May 8, 2017
An hour is coming when the resurrecting life of Jesus will raise all of humanity bodily. The resurrection of the body is both the hope and the dread of the Christian faith. For the “voice” of Christ will call and all will “come forth” just as Lazarus did. Those who have believed in Jesus will be raised to eternal life with Him. But those who have not believed will be raised to “condemnation,” which is the judgement of God already passed against them because of their sin.
The resurrection of the righteous will come first, preceding the resurrection of the condemned. There is much more on this in the Scriptures, yet this point is to be understood: The resurrection of the body is central to Christ’s teaching. This is not to be understood as a metaphor, but a reality. Christ taught the resurrection of the dead, then He proved it by being raised from the dead on the third day.
May 7, 2017
Hannah was barren. At her family’s annual visit to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to worship and bring offerings, she was so stricken with grief that she could only mouth the words to her prayers. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. She cried out from her heart that the Lord would give her a son. She promised to give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, if only she might bear a male child.
Eli, the priest, was sitting at the door of the Tabernacle watching Hannah. He saw her lips moving without sound and wrongly assumed that she was drunk. He admonished her to put away her wine. But Hannah corrected him, explaining that what he had seen was not the result of wine being poured in, but from the sorrow in her soul that she was pouring out. So, Eli blessed her, asking the Lord to grant her petition.
Have you seen one like Hannah at your worship services or small group meetings? Don’t be like Eli and assume that you know what motivates her behavior. Wouldn’t it be better to ask what troubles her and offer to pray with her first? Eli ultimately makes it right. But only because of Hannah’s humility in answering.
Would those who are hurting like Hannah find a place of blessing and acceptance in our/your church?
May 6, 2017
The gospel of John recorded seven “signs” of Jesus. These were miracles, yet John chose to call them “signs” because he wanted to emphasize their purpose, namely, that they pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.
John wrote, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
John wanted his readers to take their eyes off of the miracles and put them on the Miracle-worker, Jesus. In this second sign, Jesus healed the nobleman’s son in Cana without even going to see him. He healed him with a word. And the nobleman, an officer of the king, believed in Jesus as his true King from that day forward.
May 5, 2017
When Naomi returned to her hometown of Bethlehem, the women of that small town hardly recognized her in such a downtrodden and depressed state. They asked one another, “Is this really Naomi?”
Naomi, whose name in Hebrew means, “pleasant,” had left Bethlehem years ago during a time of famine to go with her husband and her unmarried sons to live in the land of Moab. However, Moab became the place where she buried her husband and both of her sons. Now she was returning to Bethlehem with only the widow of one of her sons, a woman named Ruth. She told the women that had trouble recognizing her, “Don’t call me Naomi anymore. Call me Mara, which means bitter, because the Lord has dealt bitterly with me. For I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty.”
We tend to think in extremes when we are discouraged or depressed. We exaggerate the memory of a happier time in our former condition and overstate the troubles in our current one. Grief and loss easily turn into bitterness. Yet, as Naomi would soon learn, she had not returned as empty as she thought. For Ruth would soon show herself to be worth “seven sons” (Ruth 4:15). And Naomi would spend her last days in fullness and joy.
Are you empty or bitter today? Give it to the Lord in prayer. Who knows what wonderful blessings He holds in store for you tomorrow!
May 4, 2017
One of the most tragic stories in the book of Judges is about the rape and murder of a woman by the men of Gibeah and how their tribe, the tribe of Benjamin, chose to defend them, rather than turn them over for justice. The tribe of Benjamin was nearly wiped out by the other Israelite tribes as a result, but not before Benjamin killed 40,000 of them in defense.
The sin of a few “perverted men” in Gibeah ended up costing all of Israel, and especially the tribe of Benjamin. Why? Because Benjamin put their tribal identity above their national identity, and more than that, above their spiritual identity under God. Identity politics causes division and war. Unity under God brings peace.
What is needed? We must put God first in our priorities and loyalties. Tribal identity must take a back seat to our identity in Christ.
May 3, 2017
This verse contains the theme of the book of Judges. In this book we see illustrated, in vivid and violent detail, the ugly chaos of a rudderless and relativistic culture. Western culture is already on its way to such an end, as it has increasingly embraced the same mantra. Without a mutually agreed upon and absolute moral standard of right and wrong, human society slides further and further down the slippery slope of sin.
The stories in the book of Judges, and the news reports in our world today, make us long for a true king. It makes us long for a king like Jesus.
May 2, 2017
The man who is easily offended and quick to lose his temper will do and say things that make him look foolish. Afterwards, he is often sorry and ashamed, so he repents of his behavior. Yet, his short fuse remains, so that he returns to his folly again and again. The foolish behavior will not stop until his angry temperament is properly dealt with.
Anger itself isn’t sin, but uncontrolled anger can lead to sin. So, we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us a long-fuse and self-control, so that Christ rules us, rather than our anger. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27).
May 1, 2017
The inscription above this psalm describes it as a “prayer of the afflicted.” Certainly, there is a need for concrete language to truly capture the condition of the afflicted. The hurting are in need of words of expression that they might lift up to the Lord a prayer that can only be called a “cry.” For they often feel as an infant, able only to cry out, but not to explain why.
When we describe our physical state, a whole vocabulary is available, but to describe our internal condition–– the state of our souls–– we grasp at metaphors to illustrate our feeling. In this, the psalmist gives aid. He says that his “days are consumed like smoke,” his “heart is stricken and withered,” and his appetite is forgotten.
Why pray such words? Why not just deny our inner turmoil and focus on God?
Why? Because our depression and discouragement are as real as physical pain. Denial does not bring healing. Admit your feeling to the Lord. Pray the psalms. Make them your own. There are 150 of them. There is one that will help you describe your heart condition today. Let the words of the psalms give meaning to your soul’s cry. And know that the One who cried out in Gethsemane, and drank from the bitter cup at Golgotha, will certainly hear and understand.
April 30, 2017
The Lord strengthened Jephthah, the Gileadite, to defeat the people of Ammon who made war against Israel. Jephthah, the son of a harlot, rejected by his brethren, and leader of a worthless band of raiders, seemed an unlikely choice for a judge, yet the Lord empowered him to overcome Israel’s enemies.
Such men are not the focus of Scripture, but the Lord God is. For He works with sinful man to accomplish His purposes. O what joy, that the Lord would bend down to take note of us, and not only that, but that He would give us His Spirit!
April 29, 2017
When the Israelites finally “put away” their idolatry, so that their deeds matched their words of repentance, God was moved to answer their cry. The description of the Lord’s response to Israel’s true repentance is revealing. For it described Him as being “no longer” able to “endure” their “misery.” Literally, God was grieved about Israel’s misery.
What does this mean? Does the Lord feel the suffering that our own sin inflicts on us? Does it pain Him to see our misery? Is there a limit to His patience? Does God grieve? Certainly, we must be careful not to ascribe human weakness to the omnipotent, unchanging God. Yet, there is something paradoxical of His character revealed here. God’s joy is unconquerable and His will enduring. yet God no longer wanted to endure the misery of Israel.
The clearest picture that we can get of God and the fullest revelation of His character are found in Christ. In Christ, God’s holiness and mercy were revealed in the cross. He sent Jesus to die in our place, because in His love, He could no longer endure our misery.