THE LORD SPOKE (March 23)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 29-30

It’s so straightforward and clear. God says, “If you do this, I will bless you. But, if you do that, I will curse you.” With very few exceptions things are written in black and white. True, there are some grey areas that we don’t always understand. But like Mark Twain said, "It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." (Quoted in Alex Ayres, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain.)

Deuteronomy 30 is the capstone on the covenant. There are some remaining loose ends to be tied off in chapters 31-34 but, following the ancient treaty formula for royal covenants, this chapter closes with a calling forth of the witnesses. And who could stand witness for God? There being no likely candidate, He calls forth heaven and earth as witnesses.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deut. 30:19-20)

The people of Israel, and we today, are given a clear choice. Follow God’s way or abandon Him and go your own way. Oh, and don’t forget, there are consequences. If you love the Lord your God and listen to His voice, He will provide for you, bless you, and cause you to prosper. If you turn from Him, He will judge you, let you go your merry way, and will abandon you to your own devices. And guess what? You’ll make a royal mess of things every time.

Did you catch the position, and therefore the meaning, of Deuteronomy 29:29?

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law [i.e. everything written down right here].

Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, does it?


New Testament: John 14

Is your heart troubled? Are there things happening in your life that have you weighed down? disturbed in your soul? tired? too weary to go on?

This chapter offers hope and the solution to these and every other problem. The short answer comes already in the first verse, “Trust in God!” (Jn. 14:1). The longer answer is spelled out in what follows and it’s broken down into three areas:

1) TRUST IN THE FATHER

• His house will be our final abode and it’s being made ready for us even now (14:2).
• He loves us (14:21).
• He has taken the initiative to provide for us everything that we need and His plan covers all contingencies (14:25).
• He is greater than all things and worthy of our trust (14:10,28).

2) TRUST IN THE SON

• He is (not just shows, but is) the way, the truth, and the life for us (14:6).
• He is open to our requests (14:13) and
• He speaks the words of the Father to us (14:10) and intercedes with Him on our behalf (14:12-14).
• He has promised to never leave us (14:18).

3) TRUST IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

• His role for us is as Counselor (14:16). He is our Advocate, both giving us wise advice and representing our interests to the Father.
• He will guide us to understand Truth (14:17).
• He will dwell in us (14:17) in order to be our ever-present Guide.
• He will help us remember the teachings of Scripture (14:26).

What is our part? To love Him (14:21), to obey His commands (14:23), to keep our eyes fixed on Him (14:9,19), and to trust and not fear (14:1,27).

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

THE LORD SPOKE (February 22)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Numbers 1-2

Prompt obedience! It’s what you want from your child when you tell him something. None of this, “I’ll do it later” stuff. When it comes to stepping back from a busy street or taking his hand away from an electrical outlet, you want nothing but immediate compliance.

That’s what God got from Moses on this occasion. The first verse of the book of Numbers tells us that “the Lord spoke” (did you catch that?) to Moses about taking a census of the whole Israelite community. It happened “on the first day of the second month” and when you go to Numbers 1:18, you read that Moses and Aaron called the community together to get started “on the first day of the second month”.

That’s prompt obedience. When you stop to think about it, that’s pretty amazing. With two-million-plus former slaves in a dusty desert, some delay would not have been surprising. Immediate compliance is impressive!

What are some of the excuses we use to delay or put off obedience to what we know God wants us to do?

1. "I’ll get started tomorrow.” But tomorrow always seems to be another 24 hours away.
2. “I’ve got to finish up _________ first.” And that _________ always seems to take more time. It’s just never quite finished.
3. “I’m happy to do it, but I’ve got too much going on right now.” So nothing ever seems to get crossed off the list - just more and more added to the bottom.
4. “I’ll pray about it.” That’s a good one. In many cases you already know He wants you to do it but praying about it buys some more time to put it off.
5. “It’s going to take some careful planning.” But it never seems to get beyond the planning stage.
6. “I’ve got some good ideas I’m working on for that.” When translated this means it’s all just in the head, nothing has been done yet.

No doubt, the list could be expanded almost indefinitely. We’re good at thinking up new ones. Meanwhile, God’s Word goes unheeded and un-obeyed. Compliance is anything but immediate (which means, compliance just isn’t.)

