Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Put It To The Test

Day 232:  Ecclesiastes 3 & Nehemiah 6

This last Sunday I shared in the message how important it is for us as believers to know God's Word. For the message the point was that we needed to see how relevant it was to our lives so that we could help others see that it is relevant to their lives as well.  But there is another reason we need to know what God says.  I'll use an experience Nehemiah had to explain.

Nehemiah had come back to Jerusalem from Babylon (the heart of the Persian Empire - same Persia represented in the movie 300) and had begun to rebuild the wall around his beloved City.  While work continued the surrounding people groups tried desperately to slow and ultimately stop the work claiming all kinds of reasons and threatening all kinds of destruction if it did not.

At one point Nehemiah was asked to visit a man named Shemaiah who was very concerned for Nehemiah's safety.  He claimed (probably honestly) that some men were going to try and kill Nehemiah that very night.  As they talked about what that might mean if something happened to Nehemiah they began to discuss some possible ways to keep Nehemiah safe.  At some point, Shemaiah suggested that Nehemiah barricade himself in the Temple so as to avoid this attempt on his life.

My guess would be that up to that moment Nehemiah was tracking pretty well with his friend.  An attack on his life was serious and could bring the work on the city wall to a complete stop.  And the fear that this would bring might keep the people from ever restarting the work.  I'm sure Nehemiah was concerned not only for his life but for the work God had moved in him to complete.

That is, until, Shemaiah suggested he go find sanctuary in the Temple.

Nehemiah new the Word of God.  That instruction made it clear that ONLY the Priests were allowed to enter the Temple.  Only those who were the descendants of the first Priest, Aaron.  Because Nehemiah new the Word of God, when his friends suggested that he break that Word and sin against God Nehemiah was able to correctly determine the real intent of Shemaiah's concern.

Turns out, Nehemiah's enemy had paid off Shemaiah to try and get Nehemiah to break God's law so that they would have something against him with which to tarnish his reputation before the people and with a character assassination bring the work on the wall to a halt.

Self preservation is a pretty powerful motivator but it does not take precedent over God's Word.  Nehemiah knew that God would protect him if he continued to follow Him.  However, if Nehemiah had taken Shemaiah's advice He would have been in violation of God's Law and under guilt and punishment himself.  Because Nehemiah knew God's Word he was able to correctly determine what was going on and then stand in faith instead of falling in fear.

When we take God's Word as truth He can protect us from making the wrong decisions.

John says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  How do we test the spirits?  How do we test the advice we get from others?  How do we know when it's God speaking through them or not?  We must know God's Word.  It is our defense against making the wrong decisions.  When we test our ideas and the advice we get from others against what God says we have a clear direction - even though we may not understand it, we may not want to do it, God's way is always the right way.

Take some time today to read God's Word so you can make the right decisions and avoid sin.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

You Must Be "This Tall" To Ride

Day 226:  Job 39 & Ezra 10

Do you remember these signs?  I never really had a problem with these I think I was born at 5'3" so I almost always met the height requirement.  But once in a while I didn't and boy was that difficult.  Especially when others were tall enough.

But this desire to measure up isn't just an issue for roller coasters or the house of horrors it's something each of us struggle with nearly every day.

My neighbor has a nicer car than me.
My wife makes more money than I do.
My friend has a bigger house, a bigger TV, a louder surround sound system...

For me, I struggle to measure up when I look at other preachers.  They are always better communicators, better closers, have bigger churches, better salary package and seem to be better at dealing with sin than me.

Measuring up when we compare ourselves to others in what we consider similar situations never ends well and we almost always feel more inadequate and less competent.

I heard someone say the other day that part of the problem lies in the fact that we are comparing our "normal" selves with others "best" and so we never get a fair shake.  A woman who just woke up and flips through pages of a magazine is comparing herself with the made-up, dressed-up and touched-up woman in the pictures.  When we compare we almost always lose.

I'll be that's how the Ostrich feels.

I think I said yesterday that this section of the book of Job is my favorite because God is now speaking and what He says is just fabulous - as long as He's saying it to Job and his "friends" anyway!  Today, God tells Job to look at the Ostrich.  When an ostrich flaps it's wings it is a pretty impressive sight.  The ostrich is powerful and intimidating.  It stands in majesty as it flaps it's wings as though it could any moment begin to overcome gravity and rise to the heavens.  The ostrich is a majestic and power animal... but it's wings are useless.  And even though the ostrich is much bigger and more powerful than the stork, when a stork flaps it's wings and soars into the sky all attention is off the ostrich.  Poor ostrich.

