why read the Bible... especially now

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

The Bible itself tells me why I should read the Bible. The answer from this passage is crystal clear to me: it is the only way to maintain a hopeful perspective in a broken world. It is especially true in a world that has slowed down, reeling in uncertainty and confusion. The fact that an ancient book does this is profound. These aren’t just dusty old legends gathered together haphazardly in a book we call the Bible. The Word of God is truth, lived out in the real lives of people just like me at heart... men and women who struggled through life, wavered in faith, were slow to believe God, needed God even when they did not know it, and were able to encounter God in their circumstances despite all this. And the record of their stories in the power of God’s written revelation is used by God’s Holy Spirit to encourage and instruct His children today.

My Bible is so much more than an ancient religious book. It is the means by which God still clearly leads, instructs, speaks to, and encourages me. It gives strength. God shows us His grace in His Word. The Bible is the story of God saving us in Jesus Christ and as each page points to this truth in an important way, it brings satisfying and saving hope! The gospel is the ultimate instruction and encouragement to help me endure any circumstance in which God may currently have me. The gospel saves my life. And the gospel becomes the message of my life. And God’s Word always centers me on that truth if I will just look for the way it points to Jesus. Jesus died for me... a hell bound sinner who was powerless to save himself... so that I might know the true freedom and joy of living as a child of God. Honestly.... nothing is more powerfully encouraging than this.

O Lord,

God Who has lovingly and carefully revealed all I need to know and trust through the great and precious promises of Your Word... I believe in You. I trust in Your truth. I find Your ways in Your Word. I delight in what You have revealed. Your Word confronts my sin and wakes me from my complacence. Your Word reveals the kingdom all around me that I can see by faith as I trust what You say. Your Word encourages me to trust You as everything in this world fights against Your rule. Your Word gives me my life message in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ as I live it, tell it to others, and love it. Lord Jesus, the Bible always points to You and I see Your love, care, and Lordship in every word.

Amen

my small faith

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

“micro-faith” was Your favorite term

for Your disciples on the earth

they followed, they learned

they tried, they failed

in failure You taught them to trust

God more than what little faith mustered

they heard, they were astonished

they tried, they failed

You told them that though small

faith could grow a kingdom from a mustard seed

You told them more than once

but did they really hear You?

my little faith is also apparent

when I rush to trust and keep my own appearance

I follow, I learn

I try and I also fail

in my failure You call me to believe

in You and in that trust I can receive

I hear You and am astonished

I try and still fail

I trust You when You say even small faith

can do all the things that are great

You will tell me more than once I’m sure

O Lord, I really do believe You!

strong in God’s promises

Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 35:3-4

God spoke these words through Isaiah the prophet to the people of Jerusalem as they feared the advancement of Assyria to destroy them. But God promises to take care of this threat. He promises to deal with Assyria’s aggression. He promises to save His people even though the powerful army of Assyria seems impossible to defeat.

God then uses this promise to give an even greater promise starting in verse five. He promises to deliver people from blindness and deafness. He promises to heal the crippled and make a choir of praise sound forth beautifully from mute lips. He promises to turn the Judean desert into a relaxing and refreshing spring-fed oasis full of His lush and verdant blessing. Eventually the world is transformed by the God who saves to a place where every road leads to His temple and no dangers from wild beasts await any who travel on those roads to worship Him. And God’s people will fill these highways as they travel to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. Of course, this is prophecy of the future kingdom to be ruled by Jesus. It is a place of everlasting joy, singing, and gladness without even a hint of sorrow or sighing (Isaiah 35:10). 

The God Who delivered Jerusalem from Assyria is the God Who made these promises. The God Who delivered all those who will trust and follow Jesus gives this same hope to us today. He has already delivered us and He will keep us safe. He already has a wonderful future planned for us that is so glorious that our present sorrow and sighing will fade into distant memory as we worship Him then and there. We will continue our worship of Jesus one day in this gloriously remade world where His kingdom stays the center! Believing in this hope, I will face today, strong in the promises of my God!

impossibly clean

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?

There is not one.

Job 14:4

It is impossible for sinners to make amends before a holy God by their own efforts. Even Job knew that the unclean cannot produce a clean thing. That which is unholy cannot make holy happen. Sinners can’t make themselves holy. Only God can make a sinner clean.

