Giving Thanks with David - Psalm 118

Psalm 118 is one of my favorites! I read it when I want to remember what God has done for me. What better day is there to do that than Thanksgiving?

We'll walk through the entire Psalm together. There's going to be a lot of other Bible verses scattered in there, too, so settle back for a good read!

Verse 1 (Verse images are all from NIV. They are also linked with the Bible website, so if you click on them, you'll be taken there): 

"His love endures forever". David refers to this aspect of God quite often. I think it's the quality that awed him the most. It originates in Exodus 34, when God revealed himself to Moses. I love how in that moment, when he's introducing himself to his people, this is how God describes himself:

"The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

Exodus 34:6-7 NLT

Now that seems reason enough to praise God, don't you think? It describes his love, and his goodness! But God doesn't have just a good character, he also has a good plan. He is good, and he acts good. Take a look at Romans:

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory."

Romans 8:28-30 NLT

Verses 2-4: 

I read this as: "Let those whom God has chosen thank him for his love, and let those who have chosen God thank him for his love."  Let us remember that because of Jesus we have been accepted into the very nation that God called his special possession. With that in mind, read the following...

"Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” '

Exodus 19:3-6 NIV

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. "

1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV

We, as God's chosen people, praise him for everything he has done! In order to do that more fully, the Psalm takes us through a few examples. With the next verse, we now start to look through the ways that God has proved his unfailing love and goodness to us.

Verse 5:

I don't know about you, but for me there's never been a time when I've reached out to God and come back empty-handed. Let us also remember the truly hopeless situation we were in before God sent Jesus, and how God answered that need by setting free all who would cry out to him: 

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation."

Romans 5:6-9 NLT

Verses 6-7: 

This truth about God is one of the most incredible I can think of. God isn't passive towards us. He has chosen to be intimately informed, and infinitely involved in our lives. He is with us in every moment. Nothing proves this so well as God's gift of the Holy Spirit:

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” '

John 14:15-21 NIV

Jesus didn't leave us alone when he went to be with the Father. He sent us the Holy Spirit. And because he did, we don't have to go to a tent to meet with God. Nor do we have to visit a building. We don't even have to go and see a specific person, because God's own Spirit lives inside the hearts of all who have accepted him. What a privilege! 

Looking back up at the verse from Psalm 118, I also notice that I don't really have very many enemies. I get along with pretty much everyone in my life. And even if there's someone I don't get along with, I'm not looking to triumph over them. However, even though we don't have physical enemies, we do have spiritual ones:

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

Those spiritual forces are our true enemies. And they may come at us with fears, worries, distractions, ridicule, and even pain. But because of what God has done, we can look on them with triumph. Because we already know who wins the war. Their time on the earth is limited, and then we will live in absolute peace.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27 NIV

We have no need to be afraid. The Lord of Heaven's Armies is on our side, and he will never ever leave us.

Verses 8-9: 

Think about all the spectacular ways that God delivered Israel from their enemies! David with Goliath (1 Samuel 17), for example. Also, the time he sent an angel to Hezekiah's enemies who slayed 185,000 men in one night (2 Kings 19). It truly is best to rely on God!

"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 paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."

Proverbs 3:5-7 NIV

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm."

Psalms 20:7-8 NIV

Verses 10-13:

Another weapon that is often brought against us is lies. Lies that are spoken to us, and lies that are spoken about us. I often feel as if I'm surrounded by lies on all sides. Like they're "swarming around me like bees". But I don't have to tolerate them. I don't have to listen to those voices. The only voice that should matter to me is the voice of my Shepherd. He only speaks the truth, and he alone speaks the truth. So how do we handle the lies? Cut them off! See James 4:7 for lies we hear, and Matthew 10:24-31 for lies spoken about us:

'Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. '

James 4:7 NIV

When we're submitted to God, every part of us is included in the bargain. That means there's no vacancy for the devil.

“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:24-31 NIV

We have no need to be surprised when our reputations are slandered. Jesus himself was called the prince of demons be the world. How much more should we who follow him be misunderstood or maliciously slandered! But that doesn't mean we lose hope. We have value that no man can take away. And every lie will eventually be exposed by the light, and the truth will be revealed. So let's not let the lies slow us down. And let's praise our Father of Lights and our Good Shepherd for the way he leads us down the path of truth, and for the value he has given us!

