Friday, August 31, 2012

Ezekiel 5-8

Daily Reading
Ezekiel 5-8

Daily Thought

Israel had a special place in God's plans, "this is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her" (Ezekiel 5:5). With great privilege comes great responsibility, a quote attributed to Voltaire, FDR, and Spiderman. And Jesus, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48). Israel had been given much, so that by their example the world would know who God is. 

That was one way; but there is another. In chapters six and seven, God speaks to the purpose of his judgment against Israel, that "they will know that I am the Lord" (Ezekiel 6:7, 10, 13, 14; 7:4, 9, 27), a theme that is repeated over sixty times throughout the book of Ezekiel. God will be known, one way or another. One way is better. 

Daily Prayer

My God, Maker of the heavens and the earth, Creator of all things, Owner of cattle on a thousand hills. Not a thousand cows; a thousand hills of cows. I clutch trinkets and miss your treasures.

The greatest of all treasures, my God, is knowing You. May I cast aside all that entangles me, no matter how much it delights, if it stands in the way of knowing You. You, God, are my treasure.

Amen

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Ezekiel 1-4

Daily Reading
Ezekiel 1-4

Daily Thought

Ezekiel is 30 years old. Judah is in captivity to Babylon, Jerusalem is in ruins, the temple of God is empty. Into this communal chaos, God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet to his people. When you are promoted to prophesy, you better be certain God is speaking, thus chapter one of Ezekiel proclaims, "the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1). The chapter is to be experienced more than explained, for the mysteries of God rise beyond our grasp, but one message is plainly clear, though God's people are captive in exile, their God remains seated on the throne of heaven and earth. 

The job of prophet is to tell the truth, "and whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious people-they will know that a prophet has been among them" (Ezekiel 2:4-5). Jack Nicholson was right, we can't handle the truth; but God summons his prophet to say it anyway. "When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood" (Ezekiel 3:18).

The entertainer Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) does not believe he needs saving. He is an atheist; he believes there is no God. He believes there is no everlasting life. A man approached Penn Jillette with a gift, a Gideon's Bible. The man believed Penn Jillette needs saving. I know what Penn Jillette thinks about the Bible, about God, about heaven and hell and salvation. I thought I knew what he would think about this man.

"He was a very very very good man," said Jillette. I was wrong. Penn Jillette respected this man who shared his faith. "I don't respect people who don't proselytize," reasoned Jillette. "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them about it?" Good question. Whether or not Penn Jillette welcomed the word, he knew that a prophet had come close. He called him a good man.

Daily Prayer

Everlasting God, out of love You created us. You created us in Your image and You created us good. I can only imagine what it was like to know You back then. No sin, no separation, no need of a Savior. I could see You clearly and worship You fully.

Now I've sinned, I am separated, and I truly need a Savior, and you delivered One. You gave Your Son and brought me back close to You with the certainty of eternity in Your presence. You sent Your Son for me, and He came. You now send me to others. I will go and I will tell the truth.

Amen

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lamentations 3:37-5:22

Daily Reading
Lamentations 3:37-5:22

Daily Thought

God used Babylon as his hammer of judgment against Israel, but that does not mean the mallet was swung by God's hand. Babylon was eager and willing to crush Judah anytime, so when God lifted his hand of protection, Babylon attacked. Jeremiah describes this judgment as "greater than the punishment of Sodom" (Lamentations 4:6); more severe than, "Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven" (Genesis 19:24). Sodom saw the fist of God; Judah saw his back. God turned away from Judah, which is worse. It was the back of God that Jesus saw when, carrying the sins of the world on the cross, he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). There is no greater hell.

God destroyed Sodom; Judah, he planned to save, and salvation requires a deeper pain leading to repentance. To repent means to change direction, and change is resisted until the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of repentance. Parents have tools of discipline: spanking, grounding, lectures (I preferred a spanking to my dad's lectures; quicker and less painful). But of last resort, they let go. The father gave the prodigal son his inheritance and turned away. He left his son to himself.

