Archive for February, 2010

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2

what do “plans to prosper you” mean?

Feb 25, 2010

I’m on Day 53 of my 4-month read thru the Bible. Today was Day 2 in Jeremiah and I came across the most quoted verse in Jeremiah (29:11)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I’ve heard these words a bunch of times. What I’ve never heard anyone talk about is the verse before this verse. Here it is:

This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.”

The Israelites are in exile in Babylon. They’re not at home. They’re not where they want to be. And they’re not really happy about it. And yet, God tells them that He’s going to leave them there for 70 years before bringing them back home. Seventy years!

Since most people didn’t even live to be 70 years old, God was basically saying, “Your kids are going to come back home. Many of you will die here in exile. But I know the plans I have for you. (Though they’re not the plans you’d come up with for yourself.) To prosper you. (Though not in the way you’d like me to.) To give you hope. (Though maybe not the end result you would hope for.) To give you a future. (Though not the future you’d dream up.)

I found myself reading these words this morning and wondering how I would respond to God promising prosperity, hope and a future, right after telling me He was going to keep me in exile for most – maybe all! – of my life. I’ve been asking myself questions like: What is prosperity? Is my hope circumstantial? Do I really trust God with my future? Am I only going to praise God with He does things my way?

Interestingly, God’s next words to the people of Israel are:

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Calling. Prayer. Seeking. With my whole heart. Maybe if I did more of these things, I’d be much more likely to experience God’s prosperity, hope, and future for me – and recognize that His plans for me are good. Always good.

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Categories: bible, Bible Read Thru, faith, Hope

0

on being wanted…

Feb 22, 2010

Hand Being accepted and being wanted are two very different things. You can be accepted because of your own merit. Being wanted takes grace from the other person. When Paul writes to the Ephesians that God’s eternal purpose is that we might be able to “approach God with freedom and confidence” he was speaking of being wanted – not just accepted.

If all God did was “accept” me – that would still be huge (and vastly more than I deserve). But to know that He wants me? Now that is a game changer.

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Categories: faith, Grace

0

religion vs. freedom

Feb 16, 2010

freedomI had the chance to present Galatians and preach at my home church this last Sunday. For those of you who weren’t there, here’s the ultra-brief recap of how I setup the presentation:

· Religion…God’s not a huge fan. (only mentions the words religion and religious 11 times in the whole Bible – and only twice in a positive light)

· Freedom…God’s a really big fan. (mentions freedom, free, and freely 159 times)

After presenting Galatians we looked at a couple truths about the freedom that God offers us. The first is that we are free FROM the law. Truly free. We can’t “do enough” to make God happy. He knew that. That’s why He did it all. He also knows that our temptation is to forget that we are free and slowly revert back to the if-I-do-the-right-stuff-God-will-accept-me mentality. Galatians is a not-so-gentle reminder that It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1)

But our freedom is not just FROM something. It is also FOR something. Later on in Chapter 5, Paul says, But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The freedom we have from the chains of Churchianity is a freedom that must always manifest itself in greater service and love for others.

Do you have a hard time accepting the first truth? Have you ever stopped to think that God’s purpose for you all along has been your freedom? Do you really believe – and do you live like you believe – that God is more interested in you living abundantly and freely, than He is about your observance of religious “have to’s?”

And what about the second truth? Does the recognition of the grace and freedom that Christ has poured out to you pushed you toward greater service of others? How can you serve someone today out of the joy that comes from the freedom you have?

You are free. Smile like it’s true. Serve like it’s true.

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Categories: bible, creekside

1

eight words that change everything

Feb 9, 2010

Eight As many of you know, I am currently joining with several other guys from my church and reading through the Bible in four months. It has truly been some of the most enjoyable reading of God’s Word I have ever encountered. While I am reading "straight through" from Genesis to Revelation in the mornings, each evening before hugging my pillow I pause and read one or two Psalms. A few nights ago I read Psalm 56 and one of the lines King David wrote has been with me ever since:

"This I know, that God is for me."

These eight words change everything. Everything. The last half of the sentence is true. God is for us. Period. Whether we believe it or not. Whether we live in the light of its promise or not. Whether we remember it or not. Quite simply – it is true.

And then there is the first half of the sentence. "This I know…" Most likely, the first time I heard this phrase was when I was four and my mom and dad were teaching me "Jesus loves me….this I know…" Believing that Jesus loves me is also foundational. But I’ve got to say that there’s a part of me that – at least for today – thinks that what David wrote in Psalm 56 is even more life-changing. Here’s what I mean.

God IS love. Right? So the fact that God loves me is, in some sense, simply God being God. Is it possible for God to not love? Could He not love His creation? Don’t get me wrong, the truth that He loves me is huge. (After all, my hope and salvation hinges upon it!) And yet, I can’t imagine God being anything other than loving, in spite of the fact that I certainly don’t deserve it.

However, David didn’t say, "This I know, that God loves me. He says, "This I know, that God is for me. Knowing that God is FOR me is a whole different thing. David recognizes that God being for him is not just God loving His creation, but God choosing to celebrate His creation.

How differently – more fully, more abundantly, more joyfully, more purposefully, more passionately – you and I would live if this truth permeated our every thought: that the God who created us, who knows us, who sacrificed Himself for us, is for us.

Sit back and soak in that truth for a moment. God celebrates you. God is on your side. God rejoices over you. God wants you. God chooses you. God cherishes you. God is for you.

And now…take a deep breath and say these eight words out loud:

This I know, that God is for me.

Do you believe it? I hope so. It will change everything.

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Categories: bible, Bible Read Thru, Inspiring, Life

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the ripple effect of our choices

Feb 1, 2010

Ripple Been reading I & II Samuel the last few days. There is a ton in there, but one thing that has really stood out to me is how our choices – especially the bad ones – can have such a huge ripple effect. And the ripple extends to both people and time.

Take the choice of Amnon (one of King David’s sons) for example. In II Samuel 13 a horrible story is recorded of the love he has for his half-sister Tamar overcoming him to the point that one day he “violated her and lay with her.” (II Sam 13:14)

The very next verse talks about his love turning to hatred and then he sends her away. But it doesn’t stop. (Unrepentant sin never does.) Tamar ends up living as “a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house.” (13:20) Tamar’s brother (also Amnon’s half-brother) ends up hating Amnon so much that he doesn’t speak to him for two years. The bitterness festers, and at that point, he has some of his buddies kill Amnon.

Absalom ends up fleeing for his life and is gone for three more years. King David “mourned for his son day after day.” (13:37)

After the three years David sends some men to tell Absalom that he can come back to Jerusalem. He comes back, but still has no relationship with his dad for two more years. The bitterness of not being in relationship with his dad festers and grows to the point that Absalom plots a conspiracy against his own father.

And yet, David still commands his men to “deal gently” with Absalom. But Joab, the commander of David’s army, sees Absalom as a threat to David and kills Absalom. Joab ends up losing his job and David ends up weeping uncontrollably for yet another lost son.

I found myself in disbelief as I read this story. What started out as misplaced emotions leads to rape, lives destroyed, broken relationships, murders, and the list goes on and on.

How many of us would make vastly different choices if we paused for just a few moments to contemplate the ripple effect of our sin?  Maybe more people would be healed instead of hurt. Maybe more relationships would be restored instead of ripped apart. And maybe, instead of weeping over children lost, the King and Father of us all would spend more time celebrating with His children. Now that would make for a good story.

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Categories: bible, Bible Read Thru, sin