Unexpected (A SOAP Journal from Job 9 and Acts 13)

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Job 9:16

If I summoned him and he answered me,
    I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

 v.32-34

For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
    that we should come to trial together.
There is no arbiter between us,
    who might lay his hand on us both.
Let him take his rod away from me,
    and let not dread of him terrify me.

Job’s cry in his distress was that he might be heard by God, yet amid his great pain, shame, and grief, he could not believe or expect that God would actually hear and answer him. He longed for there to be an advocate, a mediator who could take away his fear and reconcile his relationship with God. A real-life man of peace. His words remain the profound longing of honest men and women in their pre-relational faith. I'm referring to those people who know that God must exist, and they feel like he is angry with them, and have no idea how to fix it. This is a common condition throughout the ages. Yet God, in His great love for us, has sent the promised savior. As Paul announced in Acts 13:32-33a, 38-39,

And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus… Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

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 on Unsplash

I know that there are times that I ask God to come through with something or to answer my prayers, but deep down don’t expect him to do so. And when he does answer, help, comfort, and deliver, then I can doubt that my prayers had anything to do with it. Lord, have mercy!

The good news is that he heard the cry of suffering and confused people like Job, as well as those sinful and slow-to-believe people like me, and sent Jesus Christ. God the Son came in the flesh to save us from our sins, to spread his arms on the cross to put his hand on our shoulder and his other hand on the Father so that we might be restored to a right relationship with the God who loves us.

Lord God, thank you for hearing and answering my prayer in Christ before I even asked it. But Lord, I pray that you would also bless me with faith to believe that you do answer so that I might live my life expecting that you are near and that you are at work even when I can’t see it or feel it. May you not be unexpected. Hallelujah! Amen.

Trusting God in a Tottering World

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In tumultuous times how will we respond? Will we care only about our own needs or will we bear one another's burdens?

Recently, in a men’s Bible journaling small group meeting, I read a handful of assigned texts including 1 Peter 2, Isaiah 38-39, 2 Kings 20, and Psalm 75, and I chose the following three brief passages for this devotional post. 

As the world "totters" it is through times of reading and sharing the Scriptures in community with others that the tottering seems to stop and the challenges seem to shrink as we stand together in Christ-centered faith, reminded of the goodness of God on our behalf.

Psalm 75:2-5

 “At the set time that I appoint  

 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,     Selah
   I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

Isaiah 38:17

Behold, it was for my welfare    
but in love you have delivered my life
    from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins
    behind your back.

1 Peter 2:21-24

                                   For to this you have been called, 

because Christ also suffered for you, 

                                        leaving you an example,

                                        so that you might follow in his steps. 

    He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 

    When he was reviled, he did not revile in return;

    when he suffered,      he did not threaten, 

  but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 

                 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

                 that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 

                         By his wounds you have been healed. 

   For you were straying like sheep,

                                                  but have now returned

               to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Comments: 

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As Americans, we need to remember that not all suffering is bad. Some suffering serves the gracious purpose of turning us back to God. Yet even as we do so and receive deliverance, we should be careful not to claim it only for ourselves. Rather, we should share what God has done for us with others so that they, too, might benefit from it.

In Isaiah 38, when God delivered him, Hezekiah responded well (at first) by writing down his words of praise. However, later, once he was comforted by the envoys from Babylon, in pride, he showed them all that he had in his storerooms and was nonplussed when Isaiah told him that it all would be taken away and that some of his sons would eventually be eunuchs in the court of Babylon. Further, once he knew how much time he had left to live (15 years), he didn’t seem to intercede for his sons or do anything to try to change the trajectory of the nation despite having personally experienced the efficacy of fervent prayer!

Do I do the same thing? Do I cry out when I am in need and enthusiastically embrace God’s deliverance for me, but fail to really care about others and mourn over what they will face? Am I satisfied to get what I need when others do not have what they need? It is too easy to fall into an egocentric trap of success and blessing instead of working, compelled by the love of Christ, as ministers of reconciliation.

O Lord, thank you for suffering for me. You alone are my rock and my shield. Yet may I remember that you suffered for the sins of others and that they need to hear the good news that you judge justly and that you took our place. Lord, I also contend for the next generation that they would not be "eunuchs in a foreign land" but living stones and a holy nation built together for your own possession (1 Peter 2:9). May we continue, generation after generation, to praise and serve you alone!

