Do You Believe the Bible?

Do you believe the Bible is the truth? The world will answer with a resounding “NO!” and I would expect no less. But I have heard and read many well-meaning (and often well-educated) religious people downplay what the Scriptures so plainly declare. They try to explain away clear text like the seven days of creation. They look for “logical” or “scientific” reasons for creation, the flood, the destruction of Jericho’s walls, or even the resurrection of Jesus. It is confusing at best and destructive at worst.
It’s not just the religious elite. It happens in the pews and the Sunday School classes –I heard a woman who had been in church most of her life say that Noah’s ark and Jonah’s whale were just fairy tales woven into the Bible – they didn’t really happen. If that is so, it begs the question, what else in the Bible didn’t really happen? Sadly, it even happens in the pulpit. I have heard pastors do a soft-shoe dance around clear teachings from the Bible condemning the culture’s favorite sins.
And I have even heard it from some of you. Oh, you believe the creation account, Noah’s ark, Jonah and the whale, and the glorious resurrection of Jesus. But you don’t believe God could never forgive all your sins. I see you, struggling under the weight of guilt and shame that Jesus left in the grave. I see you because I have been you.
And you doubt God’s love for you. Trust me when I say I used to feel the same way. Used to. Past tense. But then the Spirit gave me a revelation. If I am going to teach the faithfulness of God’s Word – if I proclaim that the Bible is true and trustworthy I must also believe when the Scripture says that God loves me with an everlasting, unfailing, never-ending, perfect, holy love. And so do you.
Above all I believe the Bible is true because of Jesus’ own words: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17: 17). The Scriptures are trustworthy (Ps 8:28) – every jot and tittle. God’s Word cannot be true about some things and untrue about others. Beloved, you can rest yourself in the promise – God loves you. You can take Him at His Word.

No Other God

Camping on the theme from yesterday’s devotional about God’s rescue. We learn more about who God is and what can do when we are in the hard places than at any other time. At least that is true for me. Yes, I read the Bible every day and I study theology books and dig deeply in the Scriptures, but it is in the dark times that His glory and brilliance shine the brightest. But not only for you and me. When God comes to our rescue our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers and church family see Him too.
When Daniel, and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were taken to Babylon, they left the temple behind, but God went with them. In Daniel 3 the three friends, now called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were faced with a challenge: bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image or face certain death. They chose to stand with God and the king was not happy. He said he would throw them into the fiery furnace and said, “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (vs 15). If there ever was a set-up for God to show up and show off, this was it. Neb and all the officials of Babylon were about to see the power of the God of Israel.
You know the story – the boys did not bow and the furnace burned with the king’s fury. They were tossed in and greeted by a “fourth man.” None other but the Son of God. They emerged from that fire unscathed. The only thing that was burned away were the ropes that bound them and “there was no smell of fire on them” (v. 27).
The king and all his officials crowded around them and Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . . . They trusted in Him and defiled the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.” He decreed that honor be given to their God, “for no other god can save in this way” (vv. 28-29). The Babylonians recognized the power and authority of God in the middle of the trio’s fiery trial.
Whatever your hard season Beloved, I know that God will come to your rescue and it will be amazing and the people around you will take notice. Let’s be people of faith so the world can say, “Only the Lord God can save in this way!”

And If He Does Not . . .

Three Hebrew youths stood before Nebuchadnezzar. They had refused to bow before the King’s statue even though every other official in Babylon had put their faces to the dirt in homage to ninety feet of gold. They knew that the penalty for their actions was certain death. But what the king was asking would compromise their devotion to the God of Israel. And they would not.
Nebuchadnezzar gave them one more chance to obey his edict and bow down. “But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.” And he added an ironic punch line: “Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (Dan 3:15).
“Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to rescue us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand.’” (v. 16-17). What confidence! What faith! I want a faith like that.
Yet – they gave room for God to be God. They said, “But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (v. 18). They believed and trusted God, but they did not demand God to act in their favor. And if He chose not to, they would not cease to worship Him, even to their dying breath.
Decisions are going to be made today that will greatly impact my family – especially someone I love with all my heart. I have prayed for God’s favor. and I am trusting Him for the outcome, believing He can “turn the heart of the king” (Prov 21:1). But if He does not . . .
I will still trust Him. I will still believe in His faithfulness. I will still worship and serve Him. I will still teach His Word. I will still give my heart and life to Him. I will still believe that He is good. Oh, it will hurt, but I will still declare that He is God – my God – and that His judgments are right. You see, in all my prayers I have prayed most earnestly for His will – His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Rom 12:2). And if His will is not my will – He is still God. My holy, heavenly Father. And hers.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

