Faith in the Journey - Pt. 7

 

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:19-23 ESV).

 

Nothing like a good old fiery furnace to stop you in your tracks! In our reading today, King Nebuchadnezzar had made an image of gold and had ordered people to bow down and worship it (cf. Daniel 3:1-6). But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do that, because they did not worship idols or other gods. They worshiped only the true God. So the king’s astrologers spoke against these men and said they should be thrown into a blazing furnace. And they were! Sometimes, for various reasons, we get tossed into the furnace too. We need to understand how to go forward from there.

 

Let’s look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s reply. They said they would not worship the image of gold for any reason, even if God did not deliver them. They were determined to obey God, and they trusted in God to protect their souls even if the fire killed them and burned them up. Many people expect “realistic compensation” for their actions, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared that they would obey God, no matter what happened. This is the great failure of the heresy of the prosperity gospel. God is not a vending machine.

 

The faith in your journey that allows you to be safe in or out of the fiery furnace is the absolute trust that God has not abandoned us to our own devices and will continue to protect and guide us through every circumstance. Trust Him, He’s got this even if we do emerge smelling a little smoky! Have faith in the journey!

 

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 6

 

Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:1-6 ESV).

 

As I have written thus far it might appear that we have no part to play in the success and victory of our journey. You might be tempted to come to the conclusion that if you just believe enough all will work out. Well, that’s not the balance of faith and works presented in the Scripture. Often our journey is at best difficult. It is those times when it is also most difficult to have faith; however, it is exactly at those times when possessing faith is enhanced by persevering. Sometimes that looks like merely taking a step. In the case of our reading today, it meant laying another stone on the others to form the wall.

 

After a long period of exile and destruction from conquering armies, God’s people were allowed to rebuild the temple of the Lord and the city of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Chronicles 36). Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding the wall, but they faced a lot of opposition from their neighbors in Samaria. Sanballat and other local leaders opposed Nehemiah and the people of Judah (now also called the Jews), ridiculing and scoffing at them. They threatened to fight and stir up trouble to prevent the Jews from rebuilding.

 

In the midst of all this, Nehemiah and the people prayed to God for help and “posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” The people were vigilant and worked hard together, and they finished the wall in just 52 days (cf. Nehemiah 6:15). We can learn from this example. We can pray, “O God, please protect us from threats and dangers, and give us strength for our work each day. Help us to serve you in all that we do.” Oh… and before we go to bed at night, it’s also important to lock our doors. Balance and perseverance in wisdom are the keys.

 

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 5

 

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” And when the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.” And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained. Then Samson called to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. (Judges 16:23-30 ESV).

 

I have spoken with many who have come to the conclusion that they have failed so miserably in their lives that there simply was no possible redemption for them. Our reading today reminds us that is not true. God character and grace is one of mercy and forgiveness. Samson was called to an important role. He was to take the lead in delivering God’s people from their ene­mies, the Philistines—and for this task he received a special blessing of strength. Samson was so strong that he tore a lion apart with his bare hands, carried a city gate on his shoulders, and killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey (cf. Judges 13-15). But Samson was also foolish in his actions. He disobeyed God’s call in many ways. Even­tually he fell in love with a Philistine prostitute, Delilah, who secretly worked for his enemies. God took Samson’s strength away, and Delilah managed to get him captured (cf. Judges 16:1-21). The Philistines gouged out his eyes and made him grind grain like an ox. For a major assembly at their temple, they brought him out for entertainment. Then Samson prayed, “Please, God, strengthen me just once more.” And God strengthened him to break the pillars of the temple and bring it crashing down on the Philistines.

 

If any of us have turned away from God, there is still hope. We can ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, who died to pay for our sins, and God will deliver us and lead us to live a new life.

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 4

 

They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:19-24 ESV).

 

Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father “loved Joseph more than any of his other sons.” Joseph had also had dreams in which his brothers bowed down to him, and he had told them about those dreams (cf. Genesis 37:1-11). The brothers hated Joseph so much that they wanted to kill him. One day the opportunity came, as Joseph went out to the fields where his brothers were grazing their flocks. The brothers seized Joseph and threw him into a pit. There is an important entry in this passage. Notice at the end there is almost an addendum: “The pit was empty; there was no water in it.” (v. 24). God was always working for good in Joseph’s journey.

