Utterly Amazing

Day 203: Habakkuk 1-3

What an interesting conversation between Habakkuk and the Lord. Habakkuk cries out to the Lord, begging for answers, wondering when he will ever respond. When will he save them? When will will he respond to the injustice, to the wrongdoing. God tells Habakkuk in 1:5,

Look at the nations and watch—
       and be utterly amazed.
       For I am going to do something in your days
       that you would not believe,
       even if you were told.

God is going to do something utterly amazing. And this something is actually a something. The Lord Jesus. He's coming to save these people. God knows it and tells his people to keep hope because this act is going to be so amazing that they wouldn't even believe it if they were told.

So Habakkuk decides what his respond is going to be. In spite of pain and suffering and the lack of justice occurring on earth, Habakkuk will trust in the Lord. He will rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is his strength, and he will be joyful in Him. What a hopeful message to all of us.

--------

Have you ever wondered where this first comes from? It's Habakkuk 2:20. 

The LORD is in his holy temple;
       let all the earth be silent before him.

Our God: Jealous, Yet Patient

Day 203: Nahum 1-3

The book of Nahum is about Nineveh. The same city that Jonah went to preach the message of judgment and redemption against. And here, the prophet Nahum, devotes an entire book to giving a prophecy against this wicked, evil city. He tells them how God is angry at them, "against" them.

What strikes me about this short book is the description Nahum provides of God. Here is what he says: 

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
       the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
       The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
       and vents his wrath against his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
       the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
       His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
       and clouds are the dust of his feet.

God is jealous; he will seek revenge. He is avenging and powerful. Yet in spite of this immense power, he is also "slow to anger." Although the entire book of Nahum details the demise of Nineveh, we know from the book of Jonah that God ultimately saves Nineveh. His compassion and patience win out over destruction. Yes, God is jealous. He wants us all to himself. Yet he's also patient with us. He gives us a lot of chances. What a mighty God we serve!

The Meaning of It All in Three Complex Words

Day 202: Micah 5-7

That last post was a bold one for me, and I'm still in my initial thinking about these things, but thanks for all your feedback. What great thoughts all of you have.

The reading for today contains a verse that spells out so clearly what God wants of us. You are probably familiar with it, too. Micah 6:8b says, "And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"

Justice, mercy, and humility. There it is, all spelled out in three words.

And all of those terms coincide so much with my thoughts in the last post. He requires us to act justly, to treat others as we would want to be treated. To help those weaker than us--in whatever way that means. He also wants us to "love mercy." Wow, to do something good for someone who can't do it for themselves. To be compassionate and sympathetic but to also take action by forgiving, forgetting, loving, and doing all those other things God does for us. Finally, God wants us to show humility in our walk with God. He wants us to remember that we don't have it all figured out and that we shouldn't judge people for them not having it figured it either. Seeking humility about all else. Putting others above ourselves. Not judging harshly or condemning people for their beliefs, viewpoints, or actions.


These words, though "simple" in the traditional sense, are complex concepts that we could all do better exploring their meaning and application for ourselves and our communities.

Grrr!

What a frustrating week in terms of my blog. Our internet has been down all week! And even though I've had access at work, I haven't been able to stay late and upload it. So, I'm once again playing catch-up. It can be quite frustrating to live in a town with ONE choice of internet provider, and it goes in and out all the time. Hopefully, I can gain access some other way. So hang in there, the posts will be coming! Thanks.

What's Mine Is Mine!

Day 201: Micah 1-4

I have heard the following arguments throughout my life:
     *Individuals, not the government, should give to the poor, the oppressed, the needy.
     *My money is my money, and I don't want the government taking my money and giving it someone else.
     *I already give my money to noble causes, and the government has no right to take my money and give it away to someone who doesn't have any.

At certain points in my life, I, too, believed that the government didn't have a right to take money away from an individual. Individuals who work hard and earn money shouldn't be penalized by those who don't work hard and don't earn money. At the times I believed these things, I was a giver. I gave money to churches and other organizations, and I also gave of my time. Still, I believed that we shouldn't have so many government programs that help people who aren't working hard, like I was.