Verse 14: 

David knew the Scriptures very well. Here is another throwback to Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and is actually a direct quote from the song of Moses that he sings after Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2). 

The events of the first Passover, followed by the crossing of the Red Sea, and finally the claiming of the Promised Land, have been acclaimed by scholars as one of the greatest pictures in the entire Bible of Jesus and his work for us. I encourage you to read through the entire song in Exodus 15, and let it echo in your heart as you consider the blood that was shed for you, and the baptism you received when you crossed from death to life. Thank God for the amazing things he's done! Consider also the Promised Land that he is guiding us to even now. He knows the path he is bringing us on, and he won't abandon us, no matter how many mistakes we make. 

And remember that our experience--our covenant--is of infinite more worth than even the Israelites received in the wilderness. For, again, God is not separated from us even by a tent, a curtain, or a veil. He lives inside our very hearts, and he is working in us to produce the very life of his Son, just we we already saw in Romans 8:28-30. (See the discourse in Hebrews 8 for more about the superiority of our covenant to the first one).

Verses 15-18: 

Praise God for what he has done! He has truly brought us "from death to life":

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live."

John 5:24-25 NIV

Verses 19-21: 

Let us not forget that if we wish to be considered "righteous" by God, there is only one way. And that is Jesus.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

John 14:6 NIV

But, that one way is open to us! He hasn't just saved us, he has become our salvation!

"Jesus said again, 'Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'"

John 10:7-10 NIV

Verses 22-24: 

There are many sections in scripture that link this verse with Jesus (Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:10-12; 1 Peter 2:4-8). I have nothing really to add to what Peter, Paul, and Jesus say about Jesus being "the stone the builders rejected". I will say this, though: The Capstone is also the Master Builder. He is building out of us a house (1 Peter 2:4-5), a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), a building (1 Corinthians 3:9-13), and a Church (Matthew 16:18). He is the foundation, we're the bricks. He is the builder, not us, so let us, again, rely on his skill, not our own:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain."

Psalms 127:1 NIV

He does this work day by day. So today, let's rejoice in it!

Verses 25-27: 

"O Lord, save us!" This makes me think of two things: 

First: Jesus's name means "The Lord Saves". 

Second: the cry of the crowd at the Triumphal Entry was "Hosanna!" Which means "Oh, save!" (Both definitions from Strong's concordance). They then followed that cry by exactly quoting the first part of Psalm 118:26 "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!". Then they grabbed palm branches, and "with boughs in hand" joined in "the festal procession up to the horns of the alter" (because we know that Jesus went straight to the Temple when he entered Jerusalem that day, as described in Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19). So this Psalm, written however many centuries earlier, well described the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. 

Not only that, but we'll be having another "Palm Sunday" in the future:

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

Revelation 7:9-10 NIV

All predicted in this tiny little section of one Psalm. Isn't God incredible!? How can we express the work he has done? Here's a clue...

Verses 28-29: 

Let us give thanks to him! Let us exalt him! Let us bring to mind his goodness and love. Let us recount ways where he had been faithful. Let us dwell on his nature. Let us examine ourselves, find ourselves wanting, repent, and cry out to him for the freedom he offers. Then, let us rejoice in the grace and favor that he grants to us!

Father in heaven, your name is Holy. None can compare with you, and no one else deserves the glory that you have. You are the First, and you are the Last.
May your kingdom come. Fulfill your promises to your people once again. Bring us to your place of rest.
May your will be done on earth with the same diligence and humility as it is done in heaven.
Give us today exactly what we need, like you did for your people in the wilderness every day for 40 years. Feed our hearts and minds with your Word. Refresh us with your Spirit. Give us the sustenance and nourishment that comes from doing your will.
Forgive our sins. We know you see them, and we know you cannot excuse them. But we ask that you would choose to not hold them against us. And as you do for us, we pray that you would do the same for those who have sinned against us. Don't hold their sin against them. And teach us to do the same. For with the same measure we use, we know it will be measured to us.
We also pray that you would preserve us from the schemes of our Enemy. Lead us away from his temptations and lies. Bring your light and your voice to bear in our lives, and guide us true on the path of righteousness. Produce the life of your Son Jesus Christ in us as you change us from the inside out.
For to you belongs the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever!
Amen

I hope you got at least a little bit of the encouragement in reading this that I got by putting it together! May God's faithfulness, goodness, and love follow you as you go about the rest of your day, and the rest of your week!

Manna from Heaven

"Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”
Exodus 16:4‭-‬5 NLT

"So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan."
Exodus 16:35 NLT

"Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”
Numbers 11:4‭-‬6 NLT

How often we take God's work for granted! Here, God was literally raining down from heaven exactly the amount of food his people needed to eat. Every. Day. It's so tempting to look back on the Israelites in judgment for their forgetfulness and complaints. But we have received a blessing even more miraculous and glorious, and all too often it sits in its place unused. I'm talking about our "bread" from heaven: the living and active Word of God.

Now, maybe we do use it. Maybe we're faithful to take it out and read it every single day. But do we fully appreciate what we're experiencing? I'm sure that any one of us, if we could go back and live in the Israelite camp, would insist that everyone we met continued in their amazement of God's provision for them. We'd greet them each morning with an exclamation like, "Isn't God amazing? Isn't he so faithful and good to give us this bread every morning?" At least, I hope we would.

And yet, how many times do we open this book that contains the inspired Word of the Most High God, and say something like, "Oh, I can't wait to get through this part. The next chapter or book is so much more exciting."? Or how many times do we scan through a passage without really thinking about it, only to move on to the next thing without giving this book--this source of our daily spiritual nourishment--a second thought?

Brothers and sisters, don't you know the miracle you are holding? Even the fact that you have it in your hands--and in your language--is a privilege that many have longed for, but few have experienced. And think of the price our fathers paid just to make it possible. And not only do we have it in our homes on our shelves, but it's now more accessible than ever, being found on our phones and tablets, in as many translations and as many languages as we could wish for! I wonder, if generations past could live in our time, what would they be saying to us?

Now, I want to be clear. The very reason this is on my mind this morning is because I've recently been convicted of the very problem I'm addressing. This exercise is more for my heart than for anyone else's. I'm indignant at my own ingratitude. That's why, this morning, I went through everything I could think of that amazes me about the Bible. Then, at the end of each statement, I wrote the same phrase: "May I never take it for granted".

I know I probably will take it for granted again. But may this exercise stand as a written reminder to my future self to stop and think about this miracle in all its glory once more:

• My "Manna" from Heaven: the very Word that came from God's mouth. May I never take it for granted.
• It always accomplishes what he sends it to do. May I never take it for granted.
• It reveals his nature, his character, his goodness, his faithfulness, his love, his justice, and his mercy. May I never take it for granted.
• It serves as a reminder of what he's done for his people. May I never take it for granted.I
• It was incarnated in the form of his Son, Jesus, who also perfectly fulfilled its every purpose. May I never take him for granted.
• It teaches me with divine instruction, laying before me the path of righteousness, to the glory of God my savior. May I never take it for granted.
• It rebukes me when I've strayed from the correct path either in thought or in deed. This kindness serves to point me back to God, and never removes his love for me. May I never take it for granted.
• It corrects me when I'm not living as I should as a free-born child of the Most High God. This sets me back in my proper place, and steers me back onto the proper path. This kindness proves to me that I am not burdened with finding my own way back. For my Good Shepherd, Jesus, always pursues me when I've lost my way, and then shows me the way home again. May I never take him for granted.
• It trains me to do right. It doesn't only show me what I'm doing wrong, or prevent me from leaving the right way to take. It raises me up as a child who is learning to grow and mature in the proper way. May I never take it for granted.
• It never fails to remind me what I need to know about God, myself, and how I ought to live in freedom. It never grows tired or exasperated of repeating itself to me, no matter how many times it takes. May I never take it for granted.
• It is always the same, and yet it's always new. There is always more to discover and treasure about it. May I never take it for granted.
• It sets a clear, unmoving boundary between right and wrong; truth and lie. May I never take it for granted!

