Devotion back log

January 28, 2011

The Stewardship of Wisdom
Elihu’s argument against Job is the same as Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar’s, except that he is more passionate. He deferred to his elders until they could not convince Job of his sin and then he was compelled to weigh in (Job 32:3-7). But Elihu espouses the same general truths (ignoring the obvious exceptions) and judgments as Job’s older friends (Job 34:30, 36). Interestingly, when God rebukes Job’s friends, Elihu gets a pass (Job 42:7-9). Although he sharply rebuked an older man (1Ti 1:5), I think God is more lenient on him because of his youth. The older men should have been wiser. Let not many of you become teachers because as such you incur a stricter judgment (Jam 3:1). Mercy triumphs over judgment (Jam 2:13).


January 29, 2011

With Friends Like These…
The premise of Elihu’s argument is that God is transcendent. He is unsearchable. Who are we to answer back to God? (Paul agrees. Rom 9:20) Ironically, in the midst of his argument says, “listen up, Job, I have not finished defending God.” (Job 36:2) He seems to be saying, “God is infinitely complicated, but I have Him figured out because I am a man of great knowledge.” (Job 36:4) He goes on to offer this simple formula: Suffering is a result of sin. Obedience brings prosperity. (Job 36:10-11) This is exactly what Job’s other friends had been saying! It is also exactly the wrong thing for a friend to say to someone who is suffering. Let God be the judge. He can defend Himself. Our role is to be compassionate listeners, encouragers, friends.

January 30, 2011

God appeals to the right and the left brained
God designed the universe with the precision of an engineer, but he presents it to Job with the skill of an artist. (Job 38, 39) His creation resonates with both the scientist and the dreamer. The whole and it’s parts testify to God’s glory. The natural world and the Law that sustains it reveal the Creator (Psa 19:1-7) With all this revelation we still have questions. We’re still “ignorant” (Job 38:2). It’s okay to wonder and to question with the right attitude, but when we begin to criticize the Lord He refers us back to creation and says, “enough said.” (Job 40:1-2)

January 31, 2011

Be humble or be humiliated
God cites two examples from nature that we cannot tame, Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:15, 41:1). Then He says, “If you can’t stand up to these animals, how can you stand up to me?” (Job 41:10-11). If we are subject to nature then we are subject to the God of nature. All God has to do to bring a civilization to its knees is shut off the rain. Not to mention earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes etc. What does God do with all this power? He humiliates the proud and imprisons them in the world of the dead. (Job 40:12-13). We, like Job, should choose to humbles ourselves rather than be humiliated.

Why most of us are not as rich as Job

Job found the secret to stewardship. He did not put his trust or security in his money. He did not become proud (self-sufficient) because of his wealth (Job 31:24-25). There is a strong temptation to forget God when material things increase (Psa 73:11-12). Israel became “fat and sleek” and mistakenly believed that they no longer needed God (32:15). Some “can’t handle the truth,” but most can’t handle prosperity. Lord, make me neither rich nor poor lest I be full and deny you or poor and steal. Feed me with the food that is my portion (Pro 30:8). Teach me to be content regardless of the circumstances (Phil 4:11). Having food and covering, with these I will be content (1Ti 6:8).

The Ministry of Cracking Jaws

As Job recounts his ministry to the poor, orphaned, blind and lame he mentions the he “broke the jaws of oppressors and plucked their victims from their teeth.” (Job 29:17) This is the ministry of force. It is the proper application of power. I have met many Soldiers who struggle to reconcile their faith with their profession. I always remind them the responsible Soldiering is holy work. Paul says that legitimate government is “ministry” and warns the government does not “bear the sword in vain” (Rom 13:1-4). I thank God for the men I serve; mighty men who wield their power with grace and wisdom. Let the wicked be warned, “if you do evil, be afraid.” (Rom 13:4)

The Struggle with Silence

Job never loses faith that God is just and reasonable. His frustration is that God is inaccessible (Job 23:2-9). Where is God when children are starving in Africa? Where was God during the holocaust? Where was God when a child was killed by a drunk driver? There are no easy answers to these questions. Philip Yancey wrote Where is God When it Hurts and Timothy Keller wrote The Reason for God dealing with this question. William P. Young wrote The Shack, a novel about one man’s intense struggle with God’s apparent absence. None of these works is “the answer.” God, in his omniscience, decides when and how to reveal Himself. Sometimes there seems to be a famine for word from the Lord (Amos 8:11). Sometimes visions from the Lord are rare (1Sam 3:1). Since we do not know all that He knows, all we can do is trust God’s wisdom and timing. He is not slow, but patient. Every minute that He forestalls judgment is grace for us (2Pe 3:7-9). In the mean time we can do what we can to mitigate the suffering and keep trusting Him (Gal 6:9-10).

