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On that day…I will

14 The great day of the Lord is near—very near and coming fast! That day will be bitter, for even[c] the bravest soldiers will cry out in despair!

On that day…

I will…

Today’s reading is Zephaniah 1:1-18 

The prophet Zephaniah was blessed to hear the word of the Lord. In the first chapter, the two above statements are presented multiple times. V. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 17.

What if it was today? Tomorrow? Or next week? What would look different? 2 Peter 3:10 and 1 Thessalonians 5:2 reminds us the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  Can you hear His voice?  Too many days and moments have I can miss His voice through the crazy busy journey I lead myself on some days.  When my decisions are made for the world’s approval, not God’s approval.  There are moments when I can be complacent in my ways, thinking that I’m doing just enough.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ v. 12

The dictionary definition of complacent is “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger or defect; a smug satisfaction with an existing condition.” If I place my security in anything other than my relationship with God, I live for the world.

Romans 12:2 is a daily prayer.  2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

After a weekend full of running our kids to sporting events, I need to call time out.  How was I living?  I know the answer.  There weren’t nearly enough times where I just listened for Him.  The honest part is that He never leaves us.  I just get caught on the hamster wheel of life.  Step off the wheel.  Zephaniah was speaking to the people of many nations then and now.

Lord, open my heart, mind, and soul.  Help us to see and know Your closeness. Please help us to understand that the day of your coming will come.  Help us not to be complacent in what the world offers but in complete submission to you.

Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Lord bless you and keep you. On this day… He will

 

 

How Is Your Heart?

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of
Luke 6:45

Words often reveal the condition of our hearts. However, there are also times when words can conceal how we truly feel. There are times when I am not honest with a friend about how I am truly feeling. There is always that friend that asks me how I am doing and I respond, “fine.” When I know in my heart that I am not really fine.

We can conceal our real feelings in our heart from both people and from God. In our reading today, Isaiah 29:15-24, the prophet Isaiah reveals the truth about the people of this day. And it seems they are no different from us today. They were religious people who were good at going through the motions of worship. They said all of the right things. But, their words were not in line with the true condition of their hearts. To most people, it seemed that they were very devout people, but in reality, their hearts were far from God.

Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who see us? Who will know?”
Isaiah 29:15

God is most concerned about the condition of our hearts. We must continually seek to grow in our love for the Lord. If we do not we may end up just like the people of Isaiah’s day and find ourselves going through the motions. We may seem like we have a close relationship with Jesus, but in our hearts we are far from God. God looks at and knows our heart. We can not fool him. Draw near to Him today.

The Nazarite Vow

Today’s reading is on Numbers 6:1-21.

What are some of the things you abstain from to consecrate yourself from the Lord? There’s all sorts of temptations today from a laissez-faire society built around glorification of the self & disregard for others. Could be serious traps like sexual promiscuity, drug & alcohol abuse, lawbreaking, and general hedonism. Could be everyday temptations like gossip, sloth, prideful behavior, and hurtful or shameful speech. We all have our personal gauntlet of trials to run, but in our walk with Christ, we find strength to overcome & glorify Him in the outcome. 

The vow of the Nazarite – coming from the word for ‘abstain’, ‘consecrate’, or ‘separate’ – was one of incredible dedication and servitude that was open to anyone back in the day who wished to fully discard the self and dedicate oneself to the Lord. Strict rules like forsaking anything grape-related, being unable to cut your hair, and complete separating from corpses or the dead were ways to show your rejection of the flesh & worldly ways, and to dedicate yourself 100% to God. And if broken, there are strict guidelines of how to make up for your broken vow, including sacrifices, a full shave, and the annulment of your vow – very public & serious ways to display the ending of your call to consecration. We heard about Samson yesterday, one infamous Nazarite set aside from birth, and how God blesses and displays His glory through those set aside for Him, even despite our broken prideful will to do things our own way.

I’m guessing many of you reading this aren’t dealing with questionable women trying to cut your hair, but we do all face ordeals that seek to threaten our vow to live righteously. When we lower our guard to temptation, it is incredibly easy for sin to slip in and ruin us, as what happened to Samson. And when sin gets in the way of our promise to God to follow Christ’s example, it can be costly and publicly damaging to both ourselves and our mission to shine God’s light on the world. Following God is not something we can start up and forget about – it is an active surrender of our whole selves that we must constantly and intentionally uphold.

