Like A Rising Tide

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10)

And so it begins. After one generation of faithfulness came centuries of apostasy. The generation of those who were born in the wilderness and saw the conquest of Canaan were faithful to God themselves, but they failed to pass on that deposit of faith to their children. One day we who are alive today will all be dead and gone. Everything we have done to build the church and spread the gospel will come to ruin and loss if we fail to plant that spark in the next generation. And, sadly, throughout history that seems to be the rule, rather than the exception. It certainly was in ancient Israel, but even in the church age, don’t complacency and apostasy always seem to follow faithfulness and devotion? Revivals grow cold and worldliness seeps into Christian institutions. We are delighted when God is doing a “new thing” but it is because the old thing has failed. In this way history testifies to the reality of the Fall. The postmillennialists are wrong. No perfect millennial kingdom will ever arise in this life through the slow accumulation of godliness.

But there is still hope. Of course the Day is coming when God will banish all evil and glorify his saints, but that’s not all. There is hope for this age, too, because no matter how many times we falter God never lets us fail utterly. The Kingdom advances like a rising tide. Each wave slips back, but soon another one comes that reaches further inland. The gospel has advanced generation by generation throughout the whole earth and millions upon millions have been saved. Faithful fathers do raise their sons to know and love God. A remnant always remains and God does indeed do a “new thing” when darkness seems to be getting the upper hand. God never gives up on us. He has a plan and he will not be thwarted. Lord, I want to do my part in your plan. Help me to lead my sons into faithful manhood. Show me how to do my part in the advancement of your Kingdom in this generation and the next. Let me be found faithful. Amen.

Peter and Jesus

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. (Lk 22:54)

We remember Peter for being the disciple who denied the Lord three times, but the wonder of it is that he was even there at all. When Jesus was arrested by the soldiers the other disciples ran away. Only Peter and John followed. Peter followed because he could not bear to be parted from Jesus, but when challenged he denied even knowing him. Peter’s love was great but his courage was weak. I want to love Jesus the way Peter did. We remember his moment of weakness. Let us not forget his heart of love.

The Arrogance of Man

The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Is 2:17)

All the things man prides himself in, his lofty towers (v15) and stately vessels (v16), will count for nothing in the Day of the Lord. Today we have wealth and power unimaginable in the days of Isaiah, but it will still count for nothing. As our power has increased so has our pride. This is a special temptation for Americans, I think. It is easy for gratitude for our blessings to slip into pride in our wealth and power. They had their towers and their stately vessels; we have our skyscrapers and our aircraft carriers. But God says:

Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty when he rises to shake the earth. (v19)

And so we must trust only in God:

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? (v22)

Even You

So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you. (Pro 22:19)

Something struck me as funny today when I read this. “I teach you today, even you.” Yes, even you, Bill Hensley. In many ways I feel like the most unlikely of disciples. I suppose we all feel that way at times. I think, "Lord, you should find someone more talented, someone more dedicated." But isn't that the point? It’s not about me but about him. God is in the business of making disciples out of unlikely candidates – Simon the impulsive fisherman, Saul the persecutor of the church. Even their names were changed. Later Paul understood this principle clearly:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (I Cor 1:26-27)

The unlikelier you are as a candidate for sainthood, the more glory God will receive when he transforms you into a vessel fit for his service. Lord, mold me and shape me to be the man you desire me to be. I yield to your Holy Spirit. I am yours. Amen.

Strong and Courageous

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Josh 1:9)

Moses has just died. God is commissioning Joshua as the new leader of Israel. They are about to enter the promised land at last. Three times in this passage God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous (v 6,7,9). Now Joshua was a stout-hearted man, but even he might have been nervous about stepping into Moses’ shoes and leading the conquest of Canaan. Joshua had great faith in God, but perhaps part of his faith had really been in Moses all these years. Moses was clearly anointed by God. No one had such a relationship with the Lord as he had. If Moses said, "God commands us to do X", you could be confident that was what God commanded. There is a certain comfort in being second in command, especially to one like Moses. Now Joshua had to step out on his own. But he was not actually alone. God is reassuring Joshua that he will be with him just as he was with Moses.

