Looking For A Life Hack
I love YouTube. I’ve learned a ton watching videos. I’ve learned how to fix and replace our garbage disposal. I’ve learned how to fix our dishwasher. I’ve learned how to fix things on our car. I’ve learned how to replace a lawnmower blade. Basically, I used YouTube to learn how to “adult.” Years ago, I used YouTube to teach myself about the ins and outs of photography, Lightroom, and audio/video recording. YouTube is a great tool to figure things out!
YouTube is also great if you’re looking for a “hack.” You can search anything and find a hack. Like, “How to grow your Instagram to 300,000 followers in 30 days.” Or, “How to learn how to play guitar in two weeks.” Ok, I made that one up. But if you’re looking for a life hack or a quick fix for something, I’m sure someone made a video that is now getting over a million views.
We’ve all looked for a life hack at one time or another… Or at least wished for a life hack to get to be where we wanna be bigger, stronger, better… you know faster. But this isn’t usually the case. There isn’t a life hack for you know… real life. It’s true for us. And it was true for Jesus as well. Check this out:
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. – Mark 1:12-13
Pause. Pause. Pause. Did you see the length of time Jesus was in the wilderness tempted by Satan!? Forty days. Four. Zero. 40. This wasn’t a pit stop. There was no life hack to get through this time. Jesus spent forty days by Himself, among wild animals, with Satan himself tempting Jesus.
I’m no wilderness guy. I’ve never been tent-camping. And the only time I want to see wild animals is at the zoo. And honestly, I don’t really like visiting a zoo either. Forty days! Um, no thank you. I would have been like, “Yo God, can’t we just skip this part and get to the good stuff. You know, like healing people. Raising people from the dead. Maybe You and I could maybe roll up to a party and turn some water into wine!” But Jesus didn’t say any of that. He simply walked into the wilderness where Satan tried his hardest to get Jesus to fall. The Gospel of Mark doesn’t give us all the deets of the temptation of Jesus. But two other Gospels do. Check out the Gospel of Luke:
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. – Luke 4:1-13
You see, Jesus was specifically tempted in three separate areas of his life:
- Physical needs
- Power and authority
- Pride and testing God
Do these areas feel familiar? Satan specifically tempted Jesus in these three areas. Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger after fasting for 40 days (Luke 4:3). This temptation focuses on meeting His physical needs in a way that is self-serving. Secondly, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offers Him authority over them if He just worships the Satan (Luke 4:5-7). This temptation focuses on the desire for power and control. And third, Satan takes Jesus to the very top of the temple and tempts Him to throw Himself down, challenging Him to test God's protection by quoting Scripture (Psalm 91) (Luke 4:9-11). This temptation revolves around testing God's faithfulness.
Did you see what happened in verses 10-11? Satan himself quotes Scripture. The dude is tricky. Satan knows Scripture. But he used it out of context to try to get Jesus to not only doubt God’s faithfulness, but to take His life into His own hands. And Satan tries to do the same thing to each one of us. Sure, it doesn’t necessarily look like this. But Satan most certainly tempts us in the area of our physical needs. Maybe you’re married and you feel like your husband or wife isn’t meeting your physical needs. But that guy or girl you work with will. Satan wants us to give in to our selfish needs. Or maybe it’s in the area of power and control. We see this playing out all over the place in the world… maybe even right in our own home. This most presents itself in the area of a negative attitude, constant complaining. Why? Because we aren’t the ones in control. Or maybe we’ve seen it in the area of pride or testing God. I’m taking my life into my own hands. Things suck now. God’s obviously not real. So I’m doing things my way because I know best for me!
Here's the thing… Jesus was tempted in all the same areas that you and I are tempted, and He didn’t give in to Satan’s temptations. Why? Three reasons… Check them out and then we’re done:
First, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t overcome temptation based upon His own effort; He had the Spirit to rely upon. Check out Luke 1:1 - Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.
This is the first and most important thing to walk away with from this blog post! If you are not full of the Holy Spirit, you cannot begin to resist the temptations Satan brings your way. Facts. No question or doubt about it. Our lives are being constantly lived within an unseen spiritual battle.
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17
Listen. Listen. Listen. The only way to be full of the Holy Spirit and to want what the Spirit wants… The only way to begin to have a chance to overcome the temptations of Satan is to give our life to Jesus.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24
Secondly, Jesus wasn’t full of excuses. Check out Luke 1:2b - Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
This is something I can relate to… being hungry. There have been times where I’ve been so hungry that I become “hangry.” In fact, my daughter has called me out multiple times saying, “Man, someone’s hangry.” And you know what, it’s always true. When I get overly hungry there are times where I give in to my sinful emotive flesh and let my “hanger” take control and I make excuses it’s because I’m hungry. You see, even after we’ve given our life to Christ, Satan will still try to tempt us. And there will be a time where we will have to choose… Will we choose to not give in, or will we make some excuse as to why we should give in to the temptation in front of us? Because here’s the thing, there will always be a ready excuse that we think justifies us for giving in to the temptation.
So, to recap… One, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. That’s the first step in being able to overcome temptation. Two, Jesus didn’t make excuses. Excuses will always be available to try and justify why we gave in.
And third, Jesus was filled with Scripture. Over and over again we see in each instance of Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation, “The Scriptures say…” We see it in Luke 1:4, 8, and 12. Jesus lived and breathed the Word of God. He studied and knew the Scriptures. When He was tempted, He quoted Scripture back to Satan in response. It was His weapon to overcome Satan’s temptation. If this was Jesus’ weapon to overcome Satan, how much more should it be our weapon in response to the attacks of Satan!
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. – Hebrews 4:12
The Bible, the Word of God is alive… It’s powerful. Jesus knew this. It’s why He quoted it in response to the attacks of Satan. And when we read the Word of God… When we study it… When we memorize it… It lives within us, changes us from the inside out, and gives us the help we need to resist the temptations we face every day. The Scriptures were a source of life to Jesus. And when we read them and internalize them, they become life, the very air we breathe in our very own life.
Here's the thing, if we want change in our life… If we want change in our children’s lives… If we want change in our marriage… It starts and ends with Jesus and the powerful Word of God. Nothing more. Nothing less. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wasn’t full of excuses. And Jesus filled Himself with Scripture. This is the path to overcoming temptation and living a joy-filled life.
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Not About It
I love me some me. This goes all the way back to my baseball years in high school. You see, more than being cheered, I loved to be boo’d. Not from our team’s fans, no. I loved it when the other team’s fans boo’d me. When those guys boo’d me it meant that I had gotten into their heads. The game transitioned from being about their team to being about me. I told you… I love me some me. I did a Google search on the phrase, “I love me some me.” You know what comes back? This video...
