Priorities, we all have them. For one reason or another, we elevate things over other things and make them our priority. We determine importance of a thing and make our decisions based on the value we place on it. Our family, our homes, our cars, our clothing and our activities, each ranked in our priorities. Most important to least important.
In Haggai 1:1-11, we are told that the people of Israel had overcome all the obstacles that were impeding the completion of the temple. All obstacles except themselves. They had the resources and their neighbors had been ordered to leave them alone by their king, so now it would be smooth sailing, right? Wrong. The people were too busy thinking about their homes and what they would eat to think about the house of God.
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house.’” (Haggai 1: 2)
They were too busy! They came back from exile with the intent to restore and rebuild the temple, but the pursuits of life had replaced the priority of building God's house and replaced it with building homes of their own. They were busy planting fields, working their jobs and eating and drinking and having fun. They were busy living life. They were too busy to take care of what was supposed to be their top priority.
Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (1:3)
God let them know that He was not pleased that His home was in ruins while they lived in their nice, warm, completed homes. He tells them that he had removed His blessing from them and that they would not be satisfied with anything in their lives.
Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” (1:5,6)
God had been shoved out of first place in their lives and anything they tried to replace him with was insufficient. All their pursuits of this life came up short and they were left wanting.
I have heard it said that each person has a hole in their hearts that is shaped just like Jesus and only He can fill it. I believe that is symbolically true. We run around trying to find fulfillment in this life in our careers, our families, our activities and our possessions only to find that at the end of the day, we are left unfulfilled. Nothing can take the place of God.
Are we to work? Absolutely, but the minute our work supplants God in our lives it is wrong. Are we to have family? For sure, but the minute our families take first place in our lives, our priorities are mixed up. Are we to have activities? No doubt, life would be dull without participating in it. But when our activities crowd out our time with the Father, we are too active. And possessions, are we to have stuff? Yes, God gives us blessings and expects us to be stewards of the gifts he places in our lives. He expects us to use them in His service. The minute our possessions possess us, we must turn them back over to Him.
We all have priorities in this life, and we should. The problem comes when we place people or things above God. He demands to be number one in our lives and rightly so. After they were warned, the Israelites returned to work on the temple and in about 4 short years it was completed. If we are struggling with our priorities, we must confront whatever has usurped Gods place at the top and place Him back where He belongs.
Just like the Israelites, we can get so busy with our lives and our personal pursuits that God is squeezed out and our desires take His place. Are you struggling with church attendance? God is not your top priority. Are you too busy to serve others in their time of need? God is not your top priority. Are your finances so tight that you have no money to give to help meet needs or support the spread of the good news of Jesus? God is not your top priority. May each of us take a moment to really examine where God ranks on our list of what is important. If He has slipped from the top spot, may we repent and determine to place Him back on the throne of our lives. Blessings.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Dicouragement
(Ezra 1-4)
Discouragement comes in all shapes and sizes, it comes in various forms and from different directions. It makes us abandon those things that we have determined to accomplish and those things we have set our hearts toward completing. It eats away at our very souls, making us an empty vessel. It is ugly and sad to see the end result of discouragement. I have been there and don't want to go back!
When the Babylonians were defeated and Cyrus, king of Persia came into power, he determined to send the Israelites back home. What a day of celebration that must have been! Nearly seventy years as captives in a foreign land; home must have seemed to be a distant, far away dream. He told them to go home, resettle their towns and rebuild the temple of the LORD.
Over 42,000 decide to go. I imagine that after living in a place your whole life; even though it might not be your dream home, it would still be difficult to leave all you know to go to place you have never seen. But still, 42,000 make the trip home. Cyrus provides the resources needed for the trip and he orders his subjects to provide for the rebuilding of the temple. They give them "gold and silver, goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts."
They arrive back in Jerusalem and begin to rebuild. While that is good news for them, imagine how those that were not Jewish, yet lived nearby felt. I can imagine the conversations around the water coolers. "They are back, those that killed our forefathers and took our land have been returned to build that temple again." "Here we go again, just when we were getting used to having our land and our gods." "What can we do to stop this from happening?" "How can we discourage them from living here and bringing God back into our lives?"
