The News is Good

Most people struggle to hear bad news, especially when things seem to be going well for them. When we’re outwardly successful, its difficult to see our need for change. In the midst of affluence, we tend to believe life will always be this way.  When we’re comfortable, complacency seems to worm its way into our lives.  And when life is stable, we easily forget our need for God. And who wants to be told these things? Who wants to have their “successful” lives questioned? Who wants to have their faithfulness scrutinized? Who wants to listen to preachers that threaten our lifestyles and call into question our virtue?  After all, who wants a downer?

That was the kind of response the people of Israel had to the prophet Amos. Amos was a simple shepherd with no religious pedigree or social sophistication. Yet he was sent by God to warn the people of Israel of God’s impending judgment on the nation.  What made his message seem so preposterous was that Israel was experiencing a time of great prosperity.  The kingdom was at peace and expanding, the military was strong, and the money was pouring in. Many people were participating in and enjoying the good life.  Amos’ predictions of impending  destruction seemed not just improbable, but ludicrously delirious.

Amos prophesied, “The archer will not stand his ground,”  and the “fleet-footed soldier will not get away,” and “the most courageous fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives,” (Amos 2:15-16). Amos was announcing complete military failure and defeat at the hands of an invader. What utter nonsense this sounded like! But the climax of his impetuous denunciations came when he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘A shepherd who tries to rescue a sheep from a lion’s mouth will recover only two legs and a piece of an ear. So it will be when the Israelites in Samaria are rescued with only a broken chair and a tattered pillow,” (Amos 3:12). This was treasonous talk! The idea of powerful Israel being compared to a helpless sheep being devoured was preposterous.

Despite Israel’s lack of receptivity, Amos faithfully delivered the Lord’s message. To Judah he declared, “You’ve rejected the laws of the LORD and refused to obey him,” (Amos 1:4). To Israel the message was, “You’ve perverted justice by selling honest people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals. You’ve trampled helpless people in the dust and denied justice to those who are oppressed. Both father and son sleep with the same woman, corrupting my holy name. At your religious festivals, you lounge around in clothing stolen from your debtors. In the house of your god, you present offerings of wine purchased with stolen money,” (Amos 1:6-8).  “My people have forgotten what it means to do right,” says the Lord. “Therefore an enemy is coming who will destroy you.” (Amos 3:10-11).

In less than 50 years, Amos’ prediction came to pass. Israel was destroyed. Their prosperity and pride were gone.  They were just like the picture Amos painted of the sheep devoured by a lion with only ripped body parts remaining.  Such is God’s abhorrence of sin.

Sin is always the downfall of powerful nations and once-strong people.  When we choose to flout God’s ways despite his warnings, the end is always destruction.  Yet we need never face his judgment.  For those who follow Him, the news is good!  There is one who has born the full brunt of the judgment of God. Indeed, a Lamb who was slain for the sin and pride of the world.  If we will If we will turn to Christ and daily trust in his care and provision for us, we need never face judgment in this life or the next.

When the Friendship Grows Cold

There are few things more painful in this life than broken relationships or friendships that have grown cold. The loss feels cavernous and crushing. The void in the heart is astounding.  The mental anguish is dizzying. In such times, it’s not unusual to wonder, “What could I have done differently?” And when you’re the cause of the broken relationship, it’s natural to ask, “How can I fix this?”

Usually, humility, confession, and a sincere apology are the keys to rebuilding a lost friendship. Admitting your faults and being willing to change your hurtful behaviors are always necessary for a restored relationship.

As with human relationships, even more so with God.

Today we are in the book of Joel.  Joel was one of the earliest prophets and gave his message to the people of Judah. He was speaking to people who had allowed their relationship with God to grow cold.  They had lost sight of God in the midst of their affluence.  Abundance had caused them to take God for granted and to forget the One who had provided for them from the beginning.  They became “ME” focused and “good life” focused and it deeply damaged their relationship with the God who loved them.

As Joel spoke, it was on the heels of a terrible plague of locusts that had devoured every green thing, leaving only desolation. This led to a famine that was followed by an awful drought. People and animals were dying for lack of food and water. He described the devastation graphically, calling the old men to confirm that there had never been one like it before (Joel 1:2). Even those who would typically be numbed out to calamity, the drunkards, felt the effect of it, for the wine producing vines had been destroyed (1:5). Priests could not perform their religious duties because there was no meat offerings or drink offerings of wine to offer in sacrifice (1:9). Cattle and sheep cried out in the fields (1:13).

