The Promised Hope

The struggles we go through in life may seem never-ending. The fear of our enemies may threaten to overwhelm us. The difficulties we face may cause us to wonder if change will ever really come.  In such times of personal crisis, where do you find your hope?

The prophet Zechariah spoke to a people who were surrounded by enemies with few natural defenses and even fewer man-made securities to protect them. In the midst of this uncertainty, he assured them of God’ presence and protection. “I will guard my Temple and protect it from invading armies. I am closely watching their movements,” (Zechariah 9:8).  Zechariah then spoke of a time in the future when a righteous King would come.  About 500 years later, that King arrived.  Zechariah prophesied: “Rejoiced greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey – even on a donkey’s colt,” (Zechariah 9:9).  [This prophecy was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 21:4-11.]  He continued, “I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. Your King will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Because of the covenant I made with you, sealed with blood, I will free your prisoners from death in a waterless dungeon. Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners for there is yet hope! I promise this very day that I will repay you two mercies for each of your woes!” (Zechariah 9:10-12).

Jesus Christ fulfilled part of this prophecy when he came to earth the first time. He delivered us from death by shedding his blood on the cross as a ransom for our sins. As a righteous and humble King, he purchased our pardon and sealed a covenant in his own blood in order to rescue us from hell (“death in a waterless dungeon”).  When he comes back again, just as he promised, he will bring peace to the earth. As such, we can now find our safety in Christ. He is our refuge and peace in the midst of our difficulties in this life. When he is ultimately crowned the King of kings, he promises to repay those who belong to him with, “two mercies for every woe suffered.” In other words, he offers an exceeding abundance of restoration for the sorrows we endure in this life. No matter how difficult our struggles are, we can give Christ our lives and be assured that we have a secure and lasting hope for the future.

Profitable Living

What does your daily life look like? Is it simply a matter of existing to get what you want by carrying out your plans? Do you acknowledge that God is real and personal and yet live like he is far away?  Do you subtly view Sunday worship as a means to an end — your part in receiving God’s blessing – a kind of religious blue chip stock? Is your faith a lived-out kind of faith or are you just going through the religious motions?

This was the reminder that Zechariah gave to the people of Judah.  Having returned to their homeland following the long exile in Assyria and Babylon, the people were in the process of putting life back together.  They were rebuilding the Temple and reestablishing their religious lives.  But God wanted them to be more than religious, he wanted an internalized faith that was expressed in daily life.  “In your holy festivals, you don’t think about me but only of pleasing yourselves,” (Zech. 7:6). As things were returning to normalcy, God warned them not to become hardened to his word and his Spirit as their forebears had become.  “Your ancestors would not listen… they stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.  They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the LORD Almighty had sent them by his Spirit though the earlier prophets,”  (Zechariah 7: 11-12).

To really live profitably, that is, in a way that would please God and honor him as their Lord, their faith would have to be a lived-out faith that affected all areas of their lives.  It couldn’t just be a one day a week thing. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: Judge fairly and honestly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other, ” (Zech. 7:8-10). “Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Do not make evil plots to harm each other. And stop this habit of swearing to things that are false,” (Zech 8:16-17).  The test of their faith was simple: love for others and especially those who were helpless.  And a commitment to a truth-filled, honest, just life.  God wanted them to do the right thing according to what He determined was right, no matter what it cost them.

God’s desire for our lives is no less today than it was when this was written.  This is still what God looks for from those who follow him. Jesus said, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.”  Because of his cross and the forgiveness he has given us, he calls us to forgive others and be merciful to those who don’t deserve it.  Jesus asks us to know the truth so that the truth can make us free — and he himself is Truth.  Our lives are to be centered around Him.  Therefore his call to us is more than just Sunday-faith.  It’s a lived-out faith.  It’s an all of life faith. It’s an every day commitment and reliance upon him.  Are you making a profitable living?

Putting the Pieces Together

Life is difficult. It’s especially tough for those who have faced trauma or been victimized.  Though an immediate hardship may end, though abuse or dysfunction may be left behind, inner freedom is not automatic. It’s typical to remain emotionally bound by the past. It’s hard to put the pieces of life back together and move forward with hope and enthusiasm.