When present reality overwhelms future hope

For one brief moment Job had the answer to all his questions and frustrations, but it quickly evaporates from his thoughts. He mentions, almost in passing, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God. (Job 19:25-26) That is the answer to the age old question, “Why do the wicked prosper?” (Job 21:7). Contrary to Job’s counselor’s platitudes the wicked do prosper. Contrary to Job’s exaggerations the wicked also suffer the same calamities, diseases and setbacks as everyone else. The solution to the frustration is to realize that life is not about this brief vapor of seventy years. It’s about our eternal relationship with the Redeemer who is coming to judge, punish and reward. The best thing we can do is keep entrusting ourselves to a faithful creator in doing what is right (1Pe 4:19) and trust that the Judge of all the earth will deal justly (Gen 18:25) Jesus did just that (1Pe 2:23).

Know Your Place

Eliphaz was asking the same types of questions that God would eventually ask Job. Did you pre-exist everyone else? Were you around before creation? Do you have a corner on all wisdom? (Job 15:7-8) But God was not happy with Job’s counselors. Why not? I think it was because Eliphaz was not in a position to ask these questions. He was in the same predicament as Job was. His knowledge was limited by his humanity. Rather than responding with judgment (God’s jurisdiction), he should have responded with compassion (human responsibility).

God does not need us to defend him

Job accuses his counselors of defending God with lies (Job 13:7). God does not need us to argue His case for him (Job 13:8). He is completely capable of withstanding the scrutiny of men. It’s okay for people to struggle with doubt and wrestle with God. No matter how uncomfortable that makes us, it is apparently not troubling to God. In fact, God prefers an honest doubt to deceitful “faith.” Some people are so compelled to be good witnesses for Christ that they embellish their own testimonies. This does not honor God and ultimately hurts the cause of Christ rather than helping it. We should be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in us (1Pe 3:15), but never with dishonesty or even “persuasive words of wisdom.” In this way our hearer’s faith will rest in the power of God rather than the persuasiveness of men (1Co 2:4-5).

We Can’t Master God, but We Can Wrestle With Him

God is neither predictable nor capricious. He transcends all of our easy formulas but his actions are not without reason. Bildad and Zophar offered Job simplistic principles and platitudes about God. Some of their “cookie cutter” conclusions were very unkind, “your kids obviously sinned and so did you so you’re getting what you deserve” (Job 8:4, 11:6, 13). Job, on the other hand, accuses God of being so much higher than us that we could never understand him or reason with him. So why try? (Job 9:14). Job is showing Deist tendencies, while Bildad and Zophar are displaying the worst of Evangelicalism. God is transcendent, but He does call us to “reason with Him” (Isa 1:18). God does not act on a whim. There is a good cause for everything God does. Though we may not understand Him, He invites us to “wrestle” with Him in relationship.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Your perspective does not apply to everybody or every situation. Take time to listen to each individual and evaluate each circumstance. Eliphaz said some good things that he had learned from his experience (Job 5:27). The problem was that they did not apply to Job. It would have been better for Eliphaz to play the counselor and not the preacher in this situation. Some things cannot be distilled into simple principles. Life is difficult and complicated. What Job needed was kindness, not criticism (Job 6:14).

Job the Exception

Job defied the “rules.” Normally rich men are self-sufficient, proud and forgetful of God. Even Jesus noted how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom (Mat 19:24). Job was the richest person in the area (Job 1:3). Satan said that Job feared God because of how rich he was (Job 1:10). And yet Job was a man of complete integrity (Job 1:8), who refused to blame God for his trouble (Job 1:21-22). I think that God included the book of Job in the Bible to challenge “conventional wisdom.” Job’s three friends continually cite their own experience when they accusing him (Job 4:8 “you reap what you sow” -Eliphaz). What they fail to realize is that God is not bound by “conventional wisdom.” He is under no obligation to man.

January 14, 2011
Rampant Rationalization
Joseph’s brothers decided to kill him (Gen 37:20). Then Reuben convinced them that they should throw him in a cistern where he would die without them having to lay a hand on him (Gen 37:22). Since this seemed to be one step up on the scale of morality, they agreed. “Better to let him starve to death, than for us to physically kill him.” When they saw an opportunity for profit, they became even more “righteous.” They decided to sell him to the Ishmaelites instead of killing him because, “after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood!” (Gen 37:27) In the end, they justified selling him into slavery using their own change of intention to commit murder. This is the kind of convoluted rationalization that we are capable of. We say, “Well this sin is not nearly as bad as the one I originally intended to commit, so it must be okay. It’s not the worst thing I could do.” Beware of your deceitful heart! (Jer 17:9).

