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!