Tag: Grace

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Slavery and infanticide as a population control plan?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

History can be most creepy when one sees it repeat! Ancient kingdoms, ancient leaders and people circle and recycle over time; but what has really changed? Technology? Modern adaptation and advancement? Sure. The human heart… not so much. We believe ourselves to be so advanced, so much more humane and good. Ah, but “the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9. God knows it. And, if we’re honest we know it!

This new Pharaoh in Egypt simply saw a problem brewing on the horizon. And, not knowing that God had a plan for the Israelites, he assumed their multiplication had evil intent. Have you ever known a leader or social group who saw population growth in a specific ethnicity as a threat? Yeah – many times over, right? God was building a people group for a purpose, but it wasn’t to take over Egypt or to conquer the pharaoh, it was a long story of redemption itself.

This Egyptian leader, like many other leaders, took this population explosion as a threat to his own plans. Pharaoh’s plan to control was diabolical and pure evil. His answer, enslavement and infanticide. Make the Jews slaves through force and murder all the males to try to stop Jewish people from reproducing. You may remember these two deplorable actions have been repeated multiple times through our human history. And, in modern times, some still blatantly use this methodology.

Of course, with America’s sophistication, education and wealth, we don’t come right out and enslave other ethnic groups, right? And, course, we wouldn’t stand for murdering infants just because they may stand in the way of OUR plans? No, never! Oh Pharaoh, what lessons have we learned from your grand social experiment? How did it go? Did it work out like you planned? Pharaoh was wrong. And every world leader, every political, social leader has been wrong in thinking that they could just enslave and murder other human beings to keep them from “taking over!”

Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Pharaoh – you did get exactly what you didn’t want. A war. A war, not fought from the mistreated slaves in your care. No, a war from God himself. You invited the judgment and justice of God! Your selfish, hubris power became your own downfall. God came against Pharaoh and God caused Pharaoh to give the Israelites all the treasures they could carry, as they escaped from the county they helped build and helped prosper! We should heed history’s warning. Our own country, our own leaders, should be aware that God’s judgment and justice is not something to mocked nor to foster some social experiment. Power and wealth has blinded our social sense of right and wrong. It has twisted justice to suit the advantaged, not the poor, not the widow or orphan. It’s a grand lie, not new but always fashionable. A new king came to power in Egypt and God used him to bring about the exodus of His people and the architecture of what freedom costs, the death of the firstborn son. We will discover exactly what Pharaoh discovered, his coming to power and nefarious plans are all subject to God’s will. My prayer is that those who have believed the lie, that big lie of doing whatever we want, whenever we want to do it is not new, but very, very old and dark. Living that lie has horrible consequences, both in our lives and the lives of our children. But God will also have the last word! He will supernaturally pour out His Spirit and truth that will opens the eyes of the blind, depressed and enslaved. God’s mercy will flow in abundance in the last days, and many will turn and be rescued.

Prayer

Dad,
Help us. Have mercy on our souls. Forgive us of selfish pursuits that wreck personal and communal havoc on ourselves. Bring down the modern-day pharaohs that desire to steal your glory and desire to become gods. Protect the innocent. Bring justice to the poor and weak who have no time nor money to rescue themselves. We ache for truth and life to be known. Amen.

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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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Voice of God.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭29‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

David reflecting over his entire life, remembering the peaceful times in the pasture while tending his father’s sheep. The early entry into the limelight, becoming the giantkiller. Through the rapid rise to fame and possibility as the heir apparent to the throne of Israel. Running and hiding from Saul, Israel’s first king. To the forty years of being king. A circuitous life to notoriety, writing 73 out of the 150 Psalms. Having 8 wives and 18+ children. He lived to 70 years old.

David writes about the powerful voice of God. The voice that created all that exists. God’s voice louder than the roar of the sea. His voice making the earth itself shake and dance. And finally, God speaking in the temple, where the people respond GLORY! What a theme to think about as he reviews his own life.

When we look back on a year, or three or thirty, what do we reflect on? What memories fill our mind? Is it on our own life, family or kids? Is it on career choices or the ups and downs of decisions made in our past? Or, is it on local and global events we’ve experienced and remember the “good-ol-days” even though we know they had their own troubles? David reflected on God and His powerful voice directing the earth and human affairs. Maybe we should consider the same as we look back or better yet, look forward. May The Lord reign as king forever and give his people strength. And, may the Lord bless them with peace.

Prayer

Dad,
Every human will eventually, clearly hear your voice and either be shaken and convicted because they ignored your grace and mocked your love and mercy. Or, they will be overjoyed, comforted by the sweet and familiar sound of being welcomed home. I love your hearing your voice in the quiet sound of correction or the calm sound of peace to my soul. I want your voice to heard as you speak justice, righteousness and truth over the nations of the world. Speak Oh Lord, we need you now.

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Ragged to rich.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭113‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God is the writer who tells the ultimate stories of rags to riches. Ezra writes this Psalm as the people of Israel return home after a 70 year timeout under a foreign country. A generation of loss. This exit out of exile is just the beginning of rewriting their story, rebuilding their lives, along with their culture. Eventually they would finish the rebuilding of their temple and the repair of their city walls.

Think about this. We know that several amazing stories and people come out of this time period. We find out about Daniel and the young men who were selected out to be trained in the royal Nebuchadnezzar courts in service to the king. We also find a most dramatic story of Esther who’s beauty and charm opened the door for her to also rise to become queen and save her entire nation from a racist madmen. Even Nehemiah who was critical to God’s story. The Psalmist writes these verses of God not just looking down on the earth, but stooping down to attend to the affairs of humanity.

God sees. God stoops. God lifts. He relocates the outlier, the desolate and desperate to high places of influence. He sees the loneliness and longing in a mother who desires to give life and nurture a family. God sees, he is moved with compassion and makes destiny happen to fulfill us and accomplish his will. It is God who places people in positions of power and high purpose. He takes Daniel from a position of a slave to the king’s advisor. He takes Nehemiah and makes him the Chief Operations Officer in the royal palace. And he takes Esther all the way to becoming the queen. Who else can do this? No one. God moves and positions people for his purposes. And, for those who obey, he blesses them. For those who disobey, he disciplines them, removing them from power. Why do some rise to evil and stay in power? I don’t know. History reveals that God uses evil leaders, dictators and even madmen to accomplish his own purposes. But when God promotes the poor, it gives us all hope.

Prayer

Dad,
Certainly I did not come from a poor family, in terms of the essentials like housing, food and education. But in terms of safety or family, it was pretty rough. I do know one thing. My friends and family did not see any hope of me becoming much in my own future. Yet, you see, stoop and lift the poor and the desperate. That is exactly what you did for me. I may not be a king or an advisor to one, but I have lived a royal life because of your grace. I am so very thankful for you seeing me and setting an amazing future of purpose before me.

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Hitting basement bottom.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation. You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem— and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help. For your people love every stone in her walls and cherish even the dust in her streets. Then the nations will tremble before the Lord. The kings of the earth will tremble before his glory. For the Lord will rebuild Jerusalem. He will appear in his glory. He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭102‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Psalms have a rhythm, a pattern that often looks down, laying out the reality of grief before turning our hearts and heads upward. This idea of lamenting is often seen as negative and many of us are trained to stop it in ourselves and others, lest we plummet to the bottom. Maybe that’s where we are supposed to go. But, just not stay there.

Daniel (yes, lion’s den Daniel) wrote this Psalm just before Babylon began to release Israel from their 70 year timeout. Notice, there is no stand off between Cyrus the Great and God. Cyrus, the Persian king, had conquered Babylon and sent Israel home. No plagues, no death, no Red Sea, no wandering, just freedom to go home. However, just before Daniel pours out his heart as if he had hit bottom. Daniel didn’t feel like he could stand one more minute of being an immigrant in a foreign land. He wrote, “For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals. My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite. Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones.” Daniel was done. He continued, “I eat ashes for food. My tears run down into my drink because of your anger and wrath. For you have picked me up and thrown me out.” I can’t imagine someone telling him to stop being so negative and just snap out of it. No one seems have been there to tell Daniel how blessed and favored he and his people were for being in captivity because they were being disciplined by God himself. Do we have ANY room in our theology today for suffering or discipline?

But as with most of the Psalms, there is a healthy, true ride to the bottom before coming up again. After pouring out his heart before God and recognizing how disheartening and difficult their situation was, he begins to look up. “But you, O Lord…” How arduous the ride down, but how beautiful the ride back up into the presence of God. “You will arise and have mercy,” Daniel declares.

I don’t know if Daniel and Nehemiah were even aware of each other, it seems they did not know what the other was doing. However, you’ll see a small reference in Daniel’s renewed reflection of God’s grace on their beloved city. Daniel writes, “For your people love every stone in her walls.” Isn’t that amazing! We know from Nehemiah, that the people loved those stones so much that they were able to rebuild Jerusalem’s protective wall in just 52 days!

Daniel’s lament turns into a swell of hope and faith in God, “For the Lord will rebuild….” These Psalms are perfect prayer templates for us. Don’t be afraid to ride the pain, grief, loneliness and sorrow all the way down to the bottom, even the basement. Just make sure after you’ve hit bottom, you push the button of faith and trust God that the ride back up will be filled with His grace and glory. I believe Daniel and his prayer, God will not reject our pleas!

Prayer

Dad,
I should not fear the trip down, even as life, in its reality looks dark. I remember one of David’s Psalms that said, “if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Because even when I hit bottom, I can look up and see your mercy and be embraced by your grace! Thank you.

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Newsflash Reminder.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Once you were dead! I don’t know about you, but I remember my disobedience and MANY sins. I wasn’t born a believer. I did not surrender my life to Jesus as a child. I had a fairly high sin-rate in Junior and Senior High School. I agree with the Apostle Paul, I used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world – obeying the devil and the disordered desires of my heart. In fact, I’m not exactly sure I had a decent conscience. I had a twisted view of guilt. Not only did I rarely feel guilty for my decisions and behaviors, I was really good at masking those feelings behind massive blame of others and the crummy chaotic, dysfunctional life I was handed from my parents.

It was those decisions to ignore my conscience where I can clearly see myself being subject to God’s anger – just like everyone else. Being a sinner didn’t make me special or unique at all. In fact it was slowly stripping away the real me that I was trying to push away.

When I look around at the multiple sin-fests on constant display in entertainment, socials and curated news cycles, I must remember Paul’s words. There is a real devil and he’s commanding the powers of unseen world! My heart breaks as I see my friends, family and neighbors swallow the reverse sour-patch candy. First the lies are sweet, by a well crafted design to follow our passionate desires and inclinations, but turn bitter as they produce rotten results.

I pray that God reveals Himself and rescues them, just as He did for me. These verses lead Paul, via the Holy Spirit, to release one of the most powerful truths found in the New Testament. “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith. It is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” My path, my decisions, my sin was disrupted and redeemed by that powerful, undeserved grace of God. I will never forget who I was. Yet, I will remember what God can do that for others even today.

Prayer

Dad,
Do it again in those I love! Arrest them by your grace. Hunt them down by your love and mercy, relentlessly pursuing them as you did for me. Lift the blinders from their eyes. Penetrate their hearts with light that shatters the lies that lead them to darkness. Expose the wicked plans against them to reveal your love and true freedom. I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

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No longer a walk in the garden.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

“When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear. And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!” As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God once walked with humans, casually, perfectly, lovingly in the garden. In the cool of the day, God would take a walk, “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden.” Now, years after Eden, years after many, many people, well past Noah and the total destruction of almost all living things, well past the rise and fall of Babel and Egypt, we now come to Moses and the Law.

God had just given Moses the laws, rules for His people to live and love differently from all other peoples, cultures and countries. These laws would keep Israel alive and allow them to interact with a holy, perfect God. God was always holy, always perfect. God is the same today and will never change.

Exodus captures a honest moment expressed by God’s beloved Israel… “we’re afraid of Him!” They said. God showed up like a tornado and the people didn’t feel all snuggly safe. Moses told the people, “God comes like a storm to test you. Your fear of him will keep you from sinning.” It did keep them from sin…for the moment, but it didn’t last. God told the people through Moses, “Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬.

Just twelve chapters later…“When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ – really? That was fast.

Fear works while it is directly applied, but fades as we forget the storm, the threat of death. But fear is never enough to sustain a authentic relationship over the long haul. Who wants to take walks in a garden with someone they fear and sense that perfection is held over them at every moment.

Exodus, the Law and the entire Old Testament is very real and very much a part of our story of who we are and who God is. As I wrote, God is and always will be holy, perfect and completely incompatible with sin. The fear of God is still a reality today and will always be a part of our relationship to Him.

Fast forward to the paradox of New Covenant in tension to the Old Covenant. The God who showed up in the deadly storm is the same God who touched the dead body of a little girl and said, “talitha koum” (little maiden), arise. Or the same God who wept and embrimaomai (moved with anger) called out his friend, Lazarus, from death’s pit. We see God the Father, as holy, perfect and feared in the Exodus, but He is the same as the person of Christ, God the Son. Yet, this holy perfection, under the new covenant is love so pure, so piercing, it penetrates beyond fear. A fear that CAN make us want to hide as Adam and Even had done or stand at a distance as the Israelites. OR, this love/fear is to be experienced as an imperfect human completely and totally seen and known for who and what we really are. Yet, we have FAITH that the sacrifice of Christ doesn’t repel us from God’s holiness but contrarily – it supernaturally pulls us, draws us into God’s presence to be embraced by Him.

When shown our sin, we no longer need to run, hide nor flaunt or make excuses. We can now move towards God’s perfect grace not fearing the final judgement of separation. Believers will even be judged in perfect love and not fear (Bema – Judgement Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10)).