 

Instead of killing him, Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave to some traveling merchants, who took him to Egypt. Imagine Joseph as a slave being dragged around at the market. Imagine the hardship he endured as a slave in Egypt. There must have been enormous doubt and pain that began to fill his heart. Isn’t this the same thing that happens to us when we are betrayed or abandoned?

 

Looking at the rest of Joseph’s life, we can see that “the Lord was with him” and “gave him success in everything he did” (cf. Genesis 39:3, 23; chapters 40-50). Through that path of hardship Joseph eventually became second in command over Egypt. God used Joseph to save people from a terrible famine, including his whole family and people from all the surrounding nations. In the same way Jesus came to suffer and die for our sake, and through that path of many hardships he rose in victory over death and ascended to heaven, where he now rules over all the earth. His path through suffering has led to blessings for us all. Perhaps we should remember that God can be trusted with the dreams He has given us. He will finish what He has begun in our lives no matter how difficult our path becomes.

 

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 3

 

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:1-9 ESV).

 

From time to time I stumble on to things that defy explanation and credulity. The picture I’ve included is a part of an advertisement for “Power and Prestige Oil”. the product description is: “Our customers tell us the fragrance ALONE of this mysterious oil makes them feel invincible. Some have said that without doing anything else differently, their friends claim to see an amazing change in the way they carry themselves. We cannot guarantee that our Power and Prestige Oil will make you rich and famous, but it will definitely give you a major edge in the process.” Please… I absolutely do not endorse this product; however, doesn’t it make you go “Really?”

 

Well, the desire for power, prestige, and fame go way back in human history. Our reading tells us the early story of such a quest. God created people so that they would increase in numbers and populate the earth. At the time of the tower of Babel, everyone had the same language, and the people said they wanted to make a name for themselves and not be scattered across the earth. They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens. . . .” From ancient civilizations we have learned that the top of a tower was seen as a holy place where gods lived. But instead of having a holy place that would honor the God, the people at Babel wanted this to be a place where they made a name for themselves. They wanted to honor themselves instead of God. In doing so, they banished God from their lives and disobeyed his command to “fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Because of this rebellion, God confused their language and scattered them.

 

We should take great care in our journey never to put ourselves before God. Whatever accolades and honors are bestowed on us, seek the humility of faith before our great God and Savior. That will build faith in your journey.

 

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 2

 

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.” (Genesis 4:2-11 ESV).

 

It might seem strange to begin with the story of Cain and Abel in our look at Faith in the Journey, but there is an important truth here. Remember this is the first death recorded in the Scripture. Abel was the first person to be killed and his brother, Cain, was the first murderer. There are so many murders reported these days. I’m rarely surprised at the news of another killing over what often evades the bounds of common sense. This is the story of our reading today; and, it has incredible application to us. Cain was jealous and angry because God did not look with favor on his offering. But Cain did not give God the best of his fruits of the soil. He simply gave some of them, and that dishonored God. God explained to Cain that he simply needed to do what was right, but Cain refused to listen. He did not control his anger or his jealousy, and he killed his brother.

 

Though anger is simply an emotion we must exercise control of the outcome of it (cf. Ephesians 4:26-27). We can be angry, but it is a sin not to manage our anger. Sometimes that anger can have devastating consequences. Abel was the victim of Cain’s selfishness and wickedness. How undeserving was his death! How searing was the pain in his heart when his own brother killed him! If we experienced such hatred for serving God through faith, how painful would that be?

 

God understands our grief from injustice and pain. The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” God acknowledged Abel’s grief and stood up for him. We must walk the path of faith, as Abel did. God will guide our footsteps, acknowledge our pain, and follow up with His justice.

 

Faith in the Journey - Pt. 1

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV).

 

The writer of the Book of Hebrews gets to this point in his letter that he uses a very familiar image to remind his readers of the need to “run with endurance” in their journey. The picture is of a great stadium filled with spectators watching those who are running the races so common in that day. Today we would liken it to the Olympics. The final race is about to get underway, the stadium is packed with thousands of spectators; and, the runners know this is the most important race they have every run. Whatever challenges they face must be overcome if they expect to win.

