Willing to remain silent

Scripture: Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. Mark 15:32

Observation: Jesus was humiliated on the cross. Mocked, abused, insulted. Everyone from the rich to the poor, from the nobles to the outcasts, looked down on him as they looked upon him. Mark tells us that even those who were being crucified with Jesus reviled him. These are the last people on earth who should be mocking Jesus. Besides the torture of their own pain, they were being hung before people as the ultimate failures. They were being put to death for their utter collapse of life. Yet even in their dying moments, they find breath to shower hate on the Christ. If someone being crucified can look down on you, you have sunk as low as you possibly could.

I am amazed that Christ was willing to sink this low for me. Enduring the shame for me. Willing to allow lies and slander to fly all around him while he remained mute for me.

Application: It really bothers me when my motives or actions are maligned. When someone who does not have all the facts calls me out. I want to rise up, to defend myself. I want to show them the facts. But as I meditate on Jesus here, I see that he can give me the power to stay silent. To let accusations and questions roll off of me. To be content with having people misunderstand my motives or actions. I don't have to fix everyone's views. People of integrity act, expecting to be believed. When they are not, they trust that time will prove them right.

Prayer: God, free me today from my need to correct. If the greatest slander in history could go unresponded to by you, then I can certainly trust you to take care of minor misunderstandings in my life. Show me when to speak in love, and when to let things go. Your back is strong enough to bear it; I take shelter there today.

Sparring with Expectations

Scripture: But if you say to me, “We trust in the LORD our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar”? (Isaiah 36:7 ESV)

Observation: The King of Assyria sends an officer to taunt King Hezekiah. He asks Hezekiah where he places his trust. Then he asks, “But if you trust God, then why did you tear down all the high places and altars?” The Assyrian officer thought that all forms of worship were the same. He could not understand how Hezekiah could claim to trust God, yet destroy religious symbols. He could not see that Hezekiah tore down those idolatrous high places and altars because of God, not in spite of him.

Application: It is easy to misjudge the actions people take for God. People often have unbiblical or cultural expectations of Christianity, and when you do not live up to them, they question your faith. I face this all the time. Someone expects that if we really loved God, we would sing a patriotic song in a worship service, or support this political cause. Yet it may be precisely because of our faith in Christ that we do not. The important thing I am hearing today is that my response to these people is crucial. With graceful patience, I need to be able to calmly and without battle, explain the reason for what we do. Then, if they still don’t get it, we can agree to disagree. My problem is that I tend to take their words personally, when I should let them go. Yes, there should be the foundation of humility, and willingness to grow, to change, to reverse a decision or policy. But sometimes we need to hold the course, even if that does not satisfy the expectations of others.

Prayer: God, give me patience today. Help me not get riled up when others question my decisions. Help me be humble and really listen, and have the wisdom to seek out compromise when needed. And give me courage to stand my ground even if it disappoints. But protect my heart from ratcheting up into anger.

The End of a Thing is Better than its Beginning

Scripture: Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8

Observation: Solomon observes that even in a world of vanity, wisdom can help us know how to live right. Here, he points out that a goal accomplished is better than setting the goal. When we embark on a goal, a task or project, we are full of hope, full of expectation, full of promises. And sometimes, we can be a little full of pride as well. The arrogance of goals is that we declare what will happen. This is not entirely bad, but can be a necessary side effect of setting objectives. However, when we reach our goal and we look back, we see all the obstacles, all the challenges. We see all the missteps and failures along the way. We see how God time and again had to come through. Looking back, we see God’s hand in it, and how big his part truly was. Being patient in spirit, not giving up, clinging to God, gets us to the end of a matter, where pride melts in the face of God’s involvement.
So in the setting of the goal, there can be some pride in our spirit. But how much better is the end of the matter, where our patience has helped us see God as the true accomplisher of our purpose.

Application: Right now, I am facing something in my life. A challenge unlike any I have faced. I have some directions and some tools and some goals. But I also have some doubts and concerns. I am clinging to the hope that the end of a thing is better than the beginning of it. That God will step in and change direction and the second half of this thing will be so much better than the first. I hope and pray today that is true. As for me, I want to be patient. I want to keep working for the end of the thing.

Prayer: God, I give this thing to you. You alone can accomplish it. Having tools and techniques make me feel better, make me feel I can effect it, but I lay down that pride and trust your heart in the matter. Help me to be faithful in this, and patient, which is a fruit of your Spirit. I trust your end in this.

With One Stroke of the Spear

Scripture: The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. 1 Samuel 26:23

Observation: Saul is still persuing, to take his life. David learns Saul is camping in the wilderness, and sneaks over one night with Abishai. They see Saul asleep, along with all of his guards. With one stroke of the spear, Saul’s terror campaign against David would end. And even better, David doesn’t have to get his hands dirty—Abishai volunteers to do the deed himself.
But David knew better than to take the life of God’s anointed. Saul may have been a murderous jerk, but he was still the king. David had respect for the office, if not the man. Instead, he steals Saul’s spear, then calls out to him from a distance. Saul and David talk and Saul ends up apologizing for his sin and calling David to return. He would no longer chase David.
David trusted the hand of God more than his own. He knew that if he stuck to God’s ways, things would work out. He thought they would work out through Saul’s death. He had no idea Saul would end up offering peace. Doing things God’s way instead of his own brought reward. The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness.

