Saturday, March 31, 2012

1 Samuel 15-17

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Chapter 15 is the turning point in the life and reign of Saul, as Samuel declares, "Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king" (v 23).  The chapter ends with tears and regret, "Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel" (v 35).  

Saul's last chance hinged on his obedience to a clear command, a command Saul heard and understood and disregarded.  Saul's own words convict him, "I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal" (vv 20-21). Saul is passing the blame to the people, but Saul is king, and it was he who kept "the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good" (v 9).

When God devoted the Amalekites to destruction, God meant everything. The Amalekites were a particularly wicked people, avowed enemies of Israel (see Deuteronomy 25:17-19).  God's covenant with Abraham to make him a great nation included the promise, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse" (Genesis 12:3). The command to Saul was God keeping his promise to Israel.  It was a just God dealing with a wicked and evil enemy. 

Saul turned God's justice into plunder for profit.  Saul would destroy what was not worth keeping and keep the best. He knew exactly what God commanded, but he thought better and did less. The nation of Israel is called to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5).  Saul bargained for a percentage, "I'll give you 80%, God."  The 20% Saul kept was his way of showing who was really king. It exposed his heart, and Saul now spoke of the Lord as "your God" (1Samuel 15:21), not his. 

Partial obedience is disobedience, and Saul served at God's pleasure.  God was no longer pleased, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" (1Samuel 15:22).

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You are awesome. I use that word too often for other things and diminish the word. It belongs to You. I am in awe of Your creation, Your mighty power, Your majesty, Your holiness, and in the midst of all that, Your patience with me.

You are powerful and loving, strength under control, gentle and mighty. You are amazing, and it is You and You alone I worship and follow, fully and always.

Amen

Friday, March 30, 2012

1 Samuel 13-14

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Have you noticed how often God is late?  I think "now" would be a good time, but God thinks later.  Later is usually better, but it's not on my timetable.  God has an agenda, and all too often it's not the same as mine, and that's my problem.  

I'm not alone in this.  Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was dying. Hurry, they urged him. He waited, instead, two days longer. Both sisters accused Jesus, "If you had been here..."; but Jesus had a better plan, "I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe" (see John 11:1-44).  Peter observes that the whole world thinks God is late, and scoffs, "Jesus said he would return. Where is he?"  But God has a better plan, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (see 2Peter 3:1-9).  The writer of Hebrews calls God's people to be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12). 

King Saul had little patience, and thus showed less faith. Saul was anxious to fight the Philistines, but Samuel was yet to offer sacrifices to God before the battle. Seven days passed and Samuel was late. It was time for war, so Saul wrongly offered the sacrifices himself. Then Samuel showed up, and Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart" (1Samuel 13:13-14).  

Unless we learn to trust God and wait on his timing, we will never experience his better plan. Being obedient is more important than being on time. Saul failed to learn this, but a couple kings later, a wise King Solomon observed, "God makes everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Not ours.

Daily Prayer

God, Your ways are not man's ways. By faith, I follow You. I trust You and I will jump when You call. I will also wait until You say to go.  I know if it is according to my strength and my wisdom, then I am in danger of taking credit. Therefore, God, not by my strength, nor my wisdom, but I submit to You my heart and my soul, and I will follow You in faith.

And You get the glory.

Amen

Thursday, March 29, 2012

1 Samuel 9-12

Daily Reading 
Daily Thought

Saul looked the part of king. Israel's Charlton Heston, a rich kid, a tall, handsome young man. "There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people" (1Samuel 9:2). He was the right man for the job, because the people were looking for a king "like all the nations" (1Samuel 8:5). "There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!" (1Samuel 10:24). Saul was a king after man's heart.  It is not on the outside what makes the man, however, and though Saul looked the part, he proved a coward. The signs were evident early, had the people looked.  "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage" (1Samuel 10:22). 

Courage is not the absence of fear, so Saul might be excused for cowering at the start. We, too, hide ourselves among the baggage. We have our excuses. "I'm really not sure I can do that"; but God responds, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2Corinthians 12:9). "There are so many others more qualified."  "On the contrary," says God, "the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable" (1Corinthians 12:22). "Right now," we argue, "I have this other obligation, but when it's over, call me." A disciple tried that one, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." His dad wasn't dead; he just wanted to wait until he was. Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead" (Matthew 8:21-22). "Sports! Band! The job! Homework! Laundry! Life!" We hide in the baggage. "Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them" (Matthew 13:7-8).

