Something Else to Glory In

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Pete

Don’t know why it was on our radar, but it was. Can’t really point to anything in either of our backgrounds that caused us to discuss this early in our married life, but we did. As I recall it, after the birth of our first child, or maybe it was after the second, we consciously and verbally agreed that we would not find our worth through our kids.. We resolved that we would not put the pressure on our girls to be responsible for our sense of accomplishment. That what they did or who they became would not be the basis for how we would feel about ourselves. Sure, we wanted them to do their best. We were proud when they shone because of their character or conduct. But we would not press their performance so that we could feel good about ourselves.

And it’s not just our kids that we might be tempted to define our achievements by. For some, it could be their career–how well they’ve done climbing the ladder. For others it might be how much they know. Some might measure the weight of their accomplishments by the size of their bank accounts or the number of toys in their yard. Still others might attach worth to how well groomed and tuned their body is. Not saying that any of these things aren’t valid things to pursue and enjoy. But, after reading in Jeremiah this morning, I’m reminded that none of these are really what we should be boasting about. But that there is something else to glory in.

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

(Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)

They just hadn’t got it. Somehow they figured they could go through the motions of worshiping the God of Israel and still service the god of their appetites and the god of the world. The people of God thought they could bring their offerings to the altar of Jehovah in the morning and then bow down before the altar of Baal in the afternoon. That they could claim all the benefits of being the chosen of the Holy One of Israel, with little or no thought as to their own personal pursuit of holiness. That they could listen to God’s word and then decide to follow their own hearts. For far too long the people had been on the slippery slope of “perpetual backsliding” (Jer. 8:5), finding their sense of well-being in all the wrong things. And in the midst of God’s word through Jeremiah pronouncing judgment on a wayward and hard-hearted people, the Almighty makes an appeal, “Glory in something else.”

“Boast in this,” says our God, “that you understand and know Me.” That you get what makes Me tick. That I am the God of steadfast love. That by My very nature I define love (1Jn. 4:8, 16). And that I am the God who delights in justice, placing a premium on integrity and impartiality. Moreover, that I am the God who, because of my very being, demands holiness. So much so, that I sent my Son to cleanse away the impurity of sin and replace it with His own Divine perfection. Crediting righteousness to the account of everyone who believes.

Exult in this, that through My word and by My Spirit you have, in some measure, come to possess the mind of Christ who is the radiance of My glory and the exact imprint of My nature. Brag about the fact that the things of this earth continue to grow dim as the pursuit of a heavenly kingdom becomes more prominent. And this not because of your great works, but by the great work in you by Him who has called you to be His own.

So many things that we can attach our carts to. So many things that we can look to for how successful we are. So many things we can glory in. But there’s something else to glory in.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

(Galatians 6:14 ESV)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

(1John 5:20 ESV)

I will glory in something else. I will boast in the LORD my God.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Legacy

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Pete

Solomon held nothing back. When it came to life, he was all in . . . peddle to the metal. If he could learn it, he’d study around the clock. If he could grow it, he’d devote acres to it. If he could build it, he’d mega-size it and wouldn’t skimp on the materials. If he could accumulate it, whether it be riches, livestock, slaves, or wives, he would make sure he had a lot of it. No calm waters left in his wake. Look back on a lifetime of effort and there was achievement and success scattered everywhere. But at the end of it all, he hated it all.

So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.

(Ecclesiastes 2:17-19 ESV)

When our girls were growing up we taught them that hate is a strong word. Maybe that’s why it kind of jarred me this morning to see it repeated as the ultimate grade given to a life lived so massively.

What caused Solomon to give himself such an epic fail on doing life? It’s not that he didn’t know stuff. It’s not that he wasn’t a good king. Nothing wrong with the structures built, the vineyards planted, and the forests established. Bank account was looking good, and retirement wasn’t a concern. The hills were full of his herds and flocks and, it wouldn’t surprise me if most everyone who worked for him probably liked him . . . I’m guessing the 1,000 ladies in the Hotel Harem were sweet on him as well. So what’s not to look back on with a certain sense of accomplishment?