I’ve been in many worship services where “The Lord’s Prayer” is recited by the congregation. One part always makes me want to shout, “Wait! Do you understand what you’re saying? Is this really your heart’s desire?”
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mtt 6:10).
Have you ever stopped to think about what that means and why Jesus included it in His model prayer?
I believe Jesus wanted us to recognize Him as King and His rule as sovereign. The king’s will is the law of the land he governs. God – Jesus – is Creator and King of the entire universe – He governs the heavens which includes the angels and the earth which includes human beings. In heaven, His will is the absolute priority of every celestial creature. When we repeat this prayer we are saying the same of ourselves, that His will is our absolute priority, that we have no other will except His.
The question of God’s will has been a constant theme for generations. We want to know God’s will for our lives, but this verse invites us to look for the bigger picture and how we fit into it. While God does have a will – a plan and purpose – for our individual lives, that will is encompassed by the greater will of God: to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the sovereign authority of Christ (Eph

1:10). The ultimate purpose of all existence is the Lordship of Christ Jesus. God’s plan was firmly fixed from before time began. All of human history has been moving toward one result: the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings with “authority, glory and sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Dan 7:13-14).
So when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are surrendering our will to the will of God and committing to being part of ushering in the Kingdom of God and Christ. Like the angels in heaven, we are swearing our total allegiance to the authority and rule of the only rightful Ruler of the universe. This is God’s will for your life. He created you to be part of His eternal kingdom. Beloved, as you consider the words of this prayer, ask yourself, “What would the world, my neighborhood, my home, church, and workplace look like if God’s will was done on earth as it is in heaven – in me?”

God’s Will

We have all wondered, “What is God’s will for my life?”  It’s a good question but there is a bigger plan in place than just your life and mine. First, let’s widen the scope.

Paul said God’s will, “is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph 1:9, 10). We get a glimpse of that in Daniel’s heavenly vision of the coronation of “the Ancient of Days” (Dan 7:9-10). The big picture of God’s will for all creation is the sovereign rule of His Son.

Now let’s scale this back to a more personal level. What is God’s will for you and me? That depends on where we are in relationship with Him. God has a will for His redeemed children and He has a will for those who are not His children.  Paul told the Athenians that God works in the lives of people “so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27). Everything that God does in the life of an unbeliever is designed to draw his attention to his Creator. God never meant for man to blindly stumble through life and hopefully trip over Him. He acts with purpose and intention in every circumstance, even down to “the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (v. 26).

When the unbeliever becomes a believer God’s will sharpens – and often so do His methods. Paul declared that God’s purpose for every believer is “to be conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Rom 8:29). That is His “good, pleasing, and perfect will (Rom 12:2). That is what everything after conversion is working toward – to make you like Jesus.

Does that mean God doesn’t have an individual purpose for you? Not at all. God gives His children gifts and talents to serve Him and the church. Your love of music or art or your natural giftedness with children point you to His purpose for you. I have loved words and writing since I was a little girl because God’s will for me is to be a writer and He gave me a big mouth because He wanted me to be a teacher.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, God’s will is that you will be His child, reflecting Jesus in the world, and be part of the heavenly crowd at His Son’s coronation. Everything is working toward that end. Because that, Beloved, is what your life is all about.

