Author: hopebroker

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Sanctity and safety of family meals

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Memories of my own family meals growing up were filled with tension of one sort or the other. Truth is, there were probably many, many meals that weren’t chaotic, Dad wasn’t drunk and table was filled with laughter. However, I can’t remember a single one of those meals. I only remember the traumatic ones. Honestly, there are a lot of holes in my memories, black boxes of time, filed with things my body chose to store, but my mind put up barriers. I’m told this is just how childhood works.

As Robin and I began are own parenting journey, we were determined to make meals happy memories. Hopefully when our adult children look back, they’ll see and feel peace and lots of smiles. Sure there were the normal standoffs about eating certain foods like tuna, homemade mac-n-cheese and quiche with carrots and broccoli. But overall, there were many meals shared around the table or out at quick serve restaurants, surrounded by church family – in fun! We were able to eat crust, as in pizza crust, tacos, hot dogs and hamburgers in peace. They were pleasant feasts to us. Tonight, in Tahoe, we’ll celebrate a custom we created years ago – pizza on the dock. We changed it to a outdoor picnic when our littles came along. I am thankful for our family meals, where we all come together. There’s been almost no drama, trauma or conflict in our gatherings. If you get a chance to make peace happen at mealtimes, changing the habits of complaining, whining and being snarky with each other. I believe you can do it! It’s never too late to start. Make a family pact and stick to it. Eat without conflict, talk about the highs and lows of one’s day, feast in peace!

Prayer

Dad,
I am so very thankful for the chance to not only live different from my childhood, but also to give our family, our children much more than tension and trauma around the table. Even through my many failures as a Dad, you were still able to give us a peace that allows us to regularly get together even as adults. The laughter and joy is palpable, giving us hope that our grandgirls will experience the same for their future families.

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Quit pulling up good grain.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

“Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It may not seem like the most appropriate object lesson for Jesus’ series on the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is soooo TRUE.

Why are we risking the health of good wheat by chasing down bad weeds? First of all Jesus told his followers, the enemy sows weeds right among the wheat! This “enemy” has to have double meaning.

I am positive that people being people, means that your farmer neighbor might feel the need to passive-aggressively send you a clear signal that he’s tired of the loud, weekend bonfires you host way too often. Thus, having his field workers run willynilly through your fields flinging weeds (tares). My understanding is that tares look a lot like wheat when they begin to grow. Jesus must also clearly be stating that there is an enemy of all enemies, the slanderer, the liar is also sending his little demon imps throughout the world generously distributing weeds, in the form of well placed lies, right among the good seed of the gospel.

Since the early results of both the good seed and the impostered-lies seed look similar when starting out, it’s hard to tell right away. But as the farmer and expert field workers watch both wheat and tare grow to maturity, they easily spot the difference. The natural response would be to PULL THE WEED! Farmers hate weeds, we hate weeds. We only want to see the beauty and benefit of what we planted! Whether it’s food or flowers, we don’t want to be reminded of sin, evil, or purposeful perpetration scattered around our perfect field or flowerbeds!!!

We must pull the weed to satisfy our idea of how evil must immediately be eradicated! Get it out now. The kindness of Jesus telling the story comes out when he says the field workers asked, “should we pull out the weeds?” Now, there’s a lesson in great management. When in doubt, ask. Ask, until you learn the owner’s ways. The owner (personified as wisdom) answers, “No!” He says wait. Why wait? But but but…weeds are evil and despised, they’ll make more weeds and take over the whole field and destroy the whole world….🤯. Why wait?

Why not pull those evil broods of fakery? Jesus said, “because you’ll uproot the good wheat.” In trying destroy the evil stalk of satan, you’ll pull the good out with it! In what seems so counterintuitive, Jesus says, let them grow together – and wait until harvest! What, did he say, let them grow? Together? What? The thought of letting an evil seed grow is just not possible in my limited understanding of justice.

In the Church world, in our understanding of the gospel and God’s righteousness, we do this all the time. We hate evil. We hate lies. We hate fake, slick, propaganda and small amounts of truth laced with deception! I’m sure this doesn’t extend to ALL EVIL, but think about how much damage we do to the gospel and the Church when we don’t obey Christ’s illustrative object lesson. We hunt down error and evil like weed-seeds sown across the globe. We have whole sects of heresy-hunters scouring every recorded sermon, every book written, every tasty sound bite lifted from some obscure interview. Their job, as they see it – PLUCK EVIL where ever it be found! And, in doing so, we often uproot the young, sprouting seeds of the gospel.

