Day 125: Following God's Way

Acts 27:1-12; 1 Samuel 2:12-36; Psalm 50

The wind was a problem for these sailors.  It wasn't necessarily something out of the ordinary, but I think that because it was recorded, that we are to believe that part of it was God's involvement in the plan of these men.  Should the sailors have listened to Paul and not to their captain?  Well, looking back (and knowing the story), the answer is clear.  The captain was the expert sailor.  However, Paul was a man who was in tune with The Lord, he had wisdom, and his contribution was valuable.  Are there "experts" that I'm listening to that perhaps are really not providing the wisest advice?  Are there men and women of The Lord that have great wisdom even if they are not "experts" in the field that I should be listening to? I pray that God would give all of us discernment in who to listen to.

This story from 1 Samuel just reminds me that church leaders and their families are humans, too.  However, I'm curious why Eli's sons had become the way they were.  Was it because he neglected them, didn't teach them boundaries, did not show them how to respect The Lord?  There could be a lot of reasons.  The way he treats Hannah in chapter 1 sort of makes me think that he jumped to conclusions too quickly, he was judgmental, he did not have much compassion, or his words were not edifying.  These could have influenced the disrespect that his son's acquired.  When The Lord speaks to Eli, he tells Eli that he honors his sons above The Lord.  Apparently, Eli was more focused on his family than he was on honoring and giving glory to God.  When we place God first in our lives, we can be a better spouse, parent, friend, sibling, employee, boss, etc.  With God in control and God as our focus, we are more wise.

Psalm 50 is partially God talking to his people.  He says that the only sacrifice is that he wants is for us to be thankful and to keep our word.  What does that mean exactly?  I think part of it is that he wants our thanks and praise.  He is a relational God; no, he doesn't need us, but he wants to be close to us.  So, first, he wants our praise.  God just wants us to pay him the attention and honor that, really, he deserves. Secondly, he wants us to keep our promises.  If we confess our sins, say we are going to live according to his word, then we simply need to do that.  Is that easy?  No, but when we give our lives to Christ, we say that we what Jesus to be The Lord of our lives...that is a promise.  God wants to remain The Lord of our lives, not because he wants to be some dictator, but because the God of the universe might know a thing or two (the ultimate understatement) about living a good life.

Then God goes on to say to the wicked people that they have no right to talk about God or the "relationship" they have with God.  Who are the wicked?  People that refuse God's guidance in their lives; people like crooks and those who break marriage vows; people who like violence and lies and gossiping.  You know what stinks?  I think there are a lot of us that are guilty of some of this stuff.  That's rough.  I know that when I look at this list, I see myself, and I wonder, "how could God still love me?" Well, that brings us back to the first part of this psalm:  God wants a thankful heart and someone who puts him as Lord of their life.  I know that I'm definitely thankful--not thankful enough, but I'm working on having an attitude of praise.  I also know that I'm definitely working on keeping God as Lord of my life--I'm not perfect, but I'm working on it.  And finally, I praise The Lord for Jesus and for his death and resurrection that made sure that I could be acceptable to God the Father.  That's good stuff.  That is stuff to be thankful for.

Day 124: Laugh at our Enemies

Acts 26:19-32; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11; Psalm 49

"Then prove what you have done by the way you live." As I mentioned in a recent post, it is by faith and grace we are saved. A lot of people have gotten this mixed up with works, doing stuff, earning our way to heaven, being a good persion.  All those things are good, but as Paul says here and sort of sorts things out for us:  one of the reasons we live a life of compassion, generosity, humility, is because it is an outpouring of the change in our hearts.  And as Jesus says earlier in scripture, it is by those things that everyone will know we are his disciples.

The other thing about this little snippet from Paul's speech, is the order of what he says.  First, stop sinning, then turn to God, THEN live differently. First, we have to throw out the crap that is in our hearts because God cannot live where there is junk.  So, once we have stopped worshipping ourselves and our own lives, we can then worship God; and out of that acceptance of Jesus our lives can be transformed for good.  It isn't that we have to get our act together, start being awesome and Jesus-y, and then God will accept us.  The change, the transformation, the metamorphosis, must come from within and work its way out.

I find it very interesting that "Peninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable...especially when the family went to the house of The Lord." What?!  So when the family went to church, that is when they ridiculed and judged and hurt each other.  That makes no sense, so why are our church today often filled with judgment or a lack of kindness and compassion?  It's amazing how something so OLD can be relevent to THIS MOMENT.

Then, poor Hannah, she's praying and in anquish, basically worshiping The Lord in her own way and the priest starts judging her for the way she is connecting with God.  She was doing it in her own way, pouring out her heart, speaking with The Lord almighty, and this outsider thought she was crazy.  I know I'm guilty of this, judging people for how they connect with The Lord.  We have got to understand that prayer and worship are unique to each individual, and God is going to judge whether it is authentic or not, so we don't need to.

(Random side note:  Hannah feels better after she ate something...the first recording of emotional eating.  See?  Chocolate when you are sad IS biblical. Ha!)

There is so much to learn from Hannah!  She offers to The Lord what he had given her, realizing that her son, the one she agonized over, would not even live with her.  But, she gave him up to the service of The Lord anyway!  Then, in her song, she prays about "laughing at her enemies," which makes me wonder, who or what are her enemies?  She isn't in a battle, so her enemies must be internal.  But because of all she has been through, she can now laugh at those emotions pulling her down, those internal words of self-loathing, the frustrations that she felt.  We all have internal enemies that are fighting against us, but it is The Lord that helps us to defeat them and be glad.  She continues by saying that God gives strength to those who stumble--does this mean that we are GOING to stumble? that God will ALLOW us to stumble? that one of the ways he blesses us is THROUGH our stumblings?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Life is going to trip us up from time to time, whether as a result of our own emotions or thoughts, or as a result of someone else's choices.  Either way, God cares about our growth, and one of the ways he has deemed beneficial, is to teach us during times of trials.  But what will be the outcome of those nasty times in life?  Growth, laughing at our enemies, blessings from God.  It will be worth it if we stick close to The Lord.  And then one of her final thoughts that is so true and so tough:  "We cannot win a victory by our own strength." We NEED God.  We NEED his love.  We NEED his grace, mercy, peace, hope, forgiveness, friendship, guidance...to win the victory over sin in this life.  Are you feeling like this is a dark time?  Feeling lonely?  Maybe what you need is not more money, more friends, more romance, more time, but what you really, truly, absolutely need is God.  More of him.

This psalm talks about not caring so much about wealth.  We "can never pay God enough to stay alive forever and safe from death," meaning that we can't do or give or bargain with him enough to get a free ticket to heaven.  Later in the psalm it completes this thought:  "But God will resuce me from the power of death." God does, gives, rescues.  A continuation from earlier thoughts: God is the one who saves us, we can't save ourselves through money, good living, sneaking in the back way...that is just not how it works.  We need to recognize that it is all about God's grace and has nothing to do with our own strength or personality or qualifications.  This is so great because I'm not sure that without God's grace I would qualify.