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is doing the right thing no matter, answering the call, responding despite our fear, and Saul never rose to the task.  Saul could stand tall, taller than any in Israel; but he didn't. 

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." ~Ephesians 2:10

Daily Prayer

What a wonderful Creator. I look around at the world, the skies and the land, filled with marvelous works of Your hand. I cannot help but stop and marvel.

Then I read, "Let us make man in our own image, male and female. Let them rule over land and sea and air." God, I pray that I rule well the kingdom you put in front of me. I pray that I display Your wisdom in all I say and do.

God, I am willing and I need Your help.

Amen

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

1 Samuel 4-8

Daily Reading 
Daily Thought

Remember Jericho, the fortress city Israel battled as they began to take possession of the Promised Land.  The faith of Israel was expressed in the fear of its enemy, "Our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11).  And the walls came down!

The faith of Israel is seen again in 1Samuel 4. It is changed now, significantly different. When the Philistines learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, they were afraid, for they said, "A god has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?" (1Samuel 4:6-8).   A god?  These mighty gods?  The Philistines were not terrified of a people possessed by the great and mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth, as Jericho feared.  Rather, the Philistines feared an enchanted lucky-charm god in the possession of Israel.  

God will be no lucky charm, faith had become superstition, and Israel was defeated.  

Daily Prayer

Awesome God, mighty Creator, I worship You and give myself fully to Your possession.  You bought me with a price, the blood of my Savior, Your Son, Jesus Christ.  I am a temple of Your Holy Spirit.  God, my faith must be seen in more than a cross around my neck, a fish on my car.  It must be evident in my life, my actions, my speech, my walk.  

God, teach me to walk in Your ways, to obey Your commandments, to follow Your path which leads to life, a wonderful, abundant, overflowing life.  I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  You are my all, and all I am is Yours.

Amen

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

1 Samuel 1-3

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

"Now the sons of Eli were worthless men" (1Samuel 2:12). God's Word speaks with a beautiful bluntness. "They did not know the Lord."  A terrible resume for priests, and Hophni and Phinehas did terrible things for which they both would die on the same day and be replaced by "a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind" (1Samuel 2:35).  God raises up this faithful priest, Samuel, in the next chapter.

Notice how Chapter 3 begins, verse 1, "And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision"; and ends, verse 21, "And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord."  The Hebrew reads literally, "the Lord appeared continually or increasingly." There is movement in Israel; God is beginning to visit again. What prompted this is found between the verses.  Yet a boy, Samuel displays a heart for God's Word.  He listens for it, he receives it, and he faithfully and fully passes it along to others.  "Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground" (v 19), a fine resume for a priest and for a prophet.  "And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord."  God speaks more often when someone shows up who desires to listen and will do what he says.   

Daily Prayer

Eternal God, You have made me a temple of Your Spirit.  You live in me!  I pray my words, my actions, my every thought reflect Your character so fully that Your kingdom is made evident to the world. That You are praised because others glimpse heaven.  That none of Your Word falls to the ground.

By Your grace and Your goodness, by Your righteousness and the Holy Spirit who indwells me, may I be filled with Your love.  May I serve others, and in so doing, may others look at what I am doing and see You, and hear Your voice.

Amen

Monday, March 26, 2012

Ruth 1-4

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Genesis 19 reveals the bawdy beginnings of the nation of Moab, "the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day" (Genesis 19:36-37).   Later, attempting to curse Israel, "the king of Moab invited Balaam to curse you" (Joshua 24:9), the Moabites were themselves cursed by God, "No Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 23:3).  Yet, God delights in redemption, and Ruth is a Moabite.  Ruth displays her faithfulness in her most memorable words to her mother-in-law, Naomi, "For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16).  

Central to this story is a person called a kinsman-redeemer.  The brother of a man who dies childless in ancient Israel would marry the widow left behind and father a son to carry on the dead man's name and care for his family (Deuteronomy 25:5-9).  The kinsman-redeemer in our story, however, refused to fulfill his role, because he did not want to put his own inheritance at risk.  He wanted to keep it for himself.  