Dear heresy hunters: you can’t stop evil by pulling it out for everyone to see without uprooting the young shoots of gospel good. Heresy existed then, it exists now. Evil seeds existed then, they exist today. Be careful when examining the fields of belief across our land. Let the harvesters sort out the weeds later. Let the Bible do its work. Let the local pastors sort out the weeds from the wheat. Folks are already hoping from one church to another because they are absolutely obsessed with the perfect church with the perfect theology. It’s not helping matters that some are policing every sermon of those they believe are receiving too much attention or have too large a following. Quit trying to foster a christian cancel culture by sowing seeds of disunity. Thank you.

Dear believers: read the Bible for yourself. Listen to the Spirit of God who primarily speaks through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit can and will lead you into all truth, if you’ll listen and obey. Don’t get caught up in church’s or denominational differences, listen and follow the core beliefs of Christianity. We are one Church under Jesus Christ. And don’t mistake various preferences of churches as contrary to the gospel, but just as practics of how things work within that particular community of faith.

Prayer

Dad,
Am I wrong for wanting unity in the body of Christ? Of course solid theology and doctrine is important, but at the expense of sacrificing love and the commands of the one anothers? We are all under the one banner of Jesus, right? Forgive us God. Help us in these last days to be one in the Spirit.

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The New City

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord. He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel. O city of God, what glorious things are said of you! Interlude” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭87‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

On the return from the Babylonish captivity, Ezra inserts this Psalm written by the sons of Korah. The Psalmist writes about God’s affection for the mountain and the city of Jerusalem. A translation note says, “He loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” What makes this more poignant is that Ezra puts this into the book of Psalms as Israel is returning home. Home from 70 years of captivity. Oddly enough, Babylon was a rather kind enslavement. We know from Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah that some Jewish people were chosen to serve in very high ranking positions. The Jewish population grew while in the service of several Nebuchadnezzars.

But as the people were walking up the road to the elevation of 2,500 feet, the mountains above at over 4,000 feet, they saw the total destruction of their beloved city. Their beautiful, world-renowned temple was reduced to ruble. Their gigantic walls and protective gates, toppled and burned. Solomon’s palace, stripped and in shambles. It was good to be home, but home didn’t look the same. The sons of Korah wrote this when the place, the palace in all its grandeur, were in tact. But it was put here in Psalms as the refugees returned to chaos.

It is a reminder of all the things we hold dear, in all the beauty and wonder that went with the memories, that God is still in control and even better – nothing is beyond God’s ability to rebuild and restore. God, the creator of all things. God who made everything from nothing, an impossibility in our physical laws of science. God, who loved that mountain, that city, would see to it that it would return to greatness once again. And, as we know from the New Testament, God has even better plans in store for his most beloved city. There will be a new heaven and new earth. There will be a new Jerusalem, bigger, brighter and more glorious than even Solomon’s city.

Ezekiel lays down the prophetic hints that is would be coming in the future. The Jewish people thought that they would be building it, seeing it come to glory. Ah, but this city, this new build, would happen far into the future, when all things come to an end and all things are made new. This new Jerusalem is referred to in the Bible in several places ( Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 11:10; 12:22-24; and 13:14 ), but it is most fully described in Revelation 21. The city is a physical object lesson of our community, where the people of God will live in the presence of God. No matter how our earthly cities look now, whether grungy or grand. No matter our affections for the New Yorks’, Los Angeles’, Paris’, or Vaticans’ of this world. God’s city, the New Jerusalem will always be his favorite, because this will be the community of heaven!

Prayer

Dad,
Like with most spiritual things, I only see glimpses and momentary glances of such a wonder as this great city. And oddly, I only think about it when someone dies and we talk about their move to heaven. Either reading about this great city or thinking about it does inspire hope and an abundance of curiosity! I believe it’s real – all of it is real. It will not only feel like everything we’ve ever known as “home,” but it will probably feel like the finality of where we’ve always belonged, always lived. As a place, as a community, that is our hope; that this indescribable existence will be ours. However, the truth is, it will pale in comparison to your presence! Where your glory, your light and love will permeate every facet of our existence.