Day 123: The Pure Gospel

Acts 26:1-18; Ruth 3-4; Psalm 48

"And by faith in me they will become part of God's holy people." This is what Jesus told Paul, and what Paul is sharing with the court.  It is faith that makes us a member of God's family; it is believing in who Jesus says he is; it is trust that his death and resurrection covers our sins.  If anyone tries to make you or me think that we have to go on a mission, give so much money, be a better person, live a certain way, follow a certain rule--then they are not following the teaching of Jesus Christ.  You don't have to be a better, nicer, cleaner, smarter person to be accepted into The Lord's family.  All you have to do is believe, not with your head, but completely with your heart and soul, that Jesus is Lord and he saved you from your sins on the cross.  He was completely God and completely man.  THAT is what the gospel is.  Sometimes as Christians, we feel like we aren't doing enough to serve or love The Lord.  That may be true if we are just sitting on our bum, keeping all our money to ourselves, and being a jerk to people.  But, you don't HAVE to do anything for the Lord's saving grace to cover your sins.  What happens is when a person has truly believed in the message of Jesus, they are transformed.  Then, a life of generosity, service, and love follow.

The  story of Ruth and Boaz is such an uplifting story in the middle of the Old Testament.  People are doing things honorably!  Finally! But we have to remember that not long before this, Naomi and Ruth were facing dark times--their husbands had died and they had no means to provide or support themselves.  But God had a plan.  And they were blessed.  I love the part at the end of chapter four, where the people are blessing Boaz and saying that they hope that the children of this marriage will be famous.  It's like they were prophetic, because, from this line came King David and ultimately Jesus.

There's so much more I could write about Ruth and Boaz:  how she was respected and must have lived her life beautifully for people to think that; how Boaz was a man who fiercly protected those under his care; how they respected each other and remained pure before they married; how they do things the honorable way.  May we live our lives in a way that people know of us for our belief in The Lord and the humble way we live our lives.

This psalm just reminds me that even though people are going to try to attack the things of the Lord, God is more powerful.  We have got to have faith, complete faith, that The Lord has good plans and that he is mighty enough to carry them through to completion, no matter how hopeless or terrible the circumstances appear to be.

Day 122: Compounding

Acts 25; Ruth 1-2; Psalm 47

Naomi is really depressed; she feels hopeless, lost, rejected, abandoned, empty.  When I read this story, I always try to compare myself to Ruth, but as I think about this woman, Naomi, I cannot help but see myself at times.  When life gets tough, I do this thing Austin has termed, "compounding." I may have had a rough day at work, but when I get home, instead of just relaxing and trying to be at peace, I start being upset about everything else:  the dogs being obnoxious, my wardrobe not being complete, my wimpy hobbies, how horrible I feel at being a wife...and it just goes on and on.  I "compound" one thing upon another until I feel like my whole life is hopeless (all in the span of about 10 minutes).  I'm like Naomi/Mara, I feel as though God has abandoned me, and he might as well, because I see myself as a hopeless cause.  Yes, Naomi had a rough life--her husband and sons had died--but Naomi compounded those losses by trying to make herself even lonelier, sending Orpah and Ruth away.  Thankfully, Naomi had someone to be there with her in her struggle, just like I have my wonderful husband to be there in my struggle.  Ruth gives Naomi something to hang on to, some light of hope.  I pray that you can regonize a godly person in your life that can be your confidante, your support when you are facing times and feelings like Naomi.  We all need those people.

What I like about this first part of Ruth's story, is that the good she did was not unnoticed.  This woman wasn't even a part of the tribe of Israel, and yet she had a good heart.  I think as Christians, we sometimes think that if we are not preaching to all our friends and coworkers, that we aren't doing our Christian duty.  But Ruth, she didn't have to belong to the church or even say anything and her goodness was noticed.  It just makes me think that as followers of Christ, yes, we need to share the message of Jesus verbally, but our actions should speak even more loudly of him:  compassion, generosity, grace, forgiveness, loyalty.  Those things will get people's attention in this world, just they they got Ruth attention in the Israelite nation.

This psalm is all about praise.  Singing praises and worshiping God--those things should not just be something we do on Sundays, but they should be the attitude of our heart from the moment we wake until we fall alsleep.  God is an awesome and loving God, and for that, we should praise him with every beat of our heart.

Day 121: Felix Likes the Idea but not Commitment

Acts 24:10-27; Judges 21; Psalm 46

Why does Felix become frightened when Paul talks about doing right, self-control, and the judgment?  Have you ever met someone who says they are a Christian, but as soon as you start talking about tithing, sacrificing, volunteering, they shut down and don't want anything to do with it?  I think Felix was a man who liked the idea of Jesus, he just didn't like the sacrifice and discipline that Christ expects from us. He wasn't willing to give it all; instead, he just wanted it to be all about himself.  There is a lot about a relationship with God that is about us:  The Lord wants to give us grace, peace, and forgiveness.  But, in order to receive those things fully, we have to sacrifice our will, our desires, our grudges, and our pride.  That's not easy, and that is what Felix was frightened about--that he would have to give something up to follow The Lord.  But here's the reality, giving up those things to God, yes it may be hard at first, but what God gives to replace those things is beautiful.  He gives us joy, wisdom, compassion, and his Holy Spirit.  Those things and more, without question, outweigh anything we could have to sacrifice to follow Jesus.  What do we still need to give up in order to follow The Lord completely?

The Israelites had just defeated a whole tribe with the help of God.  He had provided for them in so many ways.  And then they begin to worry that the tribe will be wiped out because there are no women for them to have as wives.  Do they really think that God would let a tribe of his people die out if he promised that they wouldn't?  Is God limited by such things?  These men lacked faith in God to provide and fulfill his promise.  God will come through.  If there is something that seems like it will be a hindrance, a problem, we need to have faith that God can overcome it.

God is a mighty fortress, ready to help in our times of trouble.  We need not be afraid of our future.  If you have a relationship with The Lord, then you can know that God wants to give you good things, he wants to bless you abundantly, you just have to make sure you aren't standing in the way.  And if you don't have a relationship with The Lord, I challenge you to consider it.  God is so good, but he cannot pour out wonderful things until you allow him.  May God's great protection surround all of us as we live and serve him.

Day 120: The Danger of Apathy

Acts 23:23-24:9; Judges 20; Psalm 45

This story of the man and his "wife" in Judges from yesterday's reading really makes me sick.  Then he goes to the other tribes and tells them the not-so-exact truth.  They wanted to kill him and instead raped and killed his wife?  He threw his wife to the brutal, sick men.  Unfortunately, he failed to mention that disgraceful part at the meeting.  Why?  Because as humans, our desire is to protect ourselves.  We may see how people are being destroyed, heck, we may even try to run faster so that the slower ones get caught. Plain and simple:  this is not what God wants.  That man could have refused, on all accounts, to give in to the sexual sin facing him that day.  He could have protected the weak, rather than allow her to be victimized and killed.  One thing that I notice in my classroom and in the environment around me, is this infective attitude of apathy--people just don't care.  Well people, we need to get up and start caring.  God's heart is for the poor, the weak, the fatherless, the widows.  This man was wrong in the way he acted; he combated sin with apathy and a person ended up dead.  For a long time I ignored the issues of pain and destruction around me.  It's a lot of work to fix what is broken in our society, and on some accounts seems impossible.  But who is God, if not the doer of the impossible?  Let us consider what state our heart is in:  are we apathetic about the victims in our societies, in our own neighborhoods?  Or, are we willing to step up, get involved, put our hands in the messy stuff of life, in order to refuse and fight sin?