What Job knew as reality is still quite true today, but with one very beautiful change: Jesus Christ will turn sinners into saints! All those who will admit their sin and powerlessness to make their lives better on their own, who will trust in His death as Jesus took the sinner’s punishment upon Himself, and believe in His resurrection by which He offers the hope of everlasting life; those who will turn from sin to trust and follow their Savior, letting Him lead them in a new life... all these will find their sins forgiven and the holy life of Christ now given to them! What they could not do, God has done in Jesus! Jesus brings the clean to the unclean. He is the only One Who can do this.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee; 
let the water and the blood, 
from thy wounded side which flowed, 
be of sin the double cure; 
save from wrath and make me pure. 

Not the labors of my hands 
can fulfill thy law's demands; 
could my zeal no respite know, 
could my tears forever flow, 
all for sin could not atone; 
thou must save, and thou alone. 

Nothing in my hand I bring, 
simply to the cross I cling; 
naked, come to thee for dress; 
helpless, look to thee for grace; 
foul, I to the fountain fly; 
wash me, Savior, or I die. 

While I draw this fleeting breath, 
when mine eyes shall close in death, 
when I soar to worlds unknown, 
see thee on thy judgment throne, 
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,                    let me hide myself in thee.

May God answer our prayers.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!

May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

May he send you help from the sanctuary

and give you support from Zion!

May he remember all your offerings

and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

Psalm 20:1-3

David encourages his nation to pray because God answers prayer. This psalm praises God for His salvation, protection, and prayer. It calls us to pray for God’s continued provision for us, delighting in the fact that He always has cared for His people. The psalm opens with four quick prayer requests.

First, there is a prayer for God to give answers when we are in trouble. When we cry out in pain or in perplexity, with questions or needs, we can rest assured that God hears us and is here for us. God loves to work in our pains and difficulties to show His great power and pour out His incredible grace in our time of need.

Secondly, there is a confidence in God’s protection. David prays for God to help us. Just as God protected Jacob from the wrath of his brother Esau, turning a homeless runaway conman and thief into a wealthy herdsman, so will God also protect His people. He made of Jacob twelve tribes who would become a nation. God will prosper those He protects, giving them more of His grace than they ever deserved.

The third request in verse two is for God to send help and support from His holy sanctuary. This links the worship of God to the provision from God that we all need. We find in worship, God’s care. And as He cares for us, we can and should respond in worship to Him.

The final prayer request is in verse three. It is a request for God to see and accept our gifts and our obedience. It shows us that there is a mutual relationship that God enjoys with us. He delights in our worship, in our obedience to His Word, and in our gifts to His service. God hears, answers, loves and rewards us graciously through our prayers.

Just saying “sorry” isn’t enough.

And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

Judges 10:15-16

It is one thing to feel bad about sin and its negative consequences; it is quite another thing to repent and do something about it. Feeling bad or feeling sorry about sin is just the start of something than can eventually lead to repentance, faith, and obedience. But the feeling is not what pleases God. The obedience and faith show proper worship and move Him to see and accept our change.

That is what happened in this passage and really in cycles throughout the book of Judges. The book shows us that we cannot keep God’s Law on our own efforts. We fall short. Our hearts are easily drawn to trust in many things other than God. In Israel’s case here in Judges ten, they literally trusted in every other idol of every other nation around them. They forsook God with the pursuit of every kind of idolatry they could find. Religious pluralism was what they pursued... they were given to spirituality, but not the worship of God (Judges 10:6). This did not make them good people. It made them sinners. God brought 18 years of oppression under the hands of the Ammonites as a result.

Israel eventually recognized that sin had got them into this mess (Judges 10:10) and their first prayer saying “sorry” wasn’t enough to move God. God’s response instead was to let them know He had no intention of rescuing them in this condition. He tells them to let their false gods save them this time (Judges 10:14). Only when the nation acted on their confession, truly repenting, smashing idols, and worshiping God again did He move toward rescuing them from Ammonite dominion.

So just saying “sorry” is not real repentance. It can, however, lead to repentance when it is by faith and trust in God followed by obedience to God’s Word. Repentance that God desires is real change and not just the desire to change. It is more than a feeling. It is a faith action. I know that I still need to learn that when dealing with my own sin. I often stop at the feeling alone in my prayers of “confession” without getting to the idol-smashing changes that need to occur in real repentance. God is not fooled by my insincerity. Sorrow alone never saved anyone.

passing on authentic faith

And he said, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.”

