Chet Bandy

Why Do ‘Bad’ Things Happen?

Today’s reading is Job 42.

Do you know the story of Job? Job was a wealthy man who loved God, and Satan told God it was only because God was protecting him from bad things. Satan said God had a “hedge” around Job (Job 1:10). Satan was convinced that if bad things happened to Job he would fold and curse God. So, God let Satan take Job’s property and children and strike him with leprosy as we read in Job 1 and Job 2. However, Job stayed strong in his faith, and while he questions why God is doing this, he does not curse God and lose his faith in God as Satan expected. In fact, he continues to put his hope in God.

When I was growing up and even until probably about 10 years ago, I would do something wrong and feel guilty about it and then when something bad happened within a few days or weeks later completely unrelated to the mistake I had made I wondered if it was because of what I had done wrong. Were things not going my way because of that unrelated mistake, and was this a punishment for what I had done? You may have also thought when something bad happened to someone “that’s justice” or “they had it coming to them” because of their past sins. In fact, Job’s so called ‘friends’ named Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar believed these things must have happened because of Job’s mistakes. However, God calls their thinking “folly” in Job 42:8 and says is Job 42:7 they “have not spoken of me what is right.”

God tells us in Romans 8:1 there is “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I’ve said it before that God is not like a kid with a magnifying glass in the sun burning us who are the ants because we do something He’s not pleased with. We still may face earthly consequences for our actions or God may allow things to play out as a sort of discipline to ultimately draw us closer to Him which is His greatest desire, but we must know the heart of God and that it is not a punishment. This is hard to understand. Isaiah 55:8:9 tells us his ways and thoughts are not only not ours, but they are higher than ours. We won’t figure it out. However, it is very important we understand Jesus already paid the price for our sins on the cross. In fact, in John 9 Jesus’ disciples ask Him if a blind man walking by is afflicted because of his or his parents’ sins. Jesus replies in John 9:3 by saying it is not because of either of their sins, and he is blind so that the works of God may be seen through Him. When so called bad things happen to good people, our first thought is likely not so God can be glorified through it and them. We know that in John 3:16 Jesus not only says those who believe in Him will have eternal life, but also in John 3:17 that He did not come to condemn the world.

God may let things play out in your life and the lives of others which in our eyes do not seem good like Job. He may even let Satan “win” for a while just like He did when He was crucified and died. For 3 days, Satan thought he was victorious and Jesus’ disciples did too..but then what happened? The Resurrection! We are still celebrating Easter over 2000 years later. As the saying goes, you can’t have a comeback without a setback. We read in Job 42 where God eventually blessed Job with even greater riches than he had prior to all his misfortunes. While I can’t promise you when something bad happens to you that you will see great things happen on this side of eternity, but what I can promise you is if you confess your sins and believe in Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter you will live with Him in Heaven after this life where there will be no pain or problems and everything will be perfect. Until then, we must keep trusting in Him and trusting despite our circumstances His love for us in unconditional and never failing. Let us remember why He came that first Christmas this December and always.

“..but God shows His love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

How Do I Measure Up?

Today’s reading is Psalm 147.

How do I measure up?

Whether you realize it or not, it’s probably something you are asking yourself subconsciously multiple times a day and even multiple times per hour and minute. From a very young age we can all probably remember getting a test back and saying to your friend, “What did you get?” I can remember in grade school not being able to sleep the night before the 1 on 1 competition at our school’s basketball camp because I wanted to prove I was the best. Now, the company I work emails production numbers every single day for each person in our organization. It’s hard to avoid scoreboard watching. I have not even yet discussed social media. There are a lot of good things from it too, but I truly believe we are having a mental health epidemic because we see everyone else’s highlight reel all the time. We don’t see the fight they had with their spouse before the smiling family picture, the financial troubles they are going through, or the struggles their child is having in school right before they posted that picture of the championship they just won. Have you ever seen a pro or college team’s “hype video” set to music before an upcoming game showing highlights of previous games? They can make a team that hasn’t won a game all year look like the best in the country. Perception is not reality, but we don’t grasp it. We think we are the only ones with problems.