It wasn’t what he saw when he looked back. It’s what he realized as he looked forward. Everything he had built, accumulated, and loved would be left to someone else. None of it was going to do him a bit of good. His lifetime of investment “under the sun” ultimately would be someone else’s to enjoy . . . or destroy.

And so, at the end of his life, he looked back in despair and hated his life–it was just a striving after wind. He considered all his toil had produced and, knowing it could very well end up in the hands of a fool as easily as it could the wise, he hated all that he had worked for.

Heavy sigh!

But what if, instead of a lifetime devoted to building a legacy he’d have to leave behind, he could have worked for a legacy that could be enjoyed not just for this lifetime but also for the one to come?

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

~ Paul to Timothy (1Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

~ Jesus to those with ears to hear (Matthew 6:19-20 ESV)

It’s not that going big is bad. Not that working hard should be avoided. Not even that desiring to build a legacy is wrong. But if it’s just about investing in what’s “under the sun,” take heed. The reality of that being the sum total of a life lived may not be too satisfying. But, if instead the investments are truly about the future, our eternal future . . . if the treasures we seek to store up are in the B of H (Bank of Heaven) . . . if the legacy that compels us is that which is done for the glory of Another . . . then, like Solomon, hold nothing back.

Legacy. What would we want? He walked in a weary manner, or he walked in a worthy manner? She built herself up, or she lifted her Savior up? They accumulated a lot of stuff, or they distributed a lot of grace? They accomplished their bucket list, or they had completed God’s bucket list for them, running the race and fighting the good fight? Everything left behind, or treasures in heaven drawn upon for an eternity?

Might we establish a truly living legacy . . . laying hold of that which is “truly life.”

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.

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If I Knew . . . I Still Would

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Pete

Kind of interesting how observations from two completely unrelated passages can come together to get the mind churning. Something I read this morning from a preacher and then a reminder concerning a prophet came together and started me thinking. Noodling on this journey of faith we are on and wondering “what if.” What if, back then, I had known all that would lie ahead? What if, when I received Christ as Savior and started to run the race set before me, I had been given a detailed program of every stage of the race? What if I had a play-by-play description of all that would lie ahead of me–every mountain top, every valley? Every victory, every defeat? Every blessing, every hardship? If I knew then what would befall us now, would I still embrace the journey. By God’s grace, I think I still would.

Here’s how it played out this morning. First observation? Something Solomon wrote.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. . . . “For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:1, 18 ESV)

Modern translation: Ignorance is bliss. Yeah, it is. Hard (though not impossible) to get bent out of shape about something that isn’t even on the radar. But apply your heart as Solomon did to “search out wisdom and all that is done under the sun” (1:13) and set that in the brain of a guy with the IQ that David’s son must have possessed, and that’s a lot to handle! Especially when so much of it seems to make so little sense “under the sun.” So that was the “set up” for what grabbed me afresh in my next reading.

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. . . . They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”

(Jeremiah 1:4-5, 19 ESV)

Modern translation: I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news. Good news? I am God, I formed you, I knew you before you were born, and I have called you to be my spokesman. Not so good news? Most won’t want to listen. In fact, a lot of them won’t settle for just an apathetic deafness but will respond with aggressive opposition. And it’s gonna hurt . . . sometimes a lot! It’ll be a battle at times, a battle you’ll feel like your losing. But . . . and this is a pretty big BUT . . . they shall not overcome you, for I am with you.

So how’s that for “God made you and has a wonderful plan for your life?” Jeremiah was told up front that his race wouldn’t just be a marathon . . . it would be an extreme endurance race through an obstacle course he couldn’t fully imagine. Ignorance gone . . . the bliss disappears. Buckle up, Jeremiah!

And he did. By God’s grace . . . clinging to God’s promise . . . drawing on God’s enabling Power, Jeremiah still sets out to be God’s man doing God’s work knowing more about God’s plan for his life than most of us ever do.

And so I think to myself, “Self, what about you? If God had revealed to you all that would lie before you on that day He revealed Himself to you, would you still?” And I sit here this morning finding myself answering, “If I knew . . . I still would.”

