The Bee Gees

“My name is Robert Billingslea and I’m addicted to the Bee Gees.”

I’ve been this way for a long time. Disco music was around in my formative years of Jr. High and High School. That’s when I started listening… Okay, that’s not really true. Actually, I was in the band in Jr. High and High School. I played the tuba… Yes, I played the Bee Gees on my tuba. My first song was How Deep is Your Love. We always blame it on the band director, don’t we!

I’ve never really gotten over my funny addiction. This past year my wife and kids got me a CD of the Bee Gees greatest hits. I listen to it in my truck when I’m alone. I listen alone so that I can sing along… Yes, I sing right along with Barry, Robin, and Maurice. Yes, I sing in that same high voice they do. I sound really good when the volume is cranked up.

Something odd happened the first time I took my CD out for a ride in the truck. I popped in the disk and selected my favorite song, cranked up the volume and started singing the wrong words at the top of my lungs. It quickly dawned on me that I didn’t know the words to the songs! There were large portions of each song that I didn’t know. Then something really weird happened. I realized that I had never understood large portions of each song, even when I was playing the tuba in high school.

Have you ever experienced this phenomenon when you read Scripture, singing the right tune but not understanding the words? Here’s one to try on for size. Psalm 46:10

“Cease striving and know that I am God.”

We can all sing that tune but exactly what is that saying?

“Cease striving” is a translation of a Hebrew verb that means “relax, be still, or release the grip.”

We know what it is to hold on to something tightly. Have you walked a five year old through a busy parking lot lately? I hope you held on tightly. Do you remember when your parents would give you change to spend at the drug store? My grip on the change was something close to a death grip. The nickels, dimes and quarters were sweaty by the time I traded them for candy or comics.

But God isn’t focused on our physical grip; our heart is in view. Have you noticed how tightly you are able to grip things with your heart? How is your cash flow? Your retirement portfolio? How about your job security and career path? How are things with your spouse or your children? How are you going to pay for that unexpected repair on the car? How’s your health?

Does it ever feel like you’re juggling five small balls and one elephant. Are you about to mentally and emotionally squeeze the life out of that elephant?

I think the grip of my heart gets more exercise than the grip of my hand. I’m so good at holding on to things mentally and emotionally, I can do it in my sleep. When they add “worry” to the Olympic Games, I expect to win the gold medal. I’m not bragging; I’m just really good at worrying!

“Cease striving and know that I am God.”

God is directing us to relax the mental and emotional grip of our heart. What a great command! This is something akin to my mother commanding me to eat ice cream. “Robert Paul! Get in here and eat this Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip right now!” I want to relax and God is telling me to relax. Isn’t that great!

But notice there’s more to the story. “Cease striving and know that I am God.“

God wouldn’t have us turn off our heart, shutting down our thoughts and feelings. Instead we move our focus from the elephant to Someone larger, God!

The psalmist has been getting us ready to focus our heart on God in verses 1-9.

In verse one we’re reminded that God is our refuge and strength. God is “abundantly available for help in tight places.”

In verse six we find that He is sovereign over world politics. “The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered.” This is a poetic way of expressing political threat and instability. But look at how God can handle it. “He raised His voice, the earth melted.”

In verses eight and nine, we are invited to scan back over the landscape of history and look intently at God’s provision for Israel. “Come, behold the works of the Lord…” What happen to Pharaoh’s army in Exodus 14:28? What happened to Amalek in Exodus 17:8-13? What happen to the walls of Jericho in Joshua 6:20-21?

The psalmist invites us to rehearse the truth of God’s power and provision. Once the truth about God is the center of our attention, God takes the microphone and speaks directly to His children.

“Cease striving and know that I am God.”

Deep inside we’re longing to relax, to release our grip. To this desire, God brings the truth about who He is and what He has done. Then He blesses us with a command to relax and focus our thoughts on Him.

Knowing the lyrics to my favorite Bee Gee songs isn’t going to make a bit of difference in my life. But understanding Psalm 46 has impacted the deepest parts of my heart again and again. May you understand the invitation a little better. May you relax your grip and enjoy the truth about who God is and what He has done. And when Satan attacks you for being relaxed, may you remember that you’re just doing what God has told you to do!

Life is a Bowl of Quackers

As I worked on this blog my son brought me a bowl of cherries as a snack. Simultaneously, my wife announced, “Life is a bowl of cherries!” We love cherries. Who needs vitamins and protein when you have cherries!

