THE LORD SPOKE (September 19)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 1-2

“Stop bringing meaningless offerings.” (Is. 1:13)

It’s not too hard to picture that with hundreds of bleating sheep around, buckets of blood underfoot, and the pungent aroma of burnt flesh filling the air. How quickly did it move from the sacrifice of a lamb to the slaughter of a lot? As so often occurs, we think, “one is good - a bunch is gooder” and God cries out “Stop!”

I have had more than enough of burnt offerings....
I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats....
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! (Is. 1:11-12)

The point of the sacrifices (ordained by God!) was never merely to multiply the bloodshed. Man invariably goes for the wrong application and then overdoes it in his zeal. God says, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22) so we get out the butcher knife and start slicing jugular veins. The more the merrier and soon the misplaced emphasis becomes a cover-up. In our frenzy we miss the main point - clearing up the sin problem in our relationship with God. It’s like we never miss a chance to miss a chance.

We’re still doing it today. Frantic last-minute preparation, a frenzy of “church stuff”, the flurry of spiritual activity and God-words. Where’s the substance? God says, “I’ve had enough” (Is. 1:11a), “I have no pleasure” in it (Is. 1:11b), “stop” (Is. 1:13a), “I cannot bear it” (Is. 1:13b), “I am weary” (Is. 1:14), “I will hide my eyes” (Is. 1:15a), and “I will not listen” (Is. 1:15b).

So what is the answer?

STOP! Stop the meaningless activity. Not, stop all activity - it was still necessary to shed blood for the remission of sins. But, slow down the squirrel cage a little. Cut out the ineffectual activity-for-activity’s-sake stuff.

LOOK! - Get your eyes back on the Lord. Get back to making the main point the main point! Fix your stare on Him. Like Peter, you’ll sink if you take your eyes off Him.

LISTEN! “Let us reason together...for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is. 1:18,20). Are you hearing His voice anymore? He wrote it down for you so you could always find your way back. Are you reading it long enough and deeply enough so you can hear Him?


Psalm 5-6

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice. In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Ps. 5:3)

Think about it for a minute: what do these people all have in common? Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus.

Answer? They all “rose up early in the morning” on three or more occasions (recorded in Scripture) to meet with God. There are 14 others mentioned in the Bible who did it at least once. Next question: Are you detecting a pattern here? Do you think that you can do better than these people? Or, maybe would you say that their example might be a good thing to follow?

Why is it that getting up early in the morning is such a good way to meet with God?

1. You demonstrate the value you place on meeting with Him. You have to make some effort in order for it to work out. You probably have to set an alarm. Maybe you need to go to bed a little earlier the night before. The Bible calls it “vanity” to waste your sleep. “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves” (Ps. 127:2).
2. You give him the “first fruits” of your day. You give him your best time, when you’re fresh and before other thoughts and plans begin to crowd into your day. It’s clear that He’s not just an afterthought in your planning. “I love those who love me, and those who seek me early [the Hebrew word comes from shahar, “dawn”] will find me” (Prov. 8:17).
3. There are fewer distractions. One nice thing about getting up early in the morning is that you’ll probably be alone. Things are quieter. The phone’s not ringing. The TV and the radio are still off (or should be!). You’ll have some time before the noises of life begin to take over.
4. There’s a better chance that you’ll have Him with you for the rest of the day. It’s less likely that you’ll miss the trail if you get started right. “O God, you are my God, earnestly [there’s that word, “early” or “dawn” again] will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1).

So, would you like to be like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus? Here’s a good way to get started.

THE LORD SPOKE (September 13)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 1-3

The 60's produced a lot of it. We were reading Camus and Sarte. We listened to Timothy Leary as he offered his solution. Vietnam pushed more than a few over the edge. We filled our numbed heads with black lights, rock music, marijuana, and psychedelic thoughts. We burned our bras and our draft cards. We tuned in, turned on, and dropped out. We thought we were cool (back then it was “groovy”) but when we looked out our kaleidoscope eyes we saw that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9) and we concluded, like Solomon, that it was all “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Eccl. 1:2).

So in the 70's and 80's we “undertook great projects” (Eccl. 2:4). Some of us inherited a bunch from Mom and Dad and thought that was great. Some of us got jobs and worked hard. And we played harder. We settled down in “the burbs”. Like Solomon, we filled our garages with toys. But all the stuff didn’t make us happier. Like Solomon, we found ourselves saying:

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun. (Eccl. 2:10-11)

By Y2K we had found our niche and were pretty comfortable. The new millennium gave us a momentary thrill of expectancy but when that non-event was over we settled back and started coasting downhill. The grandkids make us peddle a little occasionally and we can get excited if our team makes it to the playoffs. The World Series was pretty good and the football game has our attention right now. But mainly we’re coasting.

Spiritually the story is identical. We “rededicated” our lives to God at camp. For awhile we were making some plans to go to the mission field. We maybe even made it as far as Bible college. But then the buts started. We had to pay off the school bills. Of course we needed to have a place to live and that lousy apartment was no good so we took on house payments because “at least we’ll have some equity later and won’t just throw our money away on rent”. With both of us working we needed two cars and there’s no sense in buying someone else’s problems so if we get a new car at least one will be dependable. Besides, we’re both working now so we should be able to make those payments. Then the kids started to be born and life got more difficult. So we just put five bucks in the plate for the missionaries and started coasting.

So, is that really all there is? Is this as good as it gets? Are we having fun yet? What’s the point? If you stop reading in Ecclesiastes you’ll mostly be left with those questions unanswered. OK, Solomon does bring it back around by chapter twelve and give us some answers. But he’s sure no example for finishing strong. Read through the Gospels and see if there isn’t a better reason for living. Acts and the epistles will flesh that out for you. If you make it to Revelation, you’ll get eternity’s values in view.

To what are you giving your life? Is it worth living for?


New Testament: Revelation 19

“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). This is the fourth of seven beatitudes in the book (c.f. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 20:6; 22:7,14). “Blessed” means much more than “happy” though it could be translated that way. It describes the deep satisfaction of one who has experienced favorable circumstances from the hand of God.

This wedding supper is exciting! Can you imagine the delights that will come out of the kitchen of heaven? But surpassing that by far will be the awesome wonder of sitting down at the table with the Lamb. Such joy and godly revelry will there be! We’ll hear Him speak; we’ll gaze upon His face; we’ll be in His presence and the clock will never strike midnight. But here’s what caps it all - we are the bride at this wedding feast! It’s all about Him but He has made it all about us. His robe was “dipped in blood” (Rev. 19:13) for us and He has clothed us in “fine linen, white and clean”.

By the way, take a closer look at that part of the story. Revelation 19:14 mentions “the armies in heaven”. The Greek preposition en (“in”) is used so it’s not the armies of heaven as some translations have it. Those would be the angels or other creatures who await to do His bidding. These are the armies in heaven. That’s us! The clue is the white linen. Verse 18 has just told us that fine linen has been given to the bride and represents the good works of the saints (c.f. Rev. 3:4-5).

So we will be riding behind Him on white horses also. This sovereign and almighty Lamb will lead us in triumph as Lord of lords and King of kings.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my condemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on."

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.