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Cody

Songs of Righteousness

“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:23–24 ESV)

For the last month I, along with a team of three other guys, have been preparing to launch a new campus for our church in an Elementary School about five miles away from the main campus. I am going to be the worship pastor and can't wait for it to begin this Sunday. Most of my time preparing for this new role  has been spent researching and purchasing the equipment we need to do what we want to do there, developing the different ministry teams for the church, and working with the web guy and the design guy and the print guy at our church to make sure we have everything we need for the new campus to run smoothly. It's been a lot of work, but I have learned a ton and sincerely enjoyed the preparations. However, with it now four days away from beginning, I am getting anxious. This morning our 2 month old son woke Lauren and I up at 5 am (the second time he had woken us up last night) and I was grumpy. I started thinking about all the things I still need to get done for the new campus, all the people I would have to call, all the homework that I've put on the back-burner to get through this week, and in the end I was taking out my stress from those things on Lauren and Kyler. 

After Kyler finally fell asleep, I sat down at the kitchen table and opened up my bible to read, the whole time anxiously hoping that the baby monitor in front of me won't light up with his cries and interrupt my breakfast and quiet time. I'm working through the minor prophets right now, so I was just expecting to read some of Amos and walk away with only a better appreciation for God's revelation through his interplay with Israel, valuable no doubt, but sometimes hard to make relevant to my life. God had different plans for me this morning. I got to chapter 5 and started to see a familiar theme. I had read just a few days before in Hosea, but it's familiarity stifled some of it's impact. Amos, the shepherd prophet, started to list all of the sacrifices and festivals and songs that Israel would sing. As he listed them he wrote how God has rejected all of those things. God was tired of their sacrifices and ceremonies, he didn't want to hear there singing or there instruments. When Amos was prophesying, Israel was not walking with God. Although they maintained temple practices, they also kept altars in the mountains to sacrifice to foreign gods. They neglected the poor among them and abandoned many parts of the law. So what God told them through Amos, is that if they are not going to act with justice and righteousness, he doesn't want their worship. God tells Israel to let justice flow down like water and righteousness flow like a river. Those things would worship him. 

When I read that, my heart beat rose a little bit and my countenance dropped in a way that only the Holy Spirit and his conviction can do. This morning I was so worried about the show of worship, I was so concerned with the songs and the liturgy, that I neglected truly worshiping God by treating my beautiful wife and helpless two month old with frustration and unwarranted anger. There is a constant theme I have seen throughout the prophets and which is reiterated through Christ himself. If we are not living with justice and righteousness, if we are not seeking mercy and forgiveness towards each other, if we are not devoting ourselves to knowing God and the glory of his presence, then our worship is detestable to him.

Lord Jesus, I confess that so much of my worship falls upon your deaf ears due to my own sin and misplaced passions. Forgive my iniquities in your gracious eyes and accept my praise on behalf of my integrity, which I have because you alone have saved me!

The Living Bones

“And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.”” Ezekiel 37:3

The Indiana Jones movies were some of my favorite movies growing up (still today?). But I must admit, as a kid watching them, I couldn't help but be scared every time Indy would walk into an old tomb or an underground sewer and be surrounded by the bones of explorers who went before him. From the filmmaker's perspective, these bones created a great contrast to the living Indiana Jones exploring the same treacherous artifacts as the bones laying around him. But for a boy, I was always scared that Indy wouldn't make it. I was worried he would become just another skeleton for some future archeologist to pass over in search of grails and arks and whatnot. Even at a young age, I knew that dead was dead, bones were bones, and that once you were a skeleton, you weren't going to be anything else but dust after that.

During another one of Ezekiel's crazy visions, he is brought into a scene from Indiana Jones. The Spirit of the Lord takes him to a valley filled with dry bones and asks him if these bones could live. Most people if asked that would respond with the obvious, "No," since dead is dead and bones are bones. But Ezekiel knew that God was unpredictable, so he merely responded "O Lord God , you know." As the story goes, God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones to give them flesh and breath, and that which was once dead was given life. 

I can only imagine the scene. At one moment surrounded by what looks like the remains of a horrible massacre and the next minute in the middle of new life, breathing bodies rejoicing in every new breath. Over and over in the Scriptures God shows that not only does he delight in creation, but also in re-creation. God delights in taking my dead, dry bones and giving them new life, breathing His breath and Spirit back into that which is breathless and soulless. What a wonderful God we worship!

Lord Jesus, let us live in the newness of life that you give us. We praise for taking what sin has killed and giving us your breath!

From Omni to Chili's

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.”” Song of Solomon 2:15

About a year ago, Lauren and I were making our way down from Dallas to Austin to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We set a budget, went to Priceline and found an incredible room in the Omni Hotel. The weekend was spent eating $25 plates, going on aimless walks through downtown Austin, eating crepes out of a trailer near Zilker Park, buying records at Waterloo Records, and enjoying an elegant and exciting weekend in the unique Texas hippy culture that is Austin, Texas. It was incredible.

Last week, Lauren and I celebrated our second anniversary. But instead of waking up to room service and downtown rooftop pools, we woke up every two hours to a fussy and hungry baby, to feed, burp and change his diaper. After a sleepless night, we spent the rest of the day carrying around a car seat and diaper bag meeting our pediatrician and other specialists. Instead of meandering through parks holding hands, we walked tiredly through doctors offices and waiting rooms, spit up on our shirts and the all too familiar "deer-caught-in-the-headlights" look of week old parents on our faces. For dinner we had plans of using a gift card and escaping between feedings for an hour to our local Chili's for a quick meal, but after a day of parenting and Lauren recovering from a C-section we ended up calling in the Chili's order, setting up a romantic dinner on our kitchen table and having a 20 minute meal while the baby hung out with Grandma in the nursery. 

A lot can happen in a year.

I find it funny sometimes how much pressure can be put on couples to make anniversaries spectacular. Don't get me wrong, a weekend away dining finely and living largely is fun and a great way to celebrate a marriage. But we often times miss the point. By placing the weight on the spectacle, by putting all of our efforts into anniversary plans and expensive gifts, we often times do so at the expense of putting our efforts into the 364 days in between anniversaries that make or break marriages. That's all Satan has to do. Distract us and shift our priorities just enough to make us forget what honors God about marriages. God doesn't care whether we spend $1 or $1,000 on an anniversary gift or if we can outdo ourselves each year with elaborate plans and surprises. God cares if we cherish and hold our spouse even after they blow up at us after a bad day, He cares if we choose to not look at porn and save our eyes, passions, and thoughts for our wives alone, He cares if we utilize our marriage to be an example in faith to show that it is God's glory and sovereignty that matters more than our reputations, paychecks, and social status. 

As I went to bed that night, I looked at my wife then at our baby sleeping in the bassinet. Despite the vastly different wedding anniversary that day, I couldn't help but praise God. The rest of our lives we will be threatened by little foxes trying to sneak through the fence of our marriage and destroy all that God has planted. Some of the foxes will be obvious, but most will be subtle--a slight shift of focus, an underlying fear, a disproportionate love of a child, unmet expectations and the unending pressure to live a life full of genuine love in an inauthentic and soulless world. But that night as we fell asleep, as the baby sighed his sleeping sighs while swaddled tightly for the night and as my wife's breath grew longer and deeper as she slipped into a hard sleep, I knew that we were resting in a garden protected by the grace and mercy of God, safe at least for the night from the crafty little foxes trying to break in. I hope that our future anniversaries will contain more one on one time than this last one, but I'm so happy we don't need the fireworks for it to be romantic. 