But have you noticed that cherries aren’t all juicy and sweet? Pits are part of the package too. If life is a bowl of cherries, then trusting God in the midst of the pits can be a tough proposition. Especially when the pits are prolonged. Have you been there?

Has your home life been dysfunctional so long that you can’t imagine what functional is? Has your career been a conundrum since it’s conception? Does it feel like failure wants to hold your hand and success will only send you a postcard? Pits really are a part of the package. It’s a truth that’s doesn’t go down easy.

What makes it worse is the fact that we live in a world that bottle feeds us instant gratification while mocking our desire to trust God. Like the father of the demon possessed boy in Mark 9, I find myself praying, “Lord, I do believe; help my unbelief!”

A portion of the help the Lord has given to me comes from the book of Hebrews, a book written to cultivate enduring faith. The original readers of the book of Hebrews were severely tempted to return to the temple as the source of their righteousness. The writer pulls weeds and spreads fertilizer, creating the opportunity for endurance. One of the ways he inspires endurance in chapter eleven is by showing us examples of great faith. His prime example is Abraham.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10

“He went out, not knowing where he was going.” I can’t tell you how much comfort and inspiration I’ve received from those nine words. Let me explain why.

I feel a tremendous burden to have my ducks in a row. I regularly seek to line up answers and plans for the current conditions and the future’s forecast. But sometimes trying to line up solid answers and plans can leave me tired and breathless. The longer I live, the more I feel like my ducks are hyperactive!

In Hebrews eleven I’m comforted to find Abraham had hyperactive ducks, too. He didn’t have an answer to the most basic of questions, “Where are we going?” But there in the midst of his unanswered questions and incomplete plans, he obeyed God’s call.

Wow! I want to be like that! I want Christ to find me behaving like Abraham when He returns!

The comfort and inspiration only grows when I dig into the story behind those words.

Think about Abraham leaving Haran in Genesis 12:5. The text tells us he took along all the possessions and persons acquired in Haran. The details are rather sketchy. Was this a Uhaul and a small staff? Genesis 13:1 says that Abraham was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. We find the numbers were so great that the land could not sustain both Abraham and Lot. In Genesis 14:14, within ten years of Abraham’s departure from Haran, he mustered an army of 318 trained men born in his house.

These little details add significant weight to Abraham’s decision to obey God’s call.

Abraham was more than a family man; he was the CEO of a good sized organization. This isn’t a single guy without responsibility. Who knows how many people were a part of Abraham’s caravan…herdsmen, servants, and children.

Imagine the questions his wife or his employees might have asked him. “Exactly, what land are we going to?” “How long will it take us to get there?” “Will there be grass and water for our flocks?” “Will our families be safe?” “What kind of clothes should we pack?” “Where are you planning on buying gas?”

An honest answer to everyone of those questions would be, “I’m not sure.” Can you see the hyperactive ducks running around Abraham’s feet? There in the midst of quacking questions, Abraham obeyed God’s call. “He went out not knowing where he was going!” Wow!

Have you noticed we serve a God who doesn’t always answer our questions?

Have you noticed that we come from a culture that demands answers?

Do you ever feel ashamed for not having all the answers?

How often does our demand to have all our ducks in a row keep us from trusting the Lord?

Sometimes life is a bowl of quackers! May you be comforted and inspired by Abraham’s faith in the midst of your unanswered questions. May Satan stumble as he seeks to shame you for trusting the Lord. May Christ be glorified by our faith upon His return.

Run That By Me One More Time

Years ago I helped a group of people improve a building for a church in Mexico. As I watched the people in charge set up for the day, I noticed two men working with a long clear hose along side the building. They were making marks on the building. I had no clue what they were doing.

My curiosity drove me to ask the missionary who coordinated the whole affair. He gave me a detailed explanation and I nodded dutifully; but I had no idea what he meant. I gathered they were making a level line; but I think I was just as confused after the explanation than before.

At this point, the missionary got out his handy, dandy video camera and began to film the whole affair — two men, a clear hose full of water, and a series of marks on the building. Then he turned to me, with the camera rolling, and asked me to explain to his audience what they were seeing.

Two things happened immediately. First, I made a life decision. I decided I should always be wary of missionaries with cameras. The combination of the two was like matches and gasoline — a bad thing just waiting to happen. Second, without missing a beat, I replayed the missionary’s entire explanation to the camera.