So now, Lord, as the earth seems to totter, in a pandemic, in protests, in political schemes, and in personal suffering, I look to you to steady its pillars. My first call is to you and you judge with equity. 

Lord, hear my prayer!

The Leaders Took the Lead (A SOAP Journal from Judges 4-5)

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In addition to regular articles, I regularly post some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular small group gathering to read, journal, pray, and encourage one another. 
These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Whether we are Christian leaders or new believers, this group approach to Bible journaling is encouraging.
If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a simple devotional guide... standing for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My devotional Bible reading today included the story in Judges 4-5 where Deborah the judge of Israel and Barak the “general” were called by God to bring deliverance to the oppressed people in Israel from Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army. While much could be said about Deborah, who was functioning as the spiritual leader of at least the northern region of Israel, and Barak’s profound confidence in her leadership, the verses that stood out to me today are more applicable to our current international crisis.

S = The first verse is when God issued a clear call to Barak through Deborah in Judges 4:6  

She [Deborah] sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you,

‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor,

taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali

                        and the people of Zebulun. 

And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army,

to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, 

and I will give him into your hand’?” 

And the second section is from their extended song of celebration as they recounted the victory in Judges 5:1-2,

Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:

“That the leaders took the lead in Israel,

    that the people offered themselves willingly,

    bless the Lord!”

O = After Israel had suffered, being cruelly oppressed for 20 years by the king of Canaan (4:3) they finally cried out to the Lord for help. In those days, Deborah rose to judge Israel, leading them towards the Lord, even before there was a military victory. She reminds me a bit of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for deliverance. However, after Israel cried out, it seems that almost immediately God answered. She prophetically called Barak to lead his men into battle against a numerous and well-armed enemy.

Later, after the battle had been won, Deborah and Barak joined together to sing in celebration of the Lord’s deliverance through the people doing what they should do in a crisis. After calling on the Lord, “the leaders took the lead” and “the people offered themselves willingly.”

I don't know about you, but I love it when leaders "take the lead" not merely by making decisions, but by setting an example. A general can plan and issue orders far from the battle, but Barak and Deborah were at the front, leading by example. When leaders set an example, people give themselves willingly.

Photo: WhiteHouse.gov

Today, I think we have some national, state, and local leaders who are setting aside their partisan self-interest and leading, and some who are not. We also have many people offering themselves in the service of others. I think of those who have come down from their places of personal safety to fight the good fight “against an invisible enemy” in the COVID-19 virus, whether medical workers, first responders, grocery clerks, truck drivers, church workers, etc. These people are unselfish heroes.

In Judges, some tribes did not join in the fight, choosing to do nothing (4:15b-17), but Zebulun and Issachar did what needed to be done! What part will we play in this current crisis?

Sure, things can get scary in a hurry. However, in this story, it was once the enemy had come out with all the strength of their forces, that Deborah repeated the call to Barak,

“Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Does not the Lord go out before you?” So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with 10,000 men following him.” 

If the Lord goes out before us... that assumes that we will follow. It is always encouraging to see how so many do just that.

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A = This week, how will we follow the Lord into battle against the ultimate unseen enemy? How seriously will we take the guidelines to keep from spreading the disease? Will we pray? What will we give? How will we serve others by meeting practical needs? Will we check in on family, friends, and others? Will we join with others to sing and praise the goodness of God even during this crisis via our digital gatherings and life groups?

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P = Lord, let us cry out to you in confession for our misplaced affection and praise, and renew our trust in your care for us. Having done that, may we be quick to hear and respond to your mobilizing call to battle. Show us what part we are to play in working for the common good, even in a time of social distancing! May our words be prophetic and encouraging like Deborah, and our arms and legs strong like Barak and his followers to do whatever you put before us to do. While we currently face hardship and suffering on several different levels, please help us think more about others than about ourselves. We trust you for the victory if you go before us!

Are We Asking Amiss? Seven Questions for Discerning the Legitimacy of Our Prayer (Mark 10:35-45)

In the following passage, where James and John ask Jesus to be his top lieutenants in his kingdom, we can learn some surprising lessons about prayer.