And the ostrich isn't even able to say, "at least I'm a good mother!"  An ostrich lays her eggs on the ground, exposed, to be warmed by the sun.  While she goes off flapping her powerful wings someone finds breakfast just lying on the ground!

By this point the ostrich is feeling pretty low.  All this size and strength and she can't fly and is a terrible mother.  She's too short.  She doesn't measure up.  She sticks her head in the sand so no one can see her...

It's a sad day for the ostrich.  But what if the ostrich challenged the stork to a foot race?  When the ostrich begins to run there is virtually none faster.  Though she can't fly she sets the bar in land speed!  While she may not be a good mom, if her kids do survive they have an excellent example of how to, as Ricky Bobby would say, "go fast."

So while the ostrich can't fly and isn't a good parental roll model there is something she can teach us about comparing ourselves to others.  Don't.  There will be plenty of times when you don't feel like you measure up, but when you find that thing you are good at and you work to improve it you can be unstoppable.  You may not be good at everything.  You may not be as talented in certain areas as others. But God has given you something that you can do.

1 Corinthians 12:5-11
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good... [and] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

It the ostrich spends all it's time trying to be a stork it will be very disappointed and consider it's life worth little.  But when and ostrich runs, when it does what it was created to do, nothing can compare.

If you're on ostrich - be an ostrich.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

What To Do In A Storm

Day 225:  Job 38 & Ezra 9

There are a lot of storm references in the Bible.

  • Imagine the storms during creation
  • The storms that brought about the flood of Noah's day
  • It was a storm that destroyed the home of Job's son, killing all of his children
  • Elijah witnessed incredible storms while in the mountains waiting to hear God's voice
  • The disciples thought they would die during several storm on the Sea of Galilee - once while Jesus was sleeping in the boat and again when they saw Jesus walking on the water
  • There was a pretty big storm when Jesus died while on the cross and 
  • There will be a pretty fantastic storm when the sky gets ripped open when Jesus returns to establish His eternal Kingdom.
There were lots of natural storms in the bible but perhaps no one experienced a greater personal storm than Job.   Over the last 37 chapter in Job we've heard about how Job's difficulties began and we've heard reasons, ideas and opinions about "why" from Job's friends.  

But now it gets to my favorite part of the story of Job's life, when God begins to answer.  And I love the first verse here:  "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm."

Once again we see God connected to a storm.  And I'm not sure whether it was a natural storm (there is no indication that it was storming from the text) or if it was more like, the Lord spoke to Job in the midst of his storm... either way the storm is happening.

I have lived in the mid-West for 24 years now and we get some pretty good storms.  Thunderstorms and hail and tornadoes and even straight-line winds.  Storms are pretty impressive and I have often taken to standing on the porch to watch the sky as the storms begin to form.  I've even had occasion to see a few funnels begin to form and stretch down to the earth.  And I even got to see the aftermath of the Joplin Missouri tornado when our church took supplies to the struggling area.

Storms represent well the chaos of life.  The driving winds and soaking rain.  The damaging and fire-starting lightning and even the darkness.  In light of comedian and actor Robin Williams suicide we're all keenly aware of the darkness that often accompanies storms.  When the storm is raging we're not sure we're going to survive and when it is over we often wonder if we'll ever recover.  

That's why it's interesting to me that God chooses to speak "out of the storm."  And I wonder if there is something God wants us to catch in this.  God speaks out of the storm.  When our world is falling apart and we don't know if we'll survive - at our darkest hour and in the most dreaded of moments God speaks out of the storm.  I think there is a reason for this.  I think God wants us to understand that there is no power in heaven or on earth that is big enough, strong enough or devastating enough to scare God away from desiring to be right there with us.  Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"  

Storms don't only represent the chaos of life they represent the power of God over the storm as seen when Jesus calms the storms with the words, "peace. be still."  The power of God in the storm as Elijah witness the rocks split and the mountains heave.  And the power of God through the storm as we see in Job.  

In the midst of your storm - whatever it is and no matter how black, wet or powerful it is God is speaking out of that storm something that you need to hear.  Listen.  I wonder if the outcome of the events of that led to Robin Williams death would be different if he had heard God out of the storm... 

Today, in whatever storm you face at home, at work or just inside yourself God is speaking out of your storm and into your life, listen.