I don’t mind the spotlight. I actually like being the center of attention. In one aspect it’s helpful in connecting with people. In a completely different aspect, it can be a problem if that becomes my life philosophy. At one time it was. For many of us the main struggle in our relationships is that we “love me some me” too much. And while there’s an aspect of life that is about us, it’s not the end all be all of the matter. But if we’re honest, it’s easy to get caught in the “me” trap. So how can we either avoid this trap or find a way out of it? Check this out:
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:1-8
This dude John the Baptist, a relative of Jesus, could have made this preaching tour all about himself. He could have titled it the, “I Love Me Some Me” tour. And whether or not John consciously thought this way or not, he knew that this line of thinking was a trap. Yo, the “Me” trap wasn’t invented in the 21st Century! The “Me” trap has existed since the beginning. Adam and Eve fell into the trap. King David fell into the trap. Judas fell into the trap. This trap has been around for a while. So how did the John in these verses not fall into the “Me” trap?
First, John knew that the God of the Old Testament… Jehovah… the God of Moses who said in Exodus 3:14, “I am who I am” … this God fulfills His promises. John understood this and placed his trust in this God. He knew his Scripture. John knew that the Old Testament predicted that God would send a messenger to “clear the way ahead” of Jesus in Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. John knew that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and the promise of God to provide the One who would restore humanity back to right relationship to God by trusting and believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we realize that God fulfills His promises, we can then place our trust in Him to make a way out of the “Me” trap.
Secondly, John committed to living a life devoted to God. John lived and preached in the wilderness (Mark 1:4). The wilderness in Biblical tradition is often associated with spiritual renewal, purification, and a return to God. It was in the wilderness that the Israelites wandered for 40 years and learned to rely on God. By preaching in the wilderness, John was symbolically calling the people to leave behind their sins and worldly attachments to seek spiritual renewal and repentance. It emphasized the need for a radical break from the old ways of life and a fresh start in anticipation of the coming of God's kingdom. And by choosing the wilderness as his place of ministry, John identified himself as the one preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. And maybe this wilderness is where you find yourself today. Sure, it may not look like a wilderness, but it sure feels like you’re mentally and spiritually in a desert land. Maybe God right now is telling you right now that you need to confess your sin, leave your worldly attachments behind you and seek Christ to renew you spiritually. It’s in the wilderness where John was preparing the people to connect with the Word, Jesus. And maybe right now, you need to reconnect, or connect for the first time, with the Word, Jesus. A step you can take is to begin by reading the book of Mark in the Bible. Not only did John live and preach in the wilderness, but he also chose to live differently than most if not all of the other people in the region. Check this out:
“His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.” – Mark 1:6
You see, this diet that John ate connected him to the Old Testament prophets who also lived in the wilderness. This diet demonstrated that he was separated from worldly comforts and committed to spiritual matters. Locusts were a natural and available food source in the wilderness and were considered a permissible food to eat in Jewish law. Additionally, wild honey was also natural and often symbolized the sustenance provide by God in the wilderness. Now I’m not saying that we need to change our diets to only eat locusts and wild honey, although my gut and waistline would benefit for sure. But maybe just maybe God is calling you to a different diet of what you watch, what you listen to, who you find yourself interacting with… Maybe God is calling you to a whole different way of living that recognizes your need for Jesus to enter your life.
Third, John recognized his standing in comparison to Jesus as the Messiah. Check this out:
“John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:8
John knew that his purpose in life was to prepare the way for Jesus to arrive. He knew that he himself wasn’t the answer, it was Jesus. John didn’t point people back to himself, he pointed people to Jesus. I used to think I had all the answers. “Hey, you need help? I got you. Listen to me.” Maybe that’s you right now… you got all the answers… you just depending on you and your efforts to get by. Or… you may not have all the answers, but you got some self-help books to see you through. Here’s the thing though… you and your self-help books aren’t Jesus. Sure, you might get by for some time, but in the end, you come to the end of yourself. John didn’t fall into the “Me” trap because he pointed people to Jesus. It’s hard to fall into the trap when you’re saying don’t look at me, look at Jesus.
I love me some me. It’s funny when we watch Terrell Owens shout it from the sidelines. But “Me” isn’t the answer. John the Baptist didn’t “love me some me,” he loved Jesus and pointed people to Him. And maybe it’s time you put your trust in the God who fulfills His promises, change your way of living as Jesus enters your life, and recognize your need for Jesus to rule as King of your life.
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11
Connected
I’m gonna say something that might be controversial…
“I love to play video games.” There. I said it. Soccer. Football. Baseball. COD (IYKYK).
Even though I’ve reached the age where I’m not as good as I used to be, I still love playing video games. I grew up playing them, and I’ll probably never grow out of playing them. When I first started playing video games, I had a controller that was connected to the console with a wire. Now, my controller is connected via Bluetooth. As a result, I either need to replace the batteries in the controller from time to time, or I need to place it on a charger. Regardless, if the batteries in the controller go out, I can’t play because there’s no connection between the controller and the console. The design is such that unless there’s an active connection between the controller and the console, I can’t play the game… I can’t even get the game started… nothing can be accomplished. It’s designed in such a way that without connection, there is no sign of life.
As I look out over humanity in general and my life specifically, we are designed in the same manner. Check this out:
“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” – Genesis 2:7
From the very beginning of time, God created humanity to have connection with Him. God literally breathed life into the one He created in His likeness. This is much different than the way God created everything else. Outside of humanity, God simply spoke the world into existence. While this is a miracle in and of itself and shouldn’t be overlooked because it links power to the very word of God, His creation of humanity was much more intimate. God’s relationship to humanity was different than His relationship with the rest of creation. After creating Adam, we see God speaking directly with him just a few short lines still in chapter two of Genesis. Right away we see that humanity was created to communicate with God. Even prior to Adam sinning, Adam was dependent on revelation from God in order to live in the world that God created.
And what happens next? The connection is interrupted. It gets disconnected. The Bluetooth stops working. Not because of anything God did, no. It’s like my controller when it stops working. It doesn’t stop working because of the console or the people who made it, it stops working because I didn’t replace or recharge the batteries. And the same is true with humanity. It’s because of what Adam and Eve did to their relationship with God. And what their decision did not only broke their connection to God, but it also caused us to be born into a broken connection with God as well. And without connection to God, there is no sign of life.
God designed humanity in such a way that without connection to Him, there is no sign of life.
And what happens when that connection with God is broken? At the most basic level our eternal destination after we die is to be without relationship with God. Most of us has seen the billboards asking the question, “Do you know where you will go after you die?” or have heard someone with a megaphone on the street corner yelling about heaven and hell. And yes, that is a real concern, but this broken connection affects each one of us in a more immediate, deeper level. When my batteries go out on my controller, I’m not worried about tomorrow’s game, I’m concerned to get the connection back up and running for the game I’m currently playing. When my connection with God is broken, it affects my life right now. When my connection with God is broken, I’m not living life to the full because my perspective is skewed because I’m not connected to the One who can wholly comfort me, wisely counsel me and willingly convict me.