I hope you can see that I don't believe this creed anymore. While I still believe that hard work and hard effort can pay dividends, I also believe that people "without" are not necessarily "without" because they aren't working hard. Instead, many other factors are at work, including family background, educational opportunities, race, and gender. 

Many people I know--good people, Christian people--still believe that the government "should not take my money and give it away." Just last week, for instance, I heard a friend of mine say, "I don't want my money going to pay for someone else's healthcare." This comment came from a Christian. She is a good person, but I think she misses the point.

First, my money isn't really my money to begin with. The Bible tells us that everything we have comes from the Lord, so it's really not ours in the first place. It's God's money. He's given it to us. We haven't earned it. He's given to us. So when we start becoming possessive about our money and everything else we have, we need to remember that it's all God's to begin with. He can give, and he can take away.

Second, and I think more important, is something I have learned in my journey through reading the Old Testament prophets: that this notion of mine and yours is less biblical than the notion of "what I have can be given to you"--not only in the Jesus sense but also based on God's relationship with Israel.

We are an individualistic culture. Everything is about me and my. But God's relationship with Israel was communal. They were all responsible for the mistakes of everyone else. The entire nation was responsible for taking care of the least among them. As a nation, they were even responsible for not oppressing and taking advantage of lesser nations, weaker nations.

These prophets, including Micah, talk about how Israel will be judged and condemned because of their oppression. Those with the money and power will be judged because of their oppression of those who don't have money or power. The nation as a whole is judged, not just individuals who have money and give. It seems that God, through these prophets, condemns how the tax system is unfair, how it privileges the wealthy and exploits the poor. For these reasons, I no longer can believe that God doesn't have a side on taxes--how the rich should have higher taxes so the poor can live a better life. God punishes Israel--he judges and condemns them--for not taking care of the oppressed and the poor, and God might punish America, too, for these same reasons, especially if Christians do not start fighting for the poor.

I know this subject is a sensitive one. All sides think they are doing right and that their values and beliefs coincide with God. What scripture tells us again and again is that God cares for the weakest amongst us. My question here is: "Do we?" And if we do care about these people like we say we do, then what does this mean in terms of how we think about our money?

What's mine is mine?
What's mine is God's?
What's mine is yours?

Reflection 5: Continuing on through the Prophets

Day 200: Reflection 5

These last 40 days have been some of the most difficult ones on this journey, mainly because I've been reading the prophetic books, and they aren't as easy to process and relate to as the narrative ones. In addition, they are written in such a different style where much of it seems like a fantasy genre. It's not as easy to relate to and understand, and readers really need much more of a context for understanding what is going on here. In the future, it would be interesting to examine these books in the context of the narrative unfolding of the events. But this is not my purpose, nor do I have the time. In spite of these difficulties, though, I'm still journeying on. I've gotten behind a few times due to sickness and other factors, but I'm still continuing on my path. Thanks for reading.

The More the Merrier

Day 200: Jonah 3-4

The Lord called Jonah a second time, telling him to go to Nineveh and preach to them. Jonah didn't run this time; instead, he obeyed. He went to Nineveh and told them to repent. He did this, not believing that Nineveh would change. But what's crazy is that Nineveh did change. God's dream to have them repent and turn to him occurred. They fasted and prayed. They grew in the Lord. And God did not bring the destruction on them that he had threatened.

And what was Jonah's response? He was angry. He told God that he didn't want God to be forgiving, gracious, and compassionate. He wanted to send them calamity and destruction, and so he asks God to take away his life. Does Jonah's response here surprise you? That he wanted people to be punished for their sins. It's easy for us to judge Jonah and not put ourselves in his shoes, but we are often like Jonah, even if we don't recognize it. We get angry when people aren't punished for their sins, when destruction does not come upon them, when good things happen to bad people. In our mind, it's so unjust.

But God responds to Jonah by asking him if he had a right to be angry.

Jonah doesn't respond but instead goes out of the city, builds himself a shelter, and watched the city, waiting for it to be destroyed. But God sends some sort of shade tree to protect Jonah, and Jonah was very happy about this. But then God sent a worm to chew up the gourd. Jonah is parched and weak and faint. He wants to die. He's angry that the gourd has disappeared and that it's no longer there to protect him.