Genesis 24:12

I’ve always loved this story of how Abraham’s servant was led by God to the very household of Abraham’s own extended family to find a proper bride for Isaac. Yeah... I know... arranged marriages sound odd and archaic to 21st century ears... but a couple of the underlying spiritual lessons this event teaches are pretty powerful.

First, there is the picture of consistent disciple making that is revealed in Abraham’s household. This trusted servant is obedient to his master Abraham. He has a faith much like his master in the very same powerful, promise-keeping God. He prayed to God. He believed in God. He is particularly quick in the story to find strength in the steadfast love (grace) of God. His prayer of faith, that God would reveal and provide Isaac’s bride in a very specific way, is clear indication that Abraham led his entire household, including trusted staff and servants, to believe in the same God, worshiping with the same tenacious faith, that Abraham modeled to them.

Secondly, there is grateful praise shown in this servant. Later, when God does indeed provide Rebekah as a willing long-distance bride, the servant gives all praise to God (Genesis 24:26, 52). His worship is authentic, just as his faith is. Abraham had properly led his household to worship God, not just in daily ritual, but in grateful day-to-day trust, provision, and guidance.

O Lord,

You still lead us. You still provide for us. You still answer prayers and You love for us to bring to You our very specific needs. We must do so now even as we navigate forward beyond the current disruption of our days. You work in marvelous ways. You always show to us Your steadfast love. May we trust You, believe You, ask from You, and worship You in ways where we will praise You as You do Your work among us.

Amen

the Christian and governing authorities

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Romans 13:5-7

The current viral pandemic has brought with it unprecedented interruption and new government intervention in our daily lives. People in every country around the world have seen their governments act in new and swift ways. These actions have asked us to stay home, probably kept us safe, disrupted economies worldwide, released government financial aid on a massive scale, and have been the cause of consternation and political debate in all the world’s free societies. Never before have city, local, regional, and national governments had to move so quickly on such a massive scale that was not a wartime emergency. And the result, of course, has been a universally clunky experience. Now, as regions begin to reopen, it is perhaps still clunky and feels very tentative and uncertain.

Most Christians in America would benefit from a good reading of Paul’s primer on human government here in Romans thirteen. Here is a very short attempt at a summary:

1. Christians are called to obey, as an act of honor to God’s sovereign purposes and control, all human governing authorities (Romans 13:1).

2. Christians recognize such obedience is actually an act of obedience to God first (Romans 13:2).

3. Human governments at every level exist by God’s direct design to keep the peace and punish what is wrong. (Romans 13:3-4).

4. It is a matter of personal spiritual growth to trust God’s establishment of these authorities (Romans 13:5).

5. This subjection and obedience extends to the timely payment of taxes as well as obeying law, doing so with honor and respect to the appropriate authority (Romans 13:6-7)

It should be noted that Paul wrote these words while living under the rule of emperor Nero, whom history shows was a self-indulgent madman. The Christians he wrote to in Rome were at the center of a brutally efficient military empire that had brought peace to the known world by threat and massive military muscle. They also were implicit in the murder of Jesus and the oppression of Jews. Christians were starting to be persecuted by local, regional, and eventually official Roman governments. Yet God through Paul was compelled to remind us to teach and insist on these principles of respect and honor for those ruling over us.

Now is NOT the time to disobey God in this matter. It is NOT the time to be divisive as areas of human society open up around the world. It IS a time to show respect, to thank those keeping us safe and healthy, to care for our neighbors in a civil society, and to trust God’s design even in flawed leaders! The people of Jesus will do this.

faith even in the silence

Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Matthew 15:28

The story of this unnamed Canaanite woman intrigues us. Jesus made a quiet withdrawal to a more gentile inhabited region north of the Sea of Galilee. It appears to have had the purpose of being a strategic retreat... a break from the constant ministry drain. The demand had grown. Because the Jewish leaders were becoming more belligerent. And large crowds of people were thronging Jesus everywhere he went throughout Israel. It was getting so constant that Jesus could not even get proper time or space to grieve the murder of John the Baptist in solitude (Matthew 14:13).

So in the regions of Tyre and Sidon Jesus and His disciples got a small break. Yet even there this Canaanite woman recognizes Jesus, calls upon Him as Lord and Messiah in a very Jewish way, and begs Him to cast out a demon from her daughter. Jesus uses the opportunity to show His mission. He at first seems to ignore her, not answering her cries. Only when the disciples basically ask Him to maker her shut up (Matthew 15:23) does Jesus even acknowledge what is going on. Jesus first confirms His primary mission to bring repentance to Israel. It seems He may not even want to engage with her.

