A theology of humility

The LORD lifts up the humble;

he casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147:6

Humble people acknowledge their need, submit to God, and receive His mercy and grace. God repeatedly promises to sustain them and to raise them above their humble state. A quick survey of the canon of scripture captures this “theology of humility”:

• The Law - God helps the helpless. This is the story of the development of the covenant with Israel, epitomized in the Exodus (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-8). God heard the cries of oppression. He promised that the humble who repented would find Him to be faithful (Leviticus 26:40-45).
  
• Historical books - God raises the lowly. Hannah sang of the God Who both humbles and exalts (1 Samuel 2:7-8). God promises Solomon that a humble, repentant nation would be heard, healed, and forgiven (2 Chronicles 7:14).
• Poetry and Wisdom - God sustains the dependent. God teaches the humble His ways (Psalm 25:9), draws near the the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18), and gives an inheritance to the meek (Psalm 37:11). Pride leads to humiliation while humility leads to honor (Proverbs 15:37; 29:33).
• Prophets - God lives with the lowly. He revives their hearts (Isaiah 57:15). God favors those who humbly receive His Word (Isaiah 66:2). The humble make up a preserved remnant (Zephaniah 3:12).
• Gospels - Jesus promises hope for the humble. Mary sings of the God Who exalts humility (Luke 1:52). The poor in spirit receive Christ’s kIngdom (Matthew 5:3-5).
• Epistles - Grace comes to the humble. Both James and Peter promise that God will lift up the humble (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5-10).
• Revelation - The lowly are led to victory. Christ is there in the suffering of His saints. He wipes away all tears from this broken world (Revelation 3:21; 21:4).

In summary: God receives the repentant, sustains the dependent, and sees His humble people alll the way into the reward of His glory forever!

tender renewal

They will call upon my name,

and I will answer them.

I will say, ‘They are my people’;

and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

Zechariah 13:9b

This is the tenderness of a covenant relationship. God sought for closeness with Israel. But in context of this prophecy, what it would take to get a remnant back into this state would be nothing short of intense judgment from God’s hand. Look how it is described:

• Idolatry would be thrown down (13:2a).
  
• False prophets would be silenced (13:2b-6).
  
• Leaders would be struck down (13:7).
  
• Two-thirds of the nation would be killed in the siege (13:8).
  
• One-third that survived would be refined by trial (13:9a)
  

It is sad that this is what God would have to do in order to get the attention of His own people. It serves as a warning about how hard-hearted and broken we are by sin’s dominion. And it reminds us today of how blessed we are in a new covenant when all such judgment has been poured out on the cross in the sufferings of Christ. Yet we too must head these warnings:

• We must guard against heart idols (1 Cor. 10:14).
  
• False teachers will try to deceive Christians (2 Pet. 2:1-3).
  
• Leaders are vulnerable to deception and must protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31)
  

Lord, we thank You that Jesus has borne our judgment. May our hearts be tender as Your people. You are our God. We are Your people. Help us guard, reject false teaching, and humbly obey You, Lord! Amen

The greatest loyalty

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:26

The strong words here show that Jesus takes seriously the commitment of His disciples. His statement is nothing short of a demand for supreme loyalty. But this is in no way a call to hostility… it is, as noted, an invitation to loyalty. “Hate” here is a Hebraic way of conveying that loyalty. It means there is a greater commitment to Jesus than to any other human relationship. The disciple places following Jesus above all other loves. We still love family. We supremely love only our Savior with a type of love belonging only to Him.

Luke’s words when compared to Matthew 10:37 show us this comparative loyalty and love. In Matthew Jesus says that anyone who loves family more than Him is not worthy of Him. Discipleship is bound to following Jesus by the highest love. Thus, followers of Jesus love Him most.

The real test comes when loyalties come into conflict. Jesus will always ask us to love Him rightly first. Family may not do so. If family demands turn in any way from us following the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus, we must choose the Lord. This is the cost of discipleship in human relationships.

That final phrase… “even his own life”, shows that this is all about personal surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our desires, our ambitions, even our own survival all must be subordinate to the love and obedience of Christ. Thus, living as a Christian disciple of Jesus is the highest commitment that directs every other facet, relationship, and love in my life.