Judah cried out, "Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?" (Lamentations 5:20). They were afraid God's back meant he no longer cared. They were wrong, he cared more, enough to let his child go, to place Judah on the painful path toward repentance. 

"I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
you heard my plea, 'Do not close
    your ear to my cry for help!'
You came near when I called on you;
    you said, 'Do not fear!'
You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
    you have redeemed my life" (Lamentations 3:55-58). 

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, I look to You each morning and anticipate the day, and each evening I give thanks. You are always there, always sovereign, always involved, always in love. It took me awhile to learn this; I thought my way better, and You let me wander, but You were always there to hear my call. 

I love being part of Your good news, God. Thank You for salvation, for hearing my cry, for giving me life and life's purpose. I still try to grab the controls. Don't let me! Your way is much better.

Amen

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Lamentations 1:1-3:36

Daily Reading
Lamentations 1:1-3:36

Daily Thought

"Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field." ~MLB Rule Book 9.01(d)

"Jerusalem sinned grievously;
    therefore she became filthy;
all who honored her despise her,
     for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself groans
    and turns her face away" (Lamentations 1:8).

Learning to umpire, I worked with a veteran who taught me that I should not eject a ballplayer. "By their actions," he explained, "they will inform you if they no longer wish to play. You simply enforce their desire."

"The Lord is in the right,
     for I have rebelled against his word" (Lamentations 1:18).

The book of Jeremiah sets the context for the five sad songs that make up Lamentations.   The first song makes it clear that Israel was a nation in rebellion against God. The second song, God responds. God's judgment is never in conflict with our wishes.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are good, and You are good to me, more than I deserve. But you are also fair and just. When I neglect Your Word, when I stray from Your leading, I get lost and I find trouble. I can't blame You for that; it is the consequence of my desires. 

What amazes me is when You come searching for me when I'm the one who got myself lost. You lead me back to Your path, and welcome me back as if I had never strayed. I know what I deserve, and it's not Your love and grace. Thank You for not giving me what I deserve, and giving me what I don't.  

Amen

Monday, August 27, 2012

Jeremiah 51-52

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 51-52

Daily Thought

Boys collect baseball cards, but when we were boys, we didn't know any better. We liked the clicking sound baseball cards made when you clothes-pinned them to the spokes on your bicycle. Didn't matter what card; Mickey Mantle made the same noise as Yogi Berra. We didn't know that a 1909 Honus Wagner would sell for $2,800,000, or a 1914 Babe Ruth for $517,000, or a 1952 Mickey Mantle, $282,000. We pinned them to our wheels, because we didn't know people would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a 2"x3" piece of cardboard. And we were the foolish ones?

"Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
for his images are false,
    and there is no breath in them.
They are worthless, a work of delusion" (Jeremiah 51:17-18).

There is one God, proclaims Jeremiah, and "it is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens" (Jeremiah 51:15). It is the fool who bows before objects of wood and stone, cardboard and clay, who values things more than the Creator of everything.

Daily Prayer

Most Wonderful God, I worship You. The galaxies, the stars, the moon and sun, planet earth, oceans, animals, and me. You created it all, simply by Your Word. You spoke and it was, and it was good.

There are times, God, when I value things too much, when creation steals more of my attention than the Creator. Lord, may I never lose sight of You, Your glory, Your wisdom. May I always be foolish enough to disdain the wisdom and the wealth of this world, and find my full value in You.

Amen

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Jeremiah 49-50

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 49-50

Daily Thought

God is God. That seems obvious, yet humankind continually acts as if it has a say in the matter. Edom believed her wisdom sufficient, Damascus its fame, and the possessions of Keder and Hazor gave them a false security. These people built idols that reflected their own passions and desires, rejecting the God in whose image all people were made. Each stood against God and, like Ammon, "trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?'" (Jeremiah 49:4). Nation upon nation swaggered against the might of God and met his sword. At the end, even great Babylon fell, "for it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols" (Jeremiah 50:38).