This just brings out even more faith in the desperate gentile woman. She kneels before Jesus begging for His help. She humbles herself admitting she is not worthy of His first attention, but asking for grace anyway (Matthew 15:25-27). And her faith is heard and rewarded. Jesus both confirms His mission and extends it, showing that God rewards the faith of all those who will desperately seek Him.

There are times when we may feel like this Canaanite woman... running after God, begging for His notice in prayers, and perhaps feeling silence from Him. But faith presses on despite what we feel. We believe Jesus to be all that we need. We will not let go despite the silence. And God will notice such faith. He will hear our pleas. He will make His power known. He rewards those who seek Him.

A Day of Justice

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD,

and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

For the ruthless shall come to nothing

and the scoffer cease,

and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off...

Isaiah 29:19-20

A day of justice...

a day of joy is coming

when a holy God

Whose rule is absolute

will end the cruel oppression

of ruthless, selfish abusers

and set those poor souls free

from evil tyranny.

A day of justice...

a day of joy is coming

when God’s truth will be known

and no longer dismissed.

Scoffing shall cease

and the mocker’s ridicule

is silenced by God’s rule.

A day of justice...

a day of joy is coming

when an all seeing God

Whose wisdom is perfect

well end all the plans

of people who want to hurt people

and God will pour out His grace

to a grateful human race.

A day of justice...

a day of joy is coming

because in Jesus all justice

has been forever settled

completely on His cross

He bore it all!

Jesus will forever reign

delivering us from all pain.

God has got this.

Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind.

Job 12:9-10

These words from Job come from exceptionally pain-filled days of suffering. He lost his family, His wealth, and his health. Yet he finds strength and comfort in the sovereign work of God. Although Job’s friends gather around him, blaming Job’s own sin for his difficult days, their simple yet flawed theology does not distract Job from the mysterious truth of God’s sovereign care. He chooses to embrace the outrageousness of believing that God is good when life is hard.

The control of God’s sovereign care is total in Job’s theology. In the two verses previous to this question (Job 12:7-8), Job points to all the natural world which has an order and symmetry perfectly designed by a wise God. He cares for all living things. Surely God knows what He is doing in the lives of people! In His hand is the life of every living thing.

God takes care of us in wisdom and for His own purposes. Job is convinced of this as he considers how God controls the world: “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13). And when God does it, nothing we can do will change it... “If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open” (Job 12:14).

I believe Job’s God is still well in control of all the circumstances of this world. He cares for us today and all the various moving parts of the corona crisis worldwide are under His direct wisdom, knowledge, and control. I believe this even as life is hard right now with no quick fix in sight. I trust this is true even if parts of the world are torn down. I believe God even as I feel shut in. God has got my whole life and this whole thing we are going through right now in His hand.

As a Christian, I look to the greatest act of God’s love... my redemption in Christ. God brought the greatest good for the world for all time, salvation in Jesus Christ, through the worst event ever to happen in this world, the rejection and death of the Son of God. And He turned it all to good by the resurrection of Jesus accomplishing the defeat of sin and death forever! The gospel convinces me God is in control.

stripped down to a good God

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

Psalm 16:1-2

God is good, even when life is hard. He cannot do wrong to me, of that I am sure. So even when life circumstances change, God does not change. He is the same. He is good and I have confidence then to pray a prayer asking Him to keep me when I experience uncertainty. He will be my refuge because He is a good God in hard times.

God is good, even when life is hard. His care is perfect, He is always righteous, just, holy, loving and always saves those who trust in Him. God cannot fail. He will not stop loving me, even when I struggle to love and trust Him. God is only good and that is why I know I will find good things while trusting and obeying Him.

I have learned the last 60 days that I was way too content in many things that had little to do with trusting God. I found false comfort, security, and sense of worth in my routine, through interactions with other people that I made my soul’s support, through weekly plans and tasks I made my trust, in assured times of recreation I made my pleasure, and through people pleasing that I made my reward. But all that has been turned upside down. And in this necessary and good upheaval, I have had to confront issues in my soul. I have had to take refuge in God... not in my plans... my routine... or in my people.

One song I have sung a lot recently has been Matt Redman’s “The Heart of Worship”. All is stripped away, and Jesus still shines!

