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Wednesday in the Word

Being a Harsh Judge Isn’t Actually Christian

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1st Samuel 25:20-27
20 As [Abigail] came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, “It’s been useless–all my watching over [Nabal]’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. 22 May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name–his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. 27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.”

In this passage, David has just talked about Nabal, Abigail’s husband, who has been mean and spiteful towards David even after David’s been doing a lot of nice things for him. Just before Abigail appears, David has vowed to practically obliterate the men of Nabal’s family for all the injustices the man has done.

Then Abigail meets David, and begins to floridly apologize for her husband’s wrongful actions. She’s already brought foodstuffs for David and his men, to make up for what Nabal had withheld when David had sent men to ask for provisions earlier. Now she seeks David’s forgiveness for this wrong, and proves herself a devout follower of the Lord in so doing; she believes that David is a Godly leader, and is under God’s protection because of that.

In doing this, Abigail proves she is wiser than her narrow-minded, judgmental husband, who has bigoted himself against David simply because of all the negative things he’s heard about David (primarily, his rocky dealings with King Saul).

For Modern Believers, It’s Hard Not to Act Like Nabal

We might think Nabal was pretty stupid, to not understand that David asked for provisions out of sheer need, to not donate a small portion of what he had in stores to someone who had already helped guard his property. What we might not realize is that we cast Nabal-like judgments all the time–judgments born of a refusal to open our minds and hearts, born of our own stubbornness.

For instance, judging that another person is not saved, based on their clothing? That’s a Nabal judgment. Being prejudiced against another believer because of race/ethnicity, or even political beliefs? Also a Nabal judgment. How about thinking that someone else’s service to the church is not as important as yours? Yep, that’s thinking like Nabal.

But in order to be wiser, more like Abigail, we have to be willing to open our minds to new ideas. Nabal didn’t think much of David; in fact, Nabal characterized David in an earlier verse as a “servant” who had broken away from his “master”. But Abigail had heard enough to know that even though David was having trouble with Saul, God was using him in mighty ways already. Though she likely heard lots of rumors, conflicting and agreeing, she did not blindly believe any of them until she thought them over and decided for herself. She then took the action that she felt was the most Godly.

Being a thoughtful, nonjudgmental Christian in this age of sound bites, quick news articles, and scare tactics is difficult. In all that we do (and hear) out in the world, however, we should remember that it is not our judgments that bear any weight, but God’s alone.

When we try, like Nabal, to judge a person harshly with a narrow-minded perspective, we forget that we, too, are going to be judged for what we do to others. And since our words and actions are the only clues others have to our personal faith…what message do harsh judgments send, as opposed to thoughtful and prayerful words?

Part of ridding ourselves of harsh judgments is taking a moment to breathe, and think whether our words really honor God. Many times, we find that our words are not born of truth and Godly thought, but hate and stubbornness. (I’m definitely guilty as charged.) This moment of thought before speaking not only makes us think about how we’re saying things, but what we’re saying, too. You might just find that you no longer want to make such a harsh judgment, after all. (It works, believe me!)

Wednesday in the Word

Jesus: Not Political Victor nor Problem Solver, but Savior

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1st Corinthians 1:22-24

22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The apostle Paul preached about Jesus all over the known ancient world, and Corinth was no exception. Corinth was also no exception in that it had its share of false teachers and people who were being led astray by such teachings. With these two verses, Paul sets the record straight.

The Jews in the crowd wanted a Messiah, but they wanted one who would actually lead their nation politically. The Greeks (and presumably, many other folk) wanted a Messiah, too, but they wanted one who would fix all the world’s problems with His wisdom. Jesus did neither of these things–instead, He was crucified for the sins of man, to bring us back into a relationship with God. He was not the Messiah that some expected, and thus many were easily pulled into false doctrines.

Are We Falling Into the Same Theological Traps?

Today, two millennia later, many humans are still confused. Many still seek “signs” that Jesus is coming back, “signs” that God exists, etc.. And many still wait for God to solve their problems, believing that if they are only just Christian, then their lives will be perfect.

There is a significant problem with these two viewpoints. If we need “signs and wonders” to believe in Jesus, then we’re not ever going to see Him. And, even if we do witness Him working, we won’t have the capacity to believe in Him, just as the people Paul was preaching to had difficulty believing in Jesus (a convicted criminal) as Savior.

Jesus did not die to solve the world’s problems, nor did He come to unite a human political nation (or a political world, for that matter); He came, lived a sinless life, and died bearing all our sins, that we might each personally accept His sacrifice for us and be saved from that sin. We need to want the eternal power and endless wisdom of God (Christ) in our lives, rather than spectacular signs and human-sized wonders.

