Promises - Pt. 4

 

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:1-5 ESV).

 

As I was writing today’s devotional Mary said, “I’m ready to go to the mountains.” I ignored the declaration and she followed with, “Did you hear me?” I knew I was trapped and had to give an answer. So, I simply answered, “Yes, I heard you.” The conversation was not at an end. She pressed further, “Well?” I then had to say something further. I looked quickly at the ten day forecast for Gatlinburg, Tennessee and said, “Well, they are forecasting snow twice this week. Do you really want to go to the cold?” Her answer was not unanticipated: “Yes. I could be ready to leave in an hour or so.” Then I had to pull out the trump card. I said, “OK. If you can get Kyle, David, and Aaron to agree to our traveling, it’s OK with me.” You see, I know that will not happen until we’ve been vaccinated, and that hasn’t happened yet. She said, “That’s not fair.” I answered, “I know. But I really don’t want a funeral if I can help it.” I’ve received the silent treatment for the last thirty minutes as a result.

 

Many of us have seen or experienced deep pain and losses over the past year: families at gravesides, broken promises, cancer, violence in the streets, Covid-19, … where is the promised peace of God? Long ago sin, brokenness, and death entered our world through the work of the devil and Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God. But God responded by sending Jesus, the Prince of Peace. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Through the Prince of Peace God is destroying the work of the devil in this world and in our lives. He is restoring creation and redeeming and renewing his children.

 

The peace of God rests in the kingdom of God. As a child of God, you can experience peace in this broken world because Jesus has won the victory and made you secure in body and soul, in life and in death. And you can serve the Savior by living in ways that bring healing, wholeness, and peace where there is brokenness. That is a wonderful, unbreakable promise of God!

Promises - Pt. 3

 

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:19-25 ESV).

 

I enjoy lighthouses. They remind me of so much of God’s promise of hope. Our reading today details the specifics of the basis of our hope for the dark times of life. After that listing the writer simply says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (v. 22). If ever there was a time when it felt like the world was at its darkest moment, in the midst of a great storm, this surely is such a time. It is an incredible temptation to fall into hopelessness. The next promise of God is that we are not ever left without hope.

 

The book of Hebrews tells us how Jesus Christ makes possible a loving relationship between the holy God and his unholy people. Jesus has actually become our perfect priest, having made a sacrifice of himself in order that all God’s people might be united with him. In today’s verses the writer turns to talk about our response to God’s gracious love in Christ. If God has done all this for us, we should, and can, live in hope.

 

This hope is unswerving, unshakable hope. As the writer turns to talk about what we should do, it’s clear that unswerving hope is possible only because of the faithfulness of God. It is possible to hope in the promises of God because God keeps his promises. It is possible to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess because God, who promised the things we hope for, is faithful to keep those promises.

 

When you begin to falter in your hope, look for that piercing light of the grace of God at work on your behalf. Recall the great gift of eternal life that awaits every believer. Think of the incredible, eternal life that is waiting on our arrival. The storms are then reduced to a pleasant April shower!

 

 

Promises - Pt. 2

 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction. A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity. He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:17-22 ESV).

 

Today we look at the first of the promises of God I’ll be focusing on in the coming days. Our reading declares: “A joyful heart is good medicine” (v. 22). That’s an incredible promise of God. I’ve met some people who are living examples of the truth of this proverb. They’re like good medicine for me. In fact, as I was writing this morning I received a phone call from a long time friend and fellow pastor. We visited for a bit, laughed a lot, and, of course, solved all the world’s problems in our twenty minute conversation! It reminded me again how good this kind of “medicine” is for my soul.

 

I’m sure you know people like this in your circle as well. They are just good for you. These are folks who have a heart that holds on to good things that happen. They are grateful for all the good things God gives them in life. These are folks who remember others who have been a blessing to them and don’t take them for granted. These are folks who can see good when everyone else is thinking the worst. They treasure the gifts of every day, whether small or large. They have hearts that hold on to the promises of God about his constant care and provision. Somehow these folks never seem to lose sight of the good things God is doing. They have an inner ability to be grateful for all kinds of things that many of us overlook.