January 15, 2011
Spiritual Civil Service
Pharaoh appointed Joseph second in command of all of Egypt saying, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the Spirit of God?” (Gen 41:38) Although Joseph had been treated very poorly by his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, and his cell mates, he never copped an attitude. He was humble and God exalted him at the proper time (1Pe 5:6). His relationship with the Lord enabled him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream (Gen 41:16). Additionally, he gave Pharaoh some practical advice on how to deal with the famine predicted in the dream. He pointed out the problem and presented a solution (good staff officer!). I am inspired by Joseph and Daniel as models of spiritual civil servants. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart as for the Lord (Col 3:22-24).

January 16, 2011
Broken Brothers
Why did Joseph toy with his brothers when they visited him Egypt? Why not reveal his identity immediately? I’m not sure what Joseph’s motivation was, but the effect of his actions was what God intended. His brothers were convicted of their sin and brought to repentance. Judah’s heart was changed when he said, “Take me as a slave instead of Benjamin.” (Gen 44:33) He was will to give his own life, and his son’s lives (Gen 42:37), for the life of Benjamin. By the time Joseph reveals his true identity, his brothers are broken and contrite. Perhaps the whole story is a metaphor for how Jesus is dealing with his brothers (Israel) until they repent and recognize Him as Messiah.

January 17, 2011
God Comforts in His Time
Jacob assumed that Joseph was dead and he grieved for years. I get the impression that his grief contributed to what he called his “hard years” (Gen 47:9) and gray head (Gen 42:38). It wasn’t until after Joseph was discovered in Egypt that God comforted Jacob concerning his son (Gen 46:3). Why did God allow Jacob to grieve all those years? I don’t know. God never promised a trouble free life. In fact, Jesus himself was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3). God controls the joy and pain in our lives in order to mold and shape us into His image. He knows what He is doing (1Co 10:13).

January 18, 2011
Blessings and Burials
Although Jacob was a wanderer, family and home were clearly important to him. It was important that he pass on his name and blessing to his progeny (Gen 48:16). It was also important for him to be buried in the one plot of land that he could call his own, the cave at Machpelah in Canaan. Abraham had purchased it for Sarah’s burial. Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah were also buried there (Gen 49:29-32). I can identify with Jacob. I have two strong desires at this point in my life; to see my children do well and to return to my home (preferably before I’m dead!) Lord, guide me.

Bad Blood

The animosity between Esau and Jacob trickled down through the generations. Esau was the father of Eliphaz, who fathered Amalek (Gen 36:10). The Amalekites were perennial enemies of Israel. They opposed Israel when they attempted to enter the promised land (Ex 17:8-16). Later, God commanded King Saul to wipe them out. Saul spared Agag, their king, until Samuel rebuked him for it, and cut Agag to pieces (1Sam 15). Some Amalekites did get away because they harassed David (1Sam 30:1-20) and Haman the Agagite tried to annihilate all the Jews in Persia (Est 9:24). Unresolved family feuds can develop into much larger and uglier conflicts. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger (Eph 4:26). As far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom 12:18).

Humble Tenacity

Jacob knew he was not worthy of God’s blessing (Gen 32:10), but he clung to God anyway and claimed His promises (Gen 32:12). This relationship is graphically portrayed in Jacob’s wrestling match with God (Gen 32:24-28). The Yiddish term for this quality is “chutzpa” - brazen nerve, gall, moxie. Apparently God prefers a person’s slightly presumptuous faith over a quitter. God honors those who hold on. “But my righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38). Don’t quit for any reason, not even your own sin and sense of unworthiness. Cling to him in times of blessing and times of trial. God honors Chutzpa.

If You Can’t Beat ‘em…

Laban was convinced that God was blessing him through Jacob (Gen 30:27). Rather than simply enjoy the collateral blessings, Laban attempted to manipulate the situation by changing Jacob’s wages (Gen 31:41-42). But God was determined to bless Jacob and would not be manipulated. Resources are not a problem for God. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psa 50:10). There is enough to go around. It is only when we get greedy in an attempt to pad our accounts at the expense of others that we cause problems. Why not simply seek His kingdom, enjoy His blessings and be a blessing to those around you?

The Power of Love

Jacob worked for seven years with the motivation of receiving Rachel as his wife (Gen 29:29). The time seemed like a few days to him. A powerful motivation goes a long way toward making life sweet. We all need goals. We need purpose to keep us going. We often set up temporary milestones (a car, a house, retirement) to keep us moving in the right direction. Ultimately we should be in pursuit of the overarching objective; the kingdom of God. Lay hold of that for which He laid hold of you (Phil 3:12).