Joel called the people to see the cause of the calamity as being of their own doing. Joel realized that these natural disasters suffered by the people of Judah were God’s way of getting their attention.  Many centuries earlier Moses had warned that disobedience to God’s plan would lead to such catastrophes (Deuteronomy 28:38-39). God’s intention was to show the people their true helplessness and lack of control so that they might turn back to him. Only in a healthy relationship with God is there any real security in this life.  But this always requires us to lose our self-sufficiency.

Joel sought to bring the people to real life-changing repentance. He knew that God wanted the people to come with torn and broken hearts and not shallow, external, religious posturing. “The Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time! Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning. Don’t tear you clothing in your grief, tear you hearts.’ Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you. Who knows? Perhaps even yet he will give you a reprise, sending you a blessing instead of this terrible curse. Perhaps he will give you so much that you will be able to offer grain and wine to the LORD your God as before!” (Joel 2:12-14).

Many of us have suffered through our own life’s “plagues.” Because of our negligence in our relationship with God or through our own foolish actions, we suffer painful consequences and overwhelming circumstances. This experience of helplessness is designed to cause us to seek God anew.  When the friendship has grown cold, God says, “Come back to me! Commit yourself to me. Look at your heart to see what has gotten in the way of us. Be willing to remove whatever it might be and allow Me to help you to change.  I want to change your pain into joy by giving you my Spirit anew!”

Big Daddy Love

As a precocious, bright and self-reliant 4-year-old, my daughter often found the confines of our home overwhelming.  She just knew there was more to life than our simple rules and routines.  She  wanted to see the world.  As such, one day she ran away from home.  She didn’t get far; really just down the street.  I remember watching her through the window as she defiantly set out on her journey of no return with her little backpack filled with meager but necessary supplies: her doll, her juice cup and a small morsel to eat.  (Note: we lived on a secluded street in a safe neighborhood with little traffic so I wasn’t fearful for her safety. And though I didn’t let her see me, I followed her and never allowed her out of my sight).

She made it to the end of the street before she sat down on the corner and had a hard cry.  I think the realization of her impulsive decision and the prospect of her utter aloneness in a vast world had caught up to her.  Something in me resisted swooping in to  rescue her too soon.  My heart broke as I watched her wrestle with her anger and defiance regarding the rules; this is what sent her fleeing in the first place, and the enormity of her decision to leave. It wasn’t long before she decided to turn back for home and it was then that I emerged from where I was watching over her. When she saw me, she ran into my arms in tears.  I held her for a long time and assured her of my love. As we slowly walked home together, she said, “Daddy, I’m sorry I ran away. Do you still love me?”

During her flight from me, neither her defiance, rebellion, nor departure ever changed my love and concern for her.  Her behavior didn’t affect my heart toward her.  My love for and commitment to her never changed. Our relationship as parent and child was still in tact, perhaps even strengthened by her decision to run away.  I would follow her!  I would never let her go.

Such was God’s heart toward Israel when they abandoned him.  He compared himself to a father who loves and provides for his child. “When Israel was a child, I loved him as a son and I called my son out of Egypt…. It was I who taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand… I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck and I myself stooped to feed him,” (Hosea 11:1-4). Despite God’s fatherly care for his people, “they rebelled… no matter how much He called out to them,” by running off to follow the ways of the world (v 1-2). They forgot that God had provided for and protected them. “But Israel doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him,” (v 3).  Though they left him and would suffer the consequences of their decisions, God’s Father heart was filled with an unceasing love.  Though he was angry with them,  his judgment would not completely destroy them. “No I will not punish you as much as my burning anger tells me to. I will not completely destroy Israel,” (v 9).  God knew that when the people finally grew sick of their independence and entanglement with evil, and when they clearly understood through experience just how futile and destructive it was to forsake Him,  they would remember God’s care and return to him again. “For someday the people will follow the LORD. I will roar like a lion, and my people will return from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Flying like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again,” says the LORD,” (v 10-11).

When we have run away from God and the pain and consequences of our decisions have caught up to us, we may wonder how God could still love us.  But God asks, “Oh, how can I give you up…? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you…? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows… For I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you and I will not come to destroy,” (v 8-9). St. Paul describes God’s unshakeable love this way: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT).