Lord,

Thank You for this reminder that I have no good thing apart from You. All the things I trusted in were gifts from You that were meant to pull my heart into deeper worship of You. Instead, I made them my refuge instead of You, Lord Jesus. I confess this is my wrong. I come to You now, receiving Your forgiving mercy, and hiding once again in the secure refuge of Your steadfast love. You are immensely good even as life has changed. I have no good apart from You! And in that truth I will be content... rejoicing that my God is so very good.

Amen

the “judges generation”

Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so.

Judges 2:16-17

Faith is lost in only one generation. In the case of Israel, once the generation that under Joshua had received the Promised Land passed away, the next generation quickly abandoned the covenant with God as they were enticed and ensnared by idolatry all around them. The Joshua generation was content with some compromises that spiritually handicapped the spiritual prospects of their children. 

The first two chapters detail this horrific generational slide. It went something like this:

• At the end of Joshua’s leadership, his generation continued some final land captures (1:1-26).
• They were incomplete in the conquest, failing to drive out Canaanites as God had commanded, content instead in the capture of cities, land, and possessions (1:27-36).
• God warned them that this lazy materialism would lead to a path of pain as surviving Canaanites would become “thorns” in their sides (2:1-3).
• Although Israel was saddened by this warning, they did not heed the warning, accepting the status quo even as they were grieved to be confronted in their sin (2:4-5)
• Another generation came along that had no memory of the conquest, of Joshua’s spiritual leadership, or of God’s warnings. They easily accepted the status quo as their culture (2:10).
• This generation then went full-tilt into idolatry (2:11-15). This started a cycle of God punishing Israel by powerful Canaanite survivors rising up to oppress them, then God raising up judges who would deliver the people.

What can be learned from this grim history? The answer is significant: We are easily drawn away from the worship of God and commitment to Him. We must be diligent to guard our hearts. We must at times be radical in our obedience to God. We cannot serve God + “something else”. God doesn’t get “His place” alongside any other thing. He must instead, rule over and conquer over every other affection of our hearts. This includes but is not limited to family, money, reputation, possession, fame, or desires. When love for these competes with love for Christ we have begun to lose. When we secretly love these things more, we are as unfaithful spiritually as “the judges generation”.

faith, obedience, and facing the unthinkable

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Genesis 22:3

The biggest test of Abraham’s faith in God came not when he left his home at God’s invitation to wander in a land not his own. It did not come when he rescued his nephew Lot from pagan kings. It did not come in the severe consequences when twice he told half-truths about his wife in fear and offended powerful men. The test did not come in him believing what seemed to be impossible promises from God to make from him descendants more numerous than the sand of the seashore.

The biggest challenge to Abraham’s faith came close to the heart. It came after Isaac was born to him through Sarah. God revealed to Abraham one night in a dream that he must travel to a distant mountain and there offer his only son and heir, Isaac, as a burnt offering to the Lord. This was truly an unthinkable test. Abraham never would have imagined doing this. God created it as a test of Abraham’s heart: Would he love Isaac more than obey God? Would he believe the promise of God even when the circumstances God had made totally seemed to eliminate it?

Abraham’s obedience in this unthinkable moment was swift. He didn’t debate God’s request. He knew God asked him to do it. He got out of his tent early, got packed for the journey, enlisted some servants to assist him, and personally cut the wood that he intended to burn on the altar that would sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God. They journeyed to Moriah. Abraham and Isaac ascended the mountain where Abraham then bound his son and with knife at the ready was stopped only by an angel’s command that recognized Abraham’s full obedience and ordered him to stop.

What was learned when faith led Abraham through the unthinkable? Both Abraham and Isaac learned that it is God that provides atonement. God providentially provided a ram caught in a thicket to sacrifice in Isaac’s stead. Both learned that God rewards the obedience of faith. Both were reassured of God’s blessing as God reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham, this time with Isaac there to witness it. They learned that God spared Isaac with a substitute given in grace. Today, God spares us through the substitute sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. And today, God still blesses faith that loves Him above all else, even above what is closest to us. He will provide for us in what seems unthinkable.

love and life together

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:11-13

These three verses are part of a larger context of five verses (Romans 12:9-13) that describe the life of Christ in Christian community. It is what Christian connection looks like. When believers are assembled, this is what we must be. It is a call to life together in Christ. And this context is all in command form. A string of thirteen commands fired off in rapid succession here are not optional, but essential for us. The commands tell us that this kind of connecting, dynamic, interactive culture is essential for the church to commit to, maintain, and develop healthy Christian community.

