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2 Samuel 3:1

Too Many Squashes

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 21, 2024

The opening verse of 2 Samuel Chapter 3 says, “There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.” David was at war with Saul for what appears to be 17 years before he became Israel’s king. David had no home. He moved from desert to forest and back again. He lived in mountain caves and was in constant danger from Saul and Saul’s army as well as Israel’s perennial enemies, the Philistines. He was often pursued from city to city, but he never gave up. It was David’s perseverance that helped him grow stronger and stronger while Saul and his house grew weaker and weaker. When you look at the Psalms you see David crying out “How long, Oh Lord.” In times of adversity, we often wonder why God doesn’t just take action to alleviate the problem that His people are having.

The war between Saul’s house and David’s house was a long war and it took its toll on the nation, but God had a plan. The plan was that David would become “stronger and stronger.” We might say that God was allowing continual adversity in David’s life in order to strengthen his faith. Faith is idle when circumstances are right, only when they are adverse is one’s faith in God exercised. Faith, like muscle, grows strong and supple with exercise. It always takes time. David had to learn to wait upon the Lord. He understood Isiah’s promise, “Those who wait upon the Lord, will renew their strength.” In contrast, Saul became so impatient when he was told to wait for Samuel to offer sacrifices before the battle, that Saul offered the sacrifices himself. Saul was too impatient to wait upon the Lord. It seems he was more interested in “doing” something for God, than in “seeking” communion with God. Guess what Samuel said to Saul. “For now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart.”

Patience is indeed a great virtue that has it’s own rewards if we wait for it. I once read that when James Garfield (later President of the U.S.) was principal of Hiram College in Ohio, a father asked him if the course of study could be simplified so that his son might be able to go through by a shorter route. “Certainly,” Garfield replied, “But it all depends on what you want to make of your boy. When God wants to make an oak tree, He takes a hundred years. When He wants to make a squash, he requires only two months.” I’m afraid we have too many squashes in the world today. In the botanical order of things, I’d much rather be an oak tree than a squash.

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Genesis 15:1, Various Psalms

I Am Your Shield!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 20, 2024

Israel is in much the same situation today that Abraham was in thousands of years ago. Genesis 15 begins with God’s words to Abraham. He tells Abraham “Don’t be afraid, Abram, I’m your shield.” This is very specific to Abraham because he had just gone to war with the five armies against the four armies in Genesis 14. His nephew and relatives had been taken as hostages. He went to war against the terrorists and brought back his family members along with all the things that were pillaged from them.  Although he was successful in rescuing the hostages, he still had to live in the very land that his enemies lived. The various tribes of the Canaanites were all around him. Abraham’s descendants are in a similar situation today. Hamas is on the west between them and the Mediterranean sea and Hezbollah to the north. Also Iran, Syria, Lebanon and all the Arab nations around them are their avowed enemies and desire nothing but the total destruction of Israel. Like in the days of Abraham, Israel lives under constant threat of terrorism from their enemies. The episode of Genesis 14 was repeated in Israel on October 7 of last year. Cities were ransacked and hostages were taken. Like Abraham, Israel mobilized to rescue the hostages.

Abraham had good reason to be afraid as do the Israelites of today. In Chapter 15, God addressed Abraham’s fear. He spoke to Abraham and told him “Do not be afraid. I am your shield.” In Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the people that “God is your shield and your helper.” The psalmist is frequently referring to God as his shield. Psalm 18:30 says, God the “shield for all who take refuge in Him.” “In a psalm that David wrote while he was fleeing from Absalom, he said, ‘You are a shield around me, O Lord’ (Ps. 3:3). In another psalm he wrote, ‘My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart’ (7:10). Being shielded by God means salvation for His people (18:2). The people of Israel were exhorted to ‘trust in the Lord’ for ‘he is their help and shield’ (115:9–11). Knowing that God was His shield gave David confidence in the face of conflict. He wrote, ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped’” (28:7).[1]

In Psalm 91 from The Message translation, we read “Fear Nothing! Not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day, not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster than erupts at high noon. Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze you! You’ll stand untouched…. Evil can’t get close to you, harm can’t get through the door! He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go! If you stumble they’ll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling! You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes; and kick them from the path. If you hold on to me for dear life, Says God, I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care, if you’ll only get to know and trust me.”