Where is the “fear of God” in this season of grace? Well, it is still here. The fear of God should never be skirted, challenged or arrogantly thrown in the face of God, exclaiming, “His grace is sufficient.” Saying, “I can sin. I can disobey. I can do whatever I want because of Christ’s covering.” How arrogant, how immature! God can certainly strike you dead where you stand regardless of your status of being saved! God can end your life here and sort out the details later? Or, sin’s own consequences can bury you, destroying everything you’ve built and leave you destitute. Don’t tempt God’s grace!

Prayer

Dad,
I know of your love and it’s perfect. I also believe I have a healthy fear of your perfection, your righteousness, your repulsion of sin. I am completely and totally confident in your grace and painfully aware of the consequences of my sin, my choices that are neither hidden from you nor acceptable to you. I am willing to live in this tension. I am willing to run towards you even in my sin, with my failures and work hard to NEVER run from or uselessly try to hide or dodge my poor decisions. I am without excuse, but I am forever grateful for your mercy. Amen.

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Pendulum People?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Or, the age of anti-works. Are we so against works that we’re no longer gracefully good?

As a believer I think I would call Christians the “pendulum people.” Over centuries of history and experiencing God myself for the past 46 years, I have seen the Church swing from one extreme to the other. This “works” versus “grace” is just one example. Free will verses sovereignty is another.

One huge swing was from total social involvement in mission, like giving an actual cup of water with the gospel, to just giving the gospel only. At one point Christianity WAS a social gospel, hands on, running into plagues to care for the sick and such. Then it was deemed to liberal to only feed, cloth or shelter and possibly do it in the name of Jesus. So, mission was defined as just giving the gospel and not tending to real needs at all.

We’ve bounced around blaming styles of works and grace, competing and comparing one denomination to another. Both saying, “we’re better because we are Biblical!” When will we get it?

Paul writes to the Ephesians and says, “grace saves you!” Paul writes to the Philippians and says, “Word hard!” Which is it Paul? Of course we should know – it’s BOTH! How long will it take for us to see that FAITH and OBEDIENCE go together and can never be separated? Apparently, we will not fully get it until we reach heaven.

How can we love God and live for Him without both His grace and His power to do, to create, to WORK here on this earth as His Kingdom has arrived and is arriving. It is grace that saves us AND it is works that are the joy of that salvation! Paul says works are the results, the application, the outcome. He uses this interesting Greek word, only found here in Philippians. katergazomai – work out, bring about. It combines two words “work” and “down to the point or thoroughly.” He also adds these two “kick-in-the-pants” words: fear and trembling.

Of course these words are connected to obedience, not necessarily the work. When God rescues and redeems, He does so with purpose in mind. That purpose becomes a mystery and a delight to figure out and get busy with it. If you’ve ever seen a toddler or a preschooler “play,” you know to them it IS work. If you’ve every witnessed a master craftsman building, shaping or painting you’ve seen the joy of pure play. But we say “she’s working” on something or “he’s in his workshop.” God’s grace releases us, frees us to play, with joy, in this world – participating in the Kingdom of God. My advice, quit swinging to the extremes of the pendulum and get busy in the tension of being a human being. Live and love in the paradox of God’s will for us.

Prayer

Dad,
The older I get the more frustrated I become with the polarization of opinion! We fight about the edges of extremes and abandon unity. We quarrel in our corners wasting precious time pointing at each other to bolster our pride and embarrass your grace towards us. I just want to believe and obey. I just want to please you with faith and do what it is you’ve said. Should I become a friend of my brothers and an enemy of yours? Or, a friend of God and let you decide who will join with me? My faith and obedience is in you, for although I love my brothers and sisters, they are not the ones who saved me!

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Fretting follicles.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me— too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

According to Blue Letter Bible, Psalm 40 was among Psalms collected and inserted in the songbook towards the end of David’s life. I don’t think David was being comedic here in his analogies, but I am a visual reader. Words and phrases bring pictures into my head.

As I read this Psalm, most likely written as David is approaching retirement, and put here as more of a reflective thought, I can’t help but see piles of sin outside the royal palace stacked up against the walls like a snow drift from a massive winter storm. And, if that’s not a enough, he then compares his sin to the number of hairs, albeit fleeting, on his head.

Look it up! The average black or brown headed person has about 100,000 hairs and blondes have 150,000. Do blondes need more for some reason? 100k of sins. How am I supposed to tally up all my sins throughout the years. Is there an app to track that? At first I thought, “oh, I’ve sinned way more than the number of hairs on my skull.” But 100K? No, I’m not going to do the math for you.