Lord Jesus, we are incapable in ourselves to be godly and to guard what you have sown. Protect us with your grace and glory from all the snares the devil sets for us and let our marriages be a picture of your love! 

Thus Begins Fatherhood

“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.” (Psalms 128:3-4 ESV)

As I write this, my beautiful wife is sleeping in a hospital bed filled with pillows from constant feedings with our new son swaddled and sleeping in a "milk coma" on her lap. The cold fluorescence of hospital lights have become common place and the room on the eighth floor of Medical City hospital has become a far too familiar surrounding for us over the last five days. What began as a routine induction that was supposed to bring us back home on Saturday turned into a five day stay and a long recovery from 3 and a half hours of unsuccessfully pushing out a baby and an unexpected C-section. Although Lauren pushed with all of her might, God made her with an overly prominent sacrum, which made it so our son couldn't come out that way. So in many tears and faith that seemed smaller than a mustard seed at the moment, we trusted the doctors choice for a C-section and welcomed our healthy son into the world an hour later. 

It's a peculiar thing becoming a father. From 5pm Wednesday evening when we began the induction process and 10:04 pm the following night when our son, Kyler, was born, something truly miraculous happened in my heart. Years of stunted maturity and foolishness seemed flushed out of my body and soul and was instantly replaced by the joyful weight of responsibility that all new fathers are filled with the moment they hold that child they've been waiting nine months to meet. Praise God that Lauren was able to make it through the painful delivery and that God put such smart doctors in our life to keep both my wife and my new son safe. 

As they continue to sleep behind me, and the room is not filled with crying babies or nurses or other various hospital machines, my mind began to race back to a verse I read a few weeks ago while reading through the Psalms. I had read the above verse before, but without feeling the weight of fatherhood, its message was lost on me. When I initially thought about being a father, my mind went straight to the responsibility of providing through working, or being actively involved with helping my wife with the everyday tasks of having a newborn, or holding Kyler until he stops crying and all of those other things that come with being a dad. All of these are part of it and important, but they are not the most important responsibility I now have as a father. If I want to be a responsible dad, the Psalmist writes that I must lead by fearing God. When I fear the Lord, my wife and my children will thrive and be blessings. 

I knew early on in my faith that fearing God was important, but it wasn't until 10:04 Thursday night, July 8th, 2010, that the axiom became the unwavering reality it always should've been in my life. The fear of God is the most fundamental responsibility I now have. If God is as great and powerful, as gracious and wrathful as he truly is, then what does that mean in loving my wife, in raising my son, in spending and saving money, in how I use my free time, in how I spend all my time. I have to justify my every step, action, and thought to the greatness of God and his majestic love in my life, and my family will see it and follow in step. 

In a few hours we will go home and be away from the constant help of the hospital staff and on our own with the giant learning curve living in our house the next twenty years. My prayer is that, although there will be mistakes and sleepless nights and stress, that I can rise to the occasion of leadership that submits whole-heartedly to the awesome power of our wonderful God and that one day our Son would find his salvation in the saving blood of Jesus Christ the lamb.

Early in the morning after he was born, while pondering his recent birth and the great presence f our sweet child, I wrote a hymn of praise that I will leave everyone with. We all have joy because God became a son and died and through him we all have hope in this dark world.

Oh joy! What joy a son is born!

The world in anxious wait

For darkness covers endlessly

Where no light penetrates

But light brought forth in God the Son

Has caused the dark to flee

The presence of the Son, the Lamb

Now reigns victoriously!

The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!

The Father's glory in his eyes.

Born for the cross, to conquer death

The way to life in manger lies.

Oh Son! What grace that walks between

The twisted hearts of men

The pharisee and lowly thief 

Can all be born again!

A gracious God born humble man

And emptied of his throne

For sinner's sake, and Father's name

Walks to the cross alone.

The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!

The Father's glory in his eyes.

Born for the cross, to conquer death

The way to life in manger lies.

Oh Son! So humble bursting forth

From grave to conquering sky.

Though bruised heel has crushed the head

Of Satan and his lie.

Oh Son! Now seated at the throne

Our Lord! Our God! Our King!

The Son suffering for greatest joy

Born for the Cross we sing. 

The Cross! The Cross! Born for the cross!

The Father's glory in his eyes.

Born for the cross, to conquer death

The way to life in manger lies.

Respond With Integrity

“I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;” Psalms 101:2

It's easy to praise God once we begin to interact with him. This may sound trite, but really, as we as believers begin to read about Jesus in the gospels and his mighty works, or study the story of the Exodus or just in general see the transformation from sinners into saints in or own lives it is easy for us to look at all the evidence and deem God worthy of our praise. Verbally acknowledging that God is a great God is really a no brainer as we truly see what he has revealed to us through his word, the common grace evident in his creation, and the sanctifying power of his Spirit in our souls. And this is what we should do. God is a God who is worthy of receiving our verbal affirmation of His glory and wonder. However, what will often times happen in my life, and I think it is indicative of a deeper problem of culture, is that I will pour myself out with words before God, telling him how great and wonderful he is...and then stop. My praise both begins and ends with words. Whether they are through songs, or prayers, or through conversations with others, I find it easy to praise God with my lips, but then stop. This seems to be a problem with those who interact with God for a long time. Over and over again in the Scriptures, there is evidence of Israel praising God with their sacrifices and laws, or covenants made to God, or all these different things, but then the actions they take apart from their words are completely separated and run counter-intuitive to what we say to God. I do this so often in my own life, and every time I do it, my words become pointless. The proper response to God's presence is first and foremost living righteously with integrity. If we were to say nothing, but act differently, God would be praised more truly. Whenever we as believing people praise God with what we say but insult God by what we do, our praise becomes insulting to God. 

Lord Jesus, please help us to walk not only with words but with integrity. You are worthy of our righteous living and it is your grace that carries us!

Let God Be God

“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”” Psalms 29:3-9

As a worship pastor, I spend most of my time doing everything I can to get people to worship God. Whether it's discussing song choice and order, whether or not to put chairs out, fiddling with lights, or spending hours practicing with the band to get the bridge to that one song just right, the majority of my week is occupied trying to figure out what I need to do for God to be worshipped. As I was reading this morning and thinking about the above passage, it struck me how silly much of what I do during the week truly is. In truth, I don't have to do anything for God to be worshiped. It is very humbling and horrifyingly awesome to know how great God is. His presence doesn't need to be enhanced by me, or by a certain song, or a lighting effect or any other thing. The only thing necessary for God to be praised is for God to be God. Which he is all the time. I fear that a lot of the things that I do on a Sunday morning or any other time I'm leading worship can distract and keep people from what they really need, which is encountering the true God. God doesn't need our help to be praised, we just need to let him be God and he'll take care of the rest.

Lord Jesus, please give me the humility and wisdom to allow you to make your presence known to those who seek to worship you. Let us not be distractions from the Almighty king, so that as people enter into his holy temple, they can't help but cry "Glory!"

