Mountain Climbing Dangers, Decisions, and Devotions

I feel a need to comment on my own post from February 24, "Just to Be Close to You." I wrote that devotional based on Exodus 24 where Moses and the Israelite leaders climbed the mountain and worshiped God.

There is a danger here if you read too much into this. Even as I wrote it I tried to be careful not to use language that would sound legalistic, performance-based, or pressure-inducing. Climbing the mountain to be closer to God can sound that way. But that is not the spirit of Exodus 24 or my devotional post.

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Come up to me on the mountain.'"

- Exodus 24:12

I was reading John Eldridge's February 2010 newsletter the other day in which he discusses the pressure we put on ourselves in our love affair with God. I love his story of a woman whose desire and love for God became duty and pressure. Eldridge goes on to say:

All the things we are called to do – to pray, and sacrifice, and help others – all of it is easy when it comes out of a love for God. But pressure is sneaky; it works its way in here, too, doesn't it? You’re not doing enough. Let us remember then that, “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). You are deeply and profoundly loved. As this seeps in, it releases us from guilt and pressure and frees our hearts to love God in return.

The point of my original post is that we allow things in our lives to keep us at a distance from God: our attitudes, decisions, indifference, etc. But God is always inviting and drawing us closer to him. He loves us, as Gary Thomas recently reminded me in a Focus on the Family newsletter, with an "Anyway Love," not a "Because Love." Yet, we must respond to this love, and that takes action, hard decisions, sacrifice, and surrender. It takes climbing the mountain to be with God. All of that is easy when it comes as a response to God's love for us.

Father, I know you are always inviting me, drawing me, closer into a more intimate relationship with you. And that is my desire. Lord, so take away the the things in my life that are obstacles to me coming closer. Thank you for loving me first, with an unconditional, "anyway" kind of love. My desire is to be in relationship with you, and then, Lord, to be a leader after your own heart so you can use me in your Kingdom mission.

Just to Be Close to You ...

I am often frustrated by the fact that even though I want to be a leader after God's own heart, I can't quite carry it out as I want to. I desire to be closer to him, abiding in a daily, intimate, rich relationship with God, but it seems I can only get so close. It's not God--he has drawn near to me. It has something to do with me.

Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the leaders of Israel went up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a pavement of brilliant sapphire, as clear as the heavens. And though Israel's leaders saw God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they shared a meal together in God's presence!

- Exodus 24:9-11

Israel's leaders not only saw God, they shared a meal together in his presence! Read Exodus 24:9-18 for all the details of this account. This is a fascinating passage that I think provides some interesting insights into how we come close to God. Basically, four groups of people come into four "levels" of fellowship with God. (1) The Israelite people stood at the base of the mountain and watched.  (2) Moses, Aaron, Aaron's two sons, and 70 of Israel's leaders went up onto the mountain. (3) Moses and Joshua went further up the mountain. (4) Moses went to the top of the mountain and disappeared into the cloud where he spent 40 days and nights with the Lord.

Not much has changed over thousands of years. Some of God's followers are not yet ready to enter God's awesome presence. They stand at the base of the mountain (or sit in the auditorium) and watch, but they do witness how God is working in the lives of his leaders (v. 17). Some are ready to climb the mountain and be in God's personal presence, but they remain there. A few are prepared to go even higher to be even closer to God. And then there are a very few people (Moseses) who are called into and respond to an intimate communion with the Lord.

I'd like to think I'm a Moses (or at least a Joshua)--that I've gotten away from the crowds to hike up the proverbial mountain to spend time with God, but I'm probably more like the 70, who could only go so far. I want to be more intimate with God, but my attitudes, lifestyle, decisions, level of faith, indifference, etc., keep me from getting any closer than I am right now.

The Good News: God is always inviting us to come closer (Rev. 3:20) to commune with him. But first, he calls us to be diligent and turn (repent) from our indifference (Rev. 3:19). Someday we will dwell with God in his presence forever (Rev. 21:3). In the meantime, we can be in fellowship with God, gathering in his presence, power, and purposes here on earth.