As we read this on Thanksgiving, I’m extremely grateful that our Father in Heaven does not measure us by or care about our results.

Psalm 147:10-11 reads…

He delights not in the

strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a

man,

but the Lord takes pleasure in

those who fear him,

in those who hope in his

steadfast love.

I’ve written about it before, but I love the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Thankfully, what God cares about is about our heart for Him.

Despite our past, we all become perfect and washed clean of our past mistakes and failures through His blood on the cross.

Psalm 147:2-3 reads..

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the outcasts of

Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

I pray that we can find our self-image in how He views us because of Jesus…perfect, blameless, and holy.

I pray that today on Thanksgiving and every day we can find joy and gratitude in His love for us despite our circumstances.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!

Do You Know Him?

Today’s reading is Psalm 48.

By the time you will read this…you will know the winners of the midterm election this week. As I write this tonight before the election..I’m reminded the results don’t really matter.

For behold, the kings assembled;

they came on together.

as soon as they saw it, they were

astounded;

they were in panic; they took

to flight.

Trembling took hold of them

there,

anguish as of women in labor.

Psalm 48:4-6

Earlier in the chapter, Psalm 48:1 says..

Great is the Lord and greatly to

be praised

in the City of our God!

These verses are why I say the election results don’t really matter. In the end, EVERYONE will bow and praise Him…yes…even the earthly kings. God is working His plan regardless of who wins. We must trust and believe in this despite if we agree or disagree with who is office. Eventually, He will establish Zion, the City of God, where He will guide us Psalm 48 tells us.

Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may tell the next generation

that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will guide us forever.

Psalm 48:12-14

If you’ve never seen this powerful video with the words of Dr. S.M. Lockridge, please watch. I know who my King is, and He never served a public office.

Do you know Him?

https://youtu.be/yzqTFNfeDnE

It’s Just Temporary..

Today’s reading is Micah 4.

In church this week our pastor talked about the Greek word Peter and Paul often used for the word “body” in their writings was skene. This word actual means tent or a temporary dwelling place. They chose that word because they wanted us to remember that our time on Earth is short and our soul is eternal.

Our reading today has Micah reminding us that while the world and the very ones Jesus came to save seems to reject the good news of the Gospel today, this will not always be the case. We see nations, our great nation even, trying to move farther and farther away from God. Again, thankfully it will not be this way forever.

Micah 4:1-2 states in the last days the house of the Lord will be lifted up and nations and people will flock toward the church rather than away from God. Micah 4:3 discusses there will be no more fighting and war, and in Micah 4:5, we will “walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.”

Our life may be tough right now. We have pain. We have problems. We have issues that won’t seem to go away. However, like Paul and Peter told us…our life…our body…is temporary. When Christ comes again and establishes His church on Earth, Micah 4:6 tells us he will gather those who were driven away, lame, and afflicted. God will reign over all and these challenging feelings and problems will no longer exist.

I pray that if you are reading this today and facing hard times Micah 4 can put things in perspective and bring you peace just like the words of Revelation 21:4.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Check Your Heart at the Door

Today’s reading is Isaiah 58.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a very recognizable saying we hear said often, yet it is hard to do. We may think someone is rude because they don’t go out of the way to engage with us, and we may think someone who goes out of their way to talk to us is a great person who really cares about others. I’ve been around a lot of leaders and there have been those who said all the right things and made you feel like the world to them, but their actions may not have followed through. As where others were maybe a little socially awkward and didn’t say all the right things, but their actions later showed they really cared. Someone being introverted or extroverted does not tell us their true heart. You will know their true heart when you spend enough time with them.

God knows our true heart. In this chapter He is calling out His people for fasting for show. He tells them in Isaiah 58:3 you “seek your own pleasure” and “oppress all your workers.” He goes on to talk about when we truly fast in the right way the “glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard” in Isaiah 58:8 and Isaiah 58:9 He will answer our call. He goes on in Isaiah 58:10 to say if you help the poor “your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom shall be as the noonday.” He continues on throughout verses 11-14 about the good favor that will come to those who do good and who’s heart and motives are in the right place. God knows and God notices. Will we be rewarded in this life? Unfortunately…maybe not…but no doubt we will in Heaven based on what the Word tells us and eternity is much longer than our life here on Earth.