From tears to harvest

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad.  Psalm 126:3

When God brought Zion home again,

We dreamt beyond our years of pain;

Our mouths with sudden laughter rang,

Our tongues awoke, and gladness sang.

Nations saw and stood amazed:

“The Lord has worked!” Their voices praised.

For mighty things our God has done;

We rejoice in victories won.

Restore our fortunes, Lord, we pray.

As streams in deserts flow our way;

Let mercy flood our thirsty ground,

May songs resonate where sorrow did resound.

Those sowing seed with falling tears

Shall reap with joy in coming years.

Though weeping, now they bear the grain,

Their faithful sowing not in vain.

They shall return with songs of praise,

With gathered sheaves and glad displays;

The fields once watered by their woes

Shall yield the joy that God bestows.

Strong enough to walk

“I will make them strong in the LORD,

and they shall walk in his name,”

declares the LORD.

Zechariah 10:12

God supplies the strength His people need. For believers today this enablement is found solely through Jesus’ death and resurrection because we receive full forgiveness of all our sin and new abundant and eternal life. Our hope is always found in the strength of the Savior Who rescues and sustains all who repent of sin and trust Him as Savior and Lord.

We can walk in Jesus’ name even when our own strength is weak. In fact, walking is the dominant metaphor to help us understand what it means to live out our faith in Christ. Just as we have received Him by faith, so we also walk by faith. He provides the direction in His Word and the empowerment of His Holy Spirit to help us to so walk in Him. We belong to Christ. His strength is sufficient for each next step we take. We trust His strength, rest in His work of love, and follow Jesus!

determined

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Luke 13:22

This isn’t just a travel report. It is a record of the determination of Jesus. He did not merely meander through Galilee and Judea. Every step took Him closer to Jerusalem where betrayal, rejection, suffering, and crucifixion awaited Jesus. Yet on this path He kept teaching, proclaiming the kingdom, and healing those He met. Even though Jesus knew the certainty of what was ahead in Jerusalem, He did not falter from His commitment to His mission. The road to Jerusalem led on to Calvary and Jesus walked it willingly. This was more than a trip to a city. It was a journey to fulfill the Father’s redemptive plan. Jesus moved steadily toward the place where He would die for you and me.

Lord,

I thank You that salvation rests upon the unwavering obedience of Your Son rather than my fickle unfaithfulness! I struggle with costly obedience but Jesus did not. Every step He took there shows His love for those He has redeemed. He calls me to now follow in devotion. I can walk in obedience because my Lord Jesus walked to Jerusalem! 

Amen

goodness and beauty

On that day the LORD their God will save them,

as the flock of his people;

for like the jewels of a crown

they shall shine on his land.

For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!

Zechariah 6:16-17a

Here is a beautiful picture of God’s salvation! Zechariah describes the Lord rescuing His people as a shepherd saves his flock, then honoring them as precious jewels in a crown. These aren’t two different groups of people, but the same people viewed through the eyes of their Redeemer.

We are helpless sheep who need rescuing, yet God regards those He saves as precious treasures. This is the wonder of the gospel. It is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11). We were not rescued because were were valuable. We are instead made valuable because we have been rescued! His gracious love and power gives us a worth and dignity we could never earn. We are now radiant trophies of His grace… made beautiful by the blood of the Lamb.

The prophet exclaimed: “How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty”! We too see that goodness and beauty in the splendor of our Redeemer. The cross reveals both to us: God’s goodness is saving undeserving sinners and His beauty in the selfless sacrifice of our King. On day the Shepherd Who laid down His life will display us, His redeemed people, like jewels reflecting the glory of His grace. Even now there are glimpses of such glory in the church, the Bride of Christ. We are jewels transformed by grace. We are treasured people reflecting Christ’s glory.

Ready

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  Luke 12:40

Am I ready

to see Jesus?

Am I ready

for His trumpet sound?

I want to

please Him

and to hear

His “well done”.

I believe

He is returning

His church, His Bride

to claim,

The world

in judgment burning;

Christians rescued

through His name.

Are we ready

to see Our Savior?

Will we rejoice

to see our Lord?

He will judge

thoughts and behavior

as is promised

in His Word.

So ready

to live forever.

So ready

to be free

from sin and sorrow

with our Savior!