While this connection to God was broken leaving humanity in despair, God in His kindness made a way for the connection to be reestablished through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. Jesus is the Source of life. Check this out:
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” – John 14:6
Not only is Jesus the Source of eternal life, but Jesus is also the Source of the full life every one of us is seeking. As our connection to God is restored through Jesus, as we accept Jesus into our life as our Savior, we have access to the life Jesus offers and connection to God.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” – John 10:10
This means that Jesus isn’t just the Source of life, He’s also the Course of life. That’s cute Todd… You can rhyme. But what does that even mean for me? That’s a very valid question. You see, when Jesus becomes the Source and Course of our life, we are changed from the inside out. Our perspective changes. Our response to people becomes different. Our reaction to life’s circumstances reflects the character of Christ. And hear me when I say this… This has nothing to do with what we can do differently; this is in direct correlation to the working of Jesus in the life of the follower of Jesus. Jesus as the Course of life means that our path of life is to live the life of Jesus as He lives in and through us wherever we are. Again, this can’t happen through our own efforts. It’s. Not. Possible. It only happens when our connection to God is restored through our trusting in and following Jesus.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
This, my friends, is the hope that Jesus offers… connection to God for life now. Jesus doesn’t promise that life will get better or easier, but He does promise to wholly comfort you. He promises to wisely counsel you. And He promises to willingly convict you. And in everything, He promises that in Him you will find the joy of true life as you are connected to Him.
God designed humanity in such a way that without connection to Him, there is no sign of life.
Trust in Jesus today, allow Him to change you from the inside out as you are reconnected with God Himself.
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” – Psalm 16:11
Bigger Than We Could Ever Know
I don’t know about you, but when I was growing up I had a number of fears. Some of those fears would come alive at night, after mom put me to bed. There’s just something about nighttime, the dark, that would open and consume my mind with fear. Once the lights went out, fear would creep into my mind and I’d start to wonder what horrible person was under my bed. And then I’d look across my room and notice my closet door was open. So, as slowly and as quietly as I could, I’d pull back my sheets, silently stand on my bed and jump as far as I could toward my bedroom door landing as quietly as I could. Then I’d run for my life downstairs to where my parents were and tell them I was afraid of who was under my bed and in my closet.
During the daytime, I had no fear of who was under my bed or in my closet. But once the night came, it was a different story. I know now that it was an irrational fear. But as a little boy, that fear overcame me on multiple nights causing me to run for my life.
You know, there’s someone in the Bible who was overcome with fear and ran for his life as well. Check this out, it’s found in 1 Kings 19, verse 3:
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…” 1 Kings 19:3a
If you’re like me and this is all you read or all you hear, you’re saying to yourself, “Why did he run for his life? Why was he afraid?” Surely he was being chased by some wild animal. Or maybe he was fleeing hundreds of troops from an army out to kill him. But it wasn’t for either of those reasons. Check this out… He was running because of a threat from a woman! Check this out:
“Now Ahab (the king) told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 1 Kings 19:1, 2
And so Elijah, upon hearing this, became overwhelmed with fear and ran for his life. But it’s interesting to me that, one chapter before in chapter 18, we see the courage of Elijah. In chapter 18 he wasn’t afraid of Jezebel. He knew that Jezebel, who happened to be the king’s wife, was killing off the Lord’s prophets… people like Elijah. And what did he do in response? He summoned the king, Ahab, and confronted him.
“When he (king Ahab) saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 1 Kings 18:17-19
You see, the very prophets of Baal that Elijah was calling out, were Jezebel’s very prophets. She installed the very prophets whom Elijah was calling out. And so the king sent word throughout all of Israel and assembled the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. And through his faith in the Lord, Elijah called out to the people saying if the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him. And then, Elijah set the challenge…
It was a simple challenge. He told the prophets of Baal to choose a bull, cut it into pieces and put it on wood but don’t set fire to it. Then Elijah would take the other bull and do the same. Once each bull was prepared, cut into pieces and placed on wood, Elijah told the Baals to call on the name of their god and then Elijah would call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by sending fire is the true God.
The prophets of Baal called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response. No answer. No fire. And they began to dance around the alter they made. At noon, Elijah began to taunt them… all 450 prophets of Baal. “Shout louder he said. Surely he’s just deep in thought, busy or traveling.” The prophets of Baal kept shouting and even began to cut themselves. They did this until evening.
At this point, Elijah was like, “Enough,” and called everyone over to him. He repaired the alter of the Lord that was in ruins, chose twelve stones and built an alter with them. He arranged the wood and placed the bull on the alter. Then, he instructed the people to fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and wood. They did this three times! How many of you know that if something is soaked with water that it’s pretty impossible to light it on fire!? And then Elijah prayed to the Lord and the fire from Heaven fell and burned up the sacrifice, to wood, the stones, the soil and sucked up all of the water that was in the trench! Then when the people saw this, they fell on their faces and cried, “The Lord - He is God!” And then Elijah instructed the people to seize the prophets of Baal, and had them brought down to the valley and killed there.
450 prophets of Baal. The prophets that Jezebel herself had picked. He stood up to them. Made them look like fools. And then had the enemies of God killed. All without flinching. In one moment, he stood tall… strong… courageously. And in the next instant, we find Elijah running for his life in the desert praying that he might die. Check this out:
“…while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.” 1 Kings 19:4, 5
Four words. “I have had enough.” He wanted to give up so bad that he wanted to just die. Emotionally tired. Physically drained. He preferred to give up and die. Just a short time ago he was facing down 450 prophets of Baal. And now, for whatever reason, he was running in fear, wanting to give up and die. Maybe you can relate. Maybe that’s you right now. You’re tired. Exhausted. And you’re saying to God, “I have had enough!” But God had a different plan for Elijah, and God has a different plan for you.
And so, the Angel of the Lord woke Elijah up twice to eat and drink. And after the second time, Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Once he reached Horeb, he went inside a cave where he spent the night.
It’s on the road of misery where God often meets us. In the middle of our fear and running… there God is right in front of us asking us this question like He asks Elijah in verse nine:
“And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9
God didn’t have to hear Elijah to know the answer. Just like when God asked Adam and Eve where they were in the garden. He knew where they were. And He knew why Elijah was spending the night in a cave. The question wasn’t for God. The question was for Elijah. It was so that Elijah could hear his answer out loud to himself. Sometimes God asks us questions that He knows the answers to so that we can gain His perspective on the answers we give when we hear them out loud.
And then Elijah replied in verse 10,
“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:10
All alone and on the run, Elijah thought he was the only prophet of the Lord left. And just like Elijah, in our trouble, in our despair, in our thoughts, we can often feel like we’re all alone… That there’s no one left to walk with us through our fears and path were on. But check out God’s response.
“The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
You see, God wasn’t in the great and powerful wind. God wasn’t in the earthquake. God wasn’t even in the fire. It was in the gentle whisper that God chose to be in. I would have expected God to be in the mighty things. The powerful things. But God wasn’t in any of those things. He was in the unexpected. He was in something Elijah had to be quiet enough to hear… a gentle whisper… something unexpected. Many times when we’re going through pain and fear and we feel all alone, God shows up in the unexpected moments. Moments where we need to be quiet enough to hear or see Him. What’s true in Elijah’s life, is true in our life as well.