Wednesday in the Word

The Christian’s (Occasional) Self-Imposed Exile

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Ezekiel 12:1-11

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

3 “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people. 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. 5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites.”

7 So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’ 10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ 11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.'”

For the modern Christian, Ezekiel’s exile from the rest of the ancient Israelite nation seems drastic, and it is. All that God commands him to do in this passage evokes a symbolic representation of Israel’s coming exile, to remind the Israelites that they have strayed from Him too long. But it also illustrates an important point for modern believers: when you want to receive God’s guidance, often you must completely put aside the world and its concerns.

But how can we do that, when worldly concerns are all around us, swirling in our heads, part of our work and family life? The answer is difficult but real–we must “exile” ourselves from the world, if only for a few minutes or a few hours. When we worship and pray, whenever we choose to do that, it should be a time of leaving behind worldly problems and simply talking to God.

Find a Setting Appropriate for Worship/Prayer

Part of becoming ready to worship and pray in this singly focused manner is the setting we choose to do it in. Just as you generally feel more ready to sleep in a bedroom and more ready to work in an office, psychologically you feel more ready to worship and pray in an appropriate setting, like a church or other sacred place.

Having tried to worship and pray in my own house versus doing so in a sanctuary, I can definitely say that settings are very important to what we’re doing. I often just “feel” closer to God while praying and worshipping in a church, even if I’m the only person in there.

(The question of setting is part of why Ezekiel leaves the Israelites–his world–behind, but he’s also an example to the Israelites. God wants them, His “rebellious people,” to observe one of their number self-exiling, just as the rest of them will be exiled in Babylon soon after this passage of the Bible.)

Believers are Examples to Others

This is not an uncommon theme among world religions, for a person of faith to separate himself or herself from the general populace in order to be closer to his or her deity, but for the Israelites it is also a teaching moment. God is trying to reconnect with them, reach out to them and retrain them in how to get closer to Him, using Ezekiel as an example to them.

Likewise, modern Christians must sometimes isolate themselves from worldly concerns, not only for their own personal worship, but to demonstrate to others how to get away from the world and find their own way to connect to God. We don’t have to exile ourselves from the world all the time, just sometimes–just long enough to remind ourselves how to call for God, how to talk to Him when we need Him.

Wednesday in the Word

Think You’ve Seen Family Hostility? Genesis Shows Us Worse

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Genesis 16:3-5; Genesis 25:12-18

16:3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

25:12 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham…18 His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.

Here, we see hostility spilling down the generations. Sarai (later Sarah) and Hagar despise each other (mostly over the fact of Hagar being fertile and Sarah being barren at this point), which leads to their sons and further descendants hating each other.

Ever had a feud in your family that went on so long you even forgot what it was about? I think just about every family has. Yes, every family, even the most Christian of families, has feuds with each other at some point, and it’s something we have to deal with in a Godly way.

Feuds, Big or Small, are Threats to Our Faith

Some families split right down the middle when it comes to a specific issue, something as small as a sports feud right up to an irreconcilable difference on faith. Sometimes finances and relationship strife get in the way of togetherness; sometimes job stress distances a family so that togetherness is a foreign concept. Or, as Sarah and Hagar show us, sometimes the issue between you is so petty and stupid that you can’t even justify why you’re mad at each other.

But why continue to live in a condition which we ourselves hate? Why keep up hostility that ends up separating us from God (because who can worship when you’re focusing on how much you hate so-and-so)? The anger between Sarah and Hagar illustrates how negative emotions can pull us away from the will of God, and that still happens to even the most God-fearing of families.

How to Fix It? COMMUNICATE!

What we must do is to work to bring ourselves back together again. For the Christian family, focusing on bringing God back into the house is a huge step–the family that worships together plays together better, too, and the family that prays together is more in tune with each other. When you worship and pray together, you’re more likely to be talking about more things together, which, in time, may lead to old issues being aired and normal family communication being restored.

But even if you aren’t Christian, family communication is of utmost importance. After all, when family members take meals in separate rooms staring at different television screens and you go a whole day without speaking to one another, how can you communicate–how can you heal?

Wednesday in the Word

Awesome Things Happen…WHEN We Believe

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Luke 8:49-55

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

In this part of Luke, Jesus had just talked to the woman who had touched His cloak and was healed, and Jairus had already talked to Jesus about his daughter. Suddenly, a random guy comes back from Jairus’ house and tells him that his daughter is dead. But Jesus is unruffled, even though Jairus is probably shocked and overwhelmed with this news. Jesus already knows that Jairus’ daughter can be healed.