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Jealous of us?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Paul, along with Barnabas, are specifically called to the Gentiles, the non-Jewish people. And in that calling, God had given Paul divine insight into both the history of Israel as well as the spiritual journey they have with God. Paul gives the big WHY behind the what! Why would the Jews be jealous?

He’s writing to the churches in Rome, which had both Jews and Gentiles in them. He’s encouraging the new Gentile converts as well as the new Jewish believers who made their decision that Christ was indeed the Messiah. But in this letter, we find a lot of answers to hard questions about the will of God, the law of God and the patience of God.

Earlier, Paul shocks his readers by writing about the Jews, “They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves.” Now why would any law abiding Jewish person be jealous of a Gentile receiving salvation? Because they not only believed that their special relationship with God gave them privileges (they could do anything they pleased and God would still save them). But, they also believed that it was the law that guaranteed their right standing even if they didn’t keep it.

How’s that possible? They believed the sacrifices they made or the priests made on their behalf covered them and protected them. God had told them, it was not true. God had told them that it was their obedience and their faith that held them in right standing with himself. The jealousy of the Gentiles would come from Israel seeing God’s acceptance and blessing on them specifically because of their faith not in their attempts at keeping the whole law. Paul’s admonishment is for both the Jews and the Gentiles (us).

Paul writes that God is not finished with His special relationship with the Jews. At some point, they will turn and return to God on His terms, not through their stubborn, religious practices. However Paul’s words are also for us Gentiles. We should not be arrogant in this gift of grace! He writes, “So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.” Vs‬ ‭20‬-‭22‬. Even though our faith is not based nor secured “in the law,” it does not mean that we can take advantage of God’s grace by doing whatever we please and thinking that God just excuses our behavior nor is passive about our sin. Our faith, our relationship is still grounded in obedience and faith. Yes, we sin. But also, yes, we confess that sin. What may seem like ancient commentary to Jewish folks or really old warnings to these new Gentiles coming to faith, is still very true and very important for our faith today!

Prayer

Dad,
I understand that my sin is still serious business, still deathly destructive to me and everyone around me. Your grace and forgiveness are not a “pass” to sin more, but to live in freedom to do what is right. I confess my sin, knowing that you are faithful and just to forgive my sin and clean me up from unrighteousness. For that, I am thankful.

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Just taking what you want.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.” Genesis‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This story out of Genesis captures more than just the brutality of ancient times on the plains of ancient Egypt. The story captures the heart and nature of humankind – see, want, take. You may say, this is purely “mankind,” but there are numerous stories where women of that day are just as conniving, just as brutal, especially when it comes to revenge or righting a wrong.

This Hivite prince simply sees a young foreign girl and decides to take her. No impulse control, no moral boundaries, just an entitlement of his character and position. It is very interesting that Genesis adds this commentary, “but then he fell in love with her.” Ah, after forcing himself on her, violating her physical body, he THEN tries to sweet-talk her into marriage? This didn’t go over well then and wouldn’t go over well, even today. As you read the entire chapter, you discover that Dinah’s brothers were not going to forgive and forget. They never intended on allowing a covenant between them and the Hivites to take place. There was no way a peace pact based on a rape was going to stick.

They contrived a wickedly brilliant plan. Get the males in the tribe to submit to physical circumcision, thus pretending to allow a intermarriage to take place between their men and Israel’s women. Question: Would tricking their enemies into circumcision, causing physical pain among ALL the males, be sufficient for justice? Apparently not for Simeon and Levi. They wanted full and swift justice in the form of total annihilation of that tribe’s bloodline.

Maybe an inappropriate euphemistic application was enacted here by Jacob’s sons, “those who live by the sword, shall die by the sword.” Thus, the same physical part of Shechem’s body would not only be cut away, but his member, having been used in a violent act, would bring the total destruction of his legacy.

Was Shechem’s behavior deplorable? Yes. Was the double, bloody act of revenge, by the brother’s, toward the entire tribe justified? No! Although it was effective in communicating a powerful fear-based message to Israel’s enemies, it still begs the question – was it right? Was it overreacting, overreaching in its application of justice? Jacob himself seems to think so!

Jacob chastised his sons and told them they brought a curse upon their entire family! “Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!” The brothers argued back, which tells us they did not agree with Jacob, “would you rather the locals see our sister as a prostitute?