Made to love Him

for eternity!

unopposable

As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Luke 11:53-54

The very best “experts” in Jewish law and custom tried to trip up Jesus. They went after Him tooth and nail with everything they had, relentlessly hoping to find fault with Him. And yet they could not succeed. They could not catch Jesus in a sin. They could not out debate Him either publicly or privately. This is significant. It should have given them pause. They should have realized that surviving their kind of scrutiny should have led them to believe what Jesus said and did.

Yet here they were claiming to hold true to God’s law while rejecting the One Who had given it. They claimed to believe the miraculous deliverance of the God of Exodus while rejecting the true Messiah come to deliver the world from sin. They were blinded by minutia and truly missed the Messiah and His miraculous message.

In an indirect way the failure of the opposition to find fault with Jesus is proof of His Person and purpose! He truly is the Son of God. He truly is the Son of Man. He truly came to seek and save the lost. He truly spoke as the Living Word of God. He could not be silenced or shut down. He is never successfully opposed. Their later murder of Him backfired as He offered Himself as the last sacrifice and then rose again to forever be our Savior!

Reasons to sing

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.  Zechariah 2:10

This is a command to sing and rejoice again in Jerusalem. Why? The exiles had returned to rebuild the city and restore the temple. They came back to a sad situation and a lot of hard work. Eventually there was opposition to the rebuilding of homes, walls, and the temple. The people became discouraged. They grew weary. The work stopped.

God brought visions of hope and a call to repentance through the prophet Zechariah. By faith again the people would see the hard work for what it was: a daily form of worship welcoming God in their midst. He would work in their work. He would restore as they rebuilt. He would lead them to sing and rejoice while doing so. The reason for their joy was that God was with them and had promised to restore all that was hoped for again.

O God of restoration,

I sing to You and will look to You as You dwell in our midst through Your Holy Spirit right now. How I long for broken walls to be restored, for a home to arise from rubble, for fractured relationships to heal, and for Your worship to always stay at the center of every part of my life. You give me reasons to sing!

Amen

the best reason for joy

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20

Jesus reminded His followers that the most amazing experience was yet to come. Seventy-two were sent out into the villages of Israel to spread the good news, heal the sick, and cast out demons. They were joyful at their return over the reality that demons were subject to them in His name. Of course Jesus Himself had given them that authority. They had power over the enemy and nothing Satan could do to them would hurt them. They were right to find joy. But there was a greater truth in which to truly rejoice. 

Their names were written down in heaven. The present victory of the gospel was certainly something to delight in, but the future in the kingdom of heaven was immensely more wonderful. The greatest joy would be yet to come. There would be no more need for power over the devil and his deeds… for then all will be perfect. This is what Jesus came to bring and it is the culmination of the gospel.

Oh to see that bright day! I am ready to cross the Jordan if heaven is the Promised Land. I will fight the good fight until then! But I will rejoice that in Christ I am redeemed and that my name is written down in glory’s great book.

Survivor

Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

Psalm 129:2

This stanza was sung in a song recounting to some extent the history of suffering by Israel. The nation began with hardship. Even the promise of a nation to come that was given to Abram was hard and long and difficult. It turned Abram into a nomad of faith. The promise took three generations to even begin to sprout into the hope of a nation, passed down from Abraham, to Isaac, and then to Jacob who was renamed Israel and fathered twelve sons who became tribes to the nation.

God used hardship, suffering, and famine to eventually settle the fledgling nation that was an extended family in the land of Egypt. And within another few short generations the Israelites became enslaved, suffering under the harsh treatment of Egyptian taskmasters. A nation in its youth, forced into servitude, kept from freedom, yet loved by God Who saw it all. And He did not let their affliction prevail. 

God raised up a deliverer in Moses who led them out of bondage. After another generation suffered faithlessly, wandering in the desert wilderness, God led a faithful generation to the land that He had promised Abram so long ago. Their afflictions and sufferings did not prevail. Their afflictors and abusers were cut down. Delivered, set free, and blessed, God made them His own.

And so it is in Christ. Those once in bondage to sin, afflicted at birth with sin’s wasting work and in want of a Savior are set free by Christ our Deliverer. We simply trust and believe the gospel, submitting to His good rule in His kingdom. Our affliction will never prevail because Christ is for us!