As the missionary turned off his wicked little video camera, I asked if I explained the scene correctly. With his smile and nod of approval, I went on about the business of the day. I had no idea how those guys were making a level line on the building; and I had just explained the whole process in detail! I had pronounced all the words correctly and spoken them in the proper sequence. But I didn’t understand the significance of the words! My guess is many have had similar experiences.

This happens sometimes when I read the Bible. Does that happen to you? You pronounce all the words correctly. You speak them in the proper sequence. Yet the meaning and significance of those words is beyond your grasp.

Here’s one to try on for size. As my understanding of this verse has increased over the years, the comfort and encouragement I receive from it has multiplied. Zechariah 4:6-7:

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘”

Zechariah 4:6-7 is a small piece of a bigger revelation given to encourage the Israelites rebuilding the temple. Zerubbabel was in charge of the project. The Lord was telling him obstacles that seem like mountains would be overcome and Zerubbabel, himself, would complete the project. But what does the Lord mean by, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit”? At first glance, doesn’t it appear that the opposite is true?

Remember Zerubbabel and the rest of the Israelites have already contributed a good measure of physical might and power to the rebuilding the temple’s foundation. Consider Zechariah 4:9 too. “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it.” Haggai 2:4 says, “Take courage…and work; for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.” There was so much physical might and power being exerted in the rebuilding that I wonder if the Lord sent the prophet Zechariah to the workers during a water break!

Clearly God was aware of the Israelites’ effort. He even desired it. In the midst of all that physical might and power, how was it that God’s Spirit would be the crucial means to successfully rebuilding the temple? What did God do through His Spirit to put the project over the top? Ezra and Haggai give us answers to these questions.

Ezra 1:1 says, “…the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia…” The result of the Lord’s work in this king’s spirit was a decree by the king to rebuild the temple and even finance the undertaking. Consider Ezra 1:5. The people who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple were responding to God’s work in their heart. Ezra 5:1-2 mentions God’s work through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to support the people. Ezra 5:5 talks about God’s blessing on the elders in the midst of opposition. In Ezra 6:22 we find God turned the heart of Darius, the king of Assyria, in favor of the Israelites. One more deserves mention. In Haggai 2:15-19 the Lord promised to bless the Israelites. The context of that blessing was their crops. In other words, He fed them.

The record is explicit. God started the project and financed it through the Persians and the Assyrians. He supplied the workers and even inspired them for the task. He fed the workers. He even provided the political support for the project during a time of opposition. The message to Zerubbabel begins to makes sense. “I am intimately involved. You will succeed because of My work not yours.”

What a great picture of how God works in the affairs of men to fully accomplish His will.

Are you worried about the elections in November? God can handle political big wigs, can’t He? Are you overwhelmed by the idea of sharing the gospel with a friend? God can handle it, can’t He? Are there negative consequences for being Christ-like at work? Through the work of the Spirit He can handle those, can’t He?

What about the monumental task of following God’s will for your marriage? He is able to make the mountains a level plain. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit!”

In some surprising and often unseen ways, He is at work in our affairs. He inspires. He provides. He protects. He empowers. Let us do the work which He has prepared for us. For the Lord is our shepherd…and He is really good at it.

Too Far Gone?

I have forty three years of human experience. The further I go down this road called life, the more apparent my need for God’s mercy and grace grows. His mercy and grace wash into my heart through the ministry of the Holy Spirit; I’m refreshed and relieved. But then my need for more begins to reveal itself again. My need only grows more pressing. How about you?

Scripture is the Spirit’s main conduit for delivering truth about God’s mercy and grace. I can’t tell you how often I’ve read my Bible and been relieved by the truth about God. This has happened repeatedly as I’ve worked my way through the book of Haggai.

In chapter one God steered the Israelites out of the ditch of misplaced priorities through His prophet Haggai. For something close to 16 years, the people focused on decorating their homes instead of building the temple. After the people responded to the Lord’s rebuke, God stirred their hearts and they began to build again. He said, “I am with you” and blessed them before they worked.

Mercy and grace is given to those with a chronic need!

About a month later, in 2:1-9, the Lord sent Haggai again. The people knew the temple they were trying to build was nothing compared to the one that had been destroyed. God encouraged them by reminding them He was with them. He told them how things would eventually turn out — the glorious temple of the past would pale in comparison to the temple God would complete in the future. He didn’t fuss about the 16 years. He didn’t fuss about their lack of progress over the past month. He encouraged them.

Mercy and grace is given to those with a shady past and little to show in the present.

About two months later, the Lord sent word to the people a third time:

“Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling; if a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It will become unclean.” 2:11-13

Does holy meat make anything it touches holy? The answer is “No.”

Does the unclean person make anything he touches unclean? The answer is “Yes.”

God is using two questions to make a point about the uncleanliness of the people. Not only had they been unclean, the sixteen years of misplaced priorities had far reaching effects. 2:14 says, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me.’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.’” The choice to panel their homes instead of build the temple had not only stained their hearts; it stained their work and their worship. 

We would like to think our stubborn sin is contained like a bird in a box.  It’s more like radioactive material in a paper bag!

God hadn’t ignored the problem, 2:17  says, “‘I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me, ‘declares the Lord.”

But look! This isn’t the whole of the story.

“…Do consider from this day onward; before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord…from this day on I will bless you.” 2:15,19

Notice He didn’t say, “When you’ve made up for lost time, I will bless you.” “When you prove that you’re really committed, I will bless you.” “When you at least get started on the walls of the temple, I will bless you.”

Mercy and grace is given unearned.

Notice also He didn’t turn a blind eye to their sin or change His definition of sin. Mercy and grace do not ignore sin or change the definition of sin. Mercy is not getting the discipline we deserve. Grace is getting the blessing we haven’t earned.

Are you a person of chronic need? Do you have a shady past too? Do you have no progress to offer? Do you have no good works to offer? God has something for someone like you and me…mercy and grace. A type of mercy and grace the world cannot offer. A type that springs from the unconditional love of God.

Whether you feel like you’re just down the road from Him or on the other side of the universe, come home. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Satan would have you keep running and hiding. He will tell you that all will be seen in God’s light. God already sees it! Your wounds will be washed and healed with the mercy and grace of your loving Father.

Come home.

Can You Say, “Insignificant”?

Do you remember Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood? I spent some time there as a child. He always wore the coolest sweaters; I usually wore my pajamas. We did a lot of cool things together. He would regularly ask me the same question, “Can you say..?” Did you learn a few words from Mr. Rogers too? I bet “insignificant” wasn’t one of them.

Mister Rogers never taught me that word but I’ve learned the whole concept. We all have. It pushes us like some sort of invisible cattle prod. It pulls on us like a lead ball. It rolls off our tongues and turns someone’s world to cinders. With just this one idea Satan is able to steal, kill, and destroy.

Living for God outside the spotlight of “great accomplishment” can feel pretty insignificant, can’t it? The small spiritual things of life that start off so important can become amazingly heavy. “What I’m doing is nothing compared to what ‘So and So’ has done. What’s the point? What difference am I making anyway?”

Have you spoken similar words in your heart? Believe it or not some people in the Bible have walked in these same insignificant shoes. God’s word to them in their time of obvious insignificance may surprise you.

For the sake of a little context check out Haggai chapter 1. The Israelites had long before laid the foundation of the temple. After meeting with resistance, they slipped into selfishness. For something close to 16 years paneling their walls took priority over rebuilding the temple. God confronted them through Haggai and at last they responded. Haggai 1:14 says God went to work in the hearts of the leaders and the people and they began working on the temple.

Haggai 2:1 picks up the story about a month later. The Lord sent Haggai to the people with a penetrating question about their work on His behalf. “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?“

Remember the original temple had been incredible. I Kings 5:13-7:51 tells us the story. Over 180,000 laborers contributed to it’s construction. It was covered in gold, even the floor!

The folks working on the second temple knew what had been lost with the first. After a month of divinely inspired effort (1:14), they hadn’t produced anything incredible. What do you want to bet they felt like God was absent and their work was small? To top it off, the memory of Solomon’s temple must have scolded in their times of fatigue, “Small! Insignificant! Nothing!” Their work for God may have been an ever increasing source of frustration. “This will never amount to anything!”

God brought their pain out in the open with His question, He went to work on that pain in 2:4-5. “Take courage…and work; for I am with you… My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!” Maybe we could say it like this, “Take courage. Keep going. I’ve been here all month!”

Think about the details. God inspired and blessed the work. He was present in the midst of the work the whole time. And the work was small and seemingly insignificant. Notice too that God isn’t fussing about a lack of progress or the scale of the undertaking. Instead, He is encouraging them in the midst of their success. (Yes, they were actually succeeding!) The presence and provision of God don’t always add up to our definition of big and significant.

