's feeble effort to "de-Christianize" many of the principles found in the Word of God, to make them more palatable to so-called "New-Agers" (Read: “old pagans”).
You and I, on the other hand, can assimilate the very mind of Christ (1 Cor.2:16) by reading (and accepting) His living, breathing Words. The wisdom that framed the universe and set our world in motion, may lie within your reach at this very moment. You have only to open and read. And, who knows, they may soon be saying of you, "Surely this is a wise and understanding... woman!"
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