There must be a commitment to the genuine expression of love for one another. It can’t be forced or manufactured by selfish motives, but must be good, springing purely from the saving work of the gospel in our hearts (Romans 12:9). This love feels like family... the term is brotherly affection. And it is so strong that it is almost competitive as Christians seek to outdo each other and love one another well.. “I love you, more...” “No, I love you, more!” (Romans 12:10). This love first serves Jesus with the motivation of serving Him above all. It isn’t lazy, but fervent, seeking the Lord’s approval (Romans 12:11). It is Jesus we seek to make much of as we care for one another.

This love makes it through trials and difficulties. Paul wrote these encouragement to churches in persecution. I am writing these reflections after 46 days of quarantine and now more weeks of rebuilding life together in which the church has not been able to worship corporately in the same physical space, and more challenges await us moving forward. But the church in crisis is not in chaos! Instead, when hard times come, believers focus on true joy... the hope of the gospel. We are patient even if things seem to be against us. We find the constant exercise of prayer strengthening so that God’s love is bigger than the disruption of any trial (Romans 12:12).

And Christians continue to care well for each other especially in trial. It looks like there will be the need to do so ahead as economies stay uncertain (they really always are, we just trust in them too much). There should be nobody needy among us, as we love each other through sharing resources and finances. We open our homes and our lives to each other freely (Romans 12:13). And in that Christian life together, Jesus lives with us and in us.

a lot to answer for

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Matthew 12:41

The generation that rejects Jesus has a lot to answer for. The religious leaders of the Jerusalem Jews tested Jesus, pushing for some “sign” from Him that confirmed His authority. They did not believe nor did they intend to. They were hoping to trap Him. Jesus had already proven He was Lord over the Sabbath Laws (Matthew 12:1-14). He showed power over the forces of evil by healing a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22-37). Yet some of these leaders persisted in their unbelief and pressure against Him.

Jesus countered their demand for a sign with the story of Jonah, which was a shrewd and carefully placed argument showing their sin. Jonah was a very self-righteous Jew (much like them) who actually disobeyed God’s direct command to preach judgment to a Gentile nation. Jonah put his prejudice and misinterpretation of the Law of God above the love of God and it took him nearly drowning in the ocean and a three day submarine ride in fish belly to make him even a reluctant prophet!

Jonah’s lackluster preaching still was used by God to maximum effect, turning Ninevah to repentance. Jesus drove the point home further saying that in the judgment those Gentile Ninevites who repented at Jonah would condemn the Jews who rejected Jesus. The Gentiles turned to God from the few words of an imperfect preacher. How much more should “good followers” of God’s Law respond when God Himself (the “something greater than Jonah”) was with them? 

How we respond to Jesus is what matters the most. It is crucial. It is a matter of life or death... forgiveness or judgment. Jesus Himself taught this exclusive truth about Himself.

Perfect peace is in One Person.

You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

There is no reason to stop trusting God just because the world is currently in this terrible disease pandemic. Plagues have rolled across the globe before. And they may do so again before God remakes it all. Freedom from the threat of illness is not where we should find our comfort. God wants to be the keeper of our peace. God wants us to trust Him. He has His people under His care. He will make of our present turmoil what will help us see Him even more. If you have a hard time believing that, I urge your to read and believe more of Isaiah 26, especially this truth from verse 9:

“My soul yearns for you in the night;

my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

For when your judgments are in the earth,

the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

That’s right... God can bring a crisis to teach the world what is right again.

Many today however have too much time to randomly search for peace somewhere other than in God’s sovereign wisdom. It saddens me to see all the countless conspiracy videos being promoted on social media. I just use that cool snooze feature for Facebook friends given to this. I got no time for what distracts me from the real truth... which is that people need Jesus. My advice is this: You see something that claims to break open a global conspiracy? Just scroll on by... YouTube is not a journalistically reliable medium for truth... Let God’s truth inform your times! Please! Trust that God will make of this crisis a way to draw people to the peace that can only be known by believing the gospel. And talk about what Jesus has done for you!

