God's Will

Day 225: Matthew 22

So often we ask ourselves, "What is God's will for our lives?" "What does he want me to do with my life?" "What is his will?"

It is important to ponder and reflect on the answers to these questions. But it strikes me that somehow these questions have already been answered. We know what God's will is. Jesus says in Matthew 22: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Jesus has already answered these questions for us. He wants us to love the Lord with everything we have in us--to give our all to love and honor him; he also wants us to love others, those who we consider our neighbors and those who we don't. Love God and love people. That sums up what God's will for our lives is. When we are considering and contemplating what specific career we will have, we should think first about how we can have a profession where we can love God and love people. In order to live a fully integrated life where our faith isn't separate from our work, we should choose careers that allow us to first love God and love people. Our wills and desires should come after God's will and should still align to these two commands.

Think on Good Things

Sickness has once again plagued the Alexander family. We've been dealing with it now for four days, which is why I'm a bit behind in posting. I'll get caught up soon, though. Thanks for your patience!

Day 218: Matthew 12
When I was growing up, my parents instilled in me many values. They taught me about God and the Bible. They taught me about good sportsmanship--to congratulate others when you lost and to have a good attitude about it. They wanted me to see the importance of education and reading and writing and arithmetic (that arithmetic never did amount to many skills for me, though--even though I wish it had). They also taught me the value of having good friends, watching "wholesome" movies, and not being around people who did things that were against my morals.

I knew then that my parents were right, and so, basically, I was a prude. I didn't go far with guys. I didn't go to parties, bars, or clubs. I didn't curse or swear. I didn't do drugs, have sex, or drink. I still had my own flaws, of course, just not these behaviors. And I'm glad I didn't do these things. I had a lot of friends doing them, and I saw how harmful this behavior could be on them. They were too close to guys who wouldn't be there the next week. They were ruining their brain cells, their intelligence. They became depressed and lonely. I felt sorry for them. But I didn't engage in these behaviors.

Don't get me wrong. There were some things that I really wanted to do and experience. But for some reason, I just didn't do them (I guess I thank the Lord for this). I was often seen as a prude (which was a negative concept) or a fuddy duddy or an old fogey. But I also had a great group of friends who weren't engaging in these behaviors either. So I felt all right.

Like I said earlier, I still had my own battles to fight. I sinned daily. I lied and stole and cheated on numerous occasions. And I learned something from my friends who battled these more visible behaviors. Although everyone knew that (s)he was a drug addict or that (s)he slept around with everyone, these people had something that I didn't have: they were honest. They didn't lie about who they were; rather, they were honest about it and let the whole world see who they were--warts and all. And either people liked them or they didn't. These friends of mine taught me many valuable lessons, and this was one of them.

But what we all had in common was that we were far from perfect. Jesus says in Matthew 12 that the mouth speaks what is already in the heart, so it's important to ponder and think about good things. Peace, love, faith, forgiveness, hope, repentance, salvation, redemption, grace. Thinking on the things that matter help identify who we are. I once heard a preacher say, "What comes out of the mouth is produced in the factory." I like that metaphor, and each day, I try to live life meditating and thinking on good things. Yes, evil and sin and depression and loneliness and all these other bad things exist. It's not that we shouldn't think about these things--we should try to help people who are struggling. But for ourselves, when we are trying to regroup and get refreshed and find rest, we should look to Jesus. He is the ultimate good thing, and he will allow our hearts to become more and more pure--no matter what we've done in the past.

Thank you, God, for good things.

Connections between Old and New

Day 209: Matthew 1-2

I think it's interesting that the New Testament begins with the genealogy of Jesus. The book of Matthew gives us an account of Jesus' ancestry, going all the way back to Abraham. Many of the names are familiar to us because we've just read about them in the OT. Five women are mentioned--Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba (or the "wife of Uriah") and Mary. These women have their own unique stories. Francine Rivers has even written fascinating reads over the lives of each of these women, which I recommend reading.

This genealogy serves an interesting purpose, I think--to connect the Old to the New. This strategy on the part of the compilers of the Bible--and on Matthew whose book it is that does this--reminds us that this story that's about to unfold of Jesus and the church connects to all those other stories before it. It doesn't come from nowhere but is inherently connected to all that's come before it. To the stories of the Israelites. To the lives of the non-Jews. To the stories of all people on earth. Here we have the greatest story ever told about to unfold. And Matthew connects this story to the Israelite history. What this does for us is show us that the story of Jesus has a context. It didn't just appear out of nowhere but rather was prophesied about beforehand. Jesus's ancestors are God's people, and God sends Jesus to save the world. Welcome to the world, Jesus. What an entry you had.

The Lord Is Our God!

Day 207: Zechariah 9-14

Whenever Jesus is prophesied about in the Old Testament, I find myself becoming giddy. I'm excited that I am almost finished with my OT reading and that I will be moving on to the New Testament soon. But I also get excited because of the way that these people who lived in a time before Jesus waited in anticipation of their coming Messiah. Jesus was coming soon, and these prophets were preparing the minds of the Israelites for this to happen. Zechariah describes Jesus as righteous and victorious, yet humble, someone who rides on a donkey. And the Lord God is contrasted somewhat with Jesus. The accounts aren't contradictory, but they merely show that one of the dominant characterizations of Jesus is humility and that of God is power. And our God becomes powerful through humility.