When Samson raised arms against those who opposed God and prayed for strength, God answered. When he cried to God for water, God listened & provided. And when Samson begged for the strength to give his life for God, God blessed him and fulfilled him. In our faith, we are given incredible strength; probably not inhuman strength to kill thousands of men and tear down buildings, but to endure the trials and sorrows of life, to find hope and companionship in the darkest of times, and to be able to experience the many blessings of life God has to offer us. It is in the recognition of God’s glory and truth, the submission to His will, and the love of Him in our hearts that this strength is blessed upon us. It is a gift I am thankful beyond words to receive, and I lift my life to God because He is so generous to even extend such grace upon us. I would pray we would all remember our vow of righteousness to God, keep His promise that we would be seated at the right hand of the Father someday, and live every day in accordance with His loving word.

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.

Gender Reveal

I hesitated naming this post Gender Reveal as I think it “cheapens” the story a bit. But, I see so many Gender Reveals these days that are so exciting. I have no idea who these people are that I am watching on Social Media, but I get wrapped up in their story and can’t wait to see if they will have a boy or a girl!! The ideas that people come up with for the Gender Reveal are unbelievable, paint guns, balloon popping, and colored cakes just to name a few. Today we read about a Gender Reveal that blows all of Social Media reveals out of the park.

The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
Judges 13:3-5

I would love to see this reveal on Facebook or InstaGram, a woman walking in a field or cooking supper and an angel appearing to her to inform her that she will be having a son! The angel also tells her what her son will do, he will take the lead in delivering Israel. Can you imagine the reaction this would get? Can you imagine the excitement the woman felt after hearing this news?

We read in verse 5 that this son will be a Nazirite. A Nazirite was one who had taken a special vow before the Lord. Numbers 6 describes the commitments a Nazirite must keep during the time of his vow. A Nazirite had to commit to 3 things:

1-Not to drink wine or any intoxicating drink
2-Not to touch a dead body
3-Not to cut his hair

The purpose of this vow was to provide a way in which an ordinary person could dedicate his life to God. But, in this case of the angel appearing to this woman, this baby would be a Nazirite from birth. This obviously is going to be a special baby.

If you haven’t guessed by now, this baby to be born is Samson. God, himself, appeared to Samson’s parents, and let them know that Samson was going to be a special person, set apart for God’’s plan. God had chosen Samson to be the deliverer of His people. In Judges 13:8, Samson’s father prayed and asked that the angel would return and teach them how to be good parents and help their son be everything God wanted him to be.

Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”
Judges 13:8

These parents wanted to do everything possible to raise Samson to be who God wanted him to be. Judges 13 ends on a positive note as God’s promise is fulfilled. The miraculous birth takes place just as God said it would. God’s blessing is on this child as he grows. God has given Samson everything he needs to succeed.

In Christ we have a promising beginning. God has given us (and our children) everything we need to succeed. God has also given us the freedom to choose. We can choose to follow God or we can choose to follow our own plans and desires. As parents, we have to privilege to trust God with our children. Manoah and his wife were godly parents who wanted to please God with how they raised their son. They did all the right things.

6 Ways To Motivate People

Joshua was a great leader.  One reason for his success was his ability to motivate people.  Let’s take a look back through Joshua 23 and 24 to identify the ways that he motivated people.
Visionary Motivation – Joshua 1:10-15
As Joshua commands his men to cross the river and take the Promised Land, he reminds them of whats in store for them.
Structural Motivation – Joshua 23:2
Joshua knew that true leadership required the collaboration of his whole team.  We too have people around us, and above us that we need to summon.
Historical Motivation – Joshua 24:2-13
Joshua gave a brief recap of God’s past faithfulness.  This is a good reminder that if God was faithful then, he will be again.  We can count on him.  How often do we go back and recount where God has been faithful in our lives?  Remember what God has done, and share it!
Moral Motivation – Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua is calling on high standards for living.  We want to live lives with high integrity and we want to surround ourselves with others that will do the same.  But, we must choose.  I like the way Joshua emphasizes his own choice.  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”
Negative Motivation – Joshua 24:19-22
Have you ever been motivated by someone telling you that you cannot achieve it?  That tactic often makes us want to do something just to prove them wrong.  Joshua uses it too.  “You are not able to serve the Lord” he says.  Of course, it worked.  The Israelite’s response was “…but we will!”
Symbolic Motivation – Joshua 24:25-27
We are motivated by reminders. Seeing a symbol – like a cross – quickly prompts us to do the right thing.  Think too of the WWJD bracelets.  Joshua did it with a large stone set near the sanctuary of the Lord.  He set it to be a reminder of the covenant that the people made with the Lord.
How did all of this work for Joshua? According to verse 31, “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.”

