Category Archives: Pastoral thoughts

Pastoral thoughts

It’s Morning

It’s so wonderful to celebrate Easter in our beautiful church facilities with dear friends and precious family. Often Easter Sunday worship is one of the highlight services of the year. But such surroundings also make it easy to forget the context of the first Easter morning. As the women approached the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, life was filled with despair and chaos. Jesus’ followers feared reprisal from the rulers. They had lost their purpose and power. They were confused about their future, uncertain about how to make sense of Jesus. Rome was still in power; their Messiah hadn’t delivered. Their greatest hope, their faith in Jesus, had led to embarrassing, humiliating defeat. The world and their lives seemed out of control. What hope did they have? All seemed lost. They wondered if following Jesus would make a difference.

We are familiar with the chaos and despair of life. Death and defeat are more evident every day. Financial ruin and hardship increase in frequency, broken relationships are in the rise, acts of terror and murder fill the headlines. There are more unexplained illnesses and uncontrolled diseases than ever before. There’s more bullying, more hatred, more broken relationships. Morality and behavioral standards are on a fast, seemingly unstoppable decline. There are more raging wars, famines, natural disasters, nuclear threats, unjust rulers, and horrific persecutions. We look at our current political landscape and wonder if there is anyone worthy of office. It’s easy to throw up our hands in despair – feeling powerless to do anything. We consign ourselves to thinking the end is near, there’s nothing we can do. It all directs our attention to a world seemingly out of control. Is following Jesus possible? If so will it make a difference? We understand the despair of the disciples.

But for the disciples then came the morning. Jesus was alive. Evil had not triumphed. The darkness of night did not last forever. Rome had not won. Hope was not lost. Jesus had won – He would soon ascend to Heaven to take up His power and reign forever. Ephesians 4:7 reminds us “When he ascended on high, he took many captives… (Col. 2:15 GNT) “And on that cross Christ freed himself from the power of the spiritual rulers and authorities; he made a public spectacle of them by leading them as captives in his victory procession.”

Even when we cannot see the evidence around us, JESUS REIGNS – FOREVER AND EVER. He is on the throne and He will have His way. He rules the world with ultimate power and a just, loving heart. Everything is on a path to bring about one final morning when every knee shall bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. On that morning there will be a new heaven and a new earth and a new day. (Is. 2:4 & 11:6-8) “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore…The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together  and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear,   their young will lie down together,   and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea… (Rev. 21:3-4) “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The morning makes all the difference. Because of Easter morning, we live with “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1 RSV)

Carol was a church organist. One Easter morning her alarm didn’t go off and she didn’t show up for the Easter sunrise service. The next year, at 4:00 A.M. on Easter Sunday, the pastor called Carol. As she sleepily picked up the phone, he said, “Carol, it’s Easter Sunday morning. The Lord has risen, and I suggest you do the same.” Easter morning is our wake-up call!

As Paul firmly challenges us (1 Cor. 15:58 MSG): “With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” No matter who you are or where you’ve come from or what you’ve done or not done, right now you can begin a new life; your future is glorious. It’s morning. I challenge you to wake up and live!

News Commentary, Pastoral thoughts

The Truth From Calvin Revisited

Okay all you good Calvinists! Now that I have your attention…This is not about John Calvin – nor Calvin College. It’s about Calvin, as in “Calvin and Hobbes”. I enjoy and appreciate this great comic strip – not only for its humor but also for its wisdom and observations of life. One of my favorites is truly profound. Calvin’s mother says, ‘C’mon, Calvin. We’re going to the store.’ Calvin asks, ‘Can Hobbes come?’ ‘No, just leave him here’, mother replies. Shouts Calvin, ‘BUT I WANT HIM TO COME WITH US!’ As Calvin and Hobbes walk out the door together Hobbes observes, ‘If you can’t win by reason, go for volume.’

“Go for volume.”

Is this not a slogan and philosophy for many today? I wrote the original version of this blog 10 years ago – I suggested it was an appropriate theme for that time in history. Little did I know or could I comprehend how much more fitting it would be 10 years later.

There are so many loud voices today. It appears to me that many of the loudest voices (culturally, politically, religiously) are those of persons who are less concerned with the logic, reasonableness or truth of what they say than with the volume with which they say it. So they say it loud. The skill of and desire for true debate is rare. People seldom truly debate with each other anymore – they shout at each other instead. This past summer we witnessed this degradation in the so called political debates. I say ‘so called’ because they bore little resemblance to formal debates. I can only imagine what high school and college debate coaches must have thought. Certainly what they heard played out in these shouting matches bore little resemblance to what they taught and coached. Logic, reasonableness and truth gave way to volume, personal attack, and quotable tag lines. It should not surprise us that society at large has followed the lead. Perhaps Calvin was right – ‘If you can’t win by reason, go for volume.’

What a contrast to Jesus who was “oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

Since He had, and indeed was truth, Jesus didn’t need to shout. (Read the Gospel of John where ‘truth’ is mentioned at least 50 times!) And without shouting He proved to be the truth that has set us free! If we know this truth, there’s no need to worry about volume! Just speak and live the truth – and that truth will speak for itself.

(Jesus carrying cross from: &copy; Gracel21 | Dreamstime.com – <a href=”https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-jesus-carries-cross-christ-carrying-up-calvary-image39086448#res13162905″>Jesus carries cross</a>)

Pastoral thoughts

A Lesson from the Sun

There is a reason I love sunsets – more than just the fact that my wife and I love to see them in all their splendor. There’s just something about standing on the pier jutting out into the great lake and watching breathlessly as the sun paints its splendor on the horizon. It’s not unusual that, as the last chip of the great red ball fades below the horizon, the gathered crowd bursts into applause; on occasion someone even manages a “Yea, God!” But there’s yet a greater reason. One Sunday morning years ago as I drove to church, the eastern sky was aglow with the first burst of the rising sun. That’s when it hit me. God has messages attached to his sun.

Consider the rising sun – in the Bible it’s the symbol of a new day – everything and everyone awakens with a totally fresh start. Even the lamenting prophet understood it: “…my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (Lamentations 3:20-24). Similarly, the setting sun signifies the end of day – the opportunity to make things right before resting for the night: “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27). And there is yet a third symbol, from Revelation 22:5 – “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” This represents the time when our hope is fulfilled. As the hymn-writer penned it:

Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning, when with our Savior heaven is begun;
Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious dawning – beyond the sunset when day is done.

Beyond the sunset no clouds will gather, no storms will threaten, no fears annoy;
O day of gladness, O day unending – beyond the sunset, eternal joy!

Beyond the sunset a hand will guide me to God the Father, whom I adore;
His glorious presence, His words of welcome, will be my portion on that fair
shore.

Beyond the sunset, O glad reunion with our dear loved ones who’ve gone before;
In that fair homeland we’ll know no parting – beyond the sunset forevermore!

So every sunrise and sunset reminds me of new opportunities to experience the peace and rest of God, which only prepares me for the eternal rest and peace to come. And what should I do each day until THAT day? Let one more biblical sun image provide the answer: “Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised” (Ps. 113:2-3). There’s the reason I love sunsets – God wants to remind me, and you, of the agenda for the day: Praise the Lord!

 

Pastoral thoughts

Ever Failed a Test?

We all have memories of certain tests we have taken. I still remember the only test I failed outright. It was in 7th grade English. We were diagramming sentences (I’m not sure this is even done anymore – although it should be!). On a straight horizontal line we would put, first, the subject of the sentence, then a perpendicular line, then the verb, and then either a slanted line followed by a predicate nominative or a perpendicular line followed by a direct object. Well – I got the straight and slanted and lines at the end reversed. So every sentence was wrong – even thought I really knew the answers! So I got a big, red “F”.

There have been many tests since then, tests that have been far more important. That’s why I frequently turn to Abraham who once had a faith test – and it wasn’t for a grade, it was simply pass or fail. His test began when “Some time later (after these things) God tested Abraham…Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Gen. 22:1-3)

God tests us. This whole scene is a test. But notice when the test occurred – “after these things.” After Abraham had, at the command of God, left his native home and headed towards an unknown land; after God had promised him a son, an heir, so he could be the father of many nations; after Abraham had rescued Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah; after Abraham had waited many, many years and in his old age had a child by his servant; after God rejected that child as his heir; after God had finally blessed Abraham with a son by his aged wife, a son named Isaac. After all these things God tightened the screws even tighter on Abraham. He tested him. All his previous trials and tests had merely been preparation for this mother of all tests.

A good teacher never tests us on things she has not taught us but only on those for which she has prepared us. So it is with God; whatever the test, remember that God never tests us without first preparing us for the test. How is God currently testing you? Where in your life is He tightening the screws? Don’t panic – you are ready for it. God has prepared you.

Notice that Abraham passed the test because he was obedient. Obedience is always the primary issue for God. And we cannot obey partially – with obedience, it’s all or nothing. Obedience is total, not partial. The key is to understand why was Abraham so obedient. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together”. (Genesis 22:7-8) Abraham was obedient because he trusted God. He had high expectations of God because of God’s past performances in his life. (What, by the way, are your expectations of God? How long has it been since you considered his past performances in your life?) Abraham knew that God had never failed to deliver on a promise; he was willing to trust in God’s continued faithfulness. Abraham knew in his heart of hearts that God would not lie. Abraham did not need to understand, but only to obey and leave the details to God.

Remember that God’s goal, the purpose of his tests, is to lead us to trust Him fully and therefore be willing to walk forward even in the darkness when we cannot see our way. As the author of Hebrews put it, “Faith is… being certain of what we do not see.” (12:1) Jack Hayford wrote: “People who have to see the sunrise to be sure another day is coming are people who will live in the fear of the dark forever. But people who know that God has ordered the course of this world – and that the sun is going to come up – don’t worry about the darkness of the night. They are secure in the confidence that another day will dawn.”

And sure enough, God was faithful – He provided a lamb. Abraham did not have to sacrifice Isaac. A lamb in a thicket was God’s designated replacement. It’s not so much that Abraham was faithful as that God was faithful. God had tested Abraham, but Abraham had tested God – and both passed! Yet it gets more interesting. Many scholars claim that Moriah, where this all took place, was eventually a place called Calvary – where God also provided a Lamb.

God had another, more permanent designated replacement. And whether or not Moriah is Calvary, the other Lamb, Jesus Christ, was sacrificed. We do not have to sacrifice anything to receive God’s provision. The Bible proclaims, “Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT)

So Abraham did not have to sacrifice Isaac; but he needed to release him. We do not have to sacrifice anything to receive God’s provision, but we need do release everything to Him. But notice that Abraham was in Moriah when God provided the lamb. GOD PROVIDED THE LAMB IN THE PLACE OF OBEDIENCE! When God commands us to slay our Isaac, He is really asking a question: “Are you willing to let go of what I’ve given you before, to receive what I have for you now?” We experience the provision of God when we stand in the place of obedience. Are you willing to be obedient to God? Are you ready to release your dearest treasures, your most passionate love, your greatest accomplishments to God? Can you surrender your control of what you were never meant to control? Can you commit what is not yours to gain what you cannot lose? I invite you to release that which you are withholding from God. Whatever it is – your greatest love, your wealth, your job, your time, your accomplishments; your sexual desires, a special relationship with someone, your marriage; your sin, your guilt, your grief; your pride, your selfishness, your ‘rights;’ your anger, your bitterness; your unwillingness to serve Him, your hesitation to obey Him, your fear of trusting Him; your attempts to control your something in your life – lay it on the altar and release it to Him. Unless you climb Moriah, you will never see the heights nor experience the riches. God has already provided the Lamb – now He’s waiting to provide for you. “We never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay; for the favor He shows and the joy He bestows are for them who will trust and obey.” (1)

(1) Trust and Obey, John H. Sammis

News Commentary, Pastoral thoughts, Sports Talk

It’s All About the Numbers

I admit it at the outset – I am a big fan of the Michigan Wolverines. But I write today not so much but as a fan as an observer of life. You have probably heard the moving, emotional, inspirational story of the plane crash that preceded their current run through the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. The news has been filled with accounts of how the coaches, players and their families have been deeply impacted by the crash.

It’s not surprising that for all of them, life now has a different, or at least sharper focus. As I listened to and read these accounts my mind recalled Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

It would be nice to know the number of our days – or would it? Would it make a difference if you knew the number of your days? How would it change your life? If you knew for certain that you had 30,000 days, what impact would it have on how you live this day? If you knew for certain that you had 30 days, what impact would it have on how you live this day? My guess is knowing the number of days we have impacts how we spend our time today. It really is all about the numbers. The more days we know we have the less likely we are to focus on the really essential things of life today.

The late Zig Ziglar liked to talk about how much we accomplish on the days immediately preceding vacation. We know time is short and certain things have to be done – so we exercise great discipline and accomplish a tremendous amount of essential work in those days – much more than normal. His point was that we should treat every day as the day before vacation and accomplish much more than we currently do.

Isn’t that really the point of the Psalmist? Did he really want to know the number of his days? Or was he pointing out the benefit of not knowing? If we do not know how many days we have we are much more prone to make today count – to focus more clearly on the really essential things of life. That’s why I like the Contemporary English Version of Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” It’s really not about the numbers, is it? It’s really about how serious we are about making each day count.