And then God asked the question again… “What are you doing here?” Elijah had the same response. And then we come to verses 15 through 18 where God says something unexpected. Check this out:
“The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:15-18
Go back the way you came!? What!? No, no, no. I can’t go back the way I came. Don’t you understand… pain and fear and despair are back that way. Hurt and conflict and uncertainty are back that way. I can’t go back that way God! But God says, “I know.” “But if you go back the way you came, I’ve got a different plan for you.” You see, for Elijah, God was up to something bigger than Elijah could ever have imagined. And what’s true for Elijah, is true for us…
God is always up to something bigger than we could ever know.
You see, God had a plan for Elijah. God told Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram. He told Elijah to anoint Jehu king over Israel. And he told Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Then, as a result, these three men would see to it that anyone who seeks to harm Elijah. And God had one more thing for Elijah… He was like, “Remember when you told me you are all alone? Ya, you’re not. You’ve got seven thousand friends in Israel who haven’t bowed down to the false god, Baal.”
God is always up to something bigger than we could ever know. And in God’s timing, He will reveal His plan to us. You see, when you’re on the run… running for your life… running from your pain and despair… you can’t fulfill the calling and mission God has on your life. You’re running for your life when instead you’re meant to live your life. So instead of running for or from your life, run to God because He is always up to something bigger than we could ever imagine. We just have to quiet ourselves enough to be able to hear and see God’s plan.
Unicycle Living
Unicycles. As a little kid, I was fascinated by these things. I mean, learning to ride a bike with two wheels was hard enough. But one wheel!? Come on! Whether I saw someone ride one at a fair or at a parade, as a kid I knew that one day I would have to try to ride one. As I grew up, I eventually forgot about wanting to ride a unicycle.
Until I was in college.
College is a place for a lot of different things. It’s a place to learn. It’s a place to make life-long friends. And it’s a place where college students do some really dumb things… like trying to ride a unicycle. I don’t remember who had the unicycle or where it came from, but there it lay before me… calling for me to try to ride it. Ok, maybe it wasn’t the unicycle calling out to me to ride it. Maybe it was my friends. Regardless of who was calling out to me, this was my chance to try to ride a unicycle.
I thought getting on would be the hardest thing about riding the unicycle. It wasn’t. That was by far the easiest. After adjusting the seat, I raised the unicycle up. Placed the tire on the ground. Placed one foot on one pedal. And simultaneously pushed down on that pedal and raised my other foot to place it on the second pedal. And just like that, I was riding a unicycle!
I was surprised that I was able to keep the unicycle up after just a couple of tries. And, I was equally surprised at how unstable it all felt. But I kept going. I kept pedaling. Around and around and around in a circle in a parking lot on our campus. I wanted to stop… for a couple of reasons. One, I was getting closer to cars that were parked in that lot. And two, the raised sidewalk was getting closer with each circle I made. But just like getting on the unicycle was the easiest part, getting off the unicycle for me was the hardest part.
So I just kept pedaling.
I wanted to stop riding the unicycle, but I just couldn’t figure out the best way to stop. So I kept pedaling. It was like my feet were stuck on those pedals. Around. And Around. And around. I kept pedaling. The cars and the curb getting closer each time. All the while my friends were simultaneously cheering me on not knowing that I was mentally unable to get off of this one-wheeled ride I was on. And then… I rode the unicycle straight into the curb. Not on purpose. I was out of control. And when that wheel hit the curb and suddenly stopped, it threw me off the seat and onto the sidewalk where I was able to tuck and roll making it look like it was all done on purpose.
Tired and a little scraped up, that was the last time I rode a unicycle. I gave it up. I’m letting the pros handle it and I laugh to myself each time I see someone ride a unicycle at a parade we’re at.
And while I’ve never gotten back on a unicycle, there have been and are still times in my life where I have felt and feel like I’m riding around in a circle, with my feet stuck, pedaling and pedaling and pedaling… feeling like I’m stuck riding around on a one-wheeled bike. That feeling of a life that is crazy busy. Where we’re rushing from meeting to meeting. Appointment to appointment. Activity to activity. And instead of enjoying life, we’re rushing everywhere, living in a constant state of hurry. And we allow our emotions to be affected by the continual rush of the schedule.
Maybe you can relate.
Or maybe it’s not the schedule you can relate to. Maybe it’s the spinning of your mind. Maybe you’re in a waiting season. You’re waiting for an answer from a university you want to attend. You’re waiting for an answer to a job you’ve been going after. Maybe you’re waiting for an answer from that guy or girl you’ve been wanting to date. Or you’re been praying to God for what’s next in life… and you’re waiting for a clear answer. And instead of having peace in the waiting, your mind keeps racing as you constantly go over the “what-if’s.” And you just can’t get rest… You can’t get peace.
Regardless of whether your being controlled by your schedule or by your mind, God does have something to say about living in a constant state of hurry… in a constant state of restlessness. Check this out, it’s found in Matthew chapter 11, verses 28 through 30:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
God’s plan for your life… For my life… isn’t to live in a constant state of hurry, in a constant state of restlessness. God wants you to live in peace. He wants you to have rest. In fact, God calls each of us to come to Him. If you are tired. He wants you to come to Him. If you are carrying the heavy weight of worry… Whatever it is… financial worry, health worry, worry about a job, school or child or relationship… Jesus is calling out to each of us and He will give us rest. He will give us peace. Jesus came, walked this earth, suffered the horrible torture of the cross and overcame death so that He could give us rest for our souls.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m living in a constant state of worry or in a constant state of hurry, most of my worst moments are made. I’m usually not being loving, or living in joy. I’m usually not able to be kind or experience peace. Those things are not compatible with hurry, restlessness and worry. And when I find myself living within the restlessness, hurry and worry, it’s usually because my focus has drifted from the goodness of God in my life… It’s usually because my focus has shifted off of Jesus. You know, the average iPhone user touches his or her phone over 2,600 times a day. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, our phones are almost always in front of our eyes.
What would our lives look like if God touched our hearts and minds as much as we touched our phones. Psalm 16:8 says,
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
Imagine how much our lives might change if we would keep our eyes on Jesus. If you find you’re living in a constant state of hurry, or in a constant state of mental restlessness, Jesus is calling out to you today so that you can finally find rest and peace for your soul.
Worship is Greater Than War
Paintball.
I remember the first time I played. Myself and a few of the guys I worked with got a group together and headed out to this massive outdoor paintball complex. Once there, we selected our guns, bought enough paint to last for a few hours and got our gear on. After meeting some other random guys that were there to play, it was time to go to war.
The first course we played was within a mini city made out of plywood. It. Was. Awesome. Well, it was awesome walking through and seeing how massive this place was. But once the whistle blew and the paint began to fly, the sound of how hard it was hitting the outside of the walls of my “second story” position made me rethink my decision of playing. And then it happened… My friend I was positioned with took three shots to the face region right in front of me. The first shot hit him on the region of his mask. But his mask had five slits in it over his mouth so that it wouldn’t fog up. That was great for his breathing. But when the paintball made impact, it splattered all over the inside of his mouth. As he tasted the paintball, it caused him to turn his head at which point the second and third shots hit him on his neck. As he grabbed his neck he yelled out, “I’m hit!” It was like a scene in a movie.