I loved doing this, because so much that is true about God's Word is also true about God himself. And when I said that Jesus fulfills every purpose of God's Word, I meant it. That means he also accomplishes everything God sends him to do. He also reveals God's very nature. He also pursues us when we've left the path that leads to him, and is faithful to also point the way back. He also reminds us of everything God has done for us. And he also teaches, rebukes, corrects, and trains us with all patience and love.

I don't know about you, but contemplating all this this morning has filled me with a fresh sense of awe. So how will we respond? I'd say, let's do as David did:
"Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.
As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!
I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!"
Psalms 119:5‭-‬8 NLT

Did you catch it? Here's a formula that he set out for himself:
1. He applied what he heard to his life ("Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!")
2. He let himself be convicted where he fell short ("...when I compare my life with your commands.")
3. He lived his life with gratitude, which overflowed in the form of obedience ("I will thank you by living as I should!")
4. He asked God to enable him to stay on the path of righteousness, and to continue his pursuit ("I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!")

The best way to let our awe overflow is in praise, and in letting the Word of God do its work in our lives. So today, and every day, let us eat our "manna" from heaven with gratitude. Let us bring healthy appetites to God's table, and be satisfied. May we freely receive God's good and miraculous gift, without taking it for granted!

Ransomed

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Isaiah 43:1 NLT

Each and every one of us who has made Jesus the Lord of our lives can claim this declaration for ourselves. I love that word, "ransom" in description of the work God has done on our behalf.

He showed me an illustration recently to help me picture our salvation as a ransom:

We ran away from God in rebellion, like angry teenagers. Sin found us and claimed us as his own. We became his slaves, and he did a real number on us with his cruelty.
But God was seeking us out the entire time that we were gone. He searched the slums, the streets, and the marketplaces until he found us. Then he walked straight up to the man who owned us and said, "name your price".
That man said, "You want her? You want him? Then give me your Son in exchange."
Then our Daddy, without hesitation, gave up his Son so that he could have us back.

He brought us home and clothed us with clean, new clothes. We started living our lives together. But sometimes, we get it into our heads that our new Master is like our old one:
We think we have to please him to be in his favor.
We think it's impossible that our ransom was a free gift, and so think we have to pay it back somehow.
We think every misstep deserves harsh punishment. And when we don't receive that punishment from our Father, we dish it out on ourselves or, sometimes, on each other.

These thoughts prove that we're still in a slave mindset, not a son or daughter mindset.

But that is not how God intended for us to live. He didn't adopt us just so we could turn around and accuse him of the same cruelties that we suffered from our old master. He gave us new life so we could live it!

I'm not saying that we don't have a responsibility to serve God. What I am saying is that our service should come from love, not fear.

An exercise I've started in my own life, as a personal check against both perfectionism and guilt, is to look at the Gospel. I think of all the details, from Creation to Jesus's future return. Then I ask myself to truly believe it again.
1. God loves me, and he created me to be in fellowship with him
2. I'm unable to control or overcome my sinful nature (I don't say I'm a sinner, because that's not my identity anymore)
3. Jesus overcame the curse of humanity, and opened the door for me to leave my sins and mistakes behind me. He willingly died on the cross to take the punishment I deserve. Then he rose from the dead so he could offer me eternal life
4. God has offered me free forgiveness that doesn't have to be earned or deserved in any way
5. My sinful nature is still not something I can control. But God gave me his Holy Spirit to control it for me.
6. Just as Jesus endured all hardship on this earth, and overcame it, so he has enabled me to do the same. I do this by holding to his sacrifice, and telling others all that he's done for me.
7. Jesus will return for me, and when he does, everything wrong will be made right, both in myself and in the world.

That exercise prompts questions:
Am I living as if the Gospel were true for me?
Do I have freedom, hope, and joy in my life?
If I were to tell someone about Jesus, could I point them to my behavior and attitude as evidence that his sacrifice, and the freedom he offers, is real?

To answer that last question, here's some more questions:
In what ways am I still living with a slave mindset?
Do I still try to control my own sinful nature, or do I hand the leash of that mad dog over to Dad?
Do I have a fear of punishment lingering over my head, or am I resting securely in my adoption?
Am I serving God out of pride or fear, or out of genuine love and humility and surrender?
Am I trying to avoid showing weakness to God, or am I running into Daddy's lap when I hurt?