What is it that you need to work on starting today?

Do it now!


New Testament: Luke 9

What does it cost to follow Jesus? If compared to that which you gain, the answer is easy - not much! But there certainly is a price to pay and it’s well to give it some consideration.

First, you must give up your own selfish ambitions. Your choices will no longer be based on creature comforts. You choose instead to follow the Lord’s own example. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk. 9:58).

Second, you must redirect your own priorities to conform with His purposes for you. It’s evident that the man who wants to go bury his Father (Lk. 9:59) was talking of a major delay. If his father were already dead he would have already been involved in the burial requirements for, due to the lack of embalming practices, burial usually took place on the same day. In other words, he’s telling Jesus to hold off for a while. He needs to wait until after his father dies, which could have been years away. Jesus said to him, “Let the [spiritually] dead bury their own [physically] dead” (Lk. 9:60) in order that he (the spiritually alive) might be proclaiming the kingdom of God. If you follow Jesus, your priorities must be adjusted and your values conformed to His will.

Third, you must stay on target. It’s so easy to get off track. The Devil will make sure that there will be many temptations to divert your attention. Like the farmer plowing, you must keep your eyes straight ahead or your furrow will reveal your inattention and lack of purpose. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Lk. 9:62).

So what does that mean in practical terms? If you have ever sensed the Lord’s call on your life, you need to get back on track. You need to discard all those selfish ambitions that have kept you from being obedient. You need to tell Him,”I’ll follow you whatever that means and wherever that takes me.” Then you need to do it!

THE LORD SPOKE (October 28)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 40-42

Jeremiah’s preferred name for the Lord in this chapter is “the LORD, the God of Israel” or “the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel” (see Jer. 42:9,15,18 and continuing usage in the next chapter). But something else is going on here. Notice how, when the Israelites speak to Jeremiah they refer to “the LORD your God” (Jer. 42:2,5) but Jeremiah turns it back to them and says “the LORD your God” (Jer. 42:4). In something of a let’s-get-him-off-our-back attitude, they finally reply “the LORD our God” (Jer. 42:6ff).

But do they mean it? Certainly not. Though Jeremiah reminds them of their promise to “the LORD your God” several more times (Jer. 42:13,20,21) and they respond once more with “the LORD our God” (Jer. 42:20), when push came to shove, “all the people disobeyed the LORD’s command” (Jer. 43:4).

Why do we play games with God? It’s common enough for children raised in a Christian home to not take personal possession of “the God of their fathers”. Indeed, there must sooner or later come a crisis moment when they make that decision for themselves and enter a personal relationship with the Lord. But what’s more worrisome is the older believer who should know better but doesn’t listen or doesn’t respond properly to the Lord in his life.

That rarely comes as a sudden blowout. Usually it starts as a small leak. Some pet sin, probably “small” in itself, is condoned or cherished. We ignore it and slow leaks begin to appear in other areas. Before long, our spiritual life is flat. We no longer have that vital, personal contact with the Lord. He becomes something for church, or something from a previous life, or something distant that doesn’t really matter any more.

What’s the remedy? A daily, devotional walk with the Lord where you seek His face in the Scriptures. Listen to His word. Keep your heart soft to hear when He speaks to you. Pray over the words you’re reading. Ask Him to bring direction to your life through your Bible reading. He promises to do it,

For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare
before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:12-13

Psalms 83-84

Will it be this way forever? It seems all the world is against Israel. Already 3000 years ago, the enemies surrounded the nation on every side! Psalm 83 lists them: north/south and east/west. They include Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites - Ishmaelites all. They are Philistines, Assyrians, Midianites and Canaanites of every kind.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Today the little nation is still surrounded by enemies on every side. Even those who have so-called “peace agreements” continually aid and abet the others who are arrayed against Israel. Even her friends place great pressure on her. With friends like that, she hardly needs enemies. So the beleaguered nation cries out:

Make them like tumbleweed, O my God,
Like chaff before the wind.
As a fire consumes the forest
Or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
So pursue them with your tempest
And terrify them with your storm. (Ps. 83:13-15)

Did God do it? Yes, indeed. Not one of those nations still exists, but Israel does. So why does the situation repeat itself today? Because God is not done with Israel. He is still molding that nation to His own purposes. So long as Israel does not submit fully to Him, He is obligated to place enemies on her borders and within who will inflict pain to accomplish God’s purposes. Individuals may repent and prosper but the nation has still to learn the lesson.

