Ridiculous Expectations

"The thing that the king has asked is difficult . . . " Are there ridiculous expectations place upon your time, finances, emotions, or intellect? Today's reading was a great encouragement to me as I try to keep my head above water and juggle the numerous balls I have in the air.

There is an answer. Seek counsel from the God of mercy, draw together with others of in prayer, and rejoice that God gives knowledge to the wise, and reveals hidden understanding today, just as in Daniel's time:

. . . he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me

wisdom and might . . .

- from Daniel 2:21-23

The light dwells with God, and is freely shared with us, available for the asking in the name of Jesus. Give thanks! No matter how frazzled and overwhelmed we may feel, God will make known to us everything we need to know concerning the matters befor us.

Furthermore, God will bless those around us as a result of our trust in Him. Daniel was able to save the necks of his peers as well as his own (see verse 24). Others will reap the benefits of God's presence in our lives, and through our testimony, God's character will be revealed.

I'm rejoicing in the middle of my busy, impossible day, and I pray wisdom and might for you today, too.

. . . there IS a God in heaven

who reveals mysteries . . . - from Daniel 2:28

EXTRA ACCOUNTABLE

If I "hide idols" while I claim to seek the God of the Bible, I am accountable for my error, and in for real trouble. In today's reading, Ezekiel describes certain prominent people who went through the motions of seeking God's direction, yet their loyalties were divided. In reality, God's directives for them were anything but top priority. Here's what God said through the prophet:

For any one of the house of Israel,
or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel,
who separates himself from me, taking his idols
into his heart and putting the stumbling block
of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes
to a prophet to consult me through him,
I the Lord will answer him myself.
And I will set my face against that man;
I will make him a sign and a byword
and cut him off from the midst
of my people, and you shall know
that I am the Lord. - Ezekiel 14: 7-8

These guys were admired, respected, and looked up to in their community. They were in a position to be emulated, and would certainly lead others astray by their bad example. They thought they'd have their cake and eat it too by consulting Ezekiel to keep up appearances, while at the same time keeping certain things separate from God's rule in their lives. Those idols they treasured were surely not worth the cost of having God set his face against them!

What do I treasure above God's rule, though it may not be made of gold? What would I withhold from God's sovereignty? What have I taken into my heart that's more important than what God wants for me? What am I doing that might lead others astray by my bad example? Is there an area in my life where I want to look like a Christian but act otherwise? I'd better watch out if I say I want to seek God. If I am not sincere, that makes me extra accountable, directly to him.

My prayer for you and me is from the New Testament portion of today's reading. May we be like Moses, who "considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:26). Here's to greater wealth!

THE FIRE HAMMER

Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord,
and like a hammer that breaks
the rock in pieces?
- Jeremiah 23:29

God's word IS like fire, an unspeakably powerful precision tool. It's an instrument that breaks in pieces any rock that stands in its way. Whether the rock is my own heart of stone, a boulder of self-condemnation or pride, a roadblock of contention or resentment, or an entire mountain of circumstance, I'm going to turn that power tool loose to do its good work.

Just when I was wondering if my fifteen minutes a day of Bible reading was really necessary in my tight schedule, today's reading was a great reminder (and reprimand) to keep at it. Yes, it is necessary, and yes, I do have the time -- nearly 100 times that much in every day, when I stop to think about the 1,440 minutes on the clock at my disposal.

This rock-crushing fire hammer doesn't do a thing unless I pick it up, plug it in, and turn it on. I'm going to try even harder to plug God's word into my brain on a daily basis, and switch my mind into active mode about letting it cut away some rock! I pray that you, too, will be unhindered in your time spent using your power tool: let it be plugged in and the willpower switched ON. And may God's hand be ever present, teaching us how to handle his awesome word of truth.

Do your best to present yourself to God
as one approved, a worker who
has no need to be ashamed,
rightly handling
the word of truth.
- 2 Timothy 2:15

Praying Thru' to Daylight

Sometimes there's nothing to do but pray through until the light of day, mentally laying claim to the promises of God's word. Isaiah claims a promise when he prays to God in the dead of night:

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. - Isaiah 26:3

Isaiah encourages others, as well, telling them:

Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (verse 4)

Deliverance is a promise and a PERSON, the One who gives grace to endure deep discouragement and trust that morning is on its way:

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” - Ephesians 4:7-8

Yesterday's reading was a great encouragement! I'm thankful for Jesus, who went before me through every kind of despair and leads me out of darkness, handing out gifts as he goes.