The Gospel is real. We have to act like it!

"This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength..."
Isaiah 30:15a NLT

The Voice of the Waves

“Listen! The armies of many nations roar like the roaring of the sea. Hear the thunder of the mighty forces as they rush forward like thundering waves. But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm.”
Isaiah 17:12‭-‬13 NLT

People can be noisy, can't they? It can be distracting, like so many gusts of wind in a storm, or reaching into a bush to get a berry and finding thorns instead. It can be easy to hear what they say and get caught up in the doubts or the frustration that arises: “What if they're right about me?” or “Who would say that?”

It's especially hard when their words echo your own doubts about yourself. But think of this: when you're standing on a rock, are you afraid of the waves that come crashing against it? Of course not! You don't even feel the vibration in your feet! Why would you be afraid of their power?

When people reject us, insult us, bully us, gossip about us, or slander us, we have a choice: To choose to listen to them, or to stand on the truth by remembering what God has said to us.

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:1 NIV

God's voice dispels our fears. He reminds us that he created us, redeemed us, summoned us, and claimed us as his own. No lie that people throw at you can stand against that, if you choose to believe it.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”
Isaiah 43:2a NIV

Imagine that every insult and condescending word that people tell you is a wave or a gust of wind in a mighty storm. You're in a boat that you thought was safe--maybe it's the reputation that you'd been cultivating of being nice and friendly, or the trust you'd put in the friendships you share with those people--but the boat is being tossed this way and that, and has started filling with water, and refuses to go in the direction you want no matter how hard you row. And all the while, there's constant noise so loud and disruptive you can hardly hear yourself think.

But then there's Jesus, calmly walking through it all. He's not at all concerned with the storm, he's just going where he has to go. Part of you is wondering how he does it, and part of you thinks he's not even real. But then he speaks:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
(Matthew 14:27 NIV)

Instantly, the storm is forgotten as you gaze across the water at the Savior who loves you. His words bring life to your very bones, and lifts your heart with hope. Suddenly, all you want is to be near to him. Because wherever he is, you know you're safe. So you call out,
“Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come!” He says. (Matthew 14:28-29 NIV)

So you leave the place of comfort--that boat that you'd been trusting in--and you step out on the water. There he is before you, the man you left everything to follow the instant that he called you. The man who you've watched do the impossible so many times you've lost count. The man who gave you purpose and identity, and made you into a leader and a fisher of men.

But as you walk towards him, the waves and the wind scream for your attention again. They tell you that you're too good, and therefore not good enough. They tell you you're crazy.
“What are you doing?” They say, “Look around you! Nobody can walk on water!”

And so for a split second, you do look around and realize just what it is you're doing. You forget the call that Jesus gave you, to come to him. You forget his words, “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid!”

And as you look around and lose sight of your goal to be with Jesus, suddenly the waves have you in their grasp. The “ground” is ripped out from under you, and threatens to swallow you and pull you under. You're drowning.

Yet even as you sink, you catch sight of Jesus again, standing above you. In desperation you cry out to him, and you see his hand reach down for yours. He pulls you up and sets you on your feet again. Quietly, he asks,
“You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NIV)

It can be so easy to be distracted by all the noise around us: the voices that tell us to doubt who we are or what God has said and done. But we don't have to listen to the voices of the waters that rage against us. There's only one voice that matters. He will always speak the truth, and he will always love you.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
Isaiah 43:1‭-‬5a NIV

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced down the ruler of nations who was threatening to burn them alive, they never waivered. They stood up, figuratively and literally, for what they believed in. They held onto their faith in the God of their ancestors. They knew that he was the Lord, their God, the Holy One of Israel, their Savior. They knew he'd promised to be with them in the fire. They knew he'd honor their devotion, whether they lived or died. And he did. He was with them through the fire. He didn't let them go through it on their own. And he delivered them from it. When they emerged, no harm had come to them whatsoever. Their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. (See Daniel 3 for the whole story).