 

This doesn’t mean these people are never sad or sorrowful. They can certainly struggle with being down during tough times. They can cry. They can call out to God in pain. They can admit disappointment. But they won’t let such things dominate them. If there are other folks who drag us down, these folks help to pick us up. It’s good for me to be with people like that. I encourage you to look for those folks in your life. God’s promise is that they exist. They are around us. We must learn to put ourselves in that kind of circle. And, we must learn to limit our time around those who are not like that, unless we are being the good medicine for them. Claim this promise in your life today!

 

Promises - Pt. 1

 

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1, 7 ESV).

 

Genealogy is always fun. I must confess I have done the DNA test myself, though Mary has. The results were both interesting and expected. As expected she was predominantly “White Angle-Saxon” with a slight percentage of Native American. The Native American designation was not as high a percentage as we expected, though that is in part a result of a smaller base of information from which to draw the results. Her maternal grandmother was Cherokee. Family heritage is more than interesting; it is impactful and educational.

 

That includes Biblical genealogy. Our reading today lists the fourteen generations of Jesus through Joseph’s lineage. Luke’s genealogy goes through Mary’s lineage. Both Joseph and Mary intersect at David. As we continue this series of devotionals you’ll see the importance of that unfold more each day. Today, you should understand the word "genealogy" in our English Bible comes from the Greek word genesis, which means "origin, beginning, coming into being." Here Matthew introduces a new beginning in revelation history, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In addition, as he links fourteen genera­tions in three groupings, Matthew shows his Jewish audience that Jesus is a descendant of some of the most important people in their history. The connection to King David is ­especially important because God promised that a descendant of David would sit on the throne of Israel forever (2 Samuel 7). Through this genealogy Mat­thew is showing that the long-promised Messiah, the greatest deliverer of God's people, has come to fulfill all of God's promises.

 

That brings me to a very important question: “Do you sometimes wonder if God keeps his promises?” This genealogy shows that he does, and in the power of Jesus the Messiah we can live and serve today with confidence. Perhaps the bigger question is not merely whether God keeps His promises, but what are the promises He has made to us. Since there are nearly 7,500 promises God has made to humankind, we will not look at all of them in the coming days. I do hope to single out some of those that directly affect our personal lives and future. In a day when it seems more and more difficult to trust leadership, we must not lose sight of God’s trustworthiness to keep His promises.

 

Strangers in a Strange Land - Pt. 4

 

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.” (Psalm 55:4-8 ESV).

 

God knows that the journey of life is not always easy. His Word is full of stories and laments of people who suffered pain and sorrow. Our reading today is one of those passages that speaks honestly about the challenges of life. How often must we also deal with struggles? How often do we feel powerless when faced with situations that seem to have no happy result? How often do we wish to turn to someone who can help us in a situation that seems impossible to resolve? Or, as our verse implies, how often do we just want to fly away?

 

The psalms speak to all the emotions of the believer’s heart. These are not always happy emotions: people who follow Christ still feel the pressures of life in this world. In fact, the psalms help us honestly express our faith. We can pray the psalms, recite the psalms, and sing the psalms. We can cry out to God, using their words. They offer a voice of praise, but also of lament. The Bible, God’s Word to us, is versatile for any occasion.

 

I have heard from so many people in this last year concerning the struggles they have experienced. There have been those who have struggles through enormous health issues; others have been financially crippled by the pandemic; many have experienced the pain of broken relationships and the grief of loss. There can be no denial of the level of difficulty we have seen on such a large scale during these months. I find many have taken some short-lived solace in blaming others for the circumstance; however, I would remind you that looking back is a recipe for disaster in travel.

 

We must be honest with ourselves. As strangers in this strange land, we will experience both highs and lows in our lives. The psalms can give us the vocabulary necessary to speak to God in every situation. Our heavenly Father wants to hear from us always, even at our worst. He’s big enough to hear anything we have to say. Have you “cast your cares on the LORD” today? This is the basis for prayer in such a strange land!