Steps for Spiritual Restoration

When you need spiritual recovery and when it’s time for your heart to return to God, Hosea 6 provides an outline for the process. It shows the steps for spiritual restoration that we need so that our lives can be lived in harmony with God, with ourselves and with others.

God takes sin very seriously; much more seriously than most of us do. Sin is not just the negative or ungodly behaviors in our lives, but also includes our tendency to avoid doing the right things. It includes what we do and what we leave undone. Because sin separates us from him, God desires that sin be removed from our lives. He loves us and wants relationship with us no matter how far we have run away from him. He wants to live in loving communion with us and therefore, he desires that all things that interrupt that relationship and everything that pulls us away from him, be removed from our lives.  He’s no killjoy; he seeks to give us abundant life and so he shows us how to make that happen.

When it’s time to return to him, look to the steps of restoration found in Hosea 6:1-3 (NLT):

• Admit that you are “torn” and “injured” (v 1).  Honestly admit that you have need and that your relationship with God has been severed.
• Decide to “return to the Lord” (v 1) by committing yourself to God’s care.
• Allow God to “heal” you and “bandage your wounds” (v 1) by asking him to show you how and what you need for your spiritual recovery. He will show you what must stop, what must change, and how to live in friendship with him.  God will change you as you respond to his leading.
• Be intentional about “knowing the Lord” by “pressing on to know him” (v 3). Grow in relationship to God by learning his ways and understanding his will as revealed through the bible.
• Live life with him “in his presence” (v 2) by allowing him to guide and teach you and to use your life for his purpose.
• Seek to encourage and help others in their process of returning to the Lord. “Let us press on to know him!” (v 3). Recognize that you will grow strong in God as you turn and help others who are struggling toward spiritual restoration.

A gateway of hope

“I will transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope,” (Hosea 2:15)

The book of Hosea is a remarkable book because it graphically portrays the heart of God and His great love for wayward people.  God called the prophet Hosea to be a living, breathing, walking-about demonstration of God’s patient, sacrificial, and costly love for His people.  God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer, whom He knew would be unfaithful to Hosea. God said, “Go and marry a prostitute so some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the LORD by worshipping other gods,” (Hosea 1:2). Hosea and Gomer were a living picture of God and Israel.  Despite their great sinfulness and their wandering hearts, God loved his people, remained faithful to them and wanted relationship with them.

But Gomer, like Israel, was unfaithful. As soon as her children were born, Gomer chose to prostitute herself again and soon became enslaved. Despite this betrayal, God commanded Hosea to redeem her.   God wanted Hosea to buy her back from slavery to demonstrate his extraordinary love for her and so to illustrate God’s long-suffering commitment to his people. “The Lord said, ‘Go and get your wife again. Bring her back to you and love her, even though she loves adultery. For the LORD still loves Israel even though the people have turned to other gods…So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and about five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.” (Hosea 3:1-2).

Through Hosea, God was showing that He is the one who makes the first move. God makes the second move. God makes all the moves when it comes to relationship with Him. Like Gomer, we have all prostituted ourselves by becoming enamored with other “loves.” We are routinely unfaithful to God because of our sin and inordinate desires.  But God, because he is rich in mercy came after us. Though our sin had landed us in the “Valley of Trouble,” He transformed that trouble into a “gateway of hope,” (Hosea 2:15).   He himself paid the great price of our redemption through the cross of Jesus Christ. In the book of Romans we hear: “While we were still sinners, God sent his Son, Jesus, who gave his life for us,” (Romans 5:8). Despite the “other loves” in your life that receive more affection from you than God himself, he continues to pursue you.  He is calling you to leave the “Valley of Trouble” and enter into his “gateway of hope.”

Allow yourself to rest in the reality of God’s love for you. Know that even when you have chosen unfaithfulness to God, he is still pursuing you. You can never be “worthy” of his love, but he comes after you anyway. It is always His desire to restore you to relationship with him.

Mercy from God

“We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful,” (Daniel 9:18).

Daniel was pleading to God on behalf of himself and his people.  Though he was not responsible for the downfall of Judah, nevertheless as a member of God’s people, he identified himself with the sinfulness of the nation. He was an innocent bystander in the destruction of his land, yet he suffered with them through his forced captivity in Babylon.  But Daniel’s innocence didn’t keep him from praying and fasting and pleading to God for release. Neither did he blame God for their predicament. Instead, Daniel cried out to God on behalf of his people. He acted as an intercessor, or go-between, as he approached God to seek reconciliation.