God asks Jonah if he has a right to be angry. And Jonah says that he does. But God corrects Jonah. He reminds Jonah that this shade tree was provided for him, and he didn't tend it or make it grow. And he goes on to point out that Ninevah, like Jonah, is important to him.

God cares about people. He cares about individuals, and he cares about communities. And he wants to save us, just like he saved Jonah and Nineveh. What a mighty God we serve.

Running Away

Day 199: Jonah 1-2

The notion of calling has received a great deal of attention recently. What does it mean to be called? Well, we are all called to love God and love people--those are, in fact, the two greatest commandments. After these, we are also called to obey God (which is encompassed in loving him) and to follow his will. However, we want to know how this personally relates to us, how our life is going to end up on an individual basis. What should we major in? What job should we have? What should we do with our life? These questions are ones we ask ourselves so that we can better know God's purpose for our lives. Although we are all called to love God and love people, we want more specific answers.

But what happens when we don't like the answer?

Jonah was given explicit instructions by God to go to Ninevah and preach to them about their wickedness, to condemn them for it. But Jonah didn't want to go. So what does he do? He runs. Yes, he runs from God. He jumps on a ship, gets thrown overboard, and ends up in the belly of a big fish. Here, he reflects on what he has done. He also prays to the Lord and confesses his sins to the Lord. He repents, too, and then the fish spits him out.

The story of Jonah is a familiar one, but what stands out to me now is just how applicable this story is to our own life. Like Jonah, we run from God when he calls us to do something that scares us, that we don't think needs to be done, or that we are resentful about doing. We run and trouble follows us, just like it does with Jonah when a storm comes to his boat. Then, we get into so much trouble that we need saving and along comes something to lead us to reflect, hopefully to pray and talk to God rather than run to him. And then, we are restored. The trouble is, however, that this is often a cycle we get ourselves into. Running and getting caught. Running and getting caught.

But God doesn't want us to run. He needs us. He has plans for each of us, and he can use us to help further the His kingdom. We are here for a purpose, to love people and to show them the way to the cross. Let's all stop running and look to how God can use us. We only have one life to live.

Obadiah's Retribution

Day 198: Obadiah

The book of Obadiah is the shortest one in the Old Testament. In fact, the Bible I'm reading from doesn't even show that it contains chapters, only verses, because it doesn't contain more than one chapter. The book is written by the prophet Obadiah who, like most of the other prophets in the OT, speaks of the judgment of a nation and the hope that one day Judah and Israel will be restored. Obadiah speaks these truths based on a vision he had, and he proclaims to the people that "Day of the Lord" is coming. This promise was a hopeful one for people in captivity, in exile.

In my previous blog post, I mentioned how Amos seems to use the term justice to mean equality rather than judgment (or an eye for an eye). In Obadiah, however, Obadiah speaks to Edom and tells them that their role in destroying Jerusalem--how this country destroyed and betrayed their brother Jacob--will come back to haunt them. That is, what they did to Israel and Judah will be done to them. Retributive justice. God will punish Edom for its sins. They betrayed their relatives and will be punished. Opposite of Edom, however, is Israel who will prosper because God is with these people.

Here's just a bit of explanation of the book.

Righteousness and the Poor: A Christian Response

Day 197: Amos 5-9

Martin Luther King, Jr.--a preacher, a leader of the civil rights movement--drew from the book of Amos in one of his speeches. On April 3, 1968, King delivered a speech in Memphis, Tennessee, in support of the striking sanitation workers. In the speech, King addresses ministers and preachers, calling them to be like Amos, like Jesus. He uses a verse from Amos 5:24 that says, "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Here are the words from King's speech: 


It's a marvelous picture. Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and say, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." Somehow, the preacher must say with Jesus, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor."

King delivered this speech the day before he was assassinated.


Like King, the prophet Amos also had a passion for the poor. Amos prophesies about justice, not the type of justice we typically think of when we think of justice--an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth--but justice in the sense equality. Equality for the poor. No oppression. No lesser-than status. Just equality. Here are some examples from these chapters in Amos:

You levy a straw tax on the poor
       and impose a tax on their grain.
       Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,
       you will not live in them;
       though you have planted lush vineyards,
       you will not drink their wine. 