Nation Shaker

For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.  Haggai 2:6

The Lord Who hung the stars in space,

Who sets the seas their watery bound,

Will rise in sovereign pow’r and grace

to shake all kingdoms to the ground.

Mountains tremble at His Word;

Oceans stir beneath his hand.

No throne can stand against the Lord;

No edict apart from His command.

Nations boast of wealth and might.

Their banners wave, their armies rise;

Yet human glory fades from sight.

Fleeing like clouds across the skies.

Heavens shake and earth gives way,

Mighty nations bow in fear;

Crowns and scepters crushed as clay

When God’s appointed hour is here!

Through this shaking stands a throne,

A kingdom time cannot destroy;

The Son lays claim to a world His own,

To fill His people with His joy.

Now let the trembling nations know,

Though earthly powers rise and fall;

The Lord commands the winds that blow,

And Christ shall reign — King over all!

astonishing majesty

​And all were astonished at the majesty of God.  Luke 9:43a

They were astonished at the majesty of God displayed in Jesus healing a boy trapped by a demonic darkness. The majesty of God excels above the destructive work of the devil’s dominion. It exceeds the destruction. it rebuilds shattered lives. Jesus in majesty and power defeats the devil.

Crowds were astonished at Jesus the Healer. God’s majesty was displayed by Jesus as the blind were given sight, the deaf were made to hear again, the lame could walk, and lepers were cleansed. The majesty of God over restoring all of His creation through His Son is revealed in Jesus. He gives us a preview of the day when He makes all things new.

Jesus was majestic in His teaching. An authority that only God could have emanated from His words. And as the Living Word, the majesty of God’s truth transformed the Law, liberated hearts, and made followers of Jesus. He spoke with majesty and no one could deny His authority to speak the Word of God.

Jesus is majestic in our salvation. He predicted how He would be betrayed, tried, crucified, and raised again to life. This majestic salvation that only Jesus could provide would forever lead to His rule as Lord and Savior of the world. It is this majesty that I know every day. It is the majesty that I need each day as well.

Lord Jesus,

I worship Your majesty. To You be all glory, praise, and honor, now… and forevermore!

Amen

A verse of bane and blessing

​Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3

This is generally true of parenting and grand parenting. Those blessed with children can find a reward in the next generation. They can see a heritage. I would always encourage young parents to believe this, trust God’s good gifts, and seek to instill godly values in their kids. The future depends on it.

But… I also know many parents who now should be reaping the heritage harvest and the fruit of their rewards but instead feel the deep pain daily struggling as this promise seems to come to them unfulfilled. There are a lot of reasons this has happened and I do not list them to excuse any mistakes in parenting or to explain away the decline of a generation. I want to talk about them so that I can share in the suffering of the saints who trust God to yet bless the next generation.

Why does the fruit turn bad? Let me briefly share two observations that I know. First, some were part of a church culture but did not have a Christ commitment. I have see many good church kids leave the church because they could not sustain a “youth group fun time” mentality which is woefully unrealistic once adulthood starts bringing responsibilities. This is shallow experience and lack of discipleship on the part of the church. Parents perhaps overly relied on programs. And fake “Christianese” cultures develop. This fake culture gets confused with real Christian faith. A few come back by the power of the gospel. Some never get past this criticism and confusion.

Secondly, some were not prepared for worldview clashes. They went off to college or the job market and a psychology course or an office supervisor wickedly attacked Christian perspectives as irrational, outdated, or abnormal. Pair that with a campus or office life of moral “free-for-all” culture and it is easy to fit in by quietly phasing out of Christian pasts. Again, some young adults return after a prodigal party. Many others, however, do not. Some even turn on their families, calling Christian upbringing toxic, uncaring, controlling, manipulative, and even evil. 

This is an epidemic among Boomer and Gen-X parents right now in the church. I have met hundreds of parents in this state. Pray! Pray for a generational heritage that has heard the truth to return to the truth. Pray for hearts to come home to the Lord!

reasons to praise

Praise the LORD!

Praise, O servants of the LORD,

praise the name of the LORD!