That same God is the one you serve. He has promised to be with you. Why?
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.” (Isaiah 43:4)

He will never change. His love for you will never change. His promises will never change. His Word stands forever. It is stronger than all the attacks that come against it. So stand. Don't fear the flames that threaten to consume you. They can't harm one who stands with a shield of faith (See Ephesians 6:16). And don't fear the waves that look to distract you. Place your feet on the Rock, and the waves will break against it. You don't have to worry about defending yourself, simply trust in the Lord.

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13‭-‬14 NIV

The Ultimate Living Sacrifice

I read a quote today by an author named Harold Sala: "The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep trying to crawl off the alter."

It reminded me of a prayer that I heard last night that stuck with me: "Jesus, thank you for staying on the cross."

It had never occurred to me before to thank Jesus not only for being willing to go to the cross, but also for staying there. We know he could have come down if he chose, and we know he was faced with the temptation to do so (See Matthew 27:39-43). So how was it possible for him to do that? In the midst of those hours of never-ending agony, when he was absolutely alone for the first time in his life, how was he able to resist that temptation? Why did he stay on the cross?
Well, I asked him. And while I was waiting for the answer, I went through a couple options:
1. It could have been an outpouring of God's grace on him in that moment--the same grace that I rely on every day in order to do what God asks me to do. But there was a potential problem with that theory: did Jesus have access to God's grace at that time? When did God turn his face away from him? Was it right before Jesus' death, or was it earlier? We could debate the theology of this question all day, but ultimately there's no way to know for sure. But if Jesus didn't have God's grace to rely on, how was he able to stay on the cross?
2. He stayed of his own will. I think we're getting closer, but if I evaluate my own strength of will based on my track record, I know I couldn't stay on the cross if I had the power to leave it, no matter what motive I had and no matter who had asked me to. (I guess that's why it's a good thing that I wasn't entrusted with saving the world...)

This is about when I moved from asking how Jesus had stayed in the cross, and started asking why. I know that it was going to earn him a great reward, and that it was an act of obedience to God (See Philippians 2:8-9). I know he had submitted his will to God's (See Matthew 26:38-39). But personally, there's no sort of future glory that I could have found worth that cost, especially while I was in the midst of the suffering itself. And fulfilling someone else's vision wouldn't have been a strong enough motivator for me to stay on the cross if I had the power to leave it.
So I came to the conclusion that Jesus must have stayed because he wanted to.

But now here's the question: what did Jesus care for so much that he wanted to stay on the cross?
Consequently, this is also the question that God chose to answer. His answer: Joy. He was referring to Hebrews 12:2
"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

If you've been around the church for any period of time, you've probably heard this verse quoted, and you've probably heard it followed with the "you were the joy set before him" speech. It's not that that isn't true, but personally I've heard it so often that it has begun to lose it's impact. But it's another matter entirely to hear God say it. After all that questioning and wondering what had kept Jesus on the cross, to hear that it was his desire for the very relationship that I now share with him, it hit me in a fresh, new way.

Jesus chose to be a living sacrifice, and he chose to stay on the alter, because he wanted his children so much.

Whenever I've read or heard the verse in Romans where it says to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1), it's never occurred to me that Jesus did it first. He not only took up his cross, but he also kept it. He surrendered himself not just to the death, but also to the suffering that would come beforehand.

Since that's what he did for us, that's what we ought to want to do for him. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices isn't an act of obligation, though Jesus has certainly earned such radical devotion. It's done "in view of God's mercy". When we look at Jesus's sacrifice for us long enough, we should long to offer him something in return. Just as Jesus longed for us.

So here's my heart's response: When God interrupts my day with some inconvenient task, or when he asks me to say something to a person without knowing how they'll react, I want to "fix [my] eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." I want to "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, do that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The Race

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So last night, I had a dream. Creepy way to start, right? Sheesh. Oh well, you’ll just have to deal with it. Anyway, back to the narrative:

My dream started on a racetrack. I had a racecar, and a terrible view. The track twisted, curled, crossed, and drove over  and around several small knolls, so it was impossible to see the whole thing, only one or two turns at a time. Since I often have doomsday dreams, the plot was that at the end of the race, God would determine which racers got into heaven and which didn’t. But I didn’t know that as the race was going. I didn’t know what the goal was.