When Jesus gets to Jairus’ house, people are already mourning in the streets (likely the girl’s family members). He even tells the mourners that the girl is not dead, but they don’t listen–their eyes, and their human knowledge, tell them otherwise. So Jesus goes into the house, bringing with Him only His closest disciples, and in only a few moments, the girl is up walking around! A miracle has truly been wrought!

We, too, have a hard time believing Jesus can come through for us when the worst happens. When our senses and our human wisdom tell us that something is impossible or irreparable, we tend to believe that rather than trusting in God. The mourners certainly didn’t trust Jesus’ judgment, and already one visitor to Jairus’ house believes the girl is already lost to them. But Jairus, while probably shaken, still trusts in Jesus enough to bring Him physically into his house, and for that act of faith and trust, his daughter is brought back from the dead.

When we trust in God, giving the entire situation over to Him, amazing things happen. Illness is healed (we’ve seen three incidents of inexplicable healing in our church alone); relationships are saved; troubles unravel and vanish. For that matter, I’ve experienced it in my own life, feeling depression unwrap its dark tendrils from my mind as I grow stronger in my faith, so it’s not a delusion. I’ve lived as a skeptic of prayer and lived as a believer in prayer, and I know which lifestyle I much prefer, for the sheer number of prayers I’ve seen answered right in front of me.

“Believing” is not simply a matter of praying once about it, kinda hoping God will come through for you, and then going back to trying to fix the problem yourself. You must pray consistently about it, believe that God is who He says He is, and believe that He has the power to fulfill your need. Believing, just simple, childlike believing, has wrought even modern-day miracles.

Wednesday in the Word

God Guides Us, Jesus Saves Us

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John 6:37

37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

In the midst of the disciples discussing how Jesus is the Bread of Life (spiritual sustenance), Jesus says this comforting but slightly cryptic statement. “All those the Father gives me will come to me”? What does that mean? Does it mean that only a select few people will be saved, and others not? The phrase “All those the Father gives” seems rather selective…

Until you remember that God created us ALL, and is guiding ALL our lives. Then the meaning becomes a little clearer. God, in seeking a reunion between humankind and Himself, guides each of our lives in such a way that we will eventually come to at least hear about Jesus. The final step of accepting Christ as Savior is ours to make or not make as we choose, but the choice is there. Through the efforts of missionaries, Christian relief aid, and good old-fashioned Christian friends, word about God spreads, and word about Jesus as the risen Savior goes right along with it.

It may be hard to accept for some, whose lives have taken such drastically hard turns that they may even doubt there is any God at all. Perhaps you’re one of them. I myself wondered where my life was going more than once, as I spent over a decade outside organized religion entirely, and floundered in trying to worship and pray by myself, not ever feeling like I’d truly connected with God. Sometimes I felt downright lost (like yesterday’s blog post, lol), and wondered “Does this God really know where He’s going?”

But, as you might have guessed, I found that indeed He did know where He was driving me–He was just taking a few unexpected roads. And, moreover, I found that Jesus had never driven me away from Him, keeping the word He said in the second half of this verse. Even when I had packed my junk and left organized faith practice, Jesus had never abandoned me; there was an open door always, just waiting for me to walk through.

That door, standing for salvation and love, exists for everyone who lives on Earth today. This, indeed, IS a comfort!

Wednesday in the Word

We Triumph with God

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Esther 8:15-17a

15 When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17 In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the King went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating.

All throughout the Book of Esther, people have been threatening the very existence of the Jews; due to the wicked machinations of one of the king’s advisors, the Jews were going to be eradicated by political edict. But Queen Esther, a Jew herself, stepped in for them, at Mordecai’s urging. She talked with King Xerxes about getting the discriminatory edict revoked, and reminds the king that Mordecai was the one who stopped an assassination plot against him.

Now King Xerxes is content to overrule the terrible law, and the day is saved; Mordecai leaves the palace robed in royal colors (blue, white, gold, and purple), and the people rejoice. God had truly come through for them, providing for His people amid political intrigue, subterfuge, and threats; even when the enemy believed he had organized the perfect plot, strange (divinely arranged) circumstances unraveled it right before his eyes.

We Can Experience This Same Joy

When God comes through for us, we too can feel as if we’re in a royal procession of joy and relief. But unfortunately, many times we get bogged down in praying for help or good news, and we never remember to thank God for answered prayers. We need to remember to celebrate every time we experience a triumph like this.