Thy Will Be Done

How many times have you prayed the Lord’s Prayer and said “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? Have you ever stopped to think about what that really means and why Jesus included it in His model prayer? You can be sure it is not there to give the prayer rhythm. It is there to remind us that the will of God is supreme. It must be our highest priority as His people.

The question of God’s will has been a constant theme in Christendom for thousands of years. We all want to know God’s will for our lives, we want to do what we were created to do. Isn’t that what Ephesians 2:10 says? “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” That’s not at all a bad thing, but Jesus’ prayer invites us to look for the bigger picture and how we fit into it. While God does have a will – a plan and purpose – for our individual lives, that will is encompassed by the greater will of God: to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under the sovereign authority of Christ (see Ephesians 1:10). This is the fulfillment of the times—the ultimate purpose of all existence is the Lordship of Christ Jesus. God’s plan was firmly fixed from before time began. Understand that God isn’t making decisions and altering events as they unfold. All of human history has been moving toward one result: the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings with “authority, glory and sovereign power, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

So when we pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are surrendering our will to the will of God and committing to be part of ushering in the Kingdom of God and Christ. Like the angels in heaven, we are swearing our total allegiance to the authority and rule of the only rightful Ruler of the universe. This is God’s will for your life. He created you with so much more in mind than you can conceive. He created you to be part of His eternal kingdom. Beloved, as you consider the words of this prayer, ask yourself, “What would the world look like if God’s will were done on earth through me?”

Are You Going to Worry About It or Pray About It?

I caught myself this morning rolling over some anxious thoughts and asking those same familiar questions: “What if . . . what if . . . what if . . .” I sat down here at my desk with my coffee and my Bible. The Spirit took me to the book of Daniel. As a youth, Daniel and several other Jews had been taken by force from their home and family in Jerusalem and held captive in Babylon.  In his seventy years in Babylon Daniel had been through a lot, and God had remained faithful to him. Through it all he had developed a deep and abiding trust in the Lord.

The scene in chapter 9 was after the lion’s den. (Did you know that there is more to Daniel than the lion’s den? It’s such a rich book, I encourage you to dig into it.) Daniel was pleading in prayer for forgiveness for the Jewish nation and the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple.  While he was praying, he was interrupted by the angel Gabriel, who told him, “I have come to give you insight and understanding” (v. 22) I could use some of that right now. I bet you can too.

Then the Spirit highlighted Gabriel’s words for me: “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given . . .” (v. 23). And He said, “Child, have you prayed about it as much as you’ve worried about it?”  He reminded me of Paul’s words “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (Phil 4:6 NLT).

Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow . . . your heavenly Father knows . . .” (Matt 6:34, 32). He knows all about this situation. He knows how it hurts my heart. He knows my concerns for the little one involved. He knows the unexpected twists and turns this has taken. He knows the very best outcome. It became a real conversation in my heart: “What if . . .?” “Child, I know.”

What should we do when worry raises its ugly head? Turn it into prayer. How often should we pray? As many times as it takes until the peace of God takes over (Phil 4:7). Let’s make prayer our response to those pangs of anxiety. God is faithful. Beloved, He knows.

Coloring Outside the Lines

At almost four, Joy tends to color all over a picture page. She hasn’t yet learned to stay inside the lines. Our Ladies’ Sunday School class has been working through Genesis and I have been struck with the fact that God doesn’t either. For instance, tradition held that the firstborn son would receive the greater inheritance and blessing from his father. But God placed Isaac over Ishmael (Gen 21:12), Jacob over Esau (25:23), Ephraim over Manasseh (48:19), and Joseph over Reuben (48:22). Warfare requires overpowering armies, but the Lord won the victory against thousands of Midianites with an army of 300 men (Judges 7). He brought down the walls of Jericho with shouts and trumpets (Josh 6) and rescued His people through the knee-knocking courage of a Jewish girl (Esther). Kings are born as royalty but He set a shepherd boy on the throne of Israel (2 Sam 5:3). And while the Jews looked for a mighty warrior to save their nation from Rome, God provided salvation for the whole world through a baby born as a peasant, who died as a criminal among thieves.