The Sons of the Pioneers had an entirely different thought in mind, but their famous song has an interesting application here: See them tumbling down; pledging their love to the ground...drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds. The nations are adrift, spiraling downward, and pledged to the Underworld in their opposition to Israel. Israel herself will survive because of God’s eternal covenant with her. But she will continue to suffer so long as her heart is not turned toward God.

And, as it goes with Israel, so it goes with us.

Repent and submit to Him!

THE LORD SPOKE (October 27)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 38-39

“Obey the Lord...then it will go well with you....” (Jeremiah 38:20)

The circumstances under which those words were uttered were some of the worst in Israel’s history. Jerusalem was under siege. The Babylonian army was ready to pounce. Her claws were bared. The taut ripple of muscle was a telltale sign that the kill was imminent.

King Zedekiah was a weasel. When his officials called for the death of Jeremiah, though he had himself been in consultation with the prophet, he caved in. He “preserved” Jeremiah’s life by having him thrown live into a cistern. A fine prison. This one was dry except for the slime in the bottom. But who would remember to deliver food when the Babylonians attacked? It was certain death for the old man - if not from the dank conditions, then certainly from starvation.

Zedekiah could have saved him. He should have. Jeremiah was the only one talking sense from the very beginning. By now it was pretty apparent that the voices saying that the enemy wouldn’t ever come as far as Jerusalem were wrong. All they could say about Jeremiah now was, “This man is making everybody afraid” (38:4). Afraid indeed. So namby-pamby Zedekiah has him thrown in jail.

But Ebed-Melech (a foreigner from Cush, who’s name means “servant of the king”) goes quietly to Zedekiah and suggests that Jeremiah might just have the right word from the Lord for this situation. The sniveling king sneaks out to a consultation at one of the gates to the Temple. It’s too late to stop the Babylonians. But surrender would preserve the king’s own life and save Jerusalem. That advice came from God Himself and Jeremiah is able to promise the king, “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.” (38:20).

Zedekiah was faced with a choice. On the one hand was a clear and certain word from the Lord God Almighty (38:17) with a promise of His salvation. On the other hand was, at best, the vain hope that he might somehow escape the city and not be captured by the Babylonian beast. But then what? Where would he go?

Was that a hard choice? Apparently it was, for Zedekiah took the wrong fork in the road. But is that any different than the choices we face. We have the clear word of Scripture to turn from our wicked ways to follow God’s path of righteousness. Again and again, the Bible says, “Here’s the path - walk in it!” Why do we choose still to sin?

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word....
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:35-37,105

Psalms 81-82

It’s the way God made us. Some of us may not be so very musical in terms of producing beautiful sound, but we all have music in our hearts. God has given us all an ear for melody. Since those first sweet strains of a lullaby hummed by our mother’s lips, we resonate with the sound of music. God has put a tune in our soul.

Psalm 81 jumps out at us in the opening lines with...

Sing for joy to God our strength;
Shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Begin the music, strike the tambourine,
Play the melodious harp and lyre.
Sound the ram’s horn....

Throughout Scripture many different people, and at many different times and circumstances, have recommended singing to us as a means of spiritual expression:

• Moses: “I will sing unto the Lord.” (Ex. 15:1)
• Miriam: “[You all] sing to the Lord!” (Ex. 15:21) - it’s a plural imperative
• Deborah: “I will sing to the Lord, I will sing; I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.” (Judg. 5:3)
• Isaiah: “Sing unto the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy....” (Is. 12:5-6)
• David and other psalmists: (Get out a concordance and look up the dozens of references!)

The New Testament likewise commends singing to express our joy in the Lord:

Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16; c.f. I Cor. 14:15 and Jas. 5:13)

Psalm 81 serves as a summary of many other references in that it gives us the two results of music in our hearts and a song upon our lips: joy and strength. It’s really like the proverbial chick-and-egg question. Which comes first? The music or the joy and strength? Do joy and strength produce music? Or does music contribute to joy and strength? The answer is, yes! And in this God is glorified.