How to Complain to God

“Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary! Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown; I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him.” Job 31:35-37

Life is difficult and unfair. I remember as a child growing up and being reminded constantly by my parents that life isn't fair. Whenever my older sister would get to go the dollar store and I couldn't go or my younger brother would get the toy I wanted on Christmas, I would plead my case before my parents and the response was always, "Cody, sometimes life just isn't fair." On such occasions I returned to my room, buried my head in my pillow and longed for an impartial judge to hear my case and give me fairness. But no such judge existed. Job was a man who, though righteous, lost everything. He was charitable, faithful, loving, wise, and generous and in payment for his integrity his wealth, health, and household was destroyed. Unlike the trivial things I saw as unfair as a child, his complaint was well founded. Job was the lab rat for a cosmic social experiment. So when Job complains, nobody should be surprised. At some point in every one of our lives, we will have to reconcile the realities of the suffering and unfairness of pain in this world, with the perfect and loving God who created it. Why would God, who is infinitely just, do this to Job? Furthermore, why was Job considered righteous for complaining? Job examines every aspect of his soul, he pleads with God to show him where he messed up, and ultimately demanded a fair hearing in front of the Lord almighty. And in this response, it seems God was pleased. If we define God's justice merely by fairness and equality, we will miss the point and never reconcile suffering with God. What Job learns eventually and what God ultimately declares is that God's justice is anything that serves to proclaim deeper and more poignantly his glory to others. The greatest thing any human being can experience and behold is the glory of God. Job's complaining with God, his wrestling and confusion, his bitterness and angst was justly brought upon him by God to declare majestically his power and sovereignty over creation. Job was righteous in his complaints because they ultimately brought about and magnified the glory of God. It's a hard lesson and one I'm still learning today. We are all pawns in the game of God's glory, and by it we are blessed.

Lord Jesus, let us see your glory as the ultimate purpose for justice and bring our complaints before you in a way that brings you praise!

We Give Up Quickly

““Should a multitude of words go unanswered, and a man full of talk be judged right? Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?” Job 11:2-3

The thought of feeding the homeless, helping the helpless, comforting the suffering, and fixing the broken are always highly appealing to those with religious sentiments. It is not uncommon to give up a Saturday around Christmas to serve at a soup kitchen, or to toss a few coins into the hands of the beggar in a downtown alleyway. We all love to be the shoulder for others to cry on and the voice of wisdom in a misguided friends life. These things are all good things and the desire to help those who are hurting is evidence of God's presence in our lives. But for many people, charity has a short life when its truly played out with those who are in need of it. We all want to feed hungry people, but are shocked that they would steal bread or ask for more than what we give them. We love to comfort those who are hurting, but when out of their hurt they show anger, pain, and doubt, we slink back in confusion. We desire to help those in need, but are surprised that they act needy. Job's friends had the same problems. When they first arrived, they sat in silence with their suffering friend for seven days. There is no doubt they cared about Job and wanted genuinely to help him. But when Job finally opens his mouth and acts like a man who lost everything without cause and a man in sever physical pain, there compassion quickly dries up and turns to frustration that Job won't just humbly accept their advice and be healed instantly. It is frightening how quickly I lose patience with hurting people because they won't let me be the hero I thought I would be in their lives. Broken people act broken, suffering people act hurt, and needy people act needy. If our compassion for those in need is not coupled with patience through the long process of recovery, then we fall into the same sin of Job's friends and do not reflect God's patience for us. If God treated us the way we treat others in need, we would be hopeless.

Lord Jesus, please give us both compassion and patience to walk with others through their hurts. Let us not give up on loving others!

God Out of the Box

“It is all one; therefore I say, He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” Job 9:22

One of the difficult things about reading Job is how to sort through the advice given by Job's friends. Although in the end we know God finds them with fault and finds Job faultless, it is difficult to see how that could be possible in the middle of things. Job's first friend Eliphaz looks at Job's situation and says Job must have sinned against God to have this much suffering brought upon him. A lot of the things he says about God are found elsewhere in Scripture, God does bring punishment and destruction down on the wicked and there is wisdom in examining your actions if calamity is brought upon you. After Job denies that he has sinned against God and wishes that God would just kill him, his second friend takes a stronger approach. Bildad sees Job's struggle through suffering as offensive and says surely there is malice in your heart and you must repent, because God just doesn't destroy righteous people. Once again, Bildad is not entirely wrong in his assessment on how God acts during certain circumstances. Job then responds in a way that seems even more blasphemous, he claims that if there were a fair judge between him and God, he would be in the right. The advice given by Job's friends is not all that different from the advice many of us would give to a friend in a similar circumstance. Our view of God's justice is clean and systematic where he punishes the sinful and prospers the righteous and nothing can exist outside of that box. But that is exactly where Job's friends, and likewise many of us, err. God's justice is not a systematic equation of fairness or a black and white labeling of right and wrong. God's justice is whatever God does, regardless of what we find fair or equitable. Job sees this. Job sees that God can still be just and sovereign and destroy both the wicked and the righteous. The all-powerful glory and sovereignty of God is the point. It is so easy for us to put God and his attributes into a neat little box and build our controlled world around a God who is predictable and safe. That is the sin of Job's friends and it is a sin that I so frequently fall into. God is neither predictable or safe and the proper response to his interaction in the world is not to control him, but to worship him in the awe of his terrifying might.

Lord Jesus, let us fear you because you are a God who is not safe, who does what he pleases and is always just!

The Plight of Job

“But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:10

I often times fear how I would respond to God if my circumstances were different. When reading the book of Job it is easy to caricature the different people in the story and turn it into a one of those flannel Sunday school lessons of lifeless cut outs. We can look at Job's wife as simply a nagging wife, we can look at his friends as cold, legalistic idiots with no sympathy, we can see Job as an unrealistic superhero of faith, and we can see God as a cruel unjust deity who hands over the fate of this man to a cunning devil. But to see the book like this completely ignores the complex human emotions of worship and suffereing, the deep theological significance of God's sovereignty, and the philosophical exploration of evil and injustice. Within the first two chapters of the book, Job loses his children, his land, his wealth, and his health and is faced with the crucial question of whether or not he will still treat God as sovereign over his life. I fear how I would respond to the same trial. It is easy for me to write off his wife as a faithless fool, or his friends as hard-headed simpletons, but if I were to really put myself in the shoes of any one of them, I don't know if I would act any differently. And that is why the drama of Job is so important to life. Are we willing to accept God's sovereignty and goodness over both the good things that happen to us and the bad? The plight of Job is really the plight of all of us and the point of his story is not to teach us to suffer well, but teach us to keep God sovereign.

Lord Jesus, help us to hold your lordship in all circumstances and worship you for both the good and the bad!

Here for a Purpose

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”” Esther 4:14

Not only are we all born, but we are all born into a particular time and place. With that time and place comes a social, political, and cultural context, along with a religious need and most importantly, a section of God's redemptive story. As a result, none of us can remain idle or indifferent to the time and place in which we exist. For example, Esther was born into a culture of Exile, but also placed in a position of power and influence. On top of that, her background, her position of power, and the influence she carried with her made her a prime candidate to help in God's redemptive story. She was in a position to save many Jews from being exterminated within the Persian empire. Although many of us may never carry the position or influence that Esther had, or face the dire circumstances she faced, every single one of us who are born again into Christ are born into the history of Christ's redemption. God will accomplish his purposes with or without us, but why would we pass up on the opportunity to make an eternal impact and serve what God is doing in the world? We were all born with a particular context and we have the amazing choice to be used by God in that context or to be passed over. What is it that God is calling you to? What part of his story is he asking you to play? We may find it difficult to follow God in all circumstances and it may seem that ignoring his call is the safer bet. And to the world, it may be. But we will all write a story with our lives in the end, and all of those stories will eventually end with our deaths. Since we will all end up the same, it seems to make more sense to at least write a good story with our lives. God's story of redemption is the greatest narrative in the world and beyond. I choose to be a part of his story, do you?

Lord Jesus, give us the strength to answer your call and live in accordance with time and culture you placed us in. Give us courage and faith to take part in your redemption!