Will doing good get us to Heaven? Our son Deklin who is 10 has an amazing heart for others, but he and I were just discussing how as good of heart as he has it will not get him to Heaven. Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, and Romans 6:23 goes on to tell us the wages of sin (singular..even one) is death. Romans 6:23 also tells us though “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You’ve heard the saying, “Check your ego at the door.” While we really need to “check our heart at the door” to make sure we are doing things for the right reasons like Isaiah 58 speaks of, the most important thing we must check our heart for is Jesus. Is He in yours?

There is only one door that leads the way to Heaven.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

Do You Seek It?

Today’s reading is Proverbs 1.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and knowledge.

Proverbs 1:7

Just last week our 10-year old asked us what fearing the Lord meant. I know at least for me it is not easy to explain. However, if you look up the definition of the word ‘fear,’ Merriam-Webster gives one definition as, “profound reverence and awe especially toward God.” Thank you, Meriam-Webster…that helps. When I think of standing in awe of something, I think of the time our family visited the Grand Canyon as a child. None of us had ever been there before. When we got out of the car and walked up near the edge, I don’t think anyone said a word for a while. If there were flies around, one of us probably could have caught one in our mouths because our jaws may have been dropped, too! While the Grand Canyon is not a person, I would say we had respect for it pretty quickly…I know I wasn’t getting too close to the edge! Now, if we were in that much awe of the Grand Canyon, imagine what it will be like when we see the God who made it…

If we respect God immensely and we are in awe of his power and creation, we likely will not only want to please Him and follow His instruction, but we should also want to seek His wisdom. Sometimes we may move away from things we are in awe of like me from the edge of the Grand Canyon. However, how cool is that despite God wanting us to have reverence for Him, He wants us to actually get closer to Him? James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. ” Proverbs 1 is pretty poignant that if we don’t seek wisdom from Him we will experience bad things using words like calamity, anguish, distress, and terror.

So, how do we seek God’s wisdom?

Here a few ways….

Attend a church that preaches and teaches from the Bible
Read His Word and possibly a daily devotional to help with the interpretation and explanation, as well as perhaps giving thought provoking commentary and reflection
Attend a small group/Bible study
Pray and also ask for His wisdom

What area is the one area you feel like you could improve on to gain wisdom from God?

For me, I would say it’s prayer. It’s not lack of prayer (although I could and should pray more) as much as it is I need to remember to ask God for wisdom in my prayers. And that’s not just for wisdom in my perceived problem areas I’m praying to God for help, but also just wisdom daily to be a better Christ-follower, better husband, better father, better son, better friend, and wisdom to be a better financial planner (my career)….wisdom in the ‘little decisions’ I will make that day and that I make each and every day. I should also be in conversation (prayer) with Him throughout the day asking for wisdom in these things.

I pray that as we stand in awe and reverence in fear of God, we seek His wisdom and reflect on how we can better do so.

All from a Seed…

Today’s reading is Luke 13:18-30.

Siri tells me that a mustard seed is just 1-2 millimeters in diameter which is very small, yet it grows to be on average 20 feet and can be as many as 30 feet tall, as well as can produce a crown nearly as wide. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed a man sows in his garden.

Christianity all started when one man Jesus, a carpenter from a family who was far from royalty, gave His life for you and me over 2000 years ago. It spread when 12 men who were not educated scholars, famous, or had any worldly power risked their lives to spread the Word that Jesus was Resurrected 3 days after his death. From those 12, with the help of the Holy Spirit, there are now an estimated 2.6 billion Christians in the world. This is the number that are alive today..not to mention all those who have lived and died since who are now in Heaven. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

The Bible tells us nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37, Matthew 19:26, Luke 18:27, Mark 10:27). This is pretty evident from the paragraph above.