As this dude walked by me to leave the field of play, I could see two massive welts left by the impact of the paintballs on his neck. And as I climbed down the ladder to the first story, I grabbed my other friend who was with me, told him “Nick was gone” and it was just us, and let him know we had to get out of there. Now, as we were exiting where we were at, I made sure he was out in front of me as we moved from building to building… I mean, he was much larger than I was and a better shot. Eventually we were both overrun and taken out. In fact, our entire team of 16 year olds were systematically shot so quickly that I’m sure we were playing against a team who I’m sure could have gone pro. It didn’t matter what we did, who we decided to put out in front of us to try to stop them, each game we played against them they destroyed us as we tried to do battle. They ran straight through us each and every time.
War. It’s something we see talked about in the Bible as well. But the war we read about has much greater consequences than what I experienced in my small paintball war as a sixteen year old. Check this out:
Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. - 2 Chronicles 20:2
And then King Jehoshaphat said to God,
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. And all of the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. - 2 Chronicles 20:12-13
Can you imagine standing there? Your wife. Your children. Standing next to you. Knowing that an enormous army was on their way to destroy you and your family. And as they stood there, they waited for God to answer them. And as God answered them through Jahaziel who told them not to be afraid. In fact, he said that the battle wasn’t theirs, it was God’s. He told them that they wouldn’t even have to fight this battle…
‘“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” - 2 Chronicles 20:17
And so, early in the morning they left to head out to the battle field. And Jehoshaphat said, “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” (2 Chronicles 20:20)
And after consulting with the people, Jehoshaphat developed a plan. And what was the grand battle plan? Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him for His holiness and he placed them at the head of their army as they went out to meet the enemy that was coming to destroy them! What!? I’m sure General Patton wouldn’t have approved! But that’s ok. Because King Jehoshaphat knew that…
Worship is greater than war.
Jehoshaphat knew that worship is a weapon that the Lord uses to fight for us. You see, Jehoshaphat was faced with what seemed like an impossible battle. And in the face of what seemed like complete destruction, we see him seek the Lord in prayer and confess his complete powerlessness to do anything. And God responded to him through Jahaziel telling him, “the battle is His, do not be afraid, stand firm, hold your position and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.” And Jehoshaphat and the people responded by worshipping the Lord. And then drawing courage from the Lord, and in their trust and obedience to the Lord, they went out to battle with praise and worship on the front lines.
You and I may not fight the same type of war that Jehoshaphat faced. But we all will come face to face with our own battles. And the Lord wants each of us to know that worship is greater than war. Worship is greater than the battles we face. And it’s through our worship that God fights for us.
You see, it is not up to us to slay the giants, to move the mountains, or even to part the waters. It is not up to us to fight our battles alone and defeat the enemy by ourselves. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And to worship Him alone. When we do this, He promises that He will be with us and fight our battles for us. Whether it is doubt or depression. Fear or failure. Whether it is rejection, frustration, anxiety or insecurity. In the waiting, the wondering, and even the reality, God wants to show us His power, His grace, His faithfulness, and His love throughout every season we face. And He wants us to know that worship is greater than the battles we face… He wants us to know that worship is a weapon that the Lord uses to fight for us.
And when we worship the Lord, a few things happen inside us. First, We remember who God is, what He has accomplished through Jesus. And when we are reminded who God is and what He has accomplished through Jesus, we’re comforted by the Spirit of God whom Jesus gave us when we trusted Him as our Savior. Second, What we know to be true in our minds flows into our hearts, and we’re able to engage the Lord with both our heads and our hearts. It’s not based on feelings, but coming into agreement with God at both a head and heart level. And third, “Spiritual power is released and we find peace and rest from oppression from the enemy.” - Matt Chandler
Worship is one of the greatest weapons against the battles we face. When we worship, God fights for us and prevents the enemy’s attempt to take over our hearts and minds. And we’re able to focus on our relationship with God and His love for us and deflect the attack of the enemy.
Worship is greater than war. It’s greater than the battles we face. And when we see people worshipping, especially in their time of need, we are physically seeing God fighting for them. And when we worship the Lord, we are worshipping the God who fights for us.
No Going Back
A couple of spring breaks ago I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for years… like 20 years. If I’m honest, I didn’t know if I’d ever have the chance or work up the courage to do it. The “something” I did? I went skydiving. That’s right. I willingly jumped out of a perfectly good airplane from 13,000 feet.
My friend Daryl and I had made plans to jump while we were on spring break out in Arizona. So, on the day we were to jump, we drove about an hour to the jump zone. Once there, we literally signed our life away and watched a quick video on how to successfully jump from an airplane, then walked out to get our harness strapped on.
After getting strapped up, we made our walk out to the bus that was going to take us to our plane. As we were driving out to where our plane was, we could see groups of people gliding down with their parachutes floating through the air. I couldn’t believe that that was going to be me in a matter of minutes. Once we got off the bus, we headed towards our plane. Each step I took, I kept telling myself that there was no turning back. My nerves were increasing more and more as I approached the plane.
Once inside the plane, myself and my jump instructor headed all the way back towards the pilot. At this point, my heart was beating a mile a minute. But I kept telling myself that there was no turning back… despite the pilot and plane looking like it had been used in multiple cocaine runs between Arizona and Columbia.
Prior to taking off, my jump instructor had me put on my seatbelt. Then, once we were about 500 feet off the ground, he strapped himself to me and instructed me to take my seatbelt off. I actually asked him why. His response, “Well, if the plane goes down, we’re jumping.” Ya, I guess that made sense.
Once we reached 13,000 feet, the skydivers ahead of me began to jump from the plane. Let me tell you, there’s no preparing for the sight of people throwing themselves out of a plane. I literally saw them jump from the door and watched from my window as they fell towards the earth. And then, it was my turn. The jump instructor told me to scoot closer to the door. And each butt scoot we took, I kept telling myself that I wasn’t going back.
And then… we stood up and crouched at the door of the plane. In my head I kept saying, “I’m not going back. I’m not going back. I’m not going back.” The jump instructor tapped me on my arm. And in one final, “I’m not going back,” I crossed my arms, tilted my head back… and we jumped.
It was the most terrifying, exciting thing I have ever done. I thought we were jumping straight out. But instead, when we jumped, the instructor spun us around backwards and I watched the plane as we fell. It. Was. Amazing.
Once we got back to the hotel, Morgan ran up to me and yelled, “You didn’t die!” as she tearfully gave me a hug.
No turning back. That was the theme of my skydiving trip. That’s what I kept telling myself. And that’s what Moses and the Lord told the Israelites as well.