This was likely the case for God’s people in Judah to whom the prophet Zechariah spoke. Because of their ancestors’ sins and dysfunctions, their families had been displaced from their homeland to Assyria and Babylon. However, by God’s sovereign grace, a remnant of Jews returned to Jerusalem following a 70 year exile. These Jews returned to their homeland under the leadership of a man named Zerubbabel.  Their first goal was to rebuild God’s Temple, but their initial zeal was quickly squashed by resistance from the local residents. The rebuilding of God’s House halted. The people had been used and abused by others for so long, that they had very little strength to accomplish the task of rebuilding their lives. Though they had obtained freedom, they struggled to live in the reality of their true identity as God’s uniquely chosen and treasured people.

Zechariah spoke into this condition so as to help the people recover from the immobilizing pain of the past and to reestablish their true identity. He spoke of hope for the future to enable them to recover in the present. He encouraged them through vivid visions that God was at work and healing was at hand.  Above all, in the midst of the difficulty of putting the pieces of life back together, he assured them that the power for rebuilding was ultimately not their own.  “‘It’s not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6).

We are driven in today’s competitive culture to be independent of God and man.  We expect ourselves to out perform others and push ourselves harder when we don’t.  When we reach our limit, we become depressed, turn to addictions or fall to pieces.  God wants us to turn completely to him and to accomplish his purposes in his strength.  God tells the apostle Paul  in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  It is God’s Spirit in us accomplishing the things of God that pleases God.  And the whole of our existence is to glorify him.  When you think about it, it’s quite a contrast, isn’t it?

God has the power to accomplish healing and freedom in your life with regard to anything you might face.   Though your own power is limited, his is not.   “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” Matthew 19:26.  Trust him, he loves you and he’s got this.

The Real God

I sometimes hear people complain that there is a disconnect for them between the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament they say they see a God who is wrathful, whereas in the New Testament they encounter a God of love. Therefore, they sometimes conclude, toss out the Old and keep only the New.  This reveals a basic misunderstanding of the character and nature of the Real God.  The Real God, the God revealed through both the Old and New Testaments, is both holy and loving; just and merciful; wrathful and forgiving.  He reveals himself as a righteous Judge and as a loving Father.  His character never changes. Because of this, there really isn’t discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments; there are simply differing expressions of his nature and his actions in the world according to his great and overarching plan for our planet.

In the book of Nahum we discover this Real God. Nahum’s name means “comfort” and he ministered to the people of Judah during a time of great fear.  His words were delivered to bring reassurance to the hearts of people who had been tormented by cruel oppressors — the Assyrians.  He reminded the people that God is a strong refuge for those in trouble.  Like a good Father, God brings comfort to those who have been crushed and he brings tenderness and restoration to those who are broken. “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” (Nahum 1:7).

Nahum’s words were also intended for the people of Assyria. God would bring judgment on sin and evil. Nahum predicted the impending doom of Nineveh, Assyria’s capital city, and their downfall came soon after his prediction. Nineveh’s demise resulted from the merciless way they treated other people (especially God’s people) and their flagrant renunciation of the God who a century earlier had had mercy upon them. Remember that the prophet Jonah previously went to Nineveh and the city was spared from destruction because the people repented.  But their failure to stay near to God led to their ultimate downfall. Their previous repentance was only a one-time thing designed to avoid destruction. They didn’t really seek to change and live lives in accordance with God’s ways.

Nahum reveals the Real God. We can see his character as both Judge and Father in Nahum 1:2-7.  As Judge, God:

• Is jealous
• Is avenging
• Is filled with wrath at evildoers
• Is great in power
• Does not allow the guilty to go unpunished
• Is indignant

As Father, God is:

• Slow to anger
• Good
• A refuge
• Knows everyone who trusts in him

When we see this Real God for who He is and not who we wish him to be, it is awe-inspiring. It causes us to honestly examine ourselves. And when we do this, we will see that there isn’t any true righteousness within us. The truth of this reality drives us into the arms of a loving Savior who is our covering for sin. Christ bore the punishment that brings us peace.  At his crucifixion God fully and completely judged the sin and evil of the world.  He judged my sin and yours.  His completely righteous wrath was poured out and his perfect justice was given.  God drove the final nail into sin’s coffin by cutting off his own Son (2 Cor 5:21). But in this great punishment is also demonstrated God’s great mercy. His loving heart bears for all who trust in him the punishment that is rightfully ours.  Don’t you see that in the cross, He said, “You’re worth it!” His incredible goodness and forgiveness and his amazing love are revealed through Jesus Christ. He took what we deserve and gave us back peace so that we can now live our lives to fulfill our calling and his purposes for us in the world.  What incredibly good news!  Oh how thankful I am for the Real God who is both righteous Judge and loving Father!

