Author: LizG

Judges 6:7-13 (NLT)  When they cried out to the Lord because of Midian, ⁸ the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt. ⁹ I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

¹¹ Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. ¹² The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”

¹³ “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”

Observation

Well, things have gotten desperate again, so the people are crying out to the only God Who ever replies or demonstrates His power or proves Himself faithful. The other gods in the land remain silent, despite the number and cost of the sacrifices offered. This God Who Replies has rules set in stone, holds higher standards for behavior, requires honest and fair dealings with strangers and friends alike, expects care. mercy and grace to be extended to less fortunate others and is inordinately strict about obedience.  Much easier on a daily basis to worship a god or goddess who sanctions easy and flexible rules that suit culture and the feelings and desires of the moment.    Even Gideon’s father had an altar of expedience. BUT still, when things get tough, out-of-control, desperate, there is only One God Who will do – the God Who Replies.  So, the people presume upon His mercy, His grace, His love, and cry out for rescue again – “We are Your people!  Why have you abandoned us?” – accusing Him of leaving them unprotected even though they are the ones who abandoned Him.

Impact on Me

It is easy for me to read this story and say that I would never do such a thing! I have not erected altars of expedience to my culture!! But is this so?  Am I so different than this hard of hearing, forgetful people who turn wholly to God only when they desperately need the God Who Replies?  Do I go on a daily and consistent basis to worship at the altar of the One True God, or have I allowed myself to construct altars of expedience to worship culture, relaxed rules, my feelings and desires?  Have I become so comfortable with any internal pagan altars that I don’t even recognize them as such anymore?  Do I worship at the altar of the One True God when all is well and at the pagan altar of my fears when all is not?  Do I examine myself for how I have been faithless and abandoned God rather than accusing Him of faithlessness and abandonment when things get tough?  Do I invite the Holy Spirit to search me and find my hidden altars of expedience so that I can choose to tear them down?   I need to stop and consider all these questions.

Devotion

Lord God, the One Who is True, the One Who Replies, I reserve all my worship for You.  Examine me and expose any altar of expedience I have allowed to be constructed by me so I may destroy it utterly.   Tune my ears to hear, my heart to understand so I might obey Your Words, Your instructions, Your guidance. May I have but one altar of worship that is wholly dedicated to You.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

Observation

There was a farmer who had a beautiful, strong horse.  His friends came and said, “How fortunate that you have such a horse.”  “We’ll see,” said the farmer.  One day the horse ran away.  His friends came and said, “How unfortunate.”  “We’ll see,” said the farmer.  The next day the horse returned with two more horses.  His friends said, “How wonderful.  You now have three horses.”  “We’ll see,” said the farmer.  The farmer’s son tried to ride one of the new horses, fell off and broke his leg.  His friends said, “How unfortunate.”   “We’ll see,” said the farmer.  The army came and took all the young men of the village except the farmer’s son with the broken leg.  His friends said, “How fortunate.  Your son was not taken.”  “We’ll see,” said the farmer.

For me, this story reminds me not to judge what God is doing to achieve His ultimate plan by the current circumstances.  When Jesus was on the Cross, I am confident that His disciples were confused and feeling defeated.  “How could Messiah die, much less die such a shameful death on a Cross?  Were we wrong about Him?  How could He do such miraculous works and let Himself be humiliated and defeated by the Sanhedrin and Rome?  What do we do now?  We gave up everything to follow Him?”  The event that seemed the worst possible outcome to them was actually the pivot point of all history, exactly in the plan of Father God.  Regardless of how it appeared and what it cost, Jesus “never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever.”

Impact on Me

The thing I love about the farmer story is that it reminds me that – whatever the circumstance I face – I need to: keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, know that the Holy Spirit is with me, keep my heart established in the fact that God is still on Plan A, and my feet stepping in the footsteps of Jesus before me.  The world, its politics, its plans and all the temporary powers that rule over us are still under His control.  I don’t understand why the violent, pagan tyrants of history rose to power – the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and all the others.  I do know that they have only earthly power which pales in the shadow of the power of God.  They can take my physical freedom away, but they can never steal the freedom I have because of my position in Christ.

So, in these turbulent times where there is so much anger, angst and social upheaval, I can feel a shaking in the Spirit, a deep and constant rumbling underlying it all.  Like the farmer, I am watching, praying and trusting in God to accomplish His will and purpose through it all.  “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” Romans 8:26-28 MSG

Devotion

God of infinite wisdom, All-Powerful, Perfect in Love, I am looking for the footsteps You have placed before me so I can walk in them.  The times are unstable, full of anger and violence, confusing and difficult to understand how You can work all this into something good.  BUT, just as Jesus on the Cross seemed utter defeat and instead was the ultimate victory, I watch, pray and trust in You.  Lead me in pathways of righteousness.  Help me to be a peacemaker regardless of the cost to me.  I pray that You will keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word.  There is a difference between straw and grain!  Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord.  “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?  [Jeremiah 23:28-29 NLT]

“You prophets who do nothing but dream—go ahead and tell your silly dreams.  But you prophets who have a message from me—tell it truly and faithfully.  What does straw have in common with wheat?  Nothing else is like God’s Decree.  Isn’t my Message like fire?” God’s Decree.  “Isn’t it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?  [Jeremiah 23:28-29 MSG]

Observation

Jeremiah is speaking for the Lord to false prophets – ones who say what people want to hear, those condoning sin and ignoring the consequences for themselves and those deceived by their prophecies.  Jeremiah was not popular with the other prophets or the authorities in power.  He kept predicting God’s coming judgment while the others were assuring the people that judgment would never come despite the idolatry and general/public acceptance of sinful practices.  Somehow, being Jewish gave them a free pass to do as they pleased without every facing judgment.  They forgot that the Covenant contained both blessings and curses.