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
       and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

Hate evil, love good;
       maintain justice in the courts.

This is the Amos that Martin Luther King, Jr. draws on to argue that the poor deserve justice, that they don't deserve to be oppressed or persecuted. They don't deserve injustice. Instead, they deserve justice. Equality. They deserve to have rights, in spite of them being poor. They deserve what everyone else has. And we need to help them do it.

Where do we stand on this issue of poverty? Of helping the poor? Of taking from our abundance and giving to those who have less? We look at the poor (and so many other issues) through political eyes rather than through the eyes of Jesus. How did Jesus look at the poor? He's come, and he's done so much. We shouldn't think, "What would Jesus do?" Rather, we should ask, "What did Jesus do?" How did he treat the poor? He already did it. I think MLK had it right when he observed that Jesus cared for the poor. And as Jesus did, so should we. No matter what our political leanings are, if we claim to be Christians, then we should care for the poor. We should do things that help the poor. It's the righteous thing to do. It should be the Christian response.

"Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Amos: Another Prophet Predicting Judgment and Redemption

Day 196: Amos 1-4

Amos, oh Amos. Another book of prophecy about the judgment and redemption of Israel. I would say by now that this has been a consistent theme throughout, but if you've been reading my blog consistently, you would already know that.

One thing that does strike me, though, is how forgiving--and patient--God is. He tells the people--through Amos--that for three sins, even four, He will not turn his back on them. This shows a compassionate God, a forgiving God. A God that loves people.

God also tells the Israelites:

"You only have I chosen
       of all the families of the earth;
       therefore I will punish you
       for all your sins." 

Because God chose them, He had expectations of how they would act. He even thought that they should remain faithful to Him. When they didn't fulfill his expectations, He vowed to punish them for their sins.

Another poignant passage about God comes from Amos 4:13. 

He who forms the mountains,
       who creates the wind,
       and who reveals his thoughts to mortals,
       who turns dawn to darkness,
       and treads on the heights of the earth—
       the LORD God Almighty is his name.

The Book of Joel

Day 195: Joel 1-3

The book of Joel isn't very long. Three chapters in fact. Fewer chapters than my daily reading. But Joel is another prophet. He witnesses a plague of locusts (I'm not sure if it's the one recorded in Exodus or a different plague) and a lengthy drought and calls on everyone--all Israelites--to repent. He tells the Israelites that they will be judged for their unfaithfulness and, unlike other prophets who focus on the redemption of Israel and Judah, Joel focuses on their punishment. The book is a bit dismal and gloomy, but that's because his purpose seems to be to condemn the Israelites for their naughty, sinful behavior. However, Joel does end with a description of the bountiful blessings God will give his people if they return to Him.

A well-known verse is recorded in Joel. Here's Joel 2:13:

Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

This description of God is beautiful. Slow to anger and abounding in love. Gracious and compassionate. Forgiving. Our God is and has always been a loving, forgiving God. How wonderful to know that who He was then is who He is now.

Amazing Love

Day 194: Hosea 9-14

What's interesting to me about the story of Hosea and Gomer is that Hosea married Gomer knowing that she would be unfaithful. God told her that she would become an adulterer, that she would have affairs, that she would have relationships with many different men. And yet Hosea still married her. Did you process that? Hosea still married her, knowing she would cheat on him and have other lovers. He still did it. He still married her. Wow. How stupid is that? Would you marry someone that you knew would cheat on you? Would be unfaithful to you? I wouldn't.

But Hosea did.

And God did, too. God loved us, he chose us, he "married" us to him, all the while knowing that we would sin, that we would have other gods, that we would have other lovers besides Him. He still loved us and chose us. In spite of our unfaithfulness to him. Wow.

I'm not going to say that God is stupid. No way is he stupid! On the contrary, he's AMAZING. That he did that for us. That He sacrificed his own self-interests and loved us instead. He is truly AMAZING. And Hosea was pretty amazing, too. He married and loved Gomer in spite of her flaws and eventually she finds redemption. She commits to Hosea and remains faithful to us.

