Take a Walk with Me - Pt. 3

 

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 cis 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. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, hand whoever finds me will kill me.” Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Genesis 4:8-16 ESV).

 

A few years ago, Mary and I spent some time with David and his family in the lower range of the Appalachians. David and I, along with Maggie, Lucy, and Harris decided to go on a short hike to see the longest suspension bridge in the country. It happened to be a short drive from the cabin where we were staying. It required a short hike along the Appalachian Trail to get there. As we walked along, the kids noticed a white rectangle painted on one of the trees. Of course, their curiosity kicked in and they asked why anyone would paint on the tree. I suppose they thought someone had vandalized the tree. I explained these markers were called “blazes.” They were put there to help navigate your way and stay on the trail. If you see the white blazes, you know you’re still on the path.

 

Unfortunately, some people step off the trail and get lost in the woods. For a hiker, that can be a dangerous sort of “missing the mark.” In our reading today, Cain turns away from walking with God and is lost. It is a graphic story showing the depths of human sin as Cain attacks and kills his brother Abel because he feels slighted and resentful. The brokenness caused by sin blooms fully in this first murder in human history.

 

When God confronts Cain with his hideous deed, Cain isn’t sorry. He is concerned only about his own fate. He is terrified that others will follow his example and kill him. Though God graciously marks Cain to protect him from violence, Cain remains lost as a wanderer and a fugitive. In the Bible the Hebrew word for “sin” (hatta’t) literally means “missing the mark.” In our alienation from God and from others, we miss the mark. We are all lost. But Jesus finds us and sets us on the right path, the way of following him and loving others. He has clearly marked the way with His footprints through His life and the Scripture. As we continue to walk along this journey, make sure you are on the path marked by Jesus.

 

Take a Walk with Me - Pt. 2

 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8-10 ESV).  

 

Go back with me to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the attached picture today. It was a cool April afternoon some years ago as I walked along an easy trail leading to the John Oliver Cabin. The dogwoods and wildflowers were blooming while I took my time enjoying the beauty surrounding me. I particularly noticed the wild daisies that seemed to blanket the fields beside the path. Sadly, some of the flowers’ stems had broken, perhaps as a result of others who strayed from the trail for pictures. Seeing the drooping flowers, I was reminded of our reading today and the first walking scene of the Scripture.

 

Adam and Eve must have enjoyed walking with God “in the cool of the day” in their garden home. But in today’s story, they were deeply anxious. Earlier in the day, they had disobeyed God, doing the one thing God had told them not to do. God had created Adam and Eve to live in fellowship with himself, with each other, and in harmony with the earth and its creatures. In their disobedience, however, they tried to hide from God, and, as the story continues, we see their alienation from each other and from the rest of God’s good creation.

 

When he comes to walk with them, God finds Adam and Eve cowering in shame. God explains the consequences of their sin. But in his judgment on the serpent, we glimpse God’s promise to redeem fallen humanity back to fellowship with himself, with each other, and with his world. This was accomplished in the sacrifice of Jesus accomplishing our atonement.

 

I wonder if you are living with needless shame and guilt. Take a walk with me and remember that no matter how broken you feel, Jesus’ death and resurrection saves you from that in order to reunite you with your heavenly Father that you may be in His presence continuously. Come enjoy Him with me!

 

Take a Walk with Me

 

[Moses said] “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-6 ESV).

 

The picture I’ve chosen to begin a short series of devotionals for the next few days was taken at sunset in Cades Cove. For those of you who may not be familiar with this beautiful place, it is nestled in the midst of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park which stretches through border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Whenever Mary and I are able to travel there we are amazed by the majesty of God’s creation. We’ve been making that trip for over fifty years at various times of the year. When we were younger it would not have been unusual to stop and take a short walk along one of the easy trails through the mountains. They are called “quiet walkways.” Views like this photo are common along the trails. I hope these devotionals will give you some views into the heart and mind of God so that you may be encouraged… Come, Take a Walk with Me!