Freedom from Oppression

“I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.” Nehemiah 5:6

One of the indicators of the place Christ holds in my heart is what things make me angry. When criticism or blocked expectations quickly set me off, or when I get upset that things don't go my way, or someone disagrees with me, that's usually an indication that Christ is not at the center of my life. On the other hand, anger in and of itself, is not wrong. In fact, there are things in this world that should make us angry. Nehemiah, after returning to Jerusalem to oversee the building of the wall, witnesses his people exacting interest from the poor among them and making other Jews sell themselves and their children into slavery to pay for the debt incurred. When Nehemiah observed this, he got angry. The oppression of his people by his people was too much for him to ignore. So he got angry. I'll get angry if I'm supposed to meet someone for something and they don't show up, but do I ever get angry at the oppression of my neighbors by my neighbors? Do I get angry at the drug trafficking that keeps poor people addicted to meth? Am I infuriated by the excessive spending done by churches while people literally one block are starving? Does it bother me when laws are passed that tear apart families and make it illegal to feed or clothe or shelter people in need just because they are an undocumented immigrant? Oppression is something that righteous men get angry about. When Jesus entered the temple and saw money lenders and merchants charging interest and overcharging for sacrifices, Jesus got angry. It seems there is a mistake in thinking that Christian maturity means never getting angry. The truth is, we should be angry, just not about the things we're typically mad about.

Lord Jesus, give us an anger towards oppression and sin. Fill us with disdain towards those things that plague your compassion!

Not Our Stuff

““But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.” 1 Chronicles 29:14

We've all been there. Staring endlessly at our computer screens, our check books or bank statements, wondering where all the money could have gone. We have budgets, or at least we have one written down somewhere, but it just seems like the money is gone before we even know its there. It can sometimes be difficult for us to imagine giving to others when money is so tight. One of the areas God has really been working on in Lauren's and my life is the area of discipline with finances. It is in area that we have grown in significantly and must continue to grow in significantly. I find one of the most difficult struggles is consistent giving in the midst of difficult finances and unexpected costs. When an excess of money is there, it isn't hard to give some of it to others in need, but when we are the ones in need, giving money to others becomes more and more difficult to justify. When David prayed for the gathering of the material for the temple, he reminds Israel of something that has hit me hard this morning. None of it is our stuff. When I tithe or I give to a ministry or anything like that, I'm not really giving from my own wealth or sacrificing something that's mine, I'm just giving back to God what already belonged to him in the first place. Every penny that our family brings in, every resource or talent that we have is a gift given by God. It's not our stuff! But in my own sinfulness, I quickly forget God's generosity and immediately feel entitled to the money. If I give ten percent in tithe I feel really good about myself, almost like God owes our family for our faithful support. How messed up is that mentality! There should be no struggle in giving to God's kingdom because it's his money anyways. 

Lord Jesus, please replace my heart of entitlement for a heart of willing giving and help us all to let go of what is rightfully yours to begin with!

Power of The Word

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” 2 Kings 22:11-12

I was speaking with a friend the other day who had spent some time as a missionary in Nepal. After looking through pictures of his trip to Mt. Everest, he began recounting a story of one of the ladies he had met during the course of his trip. One of the things he did over there was distribute Bibles in Nepalese to people and he remembers being amazed by this woman's excitement in receiving a Bible. As he talked with her a bit longer, she asked if she could show him her old bible. Of course he said yes and she went and grabbed a few pieces of parchment with Nepalese written on it. As he looked closer he saw tear stains and countless notes written all around the main text. Due to past persecution, Nepalese Christians didn't have more than a few sheets of the Bible at a time, and they would just read them over and over again, and then trade them with each other. My friend was very humbled and amazed by the power the Bible had in this woman's life, the tears that had been shed over this fraction of Scripture that she treasured for so many years. Josiah, after hearing the Book of Law, tore his clothes. He was so moved and convicted by the word of God, that he ripped his clothes, read it before everyone in Judah, and then overtook the greatest reform in all of Israel. As I read this passage and thought about the story of the Nepalese woman and her parchment Bible pages, I recognized a significant absence in my life. I can blame the over-saturation of Scripture in America, the bottom line of Bible publishing companies, the critical and over analysis of biblical higher criticism. I can blame all of those things and I wouldn't be wrong to recognize the effect these things have had on the power of God's word in the West. But I would be wrong to blame them. God's word lacks weight in my life because God lacks weight in my life. I can read the Bible and walk away relatively unchanged for the same reason that I can receive the Holy Spirit through the death of Christ and the will of the Father and be relatively unchanged for a long period of time. I don't fear God, not in the way that I should and therefore he doesn't have weight in my life. It seems one of the major sins of Western Christians, myself included, is the lack of the fear of God, and this realization has been utterly devastating to me. I want to weep as I read the Scriptures, cherish it with my life, study it with my whole heart, and live what it says, because its author is deserving of my fear. 

Lord Jesus, I fear you because your wrath is real, your power beyond comprehension, and your presence overwhelming. Let your word have weight in my life!

We Must Open Our Eyes

“He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16-17

I will be the first to admit to you that I love sci-fi and the Lord of The Rings. Ray Bradbury and Kurt Vonnegut are two of my favorite writers, and in Tolkien I find a rare brilliance that is unmatched in most other writers of his genre. I love reading stories of aliens who attack the world, or supernatural spheres that attack rocket ships, or wizards and ghost armies who go up against a great fiery eye. My imagination soars as I read them and find the supernatural completely believable and accessible in the context of fiction. However, there is another part of me that has a difficult time reconciling the presence of the supernatural within the context of non-fiction history. Wizards are great in fiction, but hold little weight in non-fiction. As I read through the Bible, the problem of the supernatural comes to the forefront. Things happen in the Bible, which is purported as a non-fiction book, that I naturally only accept in the medium of fiction. I think Elisha's servant had the same problem. When faced with the armies of the Syrians, he wasn't ready to accept Elisha's explanation that supernatural forces were there to fight for him. So Elisha asks God to show the supernatural in the natural world. As difficult as it is to accept, the supernatural isn't only a figment of imagination. There is a different dimension of the world that exists that we will likely never see, but is nonetheless real. I must admit, this is something that I need to struggle through in prayer, because as much as I like the idea of angels and demons battling and intervening constantly in the natural world, I have a difficult time fully accepting it as true. I want to believe its true because faith in their presence means a strengthening of courage when facing adversity in life. Opposition is less daunting knowing that the angels of heaven are fighting the battle alongside me. The enemy seems powerless knowing the God of the universe and his armies are fighting against them. 

Lord Jesus, let what we can only see as fiction become facts that we find our strength in. Give us eyes to see your real presence in the natural world!

The God Who Whispers

“And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” 1 Kings 19:11-13

There were many times in the Israel's history when God needed to be fire, or an earthquake, or a mighty wind. Even for Elijah, a chapter earlier God showed up in a consuming fire and defeated the prophets of Baal. There is no mistake that God is a mighty and powerful God, capable of far greater destruction and force than any natural thing we know. But in this instant, when Elijah had lost all hope and passion, God chose instead of displaying his power and might, to comfort Elijah with a whisper. It was exactly what Elijah needed to be restored. What I love about this story is that it is a story that you can't just make up. It makes sense for God to show up in a fire, or an earthquake, or a hurricane, or a whirlwind, but to show up in a low whisper, there is seemingly no drama that it brings. Which is why this can't just be made up. No one, when they think about God, thinks of Him as a God who whispers. But God does speak in both the powerful and the subtle, he is both the conqueror and the comforter, the lion and the lamb. There are many times when I get to the end of my passion or patience, when I find myself increasingly cynical about life and ministry, and all I can think of is how much easier life would be if the fire of God's word weren't burning inside me. In those moments of darkness, I praise God that He is willing to whisper me back to a passionate devotion to him. I praise him that he not only conquered my sin, but comforts my weakness. Our God is a God who both shouts and whispers, and he knows which one we need.