Here are 2 questions for us to ponder…

Who do you need to plant a seed with about Jesus’ saving grace on the cross and Resurrection? Think of how many people have been saved over the last 2000 years. That fact and these verses tell us anyone can be saved. We need to remember that the gardener plants the seed…but does he see it sprout right away? No..it takes time. He must wait and have faith. Plant seeds and the Holy Spirit will water it and give it sunshine to grow.
What mustard seed has God planted in your heart as an idea or a vision you are ignoring which you need to water and help grow? It may seem impossible, but so did a baby from Nazareth born in a manager saving the entire world and 12 “average Joe’s” helping us know 2000 years later.

As we pursue spreading the Gospel and God’s will for our lives we can be assured we do not go alone. Jesus’ last words in Matthew 28:20 end with, “…and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Let Go. He Has.

Today’s reading is Judges 15:9-20 as we read about Samson for a second day.

Yesterday we read in Judges 13:5 where an angel told Samson’s mother before he was born that God had big plans for Samson, and He would begin to save Israel from the Philistines who were against God and who suppressed them. Reading through today’s verses tell us he did just that. Although they took him as a prisoner, we can read in chapter 16 he killed many of them taking down the pillars of the building he was in with them.

In reading about Samson in the book of Judges we can tell God did with Samson just what he said he would and fulfilled His purpose through him. We can also learn Samson did not always do what was pleasing to God. He did not follow many of the rules he was supposed to as a Nazarite. He also fell in love with Philistine women who were against God including Delilah. Some would also say that while God did say he would fight against the Philistines he was also over-zealous and too bent on revenge and violence.

If we think about what the angel told Samson’s parents about the plans God had for Samson, we might realize that he did not say Samson would live a perfect life without sin, or God would only do big things with Samson if he didn’t make mistakes or behaved in a certain way. God was going to fulfill His purpose for Samson despite his mistakes and mess ups which He knew Samson would make.

Did you know God said the same thing about you?

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16

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

These verses in Psalms tell us not only did He make you fearfully and wonderfully and know you before you were born, but He knew all the days in your life and what would happen and the mistakes you would make. Yet, the verse in Ephesians tells us you are not only His workmanship, but you were created for good works which God prepared before hand for you to walk in. You were created for good works He would do through you despite your sin.

From the time sin came into the world, God knew you would sin and had a plan to defeat it. Genesis 3:15 tells Satan Jesus would come “crush your head” beating sin. Romans 5:8 tells us while we were still sinners Christ showed us His love and died for us.

God has had a plan for you all along to not only save you from your sin, but to use you for His purpose.

He’s forgiven you and will use you for His purpose despite anything in your past.

Since He’s forgiven you, what do you need to forgive yourself?

What do you need to do to remember daily that He will use you for big things despite your sin and past?

In fact, He’s using your past and your story to create your future and bring His greater story of grace and forgiveness to light so that He may be glorified and so that others may know Him and know His love and what’s possible through you and your life.

One Nation Under God – One Family at a Time

Today’s reading is Deuteronomy 11:

Most of us reading this are likely from the United States. Christians in the United States often pray for those in other countries for help with basic needs of food, shelter, clean water, electricity and for peace for those who may be in areas with civil unrest and war. The United States as a nation is very blessed. It is rich with natural resources and has geography as it its friend with protections on both sides of oceans as a physical barrier against many potential enemies. God has clearly blessed the U.S. and its citizens with all we need.

A pastor I know once told a story about picking up a visiting pastor from another country at the airport. It was the first time this visiting pastor had ever been to the US. Already just driving from the airport and not even here for a few hours, the visiting pastor saw all of the surroundings and said he would pray for citizens in the U.S. The pastor from the U.S. thought it was a little strange he would say that so quickly and asked him why. He went on to explain that he thought it was likely harder for us in the U.S. to find God because we did not seem to “need” God to provide like in his home country. People in the U.S. have all of our basic needs yet and then some, as well as have luxuries everywhere.

You don’t have to look too far in the history books of the U.S. to find the founders of this country and those since have gotten a lot wrong. They made a lot of mistakes. Just within the last 160 years our country was fighting for whether Black Americans should be free and just within the last 55 years whether Black Americans should have equal rights. Women were not allowed to vote until 1920. Sad and hard to believe, isn’t it? Although the founders of our country and leaders in even more recent years were flawed in much of their thinking to say the least and did not correctly interpret and live out God’s will from his Word, the one thing they did mostly seem to get right and realize was that they needed God. They needed God to provide and realized they were sinners. Again, they needed to do a better job of getting truly to the heart of His Word and love and understanding what God thinks is right and wrong, but they did at least realize they needed God.