God will make things right

As much can go wrong in our lives related to our peers, children, illness, and finances; sometimes its the leaders in our lives who devastate us. For some people, the suffering and pain they endure comes at the hands of parents, teachers, pastors/priests, bosses, civic leaders, or politicians. Instead of protecting those under their authority, these leaders take advantage of their situation so as to gain personally without concern for the damage they inflict. Most are living out of wounded lives, yet many are simply selfish and destructive.

Such was the condition in Israel about which the prophet Micah spoke. The leaders, the kings, the prophets, the priests, and the wealthy failed to fulfill their responsibility before God — to defend the poor and the helpless in society. Instead these leaders lived for personal gain despite the harm they caused others. They were proud and self-centered and took advantage of the weak. They were hypocritical liars who used religion as a foil for their actions. God was furious and he denounced them…”Listen you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong, but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil,” (Micah 3:1-2). In a graphic picture, God likened the leaders’ behavior to cannibalism as they devoured poor, defenseless people. “You skin my people alive and tear the flesh off their bones. You eat my people’s flesh, cut away their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot. Then you beg the LORD for help in times of trouble! Do you really expect him to listen? After all the evil you have done, he won’t even look at you!” (Micah 3:2-4). Not only were the civic leaders corrupt, but also the religious leaders failed to denounce these despicable actions. God was livid with them also.  “This is what the LORD says to you false prophets: “You are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on anyone who refuses to pay you… your day will come to an end! … And you will admit that your messages were not from God,” (Micah 3:5-7).

But God gives us hope.  He promised that one day a true and good leader would come.  A King would arrive who would bring peace and order to all who submit to him. “He will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. And he will be the source of our peace.” (Micah 5:4-5).  This King will come for the broken and needy and he will bring them healing because this King is God himself. “In that coming day,” says the LORD, “I will gather together my people who are lame, who have been exiles, filled with grief. They are weak and far from home, but I will make them strong again… Then I the LORD, will rule from Jerusalem as their king forever,” (Micah 4:6-7).

Perhaps you have suffered innocently at the hands of those in authority over you. Make no mistake; one day God will make things right.  Micah assures us that God will punish those who have harmed and wronged us. As such, we can leave the situation in God’s hands and instead spend our time and energy dealing with our own sins and problems.  The good news is that the good leader, the wonderful King who is God himself, has come in the person of Jesus Christ.  He has come for the broken and needy to restore them and bring them life. He holds the crushed in Spirit close at heart.  As we seek his forgiveness for our own shortcomings and learn to live according to his ways, he assures us of  his peace and blessing.  Trust and seek him to honor his promise.

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).

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.

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.

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

The Lord asked Jeremiah, “Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). It’s a profound question. It’s a question that is designed to evoke what one really believes about God. The obvious answer is, “No. Nothing is too hard for you God.”  Any reasonable person who believes in the Lord and has read the scriptures would have to come to this conclusion.  However, for a person who is hurting and struggling under the pain of life and/or the mistakes of their past, or for a person who can’t possibly see how things can change for the better, the question may be difficult to answer.

When God asked this question, he did so in the face of the destruction that was emerging upon Jerusalem. The place was about to be overrun by the Babylonians.  The siege engines were already against the walls. Downfall was imminent. The sins of the people had finally caught up to them. Their wanton rejection of God, who repeatedly had called them to change their minds and turn their lives back to him, had finally run its course. The inevitable destruction that God warned them would come had come.

In the midst of this impending doom, God began to speak words of hope to the people.  It began with God instructing Jeremiah to buy a piece of land from his cousin. Even though the Babylonians were about to overthrow everything, God used Jeremiah’s actions to show there was still hope. God was saying through Jeremiah that even though immediate loss was coming, restoration was on the horizon. Though the people would be sent into exile, they would one day return to their homeland and to normalcy. Jeremiah’s action was an investment in a future that God said would come. “Fields will again be bought and sold in this land about which you now say, ‘It has been ravaged by the Babylonians, a land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yes fields will once again be bought and sold…in the land of Benjamin and here in Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the hill country…For someday I will restore prosperity to them. I, the Lord, have spoken,” (Jeremiah 32:43-44).