Lord Jesus, meet us in or need and draw us gently back to the pastures of your grace. We long for you in our hopeless and tireless struggles and know that you will bring us comfort!

Cripples at the Table of the King

“So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.” 2 Samuel 9:13

I don't know if everybody does this, but when I read through biblical stories I will always picture myself as the different people I'm reading. When reading about Moses, I picture myself with a long beard and dirty tunic holding two stone tablets, or I'll picture myself as David with a slingshot and five rocks. It's probably evidence of narcissism more than anything, but a part of it is the relatability of the biblical characters. These are real people who had real encounters with God, and we can see ourselves in them because, like us, they were human. In 2 Samuel 9, a not as well known character is introduced into the bible, Mephibosheth, who  is the crippled son of King Saul, the only son left in his family. David wants to honor his friendship with Jonathan by finding anyone left in Saul's family and bringing him to his palace. Mephibosheth is the only one left, and he is crippled in both feet. When David brings him before his throne, Mephibosheth is shocked and doesn't know how to handle David's kindness. Nevertheless, David takes care of his family and Mephibosheth gets a permanent invitation to eat at the table of the king. Just imagine it, there is King David at the head of the table, all his beautiful wives, his sons and daughters, the mighty men of Israel, and then a cripple. If I were honest with myself, of all the biblical characters I relate to best, its Mephibosheth. Through Jesus, I have been invited permanently to sit at the table of the king, but there is nothing I have to offer him. I am a cripple that can add nothing to God, but he invites me anyways. What a wonderful king we serve that provides a spot at the table of his kingdom for a cripple like me!

Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace in inviting us to the table, despite our crippling disabilities. You are a majestic King who gives favor where no favor is due, and grace to those who don't deserve it!

Future Blindness

“Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”” 1 Samuel 27:1

David needed a Delorean and a flux capacitor. After being pursued constantly by Saul for years, living in caves, always on the move, expecting to be killed at all times, David got to a point where he couldn't believe his life would be anything else. He resolved in his heart that Saul would eventually kill him so out of desperation he sought asylum in the hands of his enemies. David could have used time travel. If him and Doc Brown could go even two years into the future, he would see that his life was not meant for ruin but to be a great king. However David forgot his anointing, lost sight of the words God already gave him and fled in despair. There are so many times when we, like David, could use a time machine. We might be stuck in a dead end job, going through a difficult time with a spouse, a friend, a family member that just never seems to end, we might have a sickness or pain that won't go away, or be in the midst of any number of other struggles and sorrows. We may have waited patiently, trusted God fervently, prayed unceasingly, but still nothing happens. Many of us, like David, have had enough of waiting and have slipped into the violent abyss of despair. One of the most crippling and widespread disabilities amongst people is future blindness. None of us can see the future. And because of the lack of sight into our own personal future, we let our blindness cripple us in the present. But believers, we must not lose heart in the midst of pain. Although we may not know our own personal end, we may not understand the present sufferings that we find ourselves in, we do know that God will bring us into his kingdom. We do know that God is drawing people to himself for the glorification of himself, and that all things serve to that end. So we cannot lose heart.

Lord Jesus, be our vision in the midst of our blindness and help us to see your purposes and goodness in all circumstances.

Good Intentions Don't Matter

"And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to listen than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22

The practice of worship can be a dangerous thing. I think there is a pervasive mentality that as long as we have good intentions in worshipping God, it doesn't really matter if how we worship lines up with his commandments. This is the, "It's the thought that counts," view of worshipping and serving God. Saul and the people of Israel had this. Although God commanded them to completely destroy the Amalekites, they thought it would be nice to instead take the best of their crops and flocks and sacrifice them to the Lord. When Samuel heard about this, he went and told Saul the kingdom is being taken away from him. In that dialogue, one of the most significant statements about worship in the whole Bible is made. God doesn't care about the sacrifice, the rituals, the offerings, the liturgy, or any of the religious acts of worship if obedience is compromised to accomplish it. Some examples: there is a glaring need of the poor in our immediate community and instead we use the resources God gave us to expand or enhance our already incredible facility. God commands us to take care of the poor, not have perfect clarity in our sound system. A cross or crucifix is set up in a worship service and instead of using it as an artistic image to point to a spiritual worship of God, we bow down before it and worship the object in front of us. God commands us not to make or worship images of himself. Worship music, sermons, books, or any other creative act of worship are made for the sake of business profit over the sake of growing the kingdom and expanding the glorification of God. God commands us to have no other gods before Him, including the greedy god of capitalism. The list can go on and on. All of these things are done with good intentions thinking that God wants whatever worship we give him as long as we mean well. But this is simply not true. Worshipping God, at its core, is being obedient to what he commands and submissive to his lordship. Worship without thought to obedience is dangerous, and we ought be more careful.

Lord Jesus, we repent of the way that we place the mode of our offerings before our obedience. Give us a passion for righteousness that guides us to right worship!

God's Silence

“Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” 1 Samuel 3:1

The book of Judges ends on a bit of a rough note. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Picking up from there, the book of 1 Samuel doesn't start off much better. It's hard to believe that in only a few generations, Israel had completely walked away from God and perverted the covenant made with them. They were not that far removed from the miracles done at the hand of Moses and Joshua, and were reminded of God's power through the numerous judges God sent to Israel to save them. But it didn't seem to matter. They did what was right in their own eyes, so much so that the very voice of God, the words which rang so sweet to Moses, that drove Joshua to victory, the very presence of God that made Israel distinct and revered amongst the nations, was gone. God didn't seem to want to speak to them. As Hannah, in her prayer spoke, “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” (1 Samuel 2:5) There are times when God chooses not to speak for the sake of building faith. Those times are sweet silence and we should be joyful while suffering through them because God is doing more in his silence than he was in his speech. However, often times he is silent because we are not in a position to hear him. The only people in Israel at the time of 1 Samuel to hear God was a barren woman and a little child. Israel was in such sin and perversion God threw up his arms and decided to withhold his word. This is a scary place to be. If God is silent, both personally and in our communities, our churches, and our culture, then we need to take an honest look at our personal and communal sins. Are we a people God would want to talk to?

Lord Jesus, we repent of our straying hearts that make our ears not work with your voice. Remove all the hindrances that keep us from you and return your Spirit to our midst once again!

God's Impatience

“So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.” Judges 10:16

The patience of God is abounding through Scriptures as he deals with both Israel and His church. God waits as we struggle through faith, as we turn away, as we repent. He is patient to not destroy us or disown us. In Judges, Israel turns away frequently and God is continually disciplining and then saving them. It seems if he were to grow impatient with anything, it would be of Israel's disobedience. But instead, God grows impatient in watching Israel suffer as a result of his discipline. This is powerful insight into the magnificent love of God. Regardless of what we have done, when we are called children of God, His heart breaks to see us suffer, even if the suffering is deserved. What joy we have in Christ, that our Lord grows impatient with our misery, for it is the impatience of God that leads to His action of salvation.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your unwavering love of your wavering children!