There comes a time when we each have to step up, take responsibility for what God is leading us to do, and not wait for someone else to show us the way. When God gives you a task, be strong and courageous! He will go before you, behind you and beside you. You are never alone when you are walking in his will. Be strong and courageous!

Knowing vs. Doing

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. (Pro 19:2)

Zeal isn’t enough. If you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll charge off half-cocked and make a mess. Running is no better than walking if you’re headed the wrong way. But the opposite problem is worse. To have knowledge and no zeal will accomplish nothing. He who knows what to do and doesn’t do it is worse than the one who doesn’t know what to do but tries anyway. Knowledge without action is sterile. Worse is the one who thinks he knows what to do, but then sits back and criticizes the ones who are actually in the fight, trying to accomplish something. Lord, give me zeal to match my knowledge and knowledge to match my zeal. Forgive me for ever thinking I know what to do but failing to act. Teach me humility in the face of those who try and fail when I have not even made the attempt. Amen.

Not Too Difficult?

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. (Deut 30:11)

A remarkable statement, given that Moses had just finished reading the entire Book of the Law to the people of Israel. I would have been daunted by it; I’m sure they were too. And today we know how it turned out – they failed miserably. Why did Moses think they could do it? Verse 14 contains the answer, "The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart that you may obey it." Their hearts were stirred by the reading of the Law, but they soon grew cold again. We have a profound advantage over the Israelites – Jesus Christ has given each of us a new heart, fresh and clean. And he has taken up permanent residence there.

It took thirty chapters for Moses to lay out all the provisions of the Law for the people, but in verse 19 he summarized it for them quite simply, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blesses and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Jesus is Life. Jesus is the Bread of Heaven that nourishes my soul. I choose Jesus.

Blessings and Curses

The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. (Deut 28:20)

There are many wonderful promises in the Bible, but there are a few that are terrifying. Moses spoke this promise to the people of Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land. God, speaking through Moses, was reviewing with them one more time the terms of the covenant he had made with them. It is a covenant with both blessings and curses. Most of God’s promises have a flipside like that, although it is often unspoken. These promises present us with a choice. If we reject him, there are always consequences. God is not to be ignored or taken lightly. Lord, forgive me for frequently being so casual and noncommittal toward your commandments and your promises. It is not the outright rebellion that I often fall prey to, but the self-satisfied complacency and the distractions of the moment. Help me to be totally committed to you. When I am tempted to sin, remind me that the path of disobedience is dark, but the path of obedience is bright and blessed.

Repentance and Restoration

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. (Joel 2:25a ESV)

Joel prophesies about a time when a great swarm of locusts has invaded Israel like a marauding army and has consumed everything in its path. The result is great famine and suffering. God sent the locusts in judgment for their sin, but then he calls them to repentance. In his call for repentance he makes this great promise: “I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten.”

God’s mercy is so great. We know that sin has consequences and sin brings judgment. Sin destroys the sinner, and robs him of all joy and peace. But God is so generous to us when we repent that he will restore the years we have lost. Of course, we can’t literally go back and live that time again. Much that was destroyed remains so. But he restores our hearts and heals our wounds. And he redeems the lost years by finding a way to use for good what we had meant for evil. (Rom 8:28, Gen 50:20)

This promise means so much to me because I strayed from God for so many years. When I first came back to him I felt such a profound sense of loss at the time I had wasted. But God showed me that he had used those years to teach me a lesson I could learn in no other way. And now I can share with others the truth that was so dearly bought in my life: that God is merciful and good, and that he deserves my full devotion.

Lord, for those whom I hurt in my time of rebellion, for those who may also have strayed because of me, I pray that you would show them the mercy you have shown me. I pray that this promise would one day be theirs – that you would restore the years the locusts have eaten. I believe that if you let them persist on their wayward path it is only because there are lessons they can learn no other way. I pray they would learn them quickly. Amen.

Plowing Straight Ahead

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:62)

Anyone who looks backwards while he is plowing will plow a very crooked furrow. We can’t serve God effectively if we keep looking back at the life we left behind to follow him. If I am going to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ I need to be “all in.” Complete commitment requires singleness of purpose. Lord, forgive me for the many distractions I entertain along the way. I am “all in” for your cause. I will keep my eyes on you. Lead and I will follow. Amen.