Mark 10:35-45

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him,  

    “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 

And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 

And they said to him, “Grant us to sit,

                                                        one at your right hand and

                                                        one at your left, in your glory.” 

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.

        Are you able to drink the cup that I drink,

                 or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 

And they said to him, “We are able.”

And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink,

         and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 

but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, 

   but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 

And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,

                                                 and their great ones exercise authority over them. 

         But it shall not be so among you.

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 

and whoever would be first   among you must be slave of all. 

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,

                                                     and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When I read this passage in the past, I think I probably responded with indignation, like the other ten apostles (v.41). However, this time I focused more on Jesus’ responses to their specific request. Here are four observations.

First, Jesus was not offended despite their demanding tone and asked what they wanted him to do. Upon hearing their presumptuous request, Jesus' first answer was, “You do not know what you are asking.” Jesus didn’t pull any punches. The late Walter W. Wessel noted in Expositor’s Bible Commentary,

“Jesus' answer is sharp and penetrating. The two disciples did not really know what they were asking. The way to a privileged position in the messianic kingdom is not by grabbing for power but by relinquishing it through suffering and death.”

I have begun to wonder if, like Zebedee’s family (James, John, and their mom, too—Matt. 20:20-21), we are still asking Jesus to do stuff that we want, instead of making his redemptive mission our heart’s desire. And we are not shy about asking, even when we have no idea of the scope and significance of what we are asking.

My second observation is that Jesus used the Old Testament images of cup and baptism to metaphorically describe the suffering and trouble that he would soon face (10:33-34), and James and John overconfidently said, “We got this!” (v.39). While Peter is often critiqued for epically over-promising, “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:28) before being told that he would deny Jesus three times before the next morning, this audacious claim by the sons of Zebedee (which amounts to the same kind of human posturing) often escapes notice. I think it's self-promotion hits too close to home for many of us. Ironically, Jesus conceded that they would suffer for his sake. However, Zeb’s boys still didn’t know what they were talking about.

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My third observation focuses on Jesus’ answering their audacious request with what amounts to a loving “No”, or literally, “to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant.” Their clueless request shows that they still misunderstood his role as Messiah as well as the nature of his coming kingdom. He had told them at least three times that his journey to Jerusalem would end violently—with a crucifixion, not a coronation. But they couldn’t grasp such a dramatic plot twist to their carefully curated expectations. What about us? Do we have such a clear vision and plan for the future that we cannot recognize the working of God outside of our plans?

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My fourth observation is that in v. 42-45, Jesus provided a “But it shall not be so among you” corrective to both the sons of Zebedee and the other ten apostles. Our prayer lives, as well as our life values in general, are not to be like those of the world.

The ancient church had a saying, “The law of prayer is the law of belief.” In other words, the way we pray and worship is the way we really believe…more so than any written creeds or catechisms we may claim.

On that note, as we prepare to enter 2020, let me suggest seven questions—drawn from this passage—for discerning the kingdom legitimacy of our prayers and the ministries which they shape.

Seven Questions for

Discerning the Legitimacy of Our Prayer

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By way of application, I want to pose seven simple questions that arise from this pericope, which will help us not waste the privilege of prayer by asking wrongly. Not every request is legitimate, nor is every motive pure. Can we, with the psalmist, humbly ask,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)