Matthew 1 is "The List," a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  "The List" ends with Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus.  From the book of Ruth are five people whose names are included in "The List," Ruth, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David.  One guy, however, did not make "The List."  The would-be kinsman-redeemer chose, rather, to cling to his wealth, and thus his wealth clung to him.  We never even get his name.

Daily Prayer

Our God, You are All in All. Your Name, "I Am That I Am," proclaims who You are. You are Creator, the First and the Last. Simply put, there is nothing more important, more valuable than knowing You. You are most worthy of my attention and praise.

God, my desire is to stay focused on You, to hold loosely all things except You, to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness, to leave my name in Your hands and to hold onto Your Name.

Amen

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Judges 19-21

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The best thing about chapters 19-21 of Judges is they are the last chapters of Judges.  Judges is over, and none too soon.  The period of the Judges began when Joshua died and there arose another generation after him who did not know the Lord (Judges 2:10); was characterized by the oft-repeated, "the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (Judges 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; and 13:1); and closes in summary, "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).  

The hope of the book of Judges is that it does end, but God's work does not.  God's story continues through Ruth into 1&2 Samuel, when, at last, Israel does have a king, a king after God's own heart, "The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people" (1Samuel 13:14).  Even then, the story is far from over, because there is a King to come, the King of kings and Lord of lords, "the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 25).

The apostle Paul expresses our hope in God's unfolding story, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  If it's not good yet, God's not done yet.  

Daily Prayer

My Father in heaven, Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  I've met the King, my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I will follow Him.  May my life display my allegiance, for I am an ambassador of the good news of salvation.  

Thank You, God, that You keep working.  That what You began, You will finish, and that it will be once-and-for-all good.  Keep changing my heart so that I will desire and delight in righteousness and justice and peace.  May I love You fully and out of that love, serve the people of this world who so need to know and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, my Lord.   

Amen

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Judges 16-18

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Samson had God's strength...
Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat.  ~Judges 14:6

...but he loved Delilah.
 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. ~Judges 16:4

David had God's heart...
"The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people." ~1Samuel 13:14

...but he loved Bathsheba.
He saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. ~2Samuel 11:2-3

Solomon had God's wisdom...
"Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you." ~1Kings 3:12

...but he loved one thousand women.
He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. ~1Kings 11:3

Lest I fool myself, believing I can resist temptation on my own, I should remember that I am not stronger than Samson, more godly than David, nor wiser than Solomon.  

One of the scribes asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"  Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength." ~Mark 12:28, 30

Daily Prayer

Almighty God of Wisdom, God of Love, I pray that my heart reflects Your heart.  You have made me for a purpose. I am Your workmanship. May I keep my eyes on Jesus. May I fully love You. May I not find things attractive that would steal my devotion to You.

With all my heart, with all my mind, with all my strength, I love You.

Amen

Friday, March 23, 2012

Judges 13-15

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

When I was young, I listened to records.  A scratch in the surface of a vinyl record would cause a song to repeat at the same spot over and over again.  We called it a "broken record."  It would sound something like this, "And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord - And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord - And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."  

Judges 13:1, "And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."  You find the theme when something is repeated, and the theme of Judges is God is faithful when we are not.  Israel would do evil, a foreign nation would enslave Israel, and God would do something special that only he could do to remind Israel that he is their God.  Samson was going to be special.  It was obvious before he was even born.  There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son" (Judges 13:2-3).

Some of my favorite records were my Bill Cosby albums.  In one sketch, Cosby recounted his days as a college high jumper.  Back then it was believed that no one could jump higher than they were tall, but girls were watching, so Cosby said, "Set the bar at 6' 2".  Bill Cosby is 6' 1". "If I can't jump my own height," he reasoned, "why can't I jump one inch over my own height?"  Only three kinds people make ridiculous statements like that: nonsensical people, comedians, and God.  God said to the wife of Manoah, "You are barren and sterile. You will have a son."  The difference is, God clears the bar.  She had a son. Samson.

Daily Prayer

God Almighty, I can do all things through You. You give me the strength to find peace and contentment in any circumstance. Whether I have plenty or am in need, weak or strong, You are my strength. If You are for me, who can be against me.

God, may I walk in the confidence of Your strength, and the humility of mine. I pray that I grow daily in dependence on You, and in replacing my will with Yours.