Not because of anything I am. Not gonna find me signing up for an “Iron Man” or a Spartan obstacle course of any kind. It’s just not in me. And I still would, not just because the blessings have far exceeded the hardships, but because of something else that jumped off the page in my last reading this morning:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

(James 1:2-4 ESV)

If I knew, I still would . . . because I believe God’s word is true. That His promises are sure. And so, I trust God through it all–the mountains and the valleys–to complete the work He has begun in us (Php. 1:6). That He allows our faith to be tested so that it might bear the fruit of patient endurance. And that patient endurance will be one of the tools used to chisel the very nature of Christ into us as He conforms us to the image of His Son (8:29). And that the grace which has led us safe thus fall, will also lead us home. That everything endured “under the sun” is just that, “under the sun.” But it will give way one day to beholding the Son of glory, in a state “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” And the former things will pale in comparison.

Honestly, I’m good with a bit of “bliss.” Don’t need to know a lot about tomorrow. Enough to handle today.

But I know who holds tomorrow. And He whispers in my ear, “They shall not prevail against you, for I am with you.”

If I knew . . . I still would.

By His all-sufficient grace. For His all-deserving glory.

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The Promise and The Power

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Pete

Confession time: I do lousy at long-distance relationships. I don’t see you, I have a tough time (aka I fail miserably) keeping in touch with you. I envy those who phone, write, and travel in order to maintain relationships with people outside their zip code (postal code for my Canadian brothers and sisters). And it’s not that I don’t value the friendships. I do and I’m so glad when we have the rare opportunity to cross paths. But, for whatever reason, I pretty much tank when it comes to doing life with those many miles way.

Maybe that’s why something I read in the closing verses of Luke’s gospel has got me thinking. Because it’s a reminder to this out-of-sight-out-of-mind guy to make the effort to be working my relationship with Someone else who I never see. And it’s not that I don’t see Him because He lives far away. In fact, He occupies the same space as I do around the clock, seven days a week. But this long distance feeling is way too easy to experience because, though He’s ever present, He’s also invisible. He is spirit. He is the Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity. So this morning I’m chewing on the reminder of the Promise and the Power.

“And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”   ~ Jesus

(Luke 24:49 ESV)

The risen Christ is soon to be the ascended Christ (24:51). Goodbye earth, hello heaven. Talk about your far away feeling. But though He is about to leave His own, He will not leave them alone. He has already told them that He would ask the Father to send them Someone else to draw alongside them (John 14:16). Another Counselor, like Christ Himself, to lead them into truth and teach them what they need to know (John 14:26). An Advocate connecting these pilgrims on earth with their kingdom in heaven (Rom. 8:16, 26). Someone who will take their discipleship to the next level–so much so that Jesus said, “Me going, and Him coming, is to your advantage” (John 16:7).

And this One that Jesus said He would send is the Promise and the Power.

The Promise of the Father. Spoken of long ago through the prophets as the Game-Changer. The Regenerator of diseased spiritual DNA. The Revealer of the Word and Ways of the Creator. The Reviver of those trapped in lethargic, two-faced religious rites. Through Jeremiah, He promised a dynamic given by which He would write His law upon their hearts (Jer. 31:33). By Ezekiel, He promised a new spirit put within His people so that hearts of stone would become hearts of flesh (Ezek. 11:19). And through Joel, God said He would pour out His spirit and give power (Joel 2:28-29).

The power of God. Such power as never conceived. The power of signs and wonders that testified to the truth of the gospel (Rom. 15:18-19). The power that raised Christ from the dead (Rom. 1:4). Immeasurably great power given to those who believe (Eph. 1:19).

Invisible power? Yes. But not unknowable power. An out of sight Promise? Unfortunately, for me. But not out of reach. I can walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 18, 25). I can bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). I can sow to the Spirit and reap the realities of eternal life (Gal. 6:8).

The Promise and the Power. It is mine by His grace. O, that I might nurture and know the reality of this relationship for His glory.

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A Bit of the Presence While Waiting for the Promise

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Pete

One of those mornings where I feel a bit dry even after having sipped from the well of His Word. Nothing really coming to mind and so I go back through my journal and see what thoughts were stirred in previous years when I read these passages in my reading plan. And this morning, a bit of a surprise. Something I captured back in 2011 just seemed to be the encouragement I needed. Chewed on it this morning as I re-worked it a bit. God is good . . .