 

That is the picture of our journey. In the next few days we will examine some of the faithful men and women of the Scripture as they faced their own challenges and answered with perseverance and faith to finish with victory.

 

I have noticed in my life that this truth brings two important encouragements to me. First, I can know I am not alone in my journey. Of course, God is with me; but, the presence of all the others who have gone before, me who are in attendance, from their heavenly viewpoint watching and cheering me strengthen me to continue. Perhaps their cheers are muted at times, but they are always there. Just when I seem to falter from the burden of trial or challenge the message of their perseverance and faith gives me strength to continue. Second, I know I have not been forgotten by those whom I have loved and now gone before me into their heavenly home. They are able to watch as I face every challenge. They know everything that is happening in my life. Their death was not the end of our relationship. It is only a change in geographical position.

 

My prayer is that in each of these devotionals you will grow more acquainted with these two truths and be encouraged to “run with endurance the race set before you.”

 

Beauty Lost and Restored

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by pa straight way till they reached ma city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107:1-9 ESV).

 

Thus far we have looked at the beauty of God’s creation. The truth is that all things are beautiful simply because created each according to His good will. However, we cannot close our look at this subject without recognizing that in a very real sense God’s beauty is lost in sin and rejection of Him. So, today I want us to understand the beauty that God created through understanding its opposite: the ugliness and sorrow of being separated from God. Because of our sin, this world is not the way it ought to be. Sin has brought hardship and ugliness into our lives and into this world, though God designed it all to be beautiful. We must imagine redemption.

 

We know that God has restoration in mind because we don’t feel “at home” in a world broken because of sin. We are homesick for a world of peace and beauty. We are homesick to be with God. When we’re stuck in brokenness and facing the ugliness of this world of sin, we feel homesick for God’s world of goodness and beauty.

 

Our reading today points out the sorrow and longing of this homesickness. The world can feel like a wasteland, providing no place where people can rest, no place where they can settle and be at peace. But the Lord, whose “love endures forever,” offers redemption. The Lord hears his people cry out in their trouble caused by sin, and he delivers them from distress. God brings them to a place where they can settle and live in peace. “He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

 

Ultimately we know that all of life’s goodness and beauty will be restored in perfection when Jesus comes again, and the new life he provides us even now gives us hope for eternity with God. That calls for the greatest of praise!

 

The Beauty of the Strange

 

[the Lord said] “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?” (Job 38:4-11 ESV).

 

Pictured here is the Aye-aye (often misspelled Eye Eye). It is a primate, in the same family as chimpanzees, and apes. Some would say they are also in the same family as humans. They are omnivores and their life expectancy is approximately 20 years. The population of it’s native Madagascar consider it an omen of ill luck and unfortunately for that reason, the Aye-aye is in extreme danger of extinction, that is why today it is protected by law. Some say the Aye-aye is the ugliest animal in the Animal Kingdom. I can honestly say I find it strange, but would also find it a stretch to call it beautiful. And, yet that’s exactly what God says about it.

 

Job, to whom God is speaking in our reading today, is questioning God because of all the pain and difficulty he has experienced in his life. Job has had to deal with terrible suffering and tragedy, and he does not understand why it all happened. God responds with a poetic speech about the creation of the world. God is the one who created everything, including things that are so mysterious that we don’t even know how to speak about them. God reminds Job of this in order to both challenge and assure him. God challenges Job to be humble about his own knowledge. And God assures Job that he has a good plan, even though it may be hard to understand.

 

We are like Job in this way too. There are many things about God’s purposes that we do not understand. But God promises to provide for us and for the world he has beautifully made. The next time you see something “strange” would you remember that God has purpose in everything, strange or not. It is the belief in that good purpose that ought to call us to praise even the Aye-aye!

 

The Beauty of Variety

 

O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. (Psalm 104:24-25 ESV).

 

It is not unusual for Mary to be scrolling through her phone and suddenly look up saying, “Look at this! This is the most beautiful bird I’ve ever seen!” I suppose somewhere along the way she “liked” an image of an exotic bird and the AI of our brave new world continues to post various pictures of these birds on her feed. However, they pop up, they are certainly a beauty to behold. Just one of those has been attached. It is a Mandarin Duck. While I have seen this bird in zoos, I’ve never observed it in its natural habitat. I have seen many others in some of my travels, all of them are amazing. This is true across the animal kingdom. The variety and diversity is always astonishing.