Through Jeremiah, God is saying that time is up!  His patience is at an end.  He will keep His covenant promises – good and bad.  His word told “truly and faithfully” is like fire or a sledgehammer busting a rock – both destructive forces that reduce straw to ash and a boulder to dust.  These people must only wanted to hear good news – God is a softy who will never bring judgment on us.  They must have thought the Temple of God provided some magical protection regardless of their behavior.  It should have been no surprise when God fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecies by stepping aside to allow His people to be swept off into the Babylonian Captivity.  Consider that the faithful and unfaithful alike were taken away…

Impact on Me

So, the same battle raged then as now – confronting the desire to be liked rather than risk it all by being a truth teller, the desire for favor, position, authority and power from men rather than from God, the belief that judgment will never come, being a false prophet.  How very human to want to be liked and recognized, to want to “know” and “understand” so you appear important or smarter than everyone else, to be considered an insider in power or prophetic circles.  All this is a search for significance that has gotten lost in the woods of the world, the miry clay, the quicksand of the Enemy to keep our hope in ourselves to find meaning and value in life, to listen to what we want to hear. 

There is always that underlying temptation to have itching ears that tell us that God is a softy and will never execute judgment.   BUT God loves us so much that He is faithful to send us those who will “tell it truly and faithfully” even when we don’t like the message or the messenger.  Our God is faithful to keep bringing our focus back to the search for our significance in Christ.  The Holy Spirit works in turning our eyes, our efforts, from what we can do in our own strength to allowing Jesus to be Himself in and through us.  He woos us to trust in Him especially when we don’t understand or don’t like our circumstances, to submit to His sovereign will and plan because we know that He is in control of all. 

Devotion

Father God, so merciful, so faithful, so just and trustworthy, I worship You.  I give permission to Your Holy Spirit to search me for any pockets of self-righteousness, any ways in which my significance is not found in You.  I want to trash the pride that makes me want to be known and recognized, especially when what I do does not honor You.  Redirect my path if I have gone astray.  Shut my mouth if You are not speaking.  Expose and deal with the expectations I have placed on You that are not of You.  You are sovereign and, whether my life is blessed or a sacrifice, yet I will praise You.  In Jesus’ name, make it so.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-6 NIV  As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.  ³ It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own bodyin a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵ not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; ⁶ and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.

MSG. “^1-3 One final word, friends. We ask you – urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance.  You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life.  Keep yourselves from sexual promiscuity.  ^4-5 Learn to appreciate and give dignity to your body, not abusing it, as is so common among those who know nothing of God.  ⁶Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and He will take care of them.”

Observation

Like Ephesis and Corinth, Thessalonika (now known as Saloniki) was an important seaport on a major trade route between Rome and the East. The culture of the city was influenced by its location, its importance, its influence, its cosmopolitan population, its Roman occupiers.  There was a synagogue in the city, but the great majority of the people  would have practiced a pagan religion, such as adopting and worshipping the Roman pantheon of gods.  Christianity was seen as heretical by religious Jews, sometimes seditious by Rome and foolishly priggish by the secular culture.  Many pagan religions either overlooked or condoned promiscuity by actually including sex acts with “Vestal Virgins” in their worship practices. 

Paul is exhorting the new Christians to revolutionize their understanding of how to please God, even in the face of cultural and religious persecution – whether they are converted Jews or pagans, whether they previously worshipped another religion, many gods or secular culture (money, power, accomplishment).  Paul exhorts them to live a pure life in order “to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance.”  Their faithfulness to a living, spirited dance, in the face of persecution and regardless of appearances or immediate results, planted the seed for worldwide generations of redemptions to follow.

Impact on Me

Paul’s exhortation to the believers in Thessalonika rings as true to me today as it did to the believers in the 1st century. San Diego is also “an important seaport on a major trade route” and home to many nationalities, cultures, and religions, people brought here on military orders, for research or education, as refugees seeking an environment for freedom and an opportunity for success, a warmer climate or ??  The secular culture in which I live worships status, possessions, winning, “Mother Nature” and all forms of created things, physical pleasures, expediency and convenience. How are these challenges (false gods, idols) any different than the ones faced by those early Christians? 

How do I need to revolutionize my thinking regarding the common cultural and religious practices of my own?  Where does my life need to be purified and am I willing to face persecution or disfavor to do so?  The great and glorious news is that the Holy Spirit is not discouraged by my failures or fears regarding opposition or persecution (He has dealt with humans like me then and now), so I can be encouraged and choose in Christ a living spirited dance of following, loving and serving Him, expecting the same results of my brothers and sisters of so long ago.

Devotion

Lord, I submit myself to You. Take me in Your arms and teach me to live 24/7 that spirited dance of joyful worship to You. May my heart and soul hunger to draw others into the same dance, even if they are currently dancing to the Enemy’s tune or they have allowed all music and light to fade away into darkness (hopelessness, anger, bitterness, apostasy, worshipping created things).  When I become distracted or discouraged by the circumstances, my inadequacies, or the immensity of the task, draw my eyes back to You so my hope and faith will rise as I return the accomplishment of the results to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray.