On the Way to Wonder

Does this sound a bit familiar?  We read Jeremiah 1:1-3:5 today and listen to God choosing Jeremiah to speak truth to power.  Jeremiah, a young prophet in the smallest tribe of Israel responds with the question so many of God’s chosen leaders have said, “Who am I to be chosen?”  Moses claimed he was not eloquent also.  Samuel was just a lad when he first heard God’s voice.  We look at ourselves and feel inadequate but God often sees that which we do not even realize in ourselves and he calls.  We whine, “I do not know how to speak; I am too ….” But God says, “I have chosen you.”

         God is distressed with Israel whom he compares to being his bride.  “But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols….My people have committed two sins; they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”  Israel has turned its back on the history of God’s faithfulness to chase false idols.  He compares the idols to a block of wood that the idol maker carves into an idol to sell to someone who puts it on the shelf and then the maker burns the wood shavings to bake his bread.  I wonder if so many of the things we chase after, things like money, fame, and talent are not indeed empty idols that can only carry us so far in life but not into eternity.

         One famous verses that people love to quote from Jeremiah comes from Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’  Despite the waywardness of Israel, God continues sending prophets to speak truth, to remind them of their history and who they are, and to remind them that he is the real God who cares for them.

         Can you think of a problem that is confronting you right now?  It might be that you feel young and unequal to the task of living into the situation and yet somehow God has allowed it to come into your life.  Or perhaps you need to push the “reset” button and take a break and remember all of God’s goodness to you through your life.  It is so easy to focus on our problems.  God is not a wooden block that we use half to cook our meal and use half to carve an idol to pray to.  God is a real being who sees us as his cherished bride and desires to grow a relationship with us.

The next iteration of our epic story is the writings of the prophets.  Our hero, God, communicated with people who spoke warnings of coming judgment and warnings of things that needed to be corrected in the culture. They became the voice of God to power.  The sixteen books are arranged after the wisdom literature by the four Major prophets (longer books) followed by the twelve Minor prophets or smaller books.  It is believed by Christians that many passages speak to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus.

         Isaiah 51-53 is our reading today.  Isaiah is the most quoted book in the New Testament.  Isaiah lived in the 8^th century BC during the reign of several kings, before and after the Babylon exile.  During the exile, the people must have been very discouraged.  Many of us are discouraged as this pandemic stretches on and new versions of the virus appear.  Can a vaccine truly protect us?  Is God committed to protecting us?  Isaiah points the people to their history.  God made a promise to one man and his wife, Abraham and Sarah, and God has faithfully been bringing his promise to fruition.  God is on our side even in the midst of political problems, medical problems and all the other problems we face.  God is for us.  Interestingly Isaiah does not go to the image of a conquering hero who defeats the foe in battle but rather talks of a “suffering servant” who walks with us in our troubles. (53:5)  The epic villain will be defeated but in a totally unexpected way, the cross.

         When I think of Isaiah, I think of Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  What a beautiful promise!  What are you fearing today?  Are you dismayed?  God has promised to strengthen us and hold us up in our trials.  It does not mean the trial will not hurt and it does not mean we will be millionaires after but we will not be alone and he will help us find a way through.  The story is not finished yet!  Take heart.

         This week we have looked at wisdom literature found in Psalms and Proverbs, written by King David and his son King Solomon.  It is not narrative but a form of poetry.  They give words to some of our deepest griefs, angers, and anguish as well as put words of praise to joy and worship and gratitude.  Solace, comfort and wisdom are found.  The history of Israel in the wilderness is summarized in verse.  A father reaches out to teach his son.  So very much is contained in these books.

         In eighth grade I could choose between memorizing Psalm 23 or Psalm 121 and reciting it before the class.  I chose Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
    from where will my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ He who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
⁸ The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time on and forevermore.

I love the image of God who never slumbers nor sleeps as he watches over us.  My husband to be considered it our dating psalm as it assured him that God was watching our “going out.”  This week I was delighted to find the psalm put to music with additional art scenes appearing in the background.  May it bless you.

Tafrohda was my Kenyan big sister.  On her birthday, we would gather and sing.  Then her husband would pick a psalm or proverb that corresponded to a significant number in her life and we would read it together.  She would then pick the verse within the reading that touched her and that she wanted prayed into her next year of life.  Each chapter of Proverbs has so many verses and wise sayings that reading three chapters like today is a bit overwhelming.

         My sophomore year of college I transferred to the University of CA, Santa Barbara.  On entering my dorm room, two things grabbed my attention.  Our window looked out onto the Pacific Ocean!!!  Secondly, my roommate had taped to her closet door Proverbs 16:1, “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.”  With all the focus of a sophomore in college, I pondered that verse for a year and still reflect to grasp the meaning. 

         Proverbs challenges us to distinguish between wisdom and folly, between that which originates from God and that which comes from the imaginations of humans full of themselves.  The words of the soul are expressed through the mouth and can be instruments of healing or weapons of destruction.  We need God’s inspiration to direct us.  Proverbs also challenges us to distinguish between humility and sinful pride.  Our tongues will often reveal the thoughts of our hearts, if we are centered on God or self.  And thirdly Proverbs help us differentiate between God’s will and foolish action.

         As our mouth goes into gear, I pray for wisdom not folly, for humility and not pride, and for God’s will and not my fame. Our mothers taught us to say when taunted by others, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,” but it is not true.  Words carry the power to cheer, heal and encourage but can equally reduce us to tears and linger in our souls for decades.  The proverb reminds us that our dreams comes from our hearts but we definitely need the Lord’s help to find the proper answer of the tongue when we speak.

         Is there someone in your life that needs an encouraging word today?  Perhaps there is that difficult friend you need to pray for “the gentle answer that turns away wrath.”  Proverbs 16 says much about words so perhaps reading just that chapter one more time and note how many times Solomon talks about our words.  Blessings as you engage other today.

King David teaches his son who became King Solomon who now writes down proverbs to teach his sons.  Wisdom does not develop in a void but in the relationships that challenge us in our lives and drive us to express dreams for future generations.  In chapters 1-4 of Proverbs we read the heart of a father reaching out to the future, sharing lessons he has learned.  Foremost we see his commitment that wisdom comes from his “fear of the Lord.”  I suspect this is not fear of the “big man in the sky with the big stick” but the deep awe and respect of lessons learned from “the master mentor.”  Reverence, obedience and trust have characterized his relationship with the Lord and resulted in the tremendous bounty of his life.

         Solomon opens in Proverbs 1 encouraging his sons to flee the intentions of evil friends that ultimately lead to death.  “My son (or daughter), if sinful men (or women) entice you, do not give in to them.”  We hear the words of Proverbs 2 echoed in the writings of Paul, Hebrews 12:7, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves.”  Our best lessons are learned in loving, trusting relationships.

         One of the proverbs we are encouraged to memorize is 3:5,6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your oaths straight.”  Wisdom leads to happiness and health – eventually.  That is different than prosperity and all the goodies of this life.  Wisdom is long vision thinking.

         “Above al else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (4:23)” A commitment to learn and follow God’s ways is not easy but it leads to a future Solomon desires for his children and grandchildren.

         So I suppose that begs the question of what is our long-range vision?  Are we so busy getting from day to day that whatever works for the moment is worth trying?  In my marriage counseling, the pastor advised setting 5 year, 10 year, and 20 year goals.  I had no idea how much life would change in those time periods.  My husband who just turned 75 and I sat and pondered the life transitions in each decade of his life.  Wow.  Wisdom doesn’t look for achievement goals but for character goals that we would like to characterize our lives.

Blessed are those who find wisdom,

Those who gain understanding,

For she is more profitable than silver

And yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies’

Nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways,

And all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;

Those who hold her fast will be blessed. (3:13-18)

Blessings as you journey to your goals.

Psalm 103.  If we turn on the news today, it is possible to become very depressed.  Disagreement, disease, and divisions are reported and proven statistically.  David was no stranger to rough times.  He knew the jealous hatred of Saul, the divisions within his household between his sons who sought to undermine him, and the grief of the death of his children.  In the face of all this he writes Psalm 103 that is famous for its opener and closer: Praise the Lord, my soul.  Why?

1. Forget not the benefits of knowing God:  forgiveness healing, redemption, love and compassion, and ultimately satisfaction.  David could look beyond the momentary traumas to the long-term benefits of knowing the God of the universe.
2. He has learned something of the character of God:  compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, does not harbor anger,  “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.”
3. He remember God’s response to us:  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  Wow!  He remembers that we are dust. We are like flowers, here today and gone tomorrow.

Take a few minutes to write a list, or a poem to describe the benefit to you of knowing God.  What have you learned about his character?  What do you hold precious about knowing God?  OR take each letter of the word p-r-a-i-s-e as an acronym to talk about God.

P: personal

R: rescues

A: almighty

I: intuitive

S: sincere

E: eternal

Blessings as you try your acronym.

King David has two outstanding events in his life that most people know.  As a youth he fought the giant Goliath and saved the Israelites.  The second event was when he was an older man who chose not to go to war with his men, looked out his window and saw Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite.  He saw, he wanted, he took.  She conceived and one sin led to another.  He placed Uriah in the front line of battle so he would be killed.  How easy we forget that just because we cannot see God, does not mean he cannot see us – all the time!  God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David.

         That horrible moment when we realize we have failed ourselves, our beliefs, another, and ultimately our God marks us forever.  “Forgive and forget” doesn’t work for murder or lust out of control.  Psalm 51 is the psalm David wrote.  Sometimes our guilt is so deep we have no words for the self-hatred and shame we feel.  The words of this psalm have helped many to get themselves straightened out.  The path to forgiveness involves three stages: honest admission of the wrong and our part – no rationalization, an honest desire to be washed and changed, and a “make-over” from inside out – create in me a clean heart!

         David throws himself on God’s mercy, love and compassion confessing his realization that he has sinned against God by abusing his power as king, and against Bathsheba, Uriah and his people.  Sin separates us from God, others, and ourselves.

         David realizes he cannot wash himself and no cover-up is going to reverse what has happened.  Guilt destroys peace within and without and requires more than a change of mind, more than a kiss and make-up moment, and more than trying again without the “oops.”  David needs help!

         David begs for the reorganization of values and world view, a clean heart, so that betrayal does not happen again, so that he does not deceive himself again.  David was known as “a man after God’s own heart,” a clean heart.

         We all have skeletons in the closet and closing the door does not remove them from the house.  Perhaps there is an old sin that plagues or that you are afraid will come to light.  Perhaps the other person is no longer alive or geographically lost to you.  But talk with God, journaling, and confession need not be big public scenes but getting those sins dealt with and unloading the weight of sin is a burden worth dumping.  Don’t wait if you have something you need to deal with.  Forgiveness frees us to worship with joy and in peace.  Blessings.

Psalm 23.  The next iteration in our epic story, the Bible, is a genre of writing by the kings of Israel, called the Wisdom literature.  David and Solomon were not only famous kings during Israel’s climb to fame but they were also prolific writers.  Psalms, a collection of poems, by David and Proverbs, a collection of wise sayings, by Solomon and others are some of the beloved literature that has been saved and have encouraged many through the centuries.  Poetry allowed David to express the heights of faith and the depths of despair during hard times. There are 31 chapters of Proverbs so many love to read one a day for devotions.  If combined with five psalms a day, the two books can be read through in a month.

         One of David’s most famous psalms is Psalm 23 that starts, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  A famous painting is of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, holding the lost sheep having been found and retrieved.  In Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd leads his sheep to good pastures, protects, heals, accompanies them through the valley of the shadow of death, and prepares a banquet for them.  He is always there in the background of our lives!