God's prophets tell of his judgment against the nations, and if we cringe at its fierceness, it has done its work. It is not God's duty to accommodate our sensitivities, as if God should "play nice." God's justice reflects the truth of "in the beginning, God created" (Genesis 1:1) and "saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). We have made it bad, then wonder at God when he picks up his sword. He is making it good again.

Daily Prayer

My heavenly Father, You deal with nations that, I admit, act the way I act. When things go well, I neglect You; when poorly, I complain. Too often, You are the last to whom I turn. If You had not made Yourself known to me, I would have ignored You. Thank You for Your love and grace, which I find so compelling, the more because I do not deserve it.

You are God, that is the most wise thing I can say. Everything else comes after that. May my devotion reflect that truth and be displayed in everything I do.

Amen

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Jeremiah 46-48

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 46-48

Daily Thought

He who flees from the terror
    shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit
    shall be caught in the snare. ~Jeremiah 48:44

Out of the frying pan, into the fire, you just don't mess with God. God has used the enemies of Israel to discipline his children, and he now turns his attention toward these same enemies: the Egyptians and the Philistines, the Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, and finally Babylon. Lest they exalt themselves against the God of Israel, the Lord executes the judgment he promised to those who would harm the children of Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse" (Genesis 12:3). 

God wields a just sword against those opposed to righteousness, but even then, Jeremiah's  compassion cries out and questions, "Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!" (Jeremiah 47:6). The answer follows immediately, "How can it be quiet when the Lord has given it a charge?" (Jeremiah 47:7). These nations desired neither grace nor God, and thus, the sword.  To forfeit justice is to cheapen grace; grace is only beautiful if justice is true.

Daily Prayer

Righteous God of Justice, You are holy. Thank You for salvation, because I deserve Your wrath. My righteousness does not measure up - it is as filthy rags. And my unrighteousness, well, I'm good at that. You have covered my sin by the blood of Your Son. There is, therefore, now no condemnation because the righteousness of Your Son is now mine. Praise God.

Amen

Friday, August 24, 2012

Jeremiah 42-45

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 42-45

Daily Thought

The nation of Judah had been carried off to Babylon, but a small remnant was left behind in the land of Israel, along with the prophet Jeremiah. Still fearful that Babylon would return for them, they considered seeking refuge in Egypt, but requested Jeremiah first ask God if they should go. They vowed before the prophet, "Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God" (Jeremiah 42:6).

God responded, instructing them to remain in the land, "Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand" (Jeremiah 42:11). A short time later, "they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord" (Jeremiah 43:7). The people vowed to obey, then rebelled when God answered. What happened? 

A clue is found between the request and the rebellion, "at the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 42:7). The silence tested their faith. God took ten days to answer, which gave the people ten days to ponder whom they feared more, the Babylonians they knew or the God they could not see. 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). 

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You are forever faithful and true. I place my trust in You because You are the Rock, the Solid Foundation on which to build my life.

Sometimes God I am tempted to trust in things I can hold. I would rather trust in the One who holds me. You are my God. I will place my faith in the One who is always faithful.

Amen

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Jeremiah 38-41

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 38-41

Daily Thought

Jeremiah's prophetic warning is summarized in one proclamation: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day'" (Jeremiah 39:16). When the day arrives and Judah at long last falls to Babylon, it is recorded in a perfunctory cadence, "In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city" (Jeremiah 39:1-2). There is no joy in judgment, but simple certainty that God is true to his word. 

That same certainty applies, not only in judgment, but salvation, as well. "But I will deliver you on that day," declares the Lord to Jeremiah, and there is found the joy.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up. ~1Thessalonians 5:9-11

Daily Prayer

My God, thank You so much for salvation, saving me from the judgment I deserve. The future is certain, but which certain is up to me and Who I follow. I choose You. 

May my life lead others to follow, as well. God, Your Word is true, and it is good.

