Beyond the Sun

June 15 2016
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)

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Beyond the Sun

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgement including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

The book of Ecclesiastes can be very confusing and hard to understand, for the author, many times throughout the book, reflects on the meaninglessness of life under the sun. He ponders the unfairness of how the righteous die early and the wicked live long and prosperous lives, seemingly consequence-free. The key phrase here is "under the sun", which represents this life on earth, the here and now, apart from eternity. If you throw away the idea that there is a life after death, you might as well eat, drink, and enjoy the days you have left, for the righteous and the wicked all meet the same end in death under the sun. But the conclusion of this book is not under the sun, but beyond the sun. "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind."

It is very hard to see all the injustice in the world, and very easy to throw up your hands and shout, "It's all meaningless!" Yet, as believers in Christ, we have a hope in a God who lives beyond the sun, and we have a duty to fear, honor, revere, and respect God with our lives and obey His commandments. God will bring everything to justice, which is an encouragement to those who have faith in Jesus, but a strong warning to those who choose to live in opposition to this reality. The question each one must ask is, "How will I choose to live with the time given to me, under the sun?" 

"Lord Jesus, thank You that in You, life is not meaningless. Help me to fear You and keep Your commandments all the days I have left on this earth. Thank You for eternal life that is beyond the sun through faith and belief in You, the one and only Messiah. Amen."

Coming to God's Rescue

May 23 2016
Scripture: Isaiah 37:14-15 (ESV)

Coming to God's Rescue

"Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it, and Hezekiah went up to the House of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord."

The King of Assyria had already conquered many nations along with their idols and man-made "gods", and were foolish enough to think that the city of Judah and the Lord would be as easily conquered. King Hezekiah received their letter of intimidation questioning, "We have you surrounded. Where is your God now?" In desperation Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, asking that they would be saved, and all the nations would know that the Lord is the one true God. 

Hezekiah knew that God could do it, or else he would not have asked, and fallen victim to believing that God was powerless to help His people. God granted the request because of Hezekiah's prayer and struck 185,000 soldiers of Assyria dead overnight, and they left. Hezekiah didn't even need to lift a sword.

There are times in my life when people question God's existence saying, "Where is your God now?" I immediately feel as though I have to somehow come to God's rescue, mustering all the answers I can think of that prove His existence. The truth is God doesn't need my help to prove that He is real. God is the true God whether "the King of Assyria" or anybody else believes it or not. 

Then my mind goes to the question, "Why doesn't He reveal Himself the way I ask Him to, like Hezekiah?" This reminds me of when the religious leaders mocked Jesus on the cross, demanding that He come down from the cross if He was truly God. His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Perhaps, just like why Jesus had to stay on the cross, there is a reason why God would not say "yes" to every request. God doesn't depend on my apologetics to reveal Himself to the world, yet when I pray, not a single word escapes God's ears.

"Lord Jesus, You are the one true God. Help me not to lose sight when the world rejects the truth of who You are. You have a plan; help me to trust it. Amen."

Walk In It

May 17 2016
Scripture: Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)

Walk In It

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"

Personally for me this verse stuck out like stepping on a sharp jagged Lego piece barefoot in the middle of the night. I know the fact that I cannot change anything about my future by worrying and I'm better off trusting God with it, but it's still a struggle to practice daily. I am genuinely excited about the possibilities the future holds, but at the same time I am paralyzed by the unknown. 

As I was sitting down to breakfast this morning I continued my conversation with Isaiah, God's prophet, by reading his account written in the Old Testament. Normally in my Devotional Time, I like to preference the context of the passage, so that I don't take Scripture and form it into what I want it to say. Yet I do believe that this verse spoke to me about what is true when it comes to the future. 

Though Isaiah was speaking to those who lived in Zion, I believe that Christians today have an everlasting guide in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is "the voice behind you" who guides us in the way to go. This was so encouraging to me, for I sometimes fear that I may mess up and take a wrong turn, but if I seek the Holy Spirit's leading, he will confirm the way and encourage me to "walk in it". 

"Lord Jesus, thank You for the comfort of Your Word that reminds me not to worry so much and to believe that You have counted all my days. Help me to listen carefully for Your Spirit's voice directing me. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see. Amen."

Mighty Men of Courage

May 14 2016
Scripture: 1 Chronicles 19:13 (ESV)

Mighty Men of Courage

"Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to Him."

Joab was the commander of King David's "Mighty Men". These were the elite warriors, which only consisted of the top 300 who proved their valor. When Joab saw the two enemy armies, the Ammonites and the Syrians, closing in around his troops, he made a decision. He told Abishai, his brother, to face the one army, while he would face the other. Even when death was staring these men in the face, they displayed great courage, not letting the desperation of avoiding defeat and death sway their battle plan. They trusted God's will completely, even with their lives. Joab was not certain he would survive this day, but his response to "be strong", and trust that God would do what seemed good to Him, is amazing!

If I want to be one of God's "Mighty Men", I must model my idea of courage after such  men of faith. When I'm surrounded by many things, like my future, or stressful situations, or the constant demands of this life, there is a part of me that wants to go hide in a corner and weep. I bet there was a similar part in Joab as well. But the difference is that Joab's courage out-weighed his fears. He used his strength for others and for God, and he abandoned himself, "For God and country!" This man faced way more than I have ever faced in my life, but what if I were captured by terrorists? Would I have the courage to trust God, even if I didn't get to escape with my life?

"Lord Jesus, thank you for Joab and his model of courage to stay strong and keep fighting. Help me to become a mighty man of courage no matter the cost. Amen."

Why Anxiety?

March 10th 2016
Scripture: Luke 12:25-26 (ESV)

Why Anxiety?

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?"

I love to be in control. It makes me happy when things end up close to or exactly like I planned. But this is not always the case. Sometimes, most times, a "monkey wrench" will be thrown into the mix and my perfect plan becomes useless and in need of instant readjustment. For me, worry comes out in the form of frustration. I hate giving up on my plans, because it feels like I somehow failed. Jesus tells His disciples though not to be anxious about their life. He asks a rhetorical question, "Who can add a single hour to his life by worrying?" The funny thing is, the more you worry, the more time slips away, which can cause you to worry even more, and the vicious cycle continues. 

The fear is rooted in control. I get anxious when things happen that are beyond my control. But Jesus says, "you aren't in control anyways!" The most fearful thought can be the most freeing if you reverse the way you view it. Later on in the passage it says that the world runs after their needs, but God already knows everything you need; and it can free you to know that you may not be in control, but God is and He values you and will provide for you. 

To become free of anxiety, I must learn to relinquish the control I think I have, and trust God's timing, rather than fretting through each stressful situation that rocks my boat. It is well said in the old Hymn, "Trust and Obey":

"Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey"

"Lord Jesus, I know you created me and that you know all my needs. Help me to realize that You are in control. When I feel the urge to be frustrated, let me respond in grace and love, trusting that Your will is being done. Let that be enough for me. Amen."