So, then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler of all Egypt. (Gen 45:8)
God’s plans are really deep! Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. That certainly seems like it would not be God’s will. But God was able to turn it to good in a miraculous way. Joseph became ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Then God sent famine, which brought Joseph’s starving brothers to Egypt. But Joseph treated them with honor. Instead of starving to death in Canaan, they were allowed to move to Egypt and live in the rich land of Goshen. What an amazing turn of events! But God’s plan was even deeper. In later years, a new Pharaoh came to rule over Egypt who oppressed them and made them slaves. All of these events were an essential prelude to the coming of Moses and the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. And this event became the defining moment for the people of Israel. From it God made a new covenant and forged a nation that 1400 years later gave birth to the Messiah. It was the Exodus that created the enduring national identity of the Jews, which has persisted down through the years even to today. And none of it would have been possible if Joseph had not been sold into slavery in Egypt. God plays a really deep game!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
The Great Motivator
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.” (Mt 25:21)
That famous phrase, “Well done, good and faithful servant” is a great motivator for many of the finest Christians I know. It motivates me, too. I hope I live every day in light of that Great Day when we will stand before our Heavenly Father. How I long to hear those words!
Non-Christians so often assume that we are motivated to do good works to avoid being sent to Hell. But of course that’s not it at all. Salvation is a free gift. My eternal destiny is already determined. No, we are motivated by our love for God – compelled by it, as Paul said (2 Cor 5:14). What greater reward can I have but to know that I have pleased God? I was created for that purpose, and every fiber of my being senses whenever I am living according to it.
That famous phrase, “Well done, good and faithful servant” is a great motivator for many of the finest Christians I know. It motivates me, too. I hope I live every day in light of that Great Day when we will stand before our Heavenly Father. How I long to hear those words!
Non-Christians so often assume that we are motivated to do good works to avoid being sent to Hell. But of course that’s not it at all. Salvation is a free gift. My eternal destiny is already determined. No, we are motivated by our love for God – compelled by it, as Paul said (2 Cor 5:14). What greater reward can I have but to know that I have pleased God? I was created for that purpose, and every fiber of my being senses whenever I am living according to it.
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Secret to Sanctification
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. (Ps 18:32)
We make much of obedience, and rightly so. Sanctification is the process of being conformed to his image and obedient to his will. But we must not forget that it is God who sanctifies us. It is the Holy Spirit who gives me strength to face each challenge and trains me in righteousness. The secret to sanctification is utter dependence on him.
We make much of obedience, and rightly so. Sanctification is the process of being conformed to his image and obedient to his will. But we must not forget that it is God who sanctifies us. It is the Holy Spirit who gives me strength to face each challenge and trains me in righteousness. The secret to sanctification is utter dependence on him.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wide Open Spaces
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Ps 18:19)
David was in danger from his enemies – hemmed in, entangled, surrounded (v4-5). But God brought him out of that place and into a spacious place, where he could roam widely and freely, without fear. God rescued David because he delighted in him. David was the "man after God’s own heart.” But God delights in us, too. He rescues us all from sin and death. We, too, were entangled by cords of death, overwhelmed by torrents of destruction. We were powerless to resist and bereft of hope – until God stepped in. The light of truth pierced the darkness and we turned toward it. But before we could move to it, the light came to us. Our Heavenly Father plucked us from the snares of death and brought us into his Kingdom of Light. Now I sometimes feel ensnared, but I am bound only by my own fears. My freedom has already been won. I need only open my eyes to see that I am free.