Amen

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Judges 10-12

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The people of Israel are again (still) doing evil in the eyes of the Lord (Judges 10:6), so God lifted his hand of protection and permitted the Philistines to torment them.  Israel cried for help, and God responds, "Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you" (Judges 10:14).  But the people cried louder and God relented and raised a leader and Judges 11 is beautiful grace.  

His name was Jephthah and he was born of a prostitute, but lived with his dad and his dad's wife and their legitimate sons.  A constant reminder that his father strayed, when Jephthah was old enough to leave, he did.  He collected worthless fellows as companions and formed a mob, a mob that could fight, and Israel needed fighters.  How Jephthah developed a deep faith in God isn't recorded, but he spoke of his Lord more than anyone else in Judges.  He was a mix of street smarts, worldly manners, and impassioned faith.  God chose Jephthah to lead Israel.

He made mistakes, one in particular.  He vowed to God, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return shall be the Lord's, I will offer it up for a burnt offering."  His daughter was first out the door to greet him.  His vow was foolish, even wicked, pagan, and ungodly; but that was the way of the world he knew.  If you want the help of the gods, make big promises.  The Bible records life as it happens, unvarnished.  It records that Jephthah "did with her according to his vow that he had made" (Judges 11:39).  

A guest interviewed on "The Tonight Show" said, "I don't know anybody who could read the Bible and still want to be a religious person.  It is a book filled with immorality, wickedness, and then just plain silliness."  Yes, it is.  It is raw humanity in need of God's strength and guidance, which to me makes it eminently readable.  Three millennia later, I live in a world that is every bit as immoral, wicked, and silly.  I need God, the kind of God who will work with a guy like Jephthah.  

Daily Prayer

My Lord, You show me your love in grace. I do not deserve it, I do not even desire it, and I certainly do not seek it. And then You die for me anyway. You take my sins on Yourself, you pay the price of justification, and You share Your righteousness with me. You adopt me as Your child, teach me Your ways, and give me Your strength.

How can I possibly not love You?  I love because You first loved me.

Amen

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Judges 8-9

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

God delivers the Israelites from slavery to Egypt and Moses breaks out in song, thirty-two verses begin with, "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!" (Deuteronomy 32). God destroys the Canaanites in Judges 4, and Judges 5 is another song, this time by Deborah and Barak, "Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes; to the Lord I will sing; I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel."  God is great. God is good!  But now, the people have forgotten their God.  A mighty victory over the Midianites in Judges 7.  Turn the page and nothing.  Nary a note.  One fleeting reference from Gideon, but that an attempt to duck the anger of Ephraim.  They accosted Gideon for not including them in the fight, and Gideon excuses himself, "Well, God was in charge."  Blame him.

Instead, the Israelites want to make Gideon king.  To his credit, Gideon responds with a rare word of wisdom, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you."  But I will take your gold, thank you.  In word, "One nation under God," but actions speak louder.  When their leaders prefer the gold of the people to the glory of God, "the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals" (Judges 8:33).  

Daily Prayer

Sovereign God, Maker of everything. Your Son, King of kings, Firstborn over all creation. You hold all things together. You not only made the planets, the stars, the suns, and the moons, You determined their path. Silly people worship the created rather than the Creator.

God, may I always keep You in my thoughts. May I always allow You to determine my steps. God, may I have the wisdom it takes to hear Your voice, know Your thoughts, follow Your lead.

Amen

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Judges 6-7

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

We meet Gideon, judge of Israel and commander of God's army, in Judges 6.  "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v 15).  "Show me a sign that it is you who speak with me" (v 17).  Because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night (v 27).  "Behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said" (v 37).  "Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew" (v 39).  The Lord said to him, "If you are afraid, go down to the camp with Purah your servant." He went down with Purah (Judges 7:10-11).

This is anything but inspiring.  Certainly (maybe?) God could find someone else in Israel with more faith and courage, but that's not what the Israelites needed.  When, finally, Gideon stepped up, God trimmed his army from 32,000 to 300, "lest Israel boast, saying, 'My own hand has saved me'" (Judges 7:2).  This is the "generation who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).  A cowardly commander leading 300 men armed with trumpets against the menacing army of Midian.   It was time for the people of Israel to get to know again the might of their God.