As per normal, one person's decision in scripture leads to thousands of lives effected.  The Israelites go to battle.  God blesses them, but wait, they get beat not once, not twice, but three times they are pushed back, the bodies of their brothers a strewn across the battlefield, and they retreat back to their home.  How is that a blessing from God?  Sometimes, as believers and followers of The Lord, we expect success, not just later, but immediately.  If we aren't given a sign or a blessing right away, we assume its wrong and give up and move on.  The Israelites asked God over and over, "do we keep fighting?" and God kept saying "yes!"  Thousands of people were dead, the men were exhausted from battle, it must have seemed hopeless, but God gave them hope, they were obedient and pressed on through the dark times, and ultimately they were victorious.  God wants to bless us.  He wants to lead us to success.  But sometimes, that success, those blessings, the outcomes we are looking for, are further away than what feels comfortable.  May we trust in The Lord God Almighty to provide and lead us to good things, even if we have to trudge or fight through the darkness first.

This psalm is cool.  It sounds like a wedding, but there is a section that makes me think it could also serve as a metaphor.  It talks about the Bride, forgetting her family and ignoring their temptations of precious treasures, that she needs to do the desires of her husband.  The Bride is the Church, the Husband is our Lord, and the "family" is the world.  The world will try to tempt believers away from the truths and calling of God with things that look beautiful but are worthless.  The thing that matters is this Bride's marriage to her Husband, our relationship and fatihfulness to God.

Day 119: Sexual Compromise

Acts 22:30-23:22; Judges 19; Psalm 44

This story in Judges is horrifying.  The woman could have been his actual wife, or more of a slave, but no matter what, this story reveals that sexual immorality is not new.  When the man and this woman reach the town, an old man lets them stay in his home.  From their conversation and origins we could say they were followers of the Lord or “Christians.” However, in this town, there was much corruption, evil, and compromise.  When the men wanted to have sex with the guest, they refused to let that happen.  It isn’t that they thought it was wrong, it was just that he was a guest, and that wouldn’t be acceptable.  (What?!)  So instead, they offer the woman to be beaten and raped instead in order to protect themselves.  What kind of man would offer his daughter to such brutality?  There is no doubt that the world has, for a long time, been saturated with sexual sin.  This twenty-first century that we live in is not something new or different.  But again, the theme comes up:  compromise.  Instead of resisting the evil completely, they resist it for themselves, but throw someone else under the bus.  These men who claimed to be followers of Christ did not protect those who were supposed to be under their protection.  We as believers have to think differently:  all people need protection because the world we live in his evil.  We need to protect ourselves from falling into sin, and we need to help protect one another from compromising too.

So how do we go about protecting ourselves from this world of sin?  Hide out in a hole, and not coming out ever?  No. What we do is trust in the Lord, follow his commands, immerse ourselves in his Truth, and surround ourselves with people who are doing the same.  As it says in the psalm, God fought for us, it isn’t our own strength that saves us, but God’s mighty power.

Day 118: Doing it Anyway

Acts 21:37-22:29; Judges 17-18; Psalm 43

Paul speaks his testimony beautifully.  And?  The crowd hurls threats and insults at him.  Wait a second, I thought that if we were faithful to share how God saves, then people would be saved!  The reality is, people have a choice:  you can choose to share the gospel or not, and people can choose to accept it or not.  If that is frustrating sometimes, imagine how God feels about our freedom to choose sometimes.  He may give us the perfect opportunity to serve or love on someone and we choose to be selfish; he may give us the exact thing we need to stay out of sin, but we choose to ignore it.  Of course it is disheartening!  Imagine how Paul must have felt, knowing that this crowd may be the one that kills him, even though he spoke his testimony.  We are called to obedience, not success.  God will worry about the outcome, we just need to have the discipline to follow his lead.

Micah's story is an interesting one.  He steals from his mother, then stands by while she makes an idol.  Then he allows it in his house, accepting the compromise of faith in God, even though he hires a priest. Then, when something good happens (The tribe takes the idols) he rushes to get them back.  Micah and his priest were so misguided.  They thought they were worshipping The Lord, they even went to church to prove it, but the reality was, something else was more important than God.  Even the priest, who should have destroyed Micah's idols, runs off the the tribe because he wants to pastor a bigger church, thinking it will bring him more glory.  This story is so similar to what happens today.  People think they are worshipping God, or they pretend to do so, but in their whole life there is compromise which leads to sin.  People want bigger and better stuff, they want more recognition, but none of that is about God.  I know that I need to work on humbling myself before The Lord, truly worshipping him and nothing or no one else.  I need to stop chasing the recognition my sin nature thinks I need.  May we all learn to focus on the one true God and remain true in our worship and love.

Day 117: Real Risk

Acts 21:1-36; Judges 16; Psalm 42

Followers of Christ should be willing to risk everything for The Lord.  Paul said he was willing to risk jail time and death--but in our nation, those aren't really our risk.  I think we believe we would be willing to die for God, and that is incredibly noble.   Yes, death would be the ultimate sacrifice and God would be proud if we stood up for our faith and had to lose our life like Paul and the other apostles did; but the truth is, that isn't the reality in America.  What do we have to risk?  Would we be willing to risk our reputation for The Lord?  Would we be willing to risk our friendships for Jesus? Would we be willing to risk our job for the message of God? We seem to live this duplicitous life where we say that we would "give it all up for The Lord!" but in reality, we are unwilling to share about our faith for fear of being judged by others.  What real "risk" is that?  That our neighbor might think we are weird?  How can that even compare to the sacrifice of Paul, the other apostles, or of our Lord?  I'll be the first to admit, I do sometimes wimp out, even though I say that I love The Lord with all my heart and am willing to sacrifice everything.  But am I really?  Are we really?

I'm sure Samson has some redeeming qualities, but man, he frustrates me.  I think it is because it seems so evident that he is compromising and setting himself up from trouble.  He falls in love with a woman who nags and pesters him.  He lets her tie him up (what?!).  Even after she has tricked him, he still gives in.  You would think that he would realize that this woman does not love him and is not trustworthy, but he continues to be with her, and eventually tell her the one thing that leads to his ruin.  His life of compromise lead to his end:  he had lots his eyes, was a slave to his enemy, and was abandoned by God.  Was this something he could have seen coming?  Absolutely.  But he was too caught up with the women in his life.  For us, it could be any distraction that could lead to our destruction:  technology, substances, work, relationships, self.  These things, when placed before God in our lives, can ruin us and separate us from The Lord.  However, Samson's life wasn't all a waste.  After grinding grain for who knows how many months or years (long enough for his hair to grow back), he realized that God had left him and why God had left him.  Imagine how hopeless he would have felt.  Without his eyes, he saw it:  he had compromised his relationship with God.  And in that final moment of his life, he prayed and asked God for one last bit of strength so that he could carry out his duty to protect Israel from the Philistines.  And what did God do?  Like the loving God he is, he answered Samson's prayer, and was probably proud of him for learning and humbling himself.  Samson's story is sad.  I hope that we learn from him not to trade our relationship with The Lord for anything.

Day 116: Silly Samson

Acts 20:17-38; Judges 14-15; Job 42

Paul's words in this chapter in Acts are a beautiful reminder for believers even today.  He talks about how he had trouble, but he remained humble and focused on his mission of spreading the good news to the world.  He says that he knows there is trouble to come, but he will continue to work to finish the plan that God had for him.  We must understand that we will have trouble; God's love does not protect us from tough times.  Because we are believers and have a message that is so radical, we are stepping into a lion's den.  He tells the believers to be kind, not take more than is theirs, and help the weak.  So awesome.