God goes a step further in 2:6-9. “‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts…” By the time God gets out of the temple construction business, Solomon’s temple will pale in comparison. Knowing the glory at the end of the line sure helps the work on the line, doesn’t it?

Truth is, none of us are rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. But are the works that God has prepared for us to do, as Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, of any less consequence? Remember how impressed Jesus was with the widow’s mite? What about the woman who washed His feet with her tears? What about your choice to be Christ-like in your parenting or at your place of employment? What about the meal you fixed for your neighbor? What about the time you spent listening to someone’s loss? What about the word of encouragement you gave or the forgiveness you extended to your spouse?

Aren’t these and more the good works that He has prepared for us? His handiwork is significant; both you and the works He has prepared for you!

Satan doesn’t want you to return to God’s work. When you return, he doesn’t want you to continue. He will shame you with someone else’s success. Resist the devil and he will flee. God is present. He’s ready to leave the past and move on to bigger and better things. Will we keep working? Even in the small and seemingly insignificant ways?

This afternoon, before I put the finishing touches on this blog, my son ran the 800 meters in the elementary school track meet. It didn’t turn out like he dreamed it would. As we left, he said he felt embarrassed. Haggai 2 was rolling around in my heart as we walked to the car. “Sometimes, son, life doesn’t turn out like we dream. Sometimes it’s embarrassing. We feel like quitting. I’m so proud that you kept going and finished. You finished well.”

I took my son to Sonic to celebrate his effort. A kid’s meal with a cheeseburger, tator-tots, and a cherry limeade. How much more will God do when we finish the race He has set before us?

Can you say, “Eternal Reward”?

Two Reasons To Call

While my daughter had her learner’s permit one of the things I tried to teach her was a sense of direction. The experience was a little like Yoda working with Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back…I felt older and smaller and greener by the time we were done!

Her task was to find her way home from downtown Austin. She had to pretend that I wasn’t there. I could offer no feedback on her driving or her decisions. She was very brave as she drove in circles; but we weren’t going to make it home. I began to wonder what she would do. Suddenly she turned into a parking lot which we had seen a couple of times already. She pulled into a parking place and opened her cell phone. My phone started ringing and you guessed it, “Dad, I’m lost. Can you help me?” We both busted out laughing!

Do you call your Father when you’ve gotten yourself into a mess? My first thought is often “regroup and rethink in order to resolve.” Prayer isn’t necessarily my first impulse. Why don’t we turn to our Father first and fast? I think it may have a lot to do with who we think He is. Is He really merciful and gracious? Really?

In I Samuel 8:1-9 the Israelites had come to a crossroads. The need for a new leader loomed on the horizon. Samuel, the prophet God had raised up for them, was advanced in years. His sons lacked the integrity to lead in his absence. The elders of Israel had come up with a bad idea, “…appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.”

The essence of their request was blatant to God, “…they have rejected Me from being king over them.” What did their plans do to His heart? It was another rejection in a long list of rejections. It must have been a little like pouring salt in an open wound. Yet even in the midst of that rejection God was trying to help them by warning them of the consequences of their choice. He didn’t hammer them; He helped them. This is mercy and grace played out in living color.

God’s warning concludes in 8:18, “…you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” “Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” God responded, “Listen to their voice, and appoint them a king.”

Now comes a striking series of events recorded in I Samuel 9-11. Samuel, under the Lord’s direction, chose Saul as king. Saul, by means of the Spirit of God, delivered the nation from the Ammonites. Israel routed the Ammonites and Saul knew Who did the routing, “…today the Lord has accomplished deliverance in Israel.”

What’s so striking? Hebrew Scriptures have recorded this same type of deliverance over and over, right? What’s striking is that the selection of Saul and the deliverance of the nation immediately follows the nation’s rejection of the Lord. He doesn’t give them what our world says they deserve…divorce. He gives them what our world says they don’t deserve…deliverance. That’s mercy and grace, again.

It gets even more striking. If you continue to follow the story you will see that the Israelites don’t realize the error of their ways until I Samuel 12:19, after the rout of the Ammonites. “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”

So even before they confessed their sin, our God had poured out mercy and grace on them. Before they knew what they had done! Before they offered any apology! Before they did any make-up work!

What kind of mercy and grace is this? It is nothing less than supernatural. It is bizarre. Our world would call it inappropriate. And it is changing my prayer life.