David was in danger from his enemies – hemmed in, entangled, surrounded (v4-5). But God brought him out of that place and into a spacious place, where he could roam widely and freely, without fear. God rescued David because he delighted in him. David was the "man after God’s own heart.” But God delights in us, too. He rescues us all from sin and death. We, too, were entangled by cords of death, overwhelmed by torrents of destruction. We were powerless to resist and bereft of hope – until God stepped in. The light of truth pierced the darkness and we turned toward it. But before we could move to it, the light came to us. Our Heavenly Father plucked us from the snares of death and brought us into his Kingdom of Light. Now I sometimes feel ensnared, but I am bound only by my own fears. My freedom has already been won. I need only open my eyes to see that I am free.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Audience of One
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Pro 29:25)
In my comfortable, safe life I do not fear physical injury from others. My fears are all about embarrassment, rejection and scorn. But in these things, too, whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Certainly I want the good opinion of others. More specifically, I want to deserve the good opinion of others by being the godly man I have been called to be. As long as I have been obedient to that calling I need not fear any hostility and rejection I may encounter, because my reward is the approval of my Master. In that sense I play to an audience of one. Whatever men might say or do, my self worth is based on God’s love for me, which I did nothing to earn and can do nothing to diminish. My trust in God is sure, because God is constant and steadfast. I can trust him never to reject me or condemn me. Jesus suffered the Father's rejection and wrath for my sake. There remains only love. Discipline, to be sure, but always love.
In my comfortable, safe life I do not fear physical injury from others. My fears are all about embarrassment, rejection and scorn. But in these things, too, whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Certainly I want the good opinion of others. More specifically, I want to deserve the good opinion of others by being the godly man I have been called to be. As long as I have been obedient to that calling I need not fear any hostility and rejection I may encounter, because my reward is the approval of my Master. In that sense I play to an audience of one. Whatever men might say or do, my self worth is based on God’s love for me, which I did nothing to earn and can do nothing to diminish. My trust in God is sure, because God is constant and steadfast. I can trust him never to reject me or condemn me. Jesus suffered the Father's rejection and wrath for my sake. There remains only love. Discipline, to be sure, but always love.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Wrath of God
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath. (Ps 2:4-5)
I think one reason many of us do not feel more compassion for the lost than we do is our failure to fully appreciate the wrath of God that Jesus saved us from. His wrath burns like a white heat. I imagine being only a few feet away from the open door of a giant blast furnace. The only reason I do not perish is that I am standing behind a small wall which shields me. But I can see all around me the effects of that brilliant heat. I know I am secure behind that wall but I experience viscerally the fearfulness of that great force of nature. Or I can imagine being in a great spaceship and approaching the sun far closer than the orbit of Mercury. At this distance it fills the entire window in front of me, even though it is still many millions of miles away. The surface boils and churns like a cauldron of incandescent gas, and only the incredible shielding of the spaceship wall and window prevents me from being incinerated.
In that situation wouldn’t you have great compassion for anyone stuck outside with only their flimsy spacesuit to protect them? The whole ship would turn and begin emergency procedures to rescue any human being trapped outside. The urgency of our efforts would be driven by the ever present thought in our minds of the intensity of that heat. I am secure in Christ and I do not fear his wrath. But I must never forget about the great danger that faces all my unsaved friends and loved ones. God withholds his wrath today, out of his great compassion and patience. Indeed he blesses all mankind with life and sustenance, “sending his rain on the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:45). But judgment is coming, and the folly of those who would continue their rebellion against Almighty God will be revealed in the Day of Judgment. That is the picture of this verse in Psalms. A day is coming when it will be too late for them. The starkness of the choice before each of us is astonishing. How can we be complacent? Lord, I do not want to be driven by simple fear, but I pray that you would remind me daily of the urgency of the Great Commission.
I think one reason many of us do not feel more compassion for the lost than we do is our failure to fully appreciate the wrath of God that Jesus saved us from. His wrath burns like a white heat. I imagine being only a few feet away from the open door of a giant blast furnace. The only reason I do not perish is that I am standing behind a small wall which shields me. But I can see all around me the effects of that brilliant heat. I know I am secure behind that wall but I experience viscerally the fearfulness of that great force of nature. Or I can imagine being in a great spaceship and approaching the sun far closer than the orbit of Mercury. At this distance it fills the entire window in front of me, even though it is still many millions of miles away. The surface boils and churns like a cauldron of incandescent gas, and only the incredible shielding of the spaceship wall and window prevents me from being incinerated.