This story is a wonderful parallel to our relationship with God. We have been redeemed by the love of God. The blood of Jesus bought our salvation. And how amazing is that!

As surely as the sun rises, he will come

Day 193: Hosea 5-8

Hear the Word of the Lord from Hosea 6:1-3

"Come, let us return to the LORD.
       He has torn us to pieces
       but he will heal us;
       he has injured us
       but he will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive us;
       on the third day he will restore us,
       that we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the LORD;
       let us press on to acknowledge him.
       As surely as the sun rises,
       he will appear;
       he will come to us like the winter rains,
       like the spring rains that water the earth."

That last part is beautiful. Yes, let us acknowledge the Lord for he will come. And he will come in a big way.

An Unfaithful Wife

Day 192: Hosea 1-4

God tells Hosea to marry an "adulterous wife." So what does Hosea do? He marries Gomer. I'm not sure if she is a prostitute or not, but basically she provides a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel. Israel is unfaithful, yet God is continuously faithful. The metaphor of the unfaithful wife can also be applied to us today and how often we turn from God. I'm just now into the beginning of the book, but the key thing to understand here is that God is always faithful--no matter how we respond. God loves us unconditionally. He always will. But he wants us to turn to him and live the life that he has envisioned for us. The New Testament discusses how we are the brides of Christ. May we all become more faithful to the Lord God and Jesus.

Daniel: A Man of Faith and Commitment

Day 191: Daniel 9-12

The book of Daniel ends with many different prophecies Daniel delivers and shows us what a great prophet and man Daniel truly was. He lived a life of faithfulness and commitment. He was a faithful and obedient servant to God for all of his life, and his name lives on as one of the greatest prophets that has ever lived. I haven't really ever thought of Daniel as a prophet, and maybe he's not thought of that way by theologians and historians. However, he does deliver prophetic visions to the nation, telling the people that they can be assured that although they are in captivity, God is still working among them. What a wonderful message. What a wonderful way to live a life--telling and proclaiming the news about God. What an amazing life Daniel lived.

How Will You Respond to Tests?

Day 190: Daniel 5-8

Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego resisted temptation and stayed faithful to God, in this passage Daniel does the same thing. He does not follow King Darius' edict and bow down to him. Instead, three times a day he goes to his room, gets down on his knees, and gives thanks to God, just as he had been doing before the edict was passed. And even though King Darius wanted to rescue Daniel, he instead had him thrown into a den of lions. But God protected Daniel. He shut the mouths of the lions and not harm came to Daniel. And what happened next? Darius threw the men who had falsely accused Daniel and their families, including women and children, into the lion's den. They were immediately eaten up and killed. The king then issued an order saying that everyone should fear and reverence the God of Daniel. What an amazing story of faith and trust in God.

Every day we are faced with the decision to trust God or to not. We may not realize it, but this decision is a common one for us. Bad things happen to us. People can be mean and hurtful to us. Temptation can knock on our doors. We can get into fights with our spouse or our children. We sin. We experience pain and suffering, even death. Each day we must ask ourselves the question of how will we respond. Will we trust God, or will we look out for ourselves and our own self-interests? The men in Daniel chose to trust God. They put their faith in Him and were not shaken. And interestingly enough, they were rewarded for it. They did not get eaten up by lions or burned up in a fire. Instead, they lived. And they were even promoted in the earthly kingdoms in which they lived. They also were witnesses to others, both times leading a king to come to know and believe in the one true God.

Today, we experience God in different ways than they did. We are not often--at least in America--sentenced to death for believing in God. However, we are like the people in the OT in that we are daily confronted with whether we will live a selfish life--one that looks only to our self-interests--or an unselfish one that trusts God and puts our lives in his hand. As we go about our days, look for those moments when you are called to make a decision about something. How will you respond? What will you do? Will you respond like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Or will you choose to trust yourself and others instead? How will you experience God and show Him that you trust Him with all that is in you, even if it means death at the hands of others?