My daughter is out of the nest now. She is very much on her own and handling herself so well. It thrills my heart whenever she calls to ask for help. It doesn’t matter if she made the mess or the mess was thrust upon her. I rejoice that she chose to call me. How much more when we call our merciful and gracious Father in Heaven?

Life at the Crossroads when God is being Subtle

“Lord, what do You want me to do? Your word doesn’t speak directly to this crossroads in my life. I have multiple options that are moral and even wise. Which way should I go?”

Ever prayed words like these in the quiet of your heart? Perhaps you’re pacing back and forth at a crossroads right now. The well-intended advice we receive during these times ranges all over the map. Some advice is subjective and mysterious…”Look for the place where God is working and join Him.” The other end of the spectrum sounds very clean & logical…”While God has a moral will for your life He doesn’t have a specific will for your life. Be biblically wise and simply choose.”

A lot of ink has dried on the subject of knowing God’s will. Wise and godly people have come down on different sides of the fence. Go to the local Christian book store and you’ll be surprised by the number of sides this fence can have. This blog promises no rule of thumb to apply to any situation quickly and cleanly. In fact, if all that’s been written elsewhere were a bonfire then what follows is simply another log on that fire. My prayer is that you’ll be a little better equipped to deal with the next fork in the road.

A recent journey through Esther reminded me that God is an expert at subtlety. In the middle of the book I was struck by the words of Mordecai to Esther, in 4:13-14.

“Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Strong conviction for such subtle times. Elsewhere in Scripture a prophet sent from God often steps onto the scene and says, “Thus says the Lord…” Mordecai had no such person to advise him. Remember there are no prophets in the book of Esther; God never speaks a word. How does Mordecai lead Esther with such strong conviction?

Remember Mordecai’s resources. He would have the first five books of the Bible and many more to boot. Even with a limited selection of Hebrew Scripture, Mordecai had several black and white truths to apply to his gray world. A quick list includes the promises given to Abraham & David for the nation and it’s king. He would have the Mosaic Law and promises that God would not abandon His people to exile. With access to the major prophets Daniel & Ezekiel, Mordecai would have glimpsed the end of the age. Mixed into all that he had would be a revelation of God’s character as well.

So put yourself in Mordecai’s shoes for a moment. With what you know from Scripture, is there an eternal future for the people of Israel? Can anyone wipe the Jews from the face of the earth? Is the God of Abraham faithful to keep His promises? Will they be in the Promise Land? Will the Messiah reign over them eternally?

Mordecai doesn’t know how the people will be saved. He doesn’t know if each and every one will be saved from physical death. He doesn’t know if God has placed Esther in a position of royalty to facilitate deliverance. Mordecai admits his lack of total insight into God’s work in the given situation. He applies what he knows to the unknown. “Relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews.”

Who else do we know in Scripture that acts this way? How about Abraham? The cliff notes remind us that Isaac was the chosen heir through whom the covenant blessings would come, Genesis 17:15-21. God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22:2, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering…”

Abraham didn’t know how God would provide. He didn’t know if Isaac would actually die. But he applied what he knew to his unknown. In Genesis 17:19 the Lord promised, “I will establish My covenant with (Isaac) for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Abraham knew Isaac would live or live again and even have kids.

Two pieces of relief are settling in my heart. First, it’s okay that I don’t have all the answers. Like Mordecai I’ll have to sometimes say, “Who knows?” Secondly, the black & white truth of Scripture is the fuel of firm conviction in the times of uncertainty. So the more familiar I am with Scripture the better equipped I’ll be at the fork in the road.

Here’s a piece of truth from Matthew 6:26 to hold at your crossroads today. “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” Your value is decided even in the time of your own indecision.

The View from the Ditch

Coming face to face with personal sin is a lot like waking up to find that you’ve driven your car into the ditch on the side of the road. We call a tow truck when we drive our car into the ditch. We don’t necessarily call God when we are face to face with our sin. Why is that?

From the ditch we might think God is like an angry boss, or as committed as an ex-spouse, or even a giant exterminator in the sky. Frankly I don’t think too well about God when I’m in the ditch. God’s revelation of Himself in Haggai is a tremendous help. Haggai records the Israelite’s encounter with God in the ditch of their sin. The events of chapter one encourage me to call to God from the midst of my failure.

A little context from Ezra 3 tells us the Israelites had dedicated the foundation of the new temple in 536BC. Adversity had arisen and the work on the temple ground to a halt for 16 years. Adversity had stopped the work. Self-centeredness kept it from starting again. The priority of the Israelites had shifted from the Temple to their homes. The temple lay desolate while the people picked wallpaper for their living rooms.