Samson sort of annoys me.  He was set apart by God, given great strength and ability to be a leader, but he continually whines and compromises what is right.  He whines to his parents about a girl, touches dead things when he is not supposed to, reacts out of anger or frustration, and still expects God to care for him.  Surely he was aware of the wrong he was doing, but he sounds like he is too arrogant to care or to think that it will come back and affect him.  Each of us has a calling upon our lives.  God wants to do something awesome in and with our lives.  However, by compromising on what we know is right, we set ourselves up for consequences down the road.  God wants a humble and discerning people that he can use to their full potential.  When we compromise and respond with emotion rather than faith, we, in some ways, reject God's plan for our lives. May we not be like Samson, arrogant and careless, but instead be people of The Lord who are humble and conscious of the ways God is working in our lives.

God wants to bless us!  Believe it or not, he wants to pour out his goodness in your life.  But, sometimes we have to go through rough circumstances to teach us about God.  God can use those challenging times to equip us with the humility and wisdom that can then be used to help others.  God's plan is so much greater than we can imagine, so when bad things happen in our lives, we must try to remember that God can use even this for good.

Day 115: Can You Catch a Sea Monster?

Acts 20:1-16; Judges 13; Job 41

Samson had a calling on his life:  God had chosen him to be born and belong to him because he had a job for Samson to do.  First, I think it is interesting how God told Manoah and his wife the news, and they were to begin the work that God had for Samson.  Then, it is also interesting that the angel told them that Samson would "begin" the work to set Israel free.  Was he not going to see it through to completion?  I think it is true that God chooses people to fulfill certain roles in his kingdom.  How do we know what those are?  We listen to the Holy Spirit whispering in our heart.  Sometimes there is not even an audible voice, but simply a feeling or a decision. I also think that sometimes God calls us to do something, like start a ministry, help a family, create a project, that we will never get to finish.  That can be frustrating.  If I start something, I intend to finish it.  But that was not what God had in store for Samson.  He says that he will "begin" it, not finish it.  Each of us has a role to play in God's kingdom.  Some of us are starters, seed planters, door openers; others of us are the middle people, the waterers, the carry-it-through; and still others are the finishers, harvesters, completers.  I used to think that because I wasn't a finisher I wasn't as valuable; but I have realized that my role is often to plant a seed, give someone a nudge to get going, help them at the beginning of their journey.  I may never know what they end up doing, but I simply have to do my job to be there at the beginning.  What is your place?  Are you satisfied there or are you trying to do more than God intended you to do?

The title in my bible of this chapter of Job is "Can You Catch a Sea Monster?" I'm really feeling a children's book coming out of that one!  I have no idea what monster God is referring to.  First I was thinking Nessy, the Loch Ness; then I was thinking a dragon; but then I thought, what about an alligator?  However, whatever it is and whomever decides to turn it into a children's book, the point is that God is above and more powerful than even this terrifying creature--don't mess around with either.  The big question that comes out of Job for me is "who am I to challenge The Lord?"  God is so much more powerful and has wisdom beyond our comprehension that to question him or second-guess him is ridiculous.  He knows and can do anything and what he decides is best.  Even if that means sending the sea monster.

Day 114: Big Bad Promises

Acts 19:21-41; Judges 11:34-12:15; Job 40

Jephthah made a promise, a big promise.  How terrible he mut have felt when his daughter came rushing to him after the battle.  I bet he regretted the promise he made.  Did he need to make that promise in order that God would help him?  We will never know.  How bad would God have punished him if he had not kept his promise? That's hard to say.  But this story shows us that we should not bargin or  make promises to God that we cannot keep.  Don't tell God that you are never going to sin in that way again, or that you would give this in order that he would give you that.  God is a serious God and his word is powerful.  He holds us to the standard of his son, Jesus, so making a bargin with God means that he expects us to carry that out.

Jephthah response, however, proves that he held God above all else in his life.  It is hard to grasp, but however much we love our family, we need to love God more.  We need to be willing to make them mad, desert them, go against their will, or in Jephthah's case sacrifice them, if that is what God calls us to do.  Now, I don't think God wants us to make those bargains or those sacrifices.  So don't go to your little sibling who annoys the heck out of you and say that God told you to sacrfice them and since you love God you have to.  That is NOT what I'm saying.  But, Jephthah was willing to sacrifice anything for The Lord, and in our hearts, we need to be willing to sacrifice anything for God: our time, money, relationships, career.

Day 113: Reasons People Believe

Acts 19:1-20; Judges 10:1-11:33; Job 39

God's message, Jesus Christ, is powerful and people are going to believe for all different types of reasons or be convinced in all different types of ways.  Some people will accept salvation without really understanding what it is or how faith works.  Others will accept Jesus out of fear; while others will believe not because of the goodness of the message, but because of the evilness around them.  Paul's story shows these different types of people.  Now, is it wrong how some of them made their decision?  Is their faith real because of the way they believed?  I don't know that I can make that call.  The first group who had believed but didn't understand was baptised again because now they understood (I think of my brother).  Then, others believed out of fear, but who is to say that that is wrong except for God?  The fact that the message is being heard and people are being saved, that s what matters.

Family can sometimes be wonderful, and sometimes brutal.  Jephthah had been rejected by his family and sent away because of his father's decision and his mother's profession (prostitute).  Instead of welcoming him in because of their related blood, they kicked him out because they found him undesireable.  He ended up saving them in war.  I hope that we can be loving and accepting of our families because God gave us them for a reason.

Day 112: Say No to Say Yes

Acts 18; Judges 9; Job 38

I never knew that Acts was so full of help on living as a follower of Christ.  I mostly remembered it as a chronicling of Paul's travels.  From this chapter, it teaches that we have to be willing to follow God's calling for our lives above everything, even our church.  The Syrian church wanted Paul to stay, in fact they begged him.  There are a lot of churches out there with a lot of needs.  Sometimes, they beg people to help.  Paul understood that his purpose was not to stay in one location, that God had called him to continue to travel to reach many churches, not just one.  Did he hurt their feelings?  Probably.  Where some of them frustrated or sad?  For sure.  Was it difficult for Paul to say 'no'?  Of course.  The church always needs help with the little kids.  They are wonderful and cute, but I'm definitely not going to be the first one to raise my hand to volunteer.  I don't have much experience and God seems to always call me to work with older kids.  I might have to say 'no' to some things in order to keep the door open for the other things that God really wants me to do.

Abimelech was in charge for three years before God decided to punish him.  I'm sure the people were wondering where God was and why he was waiting so long.  It can be frustrating and disheartening when God doesn't move as quickly as we think he should.  But, God is a God of justice and he doesn't miss anything. We can have faith that he will protect or punish as only The Lord of the Universe knows.
 
This chapter of Job reminds us of just how awesome our Lord is.  We are just lowly tenants on this great big mass of God's creation.  And yet, The Lord cares for each and every one of us; that should make you feel very special.