Here’s what we know for sure. We do not know the number of our days and we do not determine the number of our days. Therefore each day is a gift of grace. As the Amplified Version states it, “Lord, let me know my [life’s] end And [to appreciate] the extent of my days…” It really doesn’t matter if we don’t know how many days we have – we have today. Value it as a blessing; live it with gratitude; fill it with purpose. As the Gaithers sang years ago:

Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making mem’ries of what was today.

Tiny voice that I hear is my little girl calling,
For Daddy to hear just what she has to say;
And my little son running there by the hillside,
May never be quite like today.

Tender words, gentle touch and a good cup of coffee,
And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they’re here and don’t wait for tomorrow,
To look back and wish for today.

Take the blue of the sky and the green of the forest,
And the gold and the brown of the freshly mown hay;
Add the pale shades of spring and the circus of autumn,
And weave you a lovely today.

Chorus: We have this moment to hold in our hands
and to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.

Plane Crash Photo from:  http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2017/03/details_and_descriptions_of_mi.html

Pastoral thoughts

A Shady Life

I admit – I live a shady life.

But it’s not what you think. I’m not dishonest, crooked, underhanded or shifty. Rather I’m shaded and sheltered. Here’s what I mean.

A desire for being in the shade and shadows brings to mind the time we took our 3 boys to Washington DC. It was hot. No – it was scorching hot. It was so scorching hot that the front page of the news showed a row of parked motorcycles all tipped over laying on their sides. In the intense heat the blacktop had softened so the kickstands sank, tilting the cycles until they all fell. Now that’s hot!

I vividly remember the sweat and fatigue. We planned our walking routes so we could get periodic spots of shade – it was the only relief and rest available outdoors. And even the air conditioned buildings seemed muggy and stifling. Perhaps that’s why I identify so easily with the Psalmist who prayed “…hide me in the shadow of your wings…” (Psalm 17:8) The wings are another image of and symbol for the cloud. What we would have given for some shadowing clouds on that day! (1)

The Psalmist uses the imagery again: “The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.” (Psalm 121: 5-7) The Lord is a shadow for all the distresses and threats we encounter – any time, day or night.

How can we be sure? Jesus points to Himself as the wings of God. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” (Matthew 23:37) What a picture! When her babies are in danger Mama Hen spreads her wings to protect them. Pretty much what human mothers do for their children!

The issue is whether or not we will plan our routes to go under His wings.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Underlining mine) The shady spots are available – sometimes God’s wings and shade are right where we are – but oftentimes we need to go to the shade – like the hens need to go to Mama. The Psalmist knew it – he made it clear: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91: 1-4). Curry’s Paraphrase: When we dwell under His wings we will have rest during the heat and storms of life.

One final image – Jesus hangs on the cross with His arms outstretched. His wings are spread. He’s offering the refuge of a shady life for all who come to Him.

The words of William Cushing say it eloquently: “Under His wings I am safely abiding, Though the night deepens and tempests are wild, Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me, and I am His child. Under His wings, under His wings, Who from His love can sever? Under His wings my soul shall abide, Safely abide forever.” (2)

(1) See my three previous posts: Life in the Cloud, More Life in the Clouds, Living in Glory

(2 Under His Wings, William O. Cushing

Pastoral thoughts

Living in Glory

Two weeks ago I began contemplating the concept of ‘the cloud;’ more specifically the cloud referred to in the Bible – the cloud which indicates the presence of God. As I have indicated that cloud is a means by which God guides us and protects us. Yet there’s a third symbolism of and meaning for God’s presence in the cloud. God uses the cloud to cover the fiery manifestations of His glory.

The life of Moses helps explain what this means. God called Moses up into the mountain for a meeting. Exodus 24:16-18 states “…and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Could anything be more exciting than being wrapped up in the glory of God?

Before you answer, read on. Exodus 33:17-23 goes into more detail. “And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”” No one can see God’s face, no one can fully experience His glory and live. (This why no one could enter the Temple when the cloud was over it.) So much for it being exciting – more like dangerous!

Yet notice the impact of God’s glory on Moses: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.” (Exodus 34:29-35) Even though he never saw God’s face, just because he was present in the cloud of God’s glory, Moses reflected God’s glory.