In that situation wouldn’t you have great compassion for anyone stuck outside with only their flimsy spacesuit to protect them? The whole ship would turn and begin emergency procedures to rescue any human being trapped outside. The urgency of our efforts would be driven by the ever present thought in our minds of the intensity of that heat. I am secure in Christ and I do not fear his wrath. But I must never forget about the great danger that faces all my unsaved friends and loved ones. God withholds his wrath today, out of his great compassion and patience. Indeed he blesses all mankind with life and sustenance, “sending his rain on the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:45). But judgment is coming, and the folly of those who would continue their rebellion against Almighty God will be revealed in the Day of Judgment. That is the picture of this verse in Psalms. A day is coming when it will be too late for them. The starkness of the choice before each of us is astonishing. How can we be complacent? Lord, I do not want to be driven by simple fear, but I pray that you would remind me daily of the urgency of the Great Commission.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wonders of Creation
Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
(Job 38:12-13)
In chapters 38 and 39 of Job, the Lord describes the wonders of his creation. By one rhetorical question after another he reminds Job that it was he, and not Job, who created it in all its splendor. Creation is vast beyond measure, intricate beyond our understanding, and powerful beyond our control. I think chapters 38 and 39 are some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. And I stand in awe of creation not just because of its vastness, intricacy and power, but also because of its beauty, which is so richly conveyed here.
It is interesting as well to read this passage 3000 years after it was written. Our modern knowledge of nature is many times greater than the ancients – when God asks Job his rhetorical questions, some of them we can now say yes to:
Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
(Job 39:1)
To which anyone who watches National Geographic TV specials could probably say yes. But the larger point is still intact and powerful. God knows when every mountain goat gives birth, and watches every fawn being born. In fact, as we learn more about creation we appreciate even better than the author of Job how vast, intricate, powerful and beautiful the universe is. But modern man no longer looks beyond creation to see the power and majesty of the Creator. They call it Nature now, with a capital N, and worship it instead of God. They have mastered the trick of looking at the most beautiful and well designed system imaginable and ascribing its origin to pure chance. Lord, open the eyes of the blind. Let them see you in your creation. Let science once again be practiced for your glory. Praise you, for you are the Creator and Lord of All! Amen.
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
(Job 38:12-13)
In chapters 38 and 39 of Job, the Lord describes the wonders of his creation. By one rhetorical question after another he reminds Job that it was he, and not Job, who created it in all its splendor. Creation is vast beyond measure, intricate beyond our understanding, and powerful beyond our control. I think chapters 38 and 39 are some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. And I stand in awe of creation not just because of its vastness, intricacy and power, but also because of its beauty, which is so richly conveyed here.
It is interesting as well to read this passage 3000 years after it was written. Our modern knowledge of nature is many times greater than the ancients – when God asks Job his rhetorical questions, some of them we can now say yes to:
Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
(Job 39:1)
To which anyone who watches National Geographic TV specials could probably say yes. But the larger point is still intact and powerful. God knows when every mountain goat gives birth, and watches every fawn being born. In fact, as we learn more about creation we appreciate even better than the author of Job how vast, intricate, powerful and beautiful the universe is. But modern man no longer looks beyond creation to see the power and majesty of the Creator. They call it Nature now, with a capital N, and worship it instead of God. They have mastered the trick of looking at the most beautiful and well designed system imaginable and ascribing its origin to pure chance. Lord, open the eyes of the blind. Let them see you in your creation. Let science once again be practiced for your glory. Praise you, for you are the Creator and Lord of All! Amen.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Blogger's Proverb
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions. (Pro 18:2)
This should probably be known as the Blogger’s Proverb. It leaps out at me because I delight in airing my own opinions. Hopefully, it cannot also be said of me that I “find no pleasure in understanding.” But the cautionary note is well-applied to all of us, because the delight in our own opinions is a symptom of pride. The blogger must beware more than most. Yet the proper corrective action is not necessarily to stay silent, but to speak in all humility. Every word motivated by pride must be left unsaid. Silence may often be the wisest course, but there is a time for humble speech. There is never a time for prideful speech. Lord, help me to share my thoughts for the right reasons and in the right way. Let me not speak except to be a blessing to others. Amen.
