Source of My Peace

Today's Bible Passage: Micah 5

Scripture:
"And he will be the source of our peace" (Micah 5:5).

Observation
In verse 2, Micah prophesied the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Verse 3 reveals that the people would be abandoned to their enemies until his birth, which was fulfilled as the Jewish people came under Roman rule. Verse 4 shows the Messiah as a shepherd leading his flock, a foreshadowing of Jesus as our Good Shepherd (John 10 and other passages).

Verse 5 gives us our hope in Jesus as our Shepherd-Messiah-Savior-Lord. He is our peace.

He told his followers, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). He is our "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). He brings a peace to those who believe in him -- a peace unlike anything the world has to offer. But he does much more than just give us peace. He is our source of peace!

Application

When life is uncertain, troubled, hectic, seemingly unraveling, Jesus is my source of peace. When I abide in him as my true source of power and provision (John 15:5), I will have that peace that is beyond all understanding (Phil. 4:7). When I feel overwhelmed, overburdened, overworked, underresourced, underloved, and under pressure, Jesus is the source of my peace. I can rest in him. He's got this!

Prayer
Jesus, today I'm feeling anxiety and pressure, and I'm feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. I bring these to you and surrender them to you. As I abide in you today, provide me with that peace that transcends all understanding, a peace that can only come from you. Help me to remember throughout the day today that you truly are my source of peace, and to abide in you. Help me to do what your Word encourages me to do: to trust in you with all my heart, to not lean on my own understating but in all my ways to acknowledge you, and I know that you, Lord, will make the path straight for me today. 

Love and Hate

Today's Bible Passage: Micah 1

Scripture: Micah 1:2-3: "Attention! Let all the people of the world listen! The Sovereign Lord has made accusations against you; the Lord speaks from his holy Temple. Look! The Lord is coming! He leaves his throne in heaven and comes to earth, walking on the high places."

Observation
Micah warns the people that God is coming to judge them because of their idolatry. The people were rebellious against God, treating him as an object rather than a person or totally ignoring him in deference to false gods, idols.

"Left to ourselves we turn God into an object, something we can deal with, some thing we can use to our benefit, whether that thing is a feeling or an idea or an image. Prophets scorn all such stuff. They train us to respond to God's presence and voice" (from The Message Introduction to Micah).

We have a loving God who hates sin. In fact, it is both his love and his hate that compelled him to send his only son, Jesus to die for us. Micah provides us with an accurate picture of God as one who loves us but hates our sin, our rebellion and idolatry. He wants nothing else to compete with our love for him, because he knows that nothing else in this world truly satisfies us. He loves us too much to let us settle for less than him.

"As you read Micah, catch a glimpse of God's anger in action as he judges and punishes sin. See God's love in action as he offers eternal life to all who repent and believe. And then determine to join the faithful remnant of God's people who live according to his will" (from the Life Application Bible Introduction to Micah).

Application
To be a man after God's heart, I must also be a loving person who hates sin. It's not up to me, though, to judge or punish, but to determine to live my life according to God's will. To be a leader after God's heart in my family, small group, and church, I must live as a model of someone who loves God and others but hates sin as much as God does. I must be in a real, abiding relationship with God as my Father, not see him as an object or just a means to my own ends. I must not have other things in my life that compete with God for my affections and devotion.

Prayer
My Father, I thank you that I can and do have a relationship with you. May nothing compete with that for my affections and devotion today. Help me to be a model for others of someone who loves you and other people and hates sin. I ask that your love--and your hate--overflow from me as you pour into me today.

Religion, Prophets, & Leading from the Heart

As I began reading the Book of Amos this morning, I read the Introduction from The Message about religion and the role of prophets. While I don't usually share longer quotes here, I think this is well worth sharing. See what you think.

More people are exploited and abused in the cause of religion than in any other way. Sex, money, and power all take a back seat to religion as a source of evil. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. The biblical prophets are in the front line of those doing something about it.


The biblical prophets continue to be the most powerful and effective voices ever heard on this earth for keeping religion honest, humble, and compassionate. Prophets sniff out injustice, especially injustice that is dressed up in religious garb. They sniff it out a mile away. Prophets see through hypocrisy, especially hypocrisy that assumes a religious pose. Prophets are not impressed by position or power or authority. They aren't taken in by numbers, size, or appearances of success.