 

In our reading today, Moses is speaking to the people of Israel, specifically urging them to be obedient to God's commands. He reminds them of God's blessings and guidance during their 40 years in the wilderness and emphasizes the importance of remembering and not forgetting God's goodness. Moses uses this as a basis for cautioning them against pride and forgetting God when they enter the Promised Land.

 

Walking was the most common way for people to go from place to place in the days of the Old Testament. It’s no surprise, then, that walking is mentioned more than 200 times in the Bible. Whether people took short strolls or long journeys, they moved forward one step at a time. In the Bible, the Hebrew word for “walk” (halak) can also refer to following God and living for him in his world. God’s people had been walking in the wilderness for 40 years. And now, preparing to enter the land that God had promised them, they were reminded to walk in the ways of the Lord and to honor God in all they would do. And God promised to bless them abundantly.

 

That is our promise as well. Wherever we “walk” today, on short strolls or a long journey, each step should remind us to walk in God’s ways and to honor him. Make that your commitment as we take our little walk together!

 

The Difference Between the Who and the What

 

[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48 ESV).

 

Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” These words of Jesus can surprise and even shock us. And who, exactly, are our enemies? The answer is found in understanding the difference between “who” and “what”. In the book of Psalms, David spoke often of his enemies. David’s enemies wanted him physically dead. They wanted to destroy his kingdom—which was intended to represent the kingdom of God. Those enemies were people who opposed the rule of God in the world.

 

If we follow Christ today, we might not encounter people who want us physically dead, but we certainly can encounter people who would celebrate the end of the church and the end of the Christian faith. We might also think of politicians as enemies if they are working to replace some of our nation’s laws with measures that are openly against God’s Word. While we know that our citizenship is in heaven, we still live as residents of an earthly nation. Further, people who want to destroy our country may also be considered our enemies.

 

The apostle Paul says, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). He does not say, “Hate who is evil,” but what is evil. This means that while we may hate laws and policies and actions that are evil, we are still called to love people who promote and do such things. And we are not to slander or curse them but to pray for them.

 

Be careful in the difference between the “who” and the “what”. Defend the faith without attacking the faithless!

 

Happy Birthday, Mary!

 

I will bless the Lord pat all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:1-8 ESV).

 

As we continue looking at the meaning of being a part of the kingdom of God as believers, today has a dual meaning. As you might guess from the title of today’s Morning Devotional, it is Mary’s birthday today. As has been my custom since first beginning to write these daily thoughts of encouragement and inspiration from the Scripture some thirty years ago, I want to honor Mary and incorporate the wisdom of God’s word for our lives. Let’s begin with a wish for the greatest of blessings on this day to Mary… Happy Birthday, Sugar!

 

Let’s also concentrate on the last verse of our reading today: Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (v. 8). There are so many experiences in our fifty-six years together that I might be able to share that would affirm the truth of this verse. The Lord has been so good to us. It is a marvel to me that God would have blessed me with such an incredible partner to walk through this journey with. While there have been some parts of the journey that have challenged me to the breaking point, each time as I have come to recognize the complete trustworthiness of our God. I have found Him to be more than enough. That trust has provided more than mere refuge from the storms; it has also “worked together for good” (cf. Romans 8:28).

 

Perhaps a story from the beginning will illustrate this best. You may recognize the location of the picture I’ve chosen for today. It is the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It was taken in the fall last year. Both Mary and I look a bit older than we did the first time we traveled to the Smokies. After all, that was well over fifty years ago! That first trip was taken with Mary’s family. We were engaged at the time. I was concerned that her North Carolina grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins would not approve of this young Italian boy she had given her heart to. And, I had no idea of the depth of love and acceptance that they would extend to me.