So I did what I thought best: I raced. I got competitive, and started pushing other cars into the rail so I could get ahead. But on this curvy, twisted track, there was no way of knowing where the finish line was, or even if everyone was going in the right direction. After all, I had come in at the middle, and the rules were never explained to me. Yet despite not knowing where I was going, I did my best to beat the other drivers. Then the race ended, and I had not made it to the finish line

The judge of the race brought me in, and since it was a dream we didn’t speak, and I didn’t see him, but I suddenly understood that I had lost. I hadn’t followed the rules, and was therefore disqualified. I protested that that wasn’t fair because I didn’t know the rules. It turned out that the whole time, the judge was more interested in my behavior and my attitude on the track than he was about whether I succeeded or not. All the terrible things I’d done to cripple the other drivers in my attempts to get ahead were what the judge was concerned with.

When I protested that it wasn’t fair, the judge didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to explain himself. He simply showed me to a door. I spent the rest of the dream assuming that my protests had been heard and that I had been let into “heaven” after all. The rest of the people who were with me assumed the same thing. Yet somehow, the dream ended before we got to our destination.

You see, in this race, everyone was subject to the same rules, whether they knew them or not. The whole time, it was up to the drivers who knew the rules to tell the other drivers about the rules, as well as the ultimate goal of the race. After that, it was up to those who were told, whether or not they believed the other drivers, and started to obey the rules.

In the race of real life, most people just assume that the goal of the race is to get ahead of everyone else and cross the finish line successfully. But little do they know that the entire time they’re racing, there’s a judge who is going to measure them against his own standards. That’s why there was never a finish line in sight. To get to the end was never the goal. The real goal is to meet the standards of the judge of the race. He’s the one who organized it, so he determines the rules. That’s why it’s fair to disqualify people even if they never knew the standards he was measuring them by. In this race, not everyone wins. Those who lose are the ones who don’t play by the rules of the judge.

By now I hope my Christian friends at least have seen the real meaning behind this dream, and are reminded of the importance of their role in this race. I also hope they are seriously considering whether or not they are fulfilling that role well. I know I am.

For those of you who maybe don’t know what all this signifies, I’ll explain it.

Let’s start with the race. As you may have guessed, the race signifies our life. Sometimes, it feels like we were thrown in without anyone telling us what we were supposed to be doing. Sure, lots of people have opinions, and they’re more than willing to impress those opinions upon you. But have you ever stopped to consider the question, “Why am I here?” Could it be that what you believe is actually wrong?

Now let’s talk about the judge. The judge in this dream represents God. He’s the one who put this “race” together. He created the rules. When he started out, everything about the world met his standards. Everything he created, he called “good.” Except humans. When he created humans, he called them “Very good!”

Back then, his rules were simple. He only had one, actually. He told the first people, Adam and Eve, that they were to never eat the fruitof the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet, those people were deceived into thinking that if they did eat the fruit from that tree, they could determine their own rules for the race. But that’s not what happened. Instead, when they ate it, they disobeyed God. They had broken his one rule, which meant they fell short of his standards.

See, the thing about God is that he is holy. If anything enters his presence that is not also holy, his very holiness destroys it. Think of a fire: if there’s anything in its path that is flammable, it is lit on fire and consumed. That’s kind of like what God’s presence is like. If anything comes before him that is contaminated with sin, it is consumed, and it dies. That includes imperfect people.

But God is also merciful. He does not want anyone to die. So instead of killing Adam and Eve right off because they broke his only rule, he banished them from his presence.

So because all humans come from flawed people, all people are flawed. Suddenly, there are hundreds of rules to follow if we want to be holy enough to enter God’s presence and be “good” again. Those are the rules that the Law of Moses in the Old Testament lays out. You see, God didn’t just throw us into the race without telling us the rules. He gave us a rulebook: The Bible. We just have to read it.

There’s just one problem: in order to be let into the presence of God, we have to follow those rules perfectly. Otherwise, we’ll still “burn up” when we enter his presence. But following the Law perfectly is impossible, right? Of course it is! We’re broken. We’ll never accomplish anything without making mistakes. The Law is simply there to make that fact obvious. God tells us his standards (if we want to meet them ourselves), but all that does is show us all the places where we’re going wrong.