What’s good for Israel is good for the world

The Philistines recognized God’s blessings on both Abraham and Isaac. Abimelech made treaties with both of them because God was “obviously with them” (Gen 21:22, 26:28). Abimelech could have been resentful and opposed Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, many have chosen that route to their own peril. God said, “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse (Gen 12:3). God is still “obviously” with the Israelites. They were miraculously reborn in 1948. They have won three wars against all odds in 1948, 1967 and 1973. The land has flourished. They are world leaders in agriculture and technology. We would do well to follow the wisdom of Abimelech. Don’t get caught on the wrong side of Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

The Satisfaction of Leaving a Legacy

Abraham died at 175 having lived a long and satisfying life (Gen 25:7). His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him next to his beloved wife Sarah (Gen 25:10). What was satisfying about Abraham’s life? Certainly it was the joy he found in his legacy. Isaac, the child of promise, would go on to become Israel, the special people of God. Ishmael too would be the father of nations. Not to mention the many descendants of Abraham through Keturah. None of his kids were perfect, but he died knowing that he had modeled a walk with God for them. He died the friend of God.

Blessings of Obedience

God called Abraham to sacrifice that which was most precious to him; his son Isaac. Of course, the Lord stayed his hand and did not demand the death of Isaac. God was testing Abraham to see if his heart was fully His (Gen 22:12). Because of his obedience, God blessed him. And through him, all the nations (including us) were blessed (Gen 22:18). Who knows what blessings your obedience might bring. Who or what is your Isaac? Are you holding it with an open hand? God does not always demand the sacrifice, but he does seek the sacrificial heart.

Revelation follows relationship

God revealed his plan to Abraham because of the special relationship He had formed with him (Gen 18:17-19). Abraham was known as God’s friend (Jam 2:23). It is generally true that the better we know a person the more we reveal about ourselves. Jesus revealed all that the Father had shown him to his disciples because he considered them friends (Joh 15:15). Friendship is built by consistent relationship over time. Do you want to know God? Do you want to know His plans for you and for the world? Get to know Him. Be his friend.

Let the Blessings Flow

Abram had something figured out: The reason God blesses us to so that we can bless others. Abram was getting older and richer and he asked God, “What good are all your blessings if I don’t have a son to whom I can pass them on?” (Gen 15:2) Through Abraham’s seed (Jesus, Gal 3:16) we are blessed with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). What is your plan to pass that on to the next generation?

January 4, 2011

What Moves a Man?
Abram moved for three reasons. God called him (Gen 12:1), there was famine in Canaan (Gen 12:10), and Pharaoh commanded him to leave (Gen 12:19). The causes of his transitions in life were calling, circumstances and even his own sin. God blessed him (as promised) in all of it (Gen 12:6, 13:2). He remained sensitive to what God was doing in his life while God maneuvered him into strategic positions to accomplish His will. What moves me? Am I in position for God to use me for His kingdom’s purposes?

The law before the Law
There were some animals approved for eating and sacrifice before the flood (Gen 7:2). Apparently God gave some religious and dietary instructions to man before the Law of Moses. Prohibitions against murder and eating raw meat were reinforced after the flood (Gen 9:4-5). There must have been some instruction on sexual morality as well, because Ham was held accountable for his perverse reaction to discovering Noah naked (Gen 9:22). After the fall, God did not leave us to our tainted consciences. He gave man some specific rules about right and wrong. Conscience can be a wonderful guide (because God gave it to us), but it has never been the sole standard of good and evil. Some things are wrong because God says they are wrong. It doesn’t matter what we think. We’re not smarter than God. We can’t decide that something is right and declare it so in contradiction to what God has already declared.

January 2, 2011

The Curse Can Get Worse
The ground became even more resistant to cultivation after the sin of Cain (Gen 4:12). It can always get worse! Indeed as man continued in his sin, it got much worse until God destroyed the earth with the flood. And yet, as hard as life gets, we get even harder. We see in Revelation 16:10-11 that man’s response to increased pain is to curse God and refuse to repent. It is interesting to me that Noah, although he was a “preacher of righteousness” (2Pe 2:5), did not succeed in recruiting any more humans to join him on the ark. We are unique in creation in our stubborn resistance of God.

Presumption
Notice that God commanded that there be light before he created the sun (Gen 1:3, 14). We know that the sun is the source of some light, but here we discover that it is not the only source. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (Joh 9:5). How much of the light that we enjoy is sun light and how much is Son light? God will be our sole source of light again. In the new heaven and new earth there will be no sun because God Himself will illumine us (Rev 22:5). This discovery causes me to wonder what else I presume to know. Apparently things are not entirely as they seem.

Living versus Surviving
When man sinned, living became surviving. God said that all his life Adam would struggle to scratch a living from the earth (Gen 3:17). God did not intend for the world to be such a hostile environment. We made it that way. (If we had not sinned, Bear Grylls, from Man vs. Wild, would be out of a job!) The good news is that Jesus offers us an opportunity to turn surviving back into living. He said that if we seek His kingdom that all that we need to survive would be provided for us (Mat 6:33). I’d rather focus on finding heaven in my relationship with Christ than searching for food by scratching in the dust.