         The concept of the Good Shepherd has been contextualized by different cultures.  The author of The 100 Essential quoted a Latin American that shared, “The Lord is my friend; he helps me find work for the day.”  A person in Russia wrote, “The Lord is my taxi driver; he gets me safely through the streets of Moscow.”  An Australian wrote, “The Lord is my loving mother; she takes care of me all day long.”  And from India, “The Lord is my guru; he teaches me what I need to know.” (page 108).  How might you describe how God accompanies, protects and provides for you in your life?  Because of our relationship with God we need not fear the present or the future.  Wow, that is a relationship worth investing in!

The iteration we followed this week in our epic story was the time from King David’s son, Solomon’s reign to the Babylonian Captivity.  What looked so promising with the gifting of Solomon ended in exile and servitude in a foreign country due to the idolatry encouraged by the kings and leaders.  It is a sad progression, slide from favor.  Not all people of Israel were idolaters but they were caught in the downslide of their country.  During times of darkness when we feel our political, social or even family leaders are making bad decisions, how do we encourage ourselves?

         Mrs. Civilla Martin, wife of Baptist evangelist Stillman Martin, was forced to stay home one Sunday in 1904.  She became sick and could not accompany her husband.  He debated staying with her but their son challenged his father, “Father, don’t you think that if God wants you to preach today, He will take care of Mother while you’re away?”  The husband left and later returned to find his wife greatly improved and writing this hymn.  That evening he wrote the music to go with the text.  Many find deep comfort from this tune during difficult times.

Be not dismayed whate’er betide
God will take care of you
Beneath His wings of love abide
God will take care of you.

God will take care of you
Through every day, o’er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test
God will take care of you
Lean, weary one, upon His breast
God will take care of you.

God will take care of you
Through every day, o’er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you

He will take care of you
God will take care of youhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Ez8m2ozf4

2 Kings 25.  Some of our favorite Old Testament children’s stories occur when the people of Judah, the southern kingdom, are taken into captivity to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are the three young men thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel is thrown in the den of lions for not praying to Nebuchadnezzar.  Jehoiachin was the king of Judah and surrendered to Babylon and so began a period called the Babylon captivity.  It involved the destroying of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the carrying off of leaders, officials and artisans to serve in Babylon.  Only the poorest were left in the city.  Chapter 24 ends, “It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he (God) thrust them from his presence.”  This was a horrible time indeed.  Chapter 25 describes what happened as idolatry and turning from God increased in Judah.  This was about 600 BCE.

         Many of us remember the shock of watching the Twin Towers tumble on 9-11 but the terrors of war, the humiliation of loosing and then being carried off to captivity have been spared for most of us.  Perhaps we know the disruption of the sudden death at an early age of a parent or even the pain of divorce.  Others experienced the reorganization of life after a major car accident.  Now we see the fires sweeping places in our country and know many are displaced.  These situations are not caused by idolatry and God’s wrath so our empathy is limited but they do involve much soul searching and reorganizing of life.

         Others of us might understand the problem of “captivity” as we struggle with addictions that undermine our lives and to which we are enslaved.  Dieters or Alcoholics Anonymous not to mention drug addiction all involve a kind of life lived in the shadows.

         I see two lessons for us in the Babylonian Captivity. The Lord was angry with the people of Israel and removed his presence, his protection and his blessing.  We like to think that God is love and surely will understand our situation.  God becomes a kind of Force for Good, loving us.  That is true but it is also true that God is a real being interacting with us and can withdraw.

         Even as I say that, we have stories of God’s unseen presence being with the faithful who are drawn into this captivity like Daniel and the three men in the fiery furnace.  God will become angry if we become involved in idolatry and allow us to go our stubborn ways as we are not robots and God is a real being.  But likewise, God is faithful to his covenants and ready to receive us when we return to him.  There is hope for those in “captivity” and those living in dire situations.  God sees and God cares about us.  Blessings in your struggles.