Check this out:
...the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” Deuteronomy 17:16
You see, just prior to crossing over into the land that God promised to the Israelites, He gave them a prescription on how to live a life that would glorify the Lord. And years before the Israelites asked for a king, God laid out His qualities of a good one. One of the qualities the Lord states is that “The king must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them…”
Upon hearing this at first, you might think, “Horses? Who cares about horses. What does this have to do with being a good king?” You see, during this time in history, Egypt was THE place from where other nations bought their supplies of this animal. If you wanted a strong horse… If you wanted the best horse… You went to Egypt. There was one major problem… This was the place the Lord had just delivered them from slavery 40 years earlier. And, in looking out for His people, Moses tells the Israelites…
…’the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”’
God knew that, if the Israelites went back to Egypt, they would go back to their slavery. He knew that, if the Israelites went back to the familiar, they would go back to a life they had cried out to be rescued from. He knew that, if the Israelites went back to their old way of living, they’d be forfeiting every promise that He had given to them. For the Israelites…
Egypt = Slavery
It’s not that Egypt was all bad. There were things in Egypt that were tempting to go back to. For a king, it would be the type and the style and the amount of horses. For others, it was the food. Still, for others it may have been the majesty of their buildings. None of these things in and of themselves are horrible. But in each of these things is the temptation to turn from the promises of God.
And the same is true for each one of us.
God has sent His Son Jesus to die for each one of us (John 3:16). And through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He has called us to a life outside the captivity and slavery of sin to a promised better life. And each of us has a history that we’re familiar with. A history, that if we return to it, would take us back into our captivity. And as we seek to follow Jesus, there are three areas where we will be tempted to return to our captivity of sin... to forfeit the promises of God.
We will be tempted to go back to what we were thinking. “It’s not that bad.” “It’s just one time.” “Nobody will find out.” “I’m better than them.” And we return to the slavery of our thoughts.
We will also be tempted to go back to what we were saying. The type of language we use. Gossiping about others. Tearing others down. Being discouraging with our words. Speaking out of anger instead of love. And we return to the slavery of our words.
And we will be tempted to go back to what we were doing. Going back to that relationship. Living our lives in our pride. Neglecting our families. Forgetting about God. And we return to the slavery of our actions.
But I want to remind you that God is telling us right now... “You are not to go back that way again.” Instead, God has a better way. Micah 6:8 says,
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Instead of going back to what we were doing, we are to act justly. Instead of going back to what we were saying, we are to love mercy. And instead of going back to how we were thinking, we are to walk humbly with our God.
This temptation to go back to our old ways is ultimately a temptation of the mind. And Paul knew this as he spoke to the church in Philippi. It’s true then and it’s true for each of us now. And this is our encouragement for today…
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9
The Goonies Life
What’s your favorite movie of all time? There’s a lot of great movies that have been made. If you would have asked my grandfather on my dad’s side of the family, he would have told you Gone With the Wind. For others, it might be one of the Marvel movies. Still others may love the Star Wars trilogy… “Luke, I’m your father.” “Nooooooooooo.” For me, there are a few greats. Iron Eagle. Top Gun. Karate Kid. But none of those compare to The Goonies.
The Goonies. My all-time favorite movie. It’s all about adventure. It’s hilarious. I mean who doesn’t love Chunk and Mikey and Data and Sloth. Not to mention the Truffle Shuffle. But the main reason this movie is my all-time favorite? The secret passages and treasure hunting. I would have given anything at age nine to go on an adventure like that to look for a giant pirate ship and One-Eyed Willy’s treasure. Coming up from under the water and looking to see One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship would have been amazing. Finding a treasure like that would have been life changing.
There’s another moment regarding another found treasure that must have been life changing as well. Only this treasure was found hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth. Check it out:
“While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 34:14-15
Can you imagine the awe and utter excitement Hilkiah would have had!? This Book of the Law, God’s testimony through Moses, was lost for an amount of time we really don’t know. The priest, at the very least though, would have heard of stories past down through his Jewish culture about Moses and this Book of the Law. And for Hilkiah to accidentally find it would have been huge… Like finding One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship and treasure.
Now, fast forward almost 200 years later during the time of Nehemiah. Now Nehemiah had made his way to a top position in the great Persian Empire, one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. And he asked the king if he could go back to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. And the king of the Persian empire gave him permission to go and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. Now, after the wall was completed and after the Israelites had settled into their towns, all the people assembled in the square. And Ezra the priest, brought the Law before the people. He stood on a high, wooden platform and read it from daybreak until noon. And as the people listened to Ezra reading the Book of the Law, they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. And then the Bible tells us:
“Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.” Nehemiah 8:9
Can you imagine, a large quiet crowd watching as Ezra steps up on a newly built platform in the town square. As Ezra opens the Book, the crowd stands up. They praise God with hands lifted high. Then, they bow down, faces in the dirt. Ezra begins to read and his helpers walk through the crowd to explain what God’s Word says. The people, listen giving their full attention to Ezra. And then, a sound begins to rise. It starts with one person. Then another. And as the people continue to listen to God’s Word being spoken, this sound continues to spread throughout the town square. It’s the sound of weeping.
The Book of the Law that Ezra was reading was super old… It was ancient. But that day marked something new. The Jewish people were becoming something that they had never been before… A people of the Book. They were, in essence, being rebuilt with material as strong as the stones used in their newly built city wall. You see, throughout their history, they had drawn their strength from two sources besides the Law. One was the temple, where they worshipped God. It was a beautiful building, magnificent even, in which they met God. The other was their leadership. First Moses, then Joshua, then the judges, and finally David and the other kings.
But these things couldn’t save them from disgrace. The temple? Even though it was a beautiful, crazy magnificent building, it had become a meaningless symbol to most Jewish people. They had even defiled it by putting idols in the temple. They disregarded it so badly that God had finally allowed the Babylonians to burn the temple down. Now, after the Jewish people returned from exile, they rebuilt the temple. But it was never again seen as a substitute for real devotion to God. What about their leaders? Not one king, over hundreds of years, had come close to matching God’s ideal or standard. Most kings, in fact, were people who didn’t worship or follow the God of Israel and were said to have “done evil in they eyes of the Lord.” And when the Israelites returned from exile, they had no king of their own. They instead were under the rule of a Persian king who wanted to keep all the power to himself.
So, with no king of their own and a temple where the God of Israel wouldn’t dwell, they turned to another source of power… The Word of God. This gathering that we see here is nothing like the jewels in the crowns of kings or the gold within the temple. It’s instead replaced by a single man standing on a simple wooden platform, reading words written on a simple scroll. But the words Ezra reads show their power in the way they affect the very people who hear them… Moved to praise God, to weep over their sins, to change their behavior and to make renewed promises to God. From this time on, the Jewish people were known as the people of the Book.
And I can’t help but draw similarities between our world, country, state, city and my life. As I look out from my small window at home, how many times do I give my strength over to our political leaders. For some of us, when Trump was in office, we looked to a new president for hope. Now that we have a new president, for some of us we can’t wait for the next election for our hope. For others, we draw our strength and hope based on our own abilities. If we’re honest, real power and strength comes from our work, where we live and our political views. And the Word of God becomes an after-thought, tucked away in the corner of our temples or forgotten about like One-eyed Willy’s pirate ship and treasure.