[1] Swindoll, Charles R., and Roy B. Zuck. 2003. Understanding Christian Theology. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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Genesis 9:12-13, Revelation 4

The First Rainbow

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 19, 2024

The Giants mentioned in Genesis chapter 6, were the product of fallen angels who were at war with God. They were referred to as mighty warriors on the earth and wreaked havoc among all mankind. They were the Nephilim – God’s primary enemies. They infiltrated all life on earth. God went to war with them in Noah’s day by sending the flood that destroyed all life on the earth. We read in Genesis 9:12-13, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” The Hebrew word that is translated as “bow” refers to the “battle bow” used in war. God’s battle with mankind has been completed and God hung up his weapon of war in the sky for all to see. The colorful rainbow that appears in the sky after a storm stands as a reminder to all mankind that God will never destroy the earth with a flood again. This was a beautiful site that had never been seen before. Noah and his family were the first humans to see a rainbow. In Genesis 2:5-6, we read that God watered the earth with a mist. It had not rained on the earth before Noah’s flood.

But we don’t need rain to see a rainbow. I remember visiting Niagara Falls and seeing rainbows caused by the spray of water that rises above the falls. I saw a rainbow in the sky over Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. When we lived in Hawaii we saw rainbows created by the ocean pounding on the lava rocks. I remember standing on the fantail of the Destroyer I served on back in the sixties seeing a rainbow in the wake of the ship. Many other natural occurrences can cause the appearance of a rainbow. But in every case, sunlight produces a rainbow. The canopy referred to as “the water above” collapsed and caused the flood that destroyed all mankind. Rainbows became visible because the earth was now exposed to direct sunlight from the sun for the first time. This may explain the shortening of man’s lifespan on the earth after the flood. If the sun was previously visible, there would have been rainbows seen in a variety of situations on Earth. But this rainbow was the first one. It’s the symbol of God’s grace on sinful mankind.

The book of Revelation is filled with symbols. Some are easy to understand, others are very difficult. We see three symbols in Chapter 4. The first is the door. It was opened by Christ and all who come through that door will have access to God. That door is open now but will one day be closed. The second symbol is a throne. Thrones are symbols of rulers. Many have sat on thrones in this world but God’s son, Jesus reigns from this throne. His reign will be forever and ever. The third symbol in Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation is the rainbow that surrounds the throne upon which Jesus sits. It is the emblem of God’s grace as seen back in Genesis after the flood. It represented God’s promise to Noah and all the earth.  The rest of the book of Revelation foretells of the great tribulations to fall upon the residents of Earth at the end times. But those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ need not fear the coming storm that’s recorded in the rest of the book of Revelation. The rainbow reminds us of God’s promise.

 

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Matthew 3:1-2

Repent!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 18, 2024

In Matthew 3, we learn all about John the Baptist. He was well known for preaching a consistent message. He said the same thing over and over. His sermon, like any good sermon, contained three significant points. First, he warned his listeners that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. It was an exhortation to take his message seriously. The second part of his message was a promise. He said, “After me will come one who is more powerful than me.” He was, of course, referring to Christ. Thirdly, he gives us the correct response when we take the message seriously and recognize Christ as the coming messiah. It’s more potent than a request; I’d call it a demand. It’s one word: “Repent.” Repent is actually the first word out of John’s mouth.  Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 3 say, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

During the days of Jesus’ ministry, a tower fell in Siloam and killed 18 innocent people. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know why.  But Jesus didn’t tell them why.  Instead, he told them what their response should be.  Surprisingly, He said, “I tell you…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” We see many tragedies in our lives also. Some years ago, a shooter ran through Westroad’s Mall, and 8 people died. “Why?” we ask.  A hurricane kills thousands in Indonesia. “Why? ” we ask.  A suicide bomber kills 10 in Iraq. “Why?” we ask. An endless number of these pointless events in our experience evoke the “why” question from us. God wants us to realize that the answer to the “why” of pain and suffering in the world is the exclusive domain of God.  This is the explanation he gave Job amidst his innocent suffering. God doesn’t answer our “why” questions. We hope that in the next life, He will make all that clear to us, and this should move us to trust Him accordingly.  But in this life, Jesus would much rather have us deal with the “what.” What is God saying to us through these things?

John the Baptist’s message was to repent. Jesus’ message in the light of unexplained suffering was the same. I believe He is telling us precisely what he told his disciples when they asked why. He’s telling us exactly what John the Baptist told his listeners.  Both Jesus and John called for repentance.  John made it clear that repentance should be immediate because of the imminence of the Kingdom of God.  In other words, we should repent now because, as someone said, “You can’t repent too soon, for you know not how soon it may be too late.” One might ask what does it mean to repent. Merriam-Webster says it means “To turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.” The Greek word, however, includes the idea of a change of mind. One major part of John the Baptist’s message was there was one coming after him who was more powerful than him. He was pointing his finger at Jesus and saying, “Behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” An accurate understanding of John’s message must include the acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah. We can be sorry for our sin and pledge to change our ways all the time, but the sin is not atoned for until we bring them to Jesus. Like Job, all suffering calls for faith. Faith is believing in God. Not just that he exists, but believing he is positively disposed towards us and he has our best interest foremost in mind regardless of the circumstances.

