"If only there were a mediator..."

Most of us are familiar with the story of Job. As a man, "he was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person [in the land of Uz]" (Job 1:1-3). Satan, the Accuser as he is called in Job 1, asks God for permission to test him by taking away his family, his possessions, and his health. Even after all of this is taken away from Job, he never blames God, but instead says "'should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?' So in all this, Job said nothing wrong" (Job 2:10).

The thing that sticks out to me about Job, though, is his realization of a need for a Redeemer. Job lived around 2000 BC, well before Israel was even a nation. As the insert in my bible states, "With Job, we return to the beginning of history, when mortals first struggled to know God and understand the world." So with this in mind, listen to the foreshadowing of Christ in these statements made by Job...

"If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment. Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength" (Job 9:33-35).

"Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. I need someone to mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends" (Job 16:19-21).

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27)

Again, it is amazing to think that Jesus' coming was still 2000 years away, yet Job knew in his heart that there was someone who would fulfill this role of being the mediator between he and God. Here we are today, 2000 years after Christ came to earth, and the words of Job still hold true. As Paul told Timothy...

"For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time" (1 Timothy 2:5,6).

Who Will Show Us Better Times?

As Emily and I are getting ready for work in the mornings, we usually have Good Morning America on the t.v. playing in the background. In recent weeks, politics have dominated the discussion on that show. Who will get the Republican nomination? Can our next President, Obama or someone else, finally fix the economy? Who will create jobs? Will our relations with other nations improve? In short, who will show us better times?

Funny you should ask. The bible has something to say on that subject in Psalm 4:6-8. "Many people say, 'Who will show us better times?' Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." I smirked a little as I read verse 6, because the question that many people were asking during David's day thousands of years ago is the exact same question that so many are still asking today, is it not?

I love David's response to the question of the people. The answer isn't in a political figure or an economic plan. No, David simply says "let your face smile on us, Lord." The Lord smiling on his people connotes that His favor is being shown to his people. All David needed was God's favor, and that was enough. It is enough for us today, too. If we have put our faith in Christ, we have God's favor on us.

Does this mean health, wealth, and prosperity is ours for the rest of our lives? No. David said, "You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine." I'm no biblical scholar, but I'm thinking that the equivalent to "abundant harvests of grain and new wine" for us today would be things like a surplus of money in our bank account, a healthy retirement plan, and the newest material items that the world has to offer. These things are fleeting, and those who God is smiling upon will have "greater joy" than those whose hope and faith are in the things of this world.

Not only will God's people have joy, they will have peace. It seems the worries of this world tend to bear down the strongest at bed time, when everything is quiet and it is just us and our thoughts. But, for the Christian, it can be different. "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you, O Lord, will keep me safe." Since our faith isn't in worldly things that change from day-to-day, or even minute-by-minute, we can have peace because God never changes. His favor always rests on his children because he sees Christ in us, and Christ fully pleases God. Spiritually, we are safe in His arms; nothing can take us out of His hands.

So, as you hear the political debates and commercials over the coming months, let it remind you of God's Word in Psalm 6. Who will show us better times? We can experience it every day as we trust in Christ who gives us greater joy and peace.

What are you delighting in?

I delight in numerous things in my life. I delight in my wife, who makes me smile everyday (and, who I've been married to for almost seven months now!). I delight in my family, who makes me laugh and has surrounded me with love for 28 years. I delight in music, particularly drums and rhythms. Emily laughs when I try to beat box or play a rhythm on the steering wheel, but I am constantly thinking of different rhythms and songs throughout the day! I delight in Alabama football, which hopefully will bring me, and all Crimson Tide fans, much delight this coming Monday night...RTR! I delight in helping high school students with their college and career choices. It's gratifying to help them overcome hurdles to get them where they want to go in life.

Psalm 1:1, 2 says, "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night." (emphasis mine)

As I read these two verses that begin the entire book of Psalms, I felt the Holy Spirit ask me, "You delight in many things. How much do you 'delight in the law of the Lord' throughout your day and night?