We focus on the pretty, shiny things of this world. The news makers. But the real earth shaking, life changing comes from what looks like an ordinary book, but in reality is an Extraordinary Word from God Himself. Just like the temple, the kings, and Moses, the worldly things we draw our energy and strength from can go away or be destroyed. In the end they can’t ultimately change us. Only the Word of God never changes. Only the Word of God is full of life. And when we become people of the Book, we become a people who find true joy and rejoicing, hope and direction for our lives (Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path.).
You see, after the Israelites weeped over their sin and began a new devotion to God, Nehemiah told all the people, “This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
And just as the Israelites learned, when we become people of the Book, we learn too that the joy of the Lord is our strength. We find true joy, hope, direction for our lives and can rejoice fully in the love of Jesus. So, go now, and be people of the Book.
The Turnaround
The Chicago Cubs. I’ve been a fan of this team for as long as I can remember… Sitting on my dad’s lap watching Ryne Sandburg, Shawon Dunston, Andre Dawson and the Penguin, Ron Cey. And throughout the years, I’ve passed this love of the Cubs on to Jami and our kids. Each year, minus the “crazy year,” we try to get to at least one game at Wrigley Field.
So in 2018 we bought tickets to watch the Cubs take on the Washington Nationals. At that time, Bryce Harper played for the Nationals. So I purposely bought tickets in the Bleacher section of Wrigley Field right behind where he was playing in right field. We got to the game super early so we could be one of the first in line to grab our seats. As soon as the gates open, myself and Carter ran up the concourse ramp to secure front row seats against the right field wall. All throughout the game we heckled Bryce Harper and cheered on the Cubs. Unfortunately for us and the Cubs, they got behind early. And by the bottom of the ninth, they were down three to nothing.
As the Cubs took their last at bats in the ninth, the Nationals quickly got the first out. It was looking really bad at this point. Hope was fading. Then, the Nationals recorded the second out. By this time, even the people who turned their hats inside out to be rally caps were losing hope. The moans and groans in Wrigley Field were audible. Hope was fading fast. Then, strike one. Strike two. Hope was all but lost. The batter took a couple of balls… Then, the batter hit a slow rolling ground ball that the second basemen couldn’t pick up in time. The next batter, Contreras, was hit by a pitch. Hope was extended a tiny bit. The next batter worked the count to three balls and two strikes. And after a couple of foul balls was able to get on base by drawing a walk.
The bases are now loaded. And David Bote, a Cub who was fairly unknown at the time came up to bat. A home run now would win the game. The pitcher threw the pitch… Ball one. The next pitch was a strike. Then ball two. The third pitch was for strike two. And hope once again audibly faded in Wrigley Field. Bote fouled off a couple more pitches. Then took a pitch for ball three. How on earth could he take a pitch in a time like this. You could see and hear and feel the prayers of the Cubs faithful in Wrigley Field. And then… It happened… Something so rare that it’s only occurred 15 times in Major League History… Bote hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs to give the Cubs the win over the Nationals. Cubs fans in Wrigley Field that night went from a feeling of total hopelessness to joy and victory.
Hopelessness.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been there… If you’ve ever had the feeling of being hopeless. Maybe you’re at the start of this new school year and you have this feeling of dread and hopelessness about trying to make new friends. Maybe you look out into the world and see all of the chaos and hurt and despair and it overwhelms you to the point of feeling hopeless about humanity. Maybe you look at your relationship with your husband or wife or your kids… and you feel the arguments and hurt deep inside and you don’t know how to make things better… To get to a better place.
Maybe you look at your life and you… Just… Feel… Hopeless.
I get it. But more importantly… God gets it too. And He sees you in your hopelessness and has created a way to take you from hopeless to hopeful.
Check this out, it’s found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, verses 9 and 10:
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
We don’t know a bunch about Jabez. This is the only time we read about him in the Bible… But these two small verses tell us two important things. First, the Bible tells us that he’s more honorable than his brothers. We don’t know how much more. We don’t know if his brothers were horrible people or not. It just says that he’s more honorable. And that’s a really important statement considering the situation we find Jabez in. You see, his mother gave him the name Jabez because she gave birth to him in pain. The name Jabez, literally means pain and/or sorrow. In the Jewish culture it’s common to give symbolic names to a child. Additionally in the Jewish culture, the name of a person could also foretell his future. The mother of Jabez gave a vision of what her son’s life would be like… A life filled with sorrow and pain.
I wonder what Jabez was thinking and feeling. He didn’t choose to be in this position. He didn’t choose his name. But Jabez did choose whom he called out to. And as a result, Jabez went from hopeless to hopeful. But how, how did this happen? How did Jabez go from hopeless to hopeful?
First, Jabez called out to the God of Israel, the one true God and asked that God would bless him. He wasn’t shy about it. Jabez recognized that there is only one God and that He is the source of all blessing. And this God is the Father of Jesus Christ, who came down to earth and sacrificed His life for each one of us. If we go to God in prayer, like Jabez did, then we can expect the same blessing that Jabez expected. A blessing that is greater than any material blessing. It’s also a spiritual blessing like good relationships, a compassionate heart, a gentle spirit, good relationships among other things. It’s up to us to go to God and ask for His blessing on our lives rather than chasing the broken promises and blessings that the world tries to offer us.
Secondly, Jabez asked God to enlarge his territory. Now some people think that Jabez was asking for more land… That he was asking God to enlarge his physical territory. But this isn’t what he was asking. In reality, he was asking God to enlarge the territory of his heart. He wanted his spiritual territory to be enlarged. He wanted to reach others for the sake of God’s kingdom. He wanted to bring and claim generations of people for the God of Israel. What do you need to claim or reclaim today in your life? What part of your life do you need to take back from Satan to be able to reach others with God’s message through you? We need to go to God to reclaim those areas in our lives.
Third, Jabez asked for God’s hand to be with him. Jabez recognized that he needed God’s help to lead him in the right direction. He knew that God could and would lead him on the right path in life and keep on that path that is good. Jabez also knew that blessings can only be good things when they are from God’s hand. He also knew that blessings can become curses if they aren’t from God Himself. And the same is true for our lives as well. We should pray that God’s hand would lead us through any and all of life’s circumstances and trials.
And fourth, Jabez asked that God would keep him from harm so that he would be free from pain. Jabez literally means, pain and sorrow. When Jabez is praying, he is speaking against the symbolic nature of his name and the potential vision of what his life could be like. He’s also letting go of the shame that comes along with his name as well. When Jabez went to God in prayer, he went vulnerable, ready for God to turn his weakness and shame around into God’s glory. Does this mean that we will ultimately be free from pain? No. But it does mean that we have a God who will walk with us through our pain and use it for God’s glory and the redemption of humankind through Jesus Christ.
Hopeless to Hopeful.
I don’t know where you’re at right now. I don’t know what side you find yourself on… Hopeless or Hopeful. What I do know is this, praying to the living God is a powerful weapon to help us move from being hopeless to being hopeful. The only reason we see Jabez in the Bible is because he prayed. But Jabez wasn’t using his prayer as a formula to get something from God. He was calling upon God for help… To help him to move from being hopeless to being hopeful. He knew that personal, everyday needs can be brought before God in prayer. And we can do the same thing today, even right now so that God can move us from hopeless to hopeful.