The impending exile was not intended by God to forever destroy the people. It was not the malicious act of a vindictive deity. It was designed for one purpose: to totally and thoroughly turn the people back to their God. God wanted his people to accept responsibility for their failures and bad choices. The exile would cause them to become thoroughly honest about themselves and to stop hiding from the truth of their unfaithfulness. When they finally got real with God and honestly sorrowed for their sins, his restoration would come. When they realized and admitted their need for God’s healing power, they would have it. “I will surely bring my people back from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants,” (Jeremiah 32:37-39).

Though the people faced judgment, judgment was not the last word.  It never is.  Hope is. The pain, the discipline, the destruction were merely tools designed to open hearts and pull them away from self-sufficiency. That’s what these things are always designed to do. They open the way for the inrushing of grace and the healing of the merciful and forgiving God.

Know this: no matter what you face today, God is for you and not against you. No matter how difficult your impending future looks, God is greater and has seen beyond the immediate. He’s already there waiting for you. He can and will see you through it, because nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Slow and Steady

Persistently. It means to exist for a longer than usual time often in the face of difficulty.  A person who is persistent continues a course of action without wavering. When I think of the word persistently, I am reminded of Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare.”  The moral of that story has become the well-known phrase, “Slow and steady wins the race.”  The idea is that consistent actions effect outcomes.  This is true in life in both a positive and negative sense.  What you do continuously over time determines your destiny.

Persistently is the word that Jeremiah uses for himself and for the people of God.  But he uses the word in polar ways to describe each of their responses to the message of God.  He says, “For twenty three years…the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given you and your fathers from of old and forever,” (Jeremiah 25:3-5).  For 23 years Jeremiah listened daily to what God had to say to him and he spoke that word faithfully to a group of people who with equal persistence refused to listen. While Jeremiah embodies a life well-lived before God (despite the incredible hardships and persecution he faced because of it), the people of God embody fickleness, spiritual lethargy, and impulsiveness that ends in emptiness and destruction.

When we fail to live daily listening to the word of God, our lives invariably are dominated by the whims and winds of this world and our own sinfulness. And this invariably leads to a fall. Many years ago as I was preparing to go to seminary, my desire was to attend a biblically-oriented school as opposed to the merely religiously-inspired institutions of my particular denomination (Episcopal). As I was praying and seeking God about this, my wife and I happened to be walking through the Audobon Swamp Garden near Charleston, SC.  We were looking at the various trees that had been uprooted by Hurricane Hugo. I noticed a commonality between the uprooted trees.  No matter what kind of tree it was and no matter how wide the roots of the particular tree were, the common factor among those trees toppled by the storm was a shallowness of roots. As I looked intently at the destruction before me, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and whispered these words, “Unless you are rooted and grounded in my Word and in my Spirit, when the winds of apostasy and change begin to blow, you too will be toppled.”  I knew at that point that despite the persecution it might bring me from my own diocesan leadership, I had to go to seminary where they would teach me to know and listen to (and love) the word of God.

When we fail to listen persistently and when we refuse to come daily to hear what the Spirit of God has to say through the Scriptures, we can easily drift away from God like the Isrealites of Jeremiah’s day. They persistently failed to listen to the counsel, advice, correction and rebuke that God persistently sent them. As a pastor, I see this all the time as I deal with people who are dominated by their appetites and whose lives have become empty of commitment and purpose.  I regularly speak to people who live frantically busy lives that lack a sense of peace and groundedness.  I grieve as I see this trait being passed on to the next generation as children learn to bolt from one activity to the next, from camp to camp in the summer, and from lesson to sport to music in the school year.  Our culture is full of busy people determined to get ahead and grab their share of the good life, yet who do not listen daily to the word of the Lord.  And we wonder why our churches are so spiritually anemic and our nation seems to be in rapid decline.

Meanwhile, God is loving you. Persistently. He daily seeks time with you.  His heart is for you. He is dogged in this pursuit, yet not in a merely dutiful or drudging way. He is creative and surprising; steady but not boring. He will lead and guide you if you will simply learn listen to him.  Will you, like Jeremiah, choose to carve out the space in your life necessary to listen to God and commit daily and consistently to learn his ways?