They decided that the best way to stop the rebuilding was to "help" them. Smart! Sometimes an enemy will work from the inside to destroy the efforts. The leaders of the effort recognized the ploy and told them that they "have no part with us in building a temple to our God." So, they determined to put roadblocks in their way. They decided to "discourage" them and bring "fear" into their lives. "They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans." They conspired together to end the effort of the Jews to reestablish their homes and a home for God.
Discouragement and fear.... two feelings that get in the way of accomplishing anything of value. God calls us to lives of service to him and his creation. He calls us to tell people about his son, Jesus and teach them to obey his commandments. We start out excited and ready to go, but soon... discouragement and fear. Our enemy knows how to work on us. Soon we are concerned about what people think of us. Soon we are rejected by someone and we decide that it is easier to be silent. We worry about losing our jobs or not getting a promotion. We worry about losing our friends and being rejected by our families. Discouragement and fear.
Early Christians faced the same things that we encounter. They give us great examples of how to confront discouragement and fear and overcome the emotions that paralyze us. In Acts 4, Peter and John are taken into custody for teaching about Jesus and spent the night in jail. They brought them out the next day and ordered them to stop teaching about Jesus. I am sure they felt discouragement and fear. Who wouldn't? But they give us a great lesson in overcoming!
"Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20)
I like that... "we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard". Discouraged, sure. Fearful, sure. But they had something, they knew someone, they trusted in Him and that was stronger than a feeling. HE is able! And because HE is able, so are we. Our trust is in Him. We know Him. He gives us encouragement and courage. Through Him, we can overcome anything that comes our way.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor: 9:8)
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ (Phil 3:8)
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:3)
Discouragement comes in all shapes and sizes, it comes in various forms and from different directions. It makes us abandon those things that we have determined to accomplish and those things we have set our hearts toward completing. It eats away at our very souls, making us an empty vessel. It is ugly and sad to see the end result of discouragement. I have been there and don't want to go back!
When the Babylonians were defeated and Cyrus, king of Persia came into power, he determined to send the Israelites back home. What a day of celebration that must have been! Nearly seventy years as captives in a foreign land; home must have seemed to be a distant, far away dream. He told them to go home, resettle their towns and rebuild the temple of the LORD.
Over 42,000 decide to go. I imagine that after living in a place your whole life; even though it might not be your dream home, it would still be difficult to leave all you know to go to place you have never seen. But still, 42,000 make the trip home. Cyrus provides the resources needed for the trip and he orders his subjects to provide for the rebuilding of the temple. They give them "gold and silver, goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts."
They arrive back in Jerusalem and begin to rebuild. While that is good news for them, imagine how those that were not Jewish, yet lived nearby felt. I can imagine the conversations around the water coolers. "They are back, those that killed our forefathers and took our land have been returned to build that temple again." "Here we go again, just when we were getting used to having our land and our gods." "What can we do to stop this from happening?" "How can we discourage them from living here and bringing God back into our lives?"
They decided that the best way to stop the rebuilding was to "help" them. Smart! Sometimes an enemy will work from the inside to destroy the efforts. The leaders of the effort recognized the ploy and told them that they "have no part with us in building a temple to our God." So, they determined to put roadblocks in their way. They decided to "discourage" them and bring "fear" into their lives. "They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans." They conspired together to end the effort of the Jews to reestablish their homes and a home for God.
Discouragement and fear.... two feelings that get in the way of accomplishing anything of value. God calls us to lives of service to him and his creation. He calls us to tell people about his son, Jesus and teach them to obey his commandments. We start out excited and ready to go, but soon... discouragement and fear. Our enemy knows how to work on us. Soon we are concerned about what people think of us. Soon we are rejected by someone and we decide that it is easier to be silent. We worry about losing our jobs or not getting a promotion. We worry about losing our friends and being rejected by our families. Discouragement and fear.
Early Christians faced the same things that we encounter. They give us great examples of how to confront discouragement and fear and overcome the emotions that paralyze us. In Acts 4, Peter and John are taken into custody for teaching about Jesus and spent the night in jail. They brought them out the next day and ordered them to stop teaching about Jesus. I am sure they felt discouragement and fear. Who wouldn't? But they give us a great lesson in overcoming!
"Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20)
I like that... "we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard". Discouraged, sure. Fearful, sure. But they had something, they knew someone, they trusted in Him and that was stronger than a feeling. HE is able! And because HE is able, so are we. Our trust is in Him. We know Him. He gives us encouragement and courage. Through Him, we can overcome anything that comes our way.
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor: 9:8)
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ (Phil 3:8)
I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:3)
Monday, September 12, 2011
We Have An Advocate
(Job 15-16)
Sometimes when we are hurting, silence is golden. It is wonderful to be surrounded by those we love, but sometimes we need quiet. Job is with his friends and for a while they just sit with him. Seven days and nights, they suffered in silence with their friend. But when they started talking, they didn't know when to stop. I am sure a few words were comforting, but then they needed to be quiet. They began to reason why trouble had befallen Job. And they went on and on and on.
Job tried to answer them, but three against one is no bargain. In chapter 16, Job reminds us that no matter how difficult the arguments are here, no matter if we lose every debate here; we have an advocate in heaven.
Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend. (Job 16: 18-21)
Attorneys are often called advocates. They argue for their client and present facts that they hope will enable them to win the case. Job tells us that while he might be losing the argument here, he is winning it where it counts. He has a friend in heaven that is pleading his case for him. I like that! I often feel that I lose with people here, my reasoning is not adequate to persuade them to accept my argument; but knowing that I have an advocate representing me in heaven gives me peace.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. (1 John 2:1-3)
Our advocate, our attorney in heaven is Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is perfectly suited to represent us. He experienced everything that we face in this life and he is able to tell our story. But the kicker is this.... if the attorney loses the case here, the client pays the price; in heaven, our attorney, Jesus has already paid the price for us. "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Now that doesn't mean that I can do as I choose. There is an "if" in the next verse...."if we keep his commands". We are continually found "not guilty" as long as we continue to be faithful to Him. Will I mess up... sure. But the direction of my life must be heavenward; I must be following Him.
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6,7)
Jesus is our advocate in heaven and he has paid for our sin. That is a deal that any reasonable person will not pass up. I get to exchange my sinfulness for His righteousness. I get to trade my old rags for His robe and crown. And to top it all off.... He is my friend! "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer." Just like Job, as Christians we have a friend standing before the Father making our case for us. I can hear Him now... "I know he messed up, I know she messed up, but look at him, look at her grow. They are doing so well."
May we all remember that we have a friend that stands before God on our behalf. He is Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. Our friend is the son of God! What judge would ever rule against his son? We are in good hands; we have the perfect advocate.
Sometimes when we are hurting, silence is golden. It is wonderful to be surrounded by those we love, but sometimes we need quiet. Job is with his friends and for a while they just sit with him. Seven days and nights, they suffered in silence with their friend. But when they started talking, they didn't know when to stop. I am sure a few words were comforting, but then they needed to be quiet. They began to reason why trouble had befallen Job. And they went on and on and on.
Job tried to answer them, but three against one is no bargain. In chapter 16, Job reminds us that no matter how difficult the arguments are here, no matter if we lose every debate here; we have an advocate in heaven.
Earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as one pleads for a friend. (Job 16: 18-21)
Attorneys are often called advocates. They argue for their client and present facts that they hope will enable them to win the case. Job tells us that while he might be losing the argument here, he is winning it where it counts. He has a friend in heaven that is pleading his case for him. I like that! I often feel that I lose with people here, my reasoning is not adequate to persuade them to accept my argument; but knowing that I have an advocate representing me in heaven gives me peace.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. (1 John 2:1-3)
Our advocate, our attorney in heaven is Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is perfectly suited to represent us. He experienced everything that we face in this life and he is able to tell our story. But the kicker is this.... if the attorney loses the case here, the client pays the price; in heaven, our attorney, Jesus has already paid the price for us. "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Now that doesn't mean that I can do as I choose. There is an "if" in the next verse...."if we keep his commands". We are continually found "not guilty" as long as we continue to be faithful to Him. Will I mess up... sure. But the direction of my life must be heavenward; I must be following Him.
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6,7)
Jesus is our advocate in heaven and he has paid for our sin. That is a deal that any reasonable person will not pass up. I get to exchange my sinfulness for His righteousness. I get to trade my old rags for His robe and crown. And to top it all off.... He is my friend! "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer." Just like Job, as Christians we have a friend standing before the Father making our case for us. I can hear Him now... "I know he messed up, I know she messed up, but look at him, look at her grow. They are doing so well."