Even If He Does Not

Day 189: Daniel 1-4

Daniel is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It has so many great stories in it and is full of many wonderful lessons and examples for us today. Daniel trains and serves in King Nebuchadnezzar's court. He is a wise person and makes a great impact on the king. He even interprets the king's dream and saves all the wise men in the court from death. Daniel is promoted to a place of honor within the kingdom, much like Joseph was in Pharaoh's court.

King Nebuchadnezzar seems like he is moved by Daniel's belief in the Lord God, but this is not so. Eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a a golden image and requires all people to bow down to it. There are some Jews, however, who refuse. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not bow down to the idol and refused to acknowledge the king's threat, the king grew furious and turned the furnace up seven times hotter than usual.

Listen to what the three men say to King Nebuchadnezzar,
"King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Then, the three men were tied up and thrown into the furnace. But a fourth image was also walking around in the fire and Nebuchadnezzar was distraught and scared and ordered the men to come out. When they came out, Nebuchadnezzar praised God and promoted the three men in Babylon.

There is much to comment on here, but I'll focus here on two main areas: Nebuchadnezzar and the attitude of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

First is King Nebuchadnezzar. I typically think of the king as a bad, power-hungry man. He required men to bow down and worship an idol and he killed people if they did not do so. However, it's interesting to note that Nebuchadnezzar is constantly being pulled through his circumstances to worship the one true God. He worships the Lord when Daniel interprets two of his dreams. He believes again when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are not burned in the fiery furnace. And he does so again when his power and glory is taken from him. Nebuchadnezzar believes. He witnesses miracles, extraordinary events, and he is impacted by them--even though it goes against his other beliefs. He witnesses the miraculous God and believes. Yes, he makes mistakes, but ultimately, he believes.

The other thing to discuss are the attitudes of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three extraordinary men who stay true to their belief and faith in the Lord God. They were not going to bow down to an idol even though they knew it would mean being thrown into a fire and killed. We don't really know if they were scared or not; I would imagine that they were. And yet, they looked Nebuchadnezzar in the eye and told him that they do not need to justify their behavior to him. They even go so far as to say that they trust God that he will deliver them and let them live. They have complete and utter faith that he will save them.

And yet. "Even if he does not." They will still not serve his gods or worship the idols he has constructed. Wow. What faith! They trust God and believe he will do what they ask, but even if he does not, they will still trust God and believe in Him. What a testament to faith these men are. I hope to have the type of faith these men have, a faith that asks God for things and trusts that, even if he does not answer my prayers the way I want him to, I will still trust God and stay faithful to him.

The Church Leaves the Building

Day 188: Ezekiel 45-48

Ezekiel 45:9: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right."

That last sentence strikes me as powerful. How often do we oppress people? Historically, we have oppressed blacks, Jews, women, poor people, and numerous others. At our best moments, churches lead the fight to stop this oppression. Many of the first and most well-known abolitionists were Christians. Churches respond to calls for help when earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis come. We take in orphans. We run homes for children without any parents.

But we also oppress people. In our hearts. In our actions. We do it. And woe to us. God wants us to do what is "just and right." He wants justice. He wants righteousness. He wants morality. May this verse percolate on your mind today as you seek to do what is just and right.

---

Ezekiel 47 is a meaningful passage to me. When Shane and I were church planting, one of our friends led a "lectio divino" over it. This ancient spiritual practice involves reading a passage of scripture aloud with other people and then reflecting on it three different times. The first read through you listen for one thing, the next read something else, and the third time something else.

Out of all the passages that I have done this practice with, this one is my favorite. This chapter talks about a river leading out of the temple. As the river flows from the temple, it gets wider and deeper, produces more fruit, and has more beautiful trees. The water becomes fresh the further it goes, and swarms of living creatures abide there.

What a beautiful metaphor for how we as Christians are called to live our lives. We are to go to the temple, for that is where we go to get fed, purified, refreshed--the throne of the Lord. Then, we leave the temple, or church, and we go out into the world and share with others what we know. The trees outside the temple bear much fruit, and we, through our relationships with others, do the same.

When I was a church planter, this passage indicated to me the importance of being out in the world for it is in the world that the fruit trees live. I was excited about this, and I did it with zest and passion. Now that I am back in the world of organizational churches, this passage still means the same, except that I also understand the difficulty that comes with leaving the temple. It's comfortable to be around people we know, in a familiar place. It's a lot harder to leave.