The reason that perfect peace can come at all is because the Prince of Peace, Jesus, became our peace (I urge you to read through Ephesians 2:13-16 to think through the depth of that reality.... not one person, or ethnic group, or tribe on this planet is outside the scope of the kingdom’s periphery). In Jesus, our Peace, we can find stability in all this chaos. There is no speculation worthy of pulling our minds from His worship. There is no sorrow that can take away our confidence in Him. Jesus is our trust. We can know with certainty His unshakeable, perfect peace. Trust only Jesus!

the One Who made the appeal

Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;

I must appeal for mercy to my judge.

Job 9:15

The truth about my sin is that I am never truly “right” under my own effort and power. My noblest efforts are tainted by selfishness and wrong. All my righteous acts are still filthy rags in view of God’s perfect holiness. I fall short. I fail. 

That is what Job is saying here. Although he does not believe his life difficulties are the result of judgment against some grievous sin, he does know he is a sinner and cannot stand before God to argue his case unless God cleanses him. Job accepts he is a sinner, as is every person on the planet.

Sin is the original pandemic. It has diseased the world for all generations. Everyone is born with its impurity and infection. It destroys people, controls lives, ruins families, takes over societies, and leads nations. No sinner can contend with a holy God on their own in order to convince Him to forgive their sin.

But Jesus came not to judge sin, but to take the condemnation for sin upon Himself. By dying on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God, Jesus took the Judge’s death sentence for all who will trust in Him. And in His resurrection we are assured that the death sentence will never fall on anyone who trusts in Him! The mercy of God in Jesus Christ is the cure for sin’s global and personal infection. And it is our appeal... freeing us from the sentence of death to find life with God forever in Jesus!

a great God in dark days

Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;

for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

Psalm 12:1

The Lord is the only light in a dark society. When a culture is given over to sin and ungodliness, the people of God may feel alone, abandoned, oppressed, and overwhelmed. We MUST cry out to God when it is darkest. Only God can remedy this situation, keep His people safe, and make His power known by deliverance in such times.

David recounts his dark world in this way in Psalm 12: 

1) Trust is scarce as lying is all the social communication craze (Psalm 12:2). 2) Proud flattery abounds among a vain and pretentious people who constantly embellish one another (Psalm 12:3-4). 3) The impoverished and needy are forgotten and even purposefully taken advantage of by these self-absorbed narcissists (Psalm 12:5). 4) Predatory behavior threatens the righteous as what is evil becomes the focus of celebration and civic pride (Psalm 12:8).

Three things bring hope and help during dark times: 

1) God will keep even the oppressed safe by His care (Psalm 12:5). 2) The purity of God’s Word counteracts and disinfects those surrounded by dark lies and flattery (Psalm 12:6) and becomes the supreme valuable commodity for the believer. 3) God will provide permanent protection for the generation that trusts Him and receives His Word (Psalm 12:7).

Even when the days are the darkest, God will bring hope, care, strength, protection, and light to those who call upon Him!

You can’t work for grace.

I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.

Joshua 24:13

God gives His grace freely to those who cannot earn it. Some say that this is only a New Testament theology. But grace is all over the Old Testament. Here it is on display at the end of the conquest of Canaan as Joshua gives a final prophetic farewell to Israel after God had given them the Promised Land. Israel has settled in territory promised to Abram for his descendants so long ago.

Grace is found here both in God’s keeping His covenant with His people and in the gift they were given in the possession of Canaan. They received land, cities, farms, orchards, vineyards, and homes all by God’s grace. And the promise of God was now a lavish reality to a generation that had lived in the harshness of desert tents before these gifts came to them.

Christians as well enjoy a life in Christ for which we have not labored. It would be impossible for us to earn God’s favor, so Jesus did it for us, and God gave us blessings based on His work. The riches of eternal life, they joy of the Lord in abundant life, and the fruit of the Spirit in showing life are all glorious gifts we did not earn. They are in sharp contrast to the dry and barren lives we lived before faith in Christ brought such great grace! We could not be good enough to impress God. That’s why they are grace gifts! Grace flows from our loving Father to His children because of His great love for us in Jesus!

God sees me.

So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”

Genesis 16:13

I am never alone

though I may moan

feeling intense sorrow

unsure of tomorrow

GOD sees me.

If I am cast out

tempted to pout

all others turned away

He will stay

God SEES me.

God looks after my way

each and every day

I shouldn’t get in a hurry

or ever fret or worry

God sees ME.

He cannot just look

I’ve read His book

when God sees, He will act

that is a certain fact

GOD SEES ME.