Delighting in the law of the Lord has wonderful benefits. People who do "are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all they do." (Psalm 1:3) That's what I want my life to look like. I want to be like a tree with "roots [that] grow down into God's love and keep you strong." (Eph. 3:17) I want to bear fruit each season, whether that season brings sunny days and good times, or stormy days and bad times. I want my life to be prosperous for the kingdom of God. I want these things, but how much do I delight in God and His Word in comparison with the things of this world that are fading away?

I hope you will take a moment to stop and think about the things you delight in. They can be good things...very good things. I enjoy delighting in the things I listed at the top of this post. But, also think about how much you delight in God's Word. Day and night, let us meditate on it, talk about it, share it, ponder it, pray it back to God (see my previous post), and delight in it.

Prayer and Action

A few days ago, I wrote about the obedience of the Israelites after their exile from and return to Jerusalem. The man who led them during this time as their governor, Nehemiah, was an incredible leader. While it's easy to focus on his actions of leading the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and gates in just a matter of 52 days, it's his prayer life that really stands out to me.

In Nehemiah 1:4, he says that "for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven," after he heard about the Jews return to Jerusalem, and the city walls and gates being destroyed. God puts a plan in Nehemiah's heart to go to Jerusalem and lead his fellow Jews in rebuilding the city walls and gates (Neh. 2:12), but he must get King Artaxerxes' permission first since he was the king's cup-bearer. Nehemiah then prays a prayer that stands as a model for our prayer life as well. I've broken it down into four sections: Adoration, Confession, Praying God's Word, and Supplication.

Adoration

"O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer. Look down and see me praying for your people Israel." (Neh. 1:5, 6)

Confession

"I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses." (Neh. 1:6, 7)

Praying God's Word

"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: 'If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'" (Neh. 1:8, 9)

Supplication

"The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me." (Neh. 1:10, 11)

We tend to be good at the Supplication part of praying, but when we realize who we are praying to and tell Him who He is (Adoration), readily admit our sins (Confession), and remind God of His very own promises (Praying God's Word), our desires will begin to line up with God's desires for us.

Nehemiah prayed in all situations, when facing kings (Neh. 2:4), in the midst of mockery (Neh. 4:4, 5), and while taking action (Neh. 4:9). Let us follow his example and let prayer cover our decisions, our actions, and our lives.

The Israelites Get It Right

There are many times throughout scripture when the Israelites go down the wrong path in their relationship with God. Over and over, we see them chase after worthless, man-made idols, or allow pagan nations to infiltrate their lives when God wants them to be a holy nation unto Himself. It's almost as if we can learn how not to live when we read about them more than we can learn how to live correctly.

There are instances, though, when they get it right. They do what is pleasing to God and, therefore, give us an example of how we should live our lives in Christ. One of those times is in the book of Nehemiah. Under the leadership of Nehemiah, God's people rebuilt the wall that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. They did this in just 52 days, all while facing threats and mockery from the leaders of surrounding nations. While this is a great testament to their commitment and perseverance to God, their heart for God is shown in Nehemiah 8. They show four attributes in this chapter that should be evident in all our lives...

Reverence

After the wall was built, God's people joined together for a festival (the Festival of Trumpets) to celebrate the new year on the Hebrew calendar. Ezra the priest read from the Book of the Law of Moses "from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law" (Neh. 8:3). Did the Israelites get bored listening to God's Word all morning? Did they get irritated at Ezra for making them late for lunch? No, "they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground" (Neh. 8:6). They showed a reverence for God and His Word that we lack in the Church today.

Repentance

When God's Word was read and explained to the people, they were convicted of their sin, "for the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law" (Neh. 8:9). This is a proper response to their conviction of sin, and was an outward response of their repentant heart collectively. But, this festival was a time of celebrating the new year, and Nehemiah and Ezra encouraged them, "don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God" (Neh. 8:9).

Rejoice

Not only should they not mourn or weep, Nehemiah urged them to rejoice in their God, much like we do during times of celebration. "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

Revival

Because the Israelites had the proper reverence for God and His Word, showed repentance for their sins, and rejoiced in the Lord, revival took place in their lives. "So the people went away, to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them." (Neh. 8:12). "They were all filled with great joy," and "had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun" (Neh. 8:17).

We, like the Israelites in the book of Nehemiah, are about to celebrate a new year. No matter what has happened in 2011, let us choose to follow their example in 2012 of reverence, repentance, and rejoicing. When we do, we will experience revival in our relationship with Christ!

Solomon's Humility

As the next presidential election for our country draws closer, we will begin to see more and more debates, commercials, and campaign promises from the candidates who think they have what it takes to be the Leader of the Free World. They will emphasize all the reasons why they are the best candidate for the job, while at the same time point out all of the shortcomings of the other candidates. I know this is the way the game of politics is played, but wouldn't it be nice for one of them to show a little humility every once in a while?

That was the question that came to my mind as I read 1 Kings 3, in which Solomon has just taken over as King of Israel from his father, David. Listen to his plea to the Almighty in verses 7-9 as he begins his reign...

"Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?"

So much is made about Solomon's wisdom, and rightly so. God answered Solomon's prayer for wisdom and gave him a "wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!" (1 Kings 3:12) But, it was Solomon's humble heart that led him to the request for wisdom.

You and I may never be the President of the United States of America, or the President of anything. But, as Christians "we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!' For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:20,21)

Being the ambassador of Almighty God is a responsibility that we should not take lightly. Therefore, let us follow Solomon's example and approach our Heavenly Father, and our role as His ambassador, with humility. "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom." (James 3:13)

The Mundane of Life

Some days it's just hard to get going. We are in a stretch where the warm, summer days are long gone and yet the excitement and fun of the Christmas holidays seem like they will never get here. Life can seem boring, and instead of living for today, we find ourselves living from big event to big event. There's no doubt that David experienced these boring, mundane days. In fact, it was during these types of days that David had one of the highest points in his life, as well as one of the lowest.

THE GOOD

When Samuel was led by God to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel, he met with what he thought was all of Jesse's sons. When God told him that none of those sons of Jesse were the next king, "Samuel asked, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse replied. 'But he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.'" (1 Samuel 16:11, emphasis mine) The Hebrew word for "watching" in that sentence is "ro'eh", which means caring for a flock of sheep or similar animals, leading the flock to pasture, giving care to individual sheep, and defending them from predators. I'm no shepherd, and I have no doubt that being a shepherd was and is an incredibly difficult, laborious job. But, I'm also sure that there were times that David got bored in the day-to-day routine of being a shepherd. I mean, he was watching sheep and goats for crying out loud! Yet God didn't anoint him after he slain Goliath, or after he killed thousands of enemies in a mighty battle. It was in David's daily routine of shepherding where God led Samuel to David, and David was anointed king.

THE BAD

It was also in the mundane of life where David committed a terrible sin. "In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent...the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.' Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her." (2 Samuel 11:1-4, emphasis mine) Obviously, the sin of David committing adultery with Bathsheba is the part that is focused on the most in the passage. But, the part that caught my attention was that for some reason, David was not with his troops in battle like he should have been. An insert in the NLT notes that "this is the first mention of a leader of Israel staying off the battlefield in a time of war." Scripture doesn't say why David didn't go to war. All we know is that he was not in his normal routine as king. If he had been, he never would have even seen Bathsheba to be tempted to sleep with her. A boring, ho-hum spring day when David got up from his nap turned into disaster.

The point is, God works in these mundane, ho-hum, day-to-day routines of His people all throughout scripture. Moses "was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro," (Exodus 3:1) when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Simon Peter and Andrew were "throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living" when "Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (Matthew 4:18,19) There are numerous other examples, too. We can choose to use these days as a chance to grow closer in our relationship with Christ, or they can lull us to sleep spiritually. As the daylight gets shorter, the weather turns colder, and those mundane days get...mundanier?...don't lose hope!

Lamentations 3:21-24 "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!'"