As I’ve quoted many times in past writings, Romans 8:1 tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Most interpret this to mean that God does not punish us who believe in Jesus for our sins…He already paid that price for us. This does not mean bad things won’t happen to us and He won’t let things occur in our lives to ultimately draw us back closer to Him, but there is no punishment for our sins for those of us who follow Jesus. Also, when God lets something happen to us we think is bad and which might be a punishment, it is in fact not a punishment and may not actually be bad at all if it draws us and others back to Him. Today’s reading though offers a stark warning in Deuteronomy 11:16-17 to a nation, in this case Israel, who does not follow God and does not think it needs the one true God, Him. I don’t know about you, but this is very concerning to me as I see our nation moving further and further away from believing it needs God. As a nation, we are trying to remove God from everything to please and not offend a few who don’t believe in Him. We are also saying people are ok to do whatever makes them feel good, despite what His Word says.

So..what are we to do as Christians and followers of Jesus? It is amazing how the Word tells us that too, right? We should do exactly what he told the Israelites to do. He says in Deuteronomy 11:18-21 that we are to implant His Word in our heart and put His Word visibly around us in our homes and everywhere and teach the Word to our children. Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” We absolutely cannot rely on our public schools, media, the entertainment industry, and other people in our children’s lives who may have influence to help them understand right from wrong and God’s will. My wife and I talk more and more, almost weekly, that we must step up and take responsibility to teach them as parents and grandparents what God’s Word says. We can do so by taking them to a Bible following church and reading God’s Word together. Kids will remember more what we did, rather than what we said. We must model God’s love and will in our words and actions, and they must see us reading the Bible and in fellowship with other believers in church and small group. We must invite our neighbors and friends to church, so that they can know God’s Word and will and inspire them to head down the same path to follow God and lead their own family to Him. This effects future generations and what our country will look like 50, 100, and even 200 years from now.

This is not about politics. This is about transcending politics, serving a higher Kingdom, and loving God the way He’s called and instructed us to do in our own family and community.

Please join me in praying for our country and for us turn to Him one family at a time so that God will continue to bless our great nation like He has to this point and in the same way He promised the Israelites in Deuteronomy 11 if they continued to follow Him and His Word.

Bread Alone?

Today’s reading is Genesis 28:1-22.

This past Friday we were eating spaghetti and our 4-year-old Hudson was complaining he wanted more garlic bread while we continued to tell him he could not have more until he finished his spaghetti he was not eating. As he carried on and continued to beg, in typical ‘bad dad joke’ fashion, I leaned over and said, “Hudson, man cannot live on bread alone.” This is of course in reference to Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:4 and also in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 8:3.

From our reading today we see God come to Jacob in a dream and give him the land He had promised his grandfather Abraham and also confirm that he would have many offspring spread upon the Earth to again fulfill his original promise to Abraham. In addition, God tells Jacob he will be with him wherever he goes (Genesis 28:15). In response, Jacob says he’s on holy ground where the Lord is which he did not know (Genesis 28:16). Finally, he says in Genesis 28:18-22 that since the Lord is with him and had provided food and clothing, he will build a house of the Lord here and give 1/10 of everything back to God.

I find it very interesting that Jacob’s thanksgiving is not really focused on the ground he received or the many offspring, but instead the most basic needs of food and clothing. When I went on a mission trip to New York City a few years ago, many of the homeless people we approached to witness actually witnessed to us by giving thanks and saying God had given them all they really need. I thought they had nothing, but they were satisfied having God. Instead of focusing on what they didn’t have, they were focused on the one thing they really need which they had…Him.

Embarrassingly, many of my thoughts lately have been focused on what more I want, rather than what I already have. It has been said that one cannot feel stress and anxiety at the same time they are in gratitude. I need to be even more thankful for what I already have. And most importantly I must focus on the fact that I cannot survive on “bread alone.” I always have all I really need which is the promise He’ll be with me wherever I go and His life given on the cross to save me.