Day 111: A Little is Best

Acts 17:16-34; Judges 7-8; Job 37

Things are not so different today from the time of Paul in Athens.  People are pursuing all sorts of other things, some of them aren't even bad or evil things!  The Stoics were trying to live self-controled lives, a very valuable trait to have; the Epicurians were seeking happiness, which in an of itself is good.  People today pursue relationships, career success, happiness, and even peace, all of which are good, but they will not bring salvation and will not be fulfilling to the soul.  Paul didn't write these people off just because they scoffed at him.  He met them where they were and offered them Truth in the midst of their mis-guided lives.  It is important however, that he did not judge them or make fun of them for their beliefs.  He had compassion on these people and spoke that way.

I think it is so awesome that God tells Gideon to keep reducing his army.  Bigger is not necessarily better in God's eyes.  God wants to do much with the little we have.  Sometimes I feel like I don't have much to offer--I'm not super skilled at any one thing.  I do okay at this and that, but all God wants is my faithfulness.  If I doubt that God will use the little I have to offer, then I am doubting God's power.  If he can make the universe from nothing, he can draw out great things from you and me.

The only bummer part about Gideon's story is that he and the people of Israel forget about what God has done for them.  Gideon seems fairly weak-minded anyway and he and his family get roped into worshipping some other god.  After his experiences, Gideon should have stepped up; but how often do we, too, forget the great things God has done and revert back to our wimpy, timid selves?  Being bold to stand up for what we believe is hard--I can't even guarantee that I can do it all the time--but I pray that we can learn to not succumb to the pressure of disobedience from our friends or even family, despite their good intentions.

For almost 37 whole chapters, Job and his friends have been arguing, lamenting, complaining.  They are having this wonderfully philosophical conversation about God--questioning him, considering his ways.  And God?  He has spent almost 37 chapters just hanging out, listening to these men who think they know it all.  Sometimes, God seems like he has left the building, that he doesn't care, and isn't paying attention.  But, the truth is, God is here, we just have to shut up long enough to hear from him.  So the next time we are tempted to question God, to speak and beg for an answer, why don't we just close our mouths and open our hearts so that he can whisper his life-giving truths to us.

Day 110: Poor Mister Gideon

Acts 17:1-15; Judges 6; Job 36

The ways that people tear down Jesus Christ and his followers should not surprise us.  During Paul's time, Pharisees got some bums on the street to riot, they pulled people from their homes, they demanded money, they made up lies...it was brutal.  These Pharisees followed the apostles from town to town, like mini tornadoes, causing destruction in their wake.  How frustrating it must have been for Paul and Silas!  What did they do?  Well, in these passages, they simply keep moving forward, focused on their mission and sold out for their purpose.  They didn't delay their trip so they could turn around and fight back or hurl "holy insults." Maybe there was a time that that would be the case, but in these few verses, Paul and Silas just stay focused on where they are and the message they are preaching.

I know that when I face opposition to Jesus, I sometimes want to stop, recover, hide, send someone else, and then maybe crawl out of my hole in the ground.  But that's not what followers of Christ are supposed to do.  Christ did not back down against the mockery and pain.  The apostles didn't delay because of the riots and threats.  Twenty-first century Christians, I believe, can and should stay focused on the message and the mission, not on giving attention to those who which to destroy and delay the gospel.

The story of Gideon being chosen sort of makes me laugh.  Here is Gideon working in his fields, and angel shows up, and Gideon complains about God.  God then, seeing that he's the topic of conversation, steps in and tells Gideon he is going to be awesome.  But Gideon isn't so sure.  Then he realizes he is having a conversation with someone he can't see, so he tells God, hang on, let me check.  Once the sacrifice has gone up in smoke, Gideon realizes, "Oh crap, that WAS God.  I'm toast."  Just the exchange between Gideon and God is so real.  There isn't some holy conversation or 6 syllable words and a prayer offered.  Gideon is just telling God how he feels as God is telling him the plan for his life, and then he realizes that God is way more powerful that he had given him credit for.
But, Gideon probably had a point:  who am I to do great and marvelous things?  I've thought the same thing before.  I'm just me, 5'2", 20-something, who lives in a small town, with just a little money, can sorta write, sorta sing, sorta teach, and I'm slightly shy.  What great stuff could I accomplish?  Well, if truth be told, nothing--unless The Lord Almighty is in it.

Gideon is the wimpiest person this side of the New Testament.  All he does is hide, run from public notice, question God's plans...wait a second, that's me!  At one point or another, I think all of us have questioned God's path for our life.  We ask, "God, are you sure that's where you want me to go?" or "I know that is where you have lead me, but just give me one more sign so that I can be sure" or "Instead of standing up in front of everyone, can I do it when no one is looking?" AND YET, despite all of Gideon's fears and objections, God does great things through Gideon.  If God can use Gideon, then he can use you and me.

Day 109: He's Right There

Acts 16:16-40; Judges 4-5; Job 35

This story of Paul and Silas is so cool!  First, I wonder if Paul was supposed to hollar at the spirit in the girl.  He did it out of frustration, which may or may not have been a good idea, but there's a catch.  Look at the result of their struggles:  another family came to faith in Christ.  Had Paul and Silas not been beaten and thrown in jail, that jailer would not have known The Lord.  Perhaps even the other prisoners there put their faith in God (there is no record of such things, but that doesn't mean that it didn't happen).  All of that for one family?  Couldn't they have just visited with them in the marketplace, without all the beating and jail time? I think what it comes down to is that it is in our struggles, hurts, difficulties that we can most effectively demonstrate God's hope and his grace.  I bet this jailer had never guarded men who sang beautiful praises to The Lord all night long.  I bet he had never heard of prisoners not escaping the first chance they got.  And he probably wouldn't have believed that his prisoners, ones he may have even whipped himself, would stop him from killing himself.  If I was the jailer, I would have thought, "who are these guys?" and "I want what they have." Which is exactly what he got.

God is so gracious to his people.  For as long as the Israelites were being ruled by a foreign nation, God rescued them and let them live in peace for two or three times as long.  God didn't enjoy having them suffer, but their actions had consequences. The Lord, who is merciful, wanted (and wants) to bless his people more than he wants to see them struggle.

Whoa, who would have thought that the things in scripture are relevant today? (Sarcasm, by the way.)  In Job 35, Elihu says that people, "In times of trouble, everyone begs the might God to have mercy. But after their Creator helps them through hard time, they forget about him."  I can't help but think of the cry of people during tragedies:  "where was God?!"  Where was God during Hurricane Sandy last October when thousands of people lost their houses?  Where was God when 26 teachers and children lost their lives in the shooting?  Where was God when a young person decided to do drugs, beat someone up, take their own life?  Christians, but especially, or even more so, those that are not Christians, love to ask "where was God?" in those difficult times.  But then, when stuff is good and we are successful, it doesn't matter where God is because no one needs him.  I know that I don't want a faith that only cries out to God when I'm facing difficult circumstances.  I don't want to just blame him for his absence when I "need him most." I want a faith that through the storms, when I'm drowning in life's mess, or when I'm successful and at peace, I give him praise.  I want to trust in The Lord no matter what and worship him no matter what. So maybe the next time you hear someone ask after some tragedy "where was God?" you can say, "same place he has always been."  He is right there.