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Matthew 6:34, Luke 12:40

No Reason To Fear Tomorrow

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 17, 2024

We live in scary times! Things are deteriorating around the world. There are wars, rumors of wars, and all kinds of horrors taking place. As things get worse, there are many who predict the end of the world. There have always been many who have suggested a time or even date for the End Times. I remember when one prediction failed in May, so was changed to October 21, 2011. Today, some argue that global warming will bring the end of all life by 2030. I don’t know! If we learn anything from Jesus’ words, we learn that only the Father knows when the end will come. I’ve often dealt with this question over my many years as a pastor. I remember when the Y2K scare brought panic to some people.  In the Gospels, Jesus tells of great calamities that will fall upon “This generation” (Mark 13, Matthew 24). Many solid commentators argue that these events were adequately fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70.  Since in the very following passage, Jesus says he does not know when the end times will be, many accept this interpretation. Some argue that it refers to the ultimate end times. Others see a dual fulfillment. Those signs of the end are pre-figuring the great end times as well. I have gone back and forth in my understanding of this. Thus, I am left with the same confusion the disciples had regarding the end times.

The bottom line regarding this issue concerns the practical conclusion that Jesus draws regarding the subject. We know it’s coming! But we do not know when. We all live with the shadow of the end looming over us, personally and corporately. Even if the world doesn’t end tomorrow, next year, or in 2030, we know that the end could come for any of us personally at any time. We never know when it will fall. In Luke 12:40, Jesus warns us, “You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.” But he also tells us not to worry about tomorrow. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Our impending end is no reason to be fearful or hysterical over that expectation. Yet, at the same time, we know that to forget about God and to become consumed with the things of earth is a very foolish way to live.

The scriptures clearly teach us that the wise man never forgets his mortal state and knows he must be ready when the summons comes. It should motivate us to consider that each day we have life, we have something to be thankful for and grateful for. We have good work to do, which is not a chore but a privilege. It means that we must live our lives in such a way that it doesn’t matter when He comes. Let’s make every day of our lives fit for Him to see. Let’s live in such a way that we’re ready to meet him face-to-face at any moment. If we live like this, the end will not be a terror but an eternal joy.

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2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16

God Loves Everyone

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 16, 2024

I once read a church sign that asked, “What is hell like?” Immediately following that question was the invitation, “Come hear our pastor this Sunday.”  As clever as that is and as unpleasant as many sermons are, I don’t think any can truly compare to a biblical description of hell. I like the humor in that sign, but I’d like to make a serious attempt to explain what Hell is like from a biblical perspective. Many verses give us imagery to help us imagine what Hell is like. All of them speak of it as a horrifying reality. It’s like being left outside in the dark forever.  It’s like a wandering star, a waterless cloud, a perpetually burning dump, a bottomless pit, an everlasting prison. Hell is a place of anguish and regret. (Matt. 8:12; Jude 13; Jude 12; Mark 9:44–48; Rev. 20:1, 3; 1 Peter 3:19; Luke 16:28). But Hell is most often visualized as a place with fire.

I don’t think these images are literal descriptions. Instead, they are images that help us understand that it is a place of torment. If taken literally, the images contradict each other. There’s fire but total darkness. It’s a burning dump, yet a bottomless pit. I don’t believe the “fire” is necessarily a physical fire. Those in hell have imperishable bodies, so normal fire won’t affect them.  C. S. Lewis pictures it as eternal separation from God in his book, “The Great Divorce.” The Bible teaches us that “with God, there are pleasures forever.” Outside of God, away from God is gnashing of teeth and deep regret over the loss of what might have been. Jesus says there is “a great gulf” between heaven and hell, and no one can transit that gulf.  The torment of hell might be described as the torment of having “to live with the consequences of our own decisions.”

Hell is often depicted by those who wish to paint God as a cruel, sadistic madman in a torture chamber, with God wielding the whip with some crazed laughter. The scriptures never present Hell to us in this way. People will not be forced against their will to experience unbearable pain inflicted upon them by another. The torment of hell is self-inflicted.  The great torment of hell comes from realizing we used our freedom to choose wrongly and that there is now nothing we can do to change those decisions. That’s why there is much weeping and gnashing of teeth. The most frequent description of Hell is that it’s a place where people “perish.” It may mean different things to different people, but everyone there will know that they are there by their own will. 2 Peter 3:9 clarifies that God “wants no one to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God loves everyone and tells us so. “God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