Let’s just agree we can all PILE up a lot of sin in a lifetime. And managing those sins can be quite the undertaking. In yesterday’s devo I wrote about Hebrews advice, “don’t count up or manage your sin,” look to the Savior who gracefully paid off our debt and just be grateful. I realize that here in Psalm 40, David was still under the law and the crushing guilt of all the awful things he had done. So his plea is understandable. Today, I don’t want to or have to count sin-snowflakes piled up or fretting follicles and the debt I’ve amassed. God’s tender mercies are still active and effective!

Prayer

Dad,
I may be running out of hairs on my head, but I am not running low on sin! I am glad I do not need to obsess over sins in my past. And when I confess and come clean with you about my current selfishness and self determined will, you forgive me and toss my sins in opposite directions, far from you and me. I am still thrilled to look at piles of mercy rather than piles of mistakes, mountains of grace verses molehills of guilt.

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Who’s my Mother?

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother.”  Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Paul uses his lawyer training, his pharisaical training to straighten out some questions regarding the Old Testament law. Paul takes these discussions very serious because it has a direct effect, not just on our salvation, but also on our behavior towards others – believers and nonbelievers alike. The very old story about Sarah and Hagar is a living object lesson to the approach the works versus grace and or perfection and judgment verses freedom and forgiveness. One doesn’t just lead to MORE sin, but also a mindset, a perception that the law gets one closer to God and separates them from the common sinner. This snobbery of perfection is WORSE than the than the clueless lawbreaker.

In our postmodern world, it’s not the direct following of the “big ten” commandments, it’s the casual substitution of other perceived rules that govern the “Hagar Covenant.” The enslaved mentality is wrapped up in Do’s and Don’ts.

The don’t’s
The don’ts are very physically apparent. Don’t dress a certain way. Don’t adorn yourself a certain way. Don’t tattoo yourself. Don’t do things that are clearly harmful to yourself and your family. Things like drinking alcohol, smoking or snorting whatever goes into your lungs – cigarettes, pipes, marijuana, vapes or cocaine. Don’t flaunt addictions like gambling, sex, porn or drugs. And, don’t hang out anywhere where “those” kind of people gather. And don’t curse and tell dirty NSFW jokes.

The Do’s
Do dress nice. Do go to church. Do read your Bible. Do be nice and kind. Do give to the church and the street-corner beggar, Don’t get caught gossiping, lying or cheating on things like taxes or business deals. It’s pretty clear that we have lists of Do’s and Don’ts.

The “doers” and “don’t-ers” know who’s who are are pretty happy being associated with their “people.” Sure, there are plenty of folks who play both sides, popping back and forth uncomfortably trying to have it both ways – do good er some times, don’t do good other times. In Paul’s day it was very clear who was supposed to be the righteous and who was clearly the sinner. Paul’s illustration to the churches in Galatia must have been super eye-opening and frustrating at the same time. He doesn’t compare the Do’s and Don’ts to appearances or un-ending list of behaviors. He says it comes down to faith in one of two ways.

Abraham & Sarah made a decision that became two different and quite oppositional ways to follow God. One, MAKE the promise happen by Hagar. Or two, RECEIVE the promise through Sarah. Two very different paths: One was a human plan, one was a God plan. One led to and still leads to SLAVERY the other led to and leads to FREEDOM. If we choose to live by religious rules and perceived perfection where God owes us salvation because we checked off a list, then this is what we get. We have chosen to forever be slaves to those rules, that ever-changing, non-transformative, transactional, self-motivated and determined righteousness. But if we choose the God plan, and receive the promise, we have to let go of all the natural human expectations on ourselves and others! When we choose the Sarah plan, the promise fulfilled, we will walk in a path of grace, mercy, forgiveness, understanding, wisdom and definitely drop the snobbery, the judgement, the eye-rolls and whispered comments under our breath. We’ll drop the unrealistic, unrelenting expectations of perfection and performance for us and others to prove ourselves worthy or pull ourselves out our muddy puddles of disappointment.

The God plan requires us to shut down our judgments and comparisons to others. It requires us to let God constantly wash our souls of the stench of selfishness and self righteousness. It is not easy! The former pharisee, Paul, reminds us “So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.” Whose YOUR spiritual momma, Hagar or Sarah?

Prayer

Dad,
I choose Sarah! I choose your plans for my life and my redemption. I choose freedom. I cannot choose both Hagar and Sarah! And since I choose Sarah, I must renounce judgment and looking down on others who’s stories are unknown to me. I must renounce comparison and replace it with compassion. Thank you for reminding me who is my real mother in faith!