Amen

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Jeremiah 35-37

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 35-37

Daily Thought

The sin that is common to each of us is rooted in unbelief. It may be a lack of faith in God's good intent, fooling ourselves that we know better what will satisfy our desires; or it is a disbelief in the certainty and finality of God's judgment, brushing aside "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), as Eve did when she trusted the serpent above God, "you will not surely die" (Genesis 3:4). Our common sin is a terrible sin, yet there is a sin more disturbing, and that is the sin rooted in rebellion.

Jehoiakim "was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (2Kings 23:36-37). His reign was the end of the road for Judah, yet God was still extending grace. The Lord instructed Jeremiah, "Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin" (Jeremiah 36:2-3). One last chance.

The scroll was read to the people of Judah, and they responded rightly, with fear and fasting, until the scroll came to the king. As the scroll was read to the king, three or four columns at a time, "the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire" (Jeremiah 36:23). 

The sin rooted in rebellion is Satan's sin, a defiance that says, I believe God and his way is true, even good, but I prefer my way because I prefer me.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, Your Word is life itself. It lights the path in front of me and leads me in the way everlasting. It is good, and it is good for me. I will read it and hear it, listen to it and follow it. I will put it in my heart and meditate on it.

There are other words, other advisers, calling out to me, distracting me from Your Word and Your way. What they offer sounds fun and free, worldly and wonderful. May I choose what is heavenly and good, what comes from faith and gives hope. May I choose Your joy and Your love. May I choose You.

Amen

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Jeremiah 32-34

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 32-34

Daily Thought

Jeremiah spoke a terrible and terrifying truth, "Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it" (Jeremiah 32:28-29). Then he spoke of a hope and a future, "Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God" (Jeremiah 32:37-38). It was a package deal. As sure as there was something terrible about to happen, (and "the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem" at that very moment--Jeremiah 32:2), there was a certain hope to come.

So sure was Jeremiah of the truth of his word that he put his money where his mouth was, he put his treasure into the land of Israel, "I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales" (Jeremiah 32:9-10). He would have a place to build when he returned.

There is a coming judgment of my deeds, and there is good news of God's Kingdom through the grace of Jesus Christ. How sure I am of this may be seen in where I put my treasure. 

Daily Prayer

My God, Creator of all, Creator of me, You and You alone are worthy of my worship and devotion. Everything I see is awesome. I know I use that word a lot, but it truly applies to Your handiwork. I am awe-struck at the majesty, the intricacy, the wisdom, the beauty.

I have concerns, needs, issues, problems in my life. We all do. No wonder we pray to You. You have created a grand universe, and paid attention to the tiniest details. I can trust you with anything, big or small. I trust You with me, all of me, all that I have.

Amen

Monday, August 20, 2012

Jeremiah 30-31

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 30-31

Daily Thought

"Who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-the Lord of hosts is his name" (Jeremiah 31:35). 

It says sunrise will occur at 6:32am, so I show up at 6:30 and wait. Five minutes pass, I check my watch, and still no sun. Here is what I know: either my watch is wrong or the charts were wrong, or maybe I've been facing west. The sun is not wrong. It shows up exactly on its schedule every morning. You can bet your life on it; in fact, God says you should: "If this fixed order departs
    from before me," declares the Lord,
"then shall the offspring of Israel cease
    from being a nation before me forever" (Jeremiah 31:36). 

Judah sinned and was taken captive by God's enemies. Would God remain faithful, they wondered, even though they were not. Jeremiah assures them, God fastens his promises to the universe; more sure is his Word than the sun and the moon and the stars. "This is the day that the Lord has made," proclaims the Psalms. Every sunrise is a kept promise, a daily reminder that God is true.  "Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). 

Daily Prayer

My God, You are true and right and good. By Your breath this world came into existence, and Your Son holds it together. "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). You are faithful and true. When You declare what will happen, it will happen.

I place my trust in You, O God, because there is no foundation more sure. So much is outside of my control, I would feel helpless and hopeless, but I know that You, my God, are sovereign. You have declared the end from the beginning, so that I may always live in the wonderful hope of things to come.