Day 108: Our Will vs. God's Will

Acts 16:1-15; Judges 2-3; Job 34

Did you know, that sometimes the plans we have for ourselves are not the same plans that God has for us?  Shocking, I know.  I think we understand that God's will reigns and that he has beautiful plans for us, and they may not line up with ours.  We believe that in our minds, but when the rubber meets the road, I think we fight that a little, especially when the plans don't make sense.  Perhaps you planned on marrying well and being a stay-at-home parent, but now God is calling you to work; or maybe you are working your tail off, but God is calling you to be a stay-at-home parent.  Maybe you planned on being an engineer, lawyer, chemist, but God keeps calling you to social work or ministry.  Maybe you planned on living there, but for some reason you just can't make it happen and are living here.  Paul and his friends were trying to spread the love and message of Jesus--it isn't like they were going against God's will.  Sometimes we feel like we are doing the right thing--serving the church, giving money, helping that person--but like the apostles, for some reason it just didn't work.  God had different plans.  Did the apostles fight it?  Maybe a little.  But at the same time, they trusted in the Holy Spirit to lead them and the Father's great plan.

Here it is, the answer I was looking for:  God told the people to destroy the nations that lived in the promised land, not make treaties with them or let them just hang out.  Maybe the Israelites were trying to be compassionate, a noble quality, but they were disobeying the God Almighty.  They reason they were to destroy those nations was because they would "be there to trap" them into worshipping idols.  The Israelites compromised with the world, they didn't follow through on the calling for their life, and so they would suffer the consequences.  As believers, it isn't that we are supposed to destroy everyone who doesn't believe the same, but we are called to live our lives differently, completely contrary to the world's expectations and standards.  Compromise is disobedience to God.  Now I don't mean compromise always, it is good to work to agreements at work, with friends, etc., but I'm talking the kind of compromise that waters down the gospel, God's message, our faith, our beliefs.  The Israelites compromised their relationship with God and his plan for them and so they lost his blessing.  It was a tragic day.

Why did the next generation not know anything about The Lord?  Where was the parental guidance, teaching, admonishment? I'm not a parent yet, but I know that I want to raise my children in the ways of The Lord.  Will they be perfect little disciples?  I wish, but I know they have free will, and I know that God will work in their lives if I am faithful to plant those seeds and show what living a life for Christ looks like.  

Day 107: Extra Stuff

Acts 15:1-21; Joshua 23-24; Job 32

There were people who thought there should be extra rules for new believers of Jesus.  The people from Judea and the Pharisees thought that in order for "those people" to be saved, they should have to do more or sacrifice more.  They wanted there to be rituals, rites, processes, programs to make people saved.  That kind of reminds me of the church today:  this one says you have to be baptised now, another says then; this one feels this way about communion, another believes that; this one feels this way about music and dancing, that one says something else.  I guess I understand why the church has different forms of worship or service, and I'm sure it isn't a big deal, but isn't the whole point that Jesus saves us through faith?  There isn't anything you can do to earn it or make yourself MORE holy.  Trust me, I've tried.  I have this problem:  I'm a perfectionist and am very hard on myself.  Faith and grace are perfect for countering that.  I know I am saved because I put my trust in Jesus long ago, and that no matter how many holy things I do or how many times I mess up, I'm just as loved today as I was then and will be when I die.  That takes the perfectionism and throws it right out the window.  That's what Paul and Peter were saying in this passage:  you don't have to do anything extra to be saved, faith is all it takes because Jesus' grace is big enough.

So contrast this with what Joshua says:  "Be sure that you carefully obey EVERYTHING written in The Book of the Law of Moses and do exactly what it says."  Last time I checked, that was a big book.  Without the salvation extended by Jesus, people are left trying to do things to earn their favor with God. That would be an exhausting and hopeless existence; living each day thinking that you are not enough to get close to your maker.

The people of Israel were being called to worship The Lord and only him.  Joshua reminded them of all God had done for them and that they could serve no one or nothing else.  I think one of my idols is success, or recognition, or perfection.  It is that belief that I've got it goin' on.  I need to kill that idol and humbly worship The Lord.  I hope and pray that you choose to overcome the idols in your life, whether living, materialistic, or internal.

Day 106: Paul & Barnabus

Acts 14; Joshua 22; Job 31

Paul and Barnabus face all sorts of difficulties.  First, people get angry at them, then they try to stone them, then people try to worship them instead of God, then they do stone them, and finally they head back to the church.  That is a rough week.  But these two never give up.  They preach about God's kindness in the midst of hatred.  They share about God's miracles in the midst of controversy.  They stand tall with courage and retaliate in love in the midst of persecution. I've never been threatened for my life because of my faith, and part of me hopes I never am.  However, I know I could face ridicule, controversy, hatred, rejection for it.  I hope and pray that I am like Paul and Barnabus in the midst of their journey:  being faithful and strong in The Lord, no matter what the circumstances.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad built an altar because they were worried about what future generations would say.  I suppose that makes sense.  Part of life and faith is about passing on the message of Jesus, and grandparents and parents often pass on things to remind the younger generations of who they are.  I pray that when I become a grandparent, I would be able to pass on a legacy of devotion and faith in The Lord.

The other thing that sort of stands out in this story is how quickly the rest of the tribes were to investigate what they thought was disobedience.  They were ready to wipe out their ancestors if they were disobeying God.  Today, we need to be quick to remove the sin in our lives and assist in removing sin from the lives of our family and friends.  This doesn't mean we go around accusing people of their sin, but that when someone is struggling, we pray for them, help to keep them accountable, pour out love and truth for them.

Day 105: I, You, Take, Everywhere

Acts 13:26-52; Joshua 20-21; Job 30

What an awesome example of the boldness of Christ's disciples.  Paul and Barnabus shared the saving message of Jesus and the people were hungry for more.  These people, many who were religious, felt the need for something more, truth that was Truth, because the rest of their lives had been incomplete.  They were left parched by their ways and the message of Jesus was like ever-filling water. However, it is not difficult to predict that where there is good, there is also an invasion of evil.  The Pharisees were jealous.  One striking difference between the followers of Christ and these pious men was their concern for others.  Jealousy is evidence that there is concern only for the self.  Jesus' apostles were willing to risk themselves for the sake of their message, which is the opposite of selfishness.  If we are going to be witnesses of Christ and true disciples of him, we need to adopt that selfless attitude.  It isn't all about us.  (Speaking of that, if you get the chance to read the book It's Not About Me by Max Lucado, I would TOTALLY recommend it.  I've got it if you want to borrow it!)

The other thing that I find totally awesome about this story is the message that Paul reveals from God: "I have placed you here as a light for the Gentiles.  You are to take the saving power of God to the people everywhere on earth."  So why are we stuck in our churches?  What about that says have good church programs?  Why am I sometimes afraid to speak about my faith to those who don't have it?
A few words stand out to me:  I...You...take...everywhere.  God is the beginning of it all.  The Lord is the one who thought us up, made us, sent us, blessed us, protected us, loved us, saved us.  It all begins at The Lord's heart.  It comes from his hands and will return to his hands!  Hallelujah! Second, the sending mechanism is us.  God didn't send angels, unicorns, or talking wombats.  We, us, humans, you and me, we are the agents by which his message and love is sent. It doesn't say "You are to stay" or "You are to plan" or "You are to sit."  The verse says "You are to take." Ugh.  That means work. I have to pick it up and go, move, share, give.  It is much easier to sit, plan, think, feel, talk.  Doing--there's the challenge.  But why is it so hard?  Isn't it because it risks something of myself?  I am setting myself up for criticism, judgment, ridicule, rejection.  Not pleasant.  I'd prefer to avoid such things because, well, they hurt. I try to tell myself over and over that none of that matters because someday I'll get to live in glorious splendor with The Lord Jesus Christ!  Yeah, but I get in the way of myself.  Take, go, share, give.  Got it. Then finally, where am I suppose to take this light?  Everywhere.  That's a lot of places.  If I start now, I'd probably only make it to Kentucky by the time I die.  Maybe as far as Ohio, but let's not push it.  :-)  So how does a person take something to everywhere?  If they have a team of course.  If each believer sought to share the light of Christ with the people just in their neighborhood, imagine how far we would get!  But the problem is that there are a lot of people like me, who are afraid to do the "taking" and so the neighborhoods around us don't get that light.  They continue in unnecessary darkness.