Who Are You
Growing up, I had a few alter egos. For instance, there were times when I would ride my bike and pretend like I was Ponch from the old tv show CHiPs. I’d grab one of my toy guns and holsters, my remote control police car and ride around my block looking for crime. After Ponch, came my alter ego of… Zorro. I actually made a mask out of black fabric to wear, put on a black cape, wore my black sweats and put on a sword from one of my old Halloween costumes. Zorro had a cave to get ready in and so did I… my garage. When it was time to battle evil, I’d walk out through my back yard to the garage, change my outfit, then crawl out through the doggy door in the wall. Once evil was conquered, and I did conquer evil, I’d crawl back through the doggy door, change into my regular clothes, hide “Zorro’s” outfit, then go back to my “regular life.” The last alter ego is actually one that I don’t usually talk about. For years I tried to keep it hidden. The reason? Two words… Wonder Woman. That’s right. You can laugh. But I would pretend that I was Wonder Woman. On one night in particular, I got into character and stood on the couch to do battle. The villain? My brother Tim. I jumped off the couch, grabbed him by the wrist and arm, spun him around and around… and let go. He went flying head first into the wooden coffee table. As soon as I let go I knew there were problems. And when he turned his head around as he was crying all we could see was blood running down his face from just above his eye. My mom and dad scooped him up and headed to the ER where he received a number of stitches. Needless to say, that was the LAST time I pretended to be Wonder Woman.
Alter egos.
These were just a few of the other identities I took on as a little kid. When I put on that mask and cape, I WAS Zorro. When I rode my bike with my toy gun on my side, I WAS Ponch. When I put on those pretend bracelets and threw my brother head first into a coffee table, I WAS Wonder Woman. Over time, as I grew up, these alter egos… Identities, went away. They disappeared. But I noticed that as I got older, they were replaced by other identities that I thought made me who I was… Other identities to give me and my life meaning. Instead of having fun in my pretend identities in my younger years, as I got older it became a serious search for who I saw myself to be. So, when I was a teenager, my identity was found in the idea that I was a baseball player… Not only a baseball player, but a baseball player that had a girlfriend. As I got older into adulthood, I made my identity about what I did for work… How much money I made… The title on my desk.
Essentially, my identity was found in what I was doing. And my value and self worth... How I viewed myself and what I thought about myself as a person was linked to that identity found in what I was doing. So, when I was playing baseball really well, I had a high self-esteem. When I had a girlfriend, my self worth was greater. When my coach or my boss thought I did a great job, I thought my value as a person was greater. “Doing” things well equaled a greater self worth. The problem? I didn’t always play baseball well. I didn’t always have a girlfriend. My boss didn’t always think I did a great job. And my job title wasn’t always what I wanted it to be. And when my identity was found in what I was doing, when I wasn’t doing as great of a job as I thought I should have done, my self worth and self esteem lowered. If I stumbled or dropped a ball, I would call myself clumsy. If I would forget to do something at work or get a bad grade in school, I would call myself stupid. Or if I didn’t have a girlfriend, I would call myself pathetic.
Those are the thoughts I would have about myself. But those aren’t the thoughts that God has about each one of us. Only Satan, the enemy of our lives, would try to make us think that our worth comes from our work. Only the enemy wants us to find our identity in what we do, because he knows that when the lights go dark and the "success" is gone, so is our value. But God has a different thought regarding our identity… One that is found in "being" rather than "doing"… One that doesn’t change because of anything that we do or don’t do. You see, our true identity is based on how God sees us.
And how does God see us? According to the Bible, God sees us as someone who is…
Called
Chosen
Citizen of Heaven
Conqueror
First, God sees you… He sees me as someone who is “Called.” Check this out:
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. 1 Peter 2:9
You and I were born into sin. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, sin has been an issue on earth. And each one of us was born into that life. And sin produces a darkness that we can’t get out of by ourselves. We can try to be good enough. We can try to do enough to make things right with God, to make us feel better. But there’s nothing we can do by ourselves that will provide a means of escape from the darkness of sin. Only God can call us out of the darkness we find ourselves in. Only God can call us out of the darkness of sin and despair. Only God can call us out of the darkness of an identity based on doing... Based on what we do. And He calls us through His Son Jesus. And God is calling you right now, even as you read this. God is calling out to you right now.
Secondly, God sees you and has chosen you. The very first part of 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that “we are a chosen people…” Ephesians chapter one verses three through fourteen says,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:3-14
God has chosen you. He has chosen me for Himself. He has adopted us as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. He has chosen us to be children of the living God. Jami and I were able to have a couple of friends pray over us a couple of weeks ago. We’ve had people pray with us before. So going into this we were expecting what we thought was going to be a time of prayer we’ve previously experienced. But it wasn’t. It was something we’ve never experienced before. It was a true gift from God. You see, one friend led the time of prayer. And as he listened to what God was saying, he prayed that out loud. So at one point, he mentioned that God had given new names to people. In the Bible, this isn’t anything new. He gave Saul a new name of Paul. He gave Abram a new name of Abraham. He called Peter, “the rock on which I will build My church.” And then, this friend asked if God was giving me a new name. It wasn’t something I was expecting. But it was something that marked me. And as I thought about it more and more, "chosen" stuck out to me. God chose me. In all of my failures and flaws and ugliness, God still chose me. He chose me as His adopted son through Jesus. But He also chose me to influence and make a difference in the lives of students and families. And God has chosen you as well.
Third, God sees you and I as citizens of Heaven. Philippians chapter three, verse twenty says,
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ… Philippians 3:20
You see, when you are Called… When you are Chosen… When you are adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, our citizenship is found in Heaven. No longer do we set our minds on things of this earth… no longer do we set our minds on our selfish ambitions… No. Those things aren’t important any longer. Our hope and our longing is for God’s glory and praise to be lifted in our hearts and our minds. Our identity is no longer based on doing, it’s found and based in our being… being a citizen of Heaven.
And finally, God sees us as Conquerors. But not just any conquerors. No. But conquerors through Jesus Christ who loves us. Romans chapter eight, verse thirty-seven says,
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37
You see, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. There’s nothing we can say. There’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing that then enemy can do. Nothing can separate God’s love from us. It’s through God’s love and His strength that we can face any hardship… Any trial… Any let down… Any hurt… And be conquerors because of the love of God and the strength of Jesus Christ in us. When we call on Jesus and accept Him as our Savior, there is nothing that can separate God's love and acceptance from our lives.
God's acceptance of us, and therefore our identity, is not defined by our actions. So we will never be a "failure" when our performance doesn't match our expectations. When we reassign the source of our value and worth to its rightful place, in Jesus Christ, we will be free from the fear of failure or the opinions of others. We will be free from the labels we place on ourselves. And free from the shifting thoughts of our self-worth.
You see, God sees us as…
People who are Called
People who are Chosen
People who are Citizens of Heaven
And people who are Conquerors
The only thing that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks about us. And the identity we find in Him will never change.