God had confronted the sin of the people but to no avail, Haggai 1:1-11 lets us listen in as God is even more direct. “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in paneled houses while (the temple) lies desolate?…Consider your ways!…Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple.” Verses 12-15 tell us the Israelites obeyed and reverenced the Lord and started working on the temple.

Notice God’s response wedged in the middle of that last sequence of events. After the Israelite’s obedience and reverence in verse 12 and before they began to work in 14b, verses 13-14a record something striking. “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel…Joshua…and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.” That’s amazing.

God had brought the Israelites back from 70 years of exile and they had shouted for joy at the completion of the temple’s foundation. Adversity came and they fell into a self-centered life style for something close to 16 years. The rebuke of Haggai 1 led to a measure of repentance and God blessed the Israelites… immediately! Roughly sixteen years wasted on self-centeredness and God immediately moved to bless and empower the Israelites for His will when they responded positively to His conviction.

God isn’t like the angry boss who holds a grudge. His commitments are not passing, evaporating like the morning dew. He isn’t the great exterminator. The view from the Israelite’s ditch is quite the contrary. I see a God who is merciful, faithful, even gracious.

Satan would have us employ any number of strategies when we finally face the reality of the ditch, anything other than calling out to God. How about living in shame and guilt? How about acting like there is no sin? How about trying to get others to join you in the ditch? How about hiding from God? How about trying to cover your sin with good works?

How about running to the One who loves you instead? For He is merciful, faithful, even gracious.

If it was a snake it would have bit you!

I have this reoccurring problem in my life, I can’t find things. When I find them they are often in plain sight. My dad would always say, “If it was a snake it would have bit you!” The list of things that could have bit me include car keys, milk (on the shelf in the fridge!), toothpaste, car keys, wallet, streets, large buildings (seriously!), and did I mention my car keys?

I wonder how often I overlook God’s work in my life. It seems like a valid question in light of Paul’s word to the Philippians, “God is at work in your hearts both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Paul doesn’t say, “God was at work” or “God will eventually be at work.” God is at work right now! And since He is at work I wonder all the more, “How often do I overlook God’s work in my life?”

I think I’m catching some of the big stuff… a place to live during seminary, a scholarship to finish seminary, a place to live in a period of unemployment, a scholarship for my daughter that arrived on her eighteenth birthday. Believe me that’s the short list. Have you met my family and friends? I am a wealthy man and that wealth is from my heavenly Father. Now if I’m only seeing some of the big stuff then how much of the smaller stuff do I see?

I recently worked my way through the book of Esther and it has challenged me to realize anew that God is involved. He’s subtle but He’s shepherding. Esther is a testimony to God’s ability to watch over His people, a truth found throughout the Bible, but the divine deliverance found in her story stands alone on Scripture’s landscape. I think it’s one of the strangest books in Scripture. Not because it is difficult to follow but because God is never seen in the story. He is never mentioned.

Why would God inspire a writer to record the deliverance of His people but not record God’s part in that deliverance? I wonder if He wants me to know what it looks like when He chooses to act in subtle ways. I wonder if He wants me to have a picture of what it looks like to trust Him when He isn’t dealing His shock & awe cards on to the table of life.

Read the first two chapters of Esther and tell me what you see? Power? Parties so extravagant they make Hollywood look like high school? Decorations that would make Martha Stewart swoon? Did you see the insecurity in the king when the first queen refused to be another trophy at the his party? Chapter 2 looks like a sick version of The Dating Game (Think TV in the 60’s!). I like the idea of going to the spa for a year but to be one of at least 137 other women who are each given one night to please the king isn’t lovely, it’s sick.

One more question, did you see God? I can’t find the slightest hint of His presence.

Things spiral down in the next two chapters. We are introduced to the villain Haman and witness his success at securing the rights to kill all the Jews in the kingdom… men, women, and children. At this point I’m thinking, “Well, if I were God, this is where I would step on the stage and make things right. Here is where I would prove myself the hero. Here is where I would show the world my power and my faithfulness.” God never steps out from behind the curtain. No lightening. No parting of the sea. Haman doesn’t turn to dust.