Amen

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Jeremiah 26-29

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 26-29

Daily Thought

God was teaching Judah in captivity what they had failed to learn in freedom. Israel was created by the promise of God, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2). The nation liked being blessed; they didn't care much, however, to be a blessing.

When I was hired for my first job, I thought the company existed so I could get a paycheck. My dad straightened me out. That company, he explained, exists to make a product and a profit. If they are good at what they do, they will take care of their employees. I was taught, when I go to work for a company, make the success of that company my goal. My own success will follow.

Jeremiah made it clear, Judah would be captive in Babylon for seventy years. His advise was my dad's advise, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare'" (Jeremiah 29:7). Being blessed comes when you are first a blessing.  

Daily Prayer

Father God, You made me to do Your work and will in the world. You gave humans mastery over creation, to subdue it and care for it, to populate it and enjoy it. We failed badly. We thought of ourselves first, and wanted the world to serve us, and this is how we have acted on our own ever since. It is how I act on my own.

Thank You for not leaving me on my own. You put my self-centered actions to death on the cross, and now You are working on the desires that remain. You are changing me from the inside out, teaching me grace and humility and compassion. I don't make it easy, but thank You for persisting. Do what it takes, God, whatever it is. Make me a blessing to others, and a testimony to Your grace.

Amen

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Jeremiah 23-25

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 23-25

Daily Thought

Sallah catches the date before it plunges into the mouth, and then the stomach, of his friend, Indiana Jones. "Bad dates," he warns, and nods toward the floor where lay the dead body of the bad monkey who had been feasting on bad dates. Bad dates will kill you. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the lesson is obvious, don't eat bad dates. In a vision, God placed two baskets of figs in front of Jeremiah, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" Jeremiah said, "Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten" (Jeremiah 24:3). The lesson is obvious. 

Bad leaders are bad figs. God says, "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed!' How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart" (Jeremiah 23:25-26). God sees everything, and bad prophets and bad leaders will get what is coming to them, but that does not excuse the people. It is easy to blame our leaders, but we are responsible for what we eat. "When a prophet or a priest asks you, 'What is the burden of the Lord?' you shall say to them, 'You are the burden, and I will cast you off'" (Jeremiah 23:33). Don't eat bad figs.

Daily Prayer

My Heavenly Father, Your Word is so good, it fills me and sustains me. It is what I live on. That's what Jesus told me, more than bread, every word from Your mouth gives me a life that is full and vibrant and strong. 

May I feast on what the right food, what brings light and life into my world, rather than the dark and empty words that waste to nothing. May I fill myself with words of hope and faith and love, grace and truth, justice and righteousness. Good figs.

Amen

Friday, August 17, 2012

Jeremiah 18-22

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 18-22

Daily Thought

God makes as a condition of Judah's judgment their goodness to others, that they will treat well those who are lost, harmed, poor, and abused. "Thus says the Lord: 'Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place'" (Jeremiah 22:3). Yet later, when asked why they are being judged, the answer is, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them" (Jeremiah 22:9). So, which is it, indifference toward others or idolatry against God?

Jesus was asked which commandment is greatest. He said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." But he wasn't finished, "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). Two commandments, together the greatest, essential to each other, neither stands alone. Indifference is idolatry; compassion is worship.

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." ~Matthew 25:40

Daily Prayer

Wonderful God, I am learning to love You better by learning to love others more. You are teaching me humility and service by doing it Yourself first. I would not know You unless You had sacrificed Yourself for me; You loved me that much. May I love that much.

I cannot worship my Creator without caring for those You created. May I love actively, seeking opportunities to serve and to share. May others find You in my actions toward them, recognizing Your grace and goodness in all I do.