Now jump forward to Peter, James and John with Jesus on a mountain (Mark 90:2-13). “There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”

The language Mark uses tells us that Jesus was not transformed into someone different, but rather He ‘glowed from within.’ His appearance was dazzling, shining; He had an outer splendor that was created by his inner purity and sinlessness. This was the glorified Christ. He would later, just prior to his arrest and crucifixion, pray (John 17:5) “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” This was a glimpse of that glory. John later wrote about it (John 1:14): “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Peter wrote of it as well (2 Peter 1:16-18): “…we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father…we were with him on that sacred mountain.”

Here’s what is exciting! We see God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16 GNT) “The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ.” And, just like Moses, that’s enough to fill us with glory – it’s enough to make God’s glory shine through us. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NRSV) “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

What a joy! What a privilege! We can live in the cloud of glory every moment of every day. And unlike Moses we do not need to put a veil over our faces – for in us others come to see Jesus and the glory of God. Perhaps that’s why Paul urges us (1 Corinthians 10:31) “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” That’s life in the cloud. So do it – live it! And shine!

Pastoral thoughts

More Life in the Clouds

Last week I mused on Psalm 105:39: “God put a cloud over his people…” I considered the first of four distinct but beautiful meanings of God’s use of ‘the cloud’ in the Bible – the cloud guides us. This week I caught up in a second meaning. Consider Exodus 14:19-20. “The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.” (The Message)

God had been guiding the Israelites through the wilderness. But at this moment they didn’t need a guide – they needed a guard. The Red Sea was in front of them so they could not move forward. And the Egyptian army was in hot pursuit and gaining ground behind them. So God moved the cloud from their front to their back. God now truly had their back! And even more amazingly the cloud enshrouded the Egyptians in darkness so they could not see the Israelites but flooded the Israelites with light. To live in God’s cloud is to have the assurance of divine protection.

Billy Graham, in his book Angels, shared of the night hostile natives surrounded John G. Paton’s mission headquarters, intent on burning the Patons out and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed all during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see that, unaccountably, the attackers had left. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Jesus Christ, and Mr. Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men you had with you there?” The missionary answered, “There were no men there; just my wife and I.” The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard – hundreds of men in shining garments with drawn swords in their hands. They seemed to circle the mission station so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent his angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. To live in God’s cloud is to have the assurance of divine protection.

Now I admit an experience like that of the Patons seems pretty remote from my life. While I have had some experiences where I’ve said “Thank you, Lord, for protecting me,’ I’ve never had the verification they had. But that does not invalidate my experiences. In fact, it makes me wonder how many times I, like the Patons, have been totally oblivious to being guarded by God’s cloud. And I wonder – do I really need to have verification to believe? Am I not to live by faith and not by sight? As I read the Biblical accounts of God’s ‘guardian angels’ at work, I recognize that most of that work is done behind the scenes. God just wants us to trust Him. He has promised to guard us – is that not enough?

The Psalmist put it poignantly: “He will not let you fall; your protector is always awake.
The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps. The Lord will guard you; he is by your side to protect you. The sun will not hurt you during the day, nor the moon during the night. The Lord will protect you from all danger; he will keep you safe. He will protect you as you come and go now and forever.” (Ps. 121:3-8 Good News Translation) To live in God’s cloud is to have the assurance of divine protection.

I wonder – how often have you been oblivious to God’s guarding cloud? Do you need verification? Or are you willing to walk by faith? As you come and go today, are you willing to trust He will protect and keep you? Perhaps the assuring words of Jesus can cement the deal for us both. “My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” (John 10:27-30 The Message) Is that not enough?

Two hands are holding a glowing cross
Pastoral thoughts

Life in the Cloud

It’s interesting to reflect on how the meaning and images of words and phrases change over time. For example, when I was growing up “His head is in the clouds” meant that person was out of touch with reality, nothing but a dreamer. Today if our head – and indeed all our vital information – is not in the Cloud we’re considered unwise and unsafe. So which is it?

So it’s no wonder I was struck when I read Ps. 105:39 – “God put a cloud over his people…” Just what did the Psalmist mean? That led to a search on the use of the cloud image in the Bible. I’ve discovered, so far, at least four distinct but beautiful meanings – each of which I will briefly unwrap over the next four weeks.

One meaning can be drawn from the image in Exodus 13:21 – “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way…” On their journey through the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land God used a cloud to lead them – the cloud was a visible tour guide they could follow. After all, they had never been this way before and needed someone who knew the way to take the lead. At times, God would speak from the cloud and give them even further guidance.

The primary meaning is that God guides His people during their life journeys. That’s a good thing. After all, we’ve never been this way before. But where is our cloud? How does God speak to us? Certainly we have His written Word, the Bible. It is filled with direction and guidance. But we have even more. We have Jesus.