But we must. We must go out; we must follow the river out from the temple to the places that God leads us so that we can bear the kind of fruit he has already prepared to grow. Last week, our church participated in a "Prayer Walk" as part of our month-long Season of Prayer. We walked the neighborhoods of our small town. We prayed in front of houses. We learned more about the history of our city and the people living in it. But we left the building. That is the first step in a journey of becoming more and more the people God has called us to be. May you leave the building this week and venture out into unknown and unfamiliar places along this river.

Renewing Holiness

Day 187: Ezekiel 40-44

Ezekiel has a vision of a specific temple, and these chapters detail what the temple will look like. The temple Ezekiel envisions includes a wall, many different gates, outer and inner courts, rooms for the priests and for preparing sacrifices, a sanctuary, an altar, and the most holy place. It doesn't appear that this temple was ever built, and I'm not quite sure of the significance of this temple. Perhaps Ezekiel's detailed explanation about the temple is to serve as a message to Israel about the holy people they are supposed to be. The temple gives Israel a place of worship and might encourage them to return to holiness, to renew their commitment to the Lord.

It's interesting to me--and I know I've said this before--how much of the Bible reflects the same theme, the same story, just told in different ways. Israel is God's people. Israel leaves the Lord. The Lord pleads for them to repent. Israel repents. Israel strays again. And over and over and over again you have this motif.

But what I also find interesting is that we do the same thing as Israel does. Israel didn't get it, and neither do we. God wants us to pursue him. He wants us to be holy. He has called us. He has named us. But we stray. We sin. We turn our back on the Lord. We look out for our own self-interests. And through scripture, God is calling us to renew our hearts and minds by worshiping him in the temple. He's built this great place for us, and he wants us to come. To sit by His side and listen to Him. To worship Him. To love Him. If we renew our faith, He will make us holy.

Prophecies, Prophecies, and More Prophecies Cont.

Day 185: Ezekiel 33-36

More of the same here. Prophecies about the Israelites and the Edomites. The entire book of Obadiah is about the Edomites, so it's interesting that they are prophesied about here. Things don't look good for the Edomites (the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother).

Prophecies, Prophecies, and More Prophecies

Day 184: Ezekiel 29-32 

More prophecies against the nations are handed out. A continuation of the last several posts. I'm sure I could delve into the nuances of some of these prophecies, but frankly I don't have the historical background to understand them all. So this is all for today.

God's Judgments

Day 183: Ezekiel 25-28 

Prophecy after prophecy after prophecy about destroying nations. Judgment, judgment, and more judgment.

Rambling Idiots

Day 182: Ezekiel 20-24

With all that is going on in our country today--a bad economy, a massive debate about healthcare for all, poverty, injustice, and on and on and on--I read Ezekiel with a mind towards God and all that he can do to save our country. God can solve all our problems. He will do so when he comes. All the stupidity, idiocy, and hatred will be gone and replaced with love. Come, Lord Jesus, please come soon and save us from all this. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of America thinking that they alone are your people. I'm tired of people not looking out for the poor, the orphans, and the widows. I'm tired of people equating Christianity with America and seeing the values of both as one and the same. Please, Lord, come soon. But if you don't, please show Christians how to live in this culture but to be different from it. Please, Lord. Please.

Another WHAT??

Day 181: Ezekiel 16-19

I was quite surprised to read this tonight from Ezekiel 16: 23-26:

"'Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity."

And what did the Lord do in response? He stretched out his hand against them and shrunk their territory. 

This passage reminds me of another strange verse in the Bible, Deuteronomy 25:11 (see here for a commentary and the scripture itself). I'm not quite sure what to think of this, so I'm just going to leave it and go on. 

The Time Is Now

Day 180: Ezekiel 13-15

One day, we will all know that the Lord is God. May it not be because God has to turn his wrath against us and hurt our land. Let it be now. There is no greater time than now. 