They pay little attention to what men and women say about God or do for God. They listen to God and rigorously test all human language and action against what they hear. ...

None of us can be trusted in this business. If we pray and worship God and associate with others who likewise pray and worship God, we absolutely must keep company with these biblical prophets. We are required to submit all our words and acts to their passionate scrutiny to prevent the perversion of our religion into something self-serving. A spiritual life that doesn't give a large place to the prophet-articulated justice will end up making us worse instead of better, separating us from God's ways instead of drawing us into them.

- from the "Introduction to Amos," The Message, my emphasis

Father, as one who seeks to be a leader after Your heart, I want to listen to You and rigorously test all human language and actions against what I hear from You. Help me to hear from You and move by Your Spirit today.

How God Parents Brats (Like Us)

God's children are like spoiled brats. God cares for us in His mercy and grace, and we take advantage of Him. We want our own way.

God's chosen children, the people of Israel, did this over and over. I read Hosea 11 this morning. This chapter reads like the transcript from an interview with a loving mom and dad whose kids have gotten in trouble. There is so much emotion in these words. This chapter shows God's character as much as any passage in Scripture.

I know how I feel when my kids act like spoiled brats. I try to help them; I provide them with what they need; I lovingly take care of them; I sacrifice for them ... and then they use me for their own selfish desires. God's children did that to Him. I do that to Him. I try to imagine how God must feel about that. But He is not a mere mortal like us. He is God (see v. 9). He is so patient and longsuffering.

In this passage, God simply tells His children the consequences of their own decisions and actions (vv. 5-7). They are responsible for the consequences of their behavior. God says He will not punish them as His burning anger tells Him to (v. 9), but He will also not remove the natural consequences of their own choices. This is just good parenting!

"Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admah and Zeboiim? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not punish you as much as my burning anger tells me to. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy" (Hosea 11:8-9).

I often feel that way about my own kids when they mess up. How could I give up on them? How could I just let them go? I love them too much. I may get very angry with them, and I will let them deal with the consequences of their actions so that they will learn and grow, but, even as a mere mortal dad, I will never give up on them.

God's compassion for us is far greater than we can know. Jesus had the very same compassion for people (Matt. 9:36). Note the word overflows. His compassion to His people overflows out of His compassionate heart--His compassionate nature.

God's compassion overflows into you, leader. Are you putting yourself into a position to receive? When we spend time with God each day, He pours into us to overflowing (John 10:10). Our hearts become like His, filled with compassion that can then overflow into those around us. This is where Leading from the Heart begins!

The Choice

Where do you turn when you mess things up?

The book of Hosea recounts a time when God's people lost their way. And they had a choice: Where would they turn for help? Unfortunately they made the wrong decision:

"When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria, to the great king there, but he could neither help nor cure them" (Hosea 5:13, NLT).

How sad. They could have turned to God, confessed their sin, and repented. But instead they turned to the world that could not really help or cure them, as only God could. But here's the Good News: even though God brings judgment upon people who have gone astray and don't depend on Him, He still patiently waits for us to admit our guilt and look to Him for our help (see v. 15).

God promises throughout Scripture that when we repent and turn to Him, He will respond to us. When we ask, he'll give. When we have faith in Him, He'll give us life. When we come to Him, he will give us rest. When we love Him, He will work for our good. He is for us. When we obey Him, He will be with us always, to the very end. He will never leave nor forsake us.

So, where will you turn when you are in need, when you have failed, or when you realize how sick and messed-up you are? You have a choice. There is only one source that can truly help and cure you. Apart from Him, you and I are nothing.

I'm a Gomer ... and So Are You

Hosea has never been a Bible book I've paid a lot of attention to. Until now, I may have never quoted it. None of my favorite or memory verses are from it. But as I read it now, I'm amazed by it's very clear and meaningful illustration of God's character, ways, and love for us.

This morning as I read chapter 2 and let it soak into my life, God spoke to me about Himself.