You are an awesome, holy, all-powerful God, and yet you invite me into your presence. I want to see you and know you and walk today in communion with you, but at the same time, I recognize your holiness and power. I don't deserve on my own merit to be in fellowship with you, but because you are so rich in mercy, you have invited me in. Thank you, Father, for your invitation to come nearer to you. Help me push away all the keeps me distant from you.

The Jesus of the Old Testament Too

I came across a couple verses buried in the middle of a bunch of Old Testament laws this morning that broadened my understanding of Jesus. It's quite remarkable:

"See, I am sending my angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you. Pay attention to him, and obey all of his instructions.... He is my representative—he bears my name."

- Exodus 23:20-21, NLT

I checked my commentaries to see who this angel is, and nearly all agree it is the Son of God, Christ Jesus. In 1 Cor. 10:1-11, Paul himself commentates on this passage to help believers learn from Israel's history, and he points directly to Jesus as the one who led them.

I've known that the Second Person of the Godhead, the Son of God, appeared in bodily form in different places and times in the Old Testament, but I guess I haven't given it much thought before. I guess I have generally confined my understanding of Jesus to the New Testament, born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, etc. But the Son of the Most High God is much more than that! He has always existed (see John 1:1-4). In him all the fullness of God lives in bodily form (Col. 2:9). And he did not just sit around heaven for thousands of years waiting to be born of Mary!

Jesus is and has always been the Good Shepherd, who leads his people to the land prepared for us. He has always been active in this pursuit! (Read also John 10 and John 14.) He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life even in Old Testament times!

Jesus is and always has been God's representative, bearing his name. Jesus told his disciples over and over again that he was in the Father and the Father was in him (John 14:10). Jesus' name is powerful (John 14:14) because he bears the name of the Father. Jesus made it clear that he was sent by the Father and did nothing except what the Father instructed him to do (John 5:19; 6:38; 7:16; 8:28; etc.).

I praise you today, Lord Jesus, as the Leader of my life. You are safely leading me through the wilderness of this life to eternal life and to an abundant life during the journey. You are the Way ... and that's nothing new! Thank you for revealing to me today a new side of you, so that I may better know your voice and follow you as you lead me.

The One Thing a Leader Must Know

At the center of a spiritual leader's competencies is an unshakable belief that God is sovereign.

Even (or maybe especially) in the midst of difficult or even tragic situations, a leader knows that God is in control and will work for the good.

"As the princess opened [the basket that she found in the river], she found the baby boy. His helpless cries touched her heart."

- Exodus 2:6, NLT

Exodus 1 recounts the terrible suffering in Egypt of the Israelites, God's chosen people. They were being worked to death as slaves by brutal, ruthless slave drivers and their newborn baby boys were being killed. When all seemed hopeless, Moses entered the scene and we see God's sovereignty at work. Through a series of dramatic, made-for-TV situations and circumstances, God used Moses to save his people. You probably know the rest of the story (if you don't, buckle up and read Exodus).

God had a plan for his people through all of their trials and tribulations. There's no way they could have seen or understood it in the midst of their tremendous sufferings. But God was at work; He had a plan. He even used the daughter of the one who was inflicting the pain to bring about his purposes.

Faith is based upon the understanding that God is in control over all his creation, including every circumstance in which you as a Christ-follower find yourself. Today, if you are conflicted or hurting or confused, know that God is indeed sovereign. Rather than looking at the circumstances, keep your eyes on Christ. Ask what God is doing in the midst of this. What does God want me to learn through this? How is he at work behind the scenes? Who might he send to help walk me through this? Read Philippians 4 today.

God is sovereign. He really is!

What if God Showed Up in Our Meeting?

"Wouldn't it be great if God would just show up physically in our meeting? It would be awesome if he would show himself or if we could literally hear his spoken voice!"

"But be careful! You did not see the Lord's form on the day he spoke to you from the fire at Mount Sinai. So do not corrupt yourselves by making a physical image in any form."

- Deuteronomy 4:15-16

I was struck by a couple verses this morning as I read Exodus 20 during my quiet time. When God appeared to the Israelites, he did not show himself in any physical form. If he had, the people would have idolized the form itself. In verse 23, God reminded them (again) to not make or worship any kind of idol.