That brutal act towards their once, accommodating neighbors, put out the word that Israel could not be trusted in sharing the land as well as trading goods and services. Even though Abraham had purchased property in Shechem, Jacob made the decision to pull up roots and move the entire Israelite tribe to Bethel, a city 20 miles away. These cycles of brutality and revenge would play out many times over. And, these very human cycles still persist today.

This is still the results of our sin, our selfishness our self-determination to do what we want, when we want to do it. It makes me think about all the times that God is blamed for human brutality OR blamed for not preventing such atrocities. These are our issues that God came to redeem and restore to righteousness. And to make that restoration complete and legitimate, God sent his son, Jesus, to endure the total brutality of death on a criminal’s cross. The irony is not just Jesus’ innocence, but his complete sinlessness that makes this grace so shockingly beautiful.

Prayer

Dad,
As I read these ancient accounts of humanity, I see their dark shadows of sin permeating all facets of life. There is violence and revenge, but there is also stories of beauty, grace and forgiveness. This story is a compounded tragedy where power perpetrates on innocence, but then anger and revengeful rage, takes hundreds of innocent lives as well as enslaves the abandoned women and children. We ache, we agonize in anticipation of your final judgment and justice. And, in the midst of all that, I find that I am not innocent nor deserving of grace, yet it was extended towards me. Justice was purchased and applied on my behalf.

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Sweets for the soul.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Sweets to the sweet,” Shakespeare writes in Hamlet, where Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude says this in Act 5, scene 1 of Hamlet at Ophelia’s funeral, spreading flowers on her grave.

Sweet words spoken to one another are far more effective and necessary IN someone’s life, rather than at the end of someone’s life. I say this at every funeral. There is a moment in most memorial services where someone eulogizes the loved one who has passed. The word eulogy is two words in greek, combined into one, “good word.” It is often translated in the New Testament as “blessing.” When parents brought their children to Jesus and the disciples wanted to stop them, feeling like it was bothering the Master; Jesus said “Do not block or barr” the children from coming to me. Then Jesus blessed them, he eulogized them – speaking good words over their lives.

This is not only the high standard of how we should treat one another, it is also a wonderful piece of proverbial wisdom. Because, when we speak kind or good words, it’s like we pass out candy to a toddler’s delight! Our words become tasty, and thus healthy to the soul. Honey is said to have incredible health benefits for our body. And here, among the wisdom sayings, it is listed as caricature for both soul and body.

When we speak kindness, we speak health! When we use kind words in our conversations, it’s like we are handing out free blessings as trick-or-treaters come to our door on hallow’s eve. When we greet those who serve us with kind words, we are like the sweet grandma that always has candy handy for her grandchildren. This proverb is a reminder, not only that this is how Jesus spoke to children and adults, representing the very nature and character of God. But also, what happens when we choose to speak sweetly, kindly to each other. So share a chocolate kiss in words to the next person you greet!

Prayer

Dad,
I am reminded of Paul’s words to the churches in Rome, that your kindness is intended to lead us to repentance! Thank you for pouring out the sweet, healing nature of your word. Thank your for mercifully, gently, patiently pouring out grace and speaking life over us and into us. Help us simply do the same for others, as you have done to us. Amen.

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The mystery of a good story.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus’ stories, his parables are fun, sticky and multifaceted. You can read them once or a hundred times and get so much out of them. Here, Matthew records the story of the farmer sowing seed. Or, is it a story of the receptivity of the soil? Hmmm. After he tells the story, he says one his often quoted phrases, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

One of the brave followers of Jesus simply asks him straight out, “Why?” Why stories? Why parables? If you search Rabbi teaching methods, you’ll find a mixed bag. Yes, parables were common and there were hundreds of them. And, parables we’re used, but Jesus stories were by far the ones more durable in antiquity.

The curious disciple’s question yielded an answer from Jesus. Which was rare, compared to how many questions Jesus retorted back to his audience. Jesus said that his disciples, his apprentices, were given a special pass to understanding what he called the “mysteries” of God. Wow. The mysteries, the secrets of God?