The Nature of Worship

“As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”” Judges 7:15

From the beginning of Gideon's story, it is apparent that he is a strong man. But despite his strength, he is hesitant to use it to do what God asks of him. Even after signs and miracles, success and victory over the Midianites, Gideon still has doubts about God's power to do what he says. Finally, after God tells him to go and listen to the enemy predict God's victory, Gideon gets it...and he worships. Worship is often times a word subjugated to a mere act of singing done on a Sunday morning. But with Gideon, worship was the moment he finally allowed his will, his skill, his talent, and his power to bow down to the lordship of Almighty God. Worshipping God should be nothing less for us. It is not the repetitious singing of songs or prayers or meditation or art or writing in itself. Worship is the response of complete submission and those other actions are predicated on that initial posture. 

Lord Jesus, let us not belittle worship by making it anything but a complete submission to you!

Debtors to Grace

“I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’” Joshua 24:13

The blessing of God is always a result of the grace of God, we never deserve God's blessing. After Israel received their inheritance, having driven out the inhabitants of the land, God reminds them to not get proud or entitled about the land they were now living in. They lived in cities they did not build and ate food they did not plant. How often do I look at the blessings God has bestowed on my life and forget who gave them to me. I look at my job and think I got that because of my education, background, and skill set. I think of my home and think this came about through a series of investments and choices that brought in enough money to qualify for a loan and make a down payment. I think of my family and claim that I was able to pursue and woo my wife into a relationship with me and through my wooing, we are now a family. All the blessings I have received, without explicitly acknowledging it, I count as a result of actions I did. Blessings seem to be thought of as my just desserts. I praise God he reminds all of us that we are merely poor men and debtors living in the mansion of the king. The food we eat is from the king's pantry, and the bed upon which we sleep is covered with noble linens. Israel was not a special nation. They were smaller than everyone else, stubborn, and a nation without a home. They were poor and lowly nomads and slaves. But God saw fit to give them cities and land, vineyards and pastures, cattle and fruit, and make them a nation greatly feared by other nations. I am  no different. I was a man born into selfishness and pride, without discipline or love, an absolute slave to sin and helplessly bankrupt with regards to spiritual life. I was literally dead to all things that mattered and utterly incapable of doing anything about it. But God saw fit to save me, to give me a city and home I did not build, and vineyards I did not plant, and he did so out of grace. We cannot forget that we are debtors to grace and undeserving recipients of blessing.

Lord Jesus, I praise you for your grace and am in debt to your blessings. I praise you for you are a God of love unspeakable and riches everlasting!

Rest Will Come

“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” Joshua 11:23

The taking of the promised land by Joshua and the nation of Israel was a restless and painful process. Joshua acted quickly and pushed the nation constantly to drive out and wipe out the inhabitants of the land, as God had commanded him. There was a lot of killing and death, a lot of moving, striking tents and laying them down again, and the nation was tired. Even further, this is after the nation had wandered through the wilderness for forty years after being slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Rest was not something Israel had experienced once in their memorable past. Finally, in Joshua 11:23, one of the most significant statements in all of Israel's history is recorded. After all the wanderings, starting with Abraham, the slavery in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, and the war in taking the land, Israel finally had rest. Everything they had longed for, spent years picturing, dreamed of at night, prophesied about, and worked for was finally there. The promise of land given in the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12 was finally theirs. They had land and they had rest. Right now, we believers are still waiting for that same rest. Some of us are still in the slavery of sin, some are wandering through the wilderness of religion, some are even on the soil of the promised land fighting and slaying the evil giants and inhabitants who have corrupted our very souls. But as long as we are alive on this earth, none of us have fully entered God's rest. We have the promise, we have the presence of God's Spirit in our midst, we have the eternal sacrifice of the Son, we have the guiding of the Father, but we are not home yet. Brothers and sisters, rest is coming! We may feel weary from the journey, discouraged by the time, disheartened by the foes, and beaten by giants, but let us be strong and courageous, for God is with us and he will bring us into his rest in heaven!

Lord Jesus, return soon and bring all the nations who are blessed through Israel into the blessing of the promise made to Abraham. Give us your rest!

The Initiative of Joshua

“Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.” Joshua 8:10

One of the themes in the book of Joshua is how much Israel's victory in taking the land over the Jordan was dependent upon Joshua's actions. I'm not saying that God suddenly took a step back and became a side character in Joshua. As is the case with every other book in the Bible, whether implicitly or explicitly, God is the main character who is driving all things. The observation is more in that the narrative of Joshua, from a syntactical perspective, hinges around actions Joshua takes. Frequently, the paragraph begins with Joshua did this, or Joshua stayed here, or Joshua got up early and then the rest of the story would follow. What I take from this is how great of a leader Joshua was and a significant element of his leadership. Joshua was a man who took initiative. Like his mentor Moses, Joshua didn't wait for the people to do things and then follow along. The story never goes, "And the people got up early to prepare to fight the city of Ai, and Joshua was with them." Joshua got up early, he drove the actions of the story by his own initiative. Although the point is subtle and the application is not some deep theological truth, it is very practical for those of us who are in ministry or leadership. It is often times easier to let things be, allow things to run their course, and stick around long enough to do our things and then move on. I know I fall into this trap often. But if we are wanting to exemplify strong biblical leadership, we can't afford to be idle. We can't afford to just sit back and let things happen all the time. We have to take initiative and take action. Even though it was God ultimately driving the Israelites into the land of Canaan and giving them victory, he accomplished his purposes through the strong leadership qualities of Joshua their leader. If God has given us the gift of leadership, or placed us in a position of significant influence, then we need to proactively lead.

Lord Jesus, remind us to be strong and courageous for you are with us. Help us to take initiative in leadership!

The Death of Moses

“And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” Deuteronomy 34:10

This morning as I read the end of Deuteronomy, I read with tears welling in my eyes, a sadness growing in my heart, and a profound soberness overcoming my soul. The death of Moses should strike all of us with sadness. Apart from Jesus, there is no man greater in Scripture. He was alone and betrayed, broken but strong, humble but confident, and spoke of God as I might speak about my wife or a childhood friend. No one had a more intimate relationship with God than did Moses and despite the great suffering he underwent at both the hands of the nation of Israel and the hands of God himself at times, he was a man who died with great joy in the knowledge of God His Rock. Because of unheard of amounts of homework this last week, I have been unable to write about the book of Deuteronomy. This is much to my own regret, for I haven't been moved by a book of the Bible in this way in a long time. Although there were many sections that stood out, countless lessons to be learned, what struck me most is the way Moses could speak on God's behalf, speak about His character and intentions, and the deep passion and love oozing out of every word Moses spoke about His God. The Moses I met in Deuteronomy was so different than the one I met at the beginning of Exodus. I was overcome by the profound change that occurred as a result of Moses knowing God. It made me long for it. I don't believe any of us could ever attain the intimacy with God Moses had, but I still want it. When others ask me what God is like, I don't want to merely list off theological quips or acronyms, I don't want to recite creeds or quotes, I don't to point to this book or that book, this verse or that verse, I just want to be able to pull them aside, have them sit down, and say, "Let me tell you all about my dear friend and Lord..." To know God, not to know about him, but to know him, to be in His presence, to watch his power intersect in our lives and in this world, to see his promises lived out and his discipline received, to shout with gladness with the joy of his presence, to KNOW God should be what we wake up for every morning, and spend our lives, our time, our money, and our energy attaining. Of all the other great things that could be said about Moses, the greatest thing, the last thing written about him, was that he knew God, face to face. I hope they can say the same of me when I go to meet my Jesus, my sweet friend and Savior, the Rock upon which I stand.

Lord Jesus, give us a knowledge of you that cuts through our academics and turns our entire souls into love with you. Let us know you!