Amen

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Jeremiah 14-17

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 14-17

Daily Thought

If you do a thing often enough, you become that thing. Pick up a basketball, practice and play, and, in time, you will become a basketball player. So, also a pianist, a writer, a welder, and, yes, a sinner. It is argued that there are no bad people, rather people do bad things; however do a bad thing often enough, it will become part of who you are. "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars" (Jeremiah 17:1). The heart in Jewish thought is the essence of you. Doing is becoming. Sin leaves a deep mark. Jeremiah etched with a diamond-tipped pen the sins of Judah on the stone horns of the altar, as sin itself has left its indelible mark on the hearts of the people. 

Habits can be broken, but the heart requires more; "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Jeremiah cries for a surgeon, a Savior, because more than changing habits, he is healing hearts, "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved" (Jeremiah 17:14). A Savior will come, one who can and will, if you let him, erase what has been written and write something new, "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33). Let him create new habits in you, repetitions of righteousness that change your heart. 

Daily Prayer

Holy God, lead me in Your ways; change my heart. May I desire good, may I love deeply, as You do, so that my heart will be holy and righteous. I cannot do this, I need Someone who knows me better than I know myself. I am deceived by my own heart; You designed me for better than this. Take over, God.

Teach me new things, build in me new habits, create in me a new heart, O God. 

Amen

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Jeremiah 10-13

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 10-13

Daily Thought

In a discussion of first causes, or "what started everything," Jeremiah argues that God created all that there is; "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens" (Jeremiah 10:12). The answer back, too often, is, "But, who created God?" Really? If someone else created God, wouldn't that someone else get to be God? The point is, it started somewhere. Something, someone, or nothing started everything; those are the choices. 

Idolatry is replacing God with something, which is actually nothing according to Jeremiah. "Idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good" (Jeremiah 10:5). In college, I was unprepared for an essay exam, so I wrote a lot of nothing, hoping volume would pass for knowledge. When the paper was graded and returned, the professor had written across the front, large and in red, "This is not right. It is not even wrong." It was nothing. Not evil, not good; nothing. Billy Preston sang, "Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'." There is a simple sense to that. 

Daily Prayer

My Father in heaven, You are holy and good, righteous and wonderful, and You made me in Your image. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Every one is. 

I know, God, that I am Your creation, accountable to You. I am not my own, I belong to You, and the welfare of others is my concern, because it is Your concern. You have blessed me, Lord, and I shall strive to be a blessing to others. What I have I will share, holding loosely all that You have placed in my possession. May I be an agent of Your grace to this world.

Amen

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Jeremiah 7-9

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 7-9

Daily Thought

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'-only to go on doing all these abominations?" (Jeremiah 7:1-2, 9-10). Jeremiah is speaking to Judah; the same may be said to us. "In God We Trust" is engraved on every coin, every piece of paper that bankrolls our rebellion against God laws. I don't know how we get away with it. I don't know that we will.

Judah didn't. "Raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. I will silence in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall become a waste" (Jeremiah 7:29, 34). Thus cries the weeping prophet, Jeremiah. Thus says the Lord. "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). 

That's the bad news; here is the good news. God's judgment is just, and through judgment comes grace. The word that came to Jeremiah was not the last word. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Our judgment was not excused, it was executed on a cross. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1Peter 2:24). Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.

Daily Prayer

My Lord and God, Your Word is true, for Judah, for us, forever. I deserve what I get, and instead Jesus took what was mine, and gave me what is his. I wear his righteousness, because he bore my sin. I am created in Your image, and I can do all things through You, because it is from You and You alone that I have the strength. In my sin, I diminish Your glory, but in Your Son, Your glory shines anew.

Thank You for this life, and all that is in it. God, whatever riches and pleasures and blessings come my way, may I lay them at Your feet. Your glory is my delight.

Amen

Monday, August 13, 2012

Jeremiah 4-6

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 4-6

Daily Thought

The one who created us owes no explanation, but gives one nevertheless, and repeated warnings, along with every opportunity to repent, and that is the role of the prophet. A thankless job, Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet because his words are dreadful, "My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war" (Jeremiah 4:19).