 

This vast diversity is a beautiful part of God’s creation, as our reading shows. In his wisdom God made so many different animals and plants that we haven’t been able to count them all. And in his wisdom God made many different cultures and people as well. This psalm uses poetry to tell about the powerful and beautiful way God made the world. It invites us to praise God for such diverse beauty and for creating the world in the best way possible.

 

Each of us brings our own type of beauty to the world. The temptation is to compare and denigrate those that that somehow don’t “measure up.” Take the common English Sparrow. It is relatively plain with a repertoire of just a single note. Yet it has been created by God with each detail uniquely calling us to recognize the great beauty of God’s diversity.

 

People are this way as well. We each have our differences. Often we shy away from recognizing there is designed beauty in every one of us. God has seen to that in the act of His creation. It is through this diversity that God displays his love for all his creation. This truth calls us to praise God for creating a world that is so beautiful and diverse. The next time you see different birds in your backyard, thank Him… praise Him!

 

The Beauty of Creation

 

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:24-27 ESV).

 

Imagine an artist who works hard at a sculpture day after day. Often they’ll stand back to look at their work, and if they’re not satisfied with how it looks, they’ll keep working on the sculpture. When they’re happy and proud of what they’ve completed, they’ll say that the work is good. They’ll look on it with satisfaction and joy. While I’ve only worked with clay a bit, it never became my passion. I prefer to do the same with wood. It’s not uncommon for me to get a piece of wood from the firewood stack and mount it on my lathe and let it develop as I turn and shape it. This is the context of our reading today.

 

When the first chapter of Genesis speaks of God creating the heavens and the earth, it does so by describing a pattern of six days. And several times in the process we read, “God saw that it was good.” God took joy and satisfaction in the things he created. God saw that the world was good and beautiful. God made the world to be beautiful: the light, the sky, the land, the sun, the fish, the animals. God called all of these things “good.” And when God created human beings, God created them in his own image. Men and women are all created in the image of God, beautiful like their creator.

 

This should create a desire to praise God for all men, including ourselves. I find it interesting that some people spend so much energy denying this beauty because of color, size, or other uniquely created attributes. I do not deny preference; however, there is a great difference between preference and acceptance. If you are ever tempted to doubt your own worth as a person, remember that the creator of the universe made you in his own image. If you are tempted to disparage another’s worth as a person, remember that God looks on all of his beautiful creation and calls all of it “good” and beautiful. A part of praising Him is in declaring that worth and value in our speech and behavior.

 

The Breath in Our Lungs

To the choirmaster.  A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6 ESV).

 

There’s a wonderful song written by David Leonard, Jason Ingram, and Leslie Jordan, titled “Great Are You Lord” in which the chorus goes: Great are You, Lord. It's Your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise. It's Your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise to You only. We have sung it many times in our church. Thinking of our reading today, I was reminded of the many ways we can give glory to God. When we speak, we can glorify God with our words. We can talk about God in ways that honor him. We can communicate God’s love for us and for the whole world. We also learn and grow to know about God’s glory when we hear others speak about it. Then with the breath He has given us, we can share it with others.

 

The whole of Psalm 19 shows that we can even learn about God’s glory through nature. It says, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Another way to put it, according to this psalm, is that “the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This is a strange and poetic picture. The sky can’t talk! The psalm acknowledges this: “They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them” (v. 3). And, yet the sky, by its simple, beautiful existence, communicates to the world about God, its creator.

 

God has created a beautiful world. This world, simply by being what God created it to be, gives voice to the beauty of God himself. People can glorify God with their words, by loving each other and themselves, and by caring for the world that God loves. The sky uses its clouds, rainbows, and shades of gray and blue to tell about the glory of God. Think of all that we can do as we use our words and even our whole life to share about the glory of our great God! We will explore this truth in more depth in the coming days. Today, think about the beauty you experience from simply seeing the handiwork of God in His creation.

  

Abba Father

 

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:12-17 ESV).

 

While the list of the names of God we have explored is not exhaustive, I hope they have been an encouragement to you in your daily life. Today we come to the last of those names I’ve chosen to highlight: “Abba.” We first see it used by Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane by Jesus (cf. Mark 14:32-36). Jesus spoke the everyday language of his people: Aramaic. So instead of saying “Pater” (which is Greek) for “Father,” Jesus would say “Abba” (which is Aramaic).