May we all remember that we have a friend that stands before God on our behalf. He is Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God. Our friend is the son of God! What judge would ever rule against his son? We are in good hands; we have the perfect advocate.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Shall We Accept Good From God, And Not Trouble? (Tribute to Doc)
The book of Job is filled with difficult teachings that are hard to deal with. For example, why would God allow Satan the ability to harm His servant? Job was a faithful, yet wealthy man who honored God with all he had. Why would God allow Satan to take away the blessings that He had given to Job?
The story is hard to understand and even harder to accept. God allowing His servant to be harmed.... just to satisfy Satan's desire to prove God wrong. Of course God knew the outcome from the beginning, so the end of the story was never in doubt. But still......?
Satan was given the ability to harm Job personally and he was stricken with sores from his head to his feet. He took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself to find relief from the suffering from the sores. I can only imagine the appearance of the once healthy, vibrant man, rewarded for his faithfulness, now sitting in ashes, scraping his open sores. He must have been feeling pretty low. Then his wife walks in and gives him the boost he needed. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9)
I love his response. I wish for this kind of integrity in my life. "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10) We are told that "in all this, Job did not sin in what he said." Trouble came, his children dead, his possessions gone and suffering in his body, yet Job remained faithful.
A dear friend of mine, T.R. Bryan (Doc) lost his fight with Leukemia last night. As I was reading our daily Bible assignment, I was struck by how much Doc reminds me of Job. He lived a blessed life and in return he blessed others. He loved his family and especially his Ruth with all his heart. He gave himself away to friends and loved ones alike. I heard it said of him that he was an old school doctor and I like that. He would get up in the middle of the night to care for a sick child. He lived his life with the candle burning at both ends. He squeezed every ounce out of each moment and gave back way more than he took.
I think he would have agreed with Job! "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" During my visits with him over the last four weeks, I was amazed at his wonderful attitude. He understood what he faced and faced it with integrity and honor. He was a doctor to the end, telling me about the disease and how it was affecting him and being very realistic about the outcome. He had tears in his eyes and so did I; he didn't want to leave and I didn't want to see him go. "In all this, he did not sin in his words."
He knew he had a home in a better place! He had spent his life preparing to go. "Doc" Bryan lived a life of faith and faced death the same way. Doc was a tremendous Bible student and knew exactly what the scriptures teach concerning death and eternal life.
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)
Doc has obtained the victory that each of longs for. Yes, surely we love life here with our loved ones, but as Christians our true home is with the Father in Heaven. Our hearts are torn between wanting those we love to be with us and understanding that they must go home. I am thankful for the many years of example, friendship, love, fun and teaching that Doc poured into my life. He changed all of us for the better and he will be missed. If you want to honor his life, live yours the same way he did.... love God, love your family, love your church and give yourselves away in His service. Peace.
The story is hard to understand and even harder to accept. God allowing His servant to be harmed.... just to satisfy Satan's desire to prove God wrong. Of course God knew the outcome from the beginning, so the end of the story was never in doubt. But still......?
Satan was given the ability to harm Job personally and he was stricken with sores from his head to his feet. He took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself to find relief from the suffering from the sores. I can only imagine the appearance of the once healthy, vibrant man, rewarded for his faithfulness, now sitting in ashes, scraping his open sores. He must have been feeling pretty low. Then his wife walks in and gives him the boost he needed. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9)
I love his response. I wish for this kind of integrity in my life. "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10) We are told that "in all this, Job did not sin in what he said." Trouble came, his children dead, his possessions gone and suffering in his body, yet Job remained faithful.
A dear friend of mine, T.R. Bryan (Doc) lost his fight with Leukemia last night. As I was reading our daily Bible assignment, I was struck by how much Doc reminds me of Job. He lived a blessed life and in return he blessed others. He loved his family and especially his Ruth with all his heart. He gave himself away to friends and loved ones alike. I heard it said of him that he was an old school doctor and I like that. He would get up in the middle of the night to care for a sick child. He lived his life with the candle burning at both ends. He squeezed every ounce out of each moment and gave back way more than he took.