Notice Daniel’s honesty as he confesses to God regarding the sins of his people. He says:

• “We have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations,” (v 5).
• “We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets,” (v 6).
• We have been “disloyal” to you (v 7).
• “We have not obeyed the LORD our God, for we have not followed the laws he gave us,” (v 10).
• “All Israel has disobeyed your law and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice,” (v 11).
• “We have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth,” (v13).
• “We have sinned and are full of wickedness,” (v 15).

God had clearly revealed his will for his people and had told them what would happen if they abandoned him. Everything that occurred in the destruction of Jerusalem and the people’s exile was in keeping with what God had said through the Law of Moses and later through the prophets.  His judgment of Israel was not arbitrary but totally just (Daniel 9: 14) . He had warned and pleaded and sought to turn his people away from their sin and destructive tendencies through the prophets. But the people continually refused to believe his word and his message.  Daniel recognized this as he confessed: “You have done exactly what you warned you would do against us and our rulers… the troubles you predicted have taken place,” (Daniel 9: 12-13).

So what was the solution?  Daniel made no excuses but instead sought God’s mercy. He knew that God is a God who helps the needy. God’s heart is for those who are miserable, rejected and broken because of other’s actions or because of their own sin. Daniel declared, “But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him,” (Daniel 9:9).  Daniel boldly asked God to intervene and to bring about restoration, “Not because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful,” (Daniel 9: 18).  The people were not entitled to anything from God, but Daniel knew God’s heart and his character. He knew that God responds to broken hearts, real confession, and honest cries for mercy. He knew that only God could save them.

God has not changed. God is still just and God is still merciful. He has clearly revealed himself through the bible and has explicitly explained what happens to those who reject him. It’s important that we recognize that refusing to obey God’s will always has severe consequences. So often when we are confronted with our sinful behavior, we foolishly defend or rationalize our actions. Instead, we need to be honest about our lives and openly deal with God regarding our sin and hypocrisy. We need to acknowledge that only God can save and heal us. We need to turn away from our independence and self-reliance because only God can give us hope and the help we need. When we admit our powerlessness and turn to God with a humble and repentant heart, we too can be assured of his mercy. He delights in restoration and  desires to draw  us back into his arms.

 

 

 

Victim or Victor?

I’m home from vacation.  Sorry for so little posting over the past two weeks… our old computer crashed while we were on vacation.  Sigh…

Anyway, we have moved into the book of Daniel and will proceed over the next month to finish out our UPWORD together readings for this year. Let’s finish strong as we head into the minor prophets!

Daniel is one of my favorite bible heroes because of his strong faith and the way he lived in the midst of the unfairness of life.  Daniel and his friends were exiled to Babylon in 605 BC along with many others from Judah.  They were young men with character and integrity who had done nothing to deserve the hardship they faced. Nevertheless, the disastrous downfall of their nation due its prolonged disobedience to God affected their lives dramatically. They suffered innocently because of others’ choices. They lost big time.  And yet, they did not live life as victims.  They did not allow discouragement and disappointment to overwhelm them. They stayed focused on God.  I think a bumper sticker for Daniel’s life could read: “Life is not fair, but I am not a victim.” This is what makes his life a truly great life. Instead of wallowing in self pity over his losses or capitulating to the Babylonian culture in an effort to get by, Daniel lived a God-honoring life.

Having been taking from their homes, these young men were selected to take part in a three year training program that would indoctrinate them into the ways of Babylon (sounds a bit like college to me). Upon completing the program, they would become advisers to the king.  Their names were changed to strip them of their past and to symbolize their new identities in a new culture.  Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar which means “Bel, protect his life”. Bel was a Babylonian god and Daniel’s name change was intended to turn Daniel away from his allegiance to his own God and homeland.  Daniel’s choices and faith kept that from happening.

Despite the challenges he faced, Daniel knew that ultimately God is in control and he determined to live in light of this reality.  “But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8). He knew that no matter what happened to him, honoring God was the most important thing he could do. God’s will would not change with the circumstances and opposition Daniel faced and therefore, Daniel lived accordingly.  He remained faithful in the midst of a dangerous and power hungry political world.  And it was this faithfulness to God that caused even the pagan kings he served to recognize the existence of the true and living God.  King Nebuchadnezzar would say, “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries…” (Daniel 2:47). Later King Darius would say, “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed and his rule will never end….” (Daniel 6:26-27).

