Oct. 8 – Thoughts on Isa. 30-31 & Phil. 4

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.  – Isa. 31:1

Where are you putting your trust these days?  Are you trusting in God when fear comes or in the things of this world?

People chose to trust a number of things instead of God.  We amass wealth in savings and market accounts, so we never get to trust in God to provide for our needs.  We do whatever it takes to get high paying jobs, so we never get to trust in God to give us His work to do.  We put our kids in private schools, then private colleges, so we never get to trust God to protect them.  We work hard to get the “right” political system in place, so we never get to trust God to direct us in our interactions with the world around us.  In fact, we live in constant fear these days and seek to save ourselves from it through medication, security systems, political systems, belief systems.  And then we keep feeding this fear to each other in conversations, social media posts, and 24 hour news shows.

Anyone who tells you to live in fear of anything but God – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – is not only lying to you, but leading you away from God.  Period.

So how do we fight this fear that is so pervasive?  How do we keep from becoming obsessed with the fear of this world?  Paul has it right when he sends his letter to the church in Phillipi…

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Phil. 4:8

When our kids came of age and found the truth of anxiety, we had them memorize this verse.  And that is my suggestion to all of us.  Memorize this passage, then do it.  The news is not helpful, social media feeds the fear, and worry is not God’s way.  Spend the time you would spend on Facebook, with FOX or CNN, or worrying with friends praying, reading God’s Word, and thanking Him for His protection and provision, and you will see the fear fall away.

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Oct. 7 – Thoughts on Isa. 28-29 & Phil. 3

Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to this people,
to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”; and, “This is the place of repose”—
but they would not listen.
So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there—
so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.  – Isa. 28:11-13

Communication is one of the hardest parts of any relationship.  This is why it is the first thing we teach in pre-marital counseling.  It is so hard to understand each other even when communication is perfect, that when it is not, understanding is virtually impossible.  We have an exercise called “active listening” where one person speaks and the other simply restated what they have heard.  This assures each of them that they are hearing correctly.  But more often than not, even this simple exercise is terribly difficult.  “I would like you to pick up your laundry instead of leaving it on the chair,” is heard as, “You think I’m a slob!”  And so the exercise goes on until we can be sure we hear correctly, no more and no less than they are saying.

God speaks to His people and offers them rest and repose, but rather than hearing Him clearly, all His people hear is rules, rules, rules.  And rules do little more than push us backward, forcing us to work at following them instead of the God who gives them.

When you hear God’s voice in scripture, prayer, solid Christian mentoring, or the Holy Spirit, which do you hear?  Do you hear God’s offer of rest and repose, peace and comfort, or do you just hear rules, rules, rules?  If you are listening well, you will hear the former.

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Oct. 6 – Thoughts on Isa. 26-27 & Phil. 2

“When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord
Lord, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.”

This passage from Isa. 26 is a hard one to read.  In a culture where we are not only used to hearing about God’s grace as the highest hope of the church but hear it as the only message there is, this call for judgement is uncomfortable.  In fact, were it spoken in today’s church, it would be heard as heretical.  Grace portrayed as a lazy response that won’t teach anyone anything important?  How dare you!  The thought that judgement and the implied punishment are the better way doesn’t preach in a culture of “sloppy agape” and free grace.

But this wasn’t written in our culture, nor to it.  Sure, we think that the whole of scripture was written directly to us, never mind the last 2800 years.  But Isa was written for an oppressed people, a people headed for exile, and a very angry people.  And angry people want justice, judgement, and punishment for their oppressors.  We all want God’s grace until someone wrongs us, or wrongs someone we love, or wrongs someone far less powerful than they are.  Then we all agree with this sentiment and beg for God’s justice.

And in a practical sense, Isaiah’s cry is the more realistic.  A sloppy grace, one that forgives and forgets without holding to account, can be abused.  A righteous justice, one that holds to account, feels more… well… just.  We must remember that scripture portrays God as both gracious and just, both merciful and willing to punish.  We had better be willing to hold those views in tension as well.

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Oct. 5 – Thoughts on Isa. 23-25 & Phil. 1

The Apostle Paul had an incredible and envious outlook on life, the universe, and everything.  While many of us say that spreading the gospel is the most important thing in life, Paul actually believed it.  And the difference is not in how loud, or often, or scholastically we say it, but in how we live it.

Phil. 1 is a schooling on seeing the world through God’s eyes and putting Him first.  Paul begins with his famous statement that though he’s in chains, that is a good thing because it is advancing the gospel.  How many of us can truly say that our sickness is a good thing because it gives us access to the hospital staff for our witnessing?  How many can say that losing our job was a blessing because it has allowed us to speak to many different people we would otherwise have missed?  Paul calms the fears and worries of his hearers by saying that his imprisonment actually gives him an opening to witness.

His next paragraph addresses those who are preaching the gospel.  Some are doing it honestly, but some, Paul’s friends say, are doing it selfishly and therefore shouldn’t be doing it at all.  But, Paul says, the important thing is that the gospel is preached.  Will they reap the rewards God promises for the faithful?  Maybe not, but those who hear the gospel from un-credible sources are still hearing the gospel.

Paul finishes this statement with the ultimate sign of faith.  Even his death, Paul says, can be a blessing from God.  “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

What would it take for us to see the world through these eyes?  How can we help ourselves right now to see everything that happens as part of God’s plan, as a tool for our evangelism, and as a blessing in disguise?  As the song says, “What if God’s blessings come through raindrops?”  Not just a glass-half-full trickery, but  a genuine trust that all that happens is God’s plan and can be used to further the Kingdom.

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Oct. 5 – Thoughts on Isa. 23-25 & Phil. 1

The Apostle Paul had an incredible and envious outlook on life, the universe, and everything.  While many of us say that spreading the gospel is the most important thing in life, Paul actually believed it.  And the difference is not in how loud, or often, or scholastically we say it, but in how we live it.

Phil. 1 is a schooling on seeing the world through God’s eyes and putting Him first.  Paul begins with his famous statement that though he’s in chains, that is a good thing because it is advancing the gospel.  How many of us can truly say that our sickness is a good thing because it gives us access to the hospital staff for our witnessing?  How many can say that losing our job was a blessing because it has allowed us to speak to many different people we would otherwise have missed?  Paul calms the fears and worries of his hearers by saying that his imprisonment actually gives him an opening to witness.

His next paragraph addresses those who are preaching the gospel.  Some are doing it honestly, but some, Paul’s friends say, are doing it selfishly and therefore shouldn’t be doing it at all.  But, Paul says, the important thing is that the gospel is preached.  Will they reap the rewards God promises for the faithful?  Maybe not, but those who hear the gospel from un-credible sources are still hearing the gospel.

Paul finishes this statement with the ultimate sign of faith.  Even his death, Paul says, can be a blessing from God.  “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

What would it take for us to see the world through these eyes?  How can we help ourselves right now to see everything that happens as part of God’s plan, as a tool for our evangelism, and as a blessing in disguise?  As the song says, “What if God’s blessings come through raindrops?”  Not just a glass-half-full trickery, but  a genuine trust that all that happens is God’s plan and can be used to further the Kingdom.

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