 

In the Mark passage we find both the Aramaic and the Greek for “Father” as Jesus prayed, “Abba ho Pater” (literally, “Abba, the Father”), at Gethsemane. There he agonized over the suffering he would face for our sins, and he asked his “Abba, Father” to take that responsibility from him. In this way Mark portrays Jesus’ agony as well as his intimacy with God the Father.

 

The apostle Paul uses the words "Abba ho Pater" also in our reading today. He uses it to state that because we are adopted as God’s children, we must live as God’s children. Some people mistakenly say that Abba suggests we can call God “Daddy.” But everyone from little children to adults in Jesus’ day used Abba for “Father.” Still, following Jesus’ example, we can say “Abba, Father” to express intimacy with God. For Jesus and for us, “Abba, Father” is prayer language. In prayer we enter God’s presence, submitting to his will, knowing that he cares for us and knows us intimately. And, like Jesus, we can also say, “Not what I will, but what you will.”

 

This willingness to submit to the suffering of the Cross indicates the depth of His love and care for us. Trust Him to lead you through every challenge and difficulty. He will not fail you.

 

Yahweh Tsidkenu

 

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, rand Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’ For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.” (Jeremiah 33:14-18 ESV).

 

The Prophecy of Jeremiah is often difficult to read with so many bleak passages about judgment and exile for God’s people, who relentlessly disregarded their covenant Lord. The people were constantly unfaithful to their faithful God, Yahweh. Today’s reading is set within that dreary context, but the content of the chapter is anything but depressing. It is a very current word for us today with the revelation of this next name of God.

 

Though confined in the court of the king’s guard (see 32:2; 33:1), Jeremiah proclaims a bright future for the people of Judah. We see that God promises healing and health, forgiveness of sins, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The city will be restored for all nations to see, and it will be called Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness.”

 

Tsidkenu (pronounced “tsid-kay'-noo”) stems from the Hebrew word tsedek, meaning “stiff,” “straight,” or “righteousness.” It occurs more than a thousand times in the Old Testament, translated variously as “right,” “righteous,” “righteousness,” “just,” “justify,” and “declared innocent.” It appears here as Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The LORD Our Righteousness,” or “The LORD Our Righteous Savior.” In this prophecy of restoration, we catch a glimpse of “a righteous Branch from David’s line,” the one through whom we are justified, declared innocent, made right with God.

 

Knowing that Jesus is our righteousness gives us the hope of ultimate sanctification and righteousness. It is with that knowledge we can be assured of our own entrance into the presence of God. He is our righteousness!

 

Yahweh Ra'ah

 

[the Lord said] “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 34:25-31 ESV).

 

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope each of you will read today’s Morning Devotional as a declaration of the greatest expression of love that could ever be received. The name of God we are exploring today is Yahweh Ra’ah. The Hebrew word “ra’ah” (pronounced “ro-eh”) is first seen in the very familiar Psalm of David (cf. Psalm 23). Here he simply declares “the Lord is my Shepherd” (v. 1). However, our reading today gives us a bit more depth as to the meaning of this word attached to the name of God.  

 

The Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy against the “shepherds of Israel” (cf. Ezekiel 34:2). The religious leaders of Israel had been seeking their own advantage rather than taking care of the people of Israel, their flock. God set Himself to correct this inequity and corruption. To do so, He would become the true Shepherd of His people. Sheep and shepherds are common metaphors in the Old Testament. God is often mentioned as the shepherd of his people Israel. Only once, though, do we find the name Yahweh Ra’ah, meaning “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).

 

The Hebrew word ra’ah, meaning “shepherd,” describes one who tends, leads, feeds, and protects his flock of sheep. As a shepherd cares for his flock, so Yahweh Ra’ah cares for his people, providing for all their needs and guiding and protecting them. Yahweh Ra’ah cares for his covenant people as a flock and as individual, precious sheep. The closing verses of our reading today make clear the magnificent ways in which Yahweh Ra’ah promises to care for his sheep. He doesn’t disappoint. The Lord is your good shepherd. Lean on him, for he protects and provides and cares for you.