Chain Breakers

Joshua 24:1-18

The prophet Joshua was nearing the end of his life and he called the tribes of Israel together to remind them of the blessings God had bestowed on the Israelites throughout generations.

Joshua chronicled for the tribe leaders the sins their fathers had committed, the attacks the Israelites endured over hundreds of years, and time and time again how God blessed the Israelites and brought them to 13 “land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

These passages lead me to consider how families are impacted positively, or negatively, by the choices of previous generations.  Some people come from broken marriages, family addicted to drugs or alcohol, marriages filled with infidelity, and sadly abusive behavior. The life that many live is a direct reflection of the example that has been set for them by their parents or family.  The Israelites lives for hundreds of years suffering for the sins of their fathers.

The good news is we can make the choice to “break the chain” of previous generations and God will provide for us.  The abusive behavior can stop.  The addiction can stop.  The infidelity and adultery do not have to continue. Absent fathers and mothers from our lives does not mean that we should continue that same behavior and cause the same pain for our children.

My brother and I are fortunate because we have two parents that have provided great examples of how to live a Godly, Christ-filled life.  What is important to note is that our family did not always have that as an example.  Both of my grandfathers, our parents’ fathers, came from broken and unhappy homes.  They both came from challenging situations where they experienced terrible sadness, experienced a lack of love, and could have become angry and bitter men.

I believe my grandfathers both “broke the chain” of their earthly fathers because they were “bathed in the Word of God.”  They followed Christ, believed in His power to change them, and followed his teachings.  My grandfathers were not perfect men but they both perfectly broke the chain of their fathers, just like the Israelites did, and set an example of living a life following Jesus Christ.

The great news it that we worship a God that provides us a “path” for our lives.  He commands us to live a life following Him but there will be challenges and trials. God commands us to love Him and glorify Him and He will be with us every step of the way.  There are stories and examples in the Bible where we can learn from other’s mistakes and apply these lessons to make better decisions for our lives.

I am thankful every day that my grandfather’s made that choice and generations of our family to come will thrive based on the choice they made to “break the chain” and follow Christ.

Leadership, a dirty job.

Who is your favorite leader and why did you choose this person? It could be someone from your past, in your family, a friend, at work, at church, or simply some leader you choose to pay attention to. What stands out most about this leader?

Joshua from the Bible is one of my favorite leaders and in today’s reading (Joshua 23) he gives his final speech to Israel. In this speech, there are numerous examples of leadership and lessons for us to learn to lead better.

Don’t believe the lie which might be whispered, “you’re not a leader”. YOU are a leader no matter what you think. People observe you. People depend on you. Don’t forget, there is good and bad leadership and sometimes people follow our bad behavior as well.

Some examples of Joshua’s leadership and qualities of great leaders:

  • He gathered other leaders together to communicate his message (verses 1-2). Great leaders build leaders around them and they communicate effectively, trusting that those leaders will take the message forward.
  • He reminded them of God’s faithfulness and gave glory to God (not himself) as God was the one who fought for them against their enemies (verse 3). Great leaders are selfless and they reflect and motivate.
  • As the Israelites fought their enemies, they gained new land. Joshua was the leader in these wars. Joshua clearly sets the boundaries in the land that they have conquered, and not yet conquered (verse 4). Great leaders set clear boundaries, clear expectations, and they build the structure for future generations of leaders and followers.
  • Joshua remained confident in God’s promises, knowing that even after his own death, they as a people will have victory against their enemies (verse 5). Great leaders build other leaders who can take over after they leave. Great leaders also have a positive attitude, trusting that their teams and followers will do their part. Lastly, great leaders put their trust in God, knowing they cannot do it alone. Joshua did all of these things.
  • In verses 6-8: He pointed them to God’s word and instructions, telling them what not to do and what to do. These instructions are all based on God’s laws for our lives so that we may live with abundance and refrain from sinning. Great leaders have a strong moral compass and seek to educate and influence others to do the same, not for the benefit of the leader, but for the people.
  • Joshua motivates and encourages them, recognizing the importance of each person when he says in verse 10 “each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy”. This is some powerful stuff, all because God was with them and fights for them. Again, great leaders motivate and encourage. They believe and have deep convictions in what they are doing and what will be done.
  • In verse 11 Joshua then points back to the greatest commandment, “love the LORD your God”. Love is a verb; great leaders give great examples of their love and teach others to do the same.