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Part way through Isaiah 63 you kind of get the sense that the prophet “hits the wall.” It’s been 63 chapters detailing the sin of Israel and God’s determination to judge them via the violence and oppression of the nations surrounding them. And of God’s righteous judgment upon those nations who, while being His rod of judgment on wayward Israel, would not escape His wrath for their arrogance and vile behaviors.

And though Isaiah is also given a vision of the mercy of God and the restoration of Israel, informed of the promise of God to send His Holy Servant to redeem His people, he doesn’t really see that happen in his lifetime. Instead, he witnesses the destruction and the judgment of God. And then in Isaiah 63 it seems he pauses. He takes off his prophets hat and puts on his prayer shawl. He turns his face upward and cries out in need of God. And it seems to get very personal.

“Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are Your zeal and Your might? The stirring of Your inner parts and Your compassion are held back from me.”

(Isaiah 63:15 ESV)

At some point it’s hard for it not to become about us. While we know the promises of God . . . while we seek to rest in Him and trust Him and wait for Him, let’s not be surprised if there comes a time when we also find ourselves crying out, “Where are You?” We shouldn’t be shocked if, at some point, we find ourselves thinking, “God, I know You’re up there in Your holy and glorious dwelling place. But I need You to look down . . . or at least let me know You’re looking down.”

We can know the promises of God, but sometimes we just need to experience a bit of the presence of God. Isaiah knew that the Redeemer of Israel would eventually act on their behalf, He just wanted it now!!! And maybe not so much about acting on Israel’s behalf, but how about just a reminder that God cared for Isaiah?

Isaiah stood in the fiery ruins of what was once their holy and beautiful temple. He could look around and see that Zion was a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation. All the physical glory of Israel was laid waste. (Isa. 64:10-11) He knew the promises of God–that one day He would restore all things–but, for right now, He just needed a bit of a reminder. He needed a bit of the presence of God while he waited for the promise of God.

Isn’t that what I need sometimes–a bit of the presence while I wait for the promise? A reminder of God’s zeal and heart for me? Some touch from heaven that assures me of His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me? Something that reminds me of His steadfast love so that I might confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.” (Heb. 13:5b-6)?

And so, like Isaiah, I can find myself also crying out . . .

“Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence . . . ”

(Isaiah 64:1 ESV)

Isaiah is so ready for the Mighty Redeemer of Israel to step on to the scene, intervene, and make things right. He has heard heaven declare that the glory of the Holy, Holy, Holy LORD of Hosts fills the whole earth (Isa 6:1-3), now he wants to see it. Now it’s time to “get ‘er done.” No more waiting . . . “Let’s get ready to rumble!!!”

Isaiah is looking for the Glorious Appearing of Christ to once for all do battle with His enemies and set up His kingdom of righteousness here on earth. He knows the promise . . . time for the Presence.

And I’m reminded that God has come down. That the heavens have been breached in Jesus’ first coming. That through His death and resurrection the curtain to the Holy of Holies has been rend from top to bottom. And that the need for a “bit of presence” is entirely within my reach. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)

Sin has been judged. The sinner declared righteous by faith. Heaven opened up. The Holy Spirit descended.

And I can look up . . . ask Him to look down and remind me of His thoughts to me . . . and through His Spirit inside me, know a bit of the presence.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

(Romans 8:16 ESV)

Oh, that I would have ears to hear the Spirit within me. That I would keep the way open for His still small voice to speak. That I would know a bit of the presence while I cling to the promise.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Acceptable Worship

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Pete

It seems there’s going facedown and then there’s going facedown. One almost out of compulsion–almost forced through trembling fear. The other an act of glorious freedom, willingly fueled by high regard and godly, reverent fear. The first, going facedown because you’re shaking in your boots. The other, hitting the ground because of an overwhelming desire to bow the knee. Both have their place, I guess. But the latter, according to my reading this morning, is acceptable worship.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

(Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV)

Hebrews 12 concludes with a discussion about two mountains, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Both revealing the glory of God. Sinai like an erupting volcano, “a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest” (v.18). The voice of God rumbling over it and then exploding like “the sound of a trumpet.” DO NOT ENTER! signs posted around the perimeter lest anyone should approach too close to this holy hill and die. So terrifying was the sight of this footstool of God that even Moses, who was somewhat accustomed to standing on holy ground, would say, “I tremble with fear” (v. 21).