Jesus used this word, mystḗrion (the root of the English term, “mystery”) . But, in the Bible, a “mystery” is not something unknowable. Rather, it is what can only be known through revelation, i.e. because God reveals it. So, parables were a teaching style to engage the listener, creating a curiosity so the listener would WANT to learn. Which is so cool! When someone comes to hear a lecture, a teaching, a speech or a TED-talk, they are supposed to be listening with all five senses. They should see, hear, feel, touch and even taste. Sure the last two may need some help with an object in hand, like a fresh apple off a tree. But Jesus is telling them (and us), there is another sense that should be brought to the event. One should bring a spiritual sense of what is happening and what God is up to. I wouldn’t call it a sixth sense, because that gets confused with some metaphysical mysticism.

Jesus tells his followers that those who listen beyond their physical eyes and ears will see and hear God at work! The parable becomes like a whisper when someone wants you to lean in, get close, so you can focus, blocking out all other distractions because you really want to learn and understand. Those learners, those curious, will be given the gift of understanding the mystery and have an abundance of knowledge. Jesus wanted his students to be the kind of people who don’t just show up to hear what the speaker would be saying or doing, but to be extra curious of understanding of what God is doing. Our job, in almost any situation we find ourselves in, is to fully engage with every physical sense we can to be attentive, but also be fully aware that God is always up to something MORE and spectacularly, spiritually, mysterious!

Prayer

Dad,
You are always at work. I miss seeing that so often because I am distracted by so many other things. Things that I think are important, but in comparison to your eternal perspective, they are not. There was an old phrase I remember hearing, that may not be true at all. Someone was said to be “so spiritually minded that they are no earthly good.” I am often distracted by so many “earthly good” thoughts or deeds that I miss the spiritually minded completely. I think your vantage point is so much better than ours! Help me see, as often as I can, your mysteries of heaven.

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Just knowing God listens.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It is interesting, when you are talking to someone, telling them about yourself or what you are going through, there is a connection. That moment where you feel seen and heard. It should go likewise when I hear someone telling me about their life, their struggles or joys. To think that although God knows us throughly, intimately, and still wants to hear us talk with Him, is just mind blowing. The Psalmist has recorded the content of his conversations with God for us! For us to know God, trust Him and hopefully, do the same in our relationship – talk to God and allow Him to speak and encourage us back. In those personal moments David writes a truth he has learned through experiences of walking with God. David had seen devastating lows, in depression and exalted highs in triumphs and celebrations. It is said that this Psalm was inserted into the collection towards the end of David’s life. And towards the end there is still a confidence – God hears his cries for mercy. God has and will be his strength and shield. And, these memories and moments all give David the confidence of trusting God all the way through to the end.

Can I count on God to see me, hear me and help me – all the way through to the end of my life here on this planet? I am determined to say YES all the way through. As a complete beginner, I trusted God in my teens. I tenaciously held on through my twenties and even thirties. In my forties and fifties I saw massive change and growth in my life, with tremendous highs and devastating lows. And now in my sixties, I am still talking to God and He is still listening. I am still crying out for mercy for myself and others, and He is still my strength and shield. I still trust Him with all my heart and know that He will continue to help me! Now, years down the road, my heart is still filled with Joy and I can burst out with my own songs of thanksgiving. His Word, His promises, His care is real and I am grateful.

Prayer

Dad,
I have seen your wonderful works in my life and I am thankful. I have seen enormous change in my world and in Your Church, yet I still believe. My experiences nowhere near matches the extraordinary drama of David, but I can appreciate the words recorded in these Psalms to learn from them and be comforted by them. Thank you for your Word as it continues to light my path!

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The tension of choice.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have always believed that Jesus, and the writers of the New Testament do the best job in interpreting the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul shows us this in Romans. When I had read in Exodus that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. I had a difficult time understanding that and believing it. What did it mean, God hardened his heart? “And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go.” Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭21‬. The phrase then shows up after every plague thereafter, “and Pharaoh hardened his heart.” When the plague was over and the disaster disappeared, Pharaoh went back on his word to let the people of Israel go.

Here’s the thing; I believed that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because he resisted God, disobeyed God, and in doing so, his heart became more and more like a stone rather than flesh. I believed that Pharaoh’s heart-hardening was because it was his choice to resist God. The Apostle Paul however, giving both the interpretation and the application of that idea (hardened heart) was that God to harden Pharaoh’s CHOSE not Pharaoh himself! God chose the Pharaoh of Egypt to display his power over the most powerful human in those ancient days. The Egyptian Pharaoh’s power, wealth and influence was renowned and unstoppable. Paul makes it clear here in Romans, God does what He wants to do by His will – and it is always perfect.