While Joshua was a fantastic leader, there is no better leader than God in the flesh, the king who came not to be served but to serve, giving his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45 paraphrased). This same man Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, taking on the lowest and dirty job as an example for us to follow.

Whose feet will you wash today so that they may see the love and leadership of Jesus in you?

Joshua 22

Today’s reading:  Joshua 22:10-44

Catastrophize – (v) to imagine the worst possible outcome of an action or event (Miriam Webster).

Are you guilty of catastrophizing?  If your team goes down by 10 points, do you find yourself saying, “the game is over”, even though it is still in the first half?  If you get one piece of negative feedback at work, are you convinced your career is over?  When you get a splitting headache, do you automatically think it is a brain tumor?  If you answer yes to any of these questions, you might be guilty.

Catastrophizing can lead to some negative consequences both for you and those around you.  For example, it can cause you to waste a lot of time (and money) dealing with “emergencies”.  It can also cause unnecessary anxiety or low self esteem, as you are prone to dwell on negativity.  Even worse, it can lead to troubles in close relationships as your friends/family are forced to endure many unnecessary crisis situations with you.

Our scripture for today is about the Israelites moving into the promised land.  If you remember from Joshua 21, the tribes of Rueben, Gad and half of the Manasseh tribe all received land on the East side of the Jordan River.  So, they settled in first, before the rest of the tribes got to their new homes.  In the beginning of Joshua chapter 22, Joshua charged these three tribes to never lose sight of their journey, to remember how (and who) got them to this point, and then sent them on to their new homes.

Be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul (Joshua 22:5).

In response to Joshua’s guidance, these three tribes went to their new homes and built an altar to honor God.  What do you think happened when the remaining tribes saw it?  You guessed it, they jumped to the wrong conclusion (e.g. catastrophized the situation).  They concluded these three tribes were trying starting their own religion and were rebelling against God.  They were ready to start a war.

Fortunately Phineas, a wise priest, led a of group of people to go confront the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh to figure out what was going on.  When they explained the altar was meant to honor God, not to make pagan sacrifices, everyone was good.  Gosh that seemed easy, all it took was a simple conversation.

How often in our lives do we jump to the wrong conclusion or catastrophize a situation?  Instead of confronting those involved, we make up stories, worry, and ultimately let the situation drive a wedge in our relationships.  I know confronting sticky situations takes a lot of courage, but a simple conversation can prevent a lot of heartache.  Let’s get to talking.

That’s Ridiculous!

The battle of Jericho is one of the most ridiculous stories in the Bible. You see, God called on Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land. But, to take possession of it, they must first conquer Jericho. This was no easy task. Jericho was fortified with stone walls. At this time, the city was shut. None went in, and none went out (v2). Surely Joshua understood the problem. How could he take a city that he couldn’t even get into? Of course, God provided a way.
The way, according to Joshua 6 was for the army to march around the city on time, every day for six days. Then, on the seventh day, they were to march around seven times followed by a blast of the priest’s trumpets and a great shout from all the people. Once complete, God tells Joshua, the walls will fall flat (v5). Problem solved.
Is that weird? Why would God ask them to do such a ridiculous thing? I’ve come up with two answers; faith and obedience. Consider first faith. We have to assume that Joshua exhausted all of his options as any good leader would. He knew that the strength of his army could not overcome the walls. At some point, he gave up reliance on his own wisdom and strength. Faith was all he had left. If this was going to happen, he must rely on God’s promise. Second, comes obedience. He must have felt silly after walking around the city on the first day, let alone the 6th day! To make it tougher, his mighty men would have provided plenty of ridicule. One of the toughest things a leader faces is an interrogation from their own team. Yet, Joshua persisted, allowing his faith to drive his actions.
What obstacles are you facing, right now? Perhaps the solution is as ridiculous as Joshua’s seemed. Perhaps God is asking you to let go, to lay down your weapons and rely on his strength and power. This can only happen when we give up our own agendas and willfulness.  We are being called to submit to his perfect plan. Even if it seems ridiculous.