But . . . oh glorious word, but . . . “But you have come to Mount Zion” (v.22-24). Unlike Sinai, where the glory descended in order to give the law, this mount is the city of the living God where all are welcomed and invited to come. And anyone can RSVP simply by trusting in the blood of the Lamb shed for their sin. It is the heavenly Jerusalem, a place of gathering. Countless angels in festive celebration congregated there. Joined with the souls of myriads more who constitute “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” And in their midst is Jesus, “the mediator of a new covenant.”

Mount Zion, that’s the hill we’ve been called to.

Sinai had it’s day but was temporary, pointing to something better. Just as the law given on that mount was never intended to bring about lasting righteousness before God but could only act as “our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). And though it drove people to go facedown because of the clouds and flames and deafening thunder, it was always intended to give way to a better hill and better motivation for worship.

For, while Sinai was only intended for a season, Zion was established for eternity. It is everlasting. Persevering through the ages in the hearts of those who wait for the day when this kingdom of faith is manifest in all it’s glory–the glory of God. And we shall behold our King, and He shall gaze upon His people. And it will be a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Therefore, let us give thanks. Thus, let us offer to God, acceptable worship.

Not because we have to but because we get to. Not out of compulsion where we are forced to our knees, but out of celebration because we have been welcomed into the Holy of Holies through the blood of Christ by the wooing of the Spirit according to the loving desire of the Father.

And so, though humbly, we enter confidently. The gates open. The way prepared. And we worship with acceptable worship. Not in trembling dread, but in reverence, awe, and godly fear.

We gladly and willingly go facedown. Continually offering, in a manner well pleasing to the God of Creation, the “sacrifice of praise . . ., that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Heb. 13:5).

Because of His wonderful grace. Ascribing forever His everlasting glory.

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The Harvest

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Pete

God is in the fruit making business. That’s the testimony of Scripture this morning. I encountered two witnesses to that fact–one in the Old Testament ,the other in the New. And they testify that though the growing process might be hard, God’s intent is that fruit might be born. That God’s desire is for the harvest.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal him.”

(Isaiah 57:18-19 ESV)

. . . but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

(Hebrews 12:10b-11 ESV)

The prophet Isaiah declares the word of God to the worst of men. To those who have exchanged the living God of promise for the dumb idols of pleasure. To those who forfeited life led by the Holy One for an existence bowed before plated images of wood. And though for a time He struck them and hid His face from them in anger because of their iniquity (57:17), yet because of His great love and compassion, and through His inexhaustible grace, the God of heaven promises, “I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry” (57:16).

And so, the God who is high and lifted up, He who inhabits eternity and whose name is Holy, this One who dwells in a high and holy place reaches down to tabernacle also with those who are of a “contrite and lowly spirit” (57:15). He abides with those who forsake their wicked ways and turn to Him with broken hearts. He settles in with those who humbly purpose to seek Him. He comes down to live with those who look up. Having known their transgression, He responds to their brokenness with healing. Having seen their wandering, He purposes afresh to lead them. Having felt their sorrow, He again draws near to comfort them. He enters the storms of their own making and offers peace, double peace, to those both far and near.

The result? Thanksgiving. Praise. Worship. The fruit of the lips. The harvest.

And then, I’m reading in the book of Hebrews. Addressed also to God’s people. But to those who are seeking a heavenly land and so, have entered the pilgrim’s path. To those surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and yet are enduring a great deal of suffering. Not necessarily of their own making due to their own sin, but, it would seem, of their own making due to their faithfulness and their determination to stand against sin and its army of opposition.