John wrote “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2, 14) Jesus is God’s spoken Word who leads and guides us. John later records “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6)

Yet that’s not all. As Jesus was preparing His disciples for life beyond His resurrection, He taught them about the Holy Spirit He would send to them.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about

God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you…The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you…“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 14:16-17, 26 & 16:12-15)
God’s Cloud – His Word, His Son, His Spirit – guides us through our life journey.

I appreciate how Robert Smith described it: “When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing “dance”
at the end of the word.  I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.  The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.  When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.  One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.  It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully.  The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person, and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw “G: I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i”.  “God, “u” and “i” dance.”  God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.”

Thank God for the Cloud!

Pastoral thoughts

Why I Like Road Construction

I live in Michigan. As some have said, we have 2 seasons – winter and road construction!

That’s because the winters, with all the plowing and salting, lead to potholes and road deterioration. Deterioration leads to road repair and construction. To be honest, I complain, probably too frequently, about the inconvenience of the construction. Yet I’ve come to realize I do like the construction. Why? First, because I always like the new, improved completed road. But also because it reminds me of a biblical truth: our lives are always under construction.

This means that we will experience nasty potholes, brokenness, pain, repairs, and detours. None of us relish such times. Yet I believe we need to value them. My faith has taught me that such times are the growth times of my life. My faith reminds me that God has loving control over our lives. Think about King David. He shares a great insight in Psalm 31:15: “My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.” “My times are in your hands.” David was convinced that far from being removed from the events of his life, God was, in fact, intimately involved in them. ‘Times’ are events that we do not plan – they just occur; they are the potholes, brokenness, pain, repairs, and detours – those critical moments or events in our life which we did not create but which ultimately determine the course of our life. David was turning over the resolution of these times, these events, to God. “I entrust my life to your sovereign disposition. It’s up to you what becomes of me. And that’s okay!”  I love how David put it: ‘My times – Your hands.”

Now we cannot control the ‘times’ of our lives but we can control our response to them. ‘My times – Your hands.” As Leslie Brandt paraphrases Psalm 31: “There is no place to go, nothing to cling to. I can only come back to You and cast myself on Your loving mercy. You are my God…From this point on I will dedicate my hours and my days into Your loving hands. I seek only Your guidance and strength to carry out Your purposes. Restore me, O God, to your program and design for my life.” ‘My times – Your hands.”

What would it mean for you to affirm this conviction? ‘My times – Your hands.” How would it change your response to this current ‘time’ in your life? Can you say with Paul, who wrote Timothy (2 Tim. 1:12): “…I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day?” ‘My times – Your hands.” Can you, in the depths of your soul, share the conviction of the Heidelberg Catechism that “I trust in (God) so completely that I have no doubt that he will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul; that Moreover, whatever adversity he sends upon me in this troubled life he will turn to my good, for he is able to do it, being almighty God, and is determined to do it, being a faithful Father?” Are you absolutely convinced of “The almighty and ever-present power of God whereby he still upholds, as it were by his own hand, heaven and earth together with all creatures, and rules in such a way that leaves and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and unfruitful years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, and everything else, come to us not by chance but by his fatherly hand?”  ‘My times – Your hands.” Do you believe that?

Think of Jesus. On the cross, breathing His last, He quoted Ps. 31:5 – “…Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father into your hands I commit my spirit.’” As Jesus placed himself in God’s hands, so we must place ourselves in Jesus’ hands. As God said (Is. 43:13) “No one can deliver you out of my hand” so Jesus said (John 10:27-30): My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

Think about Jesus’ hands.

In his hands ordinary drinking water turns into the most expensive of wines. In his hands handicaps become stepping-stones to the miracles of God. In his hands 5 loaves and two fish can feed a multitude. In his hands storms are but channels of safe passage and paths to peace. In his hands those soiled with sin are cleansed. In his hands lame legs leap for joy. In his hands deaf ears become avenues of sound. In his hands blind eyes become corridors of light. In his hands death becomes but a prelude to life. Jesus’ hands make all the difference. ‘My times – Your hands.” We can embrace the words of Paul (Rom. 8:28 MSG), “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

I do complain, probably too frequently, about the inconvenience of the construction in my life. But that’s my humanness. In my heart, I like road construction. It reminds me that God is at work – He’s truly not finished with me yet. He loves me enough to do the necessary repair and construction. And I have a hunch I’ll like the new, improved completed construction!