But here’s the key factor to this story: God loves us. He wants us to be in his presence. And he knows we can’t get there ourselves. So here’s what he did: He came on the racetrack himself. He had a human racecar, but put his son Jesus in the driver’s seat. Jesus had two objectives:

1.  MeetGod’s standards perfectly, to win the race and get to the winner’s circle. Jesus was human, and so was subject to every temptation that humans face. But as the Son of God, he was also divine, which meant that he perfectly resisted every temptation and lived a perfect, sinless, holy life.
2. Sincewe’re technically disqualified, he took the punishment of that disqualificationon himself. He paid the price to win tickets for us all, so we can join him in the winner’s circle. You see, back at the beginning of the world, God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate the “forbidden fruit” the punishment was death. When he banished them, that didn’t mean he was changing his mind. He was only delaying their punishment. Ever since that time, the punishment for every sin has always been death. It’s what we deserve: to be separated from God for eternity. That’s what makes hell so terrible. Everything good in our lives comes from God. Take that away, and it leaves only the bad. But I digress. The punishment for sin is death. But since Jesus never sinned, he was the only human being to ever live who did not deserve to die. But he did, so that his death would turn the wrath of God away from us. He took our punishment on himself. He served our sentence to win our freedom.

But that’s not the end of the story. Jesus didn’t just die. He came back to life. If his resurrection had been immediate, people would say he never died. But no, it happened three days later. You see, death never had power over Jesus. He let himself be killed, but he always had authority over death. So when he had fulfilled all the promises that God had given to people about him, he threw death off of himself and walked out of his own grave (well, technically, thegrave was borrowed). And since he had power over his own death, he proved that he has power over ours as well.

So what happens now? Now, we’re faced with a choice: accept a free ticket into the winner’s circle, or continue to race the way we think we should. Either we ask God to forgive our sins, and to count Jesus’ perfect life and sacrifice as our own, or we continue on our way, looking for the finish line around every corner. By now, you probably already know which choice you’re going to make, and I pray that it’s the right one.

If you want to make the choice to accept Jesus’s life and death as your own, first let me say, YAHOO! *Ahem.* Pardon. Next, we can get down to logistics. Here’s the basic principle: Tell God you are sorry for your sins, and that you believe that Jesus’ death paid the penalty for them. Ask God to accept Jesus’ death as your own, and ask him to enter your heart so that he can make your life look more like Jesus’ life: holy and perfect. Don’t get me wrong, Christians aren’t perfect. But we are being perfected.

If you want to know more about God’s rules and Jesus’ sacrifice, I can refer you to two places: the Bible (especially the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as Romans to start), and the Church (meaning, anyone who is a Christian—including me—and who believes that we’re “saved by grace.”). Once you’ve made the decision to ask Jesus into your heart, you need to get plugged in with a community so that you can learn more and grow under the guidance of someone who has been racing this way for a while. You need a crew and a coach. That’s why Christians attend churches.

Anywho, that’s all I’ve got to say! Except one last thing: if you did accept Jesus, I really, really, really want to know about it! So please tell me!

Love Everlasting

You have loved me with an everlasting love.
That fact comes to me again and again
Though all others leave me, you never have
And I know you never will

This love of yours is relentless
It pursues me to the ends of the earth
It keeps on, willing to forget my mistakes
It comforts my every hurt

Why should I be so petty? Ungrateful?
So forgetful, forgetting to trust?
Why should I think I know better than you?
When without you, I am dust?

This love of yours is extravagant
Heedless of all cost
You celebrate my every victory
You mourn my every loss

Yet who am I that you notice me?
What have I to offer?
Flaws and baggage is all I see
And for that you chose to suffer?

This love of yours is perfect
More than I could hope to be
You're God, and you give of yourself
When I just focus on me

My wounds don't go so very deep
They don't leave such dreadful scars
Yet even those you choose to heal?
And call a work of art?

This love of yours is majestic
Far above any others
It lifts me up when life gets hectic
And surrounds me with its borders

Why would I rely on any love than yours?
What could they possibly offer?
They crumble as soon as they have formed
But you're my only real lover