From Daniel’s life we can see how crucial it is to stay faithful to God despite what life brings us.  We will all face injustices of varying degrees, but we do not have to become victims of our circumstances. Like Daniel, we can choose to serve God with all our strength even though it may bring opposition from the people around us — especially those who are in authority over us and also those who are threatened by our lives. Yet even when it costs us, we must do things God’s way.  If we turn to Him in the midst of the hardships we face, we’ll find his strength to sustain us and the loving assurance of his powerful, protecting hands.  We’ll find we are not victims, but victors.

 

 

Stripped Away

This week’s readings have really challenged us; particularly as we’re on vacation.  That’s way we haven’t posted this week; that and a very old computer that won’t connect to the internet with any predictability.  But we have continued to read along with each day’s readings and have been moved and disturbed by the book of Ezekiel.  Its a hard and discomfiting book–not the lightest fare for vacation time.  Nonetheless, we have found the Lord using it to sift our hearts and overturn some places that needed upending.

In Ezekiel 21, God makes this sweeping pronouncement through the prophet:  “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.” (Ezekiel 21:2-4).  What a provocative statement; disturbing to say the least.  It is hard to imagine that God would allow the righteous to suffer the devastation of judgement along with the wicked.  What’s going on here?

So, let’s look back and remember that Ezekiel is among the exiled Jews who are living in captivity in Babylon.  As he prophesies in this chapter, his view is on the people “back home” in Jerusalem but his message has several intended targets.

First, he is announcing that judgement is coming upon Jerusalem because the people had abandoned their loyalty to God.  All our choices have consequences.  The place is going to be wiped out and no one will be spared; not even those who follow God.  This points to the fact that sin’s consequences affect other people.  It isn’t just the God deserters whose lives will be devastated; even the upright will suffer.  We see this today in our culture as well.  So many suffer injustice due to the poor decisions of others.  The breakdown of family systems in our country has profoundly affected generations who are growing up without healthy role models. Sadly, sin and its dreadful by-products can never be contained to individual lives —  sin cannot be isolated — it has a way of hurting those around us. Consider the case of an addict whose dependency brings underserved pain to their spouse, children, friends and co-workers. Think about the angry father whose verbal rants demoralize and destroy the members of his family. Consider the critical mother whose sharp tongue and disapproving comments wither the souls of her children. Yes, sin always overflows the individual and affects others in dreadful ways. So, the actions of the “wicked” will affect the lives of the “righteous.”

Next, God will use Jerusalem’s destruction to bring about another result. It will also affect the exiles. God’s intention is to cleanse and purify his people so that they will belong completely to him. He intends to bring a remnant of faithful people back from exile who are free of idolatry. Restoration is the ultimate goal. But the people in exile had not yet fully repented and returned to the Lord (even though they had been taken to exile!). The people continued to look back toward home and saw that Jerusalem and the temple were intact. They viewed these outward things and assumed that God was still for them. They were still synchretistic in their hearts — blending their identity as God’s people with the worship of other gods. It is amazing how deep denial runs in the human heart. They put their hope in externals (Jerusalem and the temple) while still running their lives according to their carnal desires. They were people who wanted it both ways. On the one hand they identified themselves with God and professed faith in him. On the other hand their actions proved otherwise. God knew that as long as Jerusalem stood, the people would avoid the real work of honest relationship with him and repenting of their sinful ways — of doing an internal housecleaning of the heart that was visible in their external lives. If Jerusalem fell and the temple was destroyed, the people would have to own the reality that they were out of relationship with God; that he would not tolerate them “dating” other gods; and that their hope had to be in him alone and not in any external, lesser thing.

So how does this apply to us?  We, too, can put our hope in externals while convincing ourselves that we are fully committed to God. We profess faith in Christ, but also hope in lesser things like family relationships, friendships, our churches, our spouse, a boyfriend/girlfriend, our health, our job or our finances. We too have a way of “dating” the lesser ‘gods’. We don’t call them this, nor do we tend to think of them this way, but in essence we make idols of anything in our lives in which we place our hope outside of Christ. An idol is usually a good thing that becomes an ultimate thing that we rely upon or trust in beyond our hope in God. It pulls our hearts away from him and affects our decision making and our choices. It is less that God’s perfect will for our lives. He wants our complete devotion; just as he has already given us his. And because he loves, he is willing to strip away any and every thing that competes for our complete dependence upon him.