God reveals himself today in many ways: through nature, the Bible, miracles, gifted spokesmen for him, etc., and people have idolized all of these. That's why Jesus said we are to worship God is spirit and truth (John 4:23). "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

"False gods are always gods one can see (and touch)."

- Christian philosopher Jacques Ellul

 
In Exodus 20:24-25, God commanded that the altars made for sacrifices be made simply and naturally, out of the raw materials God had provided for them. Otherwise, the altars themselves would become idols, and man's work would be more important than giving worship to God.

When Jesus built his church, it was a simple, organic movement that needed no buildings. It was built upon the Rock (himself) and lots of uncut stones (that's us!). During those days, the church grew like never again. The Temple was destroyed in those days when God's church was growing.

The people of Jesus' day still confusedly confined worship to a certain special location (John 4:20). But the Father seeks those who worship him in spirit and truth, and that happens anywhere even two or three come together in Jesus' name (Matt. 18:20).

Leading from the heart means leading people to the presence, power, and purposes of Christ in your midst ... wherever you happen to gather.

Father, today help me to be careful not to idolize the buildings we meet in or the work that goes into them. Help me to worship you in spirit and in truth. To recognize your presence, power, and plans for me wherever I am.  You want my heart ... in complete surrender and worship to you.

Snow Day Devotional

I'm working from our kitchen table today, but it's not easy to focus. Every so often, I look out the glass sliding doors into our back yard and watch the snow coming down. It really is awe-inspiring to watch as it covers the tree branches with its winsomely white artistry. (Picture at right taken by my wife, Heidi)

I stopped and read Job 37, reflecting on God's power and wonder. Just as Job was encouraged to, "stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God" (v. 14), I stopped to reflect on what God might want to teach me in the snowfall.

"He directs the snow to fall on the earth.... Everyone stops working at such a time so they can recognize his power."

- Job 37:6-7, NLT

I encourage you to stop today and, if it's snowing (or raining or sunny ...) where you are, to recognize God's power. Read all of Job 37 and see what God wants to teach you today.

Thank you, Lord, for the snow today. You are in control over all your creation, over me, over your church, over every little thing that will happen in my day today and over everything in your universe. You, Lord, balance the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill. Help me to continue to recognize you in your creation and as you work in my life today.

Leading Down the Mountain

Spiritual leadership begins with the heart to be led. It involves humble surrender of "my" leadership as an act of stewardship to God. Moses displayed this kind of leadership.

Moses returned from the mountain and called together the leaders of the people and told them what the Lord had said.

- Exodus 19:7

The job of a spiritual leader can be summed up simply: (1) to meet with God and (2) to share God's messages with God's people. To go up to the mountain and then return from the mountain. To receive and to overflow. (Other great Biblical leaders, especially Jesus, exhibited these traits of leadership as well.)

Have I been to the mountain today? Am I returning from the mountain to share what the Lord has said?

Father, as I come to the "mountain" today to meet with you, help me to hear your voice and simply enjoy abiding with you. I thank you that I can come close to you and have this kind of relationship with you because of your Son's death on the cross for me. I am looking forward to what you will teach me today, Lord, from your Word and through your Spirit. I open my heart to you to pour into me to overflowing. As I come down from the mountain through my day, help me to simply overflow into others what you've been pouring into me.

Great Humility = Great Leaderhip

It takes great humility to be a great leader. Moses was a great leader because he was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth (in his own words! See Numbers 12:3.). It takes humility as a leader to listen to others' advice, especially when they tell you that the way you are leading is not right, and even more especially when that person is your father-in-law!

"Moses listened to his father-in-law's advice and followed his suggestions."

- Exodus 18:24

Earlier in this chapter, Moses had recounted all God had done for the Israelite people. Moses' words focused on God's provision, not his own greatness, but still, Moses knew that he was the man God had chosen to lead the people.

If that would have been me (and probably you!) standing there before my father-in-law, I'm not sure I would have been so quick to listen to his unsolicited advice. After all, Jethro was not one of God's people. He had not been "through the wilderness" with Moses. He was not a certified organizational strategist. Moses had every reason to say, "Hey Jethro, why don't you take your high-falutin' sixth-grade-educatiun double-naught-spy-actin' five-gozinta-ten-countin' britches back the hills ..." Oh, sorry, wrong Jethro.