So why do I try to tell God how to solve my problems? Why do I think I have to come up with a plan for Him? I have a huge, painful mess in my family and I am powerless to fix it. Every scenario I dream up has gaping flaws. Everything I’ve tried to do to make it better seems to make it worse. And worst of all, God is ignoring every suggestion I offer.

Maybe that’s because He is not limited to what I can envision.  His ways and His power are far beyond the scope of my expectations just as Paul declared, “He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,” (Eph 3:20). Any resolution I can concoct falls short of what He can do. I mean, this is the God who parted a raging sea and walked the Israelites to safety on dry ground (Ex 14:29). This is the God who brought water out of a rock (Ex 17:1-6), made the sun stand still in the sky (Josh 10), and rescued His servants from fire and lions (Daniel) and prison (Acts 12). Surely, He can fight this battle for me. And win.

Perhaps, instead of trying to figure out what God should do on our behalf, you and I should simply keep our eyes fixed on Him and watch what He does. Because His plans are always good, pleasing, and perfect (Rom 12:2, adapted). Beloved, aren’t you glad that God colors outside the lines?

Do It Again, Lord

God, I need a miracle.

I need You to part the sea again (Ex. 14:21).

I need You to bring water from a rock again (Ex. 17:5-7).

I need You to bring down the walls again (Jos. 6:20).

I need You to make the sun stand still again (Jos. 10:13).

I need You to take down the giant again (1 Sam. 48-49).

I need You to keep the oil flowing again (2 Ki. 4:1-7).

I need You to make the ax head float again (2 Ki. 6:1-7).

I need You to move the shadow back again (2 Ki. 20:10).

I need You to stand in the fire again (Dan. 3:25).

I need You to shut the mouths of lions again (Dan. 6:22).

I need You to calm the storm again (Matt. 8:23-27).

I need You to heal and raise the dead again (Mk. 5:21-43).

I need You to feed the multitudes again (Matt. 14:13-21; 15: 29-39).

I need You to walk on the water again (Matt. 14:22-33).

I need You to take out the demon again (Mk 1:21-26).

I need You to open blind eyes again (Matt 20:29-34).

I need You to turn water into wine again (Jn 2:1-11).

I need You to turn little into much again (Jn. 6:5-13).

I need You to make the lame not just walk, but jump again (Acts 3:1-10).

I need You to set the prisoner free again (Acts 12: 1-17).

I’m not asking for much Lord. Just a miracle. You did it before. I need you to do it again.

The Chasm

As this year comes to a close, I find myself wondering how much longer the human race can survive. With wars and violence and hatred and abuse all across the globe, and the rise of sexual perversion taking firm root in the culture. It seems we’ve turned right and wrong upside-down. But if you study the Bible you are not completely shocked. Isaiah prophesied a day when evil will be called good and good evil (Is 5:20).  Unless you’re living under a rock, you know we’re there – even in the church. Paul warned “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3). We’ve seen this sad reality as every kind of sin has been welcomed and celebrated by the “church” in recent years. But where the line between “right and wrong” has been so blurred, it must become more clearly defined. The fence is getting to hot to sit on much longer.

Scripture tells us that the chasm between the people of God and the people of wickedness will get wider as the day draws near. And how does a chasm grow? Quakes and tremors deep in the earth. The same is true for the church. We are experiencing the “birth pains” of that chasm growing as faithful Christians are separating themselves from those on the side of wickedness. Again, if you know the Scriptures, you are not surprised. Daniel 12:10 says – “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked.” And Jesus said, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” (Rev. 22:11).

So what does that mean for you and me? We are the church. We are the Body of Christ. We must make a stand for what is right and true – but it must come from the conviction of our own hearts. It’s not enough to rant about the sin in the church or the world if we’re not ready to confess the sin in our lives.  Beloved, you and I must separate ourselves from sin and wickedness. The quakes and tremors have to start here. May we be a generation of faithful, holy people.