This should probably be known as the Blogger’s Proverb. It leaps out at me because I delight in airing my own opinions. Hopefully, it cannot also be said of me that I “find no pleasure in understanding.” But the cautionary note is well-applied to all of us, because the delight in our own opinions is a symptom of pride. The blogger must beware more than most. Yet the proper corrective action is not necessarily to stay silent, but to speak in all humility. Every word motivated by pride must be left unsaid. Silence may often be the wisest course, but there is a time for humble speech. There is never a time for prideful speech. Lord, help me to share my thoughts for the right reasons and in the right way. Let me not speak except to be a blessing to others. Amen.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Hate Evil
To fear the Lord is to hate evil. (Pro 8:13a)
If we really understand who God is we will hate evil. We should hate it both for the bad consequences that it produces and for the punishment that follows it. It is foolish to provoke the wrath of God and foolish to break his commandments which were given to us for our own good. To “fear God” is to know him and to acknowledge him as Lord. Because he is good we know his commandments are good; to violate them will have bad consequences. Because he is just we know that all evil will be punished. Because we are saved by the blood of Christ we need not fear his judgment, but we still must suffer the natural consequences of sin. Also, because we know Christ we have another reason to obey his commands: because we love him. As Christians we must hate evil – the evil we find in the world and the evil we find in our own lives.
If we really understand who God is we will hate evil. We should hate it both for the bad consequences that it produces and for the punishment that follows it. It is foolish to provoke the wrath of God and foolish to break his commandments which were given to us for our own good. To “fear God” is to know him and to acknowledge him as Lord. Because he is good we know his commandments are good; to violate them will have bad consequences. Because he is just we know that all evil will be punished. Because we are saved by the blood of Christ we need not fear his judgment, but we still must suffer the natural consequences of sin. Also, because we know Christ we have another reason to obey his commands: because we love him. As Christians we must hate evil – the evil we find in the world and the evil we find in our own lives.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Reflecting Jesus
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (Mt 5:14)
In Jn 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” – one of the seven great “I am” statements of the Gospel of John. How astonishing then that in Matthew 5 he told his followers, “You are the light of the world.” Clearly, we are to shine by reflecting his light, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I Jn 1:5)
What does it mean for me to be the light of the world? If those around me are going to see Jesus, they will see his life reflected in mine. If those around me are going to hear the Gospel, they will hear it from my lips. I have an awesome responsibility to speak Truth and live by its light, so that those around me will experience the love of Jesus through me. Darkness cannot reign in my little corner of the world if I set my lamp on a lampstand, proclaiming and living by God’s Truth. Lord, help me be bold, and be true to my calling, so that those around me will see my life and my words as a beacon of hope.
In Jn 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” – one of the seven great “I am” statements of the Gospel of John. How astonishing then that in Matthew 5 he told his followers, “You are the light of the world.” Clearly, we are to shine by reflecting his light, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (I Jn 1:5)
What does it mean for me to be the light of the world? If those around me are going to see Jesus, they will see his life reflected in mine. If those around me are going to hear the Gospel, they will hear it from my lips. I have an awesome responsibility to speak Truth and live by its light, so that those around me will experience the love of Jesus through me. Darkness cannot reign in my little corner of the world if I set my lamp on a lampstand, proclaiming and living by God’s Truth. Lord, help me be bold, and be true to my calling, so that those around me will see my life and my words as a beacon of hope.
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