My point is, we can learn something from Moses here. He listened and followed Jethro's advice because he was humble enough to know that he did not know it all. Moses was flexible to change "his" way of doing things, so he could be more effective and productive in his leadership.

Lord, I recognize that I lack this kind of humility. I need your help to become the person you want me to be. Help me to be flexible and to adjust my "organizational structure" and way of doing things so that the ministry you've given me will grow and flourish. Send me a "Jethro," Lord, who can help me see better ways of carrying out the work of which you've given me stewardship. Help me to delegate responsibilities and share the ownership and leadership of my group, ministry, church, whatever you've called me to.

3 Vital Leadership Principles in the Wilderness

"Then Moses pleaded with the Lord, "What should I do with these people? ... The Lord said to Moses ... Moses did just as he was told ..."

- Exodus 17:4-6

As the Northeast church campus undergoes a lot of messy construction, our senior pastor, Bob Cherry, has compared it to the Israelite's journey in Exodus. It's a good analogy. We're on our way to the "promised land" of a new, bigger auditorium and state-of-the-art student areas. But when parking and exiting and everything in between is inconvenient and sometimes downright difficult, the people are apt to groan and complain. Not only that, but the long walk from the other end of our campus, through mud and snow, winding around through the construction, is a lot like a walk through the wilderness!

And that's why Bob asked the staff to read through Exodus now. I'm enjoying reading this book again and applying it to our current realities. But I'm seeing much more than what I was looking for. Exodus is a true-to-life parable of our journey as Christ-followers--and as spiritual leaders.

Moses displayed three great spiritual leadership principles in this passage in chapter 17. The principles are pretty simple, yet so vital to leading effectively.

1. When faced with a problem, Moses went immediately and directly to God for help. On this occasion, at least, he did not try to figure it out himself or come up with a solution by his own power. Recognizing God as the real leader is the most important attribute of leading successfully. You and I must understand our leadership role as a matter of stewardship.
2. When God spoke, Moses listened. Moses had become attuned to God's voice and leadership. He did not argue with God here as he had earlier (e.g. Ex. 3:11; 4:1, 10, 13; 5:22; 6:12). Moses had learned to to trust God. He knew now that apart from God, he could do nothing (John 15:5).
3. Moses obeyed God, even if it didn't make a lot of common sense. A leader after God's heart does not suggest to God a better, more logical way to carry out His plans. He or she does just what God tells the leader to do ... with an eager expectation of seeing God do His work in a way only He can do.

Father, I want to be a leader after your own heart, just as Moses modeled here--just as Jesus modeled throughout his earthly ministry. Help me to go directly to you before doing or saying anything. Not my will, but yours be done! Help me to hear your voice clearly today, Lord. Help me to distinguish your voice from all the competing voices out there. I want to listen to you and follow you each step of the Way. Give me strength to obey you, Lord, even if it may not make sense from my own small point of view. As I obey you, I eagerly expect you to do what only you can do.

Trials Along the Trails

"At the Lord's command, the people of Israel left the Sin Desert and moved from place to place." 

- Exodus 17:1, NLT

For us as leaders, life is more than just setting a goal and then achieving it. God works in our lives, families, small groups, and churches in the midst of the journey, as we move from place to place. Often that journey is longer and harder than we had hoped, planned, or imagined. Always we face trials along the trails. But God is at work during the journey, leading us, guiding us, maturing us, and working through us.

What the Israelites forgot and we must remember is that the same God who has led the way on the journey will provide for us during that journey. The question is not always, "How quickly can we get to the destination?" but "What can we be learning along the way? How can God use us during this part of the journey?"

Lord, just as you led the Israelites by a pillar of cloud at day and a pillar of light at night, you guide us along our journeys today. As you lead us to your Promised Land, we know you are with us, even in the wilderness, even in our times of trials and tests. You will not leave us nor forsake us. You are for us, so who can be against us? As I walk with you today on this part of the journey, help me to sense your presence with me.