And in this struggle there is a temptation to grow weary and fainthearted. To cash it in. To tap out. And to these believers the prophetic voice says, “Endure it as discipline. Look upon it at as the Father treating you as His children so that you might share in His holiness.” And to those who see it in such a light, to those who hang in there as they hang onto the promise, to those who lift up their drooping hands and strengthen their weakening knees and make straight again paths for their feet (12:12), their will be a peace-filled reaping from what has been sown.

The result? A participation in the divine nature reflecting His divine character. The fruit of righteousness. The harvest.

I enter the day reminded that my God is in the fruit making business. Mine is to, as much as lies within me, provide some soil to work with. To humble myself in the sight of the Lord and seek His abiding presence. To not be discouraged at whatever trial or testing might be before me, but to invite the hand of a good, good Father to continue to work His perfect work in my life. and in the lives of those dear to me. To know the Potter’s hand through the ever-present Spirit as He conforms me to the image of His beloved Son.

Mine is to keep on keepin’ on as a I participate in the harvest.

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name.

(Hebrews 13:15 ESV)

Because of His amazing grace. All for His everlasting glory.

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I Come

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Pete

Even in a bit of a fog, the invitation is clear. Though we got home way too late last night from a wedding we attended about 2.5 hours away, and I’m thinking I’ve gotten up way too early this morning, still the appeal in Isaiah 55 has a way of breaking through. Even in a cloud, the voice of God breaks through as I hover over the word of God being amplified by the Spirit of God. The repetition helps. Five times the ask is made. Five times the urgent plea is extended. And mine this morning is just to accept the invitation. It’s to say yes to the entreaty. “Yes Lord, I come.”

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, My steadfast, sure love for David.”

(Isaiah 55:1-3 ESV)

Spoken to them but written for us. A plea to wayward Israel, but an invitation to all who have ears to hear. An overture to those then and to us now who thirst and are bankrupt. Through abundant grace, the offer to RSVP extended to all. Ours is simply to come.

Though beyond what we could afford on our own, we’re invited to come and buy wine and milk, and put it on the tab of another. The price paid, ours is to come and eat what is good–to delight ourselves in food that is rich and gives life to the soul. The work finished, we are but to direct our feeble efforts to receiving that which satisfies.

To those with insufficient resources, to those with ebbing strength, the God of Israel offers to all He desires to own as His own an everlasting promise–the eternal pledge of His unfailing and steadfast love.

Love that will quench the thirst. Love that will satisfy the hunger. Love that will give new life to the inner man. Love available through His unfailing mercies which are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness!

Offered by the Father. Offered by the Son.

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

(Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

Rest for the soul. Not because the burden is removed. Not because the trials are taken away. But because we daily accept Jesus’ invitation to come. And each morning we put on the yoke He offers–the love of God found in the Son made real by the Spirit. And the yoke is easy and the burden is light. And the thirst is quenched and the hunger is satisfied. Ours being but to say, “O Lamb of God, I come!”

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Looking to the Reward

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Pete

Faith informs decision making. If there’s anything that the “Moses Exhibit” in Hebrews 11, Faith’s Hall of Fame, tells us, it’s that faith is more than just a creed. A living faith impacts our contemplations and our course-setting. When we come to that fork in the road, what we believe will influence the path we take. It did for those in the Moses Exhibit. It should for us as well.

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

(Hebrews 11:24-26 ESV)

It had been faith-based decision-making that had brought Moses into Pharaoh’s house, and it would be faith-based decision making that would result in his exit. The parents of Moses believed certain things about the nature of God, the sanctity of life, and the reality of a call. As such, they had a disposition. “They were not afraid of the king’s edict” (11:23b) that all sons born to the Israelites were to be cast into the Nile (Ex. 1:22). And so they made a decision, they hid their newborn son from the Egyptians for three months. Then they handed over their son to Pharaoh’s daughter (Ex. 2:1-10). What they believed profoundly impacted how they behaved.

Like parents, like son. Even though he was in a place of privilege because of faith driven determinations, when it came time to choose between Egypt’s world and God’s people, Moses said in effect, “I’ll take afflictions for 500, Alex.” How come? Faith. What he believed about the call of God and the promises of God permeated his pro/con analysis. So much so that he consciously decided to accept pursuing the harder life of God’s people rather than enjoying “the pleasures of sin for a season” (KJV). Sure, it would have been a blast to be a leader in the world of movers and shakers. Kind of a no-brainer when the alternative is to be a nobody in the masses of slaves and servants. But only a no-brainer if what he believed wasn’t factored in.