Moses' Doxology

““For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.” Deuteronomy 4:32

The book of Deuteronomy could also be called the "The Last Will and Testament of Moses." After seeing the burning bush in the desert, the ten plagues in Egypt, the seas parted, water from the rock, mann from heaven, the cloud by day, and fire by night, Moses was a man who was absolutely transformed by the power of God's presence. Now he has come to the end of his life. God has already told him when and where he is going to die, so Moses speaks to the people one last time and tells them his hopes for them as they enter into the promised land and move forward without him. He begins by recounting all that God had done for the nation of Israel since Egypt and by chapter 4, Moses is overwhelmed with praise. He cries out, "Can you believe the God that we serve?! Is there any other god like him?!" To hear a man so in tune to the heart of God praise is a humbling and transforming thing. Today as we go to church or spend time with the family at home or whatever we are doing, let's take time out of our day to remember all that God has done in our life. I remember how I was a year ago, two years ago, five years ago. I remember the fear and anxiety Lauren and I had moving up to Dallas, the uncertainty of provisions. I remember looking at our feeble plans and timeline for our family. And then I think of how in every way, God has proven to provide more abundantly than we could ever deserve. He has given us a roof and food and joy and friendship. He has grown our marriage continually closer. He has given us a son to be born in the summer. The Lord God is a great God and there are no other gods beside Him! Oh what a wonderful God we serve!

Lord Jesus, help us to stop and remember the wonderful things you've done in our lives. We praise you because you are a God mighty and unique over all of creation!

You Can't Get Away With It

“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23

If we sin, it will eventually come out. Too often we as believers fall victim to the lie that sin won't catch up to us. So we spend time managing and fighting against the obvious and outward sins, like drinking or open sexual perversion, but allow the secret sins of pride, of lust, of selfishness, and of malice rule in our hearts because we believe nobody will ever find out about them. God addresses this very issue with the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Numbers 32. Since both of those tribes were herding clans, they saw the area east of the Jordan and asked permission to settle there instead of across the Jordan in the land of the Canaanites. At first, God denied them the request because he thought it was unfair for them to abandon the other tribes in driving out the inhabitants of the land. So as a compromise, the tribes of Gad and Reuben asked if they still fought with the other tribes, could they still settle in the land of Gilead. God agreed but warned them that if they break the deal and don't keep their word, even if it is not initially obvious, their sin would eventually be found out. God's warning is significant, we can be positive that our sin will find us out. What is secret will not remain secret. History has proven over and over that this is true. Secret affairs in congress or churches all come to light eventually, hate manifest in our heart eventually comes to light in the way we begin treating others, marriages that seem great on the outside end up failing because of secret addictions. Sin is of the nature of being ultimately exposed so that it will destroy the thing it inhabits. So we need to stop being naive in believing that we can get away with secret sin...there is no such thing!

Lord Jesus convict us and lead us to repent those secret things that you will ultimately expose. Forgive us for all the horrible ways that we break your heart and your commandments.

The Cost of Sin

“But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.” Numbers 26:64-65

There are two censuses taken in the Book of Numbers. The significance of the first is to show the fulfillment of God's promise of nationhood to Abraham. The second is to show the fulfillment of a different promise. Between the first census and the second census, the generation of men and women who were lead out of Egypt grumbled constantly, rebelled against Moses and God, and whored after foreign women. Because of their sins God made a promise: none of them, except for Caleb and Joshua, may enter into the promise land. At the close of the second census, I can only imagine the amazement of the Levites who conducted it. No one was left from the first generation. Because of their sins God killed them all or caused them to wander long enough for them to die, and the promise that was meant for them was given to their children. It seems as though when a generation of God's people sin on a whole scale level like they did, God has no problem withholding his promised blessing for later. In the same way, the cost of sin for God's people does not mean the abandonment of God's promise or relationship, but it can often times mean the withholding of blessing for us. God can withhold blessings for a number of reasons: discipline, faith testing, because-he's-God-and-He-wants-to, or because the sin present in our lives would tarnish and make void the blessing he wants to give us. We need to constantly be asking ourselves two questions. What sin is in my life that is keeping me from God's blessing? And what sin in our generation is keeping God from moving the way he wants to in our midst? The cost of sin is death and the withholding of blessing, so let us repent and turn back to God, so that we do not get passed over for the next generation.

Lord Jesus, we repent of our individual and corporate sins of idolatry, lust, greed, pride, and selfishness. Please do not pass us over and withhold your blessing from us!

Speak the Truth

“Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.”” Numbers 22:38

Balaam was a prophet of God who was asked to speak a curse on the people of Israel by an enemy king. Although at first not very stellar in his obedience, so much so that his donkey had to speak to him, in the end Balaam proves to be a great example of a man who speaks the truth of God despite the outside pressures placed on him by his peers. Every single one of us will be faced with the same situation Balaam was faced with. We will be asked by a dear friend who doesn't believe if God would really send him to hell if he died tomorrow. We will be asked how the biblical statements about homosexuality could really have relevance in modern western culture. We will have our friendships and relationships with family members strained by the truth of God and its utter incapability to synthesize with our cultural values and religious ethos. When modern scholars attack over and over again the authority and credibility of God's word, we will have to answer them. As cultural spirituality continues in its path towards tolerance and relativism, we will have to defend the unique and exclusive message of the gospel. And when those times arrive, which they will for every single believer, we must speak the truth and not bow to pressures and whims of our culture. The gospel does not need to change to have relevance to those who don't believe, and we hurt the credibility of God when we change what he says to please the men around us.

Lord Jesus, give us courage to speak the truth no matter what and stand up for what you said in a culture that is contrary!

Moses' Mishap

“And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”” Numbers 20:12

God's lordship and holiness is paramount and his zeal for his glory goes beyond all things, even his fervent love and dedication to his servant Moses. In Numbers 20, Moses makes a mistake that costs him entry into the promised land. It takes up such a short section in the book of Numbers, it is easy to gloss over and miss the significance. Moses, after Jesus, is easily my favorite character in the Bible. And it is hard to read through the Pentateuch and not develop a deep reverence and sympathy for this great man. He put up with an entire nation who most of the time was against him. He was a man betrayed by everyone close to him, who's closeness with God made him an alien to his own people. But in spite of all of that, time and time again, he proved faithful to God and sought him with passion and humility. Because of this, when God tells him he can't enter the promised land because he struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it, it seems rather unfair. If anybody was in a position to get a mulligan from God, it was Moses. But instead, the very land he longed for, the promise he had been assuring all the people of Israel with was snatched from his grasp. I struggle with this story. I even wrote a song about this story. I struggle with the thought of a God who can't look at all that Moses did and pardon that one mistake. Reprimand him yes, but make sure the punishment fits the crime. However, in struggling through this story, the powerful truth of God's zeal for his holiness hit me like a ton of bricks. Earlier God asked Moses to strike a rock and give Israel water, the second time he only asked him to speak to the rock. The first time you must strike the rock to get fountains of living water, the second time you must only call upon it. The lesson intended by God is obvious, and for reasons the Bible doesn't make clear, Moses disregards God's command and in the end ruins a beautiful illustration God had spent forty years developing. God cares about his holiness and Moses should know this. After God had spent years talking with Moses, unveiling his nature through the details of the Law, Moses should have known that God cares about the details, and when he disregards those details, he defamed the holiness of God. Moses was still a man dear to his heart, but his own holiness was dearer. We need to pay attention to this story because if Moses isn't exempt from the discipline of God, none of us are.