Zechariah 13:9 says:
"I will bring that group through the fire
      and make them pure.
   I will refine them like silver
      and purify them like gold.
   They will call on my name,
      and I will answer them.
   I will say, ‘These are my people,’
      and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

God is good, and He is sending Jesus soon to save these people and to save us. The Lord is our God!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hope and a Future

Day 169: Jeremiah 29-32

Jeremiah 29:10-14: This is what the Lord says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."

I include this passage in its entirety so that you can better understand the context out of which it is written. Jeremiah tells the people that they will be exiled to Babylon for 70 years. After that time, God will come and fulfill all the promises he has made to them. He knows the plans he has for Israel, and they are good plans, hopeful plans.

That passage is very meaningful to me. It shows me more about God's character and how he deals with his people. It shows he's a good God, a loving God, a God who wants to bring hope instead of pain and suffering. This is a God I want to know. This is a God I want to be one with. This is a God that makes me enthusiastic about my life in Christ. Like Israel, God knows the plans he has for us, and these plans are for GOOD. Good plans. A hopeful future.

This makes me smile.

Sustainable Trees and Lifeblood

Day 166: Jeremiah 17-20

Jeremiah 17:7-8.
"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." 

The Bible often uses evocative language to communicate ideas. In this passage, a simile is used to compare trust in the Lord to trees planted along a riverbank. I love the imagery of those verses. Just imagine trees along a riverbank, roots extended deep into the ground, into the water. These trees survive all sorts of conditions, and what's more, is that they never stop producing fruit. These trees not only survive; they flourish. They sustain us and give us food. So, too, does God sustain us. When we place our hope and faith in Him, we are nourished; we are fed.

God uses concrete examples, such as the trees, to demonstrate abstract and complex principles, such as what it means to trust and hope in the Lord. Thank you, God, for understanding our needs and providing us words with how we can think about you.

In Jeremiah 18-20, Jeremiah delivers a message from the Lord to Judah and Jerusalem. He tells them that the Lord will destroy them if they turn to evil and refuse to obey God. God will even withhold blessings from them. The people respond back to Jeremiah that they will continue to live as they want. They don't care. It doesn't matter that God tells them he is the potter, and they are the clay, and He can do with them what they want. They will continue to follow evil and reject the Lord. So, as a result, the Lord will destroy them, if He so chooses.

God deals with us the same way. He can destroy us if he want; he sure does have the power. He can bless us if he wants; he has the power to do this, too. He can upset our plans, just like he did with Judah and Jerusalem. He could allow us to be slaughtered, leaving our bodies as food for vultures and wild animals, just like he promises to do to Israel. He can destroy our cities, us. He can shatter us.

And He probably would shatter us....except for one thing. Jesus. God sent Jesus to earth, and now Jesus is the one who intervenes on our behalf. Jesus is our Savior. Whereas God wants to destroy us because of our wickedness and refusal to be blessed by him, Jesus pleads on our behalf. Jesus is the only reason we have hope in coming into the presence of God. What a mighty story we are a part of!

The lifeblood of Jesus allows us to produce fruit. It allows us to be like sustainable trees. May we continue to put our trust and hope in the Lord.

Planning Our Own Course

Day 165: Jeremiah 10-16

Jeremiah 10:23-25. Hear the words of Jeremiah, the prophet:

"I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die."

This passage is interesting to me for a variety of reasons. The first sentence ("I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.") speaks true to me. This life I have is a gift; the lives we all have are gifts--gifts from the Lord. He decides when we live and when we die, and he is in control, literally, of our lives.

The second sentence, however, doesn't ring quite so true to me. We are able to plan our own course. We decide where we live, what we do with our lives, how we raise our children. We decide whether we go to church and, if so, where we go. We decide how we treat people, what sins we commit, and how we love. We are in control of many aspects of our lives.

So, what else might Jeremiah be saying in this sentence? He could be talking about predestination. Many church faiths believe that God has called people--a select few--before the creation of the world, and that those few are already predestined to follow God. My religious faith does not believe this principle. We believe that anybody can become a child of God. Perhaps God already knows who will make the decision to follow Him, but he allows us to make this choice rather than pre-selecting it for us. I tend to agree with my church heritage because I believe in free will.

So what else could he be saying? If you look at it within the context of Israel--the people who was selected by God to be his people--then it seems that we could also read this passage from that of a people who are already committed to the Lord. For these people--people who want to live a life committed to the Lord--then many of the decisions are determined by God's words to us, his instructions on how we should live, how we should treat people, and how we can become more like Christ in our daily lives. When we look at that sentence through this lens, then we can read it differently. Our decision to become a Christian and our decision to commit to God should, theoretically, lead us to give our lives away. Less of self and more of thee. We no longer make our own decisions; instead, the decisions we make are shaped and formed by our decision to live a life for the Lord. Wow. How amazing is that!

And the last part, verse 24, is so human. Jeremiah says, "So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die." Have you ever prayed a prayer like that? For God to be gentle and kind, rather than harsh and angry? Have you prayed for God to "correct you"? Perhaps we can see more about how kingdom life by reading these words. More about humanity. More about our Lord. More about ourselves and the plans we have for our lives.