Application: I have been discouraged lately with some struggles I am having with one of my kids. I keep stooping down to his level in our arguments. I keep trying to do the techniques and strategies from people that I see are teaching God’s way. But when they don’t work, I get frustrated and want to tell those people, “I did that and it didn’t work.” I think God is telling me today that just like David, I have a choice. I can either take things into my hands and do them my way (which may seem to solve the problem, but really only multiplies them). Or I can continue to be courageously patient, faithfully obedient, and let God do his work. God could work in Saul more than David ever could dream. God can work in my kid’s life more than I could ever dream.

Prayer: God, help me stick to your way with my parenting. Regardless of the response, let me not stoop to doing things my way. Help me keep the high road and trust you can work it out.

My Job is to Not Discourage My Kids.

Scripture: Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Colossians 3:21

Observation: Paul makes this command to dads. This is a man command. The order is: Don’t let your man anger come out against your kids, or they will feel like they can never please you and will quit trying. Men in particular need to heed this call, because of our propensity towards power and anger.

Application: God wants me to restrain my anger, lest I ruin my kids. I think I get angry when I feel not in control. When no one is listening to me. But instead of wading in and helping the situation, it is easier for me to send everyone to their room with a harsh word. In the short term I solve the problem. But at what long term cost? God is calling me to see that not discouraging my kids is my job as dad. Tonight, I want to share this verse with my kids at dinner, as well as the verse before it.

Prayer: God, give me patience. Help me discover how I can refrain from discouraging my kids.

Finding Fault with God

Scripture: Shall a fault finder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it. Job 40:2

Observation: Job has spoken to God. Job’s friends have spoken about God. But now, God finally speaks. He does not answer Job’s questions, but challenges his perspective. He reminds Job that God is God and Job is Job. Here, he asks Job what right he has to find fault with the way God has chosen to do things. He even calls Job a name: “fault finder.”

Application: Am I a fault finder? Do I find fault with the way God has chosen to do things in my life? Maybe some things have not worked out the way I wanted, but is it my place to contend and correct God? If I do this, I might also have a lot to answer for.

Prayer: God, let me trust you. Shall I accept good from your hand and not bad? You know what you are doing. Give me faith to wait, to see, to be patient, and to not find fault.

Slow to Anger, Rich in Love

Scripture: The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8

Observation: God is slow to anger. In Acts 2, Peter stands before the very people who crucified the Messiah—the One God sent to rescue them, and extends an offer of forgiveness.

Application: If God can be slow to anger and rich in love specifically to people who rejected and murdered him, what right do I have to be quick to anger?

Prayer: God, I am quick to anger. I am not rich in love. The antidote to both of these is Your Holy Spirit working in my life. Please be my Helper (John 14:6) this week in slowing my anger and enriching my love towards my kids, wife, and dog.

Tearing Down High Places and Pillars July 21

Scripture: He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it. 2 Kings 18:4
“Be patient…be patient…Establish your hearts…do not grumble” James 5:7-9

Observation: The Bible so simply records these actions of Hezekiah, almost as simply as, “So Hezekiah went to buy some milk.” But behind these actions there must have been incredible opposition. If removing the high places, breaking the pillars, cutting down what had become idols were easy, anyone could have done it. I imagine the questions and challenges. There must have been many who liked the high places and pillars. Maybe even those who thought they were godly. I am sure many thought, “this is not why Hezekiah became king! I don’t think this is right.” Maybe even some who agreed in principle with the changes, but thought Hezekiah went too far or too fast. Yet Hezekiah was able to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Application: Change is hard, whether it is changing an organization, changing a family, or even changing myself. Temptation is to give up, to gripe, to blame. Yet James 5 gives me the application: “Be patient…be patient…Establish your hearts…do not grumble.” As a leader of change, I must be dead sure that I am doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I must also be sure that the way I am going about it is also right in the eyes of the Lord. But having this does not mean it will be easy. High places and pillars, and even the sacred cow (sacred serpent??) are still around for a reason. They will take people of humility and conviction. They will take people of hope like St. Augustine wrote of: “Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage. Anger at the way things are and courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”

Prayer: God, give me your anger over the high places and pillars and bronze serpents in my life, and the life of our church. Show me what they are. Help me be driven by what is right in Your eyes. And then give me the courage to see they do not remain. Give me the patience to be patient, not grumble, and keep moving forward. With love, with grace, with humility, but with step by step progress, one pillar at a time. Thanks for Hezekiah. I cannot wait to meet him! Amen