Faith surveys the race to be run, and realizes this leg is but for a season. It’s fleeting. Whatever pleasures it offers are for only a relatively short time. Faith factors in eternity and concludes this life is but a drop in an ocean. So if it comes down to getting all I can out of the drop, or investing now in maximizing the ocean, “I’ll take God’s ways for 1,000, Alex.”

Faith runs the numbers and concludes that the reproach of Christ is of greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. Sure, Moses could have had power, wealth, and ease. He could have been a man of great worldly influence. Instead he chose, by faith, to heed the call of God. He determined to stand against the courts of power that he could have commanded. In effect, he embraced a cross of suffering he could have avoided. How come? By faith the riches of God’s promises far exceeded any benefit perceived from the return of having the world’s power. Offer me short term gain vs. long term returns and, “I’ll take God’s promises for 2,000, Alex.”

Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Electing to be mistreated with the people of God. Considering reproach of greater gain than worldly treasures. All because of faith-based decision making–“for he was looking to the reward.”

Looking to the reward. An eye on the prize. A confident assurance that what is revealed in the word of God will be realized one day in the presence of God. An abiding belief in the Promiser and His ability to deliver on the promise.

Only one life, twill soon be past,
  Only what’s done for Christ will last.   ~ C.T. Studd

Faith informs decision-making.

Father, keep me looking to the reward.

By Your grace. For Your glory.

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By Faith We Understand

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Pete

Honestly, that the universe was created by the word of God doesn’t make sense apart from faith. We’re talking the universe! Look up! Look way up on a clear night. Or hover over some Hubble telescope images. Or read about new discoveries of far away places. Try and wrap your head around “the universe” and then sit back and chew on this, “Created by the word of God.” Everything that is visible, made out of stuff invisible. What!?! Something from nothing. Where there is now grandeur, there once was a void. Where there is now light, there once was darkness. How did it all come into being?

And God said, “Let there be . . .”

How do you take that in? How do you process it? How do our finite minds perceive such infinite reality? Short answer: By faith we understand.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. . . . By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

(Hebrews 11:1, 3 ESV)

This morning I’m noodling on the dynamic of faith in making sense of that which makes no sense.

Yesterday wasn’t a good day. Nothing changed, just things became a bit more real. And, to be honest again, kind of thinking it doesn’t make much sense. But, by faith we understand.

We understand that a God who is God is Sovereign. Wouldn’t have it any other way. His purposes are pure. Have it come down to “My will be done” vs. “Thy will be done” and, by faith, it only makes sense to go with the ways of the One whose ways are higher than our ways.

We know that God is love. Look afresh upon the cross. Stand in its shadow. Meditate on what manner of love was displayed when God sent His only Son to die for the sins of a rebellious creation. And the God who loved us “unto death” didn’t embrace us only to drop us at some point. No, those He loves He loves to the uttermost, loves to the end — so that even the end becomes a new beginning.

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?

(Romans 8:31-32 ESV)

By faith we understand.

And we perceive to be true, by faith, that the God who created the universe by the word of His mouth is also the designer and builder of an as yet unseen city with a sure foundation (Heb. 11:10). A homeland that transcends this place. A place invisible and intangible while we are at home in the body, but then to be experienced in unimaginable glory when we are present with the Lord. And so we place all the “here and now” in the context of the “there and then” and our pilgrimage to a land not yet seen.

But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.

(Hebrews 11:16 ESV)

By faith we understand. By faith we venture out on another day. Faith not of our own manufacturing, but a faith supplied through God’s all sufficient grace and empowered by His ever present Spirit as we abide in the finished work and sure promises of His ever interceding Son.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

(Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

Yes He does. And Yes He will.

And so, I’ll trust in the LORD with all my heart. I won’t rely on my own understanding. I will continue to acknowledge Him in all my ways, confident that He is directing all my paths . . . and the paths of those dear to me.

By faith I understand.

Through grace overflowing. For His glory everlasting.

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