I think he would have agreed with Job! "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" During my visits with him over the last four weeks, I was amazed at his wonderful attitude. He understood what he faced and faced it with integrity and honor. He was a doctor to the end, telling me about the disease and how it was affecting him and being very realistic about the outcome. He had tears in his eyes and so did I; he didn't want to leave and I didn't want to see him go. "In all this, he did not sin in his words."
He knew he had a home in a better place! He had spent his life preparing to go. "Doc" Bryan lived a life of faith and faced death the same way. Doc was a tremendous Bible student and knew exactly what the scriptures teach concerning death and eternal life.
"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)
Doc has obtained the victory that each of longs for. Yes, surely we love life here with our loved ones, but as Christians our true home is with the Father in Heaven. Our hearts are torn between wanting those we love to be with us and understanding that they must go home. I am thankful for the many years of example, friendship, love, fun and teaching that Doc poured into my life. He changed all of us for the better and he will be missed. If you want to honor his life, live yours the same way he did.... love God, love your family, love your church and give yourselves away in His service. Peace.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Human Pride
Daniel 4 provides us with interesting insight into God's view of human pride. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and once again calls for Daniel to give the interpretation. In his dream was an enormous tree that was "large and strong and it's top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. It's leaves were beautiful, it;s fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in it's branches; from it every creature was fed." God declares from heaven that the tree is to be cut down, but the stump will remain.
Daniel tells the king that the tree represents him. That he has become "great and strong and that his greatness reaches the sky and his dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. Daniel tells him that he will be removed from power for a time and that for "seven times" he will be "eating grass" with cattle.He pleads with the king to renounce his sins and acknowledge that God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men.
The king is given a year to repent and turn to God, but instead his pride prevents him from submitting to the God of the universe. He is walking on the roof of his palace, admiring his accomplishments, his mighty power and his majesty when God drops the ax. He is removed from power, is sent to the pasture and munches grass for "seven times".
The idea of "seven times" get lots of conversation. My personal belief is that the phrase is all about completeness. God is going to have him eating grass until the time is complete, until he is broken, until the king recognizes that God is God and he is not. However long that takes, God will have him on all fours. Nebuchadnezzar will come to his senses when he has had enough, when the right amount of time is complete.
We are no different! Sometimes we have to deal with our pride until we are broken. We might not be on all fours, munching grass; but we are on our knees before God. We realize that we are not in control and that He is. It might be financial loss. It might be a personal tragedy. It might be divorce. It might be the doctor saying the dreaded word.... cancer. Whatever it is, whenever it is; pride disappears and we humbly go before the God of creation and ask for His help.
When the time was complete, Nebuchadnezzer raised his eyes toward heaven and praised the Most High. He honored and glorified Him who lives forever. For him, it took a steady diet of pasture grasses to realize that it is God who is in control. Pride is ugly. I have seen it in me and I have seen it in others and it is ugly. When we elevate ourselves above others or even above our Father in heaven, our view of ourselves is distorted and we become arrogant. May we determine to stay humble.
We all know the verses....
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2)
"Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor." (Proverbs 29:23)
"You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty." (Psalm 18:27)
Daniel tells the king that the tree represents him. That he has become "great and strong and that his greatness reaches the sky and his dominion extends to distant parts of the earth. Daniel tells him that he will be removed from power for a time and that for "seven times" he will be "eating grass" with cattle.He pleads with the king to renounce his sins and acknowledge that God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men.
The king is given a year to repent and turn to God, but instead his pride prevents him from submitting to the God of the universe. He is walking on the roof of his palace, admiring his accomplishments, his mighty power and his majesty when God drops the ax. He is removed from power, is sent to the pasture and munches grass for "seven times".
The idea of "seven times" get lots of conversation. My personal belief is that the phrase is all about completeness. God is going to have him eating grass until the time is complete, until he is broken, until the king recognizes that God is God and he is not. However long that takes, God will have him on all fours. Nebuchadnezzar will come to his senses when he has had enough, when the right amount of time is complete.
We are no different! Sometimes we have to deal with our pride until we are broken. We might not be on all fours, munching grass; but we are on our knees before God. We realize that we are not in control and that He is. It might be financial loss. It might be a personal tragedy. It might be divorce. It might be the doctor saying the dreaded word.... cancer. Whatever it is, whenever it is; pride disappears and we humbly go before the God of creation and ask for His help.