God, I know it starts with you and I thank you and praise you that you trust me to do the taking.  May we be bold about your message and work to take your message as far as we can.

I think it is interesting that the Israelites set up Safe Towns.  It makes me wonder if we have a concept like that today.  Are our churches safe places where people can run from judgement or persecution?  I know that some people have run from some churches because of the lack of protection it offered.  Hm.  Interesting.

At the end of chapter 21 of Joshua, it says that The Lord gave the Israelites the land, BUT there were still enemies and they had to go to war from time to time.  This is a perfect picture of life. God may bless us with peace in our lives, loving families, a solid job.  But, he doesn't guarantee that we won't have trials, hardships, battles.  However, he didn't leave the Israelites out to dry, and he won't leave us either.  That is such a reassuring thought.  As I sit here, I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed with all the stuff I have to do. My heart is racing and if didn't think it would freak out my dogs, I might just jump up and down and scream a little.  Life is hard sometimes.  God had given the Israelites the promised land, but they still had conflict and struggles.  Ok God, lead me through.

Job had it rough.  This particular chapter seems incredibly relevant.  When people insult and ridicule for my faith, I feel like I've been thrown in the dirt.  Then, I feel like I am dirt.  I may try to help others and that is great, but often I feel like dirt because no one is there to help.  If you feel like dirt, recognize that there is more to this story.  Please know in your heart that you are loved by God and in his sight you are more precious than the most beautiful stones on earth.  People treat people like dirt sometimes, but God loves you more than gold.

Day 104: False Prophets

Acts 13:1-25; Joshua 18-19; Job 29

Preaching the gospel of Jesus is not easy, simple, unopposed.  Like the story of Barnabus and Saul on the island of Cyprus, there was someone interested in the message of Jesus.  But at the same time, there was someone who was just a interested in destroying the message of Jesus. However, so often, Christians back down from challenges like that because we are afraid to offend, timid in struggles, and fear what people think.  Does Saul/Paul back out with his tail between his legs?  Um, no.  With the power of the Holy Spirit, he rebuked the man and sent a black mist over his eyes.  That's the stuff of Hollywood horror movies!  That's the next big movie that will come out:  Black Mist.  Besides all that, the point is, Saul/Paul feared not what this false prophet was saying nor his schemes to destroy the gospel.  Saul/Paul knew the truth and power of the message in his head and the spirit in his heart, and was sure and courageous.

The other thing that stands out to me is the fact that this man, Bar-Jesus, was not just some shlub off the street, but a "false prophet."  He was someone of decent standing, had knowledge of scriptural things (most likely) and was Jewish.  This man would have been considered a reputable source for the church.  However, the purpose of a false prophet is to turn people away from the sometimes-brutal truth of God.  There is usually something in it for them--think money, fame, followers, power.  Believers of Christ MUST be wary of false prophets and preachings.  ANYTHING that is NOT scriptural--meaning OLD and NEW Testament alone is false.  Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and worship of anyone or anything else, or a belief in any other way to get to heaven is wrong.  Is this hard to understand or frustrating for some?  Yep.  There are a lot of people out there who believe they are Christians, but do not believe what Jesus says about himself, or they believe that to say Jesus is the only way is narrow-minded.  Fine, if they won't listen to the truth, let them believe what they want, but as followers of The Lord, Jesus Christ, we must be sure to keep our minds pure from false teachings.

So what do all these tribes and towns and borders have to do with us?  Seriously, confession time:  it is hard not to just skim it, which is what I've done most of the time.  For people who are into geography and the history of the Israelites/Jewish people, I think it would be cool to map it out.  For someone like me, I think the point I can get from it is, God promised these people land, and here they are receiving it.  Each tribe got a plot of land that they could manage and live on.  God promises us a place in heaven, just like he promised these people a place.  What God promises, he comes through on.

Job:  he was at one time a man among men.  He followed The Lord, honored him, served people, and was well respected.  And everything he had done previously and all he had worked for was taken from him.  If that's not depressing, I don't know what is.  It stinks sometimes that life takes turns like that.  We think we have it all together, that God is going to bless us for the rest of our lives, that it can't get any better, and that troubles are far away.  But that's not life.  If someone hasn't faced struggles, then they simply have lived long enough.  Is it wrong to long for those times past when life was good?  No, I don't think so.  To not want to have a good, comfortable life would not be human.  We would love to have it easy and be blessed.  Do we sometimes want to suffer for The Lord?  Sure, it would show that we are doing something; but deep down I think we realize that a comfortable life would be easier.  However, reconizing that stuff is just stuff and that we go through seasons of life will help to get us through the rough times.

Day 103: The Angel Doesn't Stay Forever

Acts 12; Joshua 15-17;Job 28

God answers prayer. The people prayed constantly and God did the miraculous. How awesome must it have been for Peter to be trapped in a dark dungeon, see and angel, and walk out past the guards. It was so incredible that he didn't even believe it was real at first, until the angle left him. He didn't believe until the angel left him. Hm... Had the angel not come, Peter might have escaped in another way or perhaps The Lord would have orchestrated something else that set him free. But God sent in a powerful messenger, an amazing creature for a short time to help Peter out of a dark and deep situation. Then, when Peter was free from the things that bound him (not necessarily free from danger, mind you), the messenger of The Lord left him. He was then on his own to move forward or fall down in fear. Peter experienced a momentary glory of The Lord. It was a short time that he was close to the spirit of The Lord and had such an amazing experience, he believed it could not be real. Then, just as that moment was coming to a climax, he was left alone.

When I think about this story, it reminds me of my walk with The Lord. There will be times in my life when I feel God's presence very powerfully in my life. I feel as though I am walking with him and he is rescuing me from the dark places of my life. It is awesome to experience the freedom and forward movement in those times. But, the angel didn't stay with Peter forever--nor do those moment of incredible emotional or spiritual highs last. God watches over us always, but he doesn't lead us with an angel or with incredible obviousness all the time. Sometimes, I feel alone on this spiritual journey and have to decide if I am going to fall over right there and cry, or recognize where I am and keep moving forward.

I looked up the Jebusites, hoping to find some information on who they were and why they were there. Apparently, they lived in Jerusalem before it was Jerusalem. The Israelites were supposed to destroy them and eliminate them from the promised land--but didn't. I'm not sure why, and most of the sources I visited said that there is very little information on them. It is the same thing with the Caananites. So...perhaps they were groups that Israel was supposed to destroy, but decided not to for whatever reason: their daughters were hot, they were sly, they seemed like good neighbors, they Israelites were not following God's orders and so could not get rid of them, etc...I wonder what sort of problem that will pose in the future. But I do know that disobedience to God DOES cause problems.