How to pray in pain

“Cry aloud before the Lord, O walls of Jerusalem! Let your tears flow like a river. Give yourselves no rest from weeping day or night. Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer,” (Lamentations 2:18-19).

Jerusalem has fallen. The people have been taken into exile. The Temple is destroyed. The walls of the city are demolished. And the prophet Jeremiah, the one who for so many years warned and pleaded and threatened the people of God, now laments with a broken heart the destruction that has come upon them. The language he uses in Lamentations is open and frank. He teaches us to cry aloud to God in our pain and to be honest before him in all situations; particularly when the pain of sin has caught up to us. We learn that we need not ever hold back the expression of our hearts from God.

For the Judean people, their pain was the result of sin.  It was sin that led to their destruction. The people now felt abandoned by God. Their pain and loss were almost beyond bearing. And Jeremiah mourned the tragedy. We must understand that unchecked sin always leads to devastating consequences. It may not seem that way at first, but ultimately sin brings sorrow and loss. Restoration can only begin in the midst of mourning and admitting the truth to God. This is what leads to God rebuilding our lives.

Many of the Jews believed that God would never bring destruction upon them no matter what they did.  Sometimes we can fall prey to this kind of dangerous denial too.  We take our theology of grace and election too far and assume it means we now have carte blanche before the Lord. No matter what we do, we think, grace will cover it all.  Lamentations provides a check to this foolishness and reminds us of our responsibility before God. He is still a holy, holy, holy God. We cannot assume that the Lord will protect his own at all cost and simply turn  his eye away from their sin.

Yet we know that God is not aloof to our pain.  The God who brought destruction because of sin is the same God who bore the judgment of that sin on the cross of Jesus Christ. God is not against us, but is for us and has forever demonstrated his love in the cross of his Son. His great purpose in each of our lives is to conform us to the image of Jesus. This means that he will perform a thorough work of purging us from sin and shaping us to reflect the One who has borne our sin and our sorrows.  The great hope we have is that no sin is so great that it puts us beyond the reach of God.  He is ever- ready to amend us and restore us and transform us when we turn to him with all our hearts.

So turn to him today. Be honest in your pain. Where there is sin, confess it and thoroughly turn from it.  Receive God’s mercy and cleansing.  And allow the restoration to begin.

Haven’t I had enough pain already?

“Haven’t I had enough pain already?” (Jeremiah 45: 3 NLT). This is the woeful lament that came from the lips of Baruch, Jeremiah’s aide and scribe.  Just as Jeremiah faced ridicule, derision and persecution from the people of Judah, Baruch did also.  It was unpopular work being a prophet (or in this case a prophet’s assistant). But God promised to watch over and protect Baruch no matter what else happened around him or where his service to God took him. God said– “Baruch…I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! But don’t be discouraged. I will bring great disaster upon all these people, but I will protect you wherever you go. I, the LORD, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 45:4-5).

This word to Baruch was given to him earlier in life but is placed in the book of Jeremiah at the end of their time in Egypt.  Following the destruction of Jerusalem, both Baruch and Jeremiah were kidnapped by their own people (who again were faithless toward God) and taken down to Egypt. These faithless and apostate Judeans who took up residence in Egypt  as a feeble attempt to avoid God’s judgment through the Babylonians would suffer destruction for their disobedience to God.  But God promised to watch over Baruch. The reason the message is placed out of historical context is to provide a reminder that God does take care of his own, despite the way things sometimes look.

Ultimately, Baruch’s cry is a result of the difficulty of serving God in a world that is hostile to Him. Let’s face it, history shows that those who serve Christ in this world suffer at the hands of the world. But our suffering, pain and difficulties in this life are not the last word.  The promises of God are. God will have the last word on our lives, our work and our fate.

If you are feeling isolated or depressed by your circumstances, remember God’s word to Baruch. While Baruch didn’t understand his pain and he didn’t “deserve” the treatment he received at the hands of others, he was not outside of God’s will.  God was still paying attention to him. God was still at work shaping and molding him.  God was still using his service. God was still on the throne of the universe and on the throne of Baruch’s life.  And God promised that he would watch over him and protect him.   He will do that for you too, if you’ll simply trust him in the midst of wherever you find yourself.  Reach out to God today.  Tell him your troubles. Invite Jesus into your circumstances.  And listen for his word of comfort and reassurance in your life.