What happens? How are the Jews delivered from Haman? The nuts and bolts of the deliverance are amazingly simple: Esther calls for a fast, she hosts two banquets and the king who couldn’t sleep just happened to read in his biography how Mordecai had once saved his life. By the time that second banquet is done the deliverance of the Jews had begun and would grow to such proportions that it would become an annual holiday for the nation.

God never steps foot on stage but somewhere during the king’s sleepless night I began to think, “You’re here, aren’t You!” Proverbs 21:1 flashes to mind even now, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Suddenly I turn back to Chapter 1 and realize, “You were here too, weren’t You!” I go to the perversion of chapter 2 and am amazed, “You were here, too!” Here in the midst of a godless mess, my God was at work to deliver His chosen people before the need even arose. Amazing! Oh, how my heart rejoices to receive a glimpse of my Shepherd’s skill!

My hyperactive mind starts ping ponging into the halls of power in the 21st century, the moral and the immoral, and I think, “You’re there!” I start thinking about dysfunctional workplaces and homes that seem hopeless for the apparent lack of God’s presence and think, “You’re there, right behind the curtains.” I think about my own dark closets of dysfunction and weakness. My subtle Shepherd is here! He is not absent and I am not alone. Neither are you!

Roll around in it, would you? Roll in it like a dog rolls in the grass on a sunny day! May God be glorified in our refreshed joy and hope.

Another encounter with God’s subtlety

The saying goes, “Desperate times require desperate measures.” I wonder if God always agrees. Yes, there are plenty of times where He responds to desperate times in big, bold ways. But the more I search the pages of His Word the more I’m convinced that He is equally apt to respond to desperate times in small, subtle ways. Take Elijah as an example.

I Kings 18 records Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and the miracles that followed God’s overwhelming victory. From that mountain top experience we follow Elijah into a deep spiritual valley in I Kings 19. By the time we get to 19:4 the valley is so deep he invites God to take his life. This guy is tapped out. He is a man of God. His spiritual roots run deep and… he is at the end of his frayed rope. Can you identify with Elijah? I can!

These are desperate times for Elijah. At this point one might expect some grand form of deliverance and subsequent victory, instead the Angel of the Lord feeds Elijah bread and water. Bread and water!? Elijah isn’t lifted from the valley. He is simply sustained in the valley and in the strength of that food Elijah continues his journey southward to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Now perhaps God will respond to His tapped out soldier with a little flash and bang. Perhaps He will demonstrate His incredible power. Perhaps more fire from heaven? Perhaps another jolt of physical strength like the one in 18:46 that enabled Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot to the town of Jezreel, a distance of at least 30 miles. If it were up to me I would invoke the creed, “Desperate times require desperate measures!” Take a moment to read I Kings 19:9-13.

It’s almost like God is featuring His ability to be subtle. He does the flash and bang of the tornado, earthquake and fire but does not speak to Elijah in them. “The Lord was not in the wind… not in the earthquake… not in the fire.” Then there is the sound of a gentle blowing and God speaks to Elijah. In comparison to the tornado, the earthquake, and the fire the gentle blowing seems like a whisper to me. This thought takes a moment for me to digest. “God whispers to Elijah at a time when Elijah’s circumstances are screaming in his ears?” Goodness gracious, He whispers!

On the one hand I’m confronted with God’s choice to act in such a subtle fashion. He is, once again, my subtle Shepherd not just the Shepherd of shock and awe. My expectations for God’s personal involvement in my life become better educated. My radar for His work in my life is better tuned. I’m a little more comfortable with the quiet, knowing His ways can also be quiet.

On the other hand I’m challenged concerning my response to His subtlety in my circumstances. Is God’s whisper enough for me in the deepest of valleys? Honestly, I have had times when I have refused his quiet answer. Almost kicking and screaming, I’ve tried to get God to save me on my terms.

I remember trying this on my mom one day in the hall. I was a little kid who wasn’t getting what he wanted. I’d heard about the potential effectiveness of throwing a fit from other kids. That day I decided it was time to play hardball with my mom. Down to the floor I went kicking and screaming like the best of them. My mom didn’t even acknowledge me! She actually stepped over me as she went on with the business of her day. (By the way, my mom reads this blog… Way to go Mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you!) Pitching a fit didn’t work with her and I’ve found my arsenal of “fits” don’t work with God. Others have found the same… think about our friend Job or even Jonah, the reluctant missionary.

So my Shepherd is subtle, able to be personally involved without dominating the stage. Will I cooperate when He operates quietly? I walk away encouraged to let Him come to me on His terms, and then trust that His terms are best in the moment.