1. Do we presumptuously demand that Jesus do our bidding? While it is true that we have amazing access to the Lord, and can even be bold in our prayer, “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” This is not the same thing as demanding that Jesus do what we want. He is not a voice-activated vending machine. As a loving Father, why would he give us something that will hurt us or others just because we demand it?
2. Do we realize what it is that we are asking? Sometimes we really don’t understand what God is doing and how he is at work. It might be that our prayer could be in opposition to his intended plan. There could also be ramifications to our prayer that we cannot imagine.
3. Is our prayer requesting something that Jesus can grant and still fully reveal the character of his Heavenly Father? He will not misrepresent the love and glorious goodness of his Father any more than the Father would share the glory of the Son with idols (Isa. 48:11). If Jesus had granted this request, it would have made it seem as though God played favorites, and that position in the kingdom of heaven was to be gained by political means. Neither of these is true.
4. Would others be troubled by our request? If I pray for the Seahawks to beat the 49ers on Monday Night Football, my new neighbor would be troubled. What if he was praying the other way? While that is a relatively unimportant example, the point is that we should not pray for our own exaltation and/or enrichment above others. Additionally, it is wise to consider how a person might react if they overheard our prayer. I recently heard an evangelist praying for a government official in a way that, had they heard it, would likely have hardened them against the gospel message. Our prayer should selflessly radiate the love of God.
5. Is our prayer in keeping with Jesus’ kingdom values? We should take time to study the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12) and allow their counter-cultural nature to inform the direction and tone of our prayer. Jesus values humility, servanthood, and self-sacrifice for the love of others in response to the love of God. Do our prayers mourn over sin, both personal and corporate? Is it poor in spirit? Is it deployed in our peacemaking efforts, or is it merely a means to maintain our comfort, privilege, and asset accumulation?
6. Does our prayer life help us to be servants of others? As an extension of the previous question, does my prayer life cause me to be more sensitive or less sensitive and responsive to the needs of others? Any time we spend listening to Jesus should leave its mark on our lives, making us more servant-hearted like him.
7. Finally, is our prayer in keeping with the example of Jesus? By his example, I mean not only that he didn’t ask for others to serve him, but he purposefully served and gave his life for others. When it came down to the hardest prayers of all, Jesus said, “Not as I will, but as you will,” and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

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Notice also that in v. 51, Jesus asked the blind beggar Bartimaeus the exact same question that he asked James and John, and he granted his request. He set Bartimaeus free from blindness to “go your way” and Bartimaeus’ way was to follow Jesus “on the way” (v.52). When Jesus answers our prayers, do we do more of our own thing or more “following him on the way” as he works to rebind the broken cosmos?

If we pray, is our prayer legitimate? These seven questions should help answer that question. Jesus’ half-brother James wisely wrote,

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:2-3)

Today, my prayer is that out of our blessed relationship with Jesus Christ we will trust, ask, and ask not amiss.

"I Held My Peace To No Avail"

Have you ever struggled unsuccessfully to bite your tongue, to not respond in kind to the stupid or wrong things being done around you? Have you tried not to defend yourself against untrue things that are being said? I know I have. 

As pastors and Christian leaders, it is in just such moments that we often tend to say things that we regret... I know that I have. 

This week, while we gather to express gratitude to God for his blessings, sometimes our encounters with others are a challenge.

Psalm 39 expresses the agony of the slow burn such silence produced in his heart and what surprising thing he did about it. 

Check out this new post on my Psalms blog, entitled "Psalm 39: Agony & Irony—I Was Silent...Then I Spoke!"

Don't Stop Praying (SOAP Journal from 1 Timothy 2)

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In addition to regular articles, I will be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully, they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

We used the simple SOAP acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today?
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

1 Timothy 2:1-4

S = “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

O = These four verses say that we are to offer all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people, no matter how high or low their position. To make this more challenging, it would seem likely that the king/emperor at that time, for whom Paul exhorts prayer, would have been the infamous Nero. How do you pray for a leader who is harmful to your people? The same way you pray for anyone else…maybe just more so. 

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There are at least a couple of clear reasons for this public prayer as the gathered church that readily appear. First, it explicitly affects our ability to live peaceful and quiet lives (implicitly = living unhindered for Christ and as a ready example for others) as the community of God. Second, our prayer pleases God and affects the lives of those for whom we pray—God desires “all people” to experience salvation and thoroughly know the truth. It behooves us to pray in agreement with the revealed will of God!

A = Do I spend more time complaining about others or praying for them? Can I give thanks for them, even the difficult ones? That can be stretching to my faith, especially in the area of political leadership. My prayer life will be evidenced in how I live: peaceful or stressed out, quiet or loud, godly or selfish, dignified or disturbing? This week, I will pray before posting, I will intercede for others rather than insisting on my own way, and I will talk with Jesus (conversational aspect of prayer) and let him correct my heart before trying to set others straight.

P = O Lord, let me pray before I choose to complain, critique, criticize, or condemn. Give me a thankful heart today. so that I can bless others, building them up in the faith, and be fully present with them in their walk. Because you first loved me, I want to be pleasing in your sight by sharing in your heart for the lost.