How often do I pray for wisdom? Probably not enough. Job reminds us that wisdom cannot be sought out in the depths of the earth, in the riches of the world, in any place besides respect for The Lord. People seek wisdom in lots of places, but according to Job, none of that is real wisdom. The only place where wisdom can be found is in The Lord.

Lord, make us wise so that we may see you more, but if nothing else, grant us hearts that are obedient.

Day 102: With His Help

Acts 11:19-30; Joshua 13-14; Job 27

"With my help..."
God had made it clear to the Israelites that they could conquer their enemies and lands even if they were outnumbered. The Israelites were a powerful people, chosen, set apart. But it wasn't their power or might or special calling that made them successful. The Lord was the one that did it. Their success was based on God's intervention and provision.

At the same time the Israelites were doing the seemingly impossible. But it wasn't impossible. Because: God was helping. With the Lord's help we can do things, accomplish things, make stuff happen, connect with people that we never thought possible.

Rather than getting frustrated and giving up, Job takes his suffering and terrible circumstances and turns them into motivation to do the best he can. So often, when I get discouraged, I'll want to just give up and forget about it. What's the point? Why does it matter now? I can't ever fix it! But Job reveals a different approach. It's almost like a challenge for him--he's going to prove everyone wrong and be awesome! I think this is the right perspective, but it is a very difficult thing to do. Turn those frustrations into challenges to do better, be better, serve and love better.

(Oh gosh, I'm one year closer to 30 today. Whoa!)

Day 101: Give us a Hard Time

Acts 11:1-18; Joshua 11-12; Job 26

Sometimes it is those closest to us that give us the hardest time. Peter was doing God's will: preaching the gospel, visiting unbelievers, sharing life with believers. And yet, the Jewish people were frustrated with him and his actions. Peter was like "guys, I'm just doing what God told me." And yet they argued with him. When God leads someone to do something, sometimes a person is going to get the strongest criticism from family. Families have expectations, and unless they are walking with The Lord in a similar fashion, they may not understand our choices. However, Peter convinced the Jews after explaining the Lord's call for him. It probably wasn't a calm and peaceful discussion, but Peter persisted and they were all able to rejoice.

How little we understand God! Job reminds us that God hung the earth, creates the boundaries between water and sky, and controls the heavens. If we could truly grasp those concepts, then the problems we encounter would seem so small and insignificant. Lord, I pray that we would gain some perspective that would help us through life.

Day 100: Opposition follows Success

Acts 10:34-48; Joshua 9-10; Job 25

Peter's message was that Jesus Christ was for everyone. After his vision, he came to the conclusion that The Lord loves all people and the peace that The Lord Jesus Christ brings should be offered to every person, whether they come from a certain family or part of the world or not. This is wonderful news. First, that Jesus is for, and can rescue, anyone. Secondly, that Jesus brings peace--something this world is desperately in need of.

After Joshua's victories, kings decided to attack him. When Joshua and the Israelites had been successful, someone was there soon after to try and tear them down. Have you ever been in that situation? You finally accomplish something and you are really excited about it, and it seems like not a moment has passed and someone or something rushes in to break you down? It could be a person or some aspect of your sinful nature, but regardless of what it is, it is there to try and ruin you.

Not too long ago, we went to get our car inspected. We figured it would be only $50--it turned into a $700 ordeal. Ouch. Really, that is a very minor example, but circumstances, whether material or spiritual, happen like that all the time. It is in those moments though, that we must not do what the Israelites did, and ignore the presence of God in our lives.

The Israelites, after their victories, were confident and foolishly entered into an agreement with a group of people because they failed to acknowledge The Lord. Just a chapter ago, they were lying prostrate on the ground because of their hard times, begging The Lord to help them. Now, in their time of success, they forgot about God. So often people cry out to God when times are tough; our nation sees a rise in church attendance after a tragedy, a death, or challenging times. However, when stuff is peachy and easy, people ignore God, stop praying, and attribute the blessings to their own skills and abilities. If is God is God in the hard times, then God needs to be our God in the good times too. However, Joshua learned from his mistake. In the midst of the success of defeating enemy troops, he praised The Lord God. He thanked The Lord for helping them and for his power. Even when we ignore God, he doesn't ignore us. To me, that is such a wonderful and beautiful demonstration of love that God has for us.

Day 99: Failure for the Israelites and Us

Acts 10:1-33; Joshua 7-8; Job 24

The verses about the sheet and animals are--weird. Peter is told to eat them, which he argues about, then tells Cornelius that no one is unfit. Obviously, the point is that no one is unfit to hear the gospel, and no one should be denied the opportunity to follow Christ because of who they are or what they have done. But I think there could be more to it than that. Peter wrestles with the notion that God presents to him. And what he initially thinks it means is not the conclusion that he ultimately comes to. The same is true in my study of scripture. In this reading of it I get one meaning, while then next time I read it, the more time I think about it, or after listening to someone else, I may come to a different conclusion. I think that this notion demonstrates the concept of the "living" word. It is alive, active, applicable. This is also why churches differ in their interpretations of the bible and why they have different beliefs and practices. What is important is the pursuit of Jesus and the truth. Like when I'm with my family or at bible study, we have awesome discussions about all sorts of biblical concepts. It was so powerful to discuss what we have learned, challenge each other in good ways, and then pray about what was talked about.

Then in the story, you have the meeting of these two people, Peter and Cornelius, who have no idea why they are brought together, but they follow God's command and here they are. Sometimes people are placed in our lives for a reason. We may not know why, but God moves people where he thinks they will be most effective.

The Israelites lose a battle! They are ruined! Life is worthless! The 40 years are wasted and God has given up on them! They will...wait a sec. That's a little dramatic. I don't want to call myself or others "drama-kings/queens," but don't we sometimes respond to life circumstances a little too dramatically? Are things always as dire as we perceive them to be? Um, sometimes, but probably not. The Israelites prove that we won't always be successful in the manner we expect. But God isn't about our success, he is about our growth. God needed them to remove sin in their lives before they could move forward. Was it the fault of those 36 who died? No, and unfortunately, sin has consequences. Sometimes really big consequences. That is why it is so important that we are honest with ourselves and seek to eliminate sin so as to not harm others with it. That could mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but it is something that we all need to do. Sometimes that cleansing of sin is hard.

It sort of makes me sick to my stomach to read about Achan and his family being stoned to death. These Israelites hurled rocks at the bodies of this man and HIS FAMILY because they stole stuff and disobeyed The Lord. I could spend my time dwelling on how terrible it is that this man and this family lost their lives, but the real truth behind this story is the power and anger of The Lord. For "just" stealing stuff, this family lost their lives. There is nothing more important in life is to obey God. He is the one we should fear, not opponents, the future, or choices. That is a hard reality.

I wonder if God keeps giving Joshua the auditory assurance that he does in these verses. It is almost in the tone that a father gives to a young child: "it's ok, it's alright. I'm right here, you don't have to be scared." If Joshua grows more mature in his leadership skills and faith, God may withdraw is very powerful voice because Joshua is more in tune with the will of God and doesn't need the voice of God as much. Just a thought.