Psalm 113:1

Critics of modern praise music often complain about the use of repetitive language (“I could sing of Your love forever” being a favorite example unfairly cited). But there is a place for repetition in worship. The psalms do this many times. The example right here in Psalm 113:1 is repetition by amplification of a concept. I believe this literary device helps focus worship on its object: the LORD. This repetition emphasizes both the responsibility to worship God and the privilege of doing so. It reminds us that worship is a continuous action of the heart not just an occasional event. We offer continuous praise, explained in Psalm 113 starting in verse 2. God is praised now and forevermore.

We offer universal praise starting in verse 3. Praise extends from east to west (a biblical metaphor for the entire world), from the sun’s rising to its setting. Worship encircles the earth and God is worthy of global glory!

We offer humble praise as described in verses 4-9. The reasons we praise are threefold: 1) God’s majesty is exalted above us and we are His subjects. 2) God’s compassionate care provides all we need and we are His poor and needy children. 3) We are barren with nothing to bring to our relationship with Him and God brings us joy and gives us life and fruitful living in His great home.

the threat

We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.

Ezra 4:16

Smiles and offers of peace,
beneath are hearts of deceit.
Seeking to join what God had begun,
to turn turn from His purpose His restored ones.

When false friendship failed, threats arose;
Fear planting by scheming foes.
Accusations traveled to the throne,
lies to stop the work of God’s own.

Hammers fell silent, stones lay still;
earthly power opposed God’s will.
Builders withdrew, courage worn.
Hope was lost in a political storm.

Yet no decree will silence God’s Word.
Nothing thwarts the cause of the Lord.
When enemies rage, the faithful wait
for God’s purpose endures beyond earthly fate.

The Seed

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.​  Luke 8:11

The seed was sown

by being thrown

On a path some fell

taken away by the devil

blocking salvation

On the rocks it was seen

some in joy received

but with no root… came no salvation

Some germinated in thorns

growing but torn

by cares: riches and pleasures… and not saved

But a good soil seed

watered, nurtured, believed indeed

honest hearts head the Word and know salvation

restored to home

​The whole assembly together was 42,360. Ezra 2:64

Something amazing happened that is recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah when the exiles returned home to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. When you add the summary number of 42,360 (a number repeated in Nehemiah) to the additional servants and singers mentioned in verse sixty-five, we get a number just shy of 50,000 people. That means that a mass migration from Babylon back to Jerusalem occurred as the exile ended. I can’t imagine the logistics this took as they traveled on foot something close to 900 miles. Ezra says it took the exiles four months to move the caravan along at about 7 to 9 miles a day, resting on the Sabbath. This return was monumental.

This return is a powerful portrait of the restorative grace of God. For these children of exiles, judgment would not be the end of their story. God kept His promises to a new generation. God moved the heart of a pagan king to set them on the journey and supply all their needs. God gathered together His scattered people (some came from cities other than Babylon). God brought them nearly a thousand miles on foot to to rebuild His temple, renew His worship, and restore their homes.

Grace never pretends that sin never happens. But it does bring ruined lives back home to rebuild what sin has broken. This is the grace fully displayed in Jesus Who bears our judgment and brings repentant sinners back home to God. The ruins that sin leaves do not need to stay trashed in rubble. God will help us rebuild in obedience to the gospel. Grace forgives, restores, rebuilds, and brings us all the way home!

Callous games

​They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

“We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.”

Luke 7:32

Jesus described His generation as children sitting in the marketplace who refused to respond no matter what game was offered to them. John the Baptist preached a solemn call to repentance and some dismissed him as demonic. Jesus festively ate and drank, graciously reaching sinners, and they called Him a drunkard and a glutton. Their problem however was not with the style of the messenger. Their issue was the stubbornness of their hearts. They were selectively and selfishly calloused to God’s Word, no matter how it was preached or who proclaimed it. Religion disguised as criticism avoided the real heart concern: What if God is speaking and I just don’t want to hear Him or I just don’t like the message?

So it is today. Exposure to God’s truth may never soften a heart. Repeated resistance can leave people unmoved by the gospel. The problem is that many people use Christian religion to suit preferences and this further callouses people to the truth. They want happy songs and watered down truth. But Jesus reminds us “wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7:35). When Scripture confronts us, we should repent of our critique instincts and examine ourselves in the light of the gospel. That is the Holy Spirit helping make God’s Word transformative for us! When we welcome God’s Word with receptive hearts, He in turn welcomes us as His children.