Abraham's attempt to rescue Sodom from judgment began with, "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city" (Genesis 18:24). Then forty-five, then forty, thirty, twenty, and, at last, ten. For ten righteous people, God would lift his hand of judgment. Jeremiah need only find one in Judah: "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her" (Jeremiah 5:1). 

Jeremiah found none; God's judgment is just, and turns creation on its head: "I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void;
     and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,
    and all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and behold, there was no man,
    and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a desert,
    and all its cities were laid in ruins
    before the Lord, before his fierce anger (Jeremiah 4:23-26). 

The job of a prophet, however, is not ultimately to pronounce doom, but hope, "to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." (Jeremiah 1:9-10). For thus says the Lord, "The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end" (Jeremiah 4:27).

Always hope.

Daily Prayer

My God, You are love, bearing all things, enduring to the end. I think I put Your patience to the test, and yet Your grace perseveres. I deserve what I should get, but You took what I deserve and gave me life, a life eternally wonderful. Thank You.

The life You give me I return to You to be used as You direct. I want to be part of good news to the world. May I live daily grateful to You, gracious to others.

Amen

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Jeremiah 1-3

Daily Reading
Jeremiah 1-3

Daily Thought

A prophet is not able before he is willing. "Then I said, 'Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.' But the Lord said to me,
    'Do not say, 'I am only a youth';
    for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
    and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
    Do not be afraid of them,
    for I am with you to deliver you,'
declares the Lord" (Jeremiah 1:6-8).

Jeremiah is willing, and God sends him to a nation that no longer recognizes his glory and chases now after that which has no value, "But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit" (Jeremiah 2:11).

L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington, D.C., a guy in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap picks up a violin and plays. He leaves the violin case open on the ground in front of him. This isn't just any guy, though. Joshua Bell is one of the finest classical musicians in the world. This isn't just any violin, either. It has a name: Gibson ex Huberman; made by Antonio Stradivari in 1713. Bell paid $3.5 million for this violin. And it isn't just any old music. The composers have names like Bach and Schubert. It is a 45-minute experiment to see if beauty will stop (or slow) the unending rush. Over 1,000 people pass; 7 stop to listen. When the music ends, $32.17 lay in the violin case. 

"The awkward times," Bell recalled, "happen right after each piece ends. Nothing." No one noticed him play, so no one noticed him stop. No applause, no acknowledgment. They never heard the music.

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." ~Romans 1:20-21

Daily Prayer

Righteous God, You still walk with us. In the Garden, in Eden, we were aware of You. We talked with You and loved Your company. Now, we act as if we are alone, as if You are not here, as if we are not accountable to our Creator. But You never left. You still make Yourself known to those whose spirit listens to Your Spirit.

God, I long to hear You, to listen to You, to walk with You. How wonderful when You say, "Well done." When You say, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Thank You, Father, for giving me a new heart, for awakening my spirit, for opening my ears to Your Word. It's good to hear You again.

Amen

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Isaiah 64-66

Daily Reading
Isaiah 64-66

Daily Thought

A prophet blends judgment with hope; God breaks Israel down, then builds her back a strong and faithful people. "We are the clay, and you are our potter," explains Isaiah; "we are all the work of your hand" (Isaiah 64:8). "We are his workmanship," echoes the apostle Paul, "created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:10). 

The Statue of David, completed by Michelangelo in 1504, is one of the most renowned works of the Renaissance. "In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action." Michelangelo describes his handiwork, "I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it."

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well. ~Psalm 139:14

"I simply chip away all that isn't David," says Michelangelo.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~Philippians 1:6

Daily Prayer

My God, You created man and woman in splendor. Eden was good. So were we, until we traded good for a misguided chance to play god. Good is so much better. Thank You for not giving up on us.

Thank you for seeing within me the man You created me to be. God, continue to work on me, removing the stuff that was never intended to be there. I will try to cooperate, but when I don't, keep chipping, even if it hurts. I trust You and look forward to becoming a masterpiece that glorifies my Artist.

Amen