Profiting from the Prophets

About a month ago, I started reading the book of Daniel in the Bible for the first time. Up until now, I have read the new testament many times, and most of the old testament - but none of the major/minor prophets. So far, I have read Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micha.

It's been kinda fun reading through these books - first of all because I've been reading the snot out of them on the youversion.com app for my phone, secondly, because I am discovering the roots of my Christian beliefs. Today, for example, I read this passage in Micha 7:18-20:

18 Who is a God like You, removing iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of His inheritance? He does not hold on to His anger forever, because He delights in faithful love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
20 You will show loyalty to Jacob and faithful love to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days long ago.

These verses are the last of a book where Micah is telling of God's coming judgement on His people and their sin. Words of hope. Our sins will be forgotten, cast into the depths of the sea. Who is like our God? So many times, I have heard phrases or thoughts like this in songs and sermons and have thought, wow, what a great word! Like the Bereans and Paul's teaching in Acts 17:11, I am spiritually profiting from going to God's word to discover the roots of the Christian faith!

Admittedly, most of the verses that I've read for the first time have not yet registered any significant meaning to me. I recognize that they are contextualized within the history books of the old testament, and will have to set aside some time to really study if I am to grasp all of the richness of each author's inspired words in these pages.

Word of encouragement for the day: read your bibles! You don't have to master every verse and chapter the first time you read it. Let it be process, and enjoy discovering the treasures of this masterfully written and divinely inspired book where God speaks, where we can find hope, and where we find meaning and purpose for our short-lived lives on this earth!

contentment

This morning I was getting my daughter some cereal for breakfast. She is a huge cereal fan, like her daddy, and says to me: "Daddy, I want a lot." She says this, of course, because she is really hungry and thinks that she could literally devour all food in sight. Not sure where she gets this from... But me, being a "professional" parent now of two, understand that she has a small stomach and can only eat a certain amount before she becomes full. And she proves me right every time I give her too much, as we would often have to throw away the cereal that she couldn't finish.

This is not an easy thing to explain to a three-year-old, but once grasped, it will radically affect her view of life. So our dialogue goes something like this...

"Do you have a lot of Buba's or enough?" - "enough"
"Do you have a lot of Daddy's or enough? - "enough"
"Do you have a lot of Mommy's or enough?" - "enough"

So instead of giving her everything she asks for, I give her enough of what she needs - not to much, but enough. And guess what? To her surprise, she was content with enough.

Unfortunately, even as adults we have a horrible time realizing this reality. I imagine that our Heavenly Father shakes his head in amazement at our needless requests for things that we don't need, and the quantities that we ask for. God, please give me more income... God, please give me a bigger house... God, please give me the car with all the bells and whistles... The bible tells us that we have not because we ask with the wrong motives, asking for things to dispose of upon our selfish desires, and not for His purposes (James 4:3). But God not only wants to provide us with our needs, but desires to provide us with good things, for our well-being and benefit (Matt. 7:7-11, Romans 8:28).

And how insulting is it to God when we forget that His grace is sufficient for us, and continually try to earn his favor by works and good deeds, trying to appease God by doing many "righteous" things to outweigh the sin-debt that we are absolutely unable to pay (2 Cor. 12:9)? How quickly we forget that the work of Christ on the cross was MORE than enough for us.

I think Paul describe the concept of contentment in his letter to the Philippians:

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

Find contentment in enough...

Leadership 101: People do what they're lead to do

I've heard my pastor speak several times about leadership within the church world. One of the topics he often deals with is in the form of a complaint from pastors and leaders about their followers. "My people won't _____." The blank can represent a lot of things for church leaders; tithe, serve, go on missions, love one another, practice evangelism, etc. Many times, a leader will experience this frustration, not for lack of communicating the need, but because they haven't lead their people in this area by actually modeling the desired action themselves. A leader can't lead someone to do something that they themselves are not doing. Tough talk, but nevertheless, reality.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch where you and me and everyone else lives, the question arises: "so what?" Well, here's where it applies to me.

Over the last few days, i have experienced a lot of frustration with my 3yr-old daughter. She back-talks frequently, talks very rudely, all with a less-than-desired-tone... Up until now, this has not been a regular occurance, and when it did happen, our usual discipline approaches correct these behaviors. So what do you do when your normal parenting approaches don't work? That's right! You raise your voice, give them the mean parent face, and use every threat you can think of, but never follow through... very inneffective, unproductive, and harmful at best.

So my sweet, loving, meek wife brings this idea to my attention after we had another behavior problem this morning. Not her exact words, but the idea is this: "she is only acting out the way she sees us act out." No way to counter the wisdom of a Proverbs 31 woman... My daugher is doing what I've lead her to do. If I want a certain behavior in her, if I want her to respond a certain way when things don't go well, if I want her to share and be loving to her friends and neighbors - you guessed it. I have to do it myself if I hope to lead her to do the same.