Difficult Days

Day 179: Ezekiel 9-12

We still are feeling sick here. It's been a long couple of days. But a discipline is a discipline, and I will continue to go on (even if I'm still a little behind). Fighting through the temptation not to do it is not easy, but I have to fight through it. Still, I don't have much to write about. Ezekiel continues to prophecy to the Israelite people, and he talks a lot about the glory of the Lord. I think I need a commentary to understand all of it. I really don't know what much of this means. But I don't have a commentary, so I'm just going to let the ideas percolate and simmer while I continue reading.

Today is the Day

Day 178: Ezekiel 5-8

Sickness is plaguing our family right now, and I don't have much energy or brain power to even try to process all that is being said in the book of Ezekiel. There is a lot of talk of God destroying Israel because of their unfaithfulness. This theme has been repeated over and over again throughout the OT. The end has come for Israel (7:6). Israel is doomed (7:7). The Lord will pour out his wrath and anger against them (7:8). God has decided to destroy Israel. He will judge them by the standards they have used against others (7:27).

And then, only then, will they know that God is Lord.

Let us not be like Israel. Let us seek the Lord now. Today. There's no better time than now. Let us know, today, that the Lord is God.

Ezekiel Sees a Wheel and Becomes a Prophet

Day 177: Ezekiel 1-4

When I was young, we learned this song about Ezekiel seeing a wheel in the air. I never really knew what that specific reference meant, and after reading these four chapters, I still don't really get it. What I do know, though, is that the glory of the Lord appeared to Ezekiel and called him to be a prophet. The Spirit had a presence in his life, and he responded to it. In fact, the word "Spirit" is used several times here. Ezekiel was to speak to Israel and to deliver to them messages from the Lord.

How will you respond to the Lord's call? Will you say "yes"? Will you hear his voice calling? Will you allow the Spirit to work in your life?

Dancing and Mourning

Day 176: Lamentations 4-5

Lamentations is a book for mourners. It is a book for people who have lost hope, who have experienced pain and loss, and who have become separated from God. Lamentations 5:15 says, "Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning." This book is about people who have lost hope and who are now crying out to God for help.

In recent years, much more than ever before, I have felt that much of the joy and hope I had as a young person has turned to mourning for one reason or another. It is no secret that I have been depressed over the last year of my life. I also suffered from postpartum depression after my son Peyton was born almost twenty years ago. Whereas I had experienced so much joy and happiness before, now I felt sad, lonely, and alone. I mourned. I felt the loss. I suffered. Lost hopes and dreams. Unnecessary conflict. Tired resignation. Worry. Anxiety. Sadness. Loneliness.

And although my dancing turned to mourning, God still came in. And he turned my mourning, my loneliness, my depression back into dancing, joy, happiness. God came in, and he restored my hope.

I am officially off depression medicine, and it feels good. I know, though, that dancing between mourning and joy is a part of life, but God is in control and he continues to rule my life.

Steadfast Love of the Lord

Day 175: Lamentations 1-3

The book of Lamentations is pretty grim, but hope still remains. I leave you today with this thought from Lamentations 3:18-26.

So I say, "My splendor is gone
       and all that I had hoped from the LORD."
    I remember my affliction and my wandering,
       the bitterness and the gall.
    I well remember them,
       and my soul is downcast within me.
    Yet this I call to mind
       and therefore I have hope:
    Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
       for his compassions never fail.
    They are new every morning;
       great is your faithfulness.
    I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
       therefore I will wait for him."
    The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
       to the one who seeks him;
    it is good to wait quietly
       for the salvation of the LORD.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; it is new every morning. 

Future Calling

Day 174: Jeremiah 50-52

"In those days, at that time,"
       declares the LORD,
       "the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
       will go in tears to seek the LORD their God.
They will ask the way to Zion
       and turn their faces toward it.
       They will come and bind themselves to the LORD
       in an everlasting covenant
       that will not be forgotten.

The people of the Lord will go in tears together and seek the Lord. They will ask how they can get to Zion, and then they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant.

This reference to Israel and Judah--the people of the Lord--can be applied to us, too. We are the people of the Lord today, and one day we will seek the Lord. We will turn our faces toward Him, and we will make a covenant with God.

All knees will bow down. All mouths will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We will all worship the Lord. One day.