When God chooses you to accomplish his will, do not imagine it is because of all you bring to the table.  Just do what he says and get ready to stand amazed at the might of your God.

Daily Prayer

God, You are God. Simple as that. In fact, it's Your Name, the Name You gave Moses. The Name we are to remember You by. "I Am That I Am." You are God. There is no other.

What You say, You do. God, I pray that my faith is full, that my devotion is pure, that I follow You without fail, that I never take my eyes off of You. You are God. There is no other.

Amen

Monday, March 19, 2012

Judges 3-5

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

"And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."  That's Judges 3:12.  It's also Judges 2:11; 3:7; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; and 13:1; and that's just the book of Judges.  "Again" puts it mildly, but what is astonishing is they continued to behave badly in God's sight.  God was watching them and they weren't even concerned.  Actually, they weren't even thinking about him.  

This guy walking along the sidewalk near the middle school in our neighborhood had finished a can of coke.  I watched him (he couldn't see me) glance to his left, then over his shoulder, and seeing the coast was clear, toss the can into the hedge on his right.  Let's think through his thought process.  He's looking forward and no one is there.  Left, no one; behind, no one.  Don't have to look down since that's the ground, and the hedge is on his right.  No one's looking, so it's safe to litter.  Forward, behind, left, right, and down, he had every direction covered, except one.  Up.  He didn't even consider God.  

The book of Judges begins with the generation after the generation of Joshua.  "And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord" (Joshua 2:10).  Little wonder "the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (Judges 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; and 13:1).  They weren't looking up.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, by Your grace I am saved. Not by anything I did.  I add nothing. Your Son, Jesus Christ, paid the price for my sins by His death on the cross. You have given me life, a life overflowing.

I am Your workmanship, made to do good works. Father, You lead and I follow and You get the glory and I have a life that is full and satisfying and good.  On the night before Jesus died, He ate bread with His disciples and drank from the cup, and said, from now on whenever I do this, remember He gave His life for me.  God, may I always remember, never forget, always look up.  

Amen

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Judges 1-2

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Life moves forward, a generation dies and then another.  And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).  This doesn't mean they had not heard the stories.  The stories passed down, but the generation that knew the stories was gone.  To the Hebrew, the word "know" contains a personal intimacy that is not embraced by simply hearing the stories.   

In 2005, my son was in 8th grade history class at Springview Middle School. His assignment was to write an essay on the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  In 1945, my dad was in the 6th Marine Division on the Island of Guam. His assignment was to invade the mainland of Japan.  Until two bombs dropped.  I'm glad my dad and my son had a chance to talk.  

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, "Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not" (Judges 2:20-22).

When God disciplined the nation of Israel, he was providing an opportunity to make it personal again.  Opening his Word introduces me to my God.  Walking his Word, living by faith, trusting through trials, makes it personal.  

Daily Prayer

My God, You enter history and You walk with us. You guide us, You lead us, You go before us. In the work of Your Son, Jesus Christ, through death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, there is victory over death, over sin, and over evil. You are Almighty, the God of righteousness.

God, may we truly know what You have done, passing it along to our sons and daughters by living a life of faith and trust, following You wherever You lead.

Amen

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Joshua 22-24

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

We all follow someone or something, each of us must choose, and there are only two choices: God and not-God.  From the words of Jesus, "Whoever is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30), and, "For the one who is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:40).  You cannot not choose.  Did you hear the one about the Civil War soldier who couldn't decide who to fight for, North or South?  He donned a Dixie gray shirt and Yankee blue pants and stood in the middle.  Both sides shot him.  "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).  

Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel for a his final words (he is about to die), "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell." 

You cannot not choose, so make a choice.  "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." ~Joshua 24:15

And choose wisely.

Daily Prayer

Father in Heaven, make Your love the foundation of my life. May my love for You express itself in eagerness to serve, to do good for others. May I learn humility from Your Son, sacrifice from the Cross, wisdom from Your Word.

You are God, most wonderful. Your wisdom confounds the world. May I think like You. May I listen to Your Spirit. Give me the desires of my heart; that is, may I delight in Your desires.  

Amen

Friday, March 16, 2012

Joshua 19-21

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass (Joshua 21:45).  