Lord Jesus, give us a passion for your holiness and an attention to the details of your word. Let us take your discipline with humility and accept your Lordship in all matters!

The Land of Giants

"However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there." Numbers 13:28

There isn't one of us who would say that they don't desire to have perfect joy in the Lord, freedom from sin, and rest in his protection. If we have tasted the promise land of God's grace, our hearts are continually longing for it, yearning to taste the fruit of God's blessings and dwell in the power of His presence. Israel was so close to the land of their inheritance that they could send spies in. And the spies saw a land flowing with milk and honey. But they also saw a land filled with giants and fortified cities. So instead of losing everything to gain their kingdom promised to them, they became deeply afraid. Believer, much of our Christian life is spent camped in the wilderness outside of God's kingdom. We want to enter into the land he promised us, but we know to do that we must face the giants and fortified cities occupying the land. Some of us have giants of doubt and pride, others face fortified cities of abuse and addiction. Despite the longing of our heart to be with Jesus, we can't seem to get beyond the fear of facing our own giants. Just as Israel forgot the promise made to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob, we often forget that Christ promised us life through him, victory over sin, and joy regardless of circumstance. So let us enter in trusting in his promise, that whatever giants are keeping us from his presence, God can and will overcome them.

Lord Jesus, give us strength in you to face all the things keeping us from your rest. We love you and want to enter into your peace!

Destruction of Jealousy

"Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman." Numbers 12:1

I can't imagine the betrayal Moses must have felt by Aaron and Miriam speaking against him. Moses was a man with few allies in Israel, but when Aaron and Miriam turned against him, he became alone. God was the only one on his side. Part of being called to a position of leadership and God's blessing is other people's jealousy. Although Aaron and Miriam held a high position of power in Israel and with God, they became jealous of Moses' favored status and sought to undermine his influence by attacking his wife. There was no reason for them to not be grateful for God's gift to them, but instead they let their jealousy of Moses fester and it led them to betray him. At some point in time, all of us will find ourselves on one or both sides of this  situation. With God's blessing and favor comes other people's jealousy. And with God's blessing being poured out to other people, the temptation to covet what they have and neglect what we have been given will always be before us. Ultimately, their jealousy led to Miriam's leprosy and being outcast of the camp for a week. But furthermore, it placed a riff between them and Moses that was probably insurmountable to fully overcome. What is interesting about this story is who is ultimately hurt by Aaron and Miriam's gossip is Aaron and Miriam. Although Moses was temporarily bruised by the betrayal of his friends, it was his friends who lost the most.

Lord Jesus, keep us from jealousy and coveting your blessing. Give us contentment in all that you do!

The God of Promise

“These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550.” Numbers 2:32

If you are ever in the mood for some interesting reading, avoid censuses at all costs. There are few things more redundant than counting people and listing the results--which is exactly how the book of Numbers begins. God tells Moses to take a census of each of the tribes and record their numbers. Without any context for the book, Numbers could win the prize for most boring book in the Bible. There is list after list of people and clans and tribes and there doesn't seem to be any spiritual food hiding, just a list of names, important historically, but without spiritual consequence. However, I think there is a reason God wanted Moses to list the peoples and have a record of the nation of Israel. In Genesis 12, God calls Abram, "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing." Almost 600 years before, there was only a man, called by God's divine election and given a promise of a great nation. Despite the unlikelihood of Abraham having any offspring, Abraham believed that God would make good on His promise. The book of Numbers is the proof for the world that God made good on the promise he made to Abraham. Within 600 years of the Abrahamic Covenant, a nation of over 600,000 people exists. The moment this dawned on me I was so humbled by the power of God's word and his nature manifest in the Pentateuch. God is a God who keeps his promises! Believers, God may seem distant at times, our lives seem unbearable, our hearts faint within us, but we have no reason to fear. God keeps his promises and He has promised us a place in heaven with him, he has promised new bodies and new minds, he has promised crowns of righteousness and eternity in the joy of His presence. And though we may not see it now, His promise will be kept.

Lord Jesus, we praise you for the promises you made and the promises you will keep! Thank you for the blessed assurance of your word!

Walking Among Us

“And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” Leviticus 26:12

God longs to walk among us as he did in Eden. As God gives his law he unveils briefly one of the deepest desires and yearnings of his heart, to walk once again amongst the people he created. Oh what a sweet thought! Just as a husband longs for his estranged wife, a parent waits for the return of their runaway son, a best friend looks forward to the next slumber party, God awaits the day he will be with the creation that he loves. He is the dad waiting to run to us and kill the fatted calf in celebration of our return. He is the shepherd seeking desperately for the one sheep who strayed from the fold. He is the groom praying fervently for the day he is united with his bride. God desires to walk among us, to talk to us, to laugh and enjoy the genius of his handiwork, to hold out his finger and watch as our hands wrap around it. God loves our presence and paid everything to get it back. 

Lord Jesus, restore us in your salvation and walk among us as you did before the fall. Return God and bring about your kingdom!

Acceptable Sacrifice

“And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.” Leviticus 22:29

Leviticus is a nightmare of a book for a non-details person. Every single sacrifice, every offense, the garments, the building structure, the diet, the feasts, and laws, everything is elaborated to account for every detail. At many times it seems as though God is being redundant. However, the book of Leviticus does have a powerful theme that makes the details significant. God wants his people to be holy, because He is holy. God gives Moses so many details about every process because its important the people get it right and be holy. God wants the sacrifices made by the people to be accepted. He doesn't want them to fail at being his people, so he leaves them detailed instructions. While reading this I grew very convicted of my own offerings to the Lord. Are the songs I lead, the bible studies I have, the prayers I pray, the service and tithe I give acceptable to God? The bible makes it clear that God isn't interested in any kind of worship, but in the kind of worship he has prescribed for his people. Chapters before, Aaron's sons are destroyed because they did not worship the Lord the way in which he commanded them. When I lead worship in a way that glorifies myself or lead with a heart of pride and arrogance, it is not acceptable. When I speak of God in such generalities as to not make him distinct amongst other gods, the offering is not acceptable. When I give or serve or sing or pray or do anything under the guise of worship that is not truly intended for the glory of God, it is not an acceptable offering. God wants us to give sacrifices that will be accepted. 

Lord Jesus, examine our offerings and convict us of false worship. We want to give you the praise you desire and the offerings you will accept!

Do No Wrong

““When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.” Leviticus 19:33

God is the God of the stranger. He delights in taking people who were once far off and bringing them near, and he asks his people to not do wrong to sojourners in our midst. I will not go as far as some in saying that we live in a Christian nation or that God favors America. We live in a depraved culture who's two gods are self and money and we exist in a church who for the most part has been lulled to sleep by the comforts of this world. However, I will say that the church in America has been put in a significant position to be able to bring justice and aid to the needy, poor, and oppressed of this world. Because of that ability God has granted America's church, there are sojourners among us. The mission field is all around us. It's in our fields, our hotels, our restaurants, our apartments, and the harvest is plentiful. As Christians, we need to ask ourselves the honest question of how we view the sojourners among us and if it aligns with God's heart for the stranger. If the poor are seeking the aid of the Christians of America, then we must do them no wrong. The oppressed may be enemies of the state, but they are desired by God to enter his kingdom. They may be illegal by the laws of America, but they are beloved by God. And the church answers to God! We as Christians are called by God to treat the sojourners with love and be a light to those who come to us seeking shelter, food, and help. The justice of God is contrary to the justice of man. So who do we fear more?

Lord Jesus, convict the American church of its sins of hatred and nationalism. Give us the strength to stand against injustice and love the sojourners among us!