In the prophet Hosea's true-to-life story, his wife, Gomer, represents the nation of Israel. She also represents God's church and each of us as individuals. Each of us have treated God with contempt. I have chased after other "gods" in this world. I've prostituted myself to the world. I've committed adultery against Him. I've selfishly taken advantage of His blessings and spent them on the lusts of this world. I'm a Gomer ... and so are you. (I'm also a Goober ... but that's another story entirely.)

The story of Hosea is this: God comes after us. Even when we have sinned and treated Him with contempt, as Gomer (Israel) had, he seeks after us to win us back. Gaaw-aawl-ly!

As you read trough Hosea 2, especially beginning in verse 14, notice that all the actions ("I will ...") begin with God, not us. God pursues us. He returns our blessings to us and transforms our lives. He causes us to "forget" our "Baal images." Not only that, but someday God will restore His creation to it's original state and put an end to all wars. The point is that no matter how bad things seem to be in this world, God is still ultimately in charge and will someday redeem and restore all things. Neither individuals, governments, nor any force in this world, including Satan, are really in control. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

This whole passage reminds us of God's promises. He says, "I will," and by faith, we believe He will. God extends His covenant to us. He woos us, pursues us, faithfully loves us despite our unfaithfulness to Him. Shazam! 

Father, thank you for wooing me. I'm sorry for the ways I've run after other "gods," trying to satisfy my lusts with other things. I'm sorry for prostituting myself to this world and committing adultery against you. I'm amazed that you still want me and that you pursue me as you do. You have been faithful to me even when I have taken your blessings and used them for my own worldly satisfaction. Father, I accept your faithful love for me. I am yours, all yours. You are my God. You are my only God! Lord, I know you will transform my troubles into opportunities for joy and hope and peace and life to the full. I believe that you can and will help me to turn from my temptations and sin and, only by your awesome power, to live a holy and blameless life. Father, I admit my own powerlessness over all these other gods that woo me, and I submit to your power in my life--your holiness, your ways. Thank You, Father for the way you are planting joy and goodness and love in my life through Your Spirit. Thank You for Your love for me. I am Yours. You are my God!

Time with My Friend

A friend is someone I will make time for. If someone offers friendship to me, it's a rare privilege, but if I do not make time to be with him, we are not friends. Moses understood this.

"The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend."

- Exodus 33:11

This is the kind of relationship with God I desire, that he would talk with me "as a man speaks to his friend." In Moses' time this was a very rare privilege that was unavailable to the rest of the Israelites. But today this kind of relationship is accessible because of Jesus. He called his followers (and that includes you and me)  his "friends" (John 15:15).

 Moses pleaded with God to not give up on his people but to continue to personally go with them on their journey. God reassured Moses, "you have found favor with me, and you are my friend" (Ex. 33:17).

I have favor with God and I am his friend, not because of anything great I have done, but because Jesus has made it accessible to me--and you. Both Moses and Jesus modeled this friendship with God by spending time with him, abiding with him.

As someone who desires to be a leader after God's own heart, friendship with God is available to me--what a privilege! My response is to to stop from my busyness, rest, abide, hang out with God for awhile today, spend time with my friend. That's what I'm going to do. How about you?

It's OK to Bowl Alone

Yesterday I went bowling alone, and I enjoyed it immensely. I was in Evansville, Indiana, with my son Dru and his friend Christian who were in a bouldering competition. I had a couple hours to kill before the comp actually started, so I puttered around Barnes & Noble and then went bowling. Around the fourth frame of the third game, I thought about the book, Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam, which describes the decline of community in America since 1950. But I was really enjoying my time bowling alone! And then I thought of Jesus and how he often got away from the crowds to be in solitude.

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

- Luke 5:16

It may be surprising to hear a community junkie like me say this, but I believe that being in community and being in solitude are equally vital for our spiritual and emotional health. They form a symbiotic relationship. As the church today we are doing a great job promoting community, but a poor job promoting solitude.

In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,

Let him who cannot be alone beware of community . . . Let him who is not in community beware of being alone . . . Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants to fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation, and despair.

Father, help me to live a balanced life in both community and solitude. Help me to enjoy times alone with you and times together in community. Help me to be more Christ-like ... to not fear being alone, but to often seek time away from the crowds and the groups to be alone with you.

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.

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.