Have you seen that bumper sticker, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it"?  It is three words too long.  If God said it, that settles it.  "I believe it" adds nothing.  

I looked up some streaks.  Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight baseball games.  He was a good bet for a hit, but not in game 57.  UCLA won every basketball game from January 30, 1971, to January 17, 1974.  Eighty-eight straight.  But on January 19, 1974, they lost.  Ted St. Martin sunk 5,221 consecutive free throws.  You could bet he'd make the next one.  But then he missed.  

We have some good streaks, but even the best eventually fall.  God keeps all of his promises.  Every single one  ...and counting.  "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:12-13).

It's a sure thing, and you can bet your life on a sure thing.  

Daily Prayer

Our Father, God, Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for telling us what You are going to do, then doing it. Thank You that we can fully trust in You.  May I walk forward in faith, always trusting, always true.  

God, you are the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In You there is no change, no uncertainty. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things. We read Your Word and we know what eternity holds in front of us. What a great God You are!

Amen

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Joshua 16-18

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The tribes of Israel divide the land and draw boundaries (Joshua 16-18), and yes, reading about it can be tedious.  Weaving through these chapters, however, is a continuing thread of disobedience that merits attention.  Joshua 16:10, However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer.  Joshua 17:12-13, Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.  Israel continued to permit the ungodly to live among them and share the land.  Initially, there seemed some advantage.  The Canaanites provided an additional labor force that served the Jewish nation.  Maybe it would be okay.

Maybe not, and here's why.  The Israelites discovered that the Jordan River could not be counted on for water and irrigation.  The cities were built on higher ground, and half the year, the Jordan slowed to a trickle.  Israel needed rain; life depended on it.  The Canaanite's number one god was Baal, the rain god.  Israel now had to choose: depend on the one true God or the false, but enticingly named, rain god.  Too often, Baal prevailed.  Thumb through the remainder of the Old Testament and the name of Baal never goes away, and eventually it leads Israel back into slavery.  God delivered Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery.  Baal put them back.  

As God is at work shaping us into his likeness, he is frustrated not so much by our great sins, but by our dragging feet.  Joshua said to the people of Israel, "How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?" ~Joshua 18:3

Daily Prayer

God Almighty, as I watch the world around me, my faith is strengthened daily. There are signs of You everywhere. The joys of spring as the world blossoms and new life emerges everywhere reminds me that You are the Author of all life, and I can trust fully in You.

My God, I pray that my life, as well, is a continual reminder of You. That I reflect You in my actions, my thoughts, my faith. That I trust my life to You and walk forward at once in courage and faith, knowing that You go before me.

Amen

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Joshua 12-15

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day. ~Joshua 13:13

God made it clear. The land is filled with evil. Drive out all of the evil from the land. They drove out a lot, but not all. Not everybody. Sometimes some cities didn't appear worth the battle and they allowed them to remain.  They allowed these people to live among them.  

God's church, like the nation of Israel, is called to be holy, yet sins linger.  Gossip, gluttony, lust, greed, hypocrisy, pride.  They seem petty, not worth the battle it would require to remove them, so we allow them to linger.  We fear the war when we should fear the peace.  These cannot continue to live among us.

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.  ~Philippians 2:12-13

Eighty-five years young, Caleb remains ready for battle.  "So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said" (Joshua 14:12).  When a young spy, Caleb stood in the minority, prepared to trust the Lord against a great foe.  His confidence was not in himself, but in his God.  Those of old age speak more often of past victories, but Caleb is ready to fight yet again. Forty-five years had not diminished his trust in the Almighty, nor his resolve to drive out evil, no matter how formidable.  "I shall drive them out just as the Lord said."  

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ~Romans 8:31-32, 37

Daily Prayer

Holy God, You called me to be perfect just like You. Which I cannot do... on my own. May my repentance be true. I choose to turn away from my sin, and God, I need Your Spirit to give me guidance and strength not to turn back. Thank You that even when I fall and fail, I can return and confess, and the once-for-all death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, covers all my sins.

I am so glad You are perfect and that Your standard is holiness. What other kind of eternity would be good? Thank You, Father, for doing the work that makes my holiness possible. It is only in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Joshua 9-11

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Joshua 10 describes the fabulous and fantastic defeat of five armies from five cities.  Israel battled and God threw hailstones from heaven and the armies ran.  To annihilate them, Joshua requested of God, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."  Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day (Joshua 10:12-13).