When the time was complete, Nebuchadnezzer raised his eyes toward heaven and praised the Most High. He honored and glorified Him who lives forever. For him, it took a steady diet of pasture grasses to realize that it is God who is in control. Pride is ugly. I have seen it in me and I have seen it in others and it is ugly. When we elevate ourselves above others or even above our Father in heaven, our view of ourselves is distorted and we become arrogant. May we determine to stay humble.
We all know the verses....
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." (Proverbs 11:2)
"Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor." (Proverbs 29:23)
"You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty." (Psalm 18:27)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
They Hear Your Words
(Ezekiel 33-36)
Today's reading jumped off the pages as Ezekiel begins to give prophecy about the restoration of Israel. I am sure that this was a sweet message to a captive people in foreign lands. In the midst of this message of hope for Israel is found a message for each of us as well. Surely we can hold onto the idea that on our worst days, God is there. When we have been taken captive by our desires in this world, God is there. We are never too far for His hand to reach us, to pull us from the stormy seas of personal failures. That is a message that we all need and can all relate to.
However, it is not all joy and celebration. God tells it like it is. He calls out the leaders for not caring for the people in Ezk. 34:1-10. He tells them that He will hold them accountable for His flock. Leaders have great responsibility and will be judged for their faithfulness to the body of Christ. He tells the individuals that they will be judged for their own conduct in Ezk. 34:17-19. Regardless of how the leaders acted, each person is still responsible for their own actions.
Then there are a few verses that really hit home with me....
"My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."
(Ezk 33:31,32)
Sound familiar? The same things we struggle with, God's people thousands of years ago struggled with also. They came to hear a great message and great singing. They said the right things in the right way, but in the end it was all just a show. They weren't changed by the experience. The words did not affect their lives. They left no different than they arrived.
Did the preacher make me laugh? Did he keep my attention? Did we sing my favorite songs? Was the Powerpoint presentation entertaining? Did we go over our time limit? If we are not careful, we leave without taking anything with us. We hear God's word, but we do not make application. Two days later, we don't remember the subject. We don't put His words into practice and they don't become part of who we are.
Our time together is about God. We will enjoy it if our focus is on Him. We will complain if our focus is on us. That is human nature. May we make every effort to listen to His word and make changes needed in our lives. May we determine to assemble to offer worship to the One that is worthy of our praise. With the right attitude, every lesson will be awesome, every song a joy and every prayer will be uplifting. Just remember.... it is about Him!
Today's reading jumped off the pages as Ezekiel begins to give prophecy about the restoration of Israel. I am sure that this was a sweet message to a captive people in foreign lands. In the midst of this message of hope for Israel is found a message for each of us as well. Surely we can hold onto the idea that on our worst days, God is there. When we have been taken captive by our desires in this world, God is there. We are never too far for His hand to reach us, to pull us from the stormy seas of personal failures. That is a message that we all need and can all relate to.
However, it is not all joy and celebration. God tells it like it is. He calls out the leaders for not caring for the people in Ezk. 34:1-10. He tells them that He will hold them accountable for His flock. Leaders have great responsibility and will be judged for their faithfulness to the body of Christ. He tells the individuals that they will be judged for their own conduct in Ezk. 34:17-19. Regardless of how the leaders acted, each person is still responsible for their own actions.
Then there are a few verses that really hit home with me....
"My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."
(Ezk 33:31,32)
Sound familiar? The same things we struggle with, God's people thousands of years ago struggled with also. They came to hear a great message and great singing. They said the right things in the right way, but in the end it was all just a show. They weren't changed by the experience. The words did not affect their lives. They left no different than they arrived.
Did the preacher make me laugh? Did he keep my attention? Did we sing my favorite songs? Was the Powerpoint presentation entertaining? Did we go over our time limit? If we are not careful, we leave without taking anything with us. We hear God's word, but we do not make application. Two days later, we don't remember the subject. We don't put His words into practice and they don't become part of who we are.
Our time together is about God. We will enjoy it if our focus is on Him. We will complain if our focus is on us. That is human nature. May we make every effort to listen to His word and make changes needed in our lives. May we determine to assemble to offer worship to the One that is worthy of our praise. With the right attitude, every lesson will be awesome, every song a joy and every prayer will be uplifting. Just remember.... it is about Him!
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