Paul writes, “God chooses people according to his own purposes…” Even later stating that there are those both “prepared for destruction,” and those, “prepared beforehand for glory.” God’s foreknowledge may not force anyone to rebel and resist Him. And, possibly, even in God’s choice of destiny, it could be said that He knows when one will resist no matter what happens. But from our very limited understanding of time and eternity, it becomes a theological battle. Is it free will or predestination? This has been the big debate in Christendom for hundreds of years. Famous theologians have argued vehemently over it. Eventually it became a label, a division and an embarrassment to Christianity. There is a Christian theological dispute between the followers of John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius that continues to this day. These are the mysteries of God’s ways and should always be held in tension. We will not see resolution until the end of time. It is not free will OR pre-determinism, it is both. God’s ways are above our ways, His thoughts above ours! Plus, God in His mercy and grace is always right, true and just! Our lives, our beliefs and behaviors should be based in faith, not in works and we should trust to participate with God in all things at all times. The annoying thing about us as humans is that we just don’t like that!

Prayer

Dad,
We really do not like tension in a world we do not understand, do we? It’s when we make these outlandish statements the the extremes of one belief over another that we arrogantly fall prey to divisiveness. Help us Oh Lord, to be under one banner of Love and Jesus. Help us be united, unified in our faith and not be belligerent in our beliefs or badgering in our words towards one another.

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Discovering life-gold in Proverbs.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I first believed, there were only two lessons I needed to learn and that God was willing to teach me: Obedience and discipline. I learned to hear God’s voice and struggled with being obedient to it. Very soon afterwards, I began to ask God what He had planned for my life. Before Christ I had no future, no hope and absolutely no direction for my life. But after, I began to have hope in a future. But what would that look like? I had no idea.

Enter Proverbs. For two years plus, committing to reading one entire chapter every day. Since their are 31 chapters in Proverbs, it worked out well. When I came to chapter 16, three verses leapt off the page and highlighted in front of my eyes. Proverbs 16:1, 3 and 9. These verses became my game plan to determine what God wanted me to do with my life.

At first, it felt like I was just making stuff up! Maybe I should go to Long Beach State College and get a degree to become an electrician like my adopted father. I loved taking things apart and hadn’t killed myself playing with electrical sockets in our house, maybe that was it? I had gone to two college preview days (Junior and Senior year of High School) maybe I should go to a private Christian School and study to become a pastor? Who knew? I didn’t!

But applying these wisdom principles in my life gave me a confidence and a guide to help me determine my life’s big next step. I had some strange and miraculous things happen when I was 16. When I started my senior year of High School, I was feeling confident that God was leading me into full time ministry – as a pastor. The week before school began they took class pictures for the yearbook. For the seniors, they asked us what we were going to do after graduation. In my simple faith, or nativity, I wrote down – I’m going to be a pastor! Of course, my family was shocked, friends that knew me were shocked. I was even shocked when it came true!

These verses became my first decision grid on making major decisions in life. I love the mystery and wonder of 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” It’s like this. When we are walking we generally know where we are going, the direction of our whole physical body determining the next step as our foot lifts, then lands in front of us. In my mind, I imagined that I make a plan and set out on my day. What I’m going to do, where I am going to go, and who I plan to see or call. But here’s where the mystery comes in, just before my foot hits the ground (according to my plans) God seems to direct it to land where He intends, not necessarily where I intend. I notice every day, that I make plans, but God brings in His will, His way, His plans and supernaturally, superimposes them on my own plans, resulting in accomplishing God’s will in complete cooperation from me. Does that make sense?

I simply go about my day, my month, my year, making plans and yield (at every moment possible) to God’s intentions. Of course, it’s not perfect on my end! God also has the ability (mostly because He already knows my choices) to correct things in real time, re-writing mistakes and flub-ups to get me back on track with Him. And, all of this works together for His glory! This is how and when Romans 8:28 kicks in, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” So – go and make some plans! Dream big and make some Godly plans. Go for it. God will lead and guide by His peace.

Prayer

Dad,
I’m on the other side of life’s perspective of just starting out. Now, I’m looking back and can fully declare that you have been soooo faithful. Your will, your ways are perfect. I am thankful for your guidance and patience in my life. I can see how amazing these wisdom principles are because they have 100% worked in my life. What plans should I make now? I’m going to continue to dream big 😀!