Question: Did the sun actually stay in the sky, giving Joshua and his army a longer day so they could bring the war to completion?

First of all, the sun didn't stop, because the sun doesn't rise either.  This is phenomenal language, the language of appearance.  The sun does not orbit, rather the earth rotates.  If anything, the earth stopped its rotation.

An old wit says, 2 Jews 3 opinions, and there is no shortage here.  One Old Testament scholar suggests that the word for "stand still" may be translated "stand silent."  Joshua, in this case, was praying for extended darkness rather than light, which was provided by the clouds.  Clouds would be consistent with the large hailstones God threw down from heaven at the enemy (Joshua 10:11).  Another argues that the words are merely symbolic, coming from the poetic Book of Jashar.  It has also been suggested that the earth's rotation slowed for a time, resulting in a longer day.  And a rather lengthy argument finds parallel language in the omens of Mesopotamia, referring to celestial signs when the moon and sun occupy the sky together.

You may have heard a story about NASA mapping out the movement of the sun, moon, and planets, and running into an error of exactly 24 hours for which they could not account.  Finally, one scientist recalled two lessons from Sunday School. The first was Isaiah asking God to back the sun up 40 minutes as a sign to King Hezekiah.  The other, our passage, which they calculated at 23 hours, 20 minutes.  Added together, one complete day, and the computers reconciled the discrepancy.  Voila!

Except this never happened.  A Mr. Harold Hill fabricated the story when giving lectures on Science and the Bible, and it was published in a newspaper, printed in a book, and passed from pulpit to pulpit.  Science argued the miracle was not possible (what miracle is?), yet this is God's Word, so Mr. Hill thought to bring Science and Scripture together.  (Isn't the con man in the musical Music Man also named Harold Hill?  Hmmm.)  Where does this idea that we need to rescue God come from?    

Nor does God need us to pit Science against Scripture, as if God and Science are at war.  When Science and Scripture conflict, the issue is as likely to be my interpretation of Scripture as the scientist's interpretation of nature.   God is not anti-science, and good science is not anti-God.  Rather, "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1), and God's eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).

My answer regarding Joshua 10?  I don't know.  I prefer some explanations over others, but when all is said and done, I don't know, and that's okay.  

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, the heavens declare Your glory, and the sky above proclaims Your handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

I rise to a new day, made by You, and I shall delight in it.  I shall stop often and listen to Your voice in the world around me, worship You as I ponder Your creation, stand in wonder at the wisdom of beauty in Your handiwork.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Amen

Monday, March 12, 2012

Joshua 5-8

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.  ~Joshua 7:1

Question: Why did God hold the entire nation of Israel accountable for the sin of just one person?  

God says to his people, "For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45).  Israel is to be holy, and God is teaching them what holiness looks like.  

As Israel defeated the strong and fortified city of Jericho, God instructed them to destroy everything except the silver and gold and bronze and iron, which were to go to the treasury of the Lord.  Next in line was little Ai, but Ai prevailed.  Joshua was dismayed, tore his clothes, and fell on his face before the Lord, but God said, " "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?  Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings (Joshua 7:10-11).  

Think of a jigsaw puzzle. 7,500 pieces, and 7,499 in place.  1 piece missing.  When God said "they," he was referring to all of Israel, but he was really talking about one man, Achan.  

...and the 7,499 no longer matter.

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).  Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why does that one piece of fruit look so attractive?

Achan's sin stood out because his sin is our sin.  We are, and always are the one piece missing, because we are attracted to the glitter of gold rather than the glory of God.  We are not holy and we need a Savior. 

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~2Corinthians 5:21

Daily Prayer

Father, thank You for life, for creation, for this world, for my family, for work to do and a purpose to live. Thank You for all the blessings You pour on me. Thank You for my church family, for worship, for Your Word, for the wonderful time in prayer, for communion, for service, for love.

Sin corrupts every good thing. I'm sorry that I find it so attractive.  God, forgive me and cleanse me for the sin I do. I so desire life and life abundantly. I pray that I will be so filled with Your love and Your goodness that sin will no longer look desirable. God, please put Your desires in my heart.

Amen