 

My first view of the Smoky Mountains should have provided a clue as to what the Lord was about to do in my life. As we traveled the highway through Memphis toward the mountains, every rise on the horizon brought me to think, “Is that the mountains?” After all, never having traveled further than College Station from Galveston, I had no idea what a mountain looked like. Of course, I had seen a few photos, but in 1968, photography was not nearly as good as it is today. No photograph could do justice to the magnificent of God’s creation of that beloved place. Somewhere east of Nashville we crested a hill and the mountains seemed to just appear, dwarfing the horizon. I was so taken by the majesty of that sight I had to pull off the highway and stop to just look. Mary simply said, “Those are the mountains.” Remember… “O, taste and see that the Lord is good!” That was the beginning of the great gifts God would give to me with her beside me. In these five decades our family has increased. Our children have married, beginning their own journeys. Our grandchildren have been added to the family tree. Each of them displaying the goodness of our God.

 

There are those times when I drift away from the truth that this is just the beginning of the goodness of our Lord. There is so much more to come! Then I can come full circle to the truth that the greatest gift of all, the gift of grace through Jesus’ sacrificial atoning work in my life make all of this possible. That all began with meeting Mary at the A&W in College Station, Texas, over half a century ago!

 

Happy Birthday, Mary! We have just begun to see the greatness of our God… eternity will hold so much more!

 

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

 

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8 ESV).

 

Whenever I am asked about living a life that exemplifies a Kingdom citizen, I usually go to the prophet Micah. In our reading today he tells us three things that describe the actions of a child of God. It was never enough for the prophet to speak out for the Lord against the unjust practices of his day. He also conveyed the desire of God. God is not concerned about what the practice of religion except when it accurately represents who we are at the core of our hearts.

 

The core of his writings comes from how he pictured people asking how they might please God with offerings to pay for their sins: “What is it that God wants from us? How much must we sacrifice before God will be happy with us?” (v. 6). The answer is simple and yet profoundly life-changing: If you practice injustice, it doesn’t matter how much you sacrifice to God. The Lord calls us to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with him. Then we may bring our offerings and find favor with God.

 

In his day there were those who used weighted scales in their sales. His message is simple: Stop your price gouging! End the practice of driving people into poverty so that you can buy them as servants and slaves. Practice justice. And even more than that—love mercy. Give freely to your poor neighbor rather than scheming up ways to make them your slaves. Find ways to relieve poverty rather than profiting from it. There will never be a time when God is pleased with profiting unjustly, especially when it involves negatively impacting the poor and needy. Listen to Jesus:

 

[Jesus said] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46 ESV).

 

Act justly… love mercy… walk humbly! That is what we are called to be in the Kingdom of God!

 

The Justice of the Kingdom

 

Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.” As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” (1 Kings 21:1-15 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is a bit longer than usual, however, the story is important to read in its entirety. When God gave Israel the land he had promised them, each clan received a tract of land as their inheritance. God also made clear that this inheritance was to remain in each family throughout the generations. When times were hard, some families in debt had to sell their land, but in those cases the sale was never meant to be permanent. (cf. Leviticus 25; Joshua 13-21.) However, King Ahab of Israel was wicked and did not want to live in line with God’s way. Near the king’s palace was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. Ahab offered to buy the land from Naboth, but Naboth refused to sell because God had said the land should remain in the family to whom it was given. That made Ahab angry, so, with the help of his wife, Jezebel, he came up with a plan. They plotted to have Naboth put to death by having him accused of cursing both God and the king. Ahab then stole the dead man’s land.

 

As the king of Israel, Ahab was responsible to be a representative of God, the true King. But this abuse of justice was intolerable, and Ahab and Jezebel would pay a heavy price. (cf. 1 Kings 21:17-29; 2 Kings 9:30-37.)

 

It is not difficult to see the injustice of this story. Perhaps we are angered by such an account of Ahab and Jezebel’s actions, yet we often discount these stories as being ancient in history and of no application to our day. However, are things really that different when the weak are preyed upon for the benefit of the powerful? Being members of the kingdom of God through Christ calls for our outrage when we see injustice today. Take care in how you live. Be just as He is just!