A Lot Like Work

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10

Today's reading says believers are created in Christ. We're created not just in two dimensions as the image of the perfect man, but IN him; we're not a static creation like a painting or piece of sculpture to be admired, studied, and occasionally dusted, but as living art. We're made to move, created to do good work and lots of it - jobs that God laid out for us with care. YES, we're cut out for what we're called to do. Sounds like an active and interesting pursuit, does it not?

Sometimes I need to be reminded! I don't always feel so very active, and at times I'm so tired that even I am not interested in my mission -- so how can I expect that anyone else will be interested in what I have to offer, namely the gospel? At times I feel my activity is a futile process of repeated chores and duties. The soundtrack of my life seems like Lamb Chop's annoying unending loop, "The Song That Never Ends" (Shari Lewis, gotta love ya, you'll live on for that one!)

But life isn't really like that awful song, an unending cycle of sameness. Life is linear. There is direction and purpose, even when I feel like I'm going round and round in circles. Perhaps during the dizzying dry times that seem to do nothing but drain me, the purpose is to learn the hard humility, the obedience, the focused faithfulness to the Lord (and NOT to the prosperity gospel), and steady trust in his word regardless of how I feel.

Christians are like athletes in endurance training for an expedition. It's tedious to reach the top of a steep ascent, back and forth, back and forth, crisscrossing a shaggy mountain, every new turn looking just about like the last. The joy is that to every climb, there is a crest, a stopping point of looking over the top and catching a glimpse of something breathtakingly worthwhile. I pray for a stopping point of rest and refreshment the next time you are wondering whether the work you are doing really matters. The answer is YES!

Like a Bug

You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. - Psalm 139:5-6

Ever felt like a bug? Sometimes I catch one in my house, where it shouldn't be, and trap it by throwing a tissue on top and "hemming it in" with my hand so there's no escape. This passage reminds me of a bug in a tissue, yet it is a comfort to me! I am snug as a bug, hemmed in with God's hand over me. I know who's got me, and I'm glad of it. I'm not about to be crushed, smushed, or flushed. Instead I'll be moved, protected, comforted, or blessed. The passage continues:

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
. . . even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. - from Psalm 139:7-12

For the entire reading, see Sunday, August 29.

Why I Read My Bible

Last month I set out on a thousand mile road trip to the east coast. That was a lot of driving, but I wasn't worried about getting lost. Before I left my driveway I carefully plotted my route on GPS, and as I drove east, I watched my progress on the screen. I kept that little LED road map right in front of my face, and methodically followed the route guidance, step-by-step.

The August 21 reading makes me think of that little car adventure. IF as a believer it is my passion to follow the Way, then I'll be as careful to stay on track in my daily walk as I was on the road to South Carolina. I'll read and store God's word in my heart and in my mind so that I can use it to orient myself about where I am and which way to go. I'll trust it to keep me from wandering off track in the decisions I make.

With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:10-11

The New Testament portion of the reading complements the road map analogy, and reinforces the importance of Bible truth with additional word pictures:

A FOOD PICTURE (What are you having? A baby bottle or a big, juicy steak?)

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.
And even now you are not yet ready, for you
are still of the flesh - 1 Cor. 3:2

A BUILDER'S PICTURE (If we're like architecture,
we want to try to be a well-built house, right?)

. . . like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation [of teaching],
and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care
how he builds upon it. - from 1 Cor. 3:10-13

Back to the road map, here's another good mental image: a COMPASS. Picture yourself at the center of the compass, and say you want to head due north. If you're off by a single degree, you won't notice right away, but as you moved out toward infinity, you would find yourself very lost. For me reading the Bible is like checking, correcting, and staying true to my heading.

The more I read the Bible, the more I see its importance, and the better I know Jesus. Without time in his Word, I can't live right, nor can I convince anyone else of the truth. I pray for more passion to keep my nose in the Book, for me and for you. I pray that in this busy world, the barriers that keep us from nitty-gritty, focused, contextual Bible reading will be removed.