Don’t think God still does this kind of thing? I know differently. Every time we arrive at our destination safely, that’s a triumph. Every time we get good news from a medical test, that’s a triumph, too. Every time we wake up in the morning, that’s even a triumph (even if it doesn’t feel like it, especially on a Monday, LOL). Knowing the story of the Israelites in the Book of Esther reminds us that God hasn’t stopped doing miracles.

God is always with us, always our staunchest ally, always working to resolve situations in the best possible way, even if it doesn’t look like God is anywhere near the problem. Even in the darkest of times for their people, Mordecai and Esther knew God was with them; we need to know it, too!

Wednesday in the Word

Remember God’s Goodness

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Deuteronomy 31:19

19 “Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.”

In this selection from one of the end chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses knows he is dying, and the Lord speaks to him one last time, advising him to write a song that will remind the nation of Israel of its God when they become faithless to Him. (The actual song can be read in Deuteronomy 32.)

God asks this of Moses because He already knows what’s going to happen later on–as soon as Joshua, Moses’ successor, and the rest of the Israelites get into the Promised Land, the Israelites will start turning to other gods, namely Ba’al and Asherah, and completely forget about God. (See the book of Judges for most of this.) Knowing this already, God knows that they’ll need a memorable piece of literature to remind them of Him, a song they can carry with them as far as they’ll go.

We, too, tend to forget God, especially when things are going well. If life is going smoothly, we usually give ourselves the credit; only when life becomes rough do we wonder where God is and wonder how a “good God” could do this to us. We, just like the ancient Israelites, need a memorable reminder of what God has done in our own lives, as a testament to His nature.

Maybe we all need to write a song detailing all the wonderful works God has done for us in our lives–I know mine would be nothing but praise for getting me out of everything from a traffic accident to a terrible career choice. What would your reminding song say?

Wednesday in the Word

Knowing God vs. Just Knowing Scripture

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John 5:39-40

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Here, Jesus is answering the Jews who are arguing with and persecuting him because of all He’s been doing (working on the Sabbath, identifying Himself with God, raising the dead). All the way back to verse 19, Jesus constructs a counter-argument against the Jews’ position, but verse 39-40 is the crux of it. These Jews have been studying the Torah and the prophetic writings for centuries, and yet now that the Messiah has come, they refuse him, instead turning back toward the Law as if it alone will save them.

This fallacy, of believing that just knowing the Scriptures and being “good enough” will save you, is what I call the “Pharisee fallacy.” Even today, people study the Scriptures but forget to trust Jesus with their salvation; they think, perhaps, that they have to be “good enough” first for Jesus to save them, so they immerse themselves in the Word of God. Being in the Word is great; forgetting to friend-request Jesus somewhere along the way isn’t so great.

Knowledge of the Bible can’t give salvation in and of itself; knowledge of the Bible and believing in Jesus, Whom it foretells and describes, is what salvation is about. To know God, you must both read about Him and allow Him to be in your life.

Wednesday in the Word

Parceling Out Church Responsibility (Without Anger or Tears)

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1 Chronicles 24:3-5

3 With the help of Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. 4 A larger number of leaders were found among Eleazar’s descendants than among Ithamar’s, and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar’s descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar’s descendants. 5 They divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

In this selection, David, Zadok (one of his high priests), and Ahimelech (the son of his other high priest) go about dividing up the duties of priesthood between the “sons of Aaron” (Moses’ brother, selected as high priest of Israel back when Moses led them).

Note that this division of ministering duties is not accompanied with a verse describing how the priests whined and cried about not getting the job they wanted. Neither are the descendants of Ithamar grumbling and rabble-rousing about not getting as many leadership positions for their families. Instead, everybody takes their appointed job with no recorded hint of trouble.

If only modern Christian churches could divide labor and appoint people like this. Unfortunately, these days we Christians can come down with serious cases of hurt pride (or sometimes inflated pride that gets suddenly deflated), and before you know it, a church squabble has started. We all want to serve the Lord, but some want to serve Him very loudly and very publicly, and get praise for themselves in the process.

Churches have to work together to combat this. The members must be unafraid to voice their (tactful) opinions, and the leaders must listen and make impartial decisions based on what is best for all members, not just what will please one or two “influential” people. After all, every member wants a genuine worship experience; why not work together to make sure that happens? Being willing to serve God, even if we serve Him in ways we didn’t expect or in ways that don’t get recognition, should be our motivation.