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John 16:33, Various

The Last Laugh

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 15, 2024

I expect we’ve all heard the saying, “he who laughs last laughs best.” Jesus will always get the last laugh. Do you remember Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter? She was near death, and Jairus pleaded with Jesus to come to her and heal her. But Jesus was interrupted on His way by a woman who had suffered many years with a particular illness. Jesus postponed His meeting with Jairus’ daughter to take care of this woman. A messenger arrived, telling Jesus not to bother because the little girl had died in the interim. Jesus ignored the messenger and continued to Jairus’ house. When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, it was filled with mourners.  Jesus told them not to weep because the girl wasn’t dead but just sleeping. Luke 8:53 records their response: “And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.” But Jesus went into the house and raised her and returned her to her father, and everyone marveled. I think Jesus might have laughed! I know I would have! He who laughs last laughs best.

Abraham, the great man of faith, was promised a son. He then lived for 25 more years, approaching 100 years, and still hadn’t had a son. God renewed His promise to Abraham, and Abraham laughed. No! Genesis 17:17 tells us, “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed…” it sounded so hilarious to Abraham that he lost control and fell to the ground with laughter. I need not remind you that Sarah also laughed. After all, she was 90 years old and way beyond menopause! My wife and I are in our seventies (as of this writing), and if God or anyone suggested we were going to have a baby, I would have great difficulty keeping a straight face. Wouldn’t you? But God got the last laugh. A baby boy was born to Sarah, Just as predicted! He directed Abraham to name the boy Isaac, which means laughter!

Isaac was the son of promise through whom another son would be born who would bring God’s blessing upon the whole world. For several millenniums, “Laughter’s” descendants awaited the fulfillment of that promise. Then, another child was miraculously conceived by a virgin who brought forth her firstborn son and named Him Jesus. He brought healing, freedom, joy, and laughter to all who received Him.  In response, the religious community arrested Him, tried Him, convicted Him, abused Him, and hung Him on a cross to die. While suffering, they spit at Him, mocked Him, and laughed at Him! But Jesus, once again, gets the last laugh! After three days in the tomb, Jesus rose from the dead! If at no other time, at Easter, every believer should be laughing their heads off. It’s the celebration of the last laugh. It is our last laugh also. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but be of good cheer (be happy! Laugh!), I have overcome the world.”

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Luke 6:21-25, Various

A Kingdom Of Laughter

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
September 14, 2024

There is a pair of verses in the New Testament in which Jesus Himself speaks about laughter.  He validates the teaching of Solomon regarding the extremes of life: a time to weep and a time to laugh. There is a time for every purpose under heaven. They will come to us all. But Jesus speaks to us about a future event when God’s kingdom will come on earth. We all walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We all suffer. We all lose loved ones. As the King of God’s Kingdom, Jesus makes us a promise. In Luke 6:21, He says, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” Luke 6:25 reverses the promise. It says, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

The woe pronounced upon those who laugh is not directed at having a sense of humor or an innocent kind of laugh. Referring to the laughter that is said will be turned into mourning, Darrell Bock says the Greek word used there, “…is often tied to laughter that is boastful, self-satisfied, condescending, or rejoicing in the harm that others experience. For example, Lamentations 1:7 uses the term of how the enemies laughed or gloated at Jerusalem’s destruction.  Thus, the picture is of a person of worldly ease who is indifferent because of self-satisfaction.” That kind of laughter will be turned into mourning. The prosperous, powerful, and popular often look at the poor, the weak, and the simple with derision.  But in the Kingdom of God, absolute joy and genuine laughter belong only to the poor, the weak, and the simple of this life who understand their state and turn to God for salvation.

Laughter is part of God’s plan for us in the mystery form of God’s kingdom, the Church, and ultimately in the realized form of God’s kingdom in the eternal future.  I like the way Martin Luther translated 2 Corinthians 4:17; “…After brief weeping comes eternal laughter; after a small sorrow comes eternal joy.” When Jesus taught in the synagogue at Nazareth, He read from Isaiah 61:1-4. Then he said that this passage was being fulfilled as they watched His ministry of healing, setting prisoners free, and preaching good news to the poor. Another thing He does in this passage is give us “the oil of gladness instead of mourning.” We still view the mark of faith to be a serious and sober expression. But as Oswald Sanders said, “Should we not see that lines of laughter about the eyes are just as much marks of faith as are the lines of care and seriousness? Is laughter pagan? We have already allowed too much that is good to be lost to the church and cast many pearls before swine. A church is in a bad way when it banishes laughter from the sanctuary and leaves it to the lounge, the nightclub, and the toastmasters.” Absolutely! Abraham Lincoln said, “If I did not laugh, I would die.”

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