People do what people see. This applies to anyone who has a position of authority or influence on another person - that includes moms, dads, brothers, sisters, co-workers, employees, teammates, and even church leaders :). What is it that your "people" won't do, that you haven't lead them to do?

testing for pride...

Just the other day I had a friend tell me about recent experience in being humbled. Someone had the courage to show him one of his "blind spots". Instead of digging in his heals and defending himself, he chose to be teachable and allowed humility to produce growth in him.

Where personal defensiveness arises, you can be sure that pride is not far.

Humility is a litmus test for pride. Apart from it, we are not able to discern pride in ourselves. The measure of pride is directly related to the amount of personal pain we experience when we are exposed to humility. The more prideful we are, the more it hurts.

When our confidence, peace and joy are found in Jesus Christ and HIS work in us and others, humbling circumstances will not only be painless, but will further solidify our confidence and joy in Christ our King.

finding rythm, staying in tune

Over the last month or two, I have been a little out of sync with life. Not quite sure why, but just seemed to be just a count off beat, a little out of rhythm with this current season of my life. For no apparent reason, I often felt despair, struggling to find purpose, experiencing friction in many areas of life, although unnoticeable to many looking on. But every time those feelings came on, I ran hard to God. Each time, He reminded me that in Him I find my peace, my strength, my hope, my purpose, my joy. His provision was enough, yet kept me coming back for more. In short, He sustained me, giving me the kick in the butt I needed to shake the funk that I regularly would fall into.

For whatever reason tonight, I was able to associate all this with being a little out of rhythm in life, often trying to play an instrument that didn't fit the song. Musically speaking, I am not tone-deaf; I know when something sounds out of tune. But in regards to the current season I am in, the current song that my life is playing, I have been most definitely tone-deaf. Wrong instrument, wrong beat, wrong tune.

I'm not quite sure what the song of this season of my life is yet, but I'm catching on to the tune. There is a heavy dependence upon God in prayer; more than I can remember. Also an unveiling of my eyes to see things that I never understood before in scripture, causing me to pour over a few verses for days and days. There is a deepening burden to truly love people. Also an awareness that I don't really know as much as I think I do, realizing that I have much to learn from others, and less emphasis on what I can offer them.

All these things are apart of the song He is playing in my life, the melody. I haven't yet picked up on the lyrics, the message, the purpose of this song, this season, but know that songs are about timing. When the time comes, I am sure that I'll know the lyrics, I'll know the heart of this season. Then, with everything that is in me, I will make a joyful noise, in key, on queue, in rhythm, signing His song for this season of my life.

Teach me Your song Lord Jesus. Show me the purpose of this season. Fill my lungs. I will sing your song with all that I am. I will not be silent.

The Bread of Life

Our lifegroup has been going through a Bible study on John chapter 6, and spent our time in group this week on verses 22-40. This passage is about how Jesus addresses the crowd on the Bread of Life. http://www.youversion.com/bible/niv/john/6/22

I found myself spending a lot more time on this passage then I thought possible... So much going on here with the questions and answers being ask by Jesus and of Jesus. Many observations here, but too many for one single blog. Take some time to read this passage, and as you do, consider your answers to these questions:

1. Read John 6:26... Why do you seek Him?
2. Read John 6:27... What "food which perishes" do you need to stop working for, so that you have time to work for food that does not perish, "the Bread of Life"?
3. Read John 6:28-29... How do you (or have you) complicated "working" for the Bread of Life?
4. Read John 6:29-31... What "signs" have you asked God to do so that you would believe?
5. Read John 6:35-40... What does this passage say? What is the significance of this reality in your life?

River of life

"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked,
Norstand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalms 1:1-3

The law of the LORD is the river of life. As we stretch out our roots towards Him and His Word, we find life. We find everything we need to grow in Christ from the firtle banks of His Word. Our delight is in doing the very thing that He created us to do; abiding in Christ; to remain planted by the River of Life.

By feasting on His Word, savoring on every morsel, we become nourished. As we are nourished, we become strengthened. Stregthening allows growth. Growth produces fruit in its season. Fruit is returned to the Lord of the Harvest, for His good pleasure and purposes.

The water of everlasting life flows through our veins, producing leaves that do not wither with the changing seasons. His Word continually flows through us as we continually abide in Him.

Abide in Christ. devour His Word. Make the Psalmist' delight yours; find the joy of your life in the hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and applying of the Word of God to your life. Submit to His Lordship and find life.